Sr Director Digital Design

Who We Are

At Academy Sports + Outdoors our vision is to be the best sports + outdoors retailer in the country — but what truly sets us apart is our people. We’re a passionate, purpose-driven team that’s as committed to each other as we are to our customers.

We’ve spent over 80 years building a culture that puts people first. We believe in creating opportunities for growth, fostering meaningful connections, and supporting every Team Member’s journey. What fuels us? Our belief in the power of fun.

Here, you won’t just help customers gear up for their next adventure — you’ll launch one of your own. Whether you're starting out or leveling up, Academy is a place where fun can’t lose!  

Education:

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

WorkExperience:

• 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:

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 (e.g., in new design tools or methods), set clear goals, and regularly review performance. As a leader, also champion the user-centric design approach within the broader organization, articulating how design enhancements can drive business results (conversion, engagement, customer satisfaction).
• 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. Continuously improve site layout, category pages, product detail pages, and checkout flow design by leveraging user research, A/B testing, and industry UX trends.
• 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. Explore emerging technologies (e.g., AR/VR features for product visualization) to provide novel and immersive customer experiences​.
• 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​. For example, if a marketing story or promotion runs in-store, ensure the website and app reflect the same creative theme and content. Design digital experiences that complement in-store events (such as app features for in-store shoppers, or online content that drives store visits) for a true 360° engagement​.
• 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​. Ensure personalized experiences (e.g. dynamic homepages, targeted offers) are consistent across desktop, mobile web, and app, and coordinate personalized messaging with email/marketing when applicable.
• 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. Ensure the digital design team delivers assets that meet marketing briefs and timelines, and that Digital Product Management and Front-End Development teams have clear guidance to implement designs accurately.
• 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. Work with the Digital Product Management and Front-End Development teams to ensure designs are translated into pixel-perfect, responsive front-end code. Emphasize optimization of graphics and code for performance, so that pages remain fast and SEO-friendly even with rich content. Own the design language system for Academy’s digital platforms – including style guides, UI pattern libraries, and guidelines for content.
• 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 (for instance, high drop-off at certain steps) and lead design improvements to address them. Run usability testing or gather user feedback on new features and iterate based on insights. Keep an eye on competitors and innovative retailers for inspiration, and maintain robust competitive intelligence to monitor digital experience trends and best practices​.