VP, Digital Design

Thrivent•Minneapolis, MN

About The Position

Thrivent is seeking a visionary VP, Digital Design to lead our growing design discipline across Digital, including Client Experience (DCX), Advisor Experience (DAX), Thrivent Bank, and our signature Money Canvas offering. The leader of the Digital Design organization is responsible for unifying and elevating design strategy and execution to drive exceptional digital experiences aligned with Thrivent’s mission and strategic goals. The position plays a critical role in shaping the future of our digital ecosystem, embedding design into the Product Operating Model, and influencing enterprise-wide digital transformation efforts. This position also serve as key partners to shape Thrivent’s strategy in service of helping the enterprise grow in new directions.

Requirements

Master’s degree or equivalent work experience in design
10+ years relevant business experience, including in principal designer or similar
Understand fundamentals of iterative development, software development process and procedures
Expertise in the principles of Agile Product Management, stakeholder management, market and user research, technology management, and process design
High level of organization and attention to detail
Passion and understanding of new technology and trends
Excellent communication, collaboration, and influence skills among all organizational levels; strong facilitation and executive communications skills.
Has supervisory experience.
Proven success developing business cases, roadmaps, and enterprise level strategy.
Strong ability to effectively manage and resolve conflicting priorities.
Expertise in developing and delivering product strategy, articulated in terms of value and outcomes with relevant and compelling metrics and measurements.
Adept at financial management to administer budgets across multiple products and ensure the product meets its requirements for return on investment
Experience leading large, complex organizational initiatives.
Proven experience in leading and influencing cross-functional teams.
Expertise with foundational product management tools, techniques and principles across discovery, design, build, release, and measure cycle
Proven success in developing and leading product teams in multiple contexts.

Nice To Haves

Certified Product Manager or similar certification
Demonstrated experience with user interface design and best practices for usability
Advanced skills in MS Office Suite with particular emphasis on Excel and PowerPoint

Responsibilities

Act as a key member of the Digital Leadership Team, influencing enterprise strategy and advocating for the value of design in shaping differentiated user experiences and business outcomes
Define and champion a bold, forward-looking vision for design that aligns with Thrivent’s mission and digital transformation objectives, positioning design as a core enterprise capability, integrating behavioral finance principles to inspire trust and financial confidence in clients and advisors
Serve as the senior-most design leader responsible for setting enterprise design strategy across all digital touchpoints, including Client Experience (DCX), Advisor Experience (DAX), and Money Canvas ; driving business growth, innovation, and advisor/client satisfaction
Drive integration of design strategy into Thrivent’s Product Operating Model, ensuring alignment from strategic planning through execution.
Champion design as a strategic differentiator—positioning Thrivent at the forefront of human-centered, technology-enabled financial services.
Establish and evolve a robust Design Operations ( DesignOps ) function that supports process efficiency, talent management, enables consistent delivery, and design systems at scale.
Serve as a central orchestrator between Product, Technology, Marketing, Compliance, and Data teams to ensure that design is embedded seamlessly into cross-functional workflows.
Ensure collaboration and consistency across all digital platforms and experiences, fostering alignment through shared principles, tools, and practices.
Lead the recruitment, development, and retention of top-tier design talent; establish Thrivent as a destination employer for mission-aligned designers.
Establish clear performance expectations, growth paths, and development opportunities to promote engagement and career mobility.
Act as the connective tissue between design, research, and product strategy—ensuring insights and voice of customer data directly shape roadmap and delivery priorities.
Influence and align stakeholders at all levels—from scrum teams to the executive committee—on the value of design and user-centered thinking.
Define and enforce design standards and principles that drive consistency, accessibility, and excellence across all digital channels and touchpoints.
Oversee the evolution and adoption of Thrivent’s “Midwest Design System,” ensuring alignment across teams and improving design velocity, quality, and scalability.
Instill a mindset of experimentation and innovation; promote the use of data, behavioral insights, and research to inform design decisions and demonstrate business impact.
Partner with internal research and behavioral science teams to ensure Money Canvas and other proprietary experiences remain industry-leading in usability, empathy, and outcomes.
Establish accountability and performance measurement frameworks to ensure individual and team effectiveness aligns with business outcomes.
Create scalable governance structures for managing design initiatives, team capacity, prioritization, and delivery across a growing portfolio of work.
Integrate behavioral insights, data analytics, and financial wellness principles into the design lifecycle to strengthen Thrivent’s value proposition and deepen customer engagement.
Lead innovation efforts by incubating new interaction patterns, digital capabilities, and service models that differentiate Thrivent in the marketplace— particularly through signature programs like Money Canvas.
Models Thrivent’s leadership competencies – Model the Way, Rally the Team, and Deliver Outcomes.
Supports and/or develops an environment in which Thrivent employees and colleagues are focused on continuous improvement, exceptional employee engagement, and an unwavering commitment to our clients.
Shapes and/or supports a culture that represents the Thrivent purpose, promise and values, ensuring that Thrivent’s trust and reputation remain strong with its clients.