Design Director Jobs in Missouri
Design Director jobs in Missouri are actively hiring, with demand concentrated in brand identity, user experience, and marketing design across consumer goods, healthcare communications, and financial services. Kansas City and St. Louis anchor the majority of openings, where established employers like Hallmark Cards, Emerson Electric, and World Wide Technology maintain substantial creative and product design teams. Springfield and Columbia add regional opportunities, particularly within healthcare systems and university-affiliated organizations. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 12+ Design Director jobs
It's more than a career, it's a calling.
MO-SSM Health Mission HillWorker Type:
RegularJob Highlights:
Named 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare 2025 - Becker's Healthcare
Named One of the World’s Happiest Workplace 2025 – WorkL
Named One of America's Best In-State Employers 2025 - Forbes
Named One of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women 2025 – Newsweek
Named One of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Culture, Belonging & Community 2026 – Newsweek
SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit health system serving the comprehensive health needs of communities across the Midwest through a robust and fully integrated health care delivery system. The organization’s 40,000 team members and more than 13,900+ providers are committed to providing exceptional health care services and revealing God’s healing presence to everyone they serve.
With care delivery sites in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, SSM Health includes 23 hospitals, more than 300 physician offices and other outpatient and virtual care services, 12 post-acute facilities, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a pharmacy benefit company, a health insurance company and an accountable care organization. It is one of the largest employers in every community it serves.
To request additional information, confidentially submit your interest, or nominate a fellow colleague, please contact:
Jon Dirksen
Executive Talent Partner
jon.dirksen@ssmhealth.com
#LI-Onsite
Job Summary:
Leads Planning, Design, and Construction for the St. Louis and Southern Illinois region. Develops and maintains a Strategic Facility Master Plan for the region. Collaborates closely with regional leadership and strategic planning to ensure capital projects support the needs of the region. Ensures the design and construction standards follow best practices. Leads system-wide initiatives.Job Responsibilities and Requirements:
Primary Responsibilities
- Leads all planning, design, and construction for the region.
- Manages project management team and related project delivery staff, including architects, medical equipment planners, and interior designers. Supports direct reports by actively participating in key project issues and mentors each individual.
- Ensures a competitive and inclusive bidding program, including; a Request for Qualification process which drives an actively managed qualified bidders list; contracting qualified bidders under standard terms and conditions; RFP process culminate in appropriate bid tabs; work authorizations for each project awarded; contractor evaluations at the completion of each project which provides constructive feedback to vendors as well as influencing the qualification of the vendor for future work as appropriate.
- With peers in the region and throughout the system, leads development and maintenance of design and construction standards.
- Works collaboratively with regional leadership, strategic planning, and others to support early project planning/scoping, as well as development of multi-year capital planning for the region.
- Ensure a robust safety plan for construction projects, especially in occupied buildings. Ensures interim life safety plans and infection control risk assessments are developed and followed.
- Ensures projects are delivered on-time, under-budget, and meet the approved scope. Manages an independent commissioning process to ensure facilities perform as designed. Ensures active participation from plant operations and security staff to ensure projects are designed and delivered to meet best practices for efficient, on-going maintenance, and safety/security.
- Responsible to lead key aspects of the entitlement process with local municipalities for strategic projects.
- Demonstrates exceptional communication and engagement skills in working within a large healthcare system. Effectively drives change and positive improvements within the region, and throughout the system.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, construction management or related field, or equivalent years of experience and education
Experience
- Seven years' technical experience, with five years in direct people leadership/management
Physical Requirements
- Frequent lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 0-25 lbs.
- Frequent sitting, standing, walking, reaching and repetitive foot/leg and hand/arm movements.
- Frequent use of vision and depth perception for distances near (20 inches or less) and far (20 feet or more) and to identify and distinguish colors.
- Frequent use of hearing and speech to share information through oral communication. Ability to hear alarms, malfunctioning machinery, etc.
- Frequent keyboard use/data entry.
- Occasional bending, stooping, kneeling, squatting, twisting and gripping.
- Occasional lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 25-50 lbs.
- Rare climbing.
Department:
9260000130 Facilities and Real Estate (STL Region)Work Shift:
Day Shift (United States of America)Scheduled Weekly Hours:
40Benefits:
SSM Health values our exceptional employees by offering a comprehensive benefits package to fit their needs.
Paid Parental Leave: we offer eligible team members one week of paid parental leave for newborns or newly adopted children (pro-rated based on FTE).
Flexible Payment Options: our voluntary benefit offered through DailyPay offers eligible hourly team members instant access to their earned, unpaid base pay (fees may apply) before payday.
Upfront Tuition Coverage: we provide upfront tuition coverage through FlexPath Funded for eligible team members.
Explore All Benefits
SSM Health is an equal opportunity employer. SSM Health does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Click here to learn more.
It's more than a career, it's a calling.
MO-SSM Health Mission HillWorker Type:
RegularJob Highlights:
Named 150 Top Places to Work in Healthcare 2025 - Becker's Healthcare
Named One of the World’s Happiest Workplace 2025 – WorkL
Named One of America's Best In-State Employers 2025 - Forbes
Named One of America's Greatest Workplaces for Women 2025 – Newsweek
Named One of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Culture, Belonging & Community 2026 – Newsweek
SSM Health is a Catholic, not-for-profit health system serving the comprehensive health needs of communities across the Midwest through a robust and fully integrated health care delivery system. The organization’s 40,000 team members and more than 13,900+ providers are committed to providing exceptional health care services and revealing God’s healing presence to everyone they serve.
With care delivery sites in Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin, SSM Health includes 23 hospitals, more than 300 physician offices and other outpatient and virtual care services, 12 post-acute facilities, comprehensive home care and hospice services, a pharmacy benefit company, a health insurance company and an accountable care organization. It is one of the largest employers in every community it serves.
To request additional information, confidentially submit your interest, or nominate a fellow colleague, please contact:
Jon Dirksen
Executive Talent Partner
jon.dirksen@ssmhealth.com
#LI-Onsite
Job Summary:
Leads Planning, Design, and Construction for the St. Louis and Southern Illinois region. Develops and maintains a Strategic Facility Master Plan for the region. Collaborates closely with regional leadership and strategic planning to ensure capital projects support the needs of the region. Ensures the design and construction standards follow best practices. Leads system-wide initiatives.Job Responsibilities and Requirements:
Primary Responsibilities
- Leads all planning, design, and construction for the region.
- Manages project management team and related project delivery staff, including architects, medical equipment planners, and interior designers. Supports direct reports by actively participating in key project issues and mentors each individual.
- Ensures a competitive and inclusive bidding program, including; a Request for Qualification process which drives an actively managed qualified bidders list; contracting qualified bidders under standard terms and conditions; RFP process culminate in appropriate bid tabs; work authorizations for each project awarded; contractor evaluations at the completion of each project which provides constructive feedback to vendors as well as influencing the qualification of the vendor for future work as appropriate.
- With peers in the region and throughout the system, leads development and maintenance of design and construction standards.
- Works collaboratively with regional leadership, strategic planning, and others to support early project planning/scoping, as well as development of multi-year capital planning for the region.
- Ensure a robust safety plan for construction projects, especially in occupied buildings. Ensures interim life safety plans and infection control risk assessments are developed and followed.
- Ensures projects are delivered on-time, under-budget, and meet the approved scope. Manages an independent commissioning process to ensure facilities perform as designed. Ensures active participation from plant operations and security staff to ensure projects are designed and delivered to meet best practices for efficient, on-going maintenance, and safety/security.
- Responsible to lead key aspects of the entitlement process with local municipalities for strategic projects.
- Demonstrates exceptional communication and engagement skills in working within a large healthcare system. Effectively drives change and positive improvements within the region, and throughout the system.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in architecture, engineering, construction management or related field, or equivalent years of experience and education
Experience
- Seven years' technical experience, with five years in direct people leadership/management
Physical Requirements
- Frequent lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 0-25 lbs.
- Frequent sitting, standing, walking, reaching and repetitive foot/leg and hand/arm movements.
- Frequent use of vision and depth perception for distances near (20 inches or less) and far (20 feet or more) and to identify and distinguish colors.
- Frequent use of hearing and speech to share information through oral communication. Ability to hear alarms, malfunctioning machinery, etc.
- Frequent keyboard use/data entry.
- Occasional bending, stooping, kneeling, squatting, twisting and gripping.
- Occasional lifting/carrying and pushing/pulling objects weighing 25-50 lbs.
- Rare climbing.
Department:
9260000130 Facilities and Real Estate (STL Region)Work Shift:
Day Shift (United States of America)Scheduled Weekly Hours:
40Benefits:
SSM Health values our exceptional employees by offering a comprehensive benefits package to fit their needs.
Paid Parental Leave: we offer eligible team members one week of paid parental leave for newborns or newly adopted children (pro-rated based on FTE).
Flexible Payment Options: our voluntary benefit offered through DailyPay offers eligible hourly team members instant access to their earned, unpaid base pay (fees may apply) before payday.
Upfront Tuition Coverage: we provide upfront tuition coverage through FlexPath Funded for eligible team members.
Explore All Benefits
SSM Health is an equal opportunity employer. SSM Health does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Click here to learn more.
See All 12 Design Director Jobs in Missouri
Find roles in Missouri that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Director JobsDesign Director Jobs by City in Missouri
Where Missouri roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Design Director Job Market in Missouri
A snapshot from current Missouri openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Construction & Real Estate
- Manufacturing
- Technology & Software
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Missouri Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in design director jobs across Missouri.
- 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
- Portfolio demonstrating brand systems, product design, or UX work at enterprise scale
- Proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and design operations tooling
- Experience managing and mentoring cross-functional design teams across multiple projects
- Proven ability to align design strategy with business goals and stakeholder priorities
Design Director Jobs in Missouri: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a design director in Missouri?
Design directors in Missouri are not required to hold a state-issued license, so the path runs through education and experience rather than a licensing board. Most candidates earn a bachelor's degree in graphic design, product design, or a related discipline, then build several years of senior-level design work before moving into leadership. Missouri employers, particularly in Kansas City's marketing and consumer goods sectors and St. Louis's healthcare and technology firms, consistently favor candidates who can show a strong portfolio alongside management experience.
Which companies hire design directors in Missouri?
Employers hiring design directors in Missouri right now include CRB, Washington University in St. Louis, and HDR, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Kansas City and St. Louis generate the largest share of openings, driven by headquarters-level creative, product, and brand design teams rooted in Missouri's consumer, financial, and healthcare industries.
Which Missouri cities have the most design director jobs?
The cities with the most design director openings in Missouri are St. Louis, Kansas City, and Sedalia. Kansas City leads because it is home to major consumer brands, advertising agencies, and corporate headquarters that maintain large in-house creative departments, while St. Louis adds volume through its healthcare systems, financial services firms, and technology companies, and smaller metros contribute openings tied to regional universities and growing healthcare networks.
Are there remote design director jobs in Missouri?
Yes, and more than most fields, since design direction at the senior level frequently involves strategic oversight, stakeholder communication, and digital collaboration that translates well to distributed work. About 100% of design director openings tied to Missouri are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting the role's strong fit with flexible arrangements. Brand strategy, UX leadership, and creative operations functions tend to be the most remote-friendly parts of the design director role.
How can I get hired as a design director in Missouri with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is moving into a design director role laterally from a senior designer, creative lead, or UX manager position, rather than applying directly without leadership experience. Missouri employers like Hallmark, Cerner, and larger Kansas City advertising agencies regularly hire senior individual contributors who then grow into director-level roles internally. Building a portfolio that includes team projects and demonstrating familiarity with design systems and cross-functional collaboration gives candidates a clear edge in that transition.
Where can I find and apply to design director jobs in Missouri?
You can find and apply to design director jobs in Missouri on Migrate Mate, which lists current Missouri openings updated regularly. Search the available roles, identify the ones that match your experience and location preferences, and apply directly to those positions.
See All 12 Design Director Jobs in Missouri
Find roles in Missouri that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Design Director Jobs