Design Director

Who We Are XDS is the world’s largest bicycle maker by volume and the world’s largest producer of carbon-fiber frames. We are entering the U.S. market for the first time with X-LAB, our in-house brand of performance bicycles primed for the global stage. XDS’s manufacturing scale, decades of carbon and alloy expertise, and vertical integration create a once-in-a-generation chance to redefine the economics of cycling for riders and bike shops alike..

Since 1995, we have combined proprietary materials science, compelling design, and highly automated production to deliver:

• Over 8 million complete bikes annually across road, mountain, gravel, city, and e-bike segments
• More than 300,000 carbon frames per year from the world’s biggest dedicated carbon-fiber bike facility - 300+ international patents covering advanced carbon layups and proprietary X6 aluminum alloys
• Full vertical integration enabling speed-to-market, supply chain resilience, and cost leadership
• OEM partnerships with leading Western brands, and we are now poised to build our own premium brand overseas As of 2026, we have officially launched X-LAB with a fully U.S. based team of industry veterans and experienced leaders. And we are just getting started. Learn more: https://xds.co/ See an insider’s look of our factory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06SheO5XFsY ____________________________________ XDS is seeking a Design Director to join us as we establish XDS in the North American market. You’ll bring our creative vision to life across all marketing touchpoints. As a multidisciplinary creative leader, you will own the visual expression of the X-LAB brand, overseeing concept development, design execution, and art direction across campaigns, channels, and markets. A true “Player-Coach" role, you will be the strategic heartbeat of our design machine, owning everything from high-level brand vision to the typography on our wheels and accessories. You will be responsible for building on a world-class design foundation while shipping impactful work in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. You’ll work closely with engineering, product, and marketing teams to create more bikes that riders love.

What You'll Do

• Lead X-LAB's creative vision, strategy, and execution across North America and global markets
• Own and evolve the X-LAB brand identity, ensuring a consistent and compelling experience across all customer touchpoints
• Translate business objectives and marketing priorities into clear creative direction, impactful campaigns, and distinctive brand storytelling
• Partner closely with product and engineering teams to shape product storytelling, naming, visual language, and go-to-market strategies
• Lead art direction and creative development across photography, video, motion, retail, events, packaging, digital, web, and social media
• Build and scale creative operations, including design systems, content libraries, workflows, and production processes that support rapid growth
• Recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing both in-house and external creative team while fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and innovation You're a Great Fit If You Have
• Deep expertise in industrial design and design systems, campaign development, content production, and creative operations (mandatory) - 10+ years of experience leading creative teams, brands, or design organizations
• Proven success building, launching, and scaling premium consumer brands in highly competitive markets
• A strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional visual design, brand building, creative leadership, and storytelling
• Expert proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and modern AI-enabled creative workflows
• Strong experience working with international teams across multiple markets and time zones
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills Success Metrics
• New process for product launches: methodology for visual, packaging, website, and catalog asset design
• Comprehensive market campaign process
• Comprehensive sales enablement package ____________________________________ OUR COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
• Competitive salary
• Demo bike fleet
• Generous time off policy
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Office space in beautiful Santa Monica, California EQUAL OPPORTUNITY XDS is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all team members.