Senior Director Of Digital Design

Come work at a place where we take pride in creating a workplace environment that values hard work, commitment, and growth.

The Senior Director of Digital Design is responsible for Academy's digital storytelling and overall site user experience across desktop, mobile web, and mobile apps. This role leads the creative direction and experience strategy for e-commerce channels, ensuring that all digital touchpoints are engaging, on-brand, and optimized for conversion.

Reporting to the VP of E-Commerce, the Senior Director of Design manages a global team of UX and creative designers, content strategists, and personalization experts, and works closely with the Digital Product Management and Front-End Development teams. The team comes together to bring the Academy Sports + Outdoors brand to life through rich content, intuitive interfaces, innovative formats (e.g. videos, interactive guides) personalized to target customer segments while maintaining consistency across online and in-store channels.

Job Description

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Digital Design, Visual Communication, Human-Computer Interaction, or related field.

Work Experience:

• 10+ years of experience in digital/web design and UX.
• At least 5 years in a leadership role (managing designers or creative teams).
• Significant experience in retail e-commerce or omnichannel consumer brands is highly preferred, demonstrating an understanding of how design drives online sales.

Skills:

• Strong portfolio showcasing ability to create engaging, user-friendly interfaces and interactive content. Deep knowledge of Digital Experience principles, information architecture, and conversion-centered design. Experienced in designing for responsive web and native mobile apps, with a mobile-first mindset. Up-to-date with design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) and techniques like user journey mapping and wireframing.
• Ability to craft compelling visual narratives blending imagery, copy, and multimedia to tell a story and sell a product. Knowledge of best practices in digital storytelling and content marketing for e-commerce. Familiarity with photography, video, or graphic design processes is a plus to effectively partner in creation of rich content assets.
• Solid understanding of front-end development technologies (HTML/CSS, JavaScript). While coding is not a core requirement, the director should grasp the capabilities and limitations of modern front-end frameworks to ensure design intentions are achievable. Experience working in an Agile development environment and using project management tools to collaborate with developers is beneficial.
• Comfortable interpreting web analytics, A/B test results, and user research findings to inform design decisions. For example, able to analyze heatmaps or funnel metrics to diagnose UX problems and iterate solutions. Experience with usability testing (remote or in-person) and using feedback to refine designs.
• Proven ability to lead creative teams inspiring innovation while also providing clear direction and constructive critique. Excellent communicator who can articulate the rationale behind design concepts to non-design stakeholders and senior leadership, linking design outcomes to business results. Able to advocate for the user while balancing business needs, finding win-win solutions.
• Highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced retail calendar. Skilled at prioritizing design initiatives based on impact and effort. Experience coordinating cross-functional initiatives (e.g., a site redesign or a major campaign launch) from concept through execution.
• Passion for staying on the cutting edge of digital design. Familiarity with emerging trends like personalization in UX, motion design, AR/VR commerce, and conversational interfaces. A forward-thinking mindset to experiment with new formats and ensure Academy's digital experience remains fresh and competitive.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the overall digital design vision and content strategy for Academy's e-commerce platforms.
• Manage and mentor a team of visual designers and content creators/copywriters. Foster a collaborative and creative team culture that encourages innovation and staying ahead of design trends. Provide guidance and training opportunities, set clear goals, and regularly review performance.
• Develop a "digital storytelling" approach that showcases products and brand values through engaging visuals and narratives, ultimately aiming to deepen customer engagement and loyalty. Ensure that the design strategy supports key business objectives (product discovery, conversion, and retention) and aligns with marketing campaigns and seasonal themes.
• Oversee end-to-end UX design for the mobile web, mobile app, and desktop, focusing on simple, intuitive navigation and a frictionless shopping journey. Implement best-in-class customer experience practices, including mobile-first and responsive design, accessible interfaces, and fast-loading pages.
• Lead the strategy and creation of interactive and rich media content to enhance the shopping experience. Introduce features that could include shoppable lookbooks, product videos, 360 views, quizzes, or other interactive elements to boost user engagement.
• Ensure a cohesive customer experience across all channels and devices. Work with omnichannel marketing and store teams to maintain consistency in branding and messaging between the online storefront and physical stores.
• Guide the team in creating and executing personalization campaigns via Monetate. Segment the audience and tailor site content, product recommendations, and promotions to different customer profiles in real-time.
• Design a global team footprint with capabilities across customer experience design, content strategy & production, and personalization to enable cost efficient capability scaling.
• Collaborate closely with Merchandising, Marketing, and E-Commerce teams to plan content and design updates. In weekly/seasonal planning, contribute creative ideas for homepage refreshes, campaign landing pages, emails, and social media tie-ins.
• Oversee the day-to-day execution of design projects from concept through wireframes to final visual design. Approve and provide feedback on designers' work, maintaining high standards for visual aesthetics, consistency with our brand style guide, and usability.
• Utilize data and feedback to continuously refine the site experience. Partner with analytics teams to monitor metrics like bounce rates, time on page, heatmaps, and conversion by page layout. Identify experience pain points and lead design improvements to address them. Run usability testing or gather user feedback on new features and iterate based on insights.

Physical Requirements & Attendance

Ability to work in an office environment, using typical office equipment (computer, phone, etc.) for extended periods. Regular on-site attendance during core business hours at our Katy, TX headquarters. Limited travel may be required for vendor meetings or industry events. Adherence to company work hours, policies, procedures, and rules governing professional behavior.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate with regard to employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law.