Director of Design

Propel

23h • $240,000 - $280,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Propel builds technology that strengthens the social safety net in America. We envision a future where every American has the tools and resources they need to thrive. The safety net's strength depends not just on funding, but delivery. Propel exists to dramatically improve how government benefits are delivered. Managing SNAP benefits, picking a D-SNP plan, or protecting against EBT theft should feel as seamless as Apple Pay or Netflix. Governments struggle to build modern, scalable user experiences. We don't. Over 5 million Americans trust Propel today. We've grown revenue 35% YoY and are reinventing entire benefit categories, including Medicare, around the real needs of low-income Americans. We're building a high-growth, high-ceiling, sustainable for-profit company where impact drives revenue. Propel's mission is to improve how government benefits are delivered and help low-income Americans strengthen their financial health. Millions of households use our app to check an EBT balance, track a SNAP deposit, protect their benefits from theft, or choose a Medicare plan, and they should get an experience that is fast, dignified, and worthy of the stakes. Most software built for these families falls short of that. Closing the gap is our market opportunity, and it gives design unusual leverage: much of the work is turning rules written for administrators into something the people they govern can understand and act on. We're looking for a Director of Design with strong taste who can tie design decisions to revenue, retention, and company priorities, and who will define what design means at an AI-native company. This person will report to our Head of Product and be a core member of EPD leadership.

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 Haves

• 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

Responsibilities

• Lead a senior, autonomous design team of seven designers (five at Staff or Principal level) covering product design, content design, and design research.
• Own the team's coaching, growth, performance, and hiring.
• Own and build upon design rituals.
• Ensure a high bar for craft and judgment, providing specific and useful feedback to the team.
• Define and address design debt, making clear tradeoffs to gain investment from product and engineering.
• Collaborate with product and engineering leadership to improve organizational decision-making and product development processes.
• Challenge frameworks, systems, and roadmaps to be bolder, more user-centric, and more modern.
• Redefine the design process for an AI-native company, considering prototyping, the role of Figma, and making strong, consistent design decisions in an AI-driven environment.
• Raise the bar for visual design, copy, information architecture, consistency, and loading latency to drive business objectives.

Benefits

• Meaningful work and a strong shared sense of mission
• Remote-friendly work environment with a dog-friendly office in Downtown Brooklyn
• Optional team retreats
• 20 Days of PTO
• 4% 401K match
• $10k lifetime spend towards Carrot Fertility
• Excellent Medical, Dental and Vision options
• A strong equity package that reflects the leveling and anticipated impact of this role

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed