Head of UX Design and Research

Wing•Palo Alto, CA

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

Wing offers drone delivery as a safe, fast, and sustainable solution for last mile logistics. Consumer appetites for on-demand services are increasing, but current delivery methods are inefficient, costly, and contribute to road accidents and air pollution. Wing’s fleet of highly automated delivery drones can transport small packages directly from businesses to homes on-demand, in minutes. We design, build, and operate our aircraft, and offer drone delivery services on two continents. Our technology is designed to be easy to integrate into existing delivery and logistics networks, offering a scalable drone delivery solution for a broad range of businesses. Wing is a part of Google's parent company, Alphabet, and our mission is to create the preferred means of delivery for the planet. If you're ready to do the greatest work of your life, come join us. Wing is looking for a Head of UX Design and Research to join our Product & UX team. This role is hybrid based in Palo Alto, CA . In this role, you will architect the future of autonomous logistics, defining how individuals, merchants, and partners interact with the world’s leading drone delivery ecosystem. You will lead, mentor, and scale a high-performing team of UX designers and researchers responsible for a diverse and mission-critical portfolio: Consumer-facing apps , Partner & Merchant integrations , and the Internal Tool surfaces that power our flight and logistics operations. Your mandate is to move beyond traditional digital paradigms to solve the unique challenges of the physical-digital intersection . Working at the intersection of cutting-edge hardware and cloud-based logistics, you will partner with senior Product, Engineering, and Aviation Operations leaders to shape product direction from conception to flight. You will be the catalyst for a culture of design excellence, ensuring that Wing’s technology is not only functional and efficient but also intuitive, proactive, and human-centric.

Requirements

15+ years of experience in UX and/or product management, with a track record of launching impactful products
7+ years of experience leading, mentoring, and scaling high-performing product teams.
BA/BS degree in Design (e.g., interaction, film, graphic, visual communications, product) or a related field or equivalent practical experience.
Experience designing for AI-powered systems, automation, or other agentic technologies where building user trust is critical
Deep experience setting vision and strategy for design challenges
Proven track record of managing and scaling a multi-disciplinary design team across multiple, interconnected product surfaces or focus areas
Exceptional executive-level communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence technical and business leaders and articulate design's value to senior leadership
Experience in design thinking leadership (e.g., establishing new frameworks, driving organizational change) to address complexity in highly collaborative, cross-functional organizations

Responsibilities

Drive deep-dive insights into how users perceive and interact with autonomous technology in their daily lives
Craft seamless interfaces for our mobile applications and building robust integration frameworks for our global partners
Optimize the complex service blueprints that connect ground operations, hardware maintenance, and real-time delivery logistics
Design the sophisticated toolsets used by operators to monitor and manage a global fleet of autonomous aircraft
Manage and grow a team of UX Designers and Researchers, fostering an environment of innovation and rigorous user testing
Define the design language for the entire Wing ecosystem—from the app a customer uses to order a meal, to the dashboard a merchant uses to fulfill it, to the internal tools used to clear it for takeoff
Map and improve the end-to-end service journey, ensuring smooth handoffs between automated systems and human operators
Collaborate with cross-functional leads to navigate the complex regulatory and technical landscapes of the drone industry, ensuring design is a key driver of Wing's strategic objectives