Product Designer, Growth

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer, Growth

Company: Betterment

Location: New York City

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design (Growth)

Date Posted: 2025-06-11T15:58:22

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days/week in-office)

🎨 Role Summary

• Focus on creating compelling and impactful growth experiences within the financial services sector, specifically targeting prospective customers.
• Utilize a blend of creative, analytical, and technical design skills to optimize high-level acquisition funnels and user onboarding journeys.
• Collaborate closely with a diverse cross-functional team including product management, engineering, brand design, content strategy, and marketing to deliver cohesive and effective design solutions.
• Contribute to and evolve an established design system to ensure accessibility, consistency, and brand alignment across all touchpoints.
• Drive data-informed design decisions by leveraging user research, customer insights, usability principles, and site performance analytics.
• Proactively identify new growth opportunities, propose and analyze A/B tests, and stay abreast of the latest design and industry trends.
• Take full ownership of the design process from initial concept through to successful implementation and launch.
• Actively participate in a supportive design team culture focused on continuous learning, open feedback, and achieving a unified customer experience.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Design, prototype, and iterate on critical acquisition flows, conversion funnels, and user onboarding experiences to drive key growth metrics.
• Conceptualize and create engaging landing pages and website experiences that effectively communicate the Betterment brand value proposition to potential customers.
• Apply user research findings, customer insights, and usability heuristics to inform design decisions and optimize user engagement and conversion rates.
• Analyze site performance metrics and A/B test results to make data-backed design improvements and measure the impact of design changes on growth objectives.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and maintenance of the Betterment design system, ensuring new components and patterns are accessible, consistent, and adhere to brand guidelines.
• Work in close partnership with product managers to define product requirements, prioritize features, and align design solutions with business goals.
• Collaborate effectively with engineering teams throughout the design and development lifecycle, providing clear specifications and ensuring design intent is accurately implemented.
• Partner with brand designers, content strategists, and marketing teams to ensure visual design, messaging, and overall user experience are cohesive and resonant.
• Proactively identify opportunities for design-driven growth, propose innovative solutions, and advocate for user needs within the cross-functional team.
• Manage multiple design projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks effectively to meet tight deadlines and deliver high-quality work.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While a Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred, significant professional experience and a strong portfolio demonstrating relevant skills are highly valued.

Experience: Minimum of 3+ years of hands-on experience as a Product Designer, with a track record of designing and shipping impactful digital products for real users, particularly in web and mobile contexts. Experience in the fintech or financial services industry is a plus but not strictly required.

Required Skills:

• Proficiency in Product Design principles and methodologies, including user-centered design, interaction design, and visual design.
• Demonstrated ability to create compelling visual designs with a strong foundation in typography, layout, color theory, and information hierarchy.
• Proven experience working within and contributing to established design systems and ensuring design consistency and scalability.
• Strong understanding of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and best practices for creating inclusive digital experiences.
• Experience conducting or collaborating on user research and usability testing to identify user needs, pain points, and validate design solutions.
• Ability to analyze data and site performance metrics to inform design decisions and measure the impact of design changes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and rationale clearly to diverse stakeholders.
• Strong collaborative skills, with proven experience working effectively with cross-functional teams, including product managers, engineers, and marketers.
• Experience working in an iterative, data-informed environment that utilizes A/B testing and continuous learning.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple projects concurrently, and deliver high-quality work within tight deadlines.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to connect design work to broader product and business goals, particularly related to growth and user acquisition.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for financial products or services, understanding user behavior and trust considerations in this domain.
• Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods specific to growth design and conversion rate optimization.
• Experience with prototyping tools for creating interactive user flows and animations.
• Understanding of front-end development principles (HTML, CSS) to facilitate effective collaboration with engineers.
• Experience with copywriting or content strategy integration into the design process, especially for marketing and acquisition funnels.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Present a curated portfolio showcasing a range of impactful product design projects, focusing on those that demonstrate experience in user acquisition, conversion optimization, or improving key funnels.
• Include detailed case studies that walk through your design process from problem definition and research through ideation, iteration, and final implementation.
• Clearly articulate the business goals and user needs your designs addressed, and quantify the positive business impact your work achieved (e.g., conversion rate increases, user engagement improvements).
• Showcase strong visual design skills, demonstrating attention to detail, understanding of visual hierarchy, and application of design system principles.
• Include examples of your work across different platforms, specifically web and mobile interfaces.

Process Documentation:

• For each case study, detail your approach to understanding the problem space, including any research methods used (e.g., user interviews, surveys, data analysis).
• Illustrate your ideation process, including sketches, wireframes, and low-fidelity prototypes that show how you explored different solutions.
• Explain your iterative design process, including how you incorporated feedback and validation (e.g., usability testing, A/B test results) into your designs.
• Document your collaboration process with cross-functional team members, highlighting how you worked with product managers, engineers, and marketers.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $110,000 - $130,000 USD per year

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance (Medical, Dental, Vision)
• Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Commuter and Parking Benefits
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) / Health Savings Account (HSA) options
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Employer Match
• Competitive Equity Package
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) policy, with encouragement for employees to use it
• Infertility support and World Professional Association for Transgender Health approved benefits
• Generous Parental Leave

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, with a hybrid work model requiring in-office attendance Tuesday through Thursday weekly at the NYC HQ.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Financial Services / Financial Technology (FinTech)

Company Size: Approximately 201-500 employees (based on LinkedIn data)

Founded: 2010

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team at Betterment collaborates closely with various cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Engineering, Brand Design, Content Strategy, and Marketing.
• Designers are embedded within product teams, working alongside product managers and engineers on specific initiatives, such as the Growth team.
• There is a focus on cross-disciplinary collaboration to ensure a unified customer experience across all touchpoints.

Methodology:

• The company operates in a data-informed, test-and-learn environment, utilizing A/B testing and performance metrics to guide product and design decisions.
• There is an emphasis on identifying user needs and pain points through research, usability testing, and data analysis.
• The design process likely involves iterative cycles of design, prototyping, testing, and refinement.
• Contribution to and utilization of an established design system is a key aspect of the workflow.

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

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This role is explicitly listed as requiring 3+ years of experience, placing it at a Mid-Level Product Designer standing within the design career progression. This level typically involves taking ownership of significant features or areas, contributing to strategy, and mentoring junior designers if applicable.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, Product Designers at this level often report to a Design Lead or Design Manager within the Product Design organization. They work closely with Product Managers and engineering leads on their specific product team.

Design Impact: As a Product Designer focused on Growth, your work will have a direct and measurable impact on key business metrics such as user acquisition, conversion rates, and the overall growth trajectory of the company. Your designs will shape the initial experience prospective customers have with Betterment.

Growth Opportunities:

• >Strong potential for advancement to Senior Product Designer roles by demonstrating increased ownership, strategic impact, and leadership within the team.
• >Opportunities to specialize further within Growth design or explore other areas of product design within Betterment as the company and design team evolve.
• >Dedicated professional development opportunities are mentioned, which could include training, conferences, or resources to enhance design skills and domain expertise.
• >Exposure to various aspects of a FinTech business, offering a unique opportunity to deepen understanding of financial products and user behavior in this space.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Hybrid office environment, requiring in-office presence three days a week at the New York City headquarters.

Office Location(s): Betterment HQ - New York City (450 W 33rd St, New York, NY).

Design Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model suggests a workspace designed to support both focused individual work and collaborative team sessions, particularly during the mandated in-office days.
• Collaboration spaces equipped with tools for brainstorming, whiteboarding, and presenting design work are likely available.
• The office environment provides opportunities for direct interaction with cross-functional team members, fostering closer collaboration and spontaneous discussions.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with a specific requirement for in-office work on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Flexibility for remote work on other days is implied by the hybrid model.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• The initial application review takes a few weeks. If selected, expect 3-4 rounds of meetings with future colleagues.
• Interviews will focus on evaluating your skills, experiences, capabilities, and motivators, with many questions aimed at understanding how you would operate within Betterment's culture and processes.
• Be prepared for a case study exercise or technical assessment to provide a robust data set for evaluation. This will likely involve a design challenge related to the role's focus (e.g., optimizing a growth funnel or designing an acquisition flow).
• The process aims to assess your problem-solving skills, design process, collaboration style, and cultural fit.
• The hiring decision timeline is typically 3-5 weeks, depending on candidate availability.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tailor your portfolio presentation to highlight projects relevant to growth, user acquisition, and conversion optimization.
• For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process, key decisions, and the impact of your work, ideally using quantitative data.
• Be prepared to discuss your design rationale in detail and explain how your solutions address user needs and business goals.
• Showcase your collaboration skills by discussing how you worked with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrate your understanding of accessibility and how you incorporate it into your designs.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate a design challenge that tests your ability to tackle a growth-related problem, such as improving a sign-up flow or designing a landing page.
• Practice articulating your design process and rationale clearly and concisely within a limited timeframe.
• Be ready to explain your assumptions, explore different solutions, and justify your recommended approach based on user needs and potential business impact.
• Consider how you would measure the success of your proposed solution using relevant metrics.

ATS Keywords:

• Design Skills: Product Design, UX Design, UI Design, Visual Design, Interaction Design, User-Centered Design, Design Thinking, Prototyping, Wireframing, Usability, Accessibility, Information Architecture, Design Systems, A/B Testing, Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), Growth Design, Data-Informed Design, User Research, Usability Testing, Customer Insights, Problem Solving, Strategic Thinking.
• Tools: [Specific design software like Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD if known], [Prototyping tools like InVision, Principle, ProtoPie if known], [Collaboration tools like Jira, Asana, Trello if known], [Analytics tools like Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel if known].
• Methodologies: Agile, Lean UX, Iterative Design, Design Sprints.
• Soft Skills: Collaboration, Communication, Cross-Functional Teamwork, Stakeholder Management, Presentation Skills, Critical Thinking, Adaptability, Ownership, Prioritization.
• Industry Terms: FinTech, Financial Services, User Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Engagement, Funnel Optimization, Landing Pages, Onboarding, Personal Finance, Investing, Retirement, 401(k).

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Specific design software (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) is likely used for creating high-fidelity designs and prototypes. Proficiency in industry-standard tools is expected.
• Prototyping tools are likely employed to create interactive flows for usability testing and stakeholder presentations.
• Experience working within and contributing to a design system built using a standard design tool is required.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Google Meet) are used for communication within the cross-functional team.
• Project management tools (e.g., Jira, Asana) are likely utilized for tracking tasks and project progress.
• Handoff tools or features within the primary design software are used to provide specifications and assets to engineering teams.
• Documentation tools may be used for maintaining design system guidelines and specifications.

Research & Testing:

• Tools for conducting user research (e.g., user interviews, surveys) and usability testing are likely employed.
• Analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) are used to track site performance metrics and user behavior data.
• A/B testing platforms are utilized to test design variations and measure their impact on growth metrics.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• Passion for personal finance and creating intuitive, delightful experiences for users to manage their money is a core value.
• Approaching problems holistically, considering both user needs and business goals.
• Commitment to continuous learning and skill development, both individually and as a team.
• Valuing open feedback and striving for excellence in design outcomes.
• Focus on creating a unified customer experience across all touchpoints, emphasizing consistency and brand alignment.

Collaboration Style:

• Strong emphasis on close collaboration with a diverse cross-functional team, including product management, engineering, and marketing.
• Working through feedback from various stakeholders to arrive at optimal design solutions.
• Operating in a data-informed environment where insights from research and analytics guide discussions and decisions.
• Likely involves regular design critiques and team meetings to share work and provide constructive feedback.
• Cultivating a supportive and inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Balancing aggressive growth goals with providing clear, trustworthy financial experiences for users, especially in a regulated industry.
• Designing for diverse user segments within the acquisition funnel, from those new to investing to experienced users.
• Iterating rapidly in a data-driven environment while maintaining design quality and consistency with the design system.
• Effectively communicating the value proposition of complex financial products through compelling and easy-to-understand design.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Opportunities to deepen expertise in growth design strategies, A/B testing methodologies, and conversion rate optimization techniques.
• Exposure to the intricacies of the FinTech industry, gaining valuable domain knowledge in investing, retirement, and financial planning.
• Dedicated professional development resources and opportunities to enhance design skills and leadership capabilities.
• Mentorship opportunities within the design team and across the organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• Be prepared to walk through your design process for a project focused on user acquisition or conversion, highlighting your approach to research, ideation, and iteration.
• Discuss how you balance business goals with user needs in your design decisions, providing specific examples.
• Explain how you use data and research insights to inform and validate your design solutions.

Company Culture Questions:

• Research Betterment's mission and values, particularly their focus on making people's lives better through financial services. Be ready to discuss why this resonates with you.
• Prepare examples of how you've collaborated effectively with cross-functional teams, addressing challenges and feedback from different stakeholders.
• Discuss your approach to receiving and giving feedback, and how you contribute to a supportive team environment.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 2-3 case studies that best demonstrate your experience in growth-related design, highlighting impactful projects.
• Structure your presentation to clearly articulate the problem, your process (research, ideation, iteration), your solution, and the measurable impact of your work.
• Practice presenting your work concisely, focusing on key decisions and your rationale.
• Be ready to discuss the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link.
• Carefully review the job description and tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in product design, particularly in areas related to growth, user acquisition, and conversion optimization.
• Curate your online portfolio to showcase your strongest product design case studies, with a focus on projects that demonstrate your process, problem-solving skills, and the impact of your work, especially on key business metrics.
• Be prepared to discuss your portfolio in detail during the interview process, explaining your design decisions and rationale clearly and concisely.
• Research Betterment's products, mission, and target audience to demonstrate your understanding of the company and the role's context within the financial technology industry.