As a Director of Design and Research, you will guide the centralized team of visual, interaction, and industrial designers and user researchers to realize its full potential. This role requires strong people management skills and an ability to shape and drive product vision.
The work is intellectually challenging, requiring ingenuity and creativity to realize ambitious ideas with new technology, unique capabilities and constraints. You are an expert in design processes and methodologies ranging from concept development to launch.
You will manage and grow a strong, cross-disciplinary team across a portfolio of technical projects. You should be able to inspire the team to create world-class products and concepts. You will be required to advocate, amplify, and promote the team’s work to X’s leadership and across the organization.
You must be a strong design and research advocate. You can communicate a clear point of view from a user perspective in product design and strategic discussions with X leadership.
Responsibilities
Frame strategic business, product, and engineering needs from customers’ perspective. Foster user-centric design culture, values, and principles throughout X
Clarify design/research team understanding of X projects’ product vision and their role in its execution. Align design/research team with X’s overall goals.
Communicate the vision of design/research team across X. Oversee and push strong design and research methods and processes
Mentor and empower the design/research team to deliver great products; inspire them to grow their talent and capabilities
Hire and retain a strong team of talented individuals. Grow design/research leadership within X
Qualifications
Minimum qualifications:
BA/BS degree in design, design and research, human-computer interaction, or a related field or equivalent practical experience.
15 years of relevant work experience, including experience managing a cross-functional user experience or product design team, as well as experience integrating user research into design practices.
8 years of experience leading a User Experience or product design organization.
Experience shepherding products for consumer audiences from concept to launch.
Preferred qualifications:
Degree in human factors, HCI, information design, industrial design, or related area.
Studio or consultancy leadership experience.
Experience managing a portfolio of projects, especially across multiple technical domains.
Has lead or worked on something that failed (and can demonstrate learning from it).
Deep understanding of how design, prototyping, and user research meet complex and varied requirements on highly technical scientific and engineering projects.
A solid understanding and demonstration of user-centered and product design principles.
Posts
