Head of Product Design

About the Role

Key Responsibilities

• Demonstrate exceptional taste and craft in design execution, inspiring across the organization.
• Partner with newsroom leadership and cross-functional peers to develop and execute a compelling vision for The Times' end-to-end experience.
• Drive excellence in user experience leveraging customer obsession as a core value.
• Strengthen The Times' distinctive brand through product design decisions that increase user trust.
• Champion design thinking methodology and a prototyping culture for testing experiences.
• Participate actively in The Times' cross-functional product development leadership team, helping set strategy and leading design execution.
• Exercise strong design judgment, build consensus, and incorporate diverse perspectives into a cohesive vision.
• Position Design as an equal partner to Product, Engineering, Data, and Marketing, fostering collaborative processes.
• Advocate for Design as a way of thinking that elevates work across The Times, delivering clarity, delight, and strategic value.
• Serve as a leader on the NYT Design Council, pushing creative boundaries with other design leaders.
• Support and uphold the value of journalistic independence and the company's mission.
• Build and lead a world-class Product Design team through strategic hiring and retention.
• Establish and maintain high standards for design quality across various disciplines.
• Create and refine scalable design processes and systems to improve efficiency and craftsmanship.
• Guide design evolution with a focus on emerging technologies like AI.
• Coordinate and align efforts with other internal design teams such as News Design, Brand, and Identity Design.

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in digital design and user experience with a demonstrated understanding of contemporary best practices.
• 10+ years of experience leading design for consumer product experiences or premium subscription products, especially content-rich platforms on web and mobile.
• Proven ability to develop long-term product vision serving as a 'north star' for teams.
• Experience establishing and maintaining clear product design standards and practices.
• Experience incorporating User Research into the design process, making judgments based on research insights.
• Experience building and leading large product design teams, with success in recruiting, fostering, and retaining talent.
• Ability to navigate complex organizations and build relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Proven success in cross-functional collaboration with product management, engineering, editorial, and marketing teams.
• Experience working with operational teams such as HR, IT, and Finance to secure resources.

Nice to Have

• Media and/or editorial product design experience with a deep understanding of editorial processes.
• Background working with premium brands and elevating their presence through sophisticated product design.
• Exceptional taste and ability to serve as a design tastemaker and industry influencer.