Custom Design Director

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Custom Design Director

INDIRECT DESIGN Full Time Management Cincinnati, New Albany, IN, US

Global Wallcovering manufacturer seeks Louisville, KY(New Albany, IN) based Custom Design Director to lead the vision, creation and delivery of distinctive, custom designs for the commercial and high-end residential markets. This role is ideal for an experienced Interior Designer and/or Digital Commercial Artist with a strong eye for color, pattern, scale and trend, who enjoys collaborating with customers to transform concepts into exceptional wallcovering products. If you’re passionate about creating inspiring spaces, thrive in a fast-paced, design-driven environment, are team oriented and have experience in interior design and/or digital wall art creation for commercial and/or high-end residential applications, we’d love to hear from you!

***Relocation included for the right candidate!***

Onsite position in the Louisville, KY Metropolitan area

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Versa Designed Surfaces is a leader in innovative, sustainable wallcoverings that transform spaces and elevates the human experience. We design, manufacture and deliver beautiful, purposeful wallcoverings that go beyond the surface — supported by a commitment to unmatched service and collaboration. At Versa Designed Surfaces, we are driven by creativity, curiosity and a passion for making a difference.

Only Versa Designed Surfaces offers the perfect combination of cutting-edge technologies, sustainable practices and design-forward products that reimagine the possibilities of every wall. And behind every product is a team of dedicated professionals who bring expertise, enthusiasm and a commitment to excellence.

Join us and be part of a company that values innovation, partnership and environmental stewardship as we shape the future of design.

BENEFITS:

Versa offers a variety of benefits including:

• Paid time off
• 10 paid holidays
• 3 different medical plans
• 401k matching
• Short-term disability
• Group accident and cancer insurance
• Company paid life insurance and long-term disability

SUMMARY

The Custom Design Director leads the vision, creation, and delivery of custom digital/gravure printed wallcoverings and murals for commercial and high-end residential customers. This role sits at the intersection of art direction, digital production technology, and client experience — translating customer concepts and vision into large-format installations that meet the highest standards of craft, color accuracy, and technical performance. The Director builds and mentors a team of digital designers and project managers, sets the creative and operational standards for the custom design studio, and serves as the primary creative partner to our distribution partners for custom wallcovering.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Lead concept development, art direction, and final design execution for custom murals and wallcovering designs across commercial and residential projects.
• Translate client briefs, concepts and/or mood boards into original, scalable digital artwork, ensuring design objectives are maintained and executed throughout the process.
• Establish and evolve the studio's point of view on custom digital design, murals, and large-format print — balancing artistry with producibility.
• Partner directly with distribution partners and interior designers to scope custom projects, present concepts, and manage revisions through final approval.

Digital Production & Technical Oversight

• Oversee digital file preparation, color separation, and image scaling for wide-format gravure and digital printing across varied substrates.
• Ensure rigorous color management and proofing standards across design software, proofing devices, and production printers to guarantee accuracy from screen to sample to finished mural.
• Collaborate with production and manufacturing teams to specify substrates, inks, and finishing methods appropriate for the end application.
• Manage layout, repeat, and match points for large-scale murals to ensure seamless, panel to panel installation.
• Evaluate and recommend new digital printing technologies, software, and materials to expand creative and technical capabilities.
• Build, lead, and mentor a team of project managers and product designers; set creative standards and provide hands‑on feedback and development.
• Establish studio workflows, project timelines, and quality‑control processes for custom work from brief to installation‑ready file.
• Manage project deadlines /turnaround times and build organizational processes to manage multiple projects/deadlines at once.

Client & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Lead project management team to ensure customers’ requirements are met/exceeded.
• Work with the broader design team to ensure custom work aligns with and elevates overall brand aesthetic across both commercial and luxury residential lines.
• Support project scoping and cost estimation for custom design in collaboration with production and sales leadership.

SKILLS:

• Excellent communication skills with proven ability to manage client relationships directly, including presenting concepts and navigating revisions with customers.
• Demonstrated portfolio of large-scale, custom, or mural-based work spanning commercial and/or high-end residential applications.
• Strong working knowledge of wide-format digital and gravure printing processes, substrates, and color management/proofing workflows.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• 5+ years of experience in surface design, digital art direction, or a related design discipline, with at least 3 years in a leadership or director-level role.
• Deep expertise in digital design and imaging software (Adobe Creative Suite — Photoshop, Illustrator; print RIP software a plus).
• Experience managing repeats, layouts, and scale for large-format or mural-scale artwork intended for wall-to-wall installation.
• Experience leading and developing a creative team.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are the representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to computer screens using keyboard functions and other hand usage.

**The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.