Design Director

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Design Director Company: Nubank Location: USA - Remote Job Type: Full-time Category: Design Leadership & Strategy Date Posted: 2025-10-02T13:49:24 Experience Level: 10+ Years Remote Status: Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and centralize the design strategy for Nubank's Brazil operations, encompassing key business units like Investments, High Income (Ultravioleta), Core, Digital Ecosystem, and PJ.
• Establish and maintain a unified, consistent design system across all Brazilian product areas, ensuring seamless integration with the core app team and individual product squads.
• Drive strategic alignment between design initiatives and overarching company objectives by fostering strong partnerships with senior General Managers, Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Business leaders.
• Develop and execute hiring plans for design leaders, structure design teams effectively, and define clear governance for design practices within Brazil, balancing creative excellence with operational efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a senior leadership position within Nubank's Brazil design organization, responsible for strategic direction and operational integration of design efforts across multiple product lines. The emphasis on a matrixed environment and collaboration without defaulting to consensus suggests a need for strong leadership and decision-making capabilities.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and champion the overarching design strategy for Brazil, ensuring cohesive execution across diverse business units and product portfolios.
• Develop, implement, and govern a comprehensive design system that promotes consistency, scalability, and efficiency across all digital products and user experiences in Brazil.
• Foster and manage a high-performing team of senior design leaders, providing mentorship, guidance, and performance management to drive individual and team growth.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional leadership (Product, Engineering, Marketing, Business) to translate business goals into impactful design solutions and ensure design's strategic contribution to company objectives.
• Oversee the hiring process for design talent, focusing on attracting and retaining individuals who align with Nubank's culture and contribute to the company's design maturity.
• Drive process optimization within the design function, identifying opportunities for automation, workflow improvements, and enhanced operational efficiency without compromising creative quality.
• Act as a key decision-maker for design-related matters, balancing collaborative input with a clear, confident design point of view to ensure strategic alignment and effective execution.
• Contribute to the operational and product-oriented aspects of the design organization, ensuring that design processes are integrated seamlessly with broader business functions.
• Evaluate and challenge creative work rigorously, ensuring the delivery of exceptional design quality that is evidence-based and aligned with user needs and business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on strategic vision and operational execution, common in senior design leadership roles within large, global tech companies. The emphasis on "balancing collaboration with critical decision-making" and "without defaulting to consensus" indicates a need for a leader who can drive direction decisively while fostering an inclusive environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Higher education in Design, Business, Technology, or a related field (e.g., Industrial Design, Fine Arts, Engineering, Business Administration).

Experience: Extensive experience in design leadership roles within global technology or digital product organizations, with a proven track record of building, restructuring, or optimizing design functions in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience leading medium-to-large design teams, including those managing extensive design systems across multiple products.
• Demonstrated ability to operate effectively within global app environments and navigate complex stakeholder landscapes.
• Strong creative direction skills, with the capacity for hands-on contribution when necessary.
• Expertise in design systems, UX/UI principles, and product integration across diverse platforms.
• Fluency in English is mandatory for effective communication in a global organization.
• Ability to balance collaboration with confident, decisive action, maintaining a clear and strong design point of view.
• Skill in shaping and articulating a cohesive design vision that aligns strategic goals with creative execution.
• Proficiency in evaluating and challenging creative output based on evidence of exceptional design quality and user-centricity.
• Adept at connecting with teams, fostering constructive debate, and driving collaboration across senior leadership and cross-functional departments.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with Latin American markets and their unique consumer behaviors and design considerations.
• Portuguese and/or Spanish language proficiency to enhance collaboration within the Brazil market.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of strategic leadership, deep design expertise, and strong interpersonal skills. The explicit mention of "evaluating and challenging creative work" and "evidence of exceptional design quality" suggests a focus on outcomes and measurable impact over just management.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A portfolio showcasing leadership in defining and implementing design strategies for complex product ecosystems.
• Evidence of successfully building, scaling, or optimizing design teams and functions in dynamic, international environments.
• Case studies demonstrating the development and successful adoption of comprehensive design systems across multiple product lines.
• Examples of leading cross-functional collaboration to achieve strategic business objectives through design.
• Documentation of experience in managing and mentoring senior design leaders.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase examples of how you've established governance frameworks for design systems and processes, ensuring consistency and scalability.
• Provide insights into your methodology for integrating design operations with product and engineering workflows to enhance efficiency and speed to market.
• Demonstrate your approach to measuring the impact of design initiatives, including how you track and report on key performance indicators related to user experience and business outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this senior role, a portfolio should not only display design execution but also strategic leadership, team building, and process optimization capabilities. The emphasis is on demonstrating impact and the ability to scale design operations within a global context.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the senior leadership level, global remote nature, and company's standing (Nubank is a prominent fintech), a competitive salary range is expected. For a Design Director with 10+ years of experience in the US, this could range from $180,000 to $250,000+ annually, with potential for bonuses and equity.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Generous paid time off (PTO), including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
• Retirement savings plan with company match (e.g., 401k in the US).
• Professional development budget for conferences, training, and certifications relevant to design leadership and operations.
• Potential for equity or stock options as part of the compensation package.
• Remote work stipend for home office setup and ongoing expenses.
• Access to employee assistance programs and wellness initiatives.

Working Hours: Typically 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected for a leadership role that requires strategic thinking and cross-functional engagement across different time zones. Occasional evening or early morning calls may be necessary to accommodate global team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on industry benchmarks for Design Director roles in the US with extensive experience. Benefits are standard for senior positions in tech companies, with a focus on professional growth and well-being. The remote nature implies flexibility in working hours to facilitate global collaboration.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech (Financial Technology), focused on digital banking, credit cards, and financial services. Nubank is a leading digital bank in Latin America. Company Size: Nubank is a large, publicly traded company, employing thousands of individuals globally. This indicates a structured environment with established processes, but also opportunities for significant impact. Founded: Nubank was founded in 2013, marking it as a relatively young but rapidly scaling and highly influential player in the fintech space.

Team Structure:

• The Design Director will lead the Brazil design organization, which is part of a broader global design function.
• This role operates within a matrixed structure, collaborating closely with senior General Managers (GMs) who lead specific product domains.
• There will be direct reports of senior design managers, and close partnership with Product, Engineering, and Marketing leaders.
• The design team's scope includes Investments, High Income (Ultravioleta), Core, Digital Ecosystem, and PJ (Business accounts).

Methodology:

• Nubank emphasizes data-driven decision-making and a customer-centric approach, which will influence design strategy and execution.
• The company culture likely values innovation, agility, and a strong bias for action, common in fast-growing tech companies.
• Design processes will need to be integrated with agile development methodologies and a focus on delivering measurable business outcomes.

Company Website: https://nubank.com.br/

📝 Enhancement Note: Nubank's position as a major fintech player suggests a culture of innovation and rapid growth. The matrixed structure and focus on collaboration without consensus are critical cultural aspects for a candidate to understand.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership position, equivalent to a Director or VP level within a design organization. It requires strategic oversight, team management, and significant influence over product direction and operational processes within the design function.

Reporting Structure: The Design Director will likely report to a higher-level executive, such as the Chief Design Officer (CDO), VP of Design, or a senior GM overseeing product for Brazil. They will manage a team of senior design managers who, in turn, manage individual contributors and potentially other design leads.

Operations Impact: The Design Director's impact is critical. They will shape the user experience across Nubank's entire Brazilian product suite, directly influencing customer acquisition, retention, satisfaction, and ultimately, revenue. By centralizing the design system and strategy, they will drive efficiency, reduce redundancy, and ensure a cohesive brand experience.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Expansion: Potential to expand scope to oversee design for additional regions or product verticals within Nubank.
• Executive Leadership: Opportunity to grow into VP or Chief Design Officer roles as the company continues its global expansion.
• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific product areas or design operations, becoming a recognized authority within the company.
• Mentorship & Development: Lead and mentor a growing team of design leaders, contributing to the development of future talent within Nubank and the broader industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities for career advancement within a rapidly growing fintech company. The focus on operationalizing design and strategic integration positions the candidate for executive-level progression.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: While the role is listed as remote, Nubank operates with a hybrid model in many locations, and even for remote roles, there's often an emphasis on creating a strong sense of connection and collaboration. The company may have physical hubs or co-working spaces available for remote employees in key regions.

Office Location(s): The role is specified as "USA - Remote," indicating that the candidate can be based anywhere within the United States. Nubank has offices in various locations, including Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Germany, and the US.

Workspace Context:

• As a remote role, the candidate will be expected to maintain a productive home office environment.
• Collaboration will primarily occur through digital tools, requiring strong proficiency in virtual communication and project management platforms.
• Opportunities for in-person connection might arise through company-sponsored offsites, team meetups, or optional visits to physical office locations.
• The environment is likely fast-paced and innovative, typical of a leading fintech organization.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) are expected, with flexibility to accommodate global team meetings and project deadlines. This may require occasional adjustments to working hours to align with teams in different time zones, particularly with Brazil.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature of the role necessitates strong self-discipline and excellent digital collaboration skills. While based in the US, understanding and adapting to the working hours and cultural nuances of the Brazilian team will be crucial for success.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager (likely a senior design or product leader) to delve deeper into leadership experience, strategic thinking, and team management approach.
• Panel Interviews: Multiple interviews with peers, cross-functional partners (Product, Engineering, Marketing leads), and potentially senior executives. These will focus on specific competencies, problem-solving, and collaboration style.
• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where candidates present a curated selection of their work, focusing on leadership examples, strategic impact, and process improvements. This is a critical stage for demonstrating expertise in design systems and team leadership.
• Final Interview: Often with a very senior leader (e.g., CDO, CTO, CEO) for final endorsement.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Leadership Impact: Showcase instances where your strategic decisions and leadership directly led to significant improvements in design quality, team performance, or business outcomes.
• Highlight Design System Implementation: Detail your experience in creating, scaling, and maintaining design systems. Explain the challenges faced, the solutions implemented, and the measurable benefits achieved.
• Demonstrate Cross-Functional Collaboration: Provide examples of how you've partnered effectively with Product, Engineering, and Business teams to achieve shared goals. Illustrate your approach to managing stakeholders and driving consensus without sacrificing vision.
• Showcase Team Building & Mentorship: Include examples of how you've hired, developed, and mentored design leaders and teams. Discuss your leadership philosophy and how you foster a high-performance culture.
• Quantify Achievements: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the impact of your work. This could include improvements in user satisfaction, conversion rates, development efficiency, or team productivity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for case study discussions related to centralizing design strategy, building a design system for a complex organization, or restructuring a design team.
• Practice articulating your design philosophy, leadership style, and strategic vision concisely and compellingly.
• Anticipate questions about how you handle difficult stakeholder management, drive consensus, and make tough decisions in ambiguous situations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is paramount for this role. Candidates should prepare to articulate their strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and hands-on experience with design systems and team development, backed by quantifiable results.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Tools: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects), InVision, Miro, Mural.
• Design System Management: Figma (as a primary tool for design and system management), Storybook, Abstract, Zeroheight.
• Project Management & Collaboration: Jira, Asana, Trello, Slack, Confluence.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics.
• Data Visualization & BI: Tableau, Power BI, Looker.
• User Feedback & Research: SurveyMonkey, Typeform, UserTesting.com, Hotjar.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managed by Design, familiarity with CRM platforms like Salesforce or HubSpot, and marketing automation tools, can be beneficial for understanding the broader customer journey and business context. Understanding how design integrates with customer data and communication flows is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in leading-edge design tools and platforms, particularly Figma for design system management, is essential. Understanding how design integrates with product analytics and broader business systems like CRM will be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of Nubank's users, driving design decisions that enhance customer experience and loyalty.
• Innovation & Agility: A culture that encourages experimentation, rapid iteration, and embraces new technologies to stay at the forefront of the fintech industry.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing data and insights to inform design strategy, measure impact, and optimize user experiences.
• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an open environment where ideas are shared freely, feedback is constructive, and teams work cohesively across departments.
• Excellence & Ownership: A drive for high-quality execution, taking responsibility for outcomes, and continuously striving for improvement.

Collaboration Style:

• The role emphasizes "collaboration without defaulting to consensus," suggesting a style that encourages diverse input but ultimately relies on decisive leadership to move forward.
• Expect a highly cross-functional environment where design works hand-in-hand with Product Management, Engineering, Data Science, Marketing, and Business Intelligence.
• Communication is expected to be direct, clear, and frequent, leveraging digital tools for asynchronous and synchronous collaboration.
• A culture of constructive critique and peer review is likely prevalent to ensure design quality and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Nubank's core values and collaboration style will be crucial for integrating successfully into the team. The emphasis on decisive leadership within a collaborative framework is a key differentiator.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Centralizing Design in a Matrixed Organization: Effectively unifying design strategy and systems across multiple business units and product areas, each with potentially unique needs and stakeholders.
• Balancing Global Standards with Local Nuances: Ensuring consistency across Nubank's global presence while adapting design to the specific market needs and preferences in Brazil.
• Driving Adoption of Design Systems: Gaining buy-in and ensuring consistent implementation of the design system across diverse product teams and development cycles.
• Leading Remote Teams Effectively: Maintaining team cohesion, motivation, and high performance within a distributed workforce, ensuring equitable collaboration across different locations.
• Navigating Complex Stakeholder Landscapes: Managing expectations and influencing decision-making among senior leaders with competing priorities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Executive Leadership Training: Opportunities for formal leadership development programs focused on strategic management and organizational growth.
• Fintech Industry Immersion: Deepen expertise in the rapidly evolving fintech landscape and its unique design challenges and opportunities.
• Global Design Strategy: Gain experience in shaping design for diverse international markets and contributing to a global brand's evolution.
• Mentorship from Senior Leaders: Access to guidance and learning from Nubank's top executives and established design leaders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior leadership roles in large, global companies, particularly in dynamic industries like fintech. The growth opportunities focus on expanding strategic influence and leadership scope.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach centralizing and standardizing the design system across multiple distinct product domains within Nubank's Brazil operations?"
• "Describe a time you had to drive significant change within a design team or across cross-functional partners. What was your strategy, and what were the outcomes?"
• "How do you balance the need for a consistent global design vision with the necessity of tailoring experiences for specific local markets like Brazil?"
• "What metrics would you prioritize to measure the success and impact of the design function at Nubank Brazil, and how would you track them?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Nubank's mission and its position in the fintech industry?"
• "How do you foster a culture of innovation and collaboration within a remote design team, especially when dealing with differing opinions among senior leaders?"
• "Describe your leadership philosophy and how you empower senior design leaders to drive their teams effectively."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure your presentation: Begin with an overview of your leadership philosophy and strategic approach. Then, dive into 2-3 key case studies that best demonstrate your experience in design strategy, design systems, team leadership, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Focus on impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your strategic solution, the process you followed (including challenges and how you overcame them), and the measurable results achieved. Use data and visuals effectively.
• Highlight leadership and collaboration: Emphasize your role in leading teams, mentoring designers, and working with product, engineering, and business stakeholders.
• Be prepared for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, how you handle conflict, and how you would adapt your strategies to Nubank's specific context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss strategic design leadership, operationalizing design processes, and building high-performing teams. Demonstrating an understanding of Nubank's business and culture, and how design contributes to it, will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Design Director position:

• Submit your application through the Nubank careers portal via the provided Greenhouse link.
• Curate your portfolio: Select case studies that specifically highlight your experience in design leadership, developing and implementing design systems, managing senior design teams, and driving strategic initiatives in complex, global product environments. Quantify your achievements wherever possible.
• Tailor your resume: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your experience in design leadership roles, focusing on responsibilities and achievements relevant to this Director-level position, using keywords from the job description like "design strategy," "design systems," "team leadership," and "cross-functional collaboration."
• Prepare your narrative: Practice articulating your leadership philosophy, strategic vision, and problem-solving approach. Be ready to discuss your experience with remote team management and driving consensus without compromising direction.
• Research Nubank: Thoroughly understand Nubank's mission, values, product offerings (especially in Brazil), and recent developments in the fintech industry. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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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