Director of Design

Propel builds technology that strengthens the social safety net in America, with the goal of dramatically improving how government benefits are delivered. The Director of Design will tie design decisions to revenue, retention, and company priorities, define what design means at an AI-native company, and report to the Head of Product as a core member of EPD leadership. Expected cash compensation for the role as scoped is $240,000 - $280,000, based on internal leveling.

Responsibilities

Lead a senior, autonomous design team of seven designers, including coaching, growth, performance, and hiring; Own the team's design rituals and build on them; Make the case for design debt and get it paid down, including defining priorities and building support for fixes; Improve the product development process in collaboration with product and engineering leadership; Redefine design as an AI-native function, including the design process, prototyping, and consistent design decisions; Make Propel a premium experience that moves metrics across visual design, copy, information architecture, consistency, and loading latency

Requirements

Experience managing a product design team at a consumer software startup, or a scaled pro-sumer startup; Has worked at the staff or principal IC product designer level in the last 3 years; Has managed a team of at least five designers, including hiring, performance management, and promotions; Fluency in consumer software patterns: growth loops, churn and retention, behavior-based monetization, and A/B testing; A considered perspective on what AI-native design practice looks like, and evidence that you are actively developing it; Working knowledge of LLMs, code generation, and generative design tools, developed through your own use of them rather than secondhand; The ability to tie design work to company strategy at a company with many competing priorities and finite resources; Exceptional organization, and strength as both a writer and a speaker, particularly on project plans and strategic concepts; Composure when priorities shift

Nice to have

The ability to still do the work yourself when it matters, as a capable IC product designer; Design experience with native Android and iOS apps; Work on a product used by millions of people; Having managed content design, user research, or brand and visual design in addition to product design; Experience with government programs or safety net services; Prior experience on a leadership team

Benefits

Remote-friendly work environment; Dog-friendly office in Downtown Brooklyn; Optional in-person team retreats; 20 Days of PTO; 4% 401K match; $10k lifetime spend towards Carrot Fertility; Excellent Medical, Dental and Vision options; Strong equity package