Design Director

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Director

Company: Capgemini

Location: Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Design Leadership & Management

Date Posted: August 09, 2026

Experience Level: 15-18 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and oversee multiple complex design projects simultaneously, ensuring exceptional quality and timely delivery within client constraints.

• Drive the strategic vision and execution of design initiatives, from foundational research to product roadmaps, with a strong emphasis on user-centricity and business impact.

• Cultivate and nurture a thriving design culture within the studio, fostering collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to design excellence.

• Develop and mentor a diverse team of designers, technologists, program managers, and strategists, fostering their professional growth and ensuring high performance.

• Actively participate in business development and account management, building strong client relationships and identifying opportunities for strategic growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a senior leadership position within frog (a Capgemini company), requiring a blend of deep design expertise, strong project and people management capabilities, and a strategic business development acumen. The focus is on driving both client project success and the internal growth and reputation of the design discipline.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Project Leadership:

  • Oversee 2-3 concurrent projects or act as a day-to-day engagement leader, potentially with Executive Director oversight on strategic accounts.
  • Guide and mentor multidisciplinary teams including designers, technologists, program managers, and strategists.
  • Build and maintain strong client relationships, acting as a trusted advisor throughout the project lifecycle.
  • Ensure design concepts and decisions align with user needs and client business objectives.
  • Navigate ambiguity and complex challenges to chart a clear path forward for project teams.
  • Proactively involve clients in the design process, demonstrating responsiveness to feedback and effectively presenting team ideas to executive stakeholders.
  • Establish and uphold high craft quality standards for qualitative research, insight articulation, experience model development (e.g., customer journeys, behavioral archetypes, service blueprints), design, and testing.
  • Lead teams in developing insights, defining opportunity areas, and envisioning innovative concepts.
  • Facilitate the creation of meaningful user feedback loops through iterative build-test-learn cycles.
  • Guide teams in prioritizing Minimum Viable Product (MVP) features, building backlogs, and developing strategic product roadmaps.

• Design Leadership & Management:

  • Contribute significantly to the design discipline leadership within the studio, shaping its culture and direction.
  • Drive talent acquisition strategy and planning in collaboration with Talent Acquisition Business Partners.
  • Cultivate a positive, creative, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages collaboration, boldness, and constructive feedback.
  • Manage and develop direct reports, providing guidance, support, and actionable feedback for their professional growth.
  • Mentor and support junior colleagues on led projects, fostering their skill development.

• Business/Account Development:

  • Contribute to growing frog's reputation and business through strategic client engagement and new business initiatives.

  • Identify and pursue opportunities for expanding existing client relationships and securing new accounts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a dual focus on client-facing project execution and internal team/discipline leadership. The "Build Test Learn" and "MVP features, build a backlog, and create strategic product roadmaps" points indicate a strong leaning towards agile and product development methodologies within the design process.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Design or a related field is preferred. Experience:

• A minimum of 15-18 years of relevant professional experience, with a significant focus on designing digital experiences.

• Proven track record of successfully managing, growing, and leading design or creative teams. Required Skills:

• Project Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead and oversee multiple complex projects concurrently, managing timelines, resources, and deliverables.

• Design Strategy & Craft: Deep understanding of design principles, user research methodologies, service design, customer journey mapping, and experience modeling.

• Team Management & Mentorship: Proven experience in managing, developing, and mentoring creative professionals, fostering talent growth and high performance.

• Business Acumen: Strong understanding of business objectives, client needs, and how design contributes to business success; experience in account development and stakeholder management.

• Conceptual & Problem-Solving Skills: Exceptional creative, conceptual, and problem-solving abilities to provide design direction and guidance.

• Communication & Presentation: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present ideas effectively to executive-level clients and internal teams.

• Collaboration: Ability to foster a collaborative environment and work effectively with cross-functional teams (technologists, strategists, program managers).

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with agile development methodologies and product roadmapping.

• Familiarity with talent acquisition processes and strategy.

• Experience working within a consulting environment or agency setting.

• A strong portfolio showcasing a range of impactful digital design projects and leadership achievements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement (15-18 years) positions this as a senior leadership role, likely equivalent to a Principal or Director level in other organizations. The emphasis on both project execution and people/business development is critical.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 significant design projects, ideally demonstrating leadership over multiple projects or a complex, end-to-end engagement.

• Include examples of strategic product roadmaps, MVP feature prioritization, and build-test-learn cycles.

• Highlight projects where you led multidisciplinary teams and managed client relationships at an executive level.

• Demonstrate your approach to user research, insight articulation, and the development of experience models (e.g., customer journeys, service blueprints).

• Provide clear evidence of your ability to set and maintain high craft quality standards within projects. Process Documentation:

• Detail your methodologies for leading project teams through the entire design lifecycle, from discovery to implementation.

• Illustrate your approach to fostering a collaborative and iterative design process, including client involvement and feedback loops.

• Explain your strategies for mentorship and talent development within design teams, including how you provide actionable feedback.

• Showcase your process for talent acquisition and team building, demonstrating how you contribute to growing a world-class creative team.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role of this seniority, the portfolio must not only display excellent design work but also a clear demonstration of leadership, strategic thinking, process management, and client relationship building. The ability to articulate the "how" and "why" behind project successes and team development is paramount.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• For a Design Director role with 15-18 years of experience in Navi Mumbai, India, the estimated annual salary range is ₹35,00,000 to ₹60,00,000 (approximately $42,000 to $72,000 USD, subject to exchange rates). This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior design leadership roles in major Indian metropolitan areas, considering Capgemini's standing as a global consulting firm, and the specific demands of project and account leadership. Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage for employees and dependents.

• Retirement savings plans (e.g., Provident Fund).

• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and public holidays.

• Opportunities for professional development, including training, workshops, and access to industry conferences.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses and incentives.

• Employee assistance programs offering counseling and support services.

• Access to global Capgemini networks and resources. Working Hours:

• Standard working hours are typically 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday. However, given the leadership and client-facing nature of the role, flexibility may be required to meet project deadlines and client needs, which could involve occasional extended hours or weekend work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is an estimate based on industry data for senior roles in India. Actual compensation will depend on the candidate's specific experience, qualifications, and negotiation. Benefits are standard for large multinational corporations.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Information Technology Services & Consulting, Digital Transformation, Design Strategy (frog is a design consultancy within Capgemini).

Company Size: Capgemini is a large global enterprise with over 350,000 employees worldwide. frog, as a design consultancy within Capgemini, operates with a more focused, creative, and studio-based culture, often described as innovative, collaborative, and client-centric.

Founded: Capgemini was founded in 1967. frog was founded in 1969. This deep history brings extensive experience and a strong market presence.

Team Structure:

• The Design Director will be part of the leadership team within a specific frog studio (likely Navi Mumbai).

• They will manage a team of designers, technologists, program managers, and strategists, acting as a direct manager for some and an oversight leader for others.

• This role involves significant cross-functional collaboration with other design leaders, business development teams, and Capgemini's broader service lines.

• Reporting structure would likely be to a Managing Director or Executive Director within frog. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on leveraging user research and business data to inform design decisions and strategy.

• Agile & Iterative Processes: Focus on build-test-learn cycles, MVP development, and agile product roadmapping.

• Client-Centric Collaboration: Deep engagement with clients throughout the project lifecycle to ensure alignment and co-creation.

• Design Thinking: Application of design thinking principles to solve complex business and user problems.

Company Website: https://www.capgemini.com/, https://frog.co/

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding frog's distinct culture as a high-caliber design consultancy within the larger Capgemini framework is key. The role bridges the gap between creative excellence and large-scale enterprise consulting.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership role, typically considered Principal or Director level within the design and consulting industry. It signifies a significant level of responsibility for project outcomes, team performance, client relationships, and business growth.

Reporting Structure: The Design Director will likely report to a Managing Director or Executive Director within frog, overseeing a portfolio of projects and a team of direct reports and project team members. They will also collaborate closely with business development and other discipline leaders.

Operations Impact: The Design Director's impact is multifaceted:

• Client Success: Directly influences the success of client projects, driving innovation and delivering tangible business value through design.

• Business Growth: Contributes to revenue generation through account development and securing new business opportunities.

• Talent Development: Shapes the capabilities and careers of design professionals within the organization.

• Design Discipline: Enhances the reputation and capabilities of frog as a leading design consultancy.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to move into Executive Director or Managing Director roles, with increased responsibility for P&L, larger accounts, and studio-wide strategy.

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific industries or design disciplines (e.g., service design, digital transformation strategy).

• Global Mobility: Potential to work across frog's global studios or leverage Capgemini's international network.

• Thought Leadership: Opportunity to contribute to industry publications, speak at conferences, and build personal brand as a design leader.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a significant step in a career path for experienced design leaders, offering opportunities to influence strategy, manage significant business, and develop future design talent.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is an on-site role based in Navi Mumbai, India. The work environment will be within a professional office setting, likely designed to foster collaboration and creativity, typical of a design consultancy.

Office Location(s): Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. This location offers access to a major business hub in India.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Expect an environment with open workspaces, meeting rooms, and dedicated areas for brainstorming and workshops.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software, hardware, and collaborative tools necessary for executing complex digital design projects.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities for direct interaction with design teams, project managers, technologists, and business leaders, fostering a dynamic and interactive work atmosphere.

Work Schedule: Primarily Monday to Friday, aligning with standard business hours. However, the nature of client-facing consulting often requires flexibility to accommodate project deadlines, client availability, and global team collaboration, potentially involving extended hours or work on weekends during critical project phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: While primarily on-site, the nature of consulting means client sites might also be part of the work environment. The emphasis is on a professional, collaborative, and well-equipped setting conducive to high-level design work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or Recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager (likely a Managing Director or Executive Director) focusing on leadership experience, strategic thinking, and business development capabilities.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, detailing specific projects, their role, methodologies, challenges, and outcomes. This is a critical stage to assess design craft, leadership, and strategic impact.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Meetings with other senior leaders, design directors, or key team members to evaluate collaboration style, leadership approach, and alignment with frog's culture.

• Case Study/Presentation (Potential): Candidates might be asked to prepare and present a response to a hypothetical client brief or a strategic challenge, demonstrating problem-solving and presentation skills.

• Final Interview: Often with a senior executive to discuss overall fit, long-term vision, and confirm offer details.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your leadership, strategic impact, and ability to drive business results through design. Emphasize your role and contributions.

• Tell a Story: For each project, articulate the client's challenge, your approach, the methodologies used (research, strategy, design), the key decisions made, the team's collaboration, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight Leadership: Clearly demonstrate your experience in managing teams, mentoring individuals, and leading client engagements.

• Showcase Business Impact: Quantify results whenever possible – e.g., increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction scores, revenue growth, cost savings.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Expect questions about your decision-making process, how you handle difficult stakeholders, and how you foster innovation within your teams.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand frog's Work: Research frog's recent projects, case studies, and client work to understand their approach, style, and target industries.

• Practice Articulating Strategy: Be ready to discuss your design philosophy, how you approach business development, and your methods for building and leading high-performing design teams.

• Prepare for "Why": Be ready to explain the "why" behind your design decisions and leadership strategies, not just the "what."

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is paramount for this role. Candidates must be able to articulate their strategic thinking, leadership impact, and business acumen, not just their design execution skills.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign), InVision, Axure RP.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Miro, Mural.

• Presentation Software: PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to understand user behavior and measure design impact.

• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) is beneficial for presenting insights. CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary focus for a Design Director, understanding how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation tools integrate with user experience and customer journeys can be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis is on tools that facilitate collaborative design, prototyping, user research, project management, and data analysis to inform design strategy and demonstrate impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Excellence & Craftsmanship: A commitment to delivering world-class design solutions with meticulous attention to detail and quality.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Fostering strong working relationships internally and with clients, valuing diverse perspectives and collective problem-solving.

• Innovation & Boldness: Encouraging creative risk-taking, pushing boundaries, and exploring novel solutions to complex challenges.

• Client Focus: Deeply understanding client needs and business objectives to deliver impactful and relevant design outcomes.

• Growth & Learning: Promoting continuous learning, skill development, and professional growth for all team members.

• Inclusivity: Creating an environment where diverse voices are heard, respected, and valued.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Seamless collaboration between design, technology, strategy, and program management teams to ensure holistic solutions.

• Open Feedback Culture: Encouraging constructive and respectful feedback among team members and with clients to refine ideas and improve outcomes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Promoting an environment where best practices, insights, and learnings are shared freely across the team and studio.

• Agile & Iterative: A working style that embraces flexibility, rapid iteration, and continuous improvement based on feedback and evolving project needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes a blend of creative rigor, strategic business thinking, and strong interpersonal skills, essential for a leadership role in a client-facing consultancy.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Multiple Priorities: Effectively managing multiple high-stakes projects, client demands, and internal leadership responsibilities simultaneously.

• Navigating Client Expectations: Managing diverse client needs, stakeholder politics, and ensuring alignment on strategic design direction.

• Cultivating Talent: Continuously attracting, developing, and retaining top design talent in a competitive market.

• Driving Innovation: Keeping pace with rapidly evolving technologies and design trends while ensuring innovative solutions remain grounded in business value.

• Measuring Design Impact: Clearly articulating and quantifying the business value and ROI of design initiatives to stakeholders.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Training: Access to advanced leadership development programs focused on strategic management, P&L responsibility, and executive presence.

• Industry Exposure: Opportunities to attend and present at leading design and technology conferences.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Gaining exposure to Capgemini's broader capabilities in technology, data analytics, and digital transformation.

• Mentorship Programs: Access to senior leaders within frog and Capgemini for guidance and career development.

• Specialization Tracks: Developing deep expertise in emerging areas of design and technology through dedicated learning paths and project assignments.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant challenges but also offers substantial opportunities for professional growth at the highest levels of the design and consulting industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led a complex, multi-disciplinary design project from concept to launch. What were the key challenges, and how did you ensure success?" (Focus on your leadership, process, and problem-solving.)

• "How do you approach building and mentoring high-performing design teams? Provide specific examples of how you've fostered talent and managed performance." (Highlight your people management and leadership philosophy.)

• "Walk us through your process for business development and account growth within a design consultancy. How do you identify opportunities and build client relationships?" (Demonstrate your commercial acumen.)

• "How do you balance the creative vision of a design team with the business constraints and objectives of a client?" (Showcase your strategic thinking and ability to bridge design and business.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What attracts you to frog and Capgemini, and how do you see yourself contributing to our culture and reputation?" (Research frog's mission, values, and recent work.)

• "How would you foster a culture of innovation and collaboration within your design team and the wider studio?" (Relate to frog's stated values.)

• "Describe your approach to diversity and inclusion within design teams." (Emphasize creating an inclusive environment.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly define the problem, your role, the process, your key contributions, the team's collaboration, the solution, and the measurable impact.

• Quantify Results: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the success and ROI of your design work.

• Showcase Leadership: Explicitly point out instances where you led teams, made critical decisions, managed stakeholders, and influenced outcomes.

• Be Ready for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design choices, strategic thinking, leadership decisions, and how you handle challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be assessing not just your design expertise, but your strategic vision, leadership capabilities, business acumen, and ability to drive both client success and internal growth.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Director position:

• Submit your application through the Capgemini careers portal via the provided link.

• Tailor Your Resume: Emphasize your extensive experience in digital design leadership, team management (quantifying team sizes), project leadership (mentioning complexity and number of projects led), and business/account development achievements. Integrate keywords like "Design Director," "Project Leadership," "Design Strategy," "Team Management," "Client Relationship Management," and "Business Development."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your most impactful projects that demonstrate your ability to lead complex initiatives, manage diverse teams, drive business results, and foster design excellence. Ensure your role and contributions are crystal clear.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your experiences and portfolio projects using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), focusing on leadership, strategy, and impact. Be ready to discuss your leadership philosophy and business development approach.

• Research: Thoroughly research frog and Capgemini, understanding their design philosophy, recent projects, values, and the Navi Mumbai studio's context. Prepare insightful questions to ask the interviewers.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.