Executive Director, Product Design
About The Position
The Atlantic is seeking an Executive Director of Product Design to lead product designers and shape the reader experience. Reporting to the VP of Product Design, this senior role sets direction for key product areas, manages and develops designers, and contributes directly to product design. The position combines people leadership with substantial hands-on design work, leading major initiatives from concepts and prototypes through launch and iteration while providing clear direction and feedback. The Executive Director works closely with product, engineering, editorial, and growth teams to make decisions, advance projects, and maintain a high standard of work. The role covers The Atlantic’s website, apps, storytelling products, and publishing tools, and contributes to design quality, systems, processes, and cross-functional planning. The position is based in New York City. Applicants must submit a resume and portfolio; applicants without a portfolio will not be considered. Job offers are contingent on successful reference checks and compliance with The Atlantic’s COVID-19 vaccination policy, subject to accommodation for qualifying medical or religious reasons.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience designing digital products for web and mobile.
- Experience managing and developing product designers.
- A portfolio showing strong hands-on product design work and clear outcomes; applicants without a portfolio will not be considered.
- Experience leading complex projects from concept through launch.
- Experience working closely with product managers and engineers.
- Strong skills in UX design, interaction design, visual design, and information architecture.
- Deep experience with Figma, prototyping tools, and design systems.
- Experience designing consumer-facing web or mobile products.
- Experience influencing product strategy and aligning senior stakeholders.
- Comfort managing people while doing hands-on design work.
- Clear, thoughtful communication and ability to work effectively with senior stakeholders and cross-functional partners.
- Ability to bring structure to complex work without slowing teams down.
- Interest in journalism, media, and how people read and engage with digital products.
- Curiosity, practicality, and comfort working in a fast-moving environment.
Nice To Haves
- Experience in media, publishing, or content-rich products.
Responsibilities
- Partner with the VP of Product Design to set priorities and direction for the design team.
- Manage, mentor, and support product designers, including performance management, career development, and hiring.
- Lead design for major product initiatives across The Atlantic’s website, apps, storytelling products, and publishing tools.
- Develop user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs.
- Give clear, practical feedback to help designers improve their work and grow in their roles.
- Work with product and engineering leaders to define project goals, scope work, and make tradeoffs.
- Collaborate with editorial, photo, video, audio, and subscriber-growth teams on reader-facing products.
- Raise the quality and consistency of design across the organization, including visual design, interaction design, accessibility, and implementation.
- Help maintain and improve design systems, patterns, and team processes.
- Build stakeholder relationships and represent design in cross-functional planning and leadership discussions.
- Help recruit, interview, and onboard new designers.
- Use research, analytics, user feedback, and editorial insight to inform product decisions.
- Explore tools and technologies, including AI, where they can improve the design process or reader experience.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Executive
Education Level
No Education Listed
