Associate Director of Product Design

City of New York•New York, NY

2d•$130,000 - $160,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director of Product Design is a senior design leader responsible for driving the execution of user-centered design across digital products and public-facing services. Reporting to the Senior Director of Product, this role translates high-level design vision into actionable product experiences that improve service delivery, accessibility, and trust in government. The Associate Director of Product Design plays a critical role in embedding human-centered design practices into cross-functional teams, ensuring that policy-driven requirements are transformed into intuitive, equitable, and accessible digital experiences. This leader balances strategy and hands-on design oversight, mentoring designers while partnering closely with product and engineering leadership. Unlike private sector roles focused on revenue or growth metrics, success in this role is measured by usability, accessibility, adoption, clarity, and public value. This position will require the selected candidate to obtain NYC residency within 90 days of starting their job and be in-person in the CFB Manhattan office a minimum of 1 day a week.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in product design, UX/UI, or service design.
5+ years of experience designing complex digital services that serve broad and diverse user populations.
5+ years of experience working with cross-functional teams in agile or iterative environments.
Strong portfolio demonstrating systems thinking, accessibility awareness, and end-to-end product ownership.
Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG, Section 508) and inclusive design best practices.
Strong facilitation and communication skills, especially in environments involving policy or regulatory complexity.
Candidates for this role must include a portfolio of their work when applying for this position
Comprehensive understanding of human-centered design, including user research, interaction design, usability testing, and service design.
Deep knowledge of accessibility standards such as WCAG, Section 508, and ADA considerations.
Familiarity with digital product development lifecycles, specifically agile and iterative delivery practices.
Expertise in design systems, component libraries, and scalable interface patterns.
Understanding of frontend implementation, including responsive design and interaction behaviors.
Solid grounding in inclusive and equity-centered design principles.
Understanding of data-informed design and the use of usability metrics.
Ability to simplify complex processes and policy-driven workflows through high-quality design.
Proficiency in planning and conducting user research and translating findings into actionable improvements.
Skill in defining and tracking design quality metrics, such as usability scores, task completion rates, and accessibility audit pass rates.
Strong skills in leading workshops, stakeholder alignment sessions, and design critiques.
Skill in facilitating co-design sessions with end users, specifically those from underserved or historically excluded communities.
Demonstrated ability to navigate and find "middle ground" when policy-driven requirements conflict with user experience.
Mastery of modern design tools, specifically Figma or comparable platforms.
Strong written and verbal skills, with the ability to present design rationale to non-technical stakeholders.
Proven ability to work across cross-functional teams, including product, engineering, policy, and communications.
Effective mentorship and people management skills, with a focus on developing staff for career growth.
Build consensus for design decisions among leadership, legal, and policy teams.
Create clear design specifications, documentation, and reusable patterns.
Build structure and processes within forming teams or organizational uncertainty.
Translate design impact into mission-driven language for executive audiences.
Lead end-to-end design initiatives from concept through implementation and iteration.
Remain flexible and adjust plans while working effectively under pressure.
Balance high-level strategic thinking with hands-on design execution.
Build trust with diverse internal teams and external communities.
Demonstrated ability as a creative problem solver.
Ability to give and receive constructive feedback professionally.
Strong attention to detail while maintaining a senior-level perspective.
Deep commitment to public service, transparency, and equitable access to government services.
Proven commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, including the leadership of a diverse staff.
Exhibits high levels of passion and energy for the agency’s mission and the work at hand.
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college including or supplemented by at least twelve-semester credits (or the equivalent of twelve-semester credits) in accounting, auditing, business or public administration, computer science, economics, finance, statistics, graphic design, personnel or human resources administration, user experience design, or a closely related area of study and one year of satisfactory full-time experience in accounting, auditing (including compliance or investigative auditing), business or public administration, business analysis, computer science, database administration, economics, finance, fiscal or economic management or research, statistics, graphic design, personnel or human resources administration, user experience design, or a closely related field; or A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and five years of experience as described in “1” above; or Education and/or experience equivalent to “1” above.

Nice To Haves

5+ years of experience in product design, with a demonstrated track record of discovery and delivery of technological projects.
3+ years of managing people.
Previous work in government, civic, or political tech.
Experience building a product design team from scratch.
Experience modernizing legacy products.
Knowledge of content design and plain language principles, particularly as they apply to policy-heavy, civic-facing services.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end product design efforts for key digital services and platforms.
Translate policy, operational, and regulatory requirements into simple, intuitive user experiences.
Ensure consistent application of design standards, accessibility requirements, and inclusive design principles.
Oversee user flows, interaction models, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity design outputs.
Champion user research practices including interviews, usability testing, journey mapping, and accessibility testing.
Ensure all digital products meet accessibility standards (Section 508, WCAG).
Embed inclusive design practices that account for language access, digital literacy, disability access, and device constraints.
Promote scalable, modular design practices across products.
Serve as an advocate for human-centered design within the agency, helping non-design teams understand and adopt iterative, user-focused workflows.
Mentor and coach mid-level and senior designers, providing feedback and growth opportunities while supporting hiring efforts to build a diverse, high-performing design team.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and mission-driven team culture.