Head of Product Design

About the role

Kindred is seeking an experienced and strategic leader to oversee and guide our product design efforts as the company continues to expand its offerings and user base. This role involves managing the entire member journey across all digital platforms, ensuring a seamless, engaging, and trustworthy experience for our users. The Head of Product Design will be responsible for building and leading a talented team of designers, researchers, and UX writers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. The successful candidate will work closely with cross-functional teams including product, engineering, marketing, and operations to shape the future of our product and ensure that design aligns with company goals and user needs. This position requires a hands-on approach, strategic vision, and a deep understanding of how design impacts growth, trust, and user engagement.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Lead, mentor, and develop a diverse team of designers, researchers, and UX writers, creating an environment that encourages high performance, innovation, and professional growth.
• Establish and communicate a comprehensive design strategy that aligns with Kindred's overall business objectives, working closely with product managers, engineers, marketers, and operational leaders to ensure cohesive execution.
• Promote a member-centric approach by integrating insights from user research, data analytics, and feedback to inform design decisions and improve the overall user experience.
• Drive strategic initiatives focused on member acquisition, retention, and advocacy, ensuring that design solutions support growth targets and foster long-term engagement.
• Elevate the quality of the member experience by refining existing features and designing new ones that reinforce Kindred's reputation as a premium and trustworthy platform.
• Develop and implement scalable design systems, tools, and processes that enable the team to deliver high-quality work efficiently and consistently across all products and platforms.
• Lead the integration of AI into design workflows, setting standards for AI utilization in prototyping, research analysis, and production environments, and adapting workflows as AI tools evolve.
• Collaborate with marketing and brand teams to ensure a cohesive brand experience from initial contact through in-product engagement, maintaining consistency and reinforcing brand identity.
• Work closely with cross-disciplinary teams to ensure design solutions meet both user needs and business goals, balancing creativity with practicality.
• Establish metrics and feedback mechanisms to measure the impact of design initiatives, using data to inform continuous improvements and demonstrate value to stakeholders.
• Represent the design function at executive levels, providing strategic insights, updates on ongoing projects, and advocating for design excellence within the organization.
• Lead efforts to build and maintain a high-performing, motivated team by providing clear feedback, supporting professional development, and fostering a collaborative environment.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks effectively to meet deadlines while maintaining high standards of quality.
• Stay informed about industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in product design, especially related to AI, to keep Kindred at the forefront of innovation.
• Facilitate effective communication across teams, ensuring alignment on design goals, timelines, and deliverables.
• Contribute to the hands-on design work when necessary, maintaining a strong craft perspective and setting an example for the team.
• Advocate for user needs and design quality in strategic planning sessions and product roadmaps, ensuring design considerations are integrated early in the development process.

Requirements

• Possess at least 12 years of experience in product design, with a minimum of 5 years in leadership roles managing teams of designers, researchers, and writers.
• Demonstrated success working collaboratively across disciplines such as product management, research, content, and marketing to create impactful design solutions.
• Proven experience partnering effectively with marketing and brand teams to develop consistent, compelling brand experiences.
• Extensive experience creating, scaling, and utilizing design systems to improve quality, consistency, and speed of delivery across multiple products and platforms.
• Experience designing for trust in peer-to-peer platforms, marketplaces, or community-based products where users engage in significant real-world interactions.
• Practical knowledge of AI applications in design workflows, including how AI tools can influence research, prototyping, and production processes.
• Strong operational skills, including running efficient meetings, providing clear and constructive feedback, and building teams that retain talent over time.
• Hands-on design experience, with a willingness to contribute directly to craft and deliver work when necessary, maintaining a strong focus on quality.
• Excellent communication skills, capable of articulating design vision and strategy to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize effectively, and adapt to changing business needs.
• A strategic thinker with a user-focused mindset who can balance business objectives with innovative design solutions.
• Knowledge of current industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in product design, especially related to AI and scalable design systems.
• Experience working in fast-paced environments with cross-functional teams to deliver high-impact projects on time.

Nice to have

• Previous experience as the primary design leader at a company, with full ownership of the design function and strategic direction.
• Experience working on marketplace or community-centric consumer products, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities they present.
• Background leading both consumer-facing and brand or marketing design initiatives, with a portfolio demonstrating success in both areas.
• Experience shipping production features or internal tools developed using AI, showcasing an ability to integrate emerging technologies into products.
• Proven track record guiding products through different growth stages, from initial concept and launch to scaling and maturity.
• Familiarity with the ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) and working within regulated environments, if applicable.

Skills & tools

Product Design

UX Research

UX Writing

Design Systems

AI Tools

Practical notes

Kindred offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employee well-being, including competitive salary and equity, health benefits, flexible time off, paid holidays, credits for stays in Kindred homes, and a travel stipend. The company operates on a remote-first model, providing opportunities for in-person gatherings. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment and providing equal employment opportunities for all applicants. Our team values innovation, collaboration, and a user-centric approach, and we encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.