Founding Product Designer, Financial Services - Credit Card

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Founding Product Designer, Financial Services - Credit Card

Company: Fanatics Inc.

Location: New York, NY, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / Financial Services

Date Posted: April 7, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the product design vision and strategy for a new, zero-to-one financial services platform, specifically focusing on the Fanatics Credit Card and supporting products.

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing product design team, fostering a culture of innovation and user-centered design within a fast-paced, high-growth digital environment.

• Drive end-to-end design execution for critical initiatives, ensuring a cohesive, fan-focused experience across web, mobile, and retail touchpoints.

• Act as a key strategic partner to executive leadership, influencing product roadmaps and business priorities through compelling design thinking and customer advocacy.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is explicitly described as "Founding Product Designer" and "zero-to-one," indicating a significant opportunity to shape the initial design direction and team structure for a new venture within Fanatics. The focus on financial services, specifically credit cards, within a sports and fan ecosystem, requires a blend of fintech understanding and consumer engagement expertise. The direct reporting line to the Head of Product signifies a high level of responsibility and influence.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and own the product design vision and strategy for the Fanatics Credit Card and associated financial products, ensuring alignment with the overall Fanatics digital sports platform strategy.

• Partner closely with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and Data Science teams to translate innovative ideas into tangible, fan-centric user experiences.

• Establish and scale design systems, processes, and best practices across the financial services product design function, ensuring consistency and efficiency.

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing product design team, including hiring, performance management, career development, and fostering a culture of creativity and user advocacy.

• Oversee end-to-end design execution for high-priority initiatives, from initial discovery and user research through to final delivery and iteration.

• Ensure all designs are informed by robust user research, data insights, and usability testing to validate hypotheses and optimize user flows.

• Drive quality, consistency, and accessibility in design outputs across all platforms, including web applications, mobile apps, and potential retail touchpoints.

• Act as a key influencer to executive leadership, communicating design strategy, impact, and customer insights to shape product roadmaps and business priorities.

• Champion the voice of the customer throughout the organization, ensuring user needs are central to product development decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on strategic leadership (vision, strategy, team building, executive influence) and hands-on execution (end-to-end design, research, quality assurance). The emphasis on "zero-to-one" implies a need for proactive problem-solving, establishing foundational design principles, and potentially building a design function from the ground up.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for senior design leadership roles.

Experience: 12+ years of progressive product design experience, with a minimum of 5 years in dedicated design leadership roles, specifically focused on scaling design teams and systems.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Leadership: Proven ability to define design vision, strategy, and operationalize design processes within a fast-paced environment.

• Team Building & Management: Demonstrated experience in hiring, mentoring, coaching, and developing high-performing product design teams.

• End-to-End Design Execution: Strong command of the entire design lifecycle, from user research and concept development to high-fidelity prototyping, usability testing, and final delivery.

• Design Systems: Expertise in creating, scaling, and maintaining comprehensive design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across multiple products and platforms.

• UX/UI Best Practices: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, interaction design, visual design, and information architecture.

• User Research & Insights: Proficiency in conducting and leveraging user research, usability testing, and data analysis to inform design decisions.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to partner effectively with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and Data teams.

• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Exceptional communication, storytelling, and presentation skills to influence senior leadership and technical stakeholders.

• Consumer-Facing Digital Products: Strong portfolio showcasing significant contributions to successful consumer-facing digital products, ideally within sports, gaming, entertainment, or financial services.

• Financial Services Domain Knowledge: Understanding of the unique design challenges and regulatory considerations within the financial services industry, particularly for credit card products.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for mobile-first and multi-platform experiences (web, iOS, Android).

• Familiarity with A/B testing and conversion rate optimization strategies.

• Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive design principles.

• Experience in a high-growth startup or building new product lines within a larger organization.

• Domain expertise in sports, gaming, or entertainment industries.

📝 Enhancement Note: The extensive experience requirement (12+ years) coupled with specific leadership tenure (5+ years) signifies this is a senior, strategic role. The emphasis on a "strong portfolio" and "end-to-end design leadership on consumer-facing digital products" is critical for demonstrating impact. The inclusion of "Financial Services" and "Credit Card" as specific domains suggests prior experience or a deep understanding of this sector is highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate end-to-end design leadership: Showcase projects where you defined the strategic direction, led a team, and oversaw the complete design process from concept to launch.

• Highlight consumer-facing digital products: Focus on projects with a clear user base and demonstrable impact on user engagement, satisfaction, or business metrics. Prioritize examples from sports, gaming, entertainment, or financial services.

• Showcase team leadership and process development: Include examples of how you built, scaled, or managed design teams, and how you established or improved design systems, processes, and best practices.

• Illustrate problem-solving and strategic thinking: Clearly articulate the business problem, user needs, your design approach, and the resulting solutions, emphasizing the strategic rationale behind your decisions.

• Quantify impact: Where possible, include metrics and data that demonstrate the success of your designs, such as user engagement improvements, conversion rate increases, or customer satisfaction scores.

Process Documentation:

• Design System Documentation: Examples of established design systems, including component libraries, style guides, and usage guidelines.

• User Research & Testing Reports: Summaries or key findings from user research studies, usability tests, and A/B tests that directly influenced design decisions.

• Workflow and Process Maps: Documentation illustrating how design processes were integrated with product and engineering workflows, including collaboration models and feedback loops.

• Strategic Design Roadmaps: Examples of how design strategy was translated into actionable roadmaps, aligned with broader product and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a "Founding" role, the portfolio should not only showcase past achievements but also demonstrate the candidate's ability to build and lead. This includes evidence of establishing design systems, defining processes, and scaling teams, not just executing individual design tasks. The focus on "zero-to-one" implies a need to showcase how they've brought new products or features to market from inception.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $200,000 - $300,000 USD per year.

Benefits: While not detailed in the provided text, Fanatics typically offers a comprehensive benefits package. Based on industry standards for senior roles in New York City, this would likely include:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance

• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match

• Paid Time Off (PTO), including vacation, sick leave, and holidays

• Life Insurance and Disability Coverage

• Employee Stock Purchase Plan or Equity Options (potentially)

• Access to exclusive Fanatics merchandise and experiences

• Professional development opportunities, including training, conferences, and certifications.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses or incentives.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected for a leadership role, especially during critical project phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range of $200,000-$300,000 USD for a Founding Product Designer in New York City aligns with senior leadership roles in the tech and financial services sectors. The "Founding" aspect and direct reporting to the Head of Product suggest potential for equity or significant bonus structures not detailed here. The explicit mention of visiting benefitsatfanatics.com provides a direct resource for detailed benefit information. The typical 40-hour work week is a baseline, but leadership roles often require more dedication.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Digital Sports Platform, E-commerce, Fan Engagement, Financial Services (emerging). Fanatics is a dominant player in sports merchandise and is expanding aggressively into collectibles and betting/gaming, now venturing into financial services to deepen fan engagement.

Company Size: Large (22,000+ employees globally). Fanatics is a rapidly growing, well-established company with a significant global footprint.

Founded: 1995. Fanatics has evolved significantly from its origins, demonstrating a capacity for strategic pivots and growth into new market segments.

Team Structure:

• Financial Services Division: This is a new and rapidly expanding division within Fanatics, focused on building innovative financial products for sports fans.

• Reporting Structure: The Founding Product Designer reports directly to the Head of Product, Financial Services, indicating a lean, executive-level reporting line within this new division.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role requires close partnership with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, Data Science, Legal, and Compliance teams to bring financial products to market.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on leveraging user research, data insights, and usability testing to inform product design and strategy.

• Agile Development: Likely operates within an agile framework, requiring iterative design and development cycles.

• User-Centered Design: A core tenet, focusing on understanding and meeting the needs of the sports fan audience.

• Growth Mindset: Given the "zero-to-one" nature, there's an expectation of experimentation, learning, and rapid iteration.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Fanatics' expansion into financial services is a strategic move to create a more integrated and valuable ecosystem for sports fans. This role is at the forefront of that expansion, offering a chance to influence the design of new offerings in a dynamic, well-resourced environment. The company culture is likely fast-paced, ambitious, and focused on innovation, mirroring its rapid growth.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior individual contributor/leadership role, positioned as a "Founding" member of the Financial Services product design team. It requires extensive experience and carries strategic responsibility for shaping a new product line and team.

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the Head of Product, Financial Services. This signifies high visibility and direct access to executive decision-makers within the new division.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer will have a direct and significant impact on the success of Fanatics' entry into the financial services market. Their work will shape how millions of sports fans interact with financial products, influencing brand perception, customer loyalty, and revenue generation for the company.

Growth Opportunities:

• Team Leadership Expansion: Opportunity to grow the design team, potentially building out specialized functions (e.g., UX research, UX writing) as the product line scales.

• Product Line Ownership: Deep ownership and influence over the entire financial services product portfolio's design evolution.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape broader company strategies related to fan engagement and digital platforms through design leadership.

• Industry Expertise Development: Deepen expertise in both financial services design and the sports/fan engagement ecosystem.

• Potential for VP-level roles: Successful establishment and growth of the design function could lead to VP-level positions within Fanatics' expanding digital product organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Founding" nature of this role implies significant opportunity for growth not just in scope of responsibility but also in building out the design function itself. Success here could fast-track career progression into higher leadership tiers within Fanatics' expanding digital product organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Likely a modern, collaborative office environment typical of tech companies, designed to foster innovation and teamwork. Given the "On-site" designation, expect dedicated workspace.

Office Location(s): New York, NY. This location provides access to a significant talent pool and a vibrant business ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Expect open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and potentially dedicated project spaces conducive to cross-functional team collaboration.

• Technology & Tools: Access to industry-standard design software, hardware, and collaboration platforms will be provided.

• Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with product managers, engineers, marketers, and other key stakeholders within the Financial Services division and potentially broader Fanatics teams.

Work Schedule: While the standard is likely 40 hours/week, the "Founding" nature of the role in a "zero-to-one" initiative suggests a dynamic environment where flexibility and commitment beyond standard hours may be required, particularly during critical launch phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" requirement in New York City suggests a commitment to in-person collaboration, which is often crucial for founding teams building complex products like financial services. This environment is likely designed to facilitate rapid iteration and close communication between design, product, and engineering.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the Head of Product, focusing on strategic thinking, leadership experience, and alignment with the role's objectives.

• Portfolio Presentation: A key stage where candidates present their portfolio, showcasing end-to-end design leadership, team building, and strategic impact on consumer-facing products. Expect detailed discussion on past projects, design decisions, and problem-solving approaches.

• Design Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with potential design team members, product managers, engineers, and other key cross-functional partners to assess collaboration style and technical understanding.

• Executive Interview: A final interview with senior leadership to assess strategic vision, business acumen, and overall fit for the company's growth trajectory.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to clearly tell the story of each project: the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight Leadership & Strategy: Emphasize your strategic contributions, how you defined vision, built teams, and scaled design systems, not just individual design execution.

• Showcase "Zero-to-One" Experience: If possible, include examples of products or features you helped bring from concept to market.

• Quantify Results: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the business impact of your design work.

• Tailor to Financial Services: While general consumer products are relevant, highlight any experience or understanding of financial services, security, compliance, and user trust.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Expect detailed questions about your design decisions, rationale, and how you handled challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Strategy Case Study: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach designing a specific financial product for sports fans, considering user needs, business goals, and competitive landscape.

• Team Building & Process: Anticipate questions about how you would build and manage a design team, establish a design system, and integrate design into an agile product development process.

• Stakeholder Communication: Practice articulating complex design concepts and strategies clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio presentation is likely the most critical component of the interview process for this role. Candidates should prepare to articulate not just what they designed, but why and how they led the process and the team to achieve specific business outcomes, especially in a new product context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), InVision, ProtoPie. Figma is often preferred for collaborative workflows.

• Design System Management: Tools for documenting and managing design system components (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook integrations with Figma).

• User Research & Testing Platforms: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, Hotjar, FullStory, or internal tools for conducting and analyzing user research.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Slack, Miro.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web/App Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude.

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, Looker (for understanding data insights that inform design).

CRM & Automation: While not directly a designer's tool, familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms can provide context for user journeys and data flow.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with collaborative design tools like Figma and experience in establishing/maintaining design systems are paramount for this role, given the emphasis on scaling and consistency. Understanding how design integrates with analytics tools is also key for demonstrating data-informed design.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Fan Obsession: A deep understanding and passion for sports fans, driving a commitment to creating exceptional, fan-centric experiences.

• Innovation & Disruption: A drive to challenge the status quo and create new, groundbreaking products and services within the digital sports and financial services landscape.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: A strong emphasis on working together across departments to achieve shared goals, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Valuing insights derived from data and user research to guide strategy and execution, ensuring effective and impactful solutions.

• Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for outcomes, driving projects forward with a proactive and results-oriented mindset.

• Integrity & Compliance: Given the financial services context, a strong commitment to ethical practices, security, and regulatory compliance is essential.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Expect a highly collaborative environment where design works hand-in-hand with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and other business units.

• Open Communication: Encouragement of candid feedback, constructive critique, and transparent communication channels.

• Agile & Iterative: A willingness to adapt, experiment, and iterate based on feedback and data, fostering a dynamic workflow.

• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: A culture that promotes learning from one another, sharing best practices, and supporting individual and team growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's core values likely revolve around fan obsession, innovation, and a data-driven approach. For this specific role within financial services, integrity and compliance will be non-negotiable operational values that permeate the design process.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Building from Scratch: Establishing a new product line and design team in a competitive financial services market requires significant strategic vision and execution.

• Balancing Innovation with Compliance: Designing user-friendly financial products while adhering to strict regulatory requirements and security protocols.

• Integrating with Existing Ecosystem: Seamlessly connecting new financial services with the broader Fanatics fan experience ecosystem to create a cohesive user journey.

• Rapid Growth Environment: Navigating the complexities and pace of a rapidly scaling organization, ensuring design quality and team effectiveness are maintained.

• Defining a New Market Position: Establishing Fanatics as a trusted and compelling provider of financial services for sports fans.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into FinTech: Gaining extensive experience in designing for financial products, including payments, credit, and potentially banking services.

• Strategic Leadership Development: Honing skills in team building, strategic planning, and executive communication within a high-growth context.

• Cross-Industry Expertise: Blending expertise in sports fan engagement with financial services product design.

• Building a Design Function: Gaining invaluable experience in setting up design systems, processes, and team structures from the ground up.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Potential for support in attending relevant design, FinTech, or sports industry events and obtaining certifications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is the "zero-to-one" nature of the role – building something new with inherent uncertainties. However, this also presents the most significant growth opportunity for a seasoned design leader looking to make a substantial impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach defining the product design vision for a credit card targeted at sports fans?" (Focus on user segmentation, value proposition, and differentiation.)

• "Describe your experience in building and scaling design teams. What are the key elements of a high-performing design culture?" (Prepare to discuss hiring, mentorship, process, and fostering innovation.)

• "How do you balance user needs with business objectives and regulatory constraints in financial services product design?" (Emphasize user research, data, and iterative validation balanced with compliance.)

• "Walk us through a time you successfully launched a new consumer-facing digital product. What was your role, what were the key challenges, and what was the outcome?" (Select a strong case study from your portfolio.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Fanatics and our move into financial services?" (Show genuine interest in the company's mission and this new venture.)

• "How do you champion the voice of the customer within an organization?" (Provide examples of advocating for users.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Compelling Story: Structure your presentation around key case studies that demonstrate your leadership, strategic thinking, and impact.

• Focus on "Why": Clearly articulate the problem you were solving, the strategic rationale for your design decisions, and the user/business goals.

• Showcase Process & Iteration: Detail your design process, including research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and how you iterated based on feedback.

• Quantify Impact: Present measurable results achieved through your design work (e.g., increased conversion, engagement, satisfaction).

• Highlight Team Leadership: Discuss your role in leading and mentoring designers, establishing processes, and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

• Address Financial Services Context: Be prepared to discuss how your experience translates to the unique challenges of financial services design (trust, security, compliance).

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic leadership, a deep understanding of the design process, the ability to build and manage teams, and a clear vision for how design can drive business outcomes, especially in the context of launching new financial products for a specific audience.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Greenhouse job board.

• Curate Your Portfolio for Impact: Select 2-3 key projects that best showcase your end-to-end design leadership, team building capabilities, and strategic thinking, particularly highlighting any experience with consumer-facing digital products or financial services. Ensure each case study clearly defines the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and quantifiable outcomes.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your 12+ years of product design experience, with a strong emphasis on your 5+ years in design leadership roles. Use keywords from the job description such as "Product Design Leadership," "Design Systems," "User Research," "Financial Services," and "Team Management." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation Narrative: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on articulating your strategic approach, leadership contributions, and the impact of your designs. Be ready to discuss your philosophy on building design teams and establishing design processes. Rehearse your answers to common interview questions about leadership, strategy, and problem-solving.

• Research Fanatics and the Financial Services Initiative: Understand Fanatics' business model, its expansion into financial services, and the potential value proposition for sports fans. Familiarize yourself with the company culture and values to articulate how you would fit in and contribute.

⚠️ 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.