Expedia is seeking a Director / Principal Motion Designer (onsite) in San Francisco, CA, with additional locations including Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, or Austin. In this role, you will help define Expedia Design’s motion language, raise the standard for product and brand motion, and partner across product, engineering, brand, and marketing to ensure motion craft ships with clear intent and high-quality implementation.
You will lead motion craft end-to-end, shaping principles, patterns, and specifications that make experiences feel delightful, clear, and unmistakably Expedia. This position emphasizes both leadership and hands-on contribution, including motion systems, engineering-ready specs, prototypes, and editorial storytelling work.
What you’ll do
- Establish motion principles, patterns, and guidelines to ensure products feel cohesive and unmistakably Expedia
- Build motion into the design system so teams can apply it consistently and at scale
- Craft polished product details, including transitions, micro-interactions, state changes, and loading and success moments
- Prototype and validate motion ideas while advocating for animation that supports usability as well as craft
- Write clear, implementable motion specs for engineers across iOS, Android, and web (timing, easing, springs, choreography, triggers)
- Partner with engineering on implementation and review builds to align shipped experiences with design intent
- Stay current on motion implementation approaches across tech stacks (for example: native animation frameworks, Lottie, Rive, and CSS/JS animation) and advise on the right approach per use case
- Design, build, or direct sizzle reels, product launch videos, and other promotional storytelling pieces
- Create concepts, storyboards, and narratives, guiding production whether you execute directly or direct internal teams and external partners
- Act as the go-to motion expert across Expedia Design, setting quality standards and providing thoughtful, constructive critique
- Mentor designers and partners to grow organizational motion capability
- Influence stakeholders across product leadership, brand, and marketing on why motion matters and how to apply it effectively
What you bring
- Deep expertise in UI motion design, backed by a portfolio demonstrating polished, purposeful product animation
- Proven ability to create engineering-ready motion specs and hand off across iOS, Android, and web
- Strong working knowledge of how motion is implemented in code across multiple tech stacks and their practical constraints
- Mastery of industry motion and prototyping tools such as After Effects, Figma, Principle, Rive, and Lottie workflows (or equivalent)
- Demonstrated ability to design, build, or direct editorial motion work including brand films, sizzle videos, and promotional content
- Strong storytelling and art direction with excellent timing, rhythm, and craft instincts
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, including senior-level influence across cross-functional partners
- Experience raising the craft bar through mentorship, standards, or leadership
- Bachelor’s degree in Design, Motion, HCI, User Experience, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
- 5–10+ years of experience in product design or related disciplines, including leadership of large-scale teams
Tools and technologies
- After Effects, Figma, Principle, Rive, Lottie, CSS/JS animation
- iOS, Android, web, native animation frameworks
- Cinema 4D, Blender, AI/ML, AI-driven systems
Benefits
- Medical/dental/vision coverage
- Paid time off
- Employee Assistance Program
- Wellness & travel reimbursement
- Travel discounts
- International Airlines Travel Agent (IATAN) membership
Success looks like
- Expedia products have a recognizable, cohesive, delightful motion identity
- Engineers receive clear specs and ship motion aligned with design intent
- Brand and campaign storytelling is strengthened through compelling motion work
- Motion craft and capability grow across the design organization
Salary range: USD 224,000 - 387,000 per year. Location: San Francisco, CA (onsite). Additional locations: Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, or Austin.
