Design Director Jobs in Colorado
Design Director jobs in Colorado concentrate in product design, brand identity, UX leadership, and built-environment design, with the strongest demand in Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs. Established employers with a lasting hiring presence here include Ball Corporation, Lockheed Martin, and VF Corporation, each of which has sustained in-house creative and design leadership teams in the state. The most sought-after specializations right now are UX and digital product direction, brand systems leadership, and experience design for technology and consumer goods companies. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Xcimer Energy is advancing Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) by combining decades of scientific progress with a breakthrough laser architecture designed for practical and scalable fusion power. Our mission is to deploy commercial fusion plants quickly enough to accelerate global decarbonization, and also reduc the cost of electricity. Backed by leading investors, Xcimer brings together experts in laser physics, fusion science, and advanced manufacturing with a proven history of rapid execution. With a uniquely positioned team and technology, we are urgently working to deliver clean, abundant fusion energy with the speed to address climate change. Please join us in building a future powered by laser driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF).
This is a full-time, onsite role based at our headquarters in Denver, CO.
As the Director of Integrated Target Design at Xcimer, you will lead the interdisciplinary group of scientists and engineers that optimize all aspects of target physics for our new laser architecture. Your main responsibilities will be to guide efforts in advanced simulations and experiments, as well as the recruitment, mentoring, and development of the team. As a technical expert, you will provide day-to-day guidance to your team and participate in cross-function discussions across ICF disciplines. In close partnership with the program leads, you will translate high-level priorities and objectives into actionable plans, and build the culture and collaborations needed to reach the highest possible levels of fusion performance. At Xcimer, you can expect the resources and opportunity to build on decades of prior work in ICF and realize its ultimate potential for producing energy.
The ideal candidate would have significant understanding of inertial confinement fusion (ICF), the associated workflows, and existing high-energy-density-facilities and institutions.
Responsibilities
- Build, grow, and lead the Integrated Target Design group, including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, managing, mentoring, and the professional development of staff.
- Convert program priorities into detailed work scopes, schedules, and task assignments for the team.
- Evaluate near-term capability and resource needs and communicate them to program leadership to support effective staffing and toolchain development.
- Uphold and enforce Xcimer’s cultural values of humble ambition, accountable trust, respectful critique, and rigorous urgency.
- Ensure the high‑quality execution of all work by removing obstacles and maintaining clear priorities for the team.
- Work with the Theory and Computation group to ensure modeling capabilities align with design needs.
- Collaborate with the Diagnostic Physics Division (Imaging and Spectroscopy) to ensure researchers have the diagnostic support, interfaces, and coordination needed for high-quality execution of experiments.
- Participate as a technical authority in cross‑functional discussions with laser engineering, target fabrication, chamber engineering, diagnostics, etc.
- Provide day-to-day technical guidance to team members in implosion physics, LPI, symmetry control, and energy coupling strategies.
- Review and validate team outputs for technical quality and consistency Contribute to technical collaborations with national labs, universities, external vendors, and testing facilities.
- Establish department-wide practices, documentation standards, review processes, and quality control appropriate for industrial fusion systems.
Success Measures
- An Integrated Design team with high measures of performance, strong collaborations, and very clear priorities.
- High-quality outputs delivered on schedule and aligned with program goals.
- Strong integration of target physics and implosion design work into experimental platforms that drive system, element, and program level decisions.
- Effective recruiting, mentoring, and development of internal capabilities.
- Consistent delivery of work scopes tied to physics risks and their resolution.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Physics or Engineering, or a related technical field, with knowledge of ICF.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop scientific or technical teams.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey complex arguments to diverse staff in a matrixed organization.
- Ability to manage execution in a fast-moving, interdisciplinary environment, with evolving priorities.
- Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident, or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum.
Desired
- Deep expertise in inertial confinement fusion, capsule and hohlraum design, laser-plasma instabilities, hydrodynamics, or a related field.
- Familiarity with radiation‑hydrodynamic modeling workflows, methods in physics validation, and developing or supporting experimental platforms at HED facilities (NIF, OMEGA, Z, or similar).
- Experience in multi‑institutional experimental collaborations.
- Familiarity with topics of interest to IFE including target fabrication, DT filling, cryogenic handling, and/or target injection and delivery.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
Xcimer Energy is advancing Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) by combining decades of scientific progress with a breakthrough laser architecture designed for practical and scalable fusion power. Our mission is to deploy commercial fusion plants quickly enough to accelerate global decarbonization, and also reduc the cost of electricity. Backed by leading investors, Xcimer brings together experts in laser physics, fusion science, and advanced manufacturing with a proven history of rapid execution. With a uniquely positioned team and technology, we are urgently working to deliver clean, abundant fusion energy with the speed to address climate change. Please join us in building a future powered by laser driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF).
This is a full-time, onsite role based at our headquarters in Denver, CO.
As the Director of Integrated Target Design at Xcimer, you will lead the interdisciplinary group of scientists and engineers that optimize all aspects of target physics for our new laser architecture. Your main responsibilities will be to guide efforts in advanced simulations and experiments, as well as the recruitment, mentoring, and development of the team. As a technical expert, you will provide day-to-day guidance to your team and participate in cross-function discussions across ICF disciplines. In close partnership with the program leads, you will translate high-level priorities and objectives into actionable plans, and build the culture and collaborations needed to reach the highest possible levels of fusion performance. At Xcimer, you can expect the resources and opportunity to build on decades of prior work in ICF and realize its ultimate potential for producing energy.
The ideal candidate would have significant understanding of inertial confinement fusion (ICF), the associated workflows, and existing high-energy-density-facilities and institutions.
Responsibilities
- Build, grow, and lead the Integrated Target Design group, including recruiting, hiring, onboarding, managing, mentoring, and the professional development of staff.
- Convert program priorities into detailed work scopes, schedules, and task assignments for the team.
- Evaluate near-term capability and resource needs and communicate them to program leadership to support effective staffing and toolchain development.
- Uphold and enforce Xcimer’s cultural values of humble ambition, accountable trust, respectful critique, and rigorous urgency.
- Ensure the high‑quality execution of all work by removing obstacles and maintaining clear priorities for the team.
- Work with the Theory and Computation group to ensure modeling capabilities align with design needs.
- Collaborate with the Diagnostic Physics Division (Imaging and Spectroscopy) to ensure researchers have the diagnostic support, interfaces, and coordination needed for high-quality execution of experiments.
- Participate as a technical authority in cross‑functional discussions with laser engineering, target fabrication, chamber engineering, diagnostics, etc.
- Provide day-to-day technical guidance to team members in implosion physics, LPI, symmetry control, and energy coupling strategies.
- Review and validate team outputs for technical quality and consistency Contribute to technical collaborations with national labs, universities, external vendors, and testing facilities.
- Establish department-wide practices, documentation standards, review processes, and quality control appropriate for industrial fusion systems.
Success Measures
- An Integrated Design team with high measures of performance, strong collaborations, and very clear priorities.
- High-quality outputs delivered on schedule and aligned with program goals.
- Strong integration of target physics and implosion design work into experimental platforms that drive system, element, and program level decisions.
- Effective recruiting, mentoring, and development of internal capabilities.
- Consistent delivery of work scopes tied to physics risks and their resolution.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in Physics or Engineering, or a related technical field, with knowledge of ICF.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and develop scientific or technical teams.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey complex arguments to diverse staff in a matrixed organization.
- Ability to manage execution in a fast-moving, interdisciplinary environment, with evolving priorities.
- Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident, or lawfully admitted as a refugee or granted asylum.
Desired
- Deep expertise in inertial confinement fusion, capsule and hohlraum design, laser-plasma instabilities, hydrodynamics, or a related field.
- Familiarity with radiation‑hydrodynamic modeling workflows, methods in physics validation, and developing or supporting experimental platforms at HED facilities (NIF, OMEGA, Z, or similar).
- Experience in multi‑institutional experimental collaborations.
- Familiarity with topics of interest to IFE including target fabrication, DT filling, cryogenic handling, and/or target injection and delivery.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.
See All 12 Design Director Jobs in Colorado
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Find Design Director JobsDesign Director Jobs by City in Colorado
Where Colorado roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Design Director Job Market in Colorado
A snapshot from current Colorado openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Colorado Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in design director jobs across Colorado.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in graphic design, industrial design, UX, or a related field
- Eight or more years of progressive design experience, including team leadership
- Demonstrated portfolio of end-to-end design projects across brand, product, or digital channels
- Proven ability to manage and mentor designers across multiple concurrent projects
- Experience collaborating with product, engineering, and marketing stakeholders
- Proficiency in industry tools such as Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and prototyping platforms
Design Director Jobs in Colorado: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a design director in Colorado?
Becoming a design director in Colorado typically requires a bachelor's or master's degree in graphic design, industrial design, UX, or a related field, followed by years of progressively senior design roles. Colorado does not require a state-issued license for most design director positions. Employers in Denver and Boulder prioritize a strong portfolio, demonstrated leadership of design teams, and domain expertise in the industry they serve, whether technology, aerospace, outdoor goods, or consumer brands.
Which companies hire design directors in Colorado?
Companies currently hiring design directors in Colorado include Crocs, Sycle, and AtkinsRéalis, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of October 2026. Colorado's concentration of technology firms, consumer goods headquarters, and aerospace companies in the Denver metro and Front Range makes it one of the more active markets for senior design leadership roles.
Which Colorado cities have the most design director jobs?
Denver, Lakewood, and Broomfield have the most design director openings in Colorado. Denver leads because it is home to the state's largest concentration of technology companies, consumer brands, and agency headquarters, while Boulder's outdoor, health, and software sectors and Colorado Springs' defense and aerospace employers account for much of the remaining demand across the Front Range.
Are there remote design director jobs in Colorado?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 89% of design director openings tied to Colorado are remote or hybrid as of October 2026, reflecting the desk-based and digital nature of much of the work. Strategic and digital product direction roles are the most likely to be fully remote, while positions tied to physical product development or in-studio brand work more often require on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a design director in Colorado with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is to build toward the title from a senior designer or design lead role at a Colorado employer, then step into a director-level position once you have team management experience. Technology companies in Denver and Boulder, as well as consumer goods firms like VF Corporation, regularly hire associate creative leads and senior designers who grow into director roles. A compelling portfolio, demonstrated cross-functional collaboration, and a credential such as a UX or product design certification strengthen a candidacy at that transition point.
Where can I find and apply to design director jobs in Colorado?
You can find and apply to design director jobs in Colorado on Migrate Mate, which lists current Colorado openings across industries and experience levels. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 12 Design Director Jobs in Colorado
Find roles in Colorado that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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