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Experience Design Strategy Director
Levy Restaurants, Inc.
Chicago, IL, United States
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Experience Design Strategy Director
About Curiology
Curiology is a hospitality experience design and innovation consultancy, with human-centered design at the core of its approach. Our multidisciplinary capabilities include brand design, graphic and environmental design, service design, design strategy, communications and storytelling. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Levy, our clients include world-class, industry-leading venues in sports, entertainment, restaurants, convention centers and retail sectors, as well as clients beyond the portfolio, seeking to meet new and evolving demands of guests across in the sports, entertainment and hospitality worlds.
Whether it’s reframing an entire guest experience, or designing a new-to-the-product, service or brand – we design delightful guest experiences that create new market opportunities, add value and solve meaningful challenges.
Overview of the Role
We are looking for a director for our Experience Design team, who will lead multidisciplinary teams in the design of new to the world, innovative guest experiences across Levy’s partner venues and also our external clients.
Your work will be experienced by guests at legendary S&E venues such as United Center, Wrigley Field, Disney World, T-Mobile Arena, Moda Center, STAPLES Center, Notre Dame, Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby and many others. The role is based at Curiology’s collaborative “Loft” space located on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile.
You will collaborate closely with Curiology’s designers, engagement managers, and researchers, as well as Levy leaders in Operations, People Strategy, Finance, Culinary, Beverage, IT and Retail.
As a leader in our group, you will also become a champion for design and for Curiology’s user-centered experience design approach. Our industry is constantly evolving and redefining itself; as such, the role will require a passion and unfailing optimism to our innovation-focused, multi-stakeholder design engagements, with a proven ability to stay nimble and maintain an “always learning” mindset as we define new experience solutions for our clients.
Responsibilities include:
This role requires an individual who can maintain balance as both a leader and a doer, working with Experience Design team on the following:
Design Direction
• Design and direct compelling, user-centered, cohesive and inspiring products, services and experiences
• Balance guest needs, brand and operational considerations in recommended solutions.
• Direct and inspire all experience design team outputs
• Ability to articulate a perspective on the value of design and its impact on business outcomes and hospitality experience
Presentation Leadership
• Be a pro at capturing and relating the design process, and at presenting design in a business context. Lead design and creation of engaging, strategic and emotionally compelling presentations for current and/or potential clients as well as our operators in the field.
Business Development
• Support Levy’s business development team in development of compelling capabilities presentations and design workshops for prospective clients
Internal Design Process Advisement
• Advise Curiology’s SVP and Engagement Managers in the development of world-class internal design processes and workflows within our projects and collaborations that balance efficiency, excellent client experience and high-level creative outputs.
Team Growth and Career Pathing
• Provide mentorship and career growth guidance for our experience design team, 9 team members across graphic, environmental design, design research and design strategy disciplines. Support Curiology in the identification of top talent when opportunities arise to build our design team.
Collaboration
• Be one of the primary faces of Curiology, representing our design disciplines in presentations, workshops and day to day interactions with our operators and partners in the field. Foster strong relationships and excellent collaborations with Levy teams including E15, Ops, Design and Construction, IT, People Strategy and Executive Team members. Ensure a great experience with design for people that collaborate with Curiology.
Project Advisement
• Provide advisement to Curiology’s Engagement Leads and Levy’s Strategic Projects Group as we propose new projects and engagements with our clients.
• Take an opportunistic view toward project framing, ensuring the most impactful role for design in our partnerships and collaborations and engaging work for our designers.
• Identify risks that occur within client project and/or relationship life cycles and work with teams to mitigate as needed.
Qualifications
• Bachelor’s Degree in Design, Architecture or Design-related field; Master’s Degree preferred
• 8-10 years of experience in design and design direction, preferably in consumer applications, retail and/or hospitality industries; multi-disciplinary Design Firm experience preferred. At least 3 years managing direct reports.
• Excellent visual communicator and story teller
• Solid knowledge and experience in one or more areas of the product/service development lifecycle – user research, envisioning new solutions, market validation, business modeling, requirements definition, architecture definition, design, implementation, and go-to-market strategies
• A sound understanding of the interplay between design, technology, data, brand, and business strategy.
• High EQ
• Curious, “always learner” by nature
• Possess an entrepreneurial mentality, with strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Passion for human-centered design, with experience leading/supporting methods and workflows inspired by Design Thinking
• Proficient in conflict management and problem-solving
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiating and influencing skills
• Domestic travel required
• A demonstrable track record of brining excellent products, services and experiences to market.
• Although we anticipate mostly direction in this role, demonstrate candidate must demonstrateknowledge and/or proficiency in a range of design tools: 3D rendering software (Sketch up, Podium, V-Ray, etc.) Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, Keynote.
Levy is an equal opportunity employer. At Levy we are committed to treating all Applicants and Team Members fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.
About Levy Restaurants
We are a proven innovator in the ever-evolving food and beverage space. At the core of our DNA is the entrepreneurial spirit of our founders and operators that has inspired the company and fueled its continual growth. A natural passion for continual re-invention driven by what truly delights our guests and partners is at the core of our value. Our market-leadership position and varied restaurant portfolio provides a diverse range of account relationships and user audiences as the targets for forward-looking innovation and smart, strategic product & experience optimization.
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