WhatsInDemand / will AI replace…
Will AI replace design directors?
Based on live job postings — updated November 2026
Not yet — employers aren't cutting design directors. They're asking them to use AI.
There are 167 live design directors openings right now. Across the roughly 3,300 fast-growing companies we track, 59% of current design directors openings now ask for AI skills. The work is changing, not going away.
167live openings
59%ask for AI skills
18%remote
114companies hiring
What AI is actually changing
AI shows up directly in these openings: Artificial Intelligence. That is the part of the job changing fastest.
Employers still ask most for: Communication, Collaboration, Product Design, UX Design, Mentorship, Design Systems — the parts of the work people are hired to own.
Who's hiring right now
| Company | Open roles |
|---|---|
| Wargaming | 7 |
| Moniepoint | 6 |
| Landor | 5 |
| Astera Labs | 5 |
| Omnicom Media | 4 |
| DEPT® | 3 |
See the full Design Director data page →