Associate Director, Information Design; Deputy Competency Manager

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 As the Associate Director, Information Design; 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. You will help support the vision for the Information Design competency by shaping frameworks, tools, and thought leadership, while supporting recruitment efforts to build a values-driven, high-performing team. In your role as Associate Director, Information Design; Deputy Competency Manager, you will coach, mentor, and manage information designers —fostering a collaborative culture and developing talent that excels at crafting compelling narratives and translating strategic insights into impactful 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.   Responsibilities Talent Management & Employee Development Directly manage assigned employees within the competency.  Conduct performance management activities, including coaching, feedback, development planning, performance reviews, and promotion recommendations.  Support employee engagement, retention, career growth, and professional development.  Foster a collaborative, inclusive culture aligned with LINK's values.  Support onboarding and integration of new employees into the competency and broader organization.  Address employee concerns, performance issues, and challenging personnel situations, escalating issues as appropriate. Talent Acquisition & Workforce Planning Participate in recruiting activities, including interviewing, candidate evaluation, selection, and onboarding.  Provide input on hiring needs, workforce planning, and capability gaps within the competency.  Support development of talent pipelines and recruiting efforts aligned with competency growth needs.  Build and maintain relationships with prospective talent and external communities that strengthen the competency talent pipeline.  Contribute to role requirements, capability needs, and hiring criteria for competency-related positions. Competency Health & Growth Partner with the Competency Manager to maintain and improve competency standards, tools, frameworks, methodologies, and best practices.  Contribute to competency development initiatives, including learning opportunities, mentorship, knowledge sharing, and capability-build...