Director, Product Design and UX Research

Bonterra

21d

About The Position

About Us Bonterra exists to propel every doer of good to their peak impact. We measure that impact against our vision to increase the giving rate as a percentage of GDP from 2% to 3% by 2033. We know that this goal is lofty, but we are confident that the right technology and expertise will strengthen trust in the sector, allowing the social good industry to accelerate growth and reach peak impact. Bonterra's differentiated, end-to-end solutions collectively support a unique network of over 20,000 customers, including over 16,000 nonprofit organizations and over 50 percent of Fortune 100 companies. Learn more at bonterratech.com. About the Role What You’ll Do: Reporting to the VP, Product Design & Research, you will set vision and raise the bar for a multi‑product portfolio. You’ll operate as a true player‑coach—hands‑on with the most important work while coaching and growing a multidisciplinary team across products. You’ll bring research, accessibility, and systems thinking together to deliver inclusive, high‑quality experiences with measurable outcomes.

Requirements

You blend strategic vision with strong craft and people leadership.
You thrive in complex, multi‑product environments and care deeply about building inclusive experiences that scale.
8–10+ years in product design/UX (or equivalent experience), including 4–6+ years leading multidisciplinary design and research teams; experience leading managers is a plus.
Years are a guide; we prioritize scope and demonstrated impact at org and portfolio scale.
Proven success leading end‑to‑end product design and UX research for complex B2B SaaS or platform products.
Data‑driven: sets success metrics, instruments analytics, runs and interprets experiments (e.g., A/B), and combines quantitative and qualitative evidence to guide decisions and show impact.
Consistent record of delivering results—setting clear goals, using data to make decisions, and showing measurable user and business impact.
Deep competence in core design skills (information architecture, interaction design, prototyping, visual communication) and in applying research to guide solutions.
Strong grasp of accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive design; experience running accessible research and reviews.
Portfolio of shipped, high‑quality product work illustrating the systems, process, and research and data behind it.
Excellent collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Data; adept at planning, scoping, and delivering complex programs.
Clear, persuasive communicator comfortable presenting to executives and influencing cross‑functional decisions.

Nice To Haves

Experience in the social impact, nonprofit, public sector, or adjacent domains.
Experience building and governing multi‑brand design systems at scale.
Familiarity with experimentation (A/B testing), analytics, and instrumentation for UX metrics.
Experience leading distributed/global teams and operating in a matrixed environment

Responsibilities

Act as a player‑coach: balance strategic leadership with sleeves‑up execution on high‑impact projects.
Manage, support, and grow a high‑performing team of designers and researchers working across multiple products.
Drive end‑to‑end design and research strategy aligned to business goals, product outcomes, and customer value.
Champion accessibility (WCAG 2.x/3.0) and inclusive design principles; embed accessibility into specs, research, reviews, and QA.
Establish clear quality bars and design standards; scale excellence through design systems, guidelines, and reusable patterns.
Integrate qualitative and quantitative research into product decisions so insights are timely, rigorous, and actionable.
Partner with Product, Engineering, Data, and GTM to define strategy, shape roadmaps, and deliver outcomes.
Use AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, V0, Lovable) to improve workflows, accelerate iteration, and enhance collaboration.
Build operating rituals (planning, critique, research readouts, design reviews) that improve velocity, quality, and alignment.
Develop talent—hire, onboard, mentor, and create growth pathways; foster a culture of learning, feedback, and psychological safety.
Define and track UX health metrics (adoption, task success, time‑to‑value, NPS/CSAT, accessibility scores) to measure impact.
Represent design and research at the leadership table—communicate strategy, risk, trade‑offs, and the business value of UX.
Provide empathetic leadership to union and non-union employees, navigating their distinct needs with fairness, respect, and a commitment to fostering trust and collaboration.