Product Design Manager, Payments/Capital

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Design Manager, Payments/Capital

Company: Lightspeed Commerce

Location: Miami, Florida, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design Management

Date Posted: 2025-06-12T19:47:11

Experience Level: 5-10 years (including 4+ years in a people management role)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🎨 Role Summary

• Leading a team of product designers to deliver high-impact outcomes on complex projects within the Financial Services domain, specifically focusing on Payments and Capital products.
• Driving user-centricity and embedding systems thinking to create seamless, world-class design experiences that are integrated, invisible, and instant.
• Focusing on team performance, execution, process improvement, and mentoring while partnering with leadership to shape key design initiatives and product strategy.
• Translating complex business objectives into clear, actionable design solutions and proactively exploring the integration of AI and emerging technologies to shape new approaches.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of product designers, providing mentorship, coaching, and clear growth paths for each team member within the Financial Services team.
• Oversee project delivery, manage team workload and backlogs, and establish design processes that drive efficiency and high-quality design outcomes.
• Translate complex business objectives into clear, actionable design solutions, often anticipating problems before they arise, and bringing strategic thinking to both execution and problem framing.
• Develop and communicate holistic design strategies grounded in both quantitative and qualitative user insights, ensuring user needs are central throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Demonstrate deep expertise in design system principles, lead teams in defining foundational components, evolving the design system, and ensuring scalability, quality, and consistency across products.
• Partner closely with product managers to lead problem definition, build strong cross-functional relationships, and maintain a high bar for quality, accountability, and shared success.
• Proactively explore and integrate AI and emerging technologies to shape new design approaches and methodologies within the Payments and Capital product areas.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Foundational design-related education (Bachelor of Design, or Visual Arts, or Architecture, or Industrial Design, or Communication) or equivalent practical experience demonstrating a strong understanding of design principles and methodologies.

Experience: 4+ years of industry experience in a people management role on a Design team, with a total of 5-10 years of overall experience in product design. Experience in matrix organizations is a plus. Applied experience within the financial services sector, specifically with payment UX, is required, demonstrating strong service design foundations and an effective design process.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in leading and managing product design teams, including mentorship, performance management, and fostering a high-performing culture.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to translate complex business objectives into actionable design solutions.
• Deep understanding and application of user-centric design principles and methodologies, supported by the ability to drive user-centricity throughout the product development process.
• Expertise in design system principles, including defining components, evolving systems, and ensuring consistency and scalability across products.
• Experience with Agile design sprint methodologies, tools, and processes, and familiarity with platforms like Jira for project management.
• Fluency with product, design, and prototyping tools such as Figma, Google Suite, and Miro.
• Excellent communication, data visualization, and storytelling skills to effectively articulate design decisions and bring stakeholders on the design journey.
• Applied experience in the financial services sector, particularly with payment user experience and service design.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working in a matrix organization structure.
• A tenured, evolutionary perspective on technology, product, and design practices.
• Experience and skill in working across both digital and physical manifestations of design.
• A deep curiosity and ability to consider product strategy and vision beyond just the "how" and "what" of design.
• Experience with AI integration and emerging technologies in design workflows.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing impactful product design leadership and management experience, demonstrating the ability to guide teams through complex projects from concept to delivery.
• Case studies that clearly outline the design process, including problem framing, research methodologies, ideation, iteration, and the impact of design solutions on business outcomes and user needs.
• Examples of design strategies developed and communicated, highlighting how quantitative and qualitative insights informed decisions and drove user-centricity.
• Demonstrations of contributions to or leadership in developing and evolving design systems, showcasing an understanding of scalability, consistency, and quality.
• Visual presentation standards that effectively communicate design rationale, process documentation, and the impact of the team's work.

Process Documentation:

• Documentation of the research and discovery phase, including how user needs were identified and validated, and how this informed the design strategy.
• Evidence of ideation and iteration methods used by the team, showcasing approaches to exploring multiple design possibilities and refining solutions based on feedback.
• Documentation of validation and testing approaches, including how user feedback was gathered and incorporated into the design process to ensure solutions met user needs.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on market data for a Product Design Manager in Miami, Florida with 5-10 years of experience, including management experience and financial services domain expertise, the estimated annual salary range is $120,000 - $180,000. This range is an estimate and can vary based on experience, skills, and negotiation. Data sources include industry reports, salary aggregators (e.g., Glassdoor, Built In), and local market analysis for design leadership roles in the fintech sector in the Miami area.

Benefits:

• Lightspeed equity scheme, providing ownership in the company.
• Flexible paid time off policy to support work-life balance.
• Comprehensive health insurance coverage.
• Health and wellness benefit of $500 per year to support personal well-being.
• Paid leave and assistance for new parents.
• Access to a mental health online platform and counselling & coaching services.
• Volunteer days to encourage community involvement.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, with flexibility for design workflow and creative flow, potentially including hybrid remote work options as per company policy.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Software Development, specifically focused on providing a one-stop commerce platform for merchants in retail, hospitality, and golf. The company operates within the fintech space by offering global payments and financial solutions, creating a unique blend of e-commerce, POS, and financial technology with significant implications for product design focused on seamless user experiences in complex transactions.

Company Size: 1,001-5,000 employees globally (approximately 3162 LinkedIn employees). This size indicates a well-established company with structured teams and processes, offering opportunities for impact within a larger organization.

Founded: 2005 in Montreal, Canada. The company's history, starting in Montreal's gay village with a focus on inclusion, suggests a company culture that values diversity and community.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design Manager will lead a team within the Financial Services domain, specifically focused on Payments and Capital products.
• The team structure likely involves reporting to a higher-level design leader (e.g., Director or VP of Design).
• Significant cross-functional collaboration is expected with product managers, engineers, and potentially other teams within the Financial Services domain to ensure integrated and seamless user experiences.

Methodology:

• Utilizes Agile design sprint methodologies for product development and design processes.
• Emphasizes a user-centric approach grounded in both quantitative and qualitative insights for research and discovery.
• Focuses on ideation and design thinking approaches to translate complex business objectives into actionable design solutions.
• Incorporates testing and validation practices to ensure design solutions meet user needs and business objectives.

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

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid to senior-level management position within Product Design, focused on leading a specialized team. The responsibilities indicate a focus on team performance, strategic contributions, and cross-functional leadership, characteristic of a manager level with potential for advancement to senior manager or director roles.

Reporting Structure: The Product Design Manager will likely report to a Director or Head of Product Design within the Financial Services or a broader design organization. This structure provides opportunities for mentorship and strategic alignment with design leadership while allowing for significant autonomy in managing the Payments/Capital design team.

Design Impact: Design in this role has a significant impact on core business functionalities related to payments and capital, directly affecting merchant operations and customer experiences. The focus on creating integrated, invisible, and instant financial experiences highlights the strategic importance of design in driving product adoption and user satisfaction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Potential for advancement to Senior Product Design Manager, Director of Product Design, or other design leadership roles within Lightspeed, especially given the company's size and growth trajectory.
• Opportunities to develop expertise in the complex and rapidly evolving fintech domain, enhancing skills in designing for financial services and payments.
• Growth in leadership and mentorship skills by guiding a team and contributing to the overall design practice within the organization.
• Expansion of strategic thinking by partnering with product leadership and contributing to product vision and strategy.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Hybrid work environment, suggesting a blend of in-office and remote work. This offers flexibility while maintaining opportunities for in-person collaboration and team interaction.

Office Location(s): Miami, Florida, United States. The specific office location in Miami will be a key hub for the team, facilitating in-person meetings and collaborative sessions when working from the office.

Design Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model suggests access to dedicated office space in Miami designed to support creative work and collaboration when on-site.
• Workspace is likely equipped with tools and technology to support both individual focus and collaborative design activities, including meeting rooms with whiteboards, project spaces, and potentially usability testing facilities.
• The office environment provides opportunities for spontaneous interactions, team building, and participation in company-wide events, fostering a sense of community.

Work Schedule: Full-time schedule with the flexibility inherent in a hybrid work model, allowing for a balance between structured team activities and individual work based on project needs and personal preferences, while adhering to core team collaboration times.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• Initial screening call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and fit for the role, including a discussion of relevant design management experience and portfolio highlights.
• Subsequent interviews will likely involve discussions with design leadership, product managers, and potentially engineering leads to assess strategic thinking, collaboration skills, and domain expertise. Prepare to discuss your experience leading design teams in complex product areas like financial services.
• A portfolio presentation will be a key component, focusing on showcasing leadership, strategic impact, team guidance, and process documentation through well-structured case studies. Be prepared to articulate your design process and rationale for key projects.
• A design challenge or take-home exercise might be included to evaluate problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, and approach to tackling a relevant design problem within the payments or capital domain.
• Final interviews will likely involve discussions with senior leadership to assess cultural fit, leadership style, and overall strategic alignment with the company's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure your portfolio to clearly highlight your leadership role and the impact of your team's work on business outcomes and user experience.
• Develop detailed case studies that walk through the design process, focusing on problem framing, research insights, strategic decisions, team collaboration, and the results of the design solutions.
• Emphasize your experience in designing for complex domains like financial services and payments, showcasing your understanding of service design and user needs in this sector.
• Include examples of your contribution to or leadership in developing and maintaining design systems, demonstrating your understanding of scalability and consistency.
• Practice presenting your case studies concisely and effectively, focusing on storytelling and articulating your design rationale and the impact of your team's work.

Challenge Preparation:

• Research Lightspeed's existing Payments and Capital products to understand the current user experience and identify potential areas for improvement or innovation.
• Approach the challenge with a strategic mindset, focusing on problem framing, user needs, and potential business impact rather than just visual design.
• Structure your response or presentation to clearly articulate your design process, rationale, and potential solutions within the given time constraints.

ATS Keywords: Product Design Manager, Design Leadership, Team Management, Product Design, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), Financial Services, Payments, Capital, Fintech, Service Design, Design Strategy, User-Centric Design, Design Systems, Agile, Design Sprints, Figma, Miro, Jira, Google Suite, Problem Solving, Strategic Thinking, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Mentorship, Coaching, Data Visualization, Communication, Portfolio Review, Case Studies, User Research, Prototyping, Iteration, Validation, AI Integration, Emerging Technologies, Hybrid Work, Miami. (Organized by category: Design Skills, Tools, Methodologies, Domain Expertise, Soft Skills, Work Arrangement, Location)

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: Expected to be fluent in Figma for collaborative design, prototyping, and design system management. Experience with advanced features and team collaboration functionalities is likely required.
• Miro: Utilized for collaborative brainstorming, whiteboarding, and potentially user journey mapping or process flows.
• Google Suite: Used for documentation, presentations, and team communication (e.g., Google Docs, Slides, Sheets).

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Jira: Used for project management, task tracking, and workflow management within Agile methodologies, facilitating collaboration with product and engineering teams.
• Figma (Prototyping & Handoff): Utilized for creating interactive prototypes for user testing and for providing detailed design specifications and assets to engineering teams.
• Google Suite (Documentation): Used for creating and sharing design documentation, style guides, and design system guidelines.

Research & Testing:

• Tools for conducting user research (qualitative and quantitative) and gathering user insights. Specific tools were not mentioned, but experience with various research methods is implied.
• Tools for prototype validation and user feedback collection, potentially integrated with primary design tools like Figma.
• Analytics tools to measure design performance and gather insights for optimization (specific tools not mentioned, but an understanding of data-driven design is expected).

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• User-Centricity: A core value, emphasizing the importance of grounding design strategies in quantitative and qualitative insights and ensuring user needs are central throughout the product development process.
• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on building strong cross-functional relationships and partnering closely with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to achieve shared success.
• Quality & Accountability: Holding a high bar for quality in design outcomes and taking accountability for project delivery and team performance.
• Innovation & Evolution: An appetite for exploring and integrating AI and emerging technologies and a tenured, evolutionary perspective on technology, product, and design practices.

Collaboration Style:

• Emphasis on close partnership with product managers for problem definition and strategic alignment.
• Cross-functional collaboration with engineering teams for design handoff and implementation.
• Likely involves regular design critiques and feedback sessions within the design team to ensure quality and consistency.
• Collaboration within the broader Lightspeed team to achieve organizational objectives, potentially extending beyond the immediate Financial Services team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Navigating the complexity of designing for the financial services domain, including payments and capital, which involves intricate workflows, regulatory considerations, and user trust. Mitigation strategies involve deep user research, strong collaboration with domain experts, and iterative design processes.
• Leading and managing a design team in a hybrid work environment, ensuring effective communication, collaboration, and team cohesion across potentially distributed locations. Preparation includes developing strong remote management and communication skills.
• Integrating AI and emerging technologies into the design workflow and product solutions, requiring continuous learning and adaptation to new tools and approaches. Learning resources include industry conferences, online courses, and internal knowledge sharing.
• Balancing the need for consistency and scalability through design systems while also fostering innovation and adapting design approaches to specific product needs within the Financial Services domain. Best practice guidance involves strategic design system evolution and clear guidelines for application.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Opportunities to deepen expertise in the financial technology sector and the specifics of designing for payments and capital products.
• Development of leadership and management skills through direct team management, mentorship, and strategic collaboration with senior leadership.
• Exposure to and potential involvement in integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI into product design workflows.
• Participation in industry conferences, workshops, and training programs to stay current with design trends, technologies, and best practices in fintech design.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• "Describe your approach to leading a design team through a complex project from initial problem framing to final delivery within an Agile environment." (Tactical preparation: Prepare specific examples from your experience, highlighting your leadership in each phase and the methodologies used.)
• "How do you ensure user needs remain central throughout the product development process, especially in a technical domain like financial services?" (Response strategy: Discuss your methods for conducting and leveraging user research, partnering with product managers, and advocating for the user within cross-functional teams. Provide concrete examples from your portfolio.)
• "Tell me about a time your team faced a significant design challenge on a project. How did you approach problem-solving, guide your team, and arrive at a solution?" (Portfolio examples guidance: Select a case study that demonstrates a challenging project and your leadership in overcoming obstacles, highlighting your problem-solving skills and ability to guide your team.)

Company Culture Questions:

• "What aspects of Lightspeed's company culture and values resonate with you, particularly in the context of the design team?" (Research recommendations: Research Lightspeed's values, mission, and design team culture through their website, social media, and employee reviews. Prepare to discuss how your values and work style align with theirs.)
• "How do you approach collaboration with product managers and engineers to ensure a seamless and efficient workflow within a hybrid environment?" (Preparation guidance: Reflect on your past experiences collaborating with cross-functional teams, highlighting successful strategies for communication, handoff, and shared ownership. Provide examples of how you've fostered positive working relationships.)
• "How do you measure the impact of your team's design work on business outcomes and user satisfaction?" (Case study advice: Prepare to discuss how you've defined and tracked key metrics for past projects, demonstrating your ability to connect design decisions to tangible results.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus your presentation on 2-3 key case studies that best demonstrate your leadership, strategic thinking, and experience in complex domains.
• Structure each case study to clearly outline the problem, your team's approach (including research and process), key design decisions, your leadership role, and the impact of the solution.
• Emphasize your design process documentation and how you guided your team through each phase, rather than focusing solely on the final visual design.
• Be prepared to articulate the "why" behind design decisions and how they aligned with both user needs and business objectives.
• Practice your presentation to ensure a smooth flow and effective storytelling, allowing adequate time for discussion and questions.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link, ensuring all required fields are completed and your resume and portfolio link are included.
• Customize your design portfolio to specifically highlight your leadership experience, strategic contributions, and work in complex domains like financial services or payments, ensuring case studies clearly demonstrate your team's process and impact.
• Optimize your resume for design roles by incorporating relevant keywords from the ATS Keywords list, focusing on your experience in product design management, team leadership, and specific skills like design systems and Agile methodologies.
• Prepare for design interviews by practicing articulating your design process, leadership philosophy, and case studies, specifically focusing on how you translate complex business objectives into actionable design solutions and measure impact.
• Research Lightspeed's company culture, values, and recent product developments, particularly within the Financial Services domain, to demonstrate your understanding of the company and your potential fit within the design team.