Director, UX

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Director, UX

Company: SharkNinja

Location: Needham, MA, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience (UX) Design Leadership

Date Posted: 2026-04-27T12:51:50

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic direction and execution of User Experience (UX) design for SharkNinja's mobile applications and connected product experiences, driving innovation and consumer delight.

• Build, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of UX designers, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the design function.

• Champion human-centered design principles throughout the entire product development lifecycle, ensuring user research and consumer insights inform strategic decisions and design outcomes.

• Partner closely with senior leadership across Product, Engineering, Industrial Design, CMF, and Marketing to align the UX roadmap with overall business objectives and product strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role, while titled "Director, UX," is positioned within the context of a consumer product company heavily reliant on technology integration. The focus on "Mobile Apps & Connected Product Experiences" indicates a strong need for an operations-minded leader who can bridge the gap between physical products and their digital interfaces, ensuring seamless integration and a unified consumer journey. This implies a requirement for strategic thinking that considers the entire product ecosystem, not just standalone app design.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and own the overarching UX strategy for SharkNinja's connected app experiences, ensuring alignment with brand vision and business objectives across both Shark and Ninja product lines.

• Build, grow, and mentor a high-performing UX team, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement; this includes performance management, career development, and team capacity planning.

• Partner with senior leadership across Product, Engineering, Industrial Design, CMF, and Marketing to align the UX roadmap with product strategy and consumer needs, acting as a key liaison between design and other departments.

• Champion a human-centered design process, ensuring consumer insights and user research are embedded throughout the design lifecycle from concept to launch, establishing robust research methodologies and feedback loops.

• Establish and evolve SharkNinja's UX design system, standards, and best practices for mobile and connected product experiences on both iOS and Android platforms, promoting consistency and scalability.

• Lead design reviews and provide clear, constructive direction to designers, elevating the quality of design output and ensuring consistency across all consumer touchpoints.

• Evangelize UX across the organization, educating cross-functional partners on the value of design and advocating for the consumer at every level to foster a design-centric culture.

• Oversee the integration of AI tools and emerging technologies into the design process, keeping SharkNinja at the forefront of design innovation and exploring new possibilities for user interaction.

• Set team goals, manage resourcing and capacity effectively, and report on UX impact metrics to executive leadership, demonstrating the business value of design initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic leadership role that extends beyond typical UX design. The emphasis on "defining and owning the overarching UX strategy," "partnering with senior leadership," "evangelizing UX across the organization," and "reporting on UX impact metrics" indicates a need for strong business acumen, strategic planning capabilities, and the ability to translate design vision into measurable business outcomes. This aligns with revenue operations principles of driving business value through optimized processes and user engagement.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in UI/UX Design, Industrial Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related discipline.

Experience: 10+ years of UX design experience, with a minimum of 4 years in a people management or leadership role directly overseeing a team of designers.

Required Skills:

• Deep expertise in UX design for mobile experiences on both iOS and Android platforms.

• Proven experience integrating software UX with physical hardware products, demonstrating an understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in connected product ecosystems.

• A compelling portfolio of work demonstrating strategic design leadership, successful cross-functional collaboration, and measurable consumer impact.

• Proven ability to articulate and defend design decisions to executive stakeholders, translating high-level vision into actionable roadmaps and clear project plans.

• Expert-level proficiency in industry-standard design tools such as Figma and Adobe Creative Suite.

• Strong business acumen with the ability to balance consumer advocacy, technical feasibility, and commercial objectives, understanding how design decisions impact business goals.

Preferred Skills:

• Working knowledge of AI-powered design tools and their application in enhancing the design process and user experience.

• Experience in establishing and scaling design systems for complex product portfolios.

• Familiarity with user research methodologies and the ability to translate research findings into actionable design strategies.

• Understanding of CMF (Color, Material, Finish) principles and their integration with digital product experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for integrating software UX with physical hardware products is a critical differentiator for this role. It suggests that candidates with experience in IoT, smart home devices, or other connected product categories will have a significant advantage. The emphasis on "measurable consumer impact" and "business acumen" points to a need for UX leaders who can quantify their contributions and align design initiatives with broader business objectives, a skill highly valued in operations roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate strategic design leadership through examples of defining and executing UX strategies for complex product lines or platforms.

• Showcase successful cross-functional collaboration, illustrating how you partnered with Engineering, Product Management, Marketing, and other teams to bring products to market.

• Highlight measurable consumer impact, providing case studies that quantify improvements in user engagement, satisfaction, task completion rates, or other relevant UX metrics.

Process Documentation:

• Provide evidence of establishing and evolving UX design systems, including examples of design tokens, component libraries, and style guides for mobile applications.

• Illustrate your approach to embedding human-centered design processes, showcasing how user research, personas, journey mapping, and usability testing are integrated into the design lifecycle.

• Present case studies that detail the end-to-end design process for connected products, from initial concept and ideation through to launch and post-launch iteration.

• Detail your experience in leading design reviews and providing constructive feedback to elevate design quality and ensure consistency across multiple touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are geared towards demonstrating strategic impact and process ownership, which are core to operations roles. Candidates should focus on showcasing their ability to not only design but also to lead, strategize, and measure the effectiveness of design initiatives within a larger business context. This includes demonstrating how design processes contribute to business objectives and consumer satisfaction.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $230,000 - $285,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance.

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) with company contribution.

• 401(k) retirement plan with company matching.

• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP).

• Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) coverage.

• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance.

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) and Company Holidays.

• Parental Leave.

• Identity Theft Protection.

• Pet Insurance.

• Pre-paid Legal Insurance.

• Back-up Child and Eldercare Days.

• SharkNinja Product Discounts.

• Referral Bonus Program.

Working Hours: Standard 40-hour work week, with potential for flexibility during peak project periods, expected for a Director-level role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a Director-level UX position in the Needham, MA area, reflecting the seniority and strategic nature of the role. The extensive benefits package is typical for a large, established company like SharkNinja and offers significant value beyond base compensation. The "40-hour work week" is a baseline; Director roles often require dedication beyond standard hours, especially during critical project phases or product launches.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Consumer Product Design & Technology, with a strong focus on lifestyle solutions.

Company Size: Over 4,100 associates globally.

Founded: SharkNinja operates with a well-established history, though specific founding date is not provided, implying a mature organization with a proven track record.

Team Structure:

• The UX team is growing and will report to this Director, likely comprising UX designers, researchers, and potentially UX writers.

• This role involves significant cross-functional collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, Industrial Design, CMF, and Marketing departments, indicating a matrixed organizational structure common in product-focused companies.

Methodology:

• Human-Centered Design: A core philosophy, emphasizing deep understanding of consumer needs and behaviors throughout the product lifecycle.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The role requires setting and reporting on UX impact metrics, suggesting a reliance on data to inform strategy and measure success.

• Agile and Iterative Development: While not explicitly stated, the fast-paced nature of consumer product innovation and software development implies an iterative approach, with continuous feedback loops and design refinements.

• Innovation Focus: SharkNinja emphasizes "disruptive innovation" and pushing boundaries, suggesting a culture that encourages experimentation and forward-thinking design solutions.

Company Website: https://sharkninja.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: SharkNinja's culture is characterized by an "Outrageously Extraordinary mindset," which encourages tackling ambitious goals and pushing boundaries. This implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment where innovation is highly valued. For a UX Director, this means being comfortable with ambiguity, driving change, and inspiring a team to achieve ambitious design objectives that align with the company's disruptive market approach.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership role, equivalent to a Director within the UX and Product Development functions. It involves strategic oversight, team management, and significant influence on product direction.

Reporting Structure: The Director will report to a VP or SVP level executive (e.g., VP of Product, VP of Design, or Chief Product Officer), with direct reports comprising UX designers and potentially UX researchers.

Operations Impact: The UX Director plays a critical role in shaping the consumer experience across SharkNinja's connected products and mobile applications. Their strategic direction and team's output directly influence customer acquisition, engagement, retention, brand perception, and ultimately, revenue. Optimizing the user journey and ensuring delightful product experiences can lead to increased product adoption, higher customer lifetime value, and reduced support costs.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Expansion: Potential to expand scope to encompass broader product experience strategy or oversee multiple product categories.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Opportunities to lead initiatives that bridge design, engineering, and marketing, influencing go-to-market strategies and product roadmaps.

• Mentorship and Team Development: Developing a high-performing design team can lead to opportunities in building out entire design functions or shaping organizational design maturity.

• Industry Influence: As a leader in a prominent consumer tech company, opportunities may arise for thought leadership, speaking engagements, or contributing to industry best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a significant opportunity for a UX leader to drive strategic impact within a rapidly growing consumer product and technology company. The emphasis on connected experiences and AI integration suggests a forward-looking trajectory where this Director can shape the future of how consumers interact with SharkNinja products, directly impacting business success through enhanced user engagement and product adoption.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in Needham, MA, indicating an on-site work environment in a corporate office setting.

Office Location(s): Needham, Massachusetts, USA. This location provides access to the greater Boston tech talent pool.

Workspace Context:

• The UX team will likely be co-located or have dedicated space within the product development hub, facilitating collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, and Industrial Designers.

• Access to modern design tools and technology, including Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and potentially AI-powered design tools, will be standard.

• The environment is described as "Outrageously Extraordinary," suggesting a culture that encourages innovation, collaboration, and a dynamic work pace.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected, but Director-level positions often require flexibility and dedication beyond typical hours to meet project deadlines and strategic objectives. This flexibility is key for managing complex product lifecycles that span hardware and software development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Needham, MA, suggests a collaborative and integrated work environment. For a UX Director, this means being physically present to foster team cohesion, facilitate impromptu design discussions, and engage directly with cross-functional partners. This environment is crucial for driving the complex, integrated design processes required for connected products.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or Talent Acquisition will likely conduct an initial call to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and company.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager (likely a VP level) to delve deeper into leadership experience, strategic thinking, and team management philosophy.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A critical stage where candidates present their work, focusing on strategic design leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and measurable consumer impact. Expect detailed questions about your process, decision-making, and team leadership.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product, Engineering, Industrial Design, and Marketing to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to align diverse perspectives.

• Executive Interview: A final interview with a senior executive (e.g., CPO, President) to evaluate strategic vision, business acumen, and overall fit with SharkNinja's leadership team and "Outrageously Extraordinary" culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your most impactful projects that best showcase your leadership, strategic thinking, and ability to drive measurable results for connected products and mobile apps.

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the business objectives, the user problems addressed, your strategic approach, the challenges faced, your specific contributions as a leader, and the quantifiable outcomes (e.g., increased engagement, improved conversion, reduced churn).

• Highlight Leadership: Emphasize your role in building, mentoring, and leading design teams. Showcase how you fostered collaboration, managed design processes, and influenced product strategy.

• Tell a Story: Structure your presentations with a clear narrative—problem, solution, process, and impact. Use visuals effectively to illustrate your design thinking and final outcomes.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your decision-making rationale, how you handle conflict, your approach to managing stakeholders, and your vision for UX at SharkNinja.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential design exercise or case study, which might involve evaluating an existing connected product experience or proposing a UX strategy for a new product category.

• Focus on demonstrating your strategic thinking, problem-solving approach, and ability to integrate user needs with business goals within the context of SharkNinja's brands.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, as if presenting to executives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process is designed to thoroughly assess leadership capabilities, strategic vision, and the ability to deliver measurable results in a complex product environment. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not only design expertise but also strong business acumen and influential communication skills, crucial for a Director-level role that bridges design and business strategy.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Expert-level proficiency required for UI design, prototyping, and design system management.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Proficiency in Photoshop, Illustrator, and potentially After Effects for visual design, asset creation, and motion graphics.

• Prototyping Tools: Experience with tools like Figma, InVision, or Adobe XD for creating interactive prototypes and testing user flows.

• AI-Powered Design Tools: Working knowledge and willingness to explore and integrate emerging AI tools for tasks such as content generation, design automation, or user behavior analysis.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Mobile Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics for Firebase, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or similar, for tracking user behavior within mobile apps.

• User Feedback Platforms: Experience with tools for collecting and analyzing user feedback, such as surveys, NPS tools, or in-app feedback mechanisms.

• Data Visualization Tools: Ability to interpret data and present insights using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or internal dashboards.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, an understanding of how user data collected through apps integrates with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) for a holistic customer view may be beneficial.

• Familiarity with project management and collaboration tools such as Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing design team workflows and tracking progress against roadmaps.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma and Adobe Creative Suite indicates a need for hands-on design leadership, even at the Director level. The requirement for "working knowledge of AI-powered design tools" signifies SharkNinja's commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance design efficiency and innovation, a key aspect for operations-minded professionals focused on optimizing processes.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Outrageously Extraordinary Mindset: A drive to exceed expectations, tackle ambitious goals, and push boundaries in innovation and execution. This translates to a proactive, high-achieving team culture.

• Consumer Advocacy: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the consumer, ensuring that user needs are at the forefront of all design and product decisions.

• Innovation and Disruption: A culture that encourages experimentation, embraces new technologies, and seeks to disrupt existing markets with novel solutions.

• Collaboration and Cross-Functional Partnership: Strong emphasis on working effectively across departments to achieve shared goals, fostering an environment of mutual respect and shared ownership.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing data and metrics to inform strategy, measure impact, and drive continuous improvement in both product and processes.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Product Teams: Designers will work closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders in agile, cross-functional teams.

• Open Communication and Feedback: A culture that encourages open dialogue, constructive criticism, and the sharing of ideas to foster innovation and continuous learning.

• Holistic Experience Ownership: A shared responsibility for the end-to-end consumer journey, where UX is seen as integral to the success of both physical and digital product offerings.

• Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing: A supportive environment where team members are encouraged to mentor each other and share best practices, contributing to overall team growth and expertise.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Outrageously Extraordinary" culture is a key differentiator. Candidates should demonstrate how their leadership style and approach to problem-solving align with this ambitious, boundary-pushing ethos. This implies a need for leaders who can inspire teams to achieve uncommon results and foster a sense of shared purpose in driving market disruption.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Hardware and Software Integration: Ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience across physical products and their associated mobile applications, which often involves complex technical constraints and development cycles.

• Scaling Design Operations: As SharkNinja grows, maintaining design quality, consistency, and team efficiency across an expanding product portfolio and evolving technology landscape.

• Driving Innovation in a Competitive Market: Staying ahead of consumer expectations and technological advancements in a fast-paced consumer electronics and lifestyle product market.

• Influencing Stakeholders: Effectively advocating for UX best practices and human-centered design principles among diverse stakeholders with varying priorities and technical understanding.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX Strategy: Opportunities to deepen expertise in strategic UX planning, design systems at scale, and integrating emerging technologies like AI into the product development process.

• Leadership Development: Formal and informal programs focused on enhancing leadership skills, team management, executive communication, and strategic decision-making.

• Industry Exposure: Potential to attend leading UX and technology conferences, engage with industry trends, and contribute to the broader design community.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gaining deeper insights into product management, engineering, and marketing functions, broadening understanding of the end-to-end business operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a significant opportunity to tackle complex challenges at the intersection of hardware, software, and consumer behavior. Success will require a strategic approach to managing these complexities, driving innovation, and fostering a high-performing team capable of delivering exceptional user experiences that align with SharkNinja's aggressive growth objectives.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your approach to defining and implementing a UX strategy for a portfolio of connected products. How would you ensure alignment with overarching business objectives?" (Focus on strategic planning, stakeholder alignment, and measurable outcomes.)

• "How do you foster a culture of human-centered design within a team and across an organization? Provide examples of how you've embedded user research and insights into the product development lifecycle." (Highlight your philosophy on user advocacy and process integration.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of SharkNinja, what do you see as the biggest UX opportunities and challenges for our connected product experiences?" (Show your research and strategic thinking about the company and its market.)

• "How would you build and mentor a high-performing UX team at SharkNinja, considering our 'Outrageously Extraordinary' culture?" (Address team building, leadership style, and cultural fit.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": Clearly articulate the business problem or user need that drove each project.

• Showcase Your Leadership: Explain your role and responsibilities, focusing on strategic decisions, team leadership, and cross-functional influence.

• Detail the Process, Not Just the Pixels: Explain your methodology—research, ideation, iteration, collaboration—and how it led to the final solution.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your projects. If direct metrics are unavailable, discuss anticipated outcomes or lessons learned.

• Connect to SharkNinja: Whenever possible, draw parallels between your experience and SharkNinja's products, brands, and stated values.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic leadership, a deep understanding of connected product ecosystems, and the ability to drive measurable business impact through UX. Candidates should be ready to articulate their process, leadership philosophy, and how they would contribute to SharkNinja's "Outrageously Extraordinary" culture.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Director, UX position:

• Submit your application through the SharkNinja careers portal via the provided link.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in mobile app UX, connected product design, team leadership, strategic planning, and proficiency with tools like Figma and Adobe Creative Suite. Quantify achievements with numbers related to team growth, project impact, or efficiency improvements.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select projects that best demonstrate your strategic design leadership, experience with hardware-software integration, cross-functional collaboration, and measurable consumer impact. Prepare a compelling narrative for each project, focusing on problem, solution, process, and quantifiable results.

• Prepare for Case Study: Anticipate a presentation or case study requiring you to outline a UX strategy for a SharkNinja product or address a specific design challenge, showcasing your strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Research SharkNinja: Understand their brands (Shark and Ninja), product categories, company culture ("Outrageously Extraordinary"), and recent innovations. Be ready to articulate how your vision aligns with their mission.

⚠️ 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.