Director, Digital Design and Research

Zoro•Chicago, IL

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Digital Design and Research leads the strategy, execution, and evolution of design and user research for Zoro.com. This role is accountable for delivering intuitive, scalable, and differentiated digital experiences that drive customer satisfaction, conversion, and lifetime value across a $1.2B B2B eCommerce business. Reporting to the VP / Chief Digital Experience Officer, the Director partners closely with Product, Engineering, Marketing, Brand, Analytics, and Operations to shape customer-centered product roadmaps and ensure design excellence at scale. This leader will manage and develop a senior team of design and research managers, principals, and leads, while establishing a strong design and research operating model and a true Center of Excellence for Zoro.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or formal training in HCI, Human Factors, Design, Research, or related fields strongly preferred
10+ years of experience in digital product design, UX, or research, with at least 5 years in people leadership roles
Experience designing for complex, high-traffic eCommerce or marketplace platforms; B2B experience strongly preferred
Ability to lead and scale design and research teams within modern product organizations
Knowledge of Lean UX, Design Thinking, Agile product development, and experimentation practices
Demonstrated track record of translating customer insight and design strategy into measurable business impact
Effective communication, storytelling, and stakeholder management skills
Comfortable operating at both strategic and detailed levels in a fast-paced environment

Responsibilities

Set and communicate a clear vision for end-to-end digital experience across Zoro.com, grounded in customer needs and business outcomes
Lead and evolve a multidisciplinary organization spanning UX, UI, design systems, and user research
Translate company and digital strategy into experience principles, design priorities, and measurable outcomes
Drive experience improvements that increase ease of use, efficiency, and confidence for complex B2B buying journeys
Partner with executive leadership on experience strategy, tradeoffs, and investment decisions
Own the vision, governance, and evolution of Zoro’s design system to ensure consistency, accessibility, and scalability across platforms
Lead, coach, and develop senior design and research leaders; build strong succession and talent pipelines
Promote customer-centered design and research practices across Zoro and in partnership with product management and engineering; act as a visible change agent and educator

Benefits

Zoro’s total compensation plan includes our Zoro Incentive Plan (ZIP) that is designed to foster and reward our team members for strong performance. Total compensation will be highly competitive.
In addition to competitive compensation, Zoro offers comprehensive benefits and perks including:
Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans with coverage starting on day one of employment
Maternity support programs, nursing benefits, and up to 14 weeks paid leave for birth parents and up to 4 weeks paid leave for non-birth parents. We also support growing your family through access to adoption assistance program
6 free sessions each year with a licensed therapist and Wellhub portal membership to support your mental and emotional wellbeing
At least 18 paid time off days annually for full-time employees and 6 company holidays per year
6% company contribution to a 401K Retirement Savings Plan each pay period, no employee contribution required
Tuition reimbursement, student loan refinancing and access to financial counseling, education, and tools
Charitable Gift Program - match gift to an eligible educational, cultural, community health, and human service organizations
Employee discounts and admission to various civic and cultural institutions around Chicago
Zoro office perks including coffee bar, beer on tap, unlimited snacks, access to the onsite gym, and incredible city skyline views
For additional information and details regarding our benefits and our parent company, W. W. Grainger, please click on the link here.