Senior Director of Product Design

Candid

29d•$165,000 - $225,000•Remote

About The Position

Candid is a nonprofit that provides the most comprehensive data and insights about the social sector. We get you the information you need to do good. Candid currently has an opportunity for a Senior Director of Product Design. The Senior Director of Product Design leads Candid’s end-to-end product design function, shaping how users experience our data, products, and AI-powered capabilities. This role is responsible for design strategy, execution excellence, and team leadership across product design, visual and user interface design, and UX research—ensuring design is a first-class driver of product outcomes within Candid’s Product Operating Model (POM).

Requirements

12+ years of experience in product design, UX, or related disciplines, including senior leadership roles.
Proven experience leading product design organizations in modern, product-led environments.
Demonstrated experience designing and shipping AI-powered or data-intensive products.
Strong understanding of product strategy, user-centered design, experimentation, and outcome-driven development.
Experience managing and developing senior designers and researchers.
Ability to operate at both strategic and execution levels.
Exceptional communication and stakeholder leadership skills.
Willingness to perform other duties and special projects as needed/requested.
Sensitivity and respect for racial, gender, sexual orientation, and cultural differences.
Champions and represents Candid’s core values: We’re driven, direct, accessible, curious, and inclusive.

Responsibilities

Define and lead Candid’s product design vision, ensuring design excellence across discovery, delivery, and iteration.
Serve as a strategic partner to Product Management, Engineering, and Data leadership to shape product direction and priorities.
Embed design deeply within Product Operating Model teams, ensuring user needs, business outcomes, and technical constraints are addressed holistically.
Establish best practices for AI-enabled product design, including interaction patterns for recommendations, automation, summaries, decision support, and human-in-the-loop workflows.
Ensure AI-driven experiences are intuitive, transparent, trustworthy, and aligned with Candid’s mission and values.
Guide teams in designing for explainability, confidence, and responsible use of AI in user-facing products.
Oversee the evolution of design systems, UI patterns, and visual standards across product and marketing surfaces.
Ensure consistency, accessibility, and scalability across all digital experiences.
Set a high bar for craft, usability, and clarity—especially in complex, data-rich products.
Lead, coach, and develop a multidisciplinary design organization.
Ensure user research and insights meaningfully inform product strategy, prioritization, and design decisions.
Partner with UX Research leadership to integrate qualitative and quantitative learning into product development.
Promote a test-and-learn mindset through experimentation and iteration.
Collaborate with Marketing, Influence, Partnerships, and other stakeholders to ensure cohesive, aligned experiences across touchpoints.
Act as a design leader and advocate across the organization, clearly communicating design intent, tradeoffs, and impact.