Associate Technical Director

Who We Are

Left Field Labs is the creative technology agency that builds what’s next. We partner with the world’s most ambitious brands to transform breakthrough technology into extraordinary human experiences. Since 2008, we’ve delivered end-to-end digital transformation services—from strategy to platform development to immersive experiences—for the biggest companies in the world, including Google, Amazon, and Meta.

What We Do

• Digital Experiences: We architect seamless digital ecosystems that simplify complexity and drive measurable impact. Whether launching new platforms or evolving legacy systems, we strike the perfect balance between innovation and pragmatism
• Product Innovation: We build scalable platforms and products in lockstep with organizations, identifying and seizing new technology opportunities.
• Creative Technology Driven Experiences: We create immersive, cross-media experiences that move beyond omnichannel thinking, blending digital, social, AI, and physical spaces to engage and delight.
• Applied AI: We transform AI from a tech tool to the infrastructure for business evolution—enhancing decision-making, unlocking new efficiencies, and expanding human capacity  Our AI solutions power predictive intelligence, sharper decision-making, and game-changing innovation.

Who We Are Seeking

The Digital Team is seeking an experienced, creative-minded Associate Technical Director, to lead fast-paced, forward-facing creative technology projects. In this role, you will connect creative design, web development, and emerging technology.

This position is perfect for an agency-tested leader with an interest in highly visual and dynamic digital experiences, full-stack expertise, and the adaptability to operate across multiple projects.

What You'll Do

As Associate Technical Director, you will be a senior technical leader inside the Digital team. You will lead the development on one or more projects, as well as being a key contributor to new project pitches. 

• Take technical ownership of projects, from highly visual digital experiences to AI-driven builds.
• Build and oversee rich, high-quality interactive experiences with heavy emphasis on frontend development, while maintaining a strong understanding of backend architectures and AI service integrations
• Apply a fine-tuned aesthetic sensibility and eye for design to ensure all digital outputs match agency-level quality, precision, and performance
• Contribute to the pitch process from technical scoping, estimating development, to client presentations
• Mentor other developers on project teams and eventual direct reports
• Champion the use of AI and new tools across the team, using them yourself and building them into client work.

Technical Quality & Architecture

• Own architectural decisions and technical direction across your projects, getting hands-on in the code when the work calls for it

• Set and uphold coding standards and review processes

• Run and oversee code reviews to keep quality consistent across the codebase

• Champion the adoption of AI development tooling across your projects

• Spot and address technical debt before it becomes everyone's problem

Delivery

• Translate business requirements into clear, actionable technical tasks and tickets

• Partner with production and creative leads to scope, staff, and estimate projects accurately

• Provide and validate technical estimates on new and existing work

• Proactively flag risks, blockers, and resourcing issues, and escalate when needed

• Manage the delivery lifecycle across your projects

Team & Mentorship

• Directly manage a small number of developers: set expectations, run regular 1:1s, and create clear paths for growth

• Lead and mentor the developers on your projects across all levels

• Set clear expectations and give regular, honest feedback

• Support resourcing and planning across your projects, and help with hiring as the team grows

Client & Communication

• Serve as a technical voice in client conversations 

• Distil complex technical information into simple, compelling, actionable insights

• Build trusted relationships across client, partner, and internal teams

What You’ll Need to be Successful

• 10+ years of professional software engineering experience, including time in a technical leadership or lead role

• A track record of owning the technical delivery of multiple projects at once without dropping the quality bar on any of them

• Strong system architecture skills and the judgment to know when a decision needs you in the code versus when to delegate

• Proficiency across a modern web stack (Typescript, plus one of Node/Python/Go on the backend), and the flexibility to pick up new languages and legacy codebases as projects demand

• Comfortable with SQL and data handling concepts

• Experience mentoring developers and giving direct, useful feedback

• Exceptional communication skills, and the composure to stay effective when projects get tense

• Direct experience working within or for large-scale global technology organizations

• Proven background working inside a fast-paced agency environment, handling pivot-heavy workflows and high-pressure project deadlines

• Strong hands-on technical skills with modern front-end frameworks, responsive layouts, web animation, and interactive UI/UX implementation

• Solid foundational understanding of backend structures and practical integration of AI tools/APIs into modern web applications

• A strong visual aesthetic and portfolio/resume demonstrating previous high-impact, design-forward digital projects

• Excellent real-time communication skills and modern problem-solving capabilities necessary to lead high-stakes technical projects

Left Field Labs offers a comprehensive benefits package focused on team well-being, including flexible time off, observed holidays, and a birthday floating holiday. We operate as a "Remote First" environment with an internet stipend and provide medical, dental, and vision coverage, with LFL covering a significant portion of the costs. Additional benefits include paid parental leave, a 401(k) matching program, an Employee Assistance Program, basic life and AD&D insurance, referral bonuses, an education stipend, and access to our provider Marketplace for discounts.

Left Field Labs is an equal opportunity employer and committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all applicants and team members regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, handicap, veteran status, marital status, criminal history, or any other category protected by applicable federal and state law, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance relating to an applicant's criminal history (LAMC 189.00). Left Field Labs makes reasonable accommodations for handicapped and disabled team members.

Left Field Labs is an E-Verify employer. E-Verify is an Internet based system operated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in partnership with the Social Security Administration (SSA) that allows participating employers to electronically verify the employment eligibility of their newly hired employees in the United States.

The salary range for this role is $155,000-$185,000. This range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in Culver City, California. This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.