Design Director Jobs in Maryland
Design Director jobs in Maryland are actively sought across the state's strong concentrations in federal contracting, healthcare systems, and higher education communications, with openings at senior and executive levels. The largest share of hiring is in Baltimore, Bethesda, and Rockville, where anchors like Northrop Grumman, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and Marriott International maintain significant creative and brand operations. The most in-demand specialties are brand and identity design, UX and digital product design, and environmental or experiential design. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 7+ Design Director jobs
Job Number26120011
Job CategorySales & Marketing
Location7750 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda MD 20814, United States
ScheduleFull Time
Located Remotely?N
Position Type Management
Pay Range: $61.05-$81.25 per hour
JOB SUMMARY
We are seeking a strategic, collaborative, and forward-thinking FLEX Director of Design Operations, Design Systems to lead the evolution of the Marriott Associate Design System (MADS), our enterprise-wide foundation for building intuitive, accessible, consistent, and scalable digital experiences for Marriott.
As the FLEX Director of Design Operations, Design Systems, you will lead the vision, strategy, roadmap, governance, adoption, and operational model for MADS. You will treat the design system as an enterprise product and capability; connecting the needs of product teams with reusable design and engineering solutions that improve quality and accelerate delivery across Marriott’s internal digital ecosystem.
This role serves as a key bridge between Design and Design System Engineering, working in close partnership with engineering leadership to jointly evolve the system from strategy through production. Together, design and engineering will align roadmaps, evolve component architecture, maintain design-to-code parity, and ensure MADS solutions are accessible, technically scalable, and designed for reuse.
The FLEX Director of Design Operations, Design Systems will also lead DesignOps for MADS, establishing scalable processes for work intake, prioritization, capacity and resource planning, governance, contribution, documentation, and delivery. This leader will maintain visibility into demand across the organization and help determine where design system investment can solve recurring product needs at scale.
This is both a strategic leadership and hands-on design leadership role. The FLEX Director of Design Operations, Design Systems will guide design system designers, provide design direction and critique, and help translate complex enterprise needs into scalable patterns, components, standards, and experiences.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Education and Experience
Required
- Bachelor's degree in UX Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Product Design, Design Systems, Design Operations, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.
- 8+ years of experience in digital product design, design systems, UX strategy, DesignOps, or related disciplines, including leadership of complex enterprise-scale initiatives.
- Experience leading, owning, or significantly contributing to an enterprise design system or digital platform, including roadmap development, governance, adoption, and cross-functional collaboration with design and engineering teams.
Preferred
- Deep expertise in design systems, including component libraries, design tokens, documentation, governance models, accessibility standards, and design-to-development workflows utilizing tools such as Figma, Storybook, GitHub, Jira, and Confluence.
- Experience establishing DesignOps practices, including intake, prioritization, capacity planning, contribution models, workflow optimization, and organizational enablement at scale.
- Experience leveraging emerging technologies and AI-enabled tools to improve design system adoption, documentation, quality, accessibility, designer and developer workflows, or operational efficiency.
CORE WORK ACTIVITIES
- Defines and evolves the vision, strategy, governance model, and multi-quarter roadmap for the Marriott Associate Design System (MADS).
- Leads the design and evolution of design system foundations, components, patterns, standards, documentation, and supporting tools.
- Partners closely with Design System Engineering to align roadmaps, prioritize investments, and maintain design-to-code parity across system assets.
- Establishes governance, contribution, release, versioning, migration, and deprecation processes that support scalable system growth.
- Leads DesignOps practices for MADS, including intake management, prioritization, resource planning, workflow optimization, and delivery oversight.
- Manages the design system backlog and balances immediate product needs with long-term platform investments and technical sustainability.
- Provides design leadership, direction, coaching, and critique to designers and cross-functional teams to ensure high-quality, scalable solutions.
- Evaluates product and business needs to identify opportunities where reusable system solutions can improve consistency, efficiency, and experience quality.
- Develops and maintains processes, templates, documentation, and playbooks that improve adoption and effective use of MADS.
- Facilitates design reviews, governance discussions, office hours, and contribution reviews to support system adoption and continuous improvement.
- Ensures accessibility, inclusive design, usability, and quality standards are embedded within reusable design system assets and practices.
- Collaborates with Product, Engineering, Accessibility, Architecture, and other stakeholders to align priorities and drive enterprise-wide adoption.
- Defines and tracks key performance indicators related to adoption, reuse, system health, accessibility, operational effectiveness, and business impact.
- Uses qualitative and quantitative insights to identify improvement opportunities and inform roadmap and operational decisions.
- Drives organizational change management, communication, training, and enablement efforts associated with new standards, system enhancements, and migrations.
- Represents MADS strategy, priorities, value, and outcomes to senior leadership and key stakeholders across the organization.
At Marriott International, we are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer, welcoming all and providing access to opportunity. We actively foster an environment where the unique backgrounds of our associates are valued and celebrated. Our greatest strength lies in the rich blend of culture, talent, and experiences of our associates. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, including disability, veteran status, or other basis protected by applicable law.
Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company, with more brands, more hotels and more opportunities for associates to grow and succeed. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.
Job Number26120011
Job CategorySales & Marketing
Location7750 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda MD 20814, United States
ScheduleFull Time
Located Remotely?N
Position Type Management
Pay Range: $61.05-$81.25 per hour
JOB SUMMARY
We are seeking a strategic, collaborative, and forward-thinking FLEX Director of Design Operations, Design Systems to lead the evolution of the Marriott Associate Design System (MADS), our enterprise-wide foundation for building intuitive, accessible, consistent, and scalable digital experiences for Marriott.
As the FLEX Director of Design Operations, Design Systems, you will lead the vision, strategy, roadmap, governance, adoption, and operational model for MADS. You will treat the design system as an enterprise product and capability; connecting the needs of product teams with reusable design and engineering solutions that improve quality and accelerate delivery across Marriott’s internal digital ecosystem.
This role serves as a key bridge between Design and Design System Engineering, working in close partnership with engineering leadership to jointly evolve the system from strategy through production. Together, design and engineering will align roadmaps, evolve component architecture, maintain design-to-code parity, and ensure MADS solutions are accessible, technically scalable, and designed for reuse.
The FLEX Director of Design Operations, Design Systems will also lead DesignOps for MADS, establishing scalable processes for work intake, prioritization, capacity and resource planning, governance, contribution, documentation, and delivery. This leader will maintain visibility into demand across the organization and help determine where design system investment can solve recurring product needs at scale.
This is both a strategic leadership and hands-on design leadership role. The FLEX Director of Design Operations, Design Systems will guide design system designers, provide design direction and critique, and help translate complex enterprise needs into scalable patterns, components, standards, and experiences.
CANDIDATE PROFILE
Education and Experience
Required
- Bachelor's degree in UX Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Product Design, Design Systems, Design Operations, or a related field; or equivalent professional experience.
- 8+ years of experience in digital product design, design systems, UX strategy, DesignOps, or related disciplines, including leadership of complex enterprise-scale initiatives.
- Experience leading, owning, or significantly contributing to an enterprise design system or digital platform, including roadmap development, governance, adoption, and cross-functional collaboration with design and engineering teams.
Preferred
- Deep expertise in design systems, including component libraries, design tokens, documentation, governance models, accessibility standards, and design-to-development workflows utilizing tools such as Figma, Storybook, GitHub, Jira, and Confluence.
- Experience establishing DesignOps practices, including intake, prioritization, capacity planning, contribution models, workflow optimization, and organizational enablement at scale.
- Experience leveraging emerging technologies and AI-enabled tools to improve design system adoption, documentation, quality, accessibility, designer and developer workflows, or operational efficiency.
CORE WORK ACTIVITIES
- Defines and evolves the vision, strategy, governance model, and multi-quarter roadmap for the Marriott Associate Design System (MADS).
- Leads the design and evolution of design system foundations, components, patterns, standards, documentation, and supporting tools.
- Partners closely with Design System Engineering to align roadmaps, prioritize investments, and maintain design-to-code parity across system assets.
- Establishes governance, contribution, release, versioning, migration, and deprecation processes that support scalable system growth.
- Leads DesignOps practices for MADS, including intake management, prioritization, resource planning, workflow optimization, and delivery oversight.
- Manages the design system backlog and balances immediate product needs with long-term platform investments and technical sustainability.
- Provides design leadership, direction, coaching, and critique to designers and cross-functional teams to ensure high-quality, scalable solutions.
- Evaluates product and business needs to identify opportunities where reusable system solutions can improve consistency, efficiency, and experience quality.
- Develops and maintains processes, templates, documentation, and playbooks that improve adoption and effective use of MADS.
- Facilitates design reviews, governance discussions, office hours, and contribution reviews to support system adoption and continuous improvement.
- Ensures accessibility, inclusive design, usability, and quality standards are embedded within reusable design system assets and practices.
- Collaborates with Product, Engineering, Accessibility, Architecture, and other stakeholders to align priorities and drive enterprise-wide adoption.
- Defines and tracks key performance indicators related to adoption, reuse, system health, accessibility, operational effectiveness, and business impact.
- Uses qualitative and quantitative insights to identify improvement opportunities and inform roadmap and operational decisions.
- Drives organizational change management, communication, training, and enablement efforts associated with new standards, system enhancements, and migrations.
- Represents MADS strategy, priorities, value, and outcomes to senior leadership and key stakeholders across the organization.
At Marriott International, we are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer, welcoming all and providing access to opportunity. We actively foster an environment where the unique backgrounds of our associates are valued and celebrated. Our greatest strength lies in the rich blend of culture, talent, and experiences of our associates. We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, including disability, veteran status, or other basis protected by applicable law.
Marriott International is the world’s largest hotel company, with more brands, more hotels and more opportunities for associates to grow and succeed. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.
See All 7 Design Director Jobs in Maryland
Find roles in Maryland that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Director JobsDesign Director Jobs by City in Maryland
Where Maryland roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Design Director Job Market in Maryland
A snapshot from current Maryland openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
What Maryland Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in design director jobs across Maryland.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in graphic design, industrial design, or a related field
- Seven or more years of progressive design experience including team leadership
- Strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end design direction across brand or digital products
- Experience managing cross-functional creative teams and agency or vendor relationships
- Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Adobe Creative Suite and Figma
- Demonstrated ability to align design strategy with organizational goals and stakeholder needs
Design Director Jobs in Maryland: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a design director in Maryland?
Design direction in Maryland does not require a state-issued license, so the path runs through education and experience. Most Maryland employers expect a bachelor's degree in graphic design, visual communications, industrial design, or a related field, with a master's degree preferred at the largest institutions and federal contractors. From there, candidates typically advance through senior designer and creative lead roles, building a portfolio that shows leadership across projects and teams before stepping into director-level responsibilities.
Which companies hire design directors in Maryland?
Companies currently hiring design directors in Maryland include Marriott International, Sodexo, and Johns Hopkins University, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of October 2026. Maryland's concentration of federal contractors, academic medical centers, and national hospitality and financial brands means design director demand is distributed across a wider range of industries than in most states.
Which Maryland cities have the most design director jobs?
Bethesda, Baltimore, and Rockville account for the most design director openings in Maryland. Baltimore draws the largest volume through its anchor institutions in healthcare, education, and media, while Bethesda and Rockville are driven by federal agencies, defense contractors, and the headquarters of major national brands that maintain significant creative functions in the Washington metro corridor.
Are there remote design director jobs in Maryland?
Yes, and more than many senior creative roles allow. About 100% of design director openings tied to Maryland are remote or hybrid as of October 2026, reflecting the field's strong orientation toward digital deliverables and distributed team leadership. Brand strategy, UX direction, and digital product oversight are the specialties most commonly offered with remote or hybrid flexibility, while environmental and experiential design roles tend to require more regular on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a design director in Maryland with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is landing a senior designer or associate creative director role at a mid-size Maryland agency or in-house team and building toward director-level ownership from there. Baltimore-area institutions like Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland often post junior creative roles that grow quickly with performance. Candidates without formal experience can gain an edge by building a portfolio through freelance or nonprofit projects, and pursuing a degree from one of Maryland's accredited design programs, such as those at MICA or Towson University, signals readiness to Maryland hiring managers.
Where can I find and apply to design director jobs in Maryland?
You can find and apply to design director jobs in Maryland on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from employers across the state. Search the roles available, find the ones that fit your background and preferred location, and apply directly to each one.
See All 7 Design Director Jobs in Maryland
Find roles in Maryland that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Director Jobs