Director of Design and Research at Upside

At Upside, we are revolutionizing brick-and-mortar commerce by bringing the precision of online retail to the physical world. Our platform helps millions of users earn significant cashback while enabling local businesses to generate measurable profit, moving billions of dollars through our ecosystem each year. We are looking for an experienced Director of Design and Research to lead our talented team in building world-class experiences for our consumers and merchant partners.

Responsibilities

• Partner with engineering and product leadership to drive key strategic initiatives.
• Lead, inspire, and motivate a diverse team of product designers and researchers to maintain high standards of craft and quality.
• Define and evolve our design principles and vision to ensure a cohesive product experience.
• Integrate systems thinking into our design processes to create modular, powerful, and user-friendly solutions.
• Own complex, ambiguous opportunities from initial concept to final execution, working closely with research and prototyping peers.
• Refine our research practices and deepen their integration into our core decision-making processes.
• Collaborate across marketing, product, and engineering departments to deliver innovative, best-in-class work.

Must-haves

• At least 10 years of professional design experience, including 5 or more years in a leadership or management role.
• Proven success in recruiting, scaling, and developing design and research teams within both startups and established organizations.
• Strong ability to use UX design to influence strategic decision-making and facilitate complex problem-solving.
• Experience translating ambiguous business requirements into clear, user-centric approaches.
• Expert communication skills, with the ability to persuade stakeholders and foster a culture of design thinking.
• A track record of driving organizational transformation and championing design education.
• Fluency in English.

Benefits

The base salary for this full-time role is $216,000 to $270,000, plus potential bonuses and equity.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Equity compensation.
• 401k retirement plan.
• Paid time off.
• Flexible work arrangements with a hybrid schedule.
• Home office budget to support your workspace.
• Dedicated learning and development budget.