Head of Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design

Company: Doppel

Location: United States (Hybrid - San Francisco, CA / New York, NY)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Design Leadership / Product Design

Date Posted: October 22, 2025

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and define the overall design vision and strategy for Doppel's AI-native social engineering defense platform, ensuring a cohesive and impactful user experience.

• Drive the evolution of Doppel's core User Experience (UX) and visual design language across all product touchpoints, from initial concept to final execution.

• Own and scale a robust design system that fosters consistency, efficiency, and quality across a rapidly growing SaaS product suite.

• Foster a customer-obsessed design culture, deeply understanding user needs to translate them into intuitive and delightful product solutions.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including engineering, product management, and marketing to deliver world-class design outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the provided job title is "Head of Design," the description emphasizes hands-on execution and leadership within a fast-growing SaaS environment. This role requires a blend of strategic vision and practical design application, suggesting a senior individual contributor with significant leadership responsibilities rather than a purely managerial role. The "5-10 years" experience level aligns with this. The hybrid requirement with 3 days in-office in SF/NYC points to a need for in-person collaboration and team building.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive design strategy that aligns with Doppel's mission to combat AI-driven social engineering and digital deception.

• Lead the design process from user research and ideation through to high-fidelity mockups and final design specifications.

• Define, document, and maintain Doppel's design system, ensuring its scalability, accessibility, and adherence to best practices for rapid iteration.

• Conduct user research, usability testing, and competitive analysis to gather insights that inform design decisions and product improvements.

• Champion design thinking and user-centered design principles across the organization, educating stakeholders on the value of exceptional design.

• Collaborate with product managers to define product roadmaps and feature sets, ensuring design is integrated from the outset.

• Work closely with engineering teams to ensure accurate and high-quality implementation of designs, providing clear specifications and ongoing support.

• Partner with marketing to ensure brand consistency and compelling visual communication across all external-facing materials.

• Mentor and guide junior designers (as the team grows), fostering a collaborative and high-performing design environment.

• Measure and report on the impact of design initiatives on key business metrics, such as user engagement, conversion rates, and customer satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "What You'll Do" section strongly implies direct ownership of design system scaling and evolution, alongside hands-on product design execution. The emphasis on "world-class design leadership and execution" and "hands-on designer" reinforces this dual responsibility.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 5-10 years of professional experience in product design, with a significant portion spent in leadership roles at fast-growing SaaS companies.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Leadership: Demonstrated ability to set design vision, strategy, and roadmap for complex digital products.

• User Experience (UX) Design: Expertise in user research, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing to create intuitive and effective user flows.

• Visual Design: A strong portfolio showcasing exceptional visual design skills, including UI design, typography, color theory, and brand consistency.

• Design Systems: Proven experience in defining, building, and scaling design systems that support rapid development and maintain brand integrity.

• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (engineering, product, marketing) and articulate design decisions clearly.

• Attention to Detail: A sharp eye for detail, ensuring pixel-perfect execution and a high standard of quality across all design outputs.

• Storytelling: Ability to craft compelling narratives around design decisions and their impact on users and business objectives.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in cybersecurity or a related technology field, with an understanding of threat intelligence or AI-driven products.

• Proficiency in advanced UX patterns and interactions relevant to complex enterprise SaaS platforms.

• Experience with AI-native product design considerations.

• Familiarity with data visualization techniques for complex datasets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "What We're Looking For" section provides direct requirements. The emphasis on "customer-obsessed," "led design at a fast-growing SaaS company," "scale a design system," and "sharp eye for detail" are directly translated into required skills. The "collaborate fluidly" point is captured under collaboration.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating end-to-end product design ownership, showcasing your ability to solve complex problems with elegant design solutions.

• Case studies highlighting your experience in defining and scaling design systems, including examples of their implementation and impact on development speed and consistency.

• Examples of user research methodologies employed and how insights were translated into actionable design improvements.

• Demonstrations of complex UX challenges you've tackled, illustrating your problem-solving approach and iterative design process.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of your approach to user-centered design, including user journey mapping, persona development, and usability testing protocols.

• Documentation or examples of how you've managed design sprints, prioritized design tasks, and integrated feedback loops with stakeholders.

• Prototypes or wireframes showcasing your ability to articulate complex user flows and interactions for technical and non-technical audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Head of Design" title and emphasis on leading design at a fast-growing SaaS company, a strong portfolio is paramount. The requirements focus on demonstrating leadership, systemic thinking (design systems), and end-to-end ownership typical of senior design roles in startups.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $230,000 - $260,000 USD per year

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Free Lunch and Dinner: Provided in the office, fostering a collaborative work environment.

• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO): Encourages work-life balance and personal well-being.

• Quarterly Team Offsites: Opportunities for team building, strategic planning, and cultural reinforcement.

• Equity/Stock Options: Potential for ownership in a fast-growing company.

• 401(k) Plan: Retirement savings plan.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, with an expectation of flexibility to meet project deadlines and team needs. The hybrid model requires 3 days per week in the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is directly provided in the input data. Benefits are extracted from the "What We Offer" section. The working hours are inferred from "FULL_TIME" employment type and the hybrid work arrangement, noting the in-office days.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Cybersecurity / AI / SaaS

Company Size: Fast-growing startup (specific size not provided, but investor backing and rapid growth imply a scaling team, likely 50-200 employees).

Founded: Doppel is a relatively young company, focused on a cutting-edge AI-native approach to social engineering defense.

Team Structure:

• The Design team will likely be led by this Head of Design, reporting directly to the CTO.

• Cross-functional collaboration is heavily emphasized, with close interaction between Design, Engineering, Product Management, and Marketing.

Methodology:

• AI-Native Product Development: Leveraging AI and machine learning as core components of the product and its defense mechanisms.

• Data-Driven Insights: Utilizing data from extensive scanning and customer signals to improve threat detection and response.

• Agile Development: Implied by the fast-growing SaaS environment, likely using agile methodologies for rapid iteration and development.

• Customer-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding and solving real-world problems for customers.

Company Website: https://doppel.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Company culture and methodology are inferred from the provided "Why Join Doppel" and "What We Offer" sections, emphasizing mission, talent, and customer obsession. The industry context is derived from the company's mission statement regarding AI and social engineering defense.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor / Design Leader

This role represents a pivotal leadership position within Doppel's product development. As the Head of Design, you will be responsible for establishing and maturing the company's design practice. This involves not only hands-on design execution but also strategic thinking about how design contributes to Doppel's overarching business goals. You will be instrumental in shaping the user experience of a critical platform addressing a significant global threat.

Reporting Structure:

• This role reports directly to the Chief Technology Officer (CTO), indicating a close alignment with engineering and product development strategy.

Operations Impact:

• The Head of Design will have a direct and significant impact on Doppel's success by ensuring its platform is not only technologically advanced but also intuitive, user-friendly, and compelling.

• Exceptional design will be crucial for customer acquisition, retention, and advocacy, especially in a competitive cybersecurity market that demands trust and clarity.

Growth Opportunities:

• Build and Scale a Design Function: Opportunity to create and define the design team, processes, and culture from its foundational stages.

• Strategic Influence: Play a key role in product strategy, technology direction, and company growth, directly influencing the direction of an innovative AI security product.

• Leadership Development: Grow into a more senior leadership role within the company, potentially overseeing broader product or design initiatives as Doppel expands.

• Deep Domain Expertise: Develop specialized knowledge in AI-driven cybersecurity, social engineering defense, and the unique design challenges within this critical sector.

• Impactful Work: Contribute to a meaningful mission of making the internet safer by combating sophisticated digital threats.

📝 Enhancement Note: The analysis of career level, reporting structure, and impact is derived from the job title, reporting line (CTO), and the company's mission-driven nature. Growth opportunities are extrapolated from the context of a fast-growing startup and a foundational design leadership role.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid with in-office requirements in San Francisco, CA, and New York, NY. This suggests a modern office setup designed for collaboration and team interaction.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California, United States; New York, New York, United States. Employees are expected to be present in the office 3 days per week.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office environment is designed to facilitate in-person collaboration, brainstorming, and team building, especially crucial for design and product development synergy.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software and hardware, as well as the company's internal technology stack, will be provided to support design execution.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for spontaneous discussions, design critiques, and cross-functional alignment with engineering, product, and marketing teams.

Work Schedule:

• While the role is full-time, the hybrid nature and emphasis on "high ownership" suggest a degree of flexibility in daily scheduling, provided that in-office days are utilized effectively for collaborative activities and deadlines are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work arrangement and specific office locations are directly stated. The description of the workspace context is inferred based on typical startup office environments designed to foster collaboration and innovation, especially for design teams working closely with engineering.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and alignment with the role's requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation & Case Study: A deep dive into your portfolio, likely involving a presentation of 1-2 key projects. Expect to discuss your design process, problem-solving approach, design decisions, and the impact of your work. This is a critical stage for evaluating hands-on skills and strategic thinking.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Discussions with members of the engineering, product, and marketing teams to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit.

• Leadership/CTO Interview: A final interview with the CTO to discuss design vision, leadership philosophy, strategic alignment with Doppel's mission, and overall fit for the Head of Design role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase End-to-End Ownership: Highlight projects where you took ownership from problem identification through to launch and iteration.

• Detail Your Process: Clearly articulate your research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and implementation phases. Explain why you made certain design decisions.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the positive outcomes of your design work (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced user errors, increased engagement).

• Design System Expertise: If you have experience building or scaling design systems, dedicate a section or case study to this, detailing your approach and its benefits.

• Tailor to Doppel: Research Doppel's mission, product, and target audience. Frame your portfolio examples to show how your skills can address their specific challenges in AI-driven social engineering defense.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential design exercise or a deeper dive into a specific problem statement relevant to Doppel's platform. This might involve sketching out ideas, defining user flows, or critiquing existing interfaces.

• Think about how you would approach building a design system from scratch or scaling an existing one in a fast-paced startup environment.

• Consider how you would measure the success of design initiatives and report on their impact to stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is a standard progression for senior design roles, with a strong emphasis on portfolio review and cross-functional collaboration. The portfolio tips are tailored to highlight the key requirements of this specific "Head of Design" position within a tech startup context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: Expected as the primary tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration, especially for design system management.

• Sketch: Potentially used, though Figma is becoming the industry standard for collaborative design.

• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator): For asset creation, image editing, and visual design elements.

• Prototyping Tools: InVision, Principle, or built-in Figma/Sketch prototyping capabilities for interactive mockups.

User Research & Testing Tools:

• UserTesting.com / Lookback / Maze: For remote usability testing and feedback collection.

• Hotjar / FullStory: For understanding user behavior on live products (if applicable).

• SurveyMonkey / Typeform: For gathering qualitative and quantitative user feedback.

Collaboration & Project Management Tools:

• Jira / Asana / Trello: For managing design tasks, sprints, and collaborating with engineering/product.

• Slack / Microsoft Teams: For day-to-day team communication.

• Confluence / Notion: For documentation, design system guidelines, and knowledge sharing.

CRM & Automation (for understanding user context):

• HubSpot / Salesforce: Understanding how design integrates with customer data and workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools listed are industry standards for product design leadership roles in SaaS companies. Figma is highlighted as the most probable primary tool for its collaborative and design system capabilities.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to the company's purpose of making the internet safer from digital deception. This drives decision-making and fosters a sense of shared purpose.

• Low Ego, High Ownership: Team members are encouraged to take initiative, own their work, and collaborate without ego, focusing on collective success.

• Deep Customer Obsession: A relentless focus on understanding and solving user problems, ensuring that design and product decisions are always user-centered.

• Exceptional Talent Density: A culture that values hiring and retaining highly skilled individuals who contribute to a high-performing and innovative environment.

• Bold Technology: Embracing cutting-edge AI and technology to tackle complex, real-world problems.

Collaboration Style:

• Fluid Cross-Functional Partnership: Seamless integration between Design, Engineering, Product, and Marketing is expected, with open communication and shared problem-solving.

• Iterative Design Process: Embracing feedback, experimentation, and continuous improvement in design solutions.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that encourages sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: These values are directly extracted from the "Why Join Doppel" and "What We Offer" sections of the job description, emphasizing the core tenets of Doppel's culture.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing Design Maturity: As the first Head of Design, you will be responsible for building and formalizing the design practice, processes, and team at Doppel.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: In a fast-growing startup, there's a constant tension between the need for rapid iteration and the requirement to maintain high design quality and consistency.

• Designing for Emerging Threats: The domain of AI-driven social engineering is rapidly evolving, requiring continuous learning and adaptive design solutions.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring that design vision and user needs are effectively communicated and integrated across diverse technical and business functions.

• Scaling Design Systems: Developing a design system that can elegantly scale with the company's growing product suite and user base.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to hone leadership skills by building and managing a design team.

• Industry Expertise: Deepen knowledge in cybersecurity, AI, and the specific challenges of combating digital deception.

• Strategic Impact: Gain experience in shaping product strategy and contributing to the growth of a venture-backed startup.

• Cutting-Edge Technology: Work with and design for advanced AI technologies and novel security solutions.

• Mentorship: Potential to receive mentorship from senior leaders (e.g., CTO) and to mentor future design hires.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are identified by considering the context of a "Head of Design" role in a fast-growing, mission-driven tech startup operating in a novel and complex domain. Growth opportunities are extrapolated from these challenges and the role's strategic importance.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach building a design system from the ground up for a fast-scaling SaaS product like Doppel?" (Focus on methodology, tools, governance, and buy-in.)

• "Describe a time you had to balance aggressive development timelines with maintaining high design quality. What trade-offs did you make, and what was the outcome?" (Demonstrates pragmatism and prioritization.)

• "How do you ensure user-centricity is maintained in a highly technical environment with evolving threats?" (Highlights user research, empathy, and translating complex needs.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Doppel's mission to outsmart social engineering attacks?" (Tests alignment with the company's purpose.)

• "How do you foster a collaborative design culture with engineering and product teams?" (Evaluates communication and teamwork skills.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio around 2-3 key projects that best showcase your end-to-end design process, leadership, and impact.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly define the problem, your role, the process you followed, the key design decisions you made, and the measurable results achieved.

• Highlight System Thinking: If you have design system experience, dedicate specific slides or a section to explain its architecture, benefits, and your contribution.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design choices, trade-offs, and how you handled challenges.

• Showcase Collaboration: Mention how you worked with engineers, PMs, and other stakeholders throughout the process.

📝 Enhancement Note: These questions and strategies are designed to probe the core competencies required for a Head of Design role: strategic thinking, hands-on execution, leadership, collaboration, and domain relevance. The portfolio presentation advice is tailored to showcase the specific skills Doppel is seeking.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of Design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end design process, leadership experience, and ability to scale design systems within a SaaS environment. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates the problem, your role, your process, your solutions, and the measurable impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in leading design functions, building design systems, and working in fast-paced tech environments. Use keywords such as "Product Design Leadership," "User Experience," "Design Systems," "SaaS," and "AI" where appropriate.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your design philosophy, your approach to user-centered design, and why Doppel's mission resonates with you. Practice presenting your portfolio case studies clearly and concisely.

• Research Doppel: Understand Doppel's mission, target market, and product offerings. Consider how your design expertise can contribute to their success in combating AI-driven social engineering.

⚠️ 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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