Head of Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design

Company: Aurora Solar

Location: United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Design Leadership / Product Design

Date Posted: April 28, 2026

Experience Level: 12+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and grow a team of product designers focused on creating intuitive and powerful SaaS solutions for the solar industry, driving strategic product vision and execution.

• Champion a customer-first design philosophy, integrating user research and design critiques to elevate product quality and align with business objectives.

• Define and implement design operations best practices, including process optimization, tooling, and the adoption of emerging technologies like AI to enhance agile product development.

• Partner collaboratively with Product, Engineering, and Go-to-Market teams to ensure seamless delivery of high-impact features that address complex system-level challenges.

• Foster a culture of continuous learning and development within the design team, empowering designers to achieve their career best and contribute to company-wide OKRs.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is Head of Design, it has significant implications for revenue operations and GTM strategy by directly influencing the product's usability, adoption, and ultimately, its ability to drive sales and customer success in the solar market. The design team's output directly impacts the user experience of solar professionals, influencing their efficiency and satisfaction, which are key metrics for sales and customer retention.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of product designers, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented environment to enable designers to achieve their best work.

• Strategic Vision & Execution: Define and champion the product design vision, ensuring alignment with company strategy and OKRs, and oversee its execution from concept through to delivery.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate closely with Product Management, Engineering, and Go-to-Market (GTM) teams to ensure a unified approach to product development, from discovery and research to final release.

• Design Operations & Process Improvement: Evolve and optimize design operations by implementing industry best practices, selecting appropriate tools, and exploring the integration of AI capabilities to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in agile development cycles.

• User-Centricity & Research Integration: Embed user research methodologies into the design process, ensuring continuous learning, testing, and discovery of user needs to inform product decisions.

• Product Delivery & Craftsmanship: Drive a high bar for design craft and ensure that shipped solutions reflect a deep understanding of customer needs and strategic business priorities.

• KPI Definition & Performance Measurement: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) for the design team that directly correlate with and support company-wide Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "Define the KPIs that show your team is moving company-wide OKRs" is critical for operations professionals. This implies a need for the Head of Design to understand and translate business objectives into measurable design outcomes, which will then feed into broader GTM and revenue operations reporting and analysis.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio and demonstrated experience in product design, user experience design, or a related field are essential. A background in HCI, graphic design, or a related technical discipline would be advantageous.

Experience: 12+ years in product design, user experience design, or a related field, with a minimum of 5 years specifically focused on building and leading design teams within the technical SaaS product space.

Required Skills:

• Team Leadership & Management: Proven ability to build, mentor, and lead high-performing design teams, fostering a culture of excellence and professional growth.

• Product Strategy & Vision: Demonstrated capability to define a product vision, gain cross-functional alignment, and drive its execution across various audiences.

• SaaS Product Design: Deep experience in designing complex, technical SaaS products, including multi-role applications and platforms.

• Design Systems: Expertise in developing and implementing scalable design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across products.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Exceptional communication skills and a track record of effectively partnering with Product, Engineering, and GTM teams.

• User Research & UX Principles: Strong understanding of user research methodologies and a commitment to user-centric design principles.

• Agile Development: Experience working within agile development frameworks and understanding their impact on design processes.

• Web & Mobile Design: Experience shipping complex products across web, iOS, and/or Android platforms.

Preferred Skills:

• Solar Industry Experience: Familiarity with the residential and commercial solar market, its users, and their specific workflows.

• AI Integration in Design: Experience or a strong understanding of how AI capabilities can be leveraged within design processes and product development.

• Design Operations Expertise: Proven ability to define and implement design operations, including tooling, workflows, and infrastructure.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "technical SaaS products" and "complex tools" signals a need for candidates with a strong understanding of software development lifecycles and the intricacies of enterprise-level applications, directly relevant to operations professionals who rely on these tools. The "Nice to Have" for solar industry experience suggests that understanding the specific workflows and pain points of solar professionals would be a significant advantage.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Team Leadership Case Studies: Showcase examples of how you have built, mentored, and developed design teams, demonstrating your leadership philosophy and impact on team performance. Include metrics on team growth and designer career progression.

• Product Vision & Strategy Examples: Present instances where you defined and executed a product vision, illustrating your strategic thinking, ability to gain alignment, and the impact of your strategic decisions on product outcomes.

• Complex SaaS Product Examples: Feature detailed case studies of complex technical SaaS products you've designed or overseen, highlighting system-level challenges, multi-role user flows, and the solutions implemented.

• Design System Implementation: Provide examples of design systems you have developed or significantly contributed to, demonstrating their architecture, adoption strategy, and impact on design and development efficiency.

• User-Centric Design Process: Illustrate your approach to integrating user research, testing, and feedback into the design lifecycle, with clear examples of how user insights translated into tangible product improvements.

Process Documentation:

• Design Operations Frameworks: Demonstrate your ability to define and document design operations, including workflow optimization, tool selection and implementation, and best practices for agile environments.

• Agile Design Integration: Provide examples of how you've integrated design processes within agile development sprints, including methods for rapid prototyping, iterative feedback, and cross-functional alignment.

• Performance Measurement & Reporting: Showcase how you have defined and tracked design team KPIs and reported on their impact on business objectives, demonstrating a data-driven approach to design leadership.

• AI Integration Strategies: If applicable, present strategies or examples of how you have explored or implemented AI tools and capabilities within the design workflow to enhance efficiency or product capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Head of Design role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to demonstrate not just design skill, but leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to operationalize design processes within a fast-paced, technical environment. The emphasis on "process documentation" and "performance measurement" directly aligns with the operational rigor expected in GTM and RevOps roles.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the provided job posting data for the US, the salary range is $190,700 - $291,200 USD per year. This range is further segmented by location tiers within the US:

• Tier 1 (San Francisco, CA; New York, NY): $228,800 - $291,200

• Tier 2 (Seattle, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Boston, San Diego): $209,800 - $267,000

Benefits:

• 🏖️ Flexible PTO: Encourages work-life balance and personal time off as needed.

• 🍼 Parental Leave: Comprehensive 16 weeks of paid leave with a gradual return-to-work option.

• 💰 WFH Stipend: A one-time stipend of $500 for non-engineers to support remote work setup.

• 🏢 Coworking Stipend: $300 per month to support co-working space usage for those who prefer an office environment.

• ☀️ Energize Fridays: Company-wide designated days to log off and recharge, promoting employee well-being.

• 📶 Connectivity Stipend: Up to $100 per month for internet or phone expenses.

• Learning & Development: $720 annually for professional development, accessible after 90 days of employment.

• 🩺 Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance: Premiums are fully covered for employees and 90% for dependents.

• Equity: Potential for stock options or other equity grants.

• Bonus: Performance-based bonus opportunities.

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated, the standard for full-time roles in tech, especially remote ones, is typically around 40 hours per week. The company also offers "Energize Fridays" which suggests a focus on sustainable work practices rather than expecting constant availability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The detailed salary tiers and the "Compensation Philosophy" highlight Aurora Solar's commitment to market-aligned pay and transparency. The extensive benefits package, particularly the WFH and coworking stipends, along with Energize Fridays, signals a strong focus on employee well-being and flexibility, which are attractive to operations professionals who often work demanding roles. The "Equity" and "Bonus" benefits suggest a performance-driven culture where contributions are recognized financially.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: The company operates in the Renewable Energy sector, specifically focusing on software solutions for the solar industry. This is a rapidly growing and impactful industry, driven by global efforts towards sustainability and clean energy adoption.

Company Size: Aurora Solar is a medium-to-large sized company, likely with several hundred employees, given the scope of their operations and product offerings. This size typically allows for both established processes and a degree of agility.

Founded: Aurora Solar was founded in 2013. This provides a history of over a decade, indicating stability, market traction, and experience in scaling a tech company.

Team Structure:

• Design Team: The core design team consists of five product designers who collaborate closely on product development. The Head of Design will lead and grow this team.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The design team works in tight partnership with Product Management, Engineering, and Go-to-Market (GTM) teams. This collaborative structure is essential for successful product development and market launch.

• Reporting: While not explicitly stated, the Head of Design would typically report to a VP of Product, Chief Product Officer (CPO), or a similar senior executive, indicating a strategic position within the product organization.

Methodology:

• Customer-Centric Approach: A strong emphasis on understanding and serving customer needs is a core tenet, driving product decisions and design efforts.

• Iterative Exploration & Peer Critiques: The design team values iterative development, continuous learning, and constructive feedback through design critiques to ensure high quality.

• Agile Product Development: The company operates within an agile framework, requiring designers to be adaptable and integrated into fast-paced development cycles.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: While not explicitly detailed for design, the company's mission to "put the power of data and technology into the hands of every solar professional" suggests an underlying culture of data utilization.

Company Website: https://aurorasolar.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to "create a future of solar for all" and its recognition as a Certified Green Business and "Best Remote Company" highlight a strong commitment to both social impact and employee well-being. This context is crucial for operations professionals looking for purpose-driven work and a supportive remote environment. The mention of "systems-level problems" in the solar industry implies a need for sophisticated, scalable solutions, which is a key area for operations expertise.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a senior leadership position within the design function, equivalent to a Director or VP level in other organizations. It is a strategic role focused on building and scaling a critical function, directly impacting product strategy and company growth.

Reporting Structure: The Head of Design will likely report into a senior executive, such as a VP of Product or CPO, placing them at a strategic level within the product organization. They will directly manage a team of product designers, who in turn collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineers.

Operations Impact: The Head of Design's work has a profound impact on revenue operations and GTM strategy. By ensuring the product is intuitive, efficient, and highly functional for solar professionals, the design team directly influences:

• Sales Enablement: A well-designed product can shorten sales cycles and improve conversion rates by clearly demonstrating value.

• Customer Adoption & Retention: A positive user experience is critical for customer success, reducing churn and increasing lifetime value.

• Operational Efficiency: For users, a product that streamlines complex workflows (like solar design and sales) directly improves their operational efficiency, which is a key value proposition.

• Market Differentiation: Superior UX and innovative design can be a significant competitive advantage in the SaaS market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Team Expansion: The role offers the opportunity to significantly grow and shape the design team, attracting and retaining top talent.

• Strategic Influence: The Head of Design will have a direct influence on the company's product roadmap and overall business strategy, contributing to key decisions that shape the future of the solar industry.

• Industry Leadership: By excelling in this role and potentially contributing to industry best practices, there's an opportunity to become a recognized leader in design for complex SaaS applications.

• Professional Development: The company provides a $720 annual stipend for professional development, encouraging continuous learning in design, leadership, and potentially emerging areas like AI in design.

• Advancement: Successful performance could lead to further executive-level roles within Aurora Solar or other high-growth tech companies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations Impact" section highlights how design leadership directly ties into business performance metrics that are central to revenue and GTM operations. This is a key selling point for operations-minded candidates who want to see a clear link between their leadership and business outcomes. The growth opportunities emphasize strategic influence and team building, which are core to career progression in operations and leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Aurora Solar is a fully remote company. This means there is no central physical office that employees are required to attend. The company fosters a distributed workforce.

Office Location(s): While the company operates globally with teams in the US, Canada, Poland, and Germany, employees are expected to be located within these specified countries for employment purposes. The "United States" is listed as the primary location, with the understanding that remote employees are supported within this country.

Workspace Context:

• Remote-First Culture: The work environment is designed to support remote employees effectively, with tools and stipends provided for home office setups (WFH Stipend, Connectivity Stipend).

• Collaborative Tools: Expect a heavy reliance on digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Notion, Figma) to maintain communication and teamwork across distributed locations.

• Flexibility: The remote setup and flexible PTO policy suggest a work environment that empowers employees to manage their schedules while meeting professional obligations.

• Energize Fridays: This initiative indicates a company culture that prioritizes employee well-being and discourages burnout, which can be particularly beneficial for demanding roles in operations and leadership.

Work Schedule: As a fully remote role, the specific working hours will be flexible, though standard business hours for collaboration with teams in the US are generally expected. The "Energize Fridays" suggest a structure that respects downtime. The typical expectation for a full-time role is around 40 hours per week, with the flexibility to manage tasks and meetings efficiently.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature of Aurora Solar, coupled with specific stipends for home offices and connectivity, makes it an attractive option for operations professionals who value flexibility and autonomy. The emphasis on "Energize Fridays" suggests a culture that values work-life balance, which is important for sustained high performance in demanding roles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: The interview process for a senior role like Head of Design typically involves multiple stages designed to assess leadership, strategic thinking, technical expertise, and cultural fit.

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or HR representative will assess your background, experience, and initial fit for the role, often discussing salary expectations and remote work logistics.

• Hiring Manager Interview: This will likely be with the executive to whom the Head of Design reports (e.g., VP of Product/CPO). Focus on leadership philosophy, strategic vision, team-building approach, and how you've driven impact in previous roles.

• Team & Peer Interviews: You'll meet with key stakeholders, including Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially other designers or members of the GTM team. These interviews will focus on collaboration style, problem-solving abilities, and how you approach complex technical challenges.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where you present your portfolio, walking through key case studies that demonstrate your leadership, strategic thinking, and design process. Be prepared to discuss your role, the challenges, your solutions, and the outcomes.

• Executive/Final Interview: Potentially a final conversation with a C-suite executive to assess strategic alignment and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Leadership & Impact: Beyond showcasing design work, emphasize your role in leading teams, defining strategy, and driving measurable business outcomes.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each case study, clearly outline: The Problem, Your Role & Responsibilities, The Process (discovery, research, ideation, iteration, execution), The Solution, and The Results (quantified impact on business KPIs, user metrics, team performance).

• Quantify Everything: Use numbers, data, and metrics to demonstrate the impact of your work. Highlight how your design decisions influenced revenue, efficiency, adoption, or customer satisfaction.

• Showcase Collaboration: Illustrate how you've worked effectively with Product, Engineering, and GTM teams. Provide examples of cross-functional alignment and conflict resolution.

• Prepare for Design Operations Discussion: Be ready to discuss your philosophy and experience in building and optimizing design operations, including tooling, processes, and integrating new technologies like AI.

• Articulate Your Vision: Clearly communicate your vision for the design team at Aurora Solar and how you plan to achieve it.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Design Challenge: You might be asked to outline your approach to a specific product challenge or to develop a strategic plan for the design team over the next 1-2 years.

• Team Building Scenario: Be prepared to discuss how you would handle common team leadership scenarios, such as addressing underperformance, fostering innovation, or managing conflicting priorities.

• Cross-Functional Alignment Exercise: Anticipate questions about how you would ensure seamless collaboration and buy-in from other departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review and potential "challenge preparation" underscores the strategic nature of this role. Operations professionals often face similar challenges in demonstrating their strategic impact and process optimization capabilities through case studies and problem-solving exercises during interviews.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly likely, industry standard), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• Collaboration & Documentation: Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), Notion, Confluence.

• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello.

• User Research: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Hotjar, Amplitude, Mixpanel.

• Design Systems Management: Zeroheight, Storybook (for component libraries).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics.

• Business Intelligence: Tableau, Looker, Power BI (for understanding broader business metrics).

• CRM Data: Salesforce, HubSpot (understanding how design impacts CRM data and sales/customer success workflows).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: While not a direct design tool, understanding CRM (e.g., Salesforce) is crucial for understanding sales processes and customer journeys, which design influences.

• Automation Tools: Experience with workflow automation tools (e.g., Zapier, Workato) can be beneficial for understanding how design impacts automated business processes.

• Integration Platforms: Understanding how different SaaS tools integrate (e.g., APIs, webhooks) is valuable for a holistic view of the product ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong understanding of the SaaS technology stack is fundamental for this role. The listed tools are common in product development and GTM operations. For operations professionals, understanding how design impacts data flow within CRMs and analytics platforms is key to measuring the success of design initiatives. The mention of AI capabilities suggests familiarity with or openness to AI-powered design tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of solar professionals, ensuring the product solves real-world problems and enhances their efficiency.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an open environment where ideas are shared freely, feedback is constructive, and teams across Product, Engineering, and GTM work cohesively.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Encouraging exploration of new ideas, embracing iterative development, and actively seeking ways to improve processes, tools, and product quality, including leveraging new technologies like AI.

• Impact & Accountability: A focus on delivering tangible results that align with company OKRs and drive business growth, with individuals taking ownership of their contributions.

• Sustainability & Mission-Driven: A shared passion for advancing the solar energy transition, creating a sense of purpose beyond just building software.

Collaboration Style:

• Close Cross-Functional Partnerships: Design is deeply integrated with Product and Engineering, participating in discovery, ideation, and delivery cycles.

• Peer Design Critiques: A culture of constructive feedback among designers to elevate the quality and strategic thinking of the work.

• Data-Informed Decisions: While design is creative, decisions are expected to be informed by user research, analytics, and business objectives.

• Agile & Iterative: The team embraces agile methodologies, valuing flexibility, rapid iteration, and continuous learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Impact & Accountability" and "Data-Informed Decisions" resonates strongly with the core principles of revenue and sales operations. Operations professionals are driven by metrics and demonstrable impact, making these cultural values particularly appealing. The "Sustainability & Mission-Driven" aspect adds a layer of purpose that can be a significant motivator.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling a Distributed Team: Building and maintaining a cohesive, high-performing design team across multiple time zones and locations requires strong leadership and communication strategies.

• Balancing Innovation with Technical Constraints: Designing for complex SaaS environments often involves navigating technical limitations while pushing the boundaries of user experience and innovation.

• Integrating AI Effectively: Exploring and implementing AI within design workflows and product features presents both opportunities and challenges in terms of adoption, ethical considerations, and technical feasibility.

• Driving Design's Strategic Influence: Continuously advocating for the strategic importance of design within a fast-paced product and engineering-driven organization.

• Understanding a Niche Industry: Deeply understanding the unique workflows, pain points, and business drivers of solar professionals to create truly impactful solutions.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to refine executive leadership skills, strategic planning, and team management in a high-growth tech environment.

• Product Strategy Influence: Direct involvement in shaping the product roadmap and contributing to the company's strategic direction in the renewable energy sector.

• Emerging Technology Exploration: A chance to explore and lead the integration of AI and other cutting-edge technologies into design processes and product offerings.

• Industry Exposure: Gaining deep expertise in the solar industry and its operational complexities, potentially becoming a thought leader in design for this sector.

• Professional Development Stipend: Access to resources for courses, conferences, books, or certifications to enhance skills in design, leadership, or relevant technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight areas where operations expertise is indirectly valuable, such as process optimization, data-driven decision-making, and strategic alignment. The growth opportunities point towards significant career advancement and the chance to influence both product and business strategy at a high level.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your philosophy on building and leading high-performing design teams, especially in a remote-first environment. How do you foster a culture of collaboration and accountability?"

• "Walk us through how you would define and drive the design operations strategy at Aurora Solar. What are the key components of effective design operations for a technical SaaS company?"

• "How do you balance user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints when designing complex SaaS products? Can you provide an example?"

• "What is your vision for integrating AI into the design process and product at Aurora Solar? What are the potential benefits and challenges?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Aurora Solar's mission and our role in the solar industry?"

• "How do you ensure a strong customer-centric approach is maintained within the design team and across product development?"

• "Describe your experience working with Product and Engineering teams. How do you build strong partnerships and ensure alignment?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level overview of your leadership philosophy and strategic vision. Then, dive into 2-3 key case studies that best showcase your leadership, strategic thinking, and ability to drive significant product and business impact.

• Quantify Results: For each case study, clearly present the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and most importantly, the quantifiable outcomes (e.g., % increase in adoption, % reduction in support tickets, % improvement in user efficiency, revenue impact).

• Highlight Collaboration: Explicitly discuss how you collaborated with Product, Engineering, and GTM teams in each case study.

• Showcase Design Operations: Be prepared to discuss the operational aspects of your work – how you managed workflows, implemented tools, and ensured efficient processes.

• Connect to Aurora Solar: Throughout your presentation, draw parallels to Aurora Solar's mission, products, and challenges. Articulate how your experience directly applies to their needs.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design decisions, team dynamics, and strategic trade-offs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice emphasizes demonstrating strategic thinking, quantifiable impact, and strong collaborative skills, all of which are critical for operations roles. The focus on "design operations" and "KPIs" directly aligns with the expertise expected from operations professionals.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of Design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Craft a compelling resume: Tailor your resume to highlight leadership experience, strategic impact, team-building achievements, and experience with complex technical SaaS products. Use keywords from the job description like "Product Design," "Team Leadership," "SaaS," "Design Systems," and "Cross-functional Collaboration."

• Curate your portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best demonstrate your leadership, strategic vision, and ability to drive measurable results. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your role, process, solution, and quantified outcomes. Be prepared to discuss your experience with design operations and remote team management.

• Prepare your narrative: Practice articulating your leadership philosophy, your vision for design at Aurora Solar, and how your experience aligns with the company's mission and values. Be ready to discuss specific examples that showcase your ability to collaborate and drive impact.

• Research Aurora Solar: Understand their product, market position, mission, and recent news. Consider how your design leadership can contribute to their continued growth and success in the solar industry.

⚠️ 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.

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