Senior Product Design Manager

Upstart • San Mateo, CA

75d

About The Position

Upstart's Product Design team is shaping the future of lending experiences, where design, technology, and data come together to make financial progress more accessible for everyone. We are a group of senior and principal designers leading research, content strategy, visioning, and execution, partnering across product areas to craft experiences that are clear, trustworthy, and human. As a Senior Product Design Manager reporting to the Director of Product Design, you'll lead a group of talented product designers focused on delivering intuitive, impactful, and high-performing borrower experiences. You'll guide design quality and team growth across a fast-evolving portfolio of products, helping Upstart move from a collection of experiences toward a cohesive, customer-centered ecosystem. Your leadership will elevate both design craft and design culture, mentoring designers, aligning strategy with product and engineering peers, and building the conditions where exceptional work can thrive.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience designing and launching digital products, with 3+ years leading design teams or managing designers in a product development environment.
• Proven track record guiding end-to-end product design, from strategy to execution, with measurable impact on business and user outcomes.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating design leadership, craft excellence, and systems thinking across multiple product surfaces or ecosystems.
• Experience managing and developing design talent at different career stages, with evidence of elevating team capability and influence.
• Deep understanding of user-centered design processes, interaction design, and data-informed iteration.
• Excellent collaboration and communication skills; able to influence and inspire peers, partners, and executives.
• Proficiency in Figma and familiarity with modern design and research tools.

Nice To Haves

• Experience building and scaling design practices or teams within high-growth, cross-functional organizations.
• Background in fintech, marketplaces, or other complex systems involving regulated data or sensitive user journeys.
• Familiarity with experimentation frameworks (A/B testing, hypothesis-driven design) and using insights to guide strategy.
• History of partnership with product, research, and engineering leaders to define and execute on a shared vision.
• Demonstrated ability to unify multi-product or platform experiences through systems and standards.
• Passion for mentoring and coaching design leaders and senior-level ICs.
• A strong point of view on how AI can elevate design and research workflows, and shape more intelligent, personalized customer experiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a team of product designers, providing mentorship, feedback, and professional development while creating a culture of excellence, curiosity, and accountability.
• Drive the design vision and execution across key product areas, ensuring consistency, usability, and measurable business and customer impact.
• Partner closely with Product and Engineering leaders to shape product strategy and define priorities that balance user needs with business goals.
• Establish clear expectations and success metrics for design work, championing outcomes over outputs and ensuring design is an equal voice in product decisions.
• Guide cross-functional alignment on initiatives that span multiple products, unifying experiences through shared systems, standards, and principles.
• Foster collaboration across disciplines, encouraging experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement in how teams work and deliver.
• Collaborate with the Director of Product Design and peers to evolve our operating model, processes, and rituals to scale high-quality design across Upstart.
• Contribute to hiring and onboarding strategies that attract diverse, exceptional talent and reinforce an inclusive, mission-driven design culture.

Benefits

• Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart
• 401(k) with 100% company match up to $4,500 and immediate vesting and after-tax savings
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Life and disability insurance
• Generous holiday, vacation, sick and safety leave
• Supportive parental, family care, and military leave programs
• Annual wellness, technology & ergonomic reimbursement programs
• Social activities including team events and onsites, all-company updates, employee resource groups (ERGs), and other interest groups such as book clubs, fitness, investing, and volunteering
• Catered lunches + snacks & drinks when working in offices

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Industry: Credit Intermediation and Related Activities
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees