Director of Product Design

Director of Product Design Department: Design... Employment Type: Full Time Location: Remote - US Compensation: $250,000 - $300,000 / year Description We're looking for a leader who has previously been the first designer at a small startup, growing their team from a party of one to a small, versatile team of high-impact product and brand designers. You understand the nuances of balancing user needs with business goals and have a track record of fostering collaborative environments where design, engineering, product, and leadership intersect seamlessly. Your role will involve not only leading design initiatives but also instilling a new design culture—one that is inclusive, iterative, and closely integrated with every part of our organization. Key Responsibilities • Direct the design vision, and strategy for Medium, focusing on innovating the user experience. • As a hands-on leader, you will dismantle silos and foster a cross-functional team environment that encourages deep product design thinking and the establishment of a new design culture • Collaborate closely with product, engineering, and leadership teams to integrate design seamlessly into product development. • Maintain a deep focus on user needs across multiple use cases, ensuring that design solutions enhance the experience for readers, writers, and editors. • Address existing design debts and establish flexible design processes that allow for deep, thoughtful engagement with product features. Skills, Knowledge and Expertise • 10+ years of experience in the field of design, with a minimum of 2 years leading design teams. Your experience preferably spans small to medium-sized tech companies. You are recognized for your ability to inspire and effectively lead teams through hands-on involvement and strategic thinking. • Experience building a design team and culture from scratch • You bring a substantial background in both UX and UI design, with experience managing and overseeing complex design projects from conception to implementation. • Your design decisions are grounded in extensive user research and feedback, ensuring that our products consistently meet the highest standards of usability and effectiveness. You have a proven track record of integrating user insights into design processes to enhance product outcomes. • You have a solid history of advocating for and implementing innovative design solutions, you ensure that these initiatives align closely with user needs and broader business goals. Your approach consistently leads to breakthroughs in user experience and design. • Experience with social media, either as a content creator or a product designer. • You will have a proven track record of successfully working in and managing teams within remote and distributed settings