Innovation Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Innovation Product Designer

Company: Brown Brothers Harriman

Location: Boston, Massachusetts, United States; New York, New York, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / FinTech Operations

Date Posted: June 04, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years Professional Experience

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design for an innovative AI-native platform focused on data integration and transformation within the financial services sector.

• Shape user interactions and visual trust for enterprise customers by designing intuitive interfaces for complex data workflows, leveraging AI outputs effectively.

• Collaborate closely with engineering and product management to drive features from initial discovery and user research through high-fidelity design deliverables and implementation support.

• Contribute significantly to the development and maintenance of a comprehensive design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across the platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as an early design hire within a startup-like environment, backed by an established enterprise. The focus on "AI-native data integration and transformation for financial services" indicates a specialized FinTech Operations or GTM Technology role, requiring a deep understanding of B2B software, complex data workflows, and emerging AI interaction patterns. The emphasis on "ownership" and "foundational team" suggests a high degree of autonomy and impact.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the complete product design lifecycle for new features, from initial user research and ideation to high-fidelity mockups, prototyping, and ongoing implementation support.

• Design intuitive and efficient user interfaces for critical platform functions including integration configuration, data transformation building, workflow monitoring, and results exploration.

• Develop clear and trustworthy UX for communicating AI-generated outputs, including confidence levels, transformation previews, and actionable error states.

• Act as a strong advocate for user needs, making high-judgment UX tradeoffs, particularly concerning AI interaction patterns, information density, and diverse user types.

• Actively contribute to and maintain the design system in Figma, ensuring consistency through components, tokens, and established patterns.

• Design innovative interaction patterns for AI-assisted transformation building, encompassing streaming outputs, accept/reject/edit flows, and progressive disclosure of complex results.

• Address the unique challenges of designing for non-deterministic AI outputs, where inputs may yield varied results over time, ensuring user comprehension and control.

• Develop effective feedback mechanisms to capture user corrections and facilitate continuous improvement of AI model quality.

• Design for complex, data-dense environments, balancing the need for detailed information with clarity and ease of use in screens for integration configuration, transformation previews, monitoring dashboards, and audit logs.

• Plan and conduct user research, including usability tests and interviews with financial services personas, synthesizing findings into actionable design decisions.

• Collaborate directly with engineers and the Technical Product Manager to ensure design fidelity and quality throughout the production process.

• Proactively identify technical feasibility issues early in the design process and create functional prototypes in code when necessary to validate concepts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on core product design principles and specialized challenges related to AI and data-intensive B2B applications. The emphasis on user research, design system contribution, and direct collaboration with engineering underscores the need for a well-rounded and proactive designer. The mention of "non-deterministic AI outputs" and "appropriate trust" points to a need for sophisticated UX solutions in a complex domain.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Not specified, but a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for this level of experience.

Experience: 5+ years of professional product design experience, with a proven track record of designing and shipping features for complex web applications.

Required Skills:

• Expert proficiency in Figma, including advanced use of components, variables, auto-layout, and prototyping. Ability to independently produce high-fidelity, handoff-ready deliverables.

• Strong interaction design skills, with the ability to think critically about user flows, system states, and edge cases.

• Excellent visual design sensibility, encompassing typography, spacing, color theory, and information hierarchy to create clear and aesthetically pleasing interfaces.

• Proficient user research skills, including the ability to independently plan and conduct usability tests and user interviews.

• Technical fluency, enabling effective communication with engineers regarding implementation details and proactive identification of technical constraints.

• Demonstrated experience in designing end-to-end for complex web applications, with a preference for B2B, data-heavy, or workflow-oriented products.

• Ability to showcase both high-quality interaction design and strong visual design craft in a portfolio. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in financial services, FinTech, or designing for data platforms.

• Background in designing data visualization, dashboards, or analytics interfaces.

• Experience with AI or Machine Learning product design, including familiarity with streaming interfaces, confidence indicators, and human-AI interaction patterns.

• Ability to prototype in code using technologies like HTML/CSS, Angular, or similar frameworks.

• Experience with motion design and crafting sophisticated interaction transitions.

• Prior experience as an early or founding designer within a startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements strongly emphasize practical, hands-on skills and a portfolio that speaks to B2B design challenges. The "consumer-only portfolios are a weak fit" note is critical, signaling a need for candidates experienced in enterprise-grade software design. Technical fluency beyond design tools is a significant plus, indicating the role requires a pragmatic approach to implementation.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Must clearly demonstrate ownership of the entire design process for complex web applications, showcasing problem definition, research, ideation, design iterations, and final solutions.

• B2B/Data-Heavy Focus: Portfolios heavily featuring B2B products, complex data visualizations, workflow management tools, or enterprise software will be prioritized. Consumer-focused projects alone are not considered a strong fit.

• Interaction & Visual Design Craft: Submissions must clearly exhibit strong capabilities in both interaction design (flows, states, edge cases) and visual design (typography, layout, color, hierarchy).

• Process Documentation: Evidence of user research methodologies (interviews, usability testing) and how findings informed design decisions should be readily apparent.

• Figma Mastery: Showcase of Figma proficiency, particularly in design system components, auto-layout, and interactive prototyping, is expected.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Demonstrate how you've approached designing complex workflows, identifying inefficiencies, and proposing optimized solutions.

• System Implementation Standards: Show examples of how your designs are translated into production-ready assets and how you collaborate with engineering for successful implementation.

• Metrics & Performance Analysis: Illustrate how you measure the success of your designs, potentially through user feedback, A/B testing, or other relevant metrics, especially for features impacting data integration or AI usage.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is the primary evaluation tool for this role, especially for demonstrating B2B and data-intensive design experience. Candidates should structure their portfolio around detailed case studies that highlight problem-solving, process rigor, and tangible design outcomes relevant to enterprise software.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Massachusetts: $100,000 - $150,000 base salary + annual target bonus

• New York: $105,000 - $155,000 base salary + annual target bonus

Benefits:

• Financial: Annual Target Bonus, Profit-sharing, Long-term Savings plans.

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive Healthcare, Private Healthcare (Poland), Income Protection, Multisport Card (Poland).

• Professional Development: Professional Development Budget, Home Office Setup Budget (Poland).

• Work-Life Balance: Time off programs are mentioned as supporting overall well-being.

Working Hours: Typically 40 hours per week, with potential for flexibility depending on project needs and team collaboration, especially in a startup-paced environment within an enterprise.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are specific to location and do not include the annual bonus, indicating a total compensation package that could be significantly higher. The benefits are comprehensive, with specific additions for international team members, highlighting a global and inclusive approach. The mention of "startup speed" within an enterprise suggests a dynamic work environment where standard hours may sometimes be extended for critical deliverables.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services, specifically focusing on innovative data integration and transformation solutions. This places BBH at the intersection of FinTech and enterprise technology.

Company Size: Brown Brothers Harriman is a large, established global financial services firm with a long history. The specific team for this role operates with "startup speed," indicating a distinct, agile culture within the larger organization.

Founded: 1798 (for BBH overall). This legacy provides stability and deep domain expertise. The specific initiative for this role is a new venture, implying a culture of innovation and rebuilding existing processes.

Team Structure:

• Founding Team: This role is part of the "founding team" for a new initiative, meaning it's a small, agile group with significant impact.

• Reporting: The designer will work directly alongside the Head of Design and collaborate closely with engineers and a Technical Product Manager. This suggests a flat hierarchy within the immediate project team.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: High emphasis on close collaboration between Design, Product Management, and Engineering to ensure seamless feature development and implementation.

Methodology:

• AI-Native Platform Development: Focus on building a platform from the ground up using AI at its core for data integration and transformation.

• User-Centric Design: Strong commitment to understanding financial services personas and their needs through research, user interviews, and usability testing.

• Iterative Design & Development: Employing design system principles and working closely with engineers implies an iterative process with continuous feedback loops.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: While not explicitly stated for design, the nature of the product (data integration) and the company's industry suggest a strong emphasis on data analysis and performance metrics.

Company Website: https://www.bbh.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is a blend of established enterprise stability and startup agility. The "Innovation Product Designer" role is within a new initiative, allowing for a foundational impact on architecture, culture, and standards, rather than inheriting existing ones. This requires individuals comfortable with ambiguity and rapid iteration.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a Senior Individual Contributor position within the Product Design discipline, specifically focused on innovation and emerging technologies (AI, data integration). It's an "early design hire" role, offering significant leadership potential within the product's design function.

Reporting Structure: Reports to the Head of Design, with close collaboration with Technical Product Managers and Engineering teams. This structure facilitates direct impact and learning from experienced leaders.

Operations Impact: The designer will directly influence the user experience of a critical FinTech platform, impacting how financial services firms manage their data integrations and transformations. Success in this role contributes to the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and scalability of data processes for clients, directly impacting revenue enablement and operational excellence for both BBH and its customers.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: As an early hire, there's a clear path to shaping the design function, potentially growing into a Design Lead or Manager role as the team expands.

• Specialization: Deep dive into specialized areas like AI interaction design, complex data visualization, and FinTech product development, becoming an expert in a high-demand field.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Develop a strong understanding of engineering, product management, and the intricacies of financial services data processing, broadening skill sets beyond pure design.

• Startup Environment Experience: Gain invaluable experience in building a product and team from the ground up within a supportive enterprise framework.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers as the team grows and learn from senior leadership within BBH's established structure.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique blend of startup autonomy and enterprise backing, providing accelerated growth opportunities. The ability to influence product direction and design strategy from its inception is a significant draw for ambitious designers looking to make a substantial impact.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job description mentions both Boston and New York locations, and the "remote_derived": false flag indicates an on-site or hybrid expectation. Given the "startup speed" and "founding team" context, a highly collaborative office environment is likely, potentially with some flexibility.

Office Location(s): Boston, Massachusetts and New York, New York. These are major financial and tech hubs, offering access to talent and industry networks.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on working "directly alongside" leaders and collaborating with engineers suggests an open and communicative workspace designed for team interaction.

• Technology & Tools: Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, with potential for prototyping in code, will be provided. The company's focus on AI suggests investment in cutting-edge technology.

• Operations Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with engineers, product managers, and potentially other designers or business stakeholders involved in the data integration initiative.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours are expected (40 hours/week). However, the "startup speed" and "enterprise backing" dynamic may lead to periods of intense work to meet development milestones, balanced by the stability of an established firm.

📝 Enhancement Note: While on-site is likely, the specific hybrid policy isn't detailed. Candidates should clarify expectations regarding in-office days, especially given the collaborative nature of the role and the "founding team" aspect. The environment is expected to be fast-paced and dynamic.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and fit for B2B/data-heavy design.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, walking through key case studies. Expect in-depth questions about their design process, decision-making, and problem-solving approach for complex challenges.

• Design Exercise/Challenge: A practical design challenge or case study, potentially focused on AI interaction, data density, or workflow design, may be given to assess on-the-spot problem-solving and design thinking.

• Team Interviews: Meetings with the Head of Design, Technical Product Manager, and engineering leads to evaluate collaboration skills, technical fluency, and cultural fit.

• Final Round: Potential interview with senior leadership to discuss strategic vision, long-term impact, and alignment with company goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on B2B & Data: Prioritize case studies showcasing experience with complex, data-intensive, or enterprise web applications. Clearly articulate the user problem, your process, and the impact of your design solutions.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Detail your end-to-end design process, including user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, visual design, and implementation support. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Figma Skills: Demonstrate proficiency with Figma's advanced features (components, auto-layout, variables, prototyping) if applicable to your case studies.

• Articulate Tradeoffs: Be prepared to discuss difficult design decisions, the tradeoffs you made (e.g., information density vs. simplicity, AI trust vs. control), and the rationale behind them.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved task completion time, reduced errors, increased user satisfaction).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with AI-driven workflows, data integration concepts, and the challenges of designing for financial services users.

• Practice AI Interaction Design: Think about how to design for non-deterministic outputs, build user trust in AI, and incorporate feedback mechanisms for AI models.

• Data Density Design: Review best practices for designing interfaces that present large amounts of information clearly and efficiently.

• Figma & Prototyping: Be ready to demonstrate your design process in Figma or a similar tool, and potentially create interactive prototypes.

• Communicate Your Process: Clearly articulate your thinking, assumptions, and design rationale throughout any challenge or exercise.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is heavily weighted towards portfolio evaluation and practical design skills. Candidates must be prepared to articulate their process deeply and demonstrate specific experience relevant to enterprise B2B software, AI, and complex data environments.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI/UX design, prototyping, and design system management. Expert proficiency is a must.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities, potentially supplemented by other tools for more complex interactions or animations.

• User Research Tools: Tools for conducting usability tests (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback) and interviews.

• Collaboration Tools: Slack, Jira, Confluence, or similar for team communication and project management.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a direct responsibility, familiarity with analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) may be beneficial for understanding user behavior and validating design impact.

• Experience with dashboard design principles and data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) is a plus for designing reporting interfaces. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly specified for this design role, but understanding how CRM systems and automation platforms function within a financial services context would be advantageous for designing integrated workflows.

• Familiarity with API integrations and how data flows between systems could be helpful.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the core tool. Proficiency in other design and research tools is expected. Technical fluency with web technologies (HTML/CSS, Angular) is a significant advantage, indicating a need for designers who can bridge the gap between design and development.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Partnership: Reflecting BBH's core philosophy, this value emphasizes collaboration, mutual support, and client-centricity. For this role, it translates to strong teamwork with engineering and product.

• Innovation & Rebuilding: The initiative's mission to "rebuild how financial services firms create, manage, and execute their data integrations" highlights a value placed on forward-thinking solutions and challenging the status quo.

• Craftsmanship & High Standards: The mention of "enterprise customers require visual trust" and "the bar for craft is high" indicates a strong focus on quality, attention to detail, and delivering polished, reliable products.

• Data-Driven Approach: While not explicitly stated for design, the nature of the product and industry implies that data accuracy, efficiency, and performance are paramount, influencing design decisions.

• User Advocacy: Fiercely defending user needs and ensuring the tools are approachable and trustworthy for experienced financial services professionals.

Collaboration Style:

• Direct & Cross-Functional: Close working relationships with engineers and Technical Product Managers are essential. Expect frequent communication and joint problem-solving.

• Iterative & Feedback-Oriented: The design system and startup speed imply a culture of continuous iteration and open feedback exchange to refine designs and features rapidly.

• Knowledge Sharing: As part of a "founding team," there's an opportunity and expectation to share knowledge, establish best practices, and contribute to building the team's collective expertise.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture values a blend of established principles (partnership, stability) and a proactive, innovative mindset. Designers must be comfortable with ambiguity, rapid iteration, and close collaboration to drive forward a new product initiative.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Skeptical Users: Financial services professionals are experienced, detail-oriented, and potentially skeptical of new tools. Designing interfaces that earn their trust and meet their high standards for functionality is a key challenge.

• Complex Data & AI Workflows: Translating intricate data integration and transformation processes, especially those involving non-deterministic AI outputs, into intuitive and manageable user experiences.

• Balancing Information Density: Creating interfaces that provide the necessary depth of information for expert users without overwhelming them.

• Establishing a Design System from Scratch: Building and maintaining a robust design system for a new, complex platform requires strategic thinking and consistent application.

• Startup Pace within Enterprise: Navigating the balance between the agility and speed of a startup initiative and the processes and expectations of a large, established financial institution.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Design Expertise: Deepen skills in AI/ML interaction design, human-AI collaboration, and complex data visualization for enterprise applications.

• FinTech Domain Knowledge: Gain in-depth understanding of financial services data integration, transformation processes, and regulatory considerations.

• Product Strategy & Leadership: Contribute to product strategy and potentially grow into leadership roles as the initiative scales.

• Design System Development: Gain experience in building and scaling design systems for complex enterprise software.

• Industry Exposure: Attend relevant conferences or pursue certifications in FinTech, AI design, or product design best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are significant but directly tied to high-impact growth opportunities. Success in this role will require adaptability, strong problem-solving skills, and a proactive approach to learning and development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed for a complex, data-intensive B2B application. What were the key challenges, and how did you address them?" (Focus on process, user needs, and design decisions).

• "How would you approach designing the user experience for communicating AI-generated results in a financial services context? How do you build trust in non-deterministic outputs?" (Prepare to discuss AI interaction patterns, transparency, and feedback loops).

• "Walk me through a challenging UX tradeoff you had to make on a past project. What was the situation, what were your options, and how did you decide?" (Highlight critical thinking and user advocacy).

• "How do you ensure your designs are technically feasible and work effectively with engineering teams?" (Emphasize collaboration, communication, and understanding of implementation constraints). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about BBH and this specific initiative to rebuild data integration processes?" (Research BBH's history, values, and the initiative's goals).

• "How do you approach contributing to or building a design system?" (Discuss your philosophy, best practices, and experience with design system components and governance).

• "Describe your ideal collaboration dynamic with product managers and engineers." (Highlight proactive communication, shared ownership, and constructive feedback). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation around 2-3 key B2B/data-heavy case studies. For each, clearly define the problem, your role, the target users, your process (research, ideation, design), key decisions and tradeoffs, and the final outcome/impact.

• Visuals: Use high-fidelity mockups, interactive prototypes, and clear diagrams to illustrate your work. Show the evolution of your designs.

• Narrative: Tell a compelling story about how you solved a user problem and achieved business goals. Focus on your thought process and decision-making.

• Figma Specifics: Be ready to discuss how you used Figma, especially its advanced features, and how your deliverables support engineering handoff.

• AI & Data Focus: For this role, explicitly highlight any experience or thinking related to AI interaction, data visualization, or complex workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to go deep on your process and decision-making. The interviewers are looking for a designer who can not only create beautiful interfaces but also solve complex problems strategically and collaborate effectively in a fast-paced, enterprise-backed startup environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 case studies demonstrating end-to-end design for complex B2B, data-heavy, or workflow-oriented web applications. Ensure these examples highlight your Figma proficiency and ability to craft both interaction and visual design.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 5+ years of professional product design experience, highlighting achievements in web application design, user research, design system contributions, and collaboration with engineering. Integrate keywords such as "Figma," "B2B," "data-intensive," "AI interaction design," and "enterprise software."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and decision-making for complex challenges. Prepare to present your portfolio confidently, focusing on your strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and experience with AI and data-dense interfaces.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Brown Brothers Harriman and the specific initiative described. Understand their core values, the FinTech landscape, and the challenges of data integration in financial services to demonstrate genuine interest and cultural alignment.

⚠️ 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.