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Associate Director, Information Design; Deputy Competency Manager

United States

Who We Are: LINK is a fast-growing Woman Owned Small Business (WOSB) that leverages human-centered design to support strategy, innovation, communication, change, and branding within the federal government and adjacent industry partners. At LINK, we partner with engineers, futurists, and thought leaders to untangle complexity, discover opportunity, and communicate clearly with visual stories. 

Let us be your partners in change.

About the Opportunity:

LINK is actively seeking an Associate Director, Information Design; Deputy Competency Manager to join our dynamic team, where we collaborate with clients across a wide range of industries to create impactful visual stories that communicate complex ideas. 

As the Deputy Competency Manager, you will lead and inspire a high-performing team of Information Designers to deliver innovative, human-centered solutions across a diverse client portfolio. In partnership with the VP of Information Design, you will support the vision for the Information Design competency by helping shape frameworks, tools, and thought leadership, while supporting recruitment efforts to build a values-driven, high-performing team.

In your role as Deputy Competency Manager, you will coach, mentor, and manage Information Designers — fostering a collaborative culture and developing talent that excels at translating complex ideas into impactful visual stories and design solutions aligned with client goals. While your client engagement will be primarily indirect, you will play a critical role in supporting teams as they identify challenges and deliver strategic outcomes.

Qualifications: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, UX Design, Visual Journalism, Visual Communications, or a related field
  • 10+ years of experience in graphic design or a related role with strong people-leadership capabilities
  • Expertise in design tools and platforms within the Adobe Creative Suite
  • Demonstrated expertise in information design principles, including visual hierarchy, clarity, accessibility, and color theory
  • Experience creating infographics, charts, diagrams, presentations, and other visual products to convey both quantitative data and abstract concepts for use in print and digital formats
  • Proven people-management experience, including performance management, coaching, employee relations, conflict resolution and supporting professional growth and development.
  • Demonstrated experience operating within program-managed, contract-driven environments, supporting compliance, delivery rigor, and operational accountability across complex client engagements.
  • Demonstrated ability to help build inclusive, collaborative team cultures aligned with organizational values and growth objectives.
  • Experience with recruiting, hiring, and retaining top-tier, diverse talent while delivering a high-quality, inclusive candidate experience.
  • The ability to navigate ambiguity and provide strategic guidance that brings clarity to goals, requirements, and outcomes—particularly in complex or high-visibility engagements.
  • Proven ability to understand tools, frameworks, and best practices that drive quality, consistency, and operational excellence based on human centered design across programs and projects.

Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Development

  • Lead and develop a high-performing Information Design team.
  • Manage employee relations and address workplace concerns in a fair and consistent manner.
  • Oversee performance management, including goal setting, constructive feedback, coaching, and performance evaluations.
  • Support professional development and growth opportunities for your team.
  • Foster a collaborative, inclusive culture aligned with LINK’s values and growth goals.
  • Help facilitate onboarding for new team members, with a focus on aligning them to established competency frameworks and ensuring a smooth integration into project teams and workflows.
  • Set clear goals and expectations; support team member’s development based on individual strengths.
  • Manage successful implementation of and ROI on our Learning and Development program for Information Designers. 

Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning

  • Assist in recruiting top-tier, diverse talent while ensuring a high-quality, inclusive candidate experience.
  • Work with the Competency Manager to anticipate future talent needs and assist in building a strong, strategic hiring pipeline.
  • Cultivate and maintain strong internal and external partnerships to identify talent opportunities and support business objectives.

Competency Talent Management

  • Work with the Competency Manager to identify skill gaps across the competency and implement learning opportunities such as training, mentorship, and stretch assignments.
  • Stay current on tools, frameworks, and methodologies to upskill the team.
  • Assist in promoting knowledge sharing and collective team growth.
  • Monitor new challenges where LINK does not have a depth of experience to help build out internal capabilities, skills, personnel, etc.

Systems Model Support

  • Provide support to project teams on an ad hoc basis.
  • Promote best practices in processes, project work and competency.
  • Help develop tools and frameworks to ensure quality, consistency, and operational excellence across projects.
  • Help competency members navigate ambiguity around project work.

Work Schedule:

  • Full time, 40 hours per week
  • Some travel required to attend relevant events and conferences, and participate in LINK team events

Salary: We're committed to offering competitive compensation. While the salary range for this position is $121,063-$174,213, your final offer may be adjusted based on factors like experience and location.

Benefits:

  • $100 monthly internet/cell phone stipend
  • LINK sponsored healthcare benefits including medical, dental, vision
  • Company-paid Short Term Disability Insurance
  • 401K with employer contribution of up to 4%
  • 11 Federal Holidays per year 
  • 15 days of Paid Time Off (PTO) per year 
  • Paid Holiday Time Off (Christmas Eve through the New Year) 
  • Annual bonus plan participation
  • Annual profit sharing participation
  • $2,000 Learning and Development program reimbursement
  • Technology package that includes a LINK-owned MacBook Pro, monitor, mouse and keyboard

EOE

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