Insomniac Design is a global digital agency headquartered in Washington D.C., with offices in London, Bucharest and Chisinau. We’re an agile, determined and innovative team organized by functional areas of expertise — Creative, Technology, Strategy, and Management. We specialize in human-centered design with deep focus on design thinking and digital transformation.
As a Program Director, you'll be responsible for the oversight of key company accounts – typically large accounts or accounts consisting of multiple projects. This role establishes programs and their objectives based on the client’s business goals and the needs of their audiences and end users. Program directors are strategic advisors, driving overall program vision, collaborating with stakeholders and C-suite-level contacts, along with internal team members. This person works closely with cross-functional team members to ensure the product vision is at the forefront of decision making, and that team members work together to deliver value to both end users and stakeholders. They’re able to clearly set expectations with our clients and teams, calmly and effectively navigate challenges inherent to client, agency, and creative work, and communicate effectively both internally and externally to delegate and guide project roles across the team.
At Insomniac, we leverage AI to free our teams from routine tasks so they can focus on the aspects of our functions that are most valuable. We thrive on creative problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation. By thoughtfully integrating AI into our workflows, we’re not only improving productivity but also ensuring our people have the tools to do their best work. This empowers us to build smarter solutions and deliver stronger results for our clients.
This role is focused on excellence in delivery – overseeing project managers to ensure programs run smoothly, achieve the highest creative and technical standards, and meet or exceed desired results. Success in this role is gauged by overall quality of work, and client and internal team satisfaction.
General Responsibilities:
- Expected to have a significant impact within and beyond the department or division, leading and overseeing strategic initiatives.
- Serves as a trusted advisor in specialized areas, providing guidance on complex technical, strategic, or creative challenges.
- Able to navigate and resolve ambiguous situations, identifying innovative solutions and adapting strategies to address evolving business needs.
- Guides and empowers others to drive improvement and implementation of impactful product, process, automation and/or work methodologies, improving efficiency and effectiveness beyond their department.
- Leads the design and optimization of departmental processes, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and driving continuous improvement.
- Provides strong leadership to the team, mentors managers and senior team members, and fosters a culture of collaboration and growth.
Responsibilities:
- Program management: Day-to-day account and program management through maintenance of client relationships, strategic planning, and oversight and guidance of projects with the internal project team.
- Strategic project direction: Define clear and actionable problem statements to help drive the overarching program vision and associated strategy.
- Product vision and prioritization: Leverage customer and user insights and business needs to influence priorities and roadmap platform or feature development while advocating for and driving alignment between stakeholders in the development of requirements.
- Set and manage expectations: Set external expectations effectively with clients (i.e., scope, goals, program/product roadmaps, priorities) and maintain positive relationships with key client contacts.
- Internal communication: Facilitate communications and critical information sharing between Insomniac Design’s leadership team and assigned project teams.
- Quality control: Guide and support internal project teams (i.e., project schedules, role definitions, deliverables and outputs). Overall responsibility for quality control and consistency of project deliverables, as well as client and team satisfaction.
- Scope management oversight: Provides direction and guidance to project managers to help with ensuring schedules and budgets are met and managed. Offers creative solutions to address timeline or budget constraints.
- Business development support: Maintain and grow accounts, working with Insomniac Design leadership to build upon existing business, client, and account health. Periodically supports new business development initiatives.
Skills & Experience:
- 5-7 years of experience in digital strategy, web design, and/or development, specifically in roles such as project, product, or program management.
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills (both verbal and written).
- Expert understanding of project management methodologies, such as PMI certification, evidence of creating best practices, and experience using and implementing project management software.
- Proficient understanding of contemporary web, digital, and social media best practices (i.e., agile/scrum, content strategy, data and analytics) is a plus.
- Demonstrated ability in excellent decision quality, critical thinking, and creative problem solving skills.
- High-energy personality who’s excited to manage and work with internal teams and clients.
- Strategy-savvy with an eye for smart and effective digital marketing and digital product development approaches.
- Technical knowledge of human-centered design and development, accessibility, and UX best practices.
- Develop, execute, support/oversee, and measure business strategy initiatives including agency marketing and brand strategy, thought leadership, innovation and new capability development, and business development support.
- Serve on team leadership to define company culture, process, capabilities, and competitive advantage.
- Experience participating in RFP, proposal, and pitch activities.
- Problem solver who resolves conflicts elegantly and effectively, with the ability to think strategically and adapt to changing priorities.
- Team leader who maintains team members’ trust and confidence in navigating project challenges. Fosters a supportive dynamic with clients and project teams, with a persuasive and confident approach to creative projects.
- Management experience with clients or teams in an agency or in-house role is a plus.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented.
