Sr. Director, Product Design

Job description

We’re looking for a Senior Director, Product Design to join our team. In this role, you’ll lead and actively contribute to the creation of customer-centered concepts, prototypes, and front-end experiences across the full spectrum of design – from low-fidelity exploration through to high-fidelity, production-ready outputs – and be expected to work fluidly across that range. At Runyon, Product Design is evolving – not just in what we make, but in how we make it. We’re moving closer to build, bringing design into implementation, and exploring how AI and emerging tools can accelerate how ideas are generated, tested, and brought to life. This role will play a key part in shaping that direction – both through the work itself and in how we continue to evolve our craft. You’ll operate as part of a cross-disciplinary leadership team, with shared ownership over the work and its direction – shaping decisions, setting the bar for craft, and bringing new products and experiences to life alongside peers across research, strategy, and product. You bring a strong point of view on product design, grounded in deep empathy for user needs and behaviors, and a clear understanding of how to leverage research to inform design decisions. You are able to translate insights into thoughtful, well-crafted experiences that reflect business model considerations, brand expression, and growth strategy within the user flows you shape. About Runyon We are a product design and venture studio that helps companies grow. We're prototyping-led. We lead with tangible assumptions in the form of prototypes and test them with real stakeholders to validate and refine our strategy and design. Regardless of discipline, we think and communicate in concepts, and use those to move further, faster. We're detailed and intentional. We always back up our design decisions with sound reasoning—be it user research, market research, or both. We make things that make sense and that have a clear through line. We're fast. We work almost exclusively in sprints, and with lean teams. We need folks who like to run. We're collaborative. We jam as a multidisciplinary team of specialists who collectively contribute to the full spectrum of work across user research, strategy and design to arrive at high quality outcomes. RESPONSIBILITIES Lead projects through the lens of product design – ensuring alignment across design, strategy, business, and operational objectives, with project management support as needed Translate insights from qualitative research and strategic design into clear, engaging, and actionable product design – actively shaping user-centered concepts, systems, and interaction models that bring clarity to complex problem spaces Generate and evolve concepts through hands-on design – crafting early hypotheses, low- to high-fidelity concepts, functional prototypes, and exploring multiple paths forward, while guiding the team through iteration and validation Design and deliver strategically grounded, high-quality user flows and interactive prototypes that articulate a compelling vision and demonstrate tangible impact Lead by example in craft – owning and contributing to high-impact product moments, setting the bar for quality through direct design contribution Partner closely with cross-disciplinary teammates (research, strategy, product, engineering) to shape work from initial framing through design delivery and (more recently) build – balancing desirability, viability, and feasibility at every stage Create clear, persuasive narratives and visual storytelling artifacts that communicate the work in an impactful way to both internal teams and senior client partner stakeholders Contribute to the evolution of Product Design at Runyon – exploring and implementing tools, systems, and methodologies that strengthen the craft and improve how we work Mentor and support designers across levels – providing direction, feedback, and hands-on collaboration to elevate both individual growth and team output Help build and shape the team – attracting and engaging top design talent, while reinforcing Runyon’s culture and standards Foster strong, trust-based partnerships across teams – encouraging open dialogue, shared ownership, and a highly collaborative, iterative working style Communicate clearly and persuasively – tailoring design rationale and storytelling to a range of audiences, including senior and executive stakeholders QUALIFICATIONS 15+ years of experience in product / UX design (or equivalent), with significant experience on an in-house product team; experience within a design studio or agency environment is a strong complement A portfolio that demonstrates exceptional craft across the full design spectrum – from early concepting through to high-fidelity, production-ready outputs – with a clear ability to simplify complex systems into intuitive, elegant experiences Demonstrated strength in both zero-to-one product/service design and/or design systems creation and implementation, with the ability to move fluidly between exploratory and production-ready work Proven ability to rapidly generate and iterate on concepts – translating ideas into tangible artifacts quickly, and refining them into detailed, high-quality design Deep proficiency with contemporary design and prototyping tools and methods (e.g., Figma), including structuring files for wireframes, visual design, interactive prototypes, and scalable design systems Demonstrated depth using AI-powered design and coding tools Strong communication and storytelling skills – able to clearly and persuasively articulate design rationale to a range of audiences, including senior and executive stakeholders A strong point of view on product design, grounded in user empathy, with the ability to connect user needs to business strategy, brand expression, and growth opportunities Comfort operating in ambiguity – with a bias toward action, experimentation, and generating multiple paths to arrive at innovative, differentiated solutions Fluency in emerging tools and technologies – including a growing literacy in AI-enabled design workflows and a working understanding of how products are built (code, systems, and technical constraints) Equally comfortable leading and contributing, with a willingness to roll up your sleeves and drive the work forward through direct execution Nice to have: Experience working in financial services, fintech, payments, or other complex, regulated domains This is a remote role open to U.S.-based candidates, with the option to work from our DUMBO studio for those in NYC. This role may require up to 25% travel.