Director, UX Product Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Director, UX Product Design

Company: Phaedon

Location: Minneapolis, MN

Job Type: Full-Time, Salaried

Category: UX Product Design & Strategy

Date Posted: 2026-06-11

Experience Level: 7+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the definition, execution, and advancement of the overall user experience (UX) strategy for Phaedon's core platform, specifically the Tally product.

• Establish scalable and repeatable UX design processes, workflows, and standards, fostering organizational maturity in a company new to dedicated UX practices.

• Serve as the primary advocate for product UX, influencing product strategy and executive decision-making through user insights, research, and data-informed design recommendations.

• Lead end-to-end UX initiatives from discovery and prototyping through testing, implementation, and iterative improvement, ensuring alignment with business goals and product development cycles.

• Drive innovation by staying abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices in UX, and by exploring the integration of AI-assisted experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as the first dedicated UX hire for the Tally product, indicating a significant opportunity to build and shape the UX function from the ground up. The emphasis on "operationalizing" design processes and establishing "organizational maturity" suggests a need for a leader who can not only design but also implement and scale design operations within a growing company.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and articulate a compelling UX vision and strategy for the Tally product, ensuring it aligns with overarching company objectives and product roadmap.

• Build and operationalize a robust, scalable UX design process, including establishing repeatable workflows, feedback loops, and design standards suitable for a growing organization.

• Lead the development and execution of the UX roadmap, collaborating closely with product management and engineering to integrate UX seamlessly into agile development cycles.

• Champion user-centered design principles throughout the organization, advocating for UX at all levels of decision-making and fostering a strong user-centric culture.

• Drive cross-functional initiatives to enhance the overall user experience across all product touchpoints, ensuring a cohesive and consistent user journey.

• Conduct and oversee user research, usability testing, and data analysis to inform design decisions and validate product strategies.

• Present UX strategies, research findings, and project outcomes to senior leadership and stakeholders, effectively communicating the value of UX and influencing strategic direction.

• Identify and integrate emerging technologies and methodologies, including AI tools, to enhance UX capabilities and drive innovation in product design.

• Manage and optimize UX resources, including tools, software, and training, to support the continuous development and success of the product and development teams.

• Lead retrospectives and post-project reviews to identify areas for improvement and implement lessons learned to refine UX practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on strategic leadership (vision, roadmap, influence) and operational execution (process building, workflow establishment, resource management). The mandate to "build or mature UX practices" from the ground up is a critical aspect that differentiates this from a role focused solely on execution within an established framework.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in UX Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, Computer Science, or a related field.

Experience: Minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience in UX design, with a proven track record of leading multiple initiatives and complex projects. Experience in building or maturing UX practices within a scaling organization is essential.

Required Skills:

• UX Strategy & Vision: Ability to define, communicate, and implement a comprehensive UX vision and strategy aligned with business goals.

• B2B SaaS/Enterprise Software Design: Demonstrated expertise in designing complex, data-rich, multi-step workflows for business operations, decision-making, and productivity at scale.

• Design Tools (Figma): Expertise in Figma and a deep understanding of design systems, component libraries, and best practices for scalable design.

• AI Tools for UX: Competency in using AI tools like Claude for UX/UI research and optimization, indicating a forward-thinking approach to design.

• Portfolio: A strong portfolio showcasing strategic UX leadership, innovation, and successful management of large-scale projects with demonstrable impact.

• Process Operationalization: Proven experience in establishing and scaling UX design processes, workflows, and standards from inception.

• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Ability to effectively influence product strategy and executive decision-making through user insights, research, and data-informed recommendations.

• Agile Development Collaboration: Experience partnering closely with Product Management and Engineering teams within agile development environments.

• Systems Thinking & Problem-Solving: Strong analytical skills to navigate ambiguity, identify root causes, and develop effective solutions for complex design challenges.

• User Research & Testing: Proficiency in leading end-to-end UX initiatives, including discovery, prototyping, user testing, implementation, and iteration.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience serving as the first UX hire or leading UX transformation efforts in a startup or high-growth technology company.

• Background in marketing technology, customer engagement platforms, or similar SaaS industries.

• Experience in highly collaborative, cross-functional environments with evolving priorities and rapid iteration cycles.

• Experience integrating AI-assisted experiences, conversational interfaces, or intelligent workflow design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio demonstrating "strategic UX leadership" and "successful management of large-scale projects" implies that candidates should be prepared to showcase not just individual design contributions but also their ability to lead teams, implement processes, and drive significant business outcomes through UX. The mention of "AI Tools for UX" specifically calls out Claude, suggesting its importance in the company's current or future toolset.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Strategic Leadership Evidence: Showcase examples of defining and executing UX vision and strategy, including how you aligned UX goals with business objectives.

• Process Building & Maturation: Present case studies detailing how you established or significantly improved UX design processes, workflows, and standards, particularly in organizations new to dedicated UX functions.

• Large-Scale Project Management: Demonstrate successful end-to-end management of complex, large-scale B2B SaaS or enterprise software projects, highlighting your role in driving them to completion.

• Impact & Influence: Provide tangible examples of how your UX leadership influenced product strategy, executive decision-making, and business outcomes, supported by metrics or qualitative results.

• Design System & Tool Proficiency: Include examples of your work with design systems and showcase your proficiency with Figma, illustrating how you leverage these to ensure consistency and efficiency.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Illustrate your approach to designing and documenting repeatable UX workflows, feedback loops, and design standards that foster organizational maturity.

• Agile Integration: Detail how you collaborate with Product Management and Engineering in agile environments, demonstrating your ability to integrate UX seamlessly into development cycles.

• User Research & Iteration: Present examples of how you conduct user research, usability testing, and data analysis to inform design decisions and drive iterative improvements.

• AI Tool Integration: Showcase any experience or conceptual approaches to integrating AI tools (like Claude) into UX research, design, or optimization processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given this is the first dedicated UX hire for the Tally product, the portfolio is crucial for demonstrating not just design skill but also the capability to build and scale a UX function. Candidates should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, process implementation, and leadership impact, rather than just a collection of visual designs.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $120,000 - $180,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Generous paid time off (PTO).

• Paid holidays.

• Paid parental leave.

• Retirement savings plans.

• Other benefits as part of a comprehensive employee offering.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week. The role operates on a hybrid model, requiring three in-office days per week, with flexibility to support employee success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is a guideline. The final compensation will be determined by various factors including relevant work experience, skills, certifications, geographic location, education, and any specific contract provisions. The hybrid model emphasizes a balance between in-office collaboration and employee flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically SaaS (Software as a Service). The company's product, "Tally," suggests a focus on data management, analytics, or operational efficiency tools, likely within the marketing technology or customer engagement platform space, given the preferred qualifications.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the description of establishing scalable processes and being the "first dedicated UX hire" suggests Phaedon is a growing company, likely a startup or early-to-mid-stage scale-up. This implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment where individual contributions have a significant impact.

Founded: The founding date is not provided, but the company's stage (as inferred from the UX role) suggests it is likely in its growth phase, aiming to build out its core product and team.

Team Structure:

• UX Team: This role is the first dedicated UX hire for the Tally product, indicating the UX function is nascent and will be built around this individual. They will likely collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role emphasizes close collaboration with department heads in Product, Engineering, and Marketing, suggesting a matrixed or highly integrated team structure.

• Leadership: This is a Director-level position, implying significant autonomy and responsibility for setting direction and influencing company strategy.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: The role requires partnering with Product Management and Engineering in agile environments, indicating a preference for iterative development cycles, rapid feedback, and continuous improvement.

• User-Centered Design: A core methodology is to establish and maintain a user-centered culture, integrating UX principles into all decision-making processes.

• Data-Informed Decisions: The role emphasizes using user insights, research, and data to inform design recommendations and influence strategy, suggesting a data-driven approach to product development.

Company Website: wearephaedon.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stage as a growing entity with a nascent UX function presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Candidates should be comfortable with ambiguity, possess strong initiative, and be adept at building foundational processes and culture. The focus on "Tally product" suggests this might be a specific business unit or product line within Phaedon.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership role (Director) focused on establishing and scaling UX Product Design. It's a pivotal position for a UX professional looking to define a function, build a design strategy from the ground up, and directly influence product direction in a growth-stage company.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Director of UX Product Design typically reports to a VP of Product, CTO, or potentially a CEO in a smaller organization. They will lead the UX efforts for the Tally product, likely building a team over time.

Operations Impact: The UX Director's impact is profound, directly shaping the usability, effectiveness, and desirability of Phaedon's core platform. Their work will influence user adoption, customer satisfaction, retention, and ultimately, revenue growth by ensuring the product meets user needs and business objectives.

Growth Opportunities:

• Building a UX Function: The primary growth opportunity is to architect and build the UX design practice for the Tally product, establishing processes, standards, and potentially a team.

• Strategic Influence: Direct impact on product strategy and company direction, influencing the future of Phaedon's offerings.

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to grow into a more senior product leadership role as the company scales, potentially overseeing broader design functions.

• Skill Expansion: Deepen expertise in B2B SaaS design, AI integration in UX, and scaling design operations within a high-growth environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a rare opportunity for a UX leader to have a foundational impact. The growth potential is tied to the company's success and the candidate's ability to build and scale the UX discipline effectively. It's a chance to move from execution to strategic leadership and organizational development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in an office located in the "Designer’s Guild building in the heart of Minneapolis' North Loop neighborhood." This suggests a professional, potentially modern office space, situated in a vibrant urban area.

Office Location(s): Minneapolis, Minnesota. Specific details about the office building and its amenities are not provided but imply a central, accessible location.

Workspace Context:

• Hybrid Model: A hybrid work arrangement requiring three in-office days per week is standard. This promotes a blend of in-person collaboration, team cohesion, and remote flexibility.

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration suggests an open and communicative work atmosphere. The Director will likely work closely with Product and Engineering teams, fostering a team-oriented environment.

• Tools & Technology: Expect access to modern design tools like Figma and potentially AI-driven UX tools, supporting efficient and innovative design work.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility balanced by the hybrid in-office requirement. Operations professionals in such roles often need to be adaptable to project timelines and critical deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with specific in-office days is a key aspect of the work environment. Candidates should be comfortable with this structure and understand its implications for collaboration and personal workflow management. The "Designer's Guild building" hints at a creative or design-focused workspace.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a call with HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the direct hiring manager (likely VP Product or CTO) to delve into strategic thinking, leadership approach, and domain expertise.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with key collaborators from Product Management, Engineering, and potentially other business units to assess cross-functional collaboration skills and alignment.

• Portfolio Presentation: A critical stage where candidates present their portfolio, focusing on strategic UX leadership, process building, and the impact of their work on complex projects. Expect deep dives into case studies.

• Final Round/Executive Interview: Potential discussion with senior leadership to assess strategic vision, cultural alignment, and overall fit for the Director role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Strategy and Impact: Highlight how you defined UX vision, built processes, and influenced product strategy and business outcomes, not just individual designs.

• Showcase Process Building: Detail your experience in establishing or maturing UX practices, demonstrating your ability to create scalable workflows and standards.

• Quantify Results: Use metrics, user feedback, and business impact data to demonstrate the success of your projects and initiatives.

• Demonstrate Leadership: Explain your leadership approach, how you collaborate with cross-functional teams, and how you advocate for users.

• Tailor to Phaedon: Research Phaedon and the Tally product to articulate how your experience and vision align with their specific needs and challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• UX Strategy Case Study: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach defining the UX strategy for a product like Tally, given its context as a B2B SaaS platform.

• Process Design Exercise: Anticipate questions or exercises related to how you would establish and operationalize UX processes in a growing organization.

• Stakeholder Alignment Scenario: Prepare to discuss how you would manage competing priorities and gain buy-in from Product, Engineering, and executive stakeholders.

• AI Integration Discussion: Be ready to talk about how you see AI tools like Claude being leveraged to enhance UX research and design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio presentation is likely the most crucial part of the evaluation. Candidates should prepare a compelling narrative that emphasizes their ability to build, lead, and drive impact, especially in the context of establishing a UX function. The emphasis on "operationalizing" and "scaling" suggests a need for candidates who can think and act like a business leader, not just a designer.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned as a required tool, indicating its central role in design and prototyping. Proficiency is expected for creating user interfaces, design systems, and collaborative design workflows.

• AI Tools (Claude): Competency in using AI tools like Claude for UX/UI research and optimization is a specific requirement, suggesting their integration into the research and analysis phases of the design process.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed, expect the need to utilize product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) to gather user behavior data and inform design decisions.

• Proficiency in interpreting data from these tools and translating insights into actionable design improvements will be critical. CRM & Automation:

• Understanding how UX design integrates with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation tools might be beneficial, especially for B2B SaaS products. This role focuses on the product's internal UX, but awareness of the broader ecosystem is valuable.

• Experience with project management tools (e.g., Jira, Asana) is highly probable, given the agile development environment and need for cross-functional coordination.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and Claude indicates these are key technologies for this role. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with these tools and how they leverage them for efficient and effective UX design and research. Familiarity with product analytics and agile project management tools is also a strong asset.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A fundamental value, driving all design and product decisions to meet user needs and enhance their experience.

• Data-Driven Innovation: Valuing insights from user research, data analytics, and AI tools to inform design strategies and foster continuous improvement.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Emphasizing strong partnerships with Product Management, Engineering, and other departments to ensure cohesive product development and business alignment.

• Efficiency & Scalability: A focus on building scalable processes, workflows, and design systems that can support the company's growth and optimize resource utilization.

• Ownership & Accountability: Expecting individuals to take ownership of their domain, drive initiatives forward, and be accountable for outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The Director will be a key bridge between UX, Product, and Engineering, fostering a highly integrated and collaborative approach to product development.

• Open Communication: Encouraging transparent communication, feedback exchange, and constructive critique to drive innovation and improve design quality.

• Agile Iteration: A culture that embraces rapid iteration, learning from feedback, and adapting to evolving priorities.

• Advocacy and Influence: A style that balances advocating for UX best practices with understanding and integrating business needs and stakeholder perspectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on building a "user-centered culture" and fostering "organizational maturity" suggests Phaedon values a proactive, collaborative, and results-oriented approach to design. Candidates should demonstrate how they embody these values in their work and leadership style.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing Foundational UX: As the first dedicated UX hire for Tally, building processes, standards, and a user-centric culture from scratch will be a significant undertaking.

• Navigating Ambiguity: In a growing company, priorities can shift, and processes may be evolving. The Director must be comfortable with ambiguity and able to drive clarity.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring seamless collaboration and buy-in from Product, Engineering, and executive leadership requires strong communication and influencing skills.

• Scaling Design: Developing a design strategy and processes that can scale effectively with the company's growth will be an ongoing challenge.

• Integrating AI: Effectively leveraging AI tools like Claude for UX research and optimization requires experimentation and adaptation.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• UX Leadership & Strategy: Opportunity to define and lead a UX function, developing strategic planning and organizational building skills.

• Product Growth & Scale: Experience in scaling UX practices within a high-growth B2B SaaS environment.

• AI in Design: Deepen expertise in applying AI technologies to UX research and product design.

• Industry Influence: Potential to shape the user experience of a critical product and impact the company's trajectory.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor future UX hires and build a high-performing design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is also the primary growth opportunity: building and scaling the UX function. Candidates who thrive in environments where they can define processes, influence strategy, and have a tangible impact will find this role highly rewarding.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach defining the UX strategy for Phaedon's Tally product, given it's a B2B SaaS platform and you are the first dedicated UX hire?" (Focus on your process for understanding the product, users, business goals, and how you'd build the initial roadmap.)

• "Describe your experience in building or maturing UX practices from the ground up. What key processes, standards, and workflows would you prioritize establishing first at Phaedon?" (Highlight your operationalization skills and understanding of organizational maturity.)

• "How would you foster a user-centered culture within an organization that may not have a strong UX background? What strategies would you employ to gain buy-in from Product, Engineering, and executive leadership?" (Emphasize your advocacy, communication, and influencing skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Phaedon and the Tally product? How do you see UX playing a critical role in its success?" (Research the company and its market. Connect your UX expertise to their business objectives.)

• "Describe your experience working in agile development environments. How do you ensure UX is integrated effectively into rapid iteration cycles?" (Showcase your collaborative approach and understanding of agile methodologies.)

• "How do you see AI tools like Claude being leveraged to enhance UX research and product design at Phaedon?" (Demonstrate your forward-thinking approach and practical application of AI in UX.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: Organize your portfolio around key themes: strategic leadership, process building, impact on complex projects, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Case Study Deep Dive: For each presented case study, clearly articulate the problem, your strategic approach, the processes you used (especially if you built them), the challenges you overcame, and the measurable impact (business metrics, user satisfaction, efficiency gains).

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively but focus on the "why" and "how" behind your design decisions and leadership. Explain the strategic rationale and operational considerations.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, how you handle conflict, your leadership style, and how you'd adapt your experience to Phaedon's specific context.

• Highlight Leadership & Process: Emphasize your role in leading initiatives, influencing stakeholders, and establishing robust design processes, not just your individual design contributions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and a proven ability to build and scale design functions. Candidates need to articulate not just what they designed, but how they led, why they made certain strategic choices, and what the tangible impact was, especially in the context of establishing processes and influencing organizational direction.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Director, UX Product Design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on ats.rippling.com.

• Curate Your Portfolio for Impact: Tailor your portfolio to highlight your experience in strategic UX leadership, building UX processes from scratch, and driving tangible business outcomes for B2B SaaS products. Focus on case studies demonstrating your ability to influence strategy and operationalize design.

• Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 7+ years of experience, emphasizing leadership in complex projects, experience with B2B SaaS/enterprise software, proficiency in Figma and AI tools for UX, and proven success in establishing or maturing UX practices. Use keywords relevant to UX strategy, design operations, and agile development.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on a clear narrative that showcases your strategic vision, process implementation, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss how you would approach the challenges and opportunities at Phaedon.

• Research Phaedon & Tally: Understand Phaedon's business, the Tally product's purpose, and their market position. Prepare thoughtful questions that demonstrate your engagement and strategic thinking about how UX can contribute to their success.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.