The Role

Koto is a global design studio building the most loved brands of today and tomorrow. From startups to household names, we partner with ambitious companies to create work that is bold, human, and unforgettable. Our New York team is growing, and we’re looking for a Creative Director to help shape its future. You’ll bring 10+ years of brand design experience, with a strong background in leading teams inside agencies or studios. At Koto, you’ll join a team that thrives on collaboration, curiosity, and craft. As part of our studio, you’ll help shape not just brands, but the culture of Koto itself.

Your Responsibilities

1. Champion and curate ideas that transform brands—framing, selling, and nurturing them while ensuring world-class creative outcomes.
2. Apply deep expertise in brand creation—delivering both a bold creative vision and precise, actionable feedback.

3. Lead and grow the Design team—shaping culture, mentoring talent, and building connections with the broader design community. 

4.  Present work to clients with clarity and conviction—crafting compelling narratives, sparking dialogue, and challenging perspectives to drive the best results.

5. Collaborate closely with Strategy and Client Services to develop insights, shape scopes, and deliver ambitious projects on time and to the highest standard.
6. Bring encyclopedic knowledge of branding and a proven track record of building impactful brands for today’s leaders and tomorrow’s founders.

7. Stay fluent in design tools (Figma, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Pitch) while championing new technologies that elevate our craft.

About You

1. You’ve got 10+ years in brand design, including time spent leading teams in a studio or agency environment.

2. You know how to deliver big, ambitious ideas and the detail that makes them sing.

3. You thrive on mentoring and inspiring others, building a team culture that’s supportive, curious, and fearless.

4. You can hold the room—whether presenting to the C-suite or rallying your team around an idea.

5. You’re globally minded and culturally curious, with a love for brands that make people feel something.

6. You balance ambition with pragmatism—comfortable dreaming big but sharp on deadlines, budgets, and scope.

7. You live and breathe clarity, craft, and collaboration—the hallmarks of Koto’s work.

Our Responsibilities

1. We will ensure you have meaningful and regular access to your manager to support your personal development and career trajectory.

2. We will actively reward performance with promotions, pay increases and a discretionary annual bonus of up to 10% of salary to all employees.

3. We ensure Koto is an equal environment for all its employees.

4. We will support you in taking family leave and offer significant paid maternity and paternity leave.

5. We will actively encourage you to take 25 days' vacation annually, in addition to US bank holidays and a studio closure over the December Holidays.

6. We will contribute an additional up to 4% to anyone wanting to contribute to our 401 (k) plan.

7. We deploy a monthly ‘employee wellness’ benefits package via Juno of $100 per month.

8. We offer access to YCN and fund relevant training opportunities to any employee looking to develop themselves and their career.

9. We reward five years of service with $5,000 and five days of vacation. We reward ten years of service with $10,000 and four weeks of holiday.

10. We will allow you to work from any of the four Koto studios globally, for a set period, with appropriate planning and application.

Our Culture

• At Koto, we encourage our team to be ‘rationally optimistic’ about the potential of our work, our clients, their businesses, and the power of brand.
• We pursue the best briefs, want to inspire meaningful work, and for those interested, provide an opportunity to make the work of their lives. We are actively cultivating leadership, culture, and spaces to encourage this.
• We work in person with an optional WFH day on Friday, and an additional two weeks of remote work a year. We believe this produces the best work, mentoring opportunities, collective learning, and culture.
• We encourage autonomy in each team member, enabling them to manage their time, hours, and personal commitments effectively to complete their work.