Design Director

Job description

Kira is transforming how people learn by using AI to empower teachers to deliver personalized learning at scale. We’re backed by top investors and driven by a team that is deeply passionate about using technology to change education. As our Director of Design, you’ll own the vision, strategy, and execution of Kira’s design organization. You’ll partner closely with our co-founders and executive leadership to define the design direction across product, UX, and research. You’ll work across product, engineering, and design teams to ensure our AI-powered learning experiences are intuitive, impactful, and scalable. This role is perfect for someone who thrives at the intersection of design leadership, strategic thinking, and hands-on excellence, and who is passionate about creating meaningful educational outcomes for students. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Define and drive the overall design vision and strategy for Kira’s products. - Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing design team across product, UX, and research. - Partner with Product and Engineering leadership to set priorities, shape solutions, and ensure user-centered design across the product roadmap. - Establish design systems, standards, and best practices to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency. - Oversee and guide design research and usability testing programs to inform data-driven decisions. - Present design strategy, concepts, and outcomes to executive leadership and stakeholders, effectively advocating for user needs. - Balance high-level strategic leadership with the ability to contribute directly to critical design projects when needed. - Drive a culture of collaboration, experimentation, and continuous improvement within the design team and across the company. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR - 8+ years of experience in product/UX design, including significant leadership experience in EdTech, SaaS, or consumer-facing products. - Proven track record of leading design teams and delivering measurable impact on product outcomes. - Strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end product design, strategic thinking, and team leadership. - Expertise in design systems, prototyping, and user-centered design methodologies. - Excellent communication and storytelling skills, capable of influencing cross-functional teams and executives. - Deep understanding of user research, usability testing, and applying insights to inform design strategy. - Low-ego, collaborative mindset, with the ability to inspire, align, and grow a design organization. - Comfort operating in a fast-paced, resource-constrained Series A startup environment. WHAT WE OFFER - $200,000 - $230,000 salary + meaningful equity - Medical, dental, vision and life insurance, including a medical insurance plan with 100% coverage of employee - Daily lunch credit through DoorDash in office + free DashPass to use anytime for work or personal use - Wellhub Membership: 100% company-paid access to premium gym networks (Orangetheory, SoulCycle), 60+ wellness apps (Headspace, MyFitnessPal, Apple Fitness+), and 1:1 coaching sessions spanning fitness, mental health, nutrition, and sleep - 401(k) matching - Pet friendly office 🐶 Equal Employment Opportunity Employer At Kira, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information (including characteristics and testing), military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Kira believes that diversity and inclusion among our employees are critical to our success as a company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. Selection for employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. Background Check Kira will make a conditional job offer in line with local, state and federal laws, and a subsequent criminal, education, and employment history background check will then be issued.