Head of Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design

Company: Red Cell Partners

Location: Remote

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-04-03T20:50:57

Experience Level: 12+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and execute product design strategy across a portfolio of technology-driven companies focused on healthcare, cyber, and national security.

• Act as a hands-on design leader and operator, driving product innovation from early concept through growth stages.

• Collaborate closely with founders, product, and engineering teams to translate ambiguous problem spaces into intuitive and impactful user experiences.

• Develop and scale design systems and frameworks that enable speed and efficiency without bureaucracy.

• Contribute to the digital presence of Red Cell Partners and its portfolio companies, including web development efforts for marketing and brand initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a strategic leadership position within an incubation firm, requiring a blend of hands-on design execution and operational oversight. The emphasis on "operating across the full startup lifecycle" and "design operator and design leader" indicates a need for someone who can build design functions from the ground up and scale them effectively. The inclusion of marketing and brand support suggests a broader GTM (Go-To-Market) operational impact beyond just product design.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and drive the product design vision and strategy for Red Cell Partners and its portfolio companies, aligning with business objectives and market opportunities.

• Partner with founders, product managers, and engineering leads to understand user needs, business goals, and technical constraints, translating them into clear design requirements and solutions.

• Create and iterate on user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity visual designs for web, mobile, and potentially other emergent platforms.

• Develop and maintain robust design systems, component libraries, and style guides to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency across all product touchpoints.

• Lead user research initiatives, usability testing, and A/B testing to gather insights and validate design decisions, ensuring a data-driven approach to design optimization.

• Collaborate with Marketing and Brand teams to ensure cohesive brand identity and user experience across all digital platforms, including website design and development.

• Establish and refine design processes, standards, and best practices that foster collaboration, speed, and quality within fast-paced, ambiguous startup environments.

• Mentor and guide design talent within the organization and portfolio companies, fostering a culture of design excellence and continuous improvement.

• Stay abreast of emerging design trends, technologies (including AI), and best practices to drive innovation and maintain a competitive edge.

• Contribute to the development of compelling narratives and visual assets for product presentations, investor pitches, and marketing materials.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual role: strategic leadership and hands-on execution. The mention of "design operator" and "lightweight frameworks, standards, and patterns" suggests a focus on operationalizing design for rapid scaling, which is crucial in an incubation environment. The integration with marketing and brand duties indicates a GTM operational aspect, requiring an understanding of how design impacts broader business goals.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 12+ years of progressive experience in product design, UX/UI design, and front-end design, with a significant portion in leadership roles within high-growth startups or scale-ups.

• Demonstrated success in leading design initiatives through multiple phases of company growth, from concept development to scaled product maturity.

Required Skills:

• Expert proficiency in design and prototyping tools, specifically Figma (including advanced features like component libraries, auto-layout, variants, prototyping, design tokens) or equivalent.

• Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, interaction design, visual design, and information architecture.

• Strong grasp of responsive and mobile-first design methodologies, ensuring seamless user experiences across devices.

• Solid understanding of AI fundamentals and their practical application in enhancing product experiences and user interfaces.

• Knowledge of front-end development languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate effective collaboration with engineering teams and understand technical feasibility.

• Exceptional storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale, influence stakeholders, and present complex ideas clearly.

• Systems thinking capabilities, with the ability to understand and design for interconnected product ecosystems.

• Experience operating in ambiguous environments, translating unclear requirements into actionable design strategies and solutions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working within an incubation firm or venture studio environment.

• Familiarity with design collaboration tools and workflows that integrate with engineering and product management cycles.

• Experience designing for complex domains such as healthcare, cybersecurity, or national security.

• Knowledge of emerging technologies and their potential impact on user experiences.

• Experience in web development, particularly with content management systems or front-end frameworks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma, AI fundamentals, and front-end development knowledge are critical technical requirements. The "12+ years" and "leadership roles" clearly define this as a senior, strategic position. The inclusion of systems thinking and operating in ambiguity are key behavioral requirements for a role within an incubation firm.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a breadth of product design work, demonstrating expertise across UX/UI, interaction design, visual design, and prototyping.

• Case studies that detail the design process from problem identification and research through to solution implementation and impact.

• Examples of how you've built or significantly contributed to design systems, component libraries, and style guides, highlighting scalability and reusability.

• Demonstrations of your ability to create and test early concepts and prototypes to inform strategy and validate ideas.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you have established and optimized design workflows and processes within a team or organization.

• Documentation or case studies illustrating how you've implemented design standards and patterns to ensure consistency and efficiency.

• Evidence of integrating user research and testing methodologies into the design process to drive data-informed decisions.

• Demonstrations of your ability to collaborate closely with engineering and product teams, showcasing hand-off processes and cross-functional alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements emphasize not just the final output but the process and systems used to achieve it. This aligns with the "design operator" aspect of the role, requiring candidates to demonstrate how they build and scale design functions, not just execute individual design tasks. The inclusion of design systems and process optimization is crucial for a leadership role in an incubation environment.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Base Salary: $200,000 - $250,000 per year

Benefits:

• Career Track Opportunity: Potential for rapid advancement with strong performance as the firm grows.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families.

• Family Support: 14 weeks of paid maternity and paternity leave at employees' normal pay.

• Work-Life Balance: Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO), subject to management approval.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continued learning and skill enhancement.

• Financial Planning: Optional 401K and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options.

• Equity Incentives: Potential for equity ownership in portfolio companies.

• Mental Health Support: Access to mental health resources through Tara Mind.

• Wellness Program: Cost-effective GLP-1 solutions available through Crux.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work hours (estimated 40 hours per week), with flexibility. The role is remote, allowing for adaptable scheduling within reasonable operational needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided and is competitive for a senior leadership role in a remote setting. The benefits package is robust, emphasizing career growth, comprehensive health coverage, and work-life balance, which are attractive to senior talent. The inclusion of equity incentives is common in startup and incubation environments.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology Incubation, Venture Capital, Software Development, Healthcare Technology, Cybersecurity, National Security Technologies.

Company Size: Red Cell Partners is an incubation firm, suggesting a lean central team with significant influence over a growing portfolio of companies. The company size is likely to be small to medium for the core Red Cell Partners entity, with the portfolio companies ranging from early-stage to scaling. This provides a dynamic and evolving work environment.

Founded: The founding date is not explicitly provided, but the company's mission to build and invest in rapidly scalable technology-led companies implies a relatively modern, forward-thinking organization.

Team Structure:

• The Head of Design will likely report into a senior executive (e.g., CEO, CTO, or Head of Product/Operations) within the core Red Cell Partners team.

• This role will involve close collaboration with founders of portfolio companies, product managers, engineering teams, and the Red Cell Partners' central marketing, brand, and communications team.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Incubation: The firm focuses on "rapidly scalable technology-led companies," suggesting a systematic, data-informed approach to identifying, building, and scaling businesses.

• Innovation Focus: Emphasis on "revolutionary advancements" and "addressing our Nation’s most pressing problems" highlights a culture of innovation and impact.

• Agile & Iterative: The need to "operate across the full startup lifecycle" and "build early concepts and future-state prototypes to test ideas quickly" points to agile and iterative development methodologies.

• Collaborative Ecosystem: The structure implies a highly collaborative environment between the central incubation team and the founders/teams of portfolio companies.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Red Cell Partners operates as an incubator, meaning the culture is likely fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and focused on innovation and rapid growth. The Head of Design will be instrumental in shaping the product identity and user experience of multiple nascent companies, requiring adaptability and a strategic mindset. The mention of healthcare, cyber, and national security suggests a focus on mission-driven innovation.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a senior leadership position, equivalent to a Director or VP level within a larger organization, specifically focused on establishing and scaling design operations and product design within an incubation framework. It requires a blend of strategic vision, operational execution, and hands-on design craft.

Reporting Structure: The Head of Design will likely report to a senior leader within Red Cell Partners (e.g., CEO, CTO, or Head of Product). They will then work directly with and influence the founders and product/engineering teams of various portfolio companies. This structure offers high visibility and direct impact on multiple ventures.

Operations Impact: The Head of Design's impact will be significant, directly shaping the user experience, brand perception, and ultimately the product-market fit of Red Cell's incubated companies. By establishing scalable design systems and processes, this role will enable faster product development cycles and more consistent, high-quality user experiences, which are critical for GTM success and investor confidence. The role also contributes to the overall digital presence and brand of Red Cell Partners itself.

Growth Opportunities:

• Foundational Role: Opportunity to build and define the design function from its inception within Red Cell Partners and its early-stage portfolio companies.

• Portfolio Expansion: As Red Cell grows its portfolio, the Head of Design will have opportunities to lead design efforts for a diverse range of innovative companies.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a more senior executive role within Red Cell Partners or transition into a leadership position within a highly successful portfolio company.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like AI-driven design, scalable design systems, and incubation/venture studio operations.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Develop strong relationships and influence across product, engineering, marketing, and executive leadership within multiple organizations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant growth potential due to the nature of an incubation firm. The Head of Design will be instrumental in building the design foundation for multiple companies, providing a unique opportunity for impact and career acceleration. The dual focus on Red Cell and its portfolio companies means opportunities for both centralized strategic work and decentralized product leadership.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote role, offering significant flexibility in terms of work location. Red Cell Partners likely operates with a distributed team model, emphasizing asynchronous communication and digital collaboration tools.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, Red Cell Partners is headquartered in the United States (based on domain and typical hiring practices for such firms). The company also conducts bi-annual All Hands meetings, which would require travel to a designated location.

Workspace Context:

• Digital Collaboration: Expect a heavy reliance on digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Notion, Figma) for communication, project management, and design collaboration.

• Autonomy & Ambiguity: The environment will be fast-paced and often ambiguous, requiring self-starters who can thrive with a high degree of autonomy and problem-solve independently.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Frequent interaction with diverse teams across different companies, requiring strong interpersonal and communication skills.

• Technology Stack: Access to industry-standard design software and potentially AI tools to support design workflows.

Work Schedule: Primarily remote with flexibility. While core working hours may be expected for collaboration, the remote nature allows for adaptation. Travel is expected for bi-annual All Hands meetings and potentially other needs (~10% or less).

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature of the role is a key aspect, requiring strong self-management and communication skills. The bi-annual travel for All Hands meetings is an important logistical consideration. The "ambiguity" and "startup lifecycle" context implies a dynamic and less structured environment than a large, established corporation.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and conduct an initial screening call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

2. Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Candidates will be asked to present their portfolio, focusing on relevant case studies that demonstrate their experience in product design, design systems, and leadership. A design challenge may be assigned, requiring the candidate to solve a hypothetical problem or critique an existing design.

3. Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with key stakeholders, including founders of portfolio companies, product leads, and engineering counterparts, to assess collaboration style, strategic thinking, and technical acumen.

4. Executive Interview: A final interview with senior leadership at Red Cell Partners to discuss leadership philosophy, strategic vision, and overall fit with the company's mission and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select 3-5 of your strongest case studies that best represent your experience in product design, leadership, and working in ambiguous, fast-paced environments.

• Focus on Process & Rationale: Clearly articulate your design process, the problems you solved, the decisions you made, and the rationale behind them.

• Highlight Leadership & Operations: Showcase examples where you've led design initiatives, built design systems, or improved design processes. Emphasize your "design operator" capabilities.

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the impact of your design work on user behavior, business goals, or product success.

• Tailor to Red Cell: Highlight experience relevant to Red Cell's focus areas (healthcare, cyber, national security) if applicable, and demonstrate an understanding of their incubation model.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, ensure you fully understand the problem statement, target audience, and business objectives.

• Think Aloud: For live challenges, articulate your thought process clearly. Explain your assumptions, decisions, and trade-offs.

• Focus on Strategy: Demonstrate strategic thinking by considering various approaches and their implications, rather than just jumping to a solution.

• Showcase Systems Thinking: Consider how your proposed solution fits within a larger product ecosystem and how it might scale.

• Prepare for AI Integration: Be ready to discuss how AI could be leveraged in your proposed solution or design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes a strong portfolio and the ability to articulate design strategy and operational capabilities. The "design operator" aspect means candidates should be prepared to discuss not just what they designed, but how they built and scaled design functions. The mention of AI and specific tools like Figma is critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (Expert level required, including component libraries, auto-layout, variants, prototyping, design tokens).

• Collaboration & Project Management: Slack, Zoom, Asana, Jira, Trello, Notion, or similar platforms.

• Design Systems: Experience with creating, maintaining, and scaling design systems.

• User Research & Testing: Tools like UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, or similar for qualitative and quantitative user feedback.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Experience with product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) to understand user behavior and inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary focus, familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation platforms can be beneficial for understanding broader GTM context.

Emerging Technologies:

• Familiarity with AI tools and platforms relevant to design workflows (e.g., AI-powered design assistants, content generation tools).

• Awareness of front-end development languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and their implications for design implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly called out as an expert-level requirement. The emphasis on design systems and AI tools points to a modern, efficient design operation. Familiarity with front-end development is crucial for effective collaboration with engineering.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Impact: A drive to build revolutionary solutions that address significant national challenges.

• Speed & Agility: A culture that values rapid iteration, quick decision-making, and adaptability in a fast-paced environment.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Strong emphasis on working closely with founders, engineers, and cross-functional teams to achieve shared goals.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing data and user insights to inform design strategies and product development.

• Ownership & Accountability: A "self-starter" mentality with a high degree of personal responsibility for outcomes.

• Ambiguity Tolerance: Comfort and effectiveness in navigating unclear requirements and evolving priorities.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Design is a core operating capability, meaning seamless integration with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Executive teams is paramount.

• Direct Communication: Expect clear, direct, and often asynchronous communication, leveraging digital tools.

• Influence & Persuasion: The ability to frame strong rationales for design decisions and persuade peers and executives is key.

• Mentorship & Guidance: A willingness to guide and mentor others, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company emphasizes a culture of innovation, speed, and collaboration, which is typical of an incubation firm. The "self-starter" and "thrives in ambiguity" attributes are critical for success in this dynamic environment. Design is positioned as a partner, not a service, highlighting its strategic importance.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Constantly shifting priorities and unclear initial requirements across multiple portfolio companies will require strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: The need to move quickly in an incubation setting while maintaining high design standards and user experience quality.

• Scaling Design Operations: Building and scaling design processes, systems, and potentially teams across diverse ventures as they mature.

• Cross-Company Consistency: Ensuring a cohesive brand and user experience across multiple distinct companies, each with its own product and market.

• Resource Constraints: Working effectively with potentially limited resources in early-stage companies.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Building from Scratch: The opportunity to define and implement design frameworks and systems within new ventures.

• Exposure to Diverse Industries: Gaining experience across healthcare, cybersecurity, and national security sectors.

• Advanced Technology Integration: Deepening expertise in AI-driven design and other emerging technologies.

• Leadership in Incubation: Developing leadership skills in a unique venture-building environment.

• Mentorship: Potential to be mentored by experienced founders and executives within Red Cell Partners.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenges stem from the inherent nature of an incubation firm: high ambiguity, rapid pace, and the need to build and scale functions across multiple entities. The growth opportunities are significant, offering foundational experience and broad exposure.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to translate a highly ambiguous problem into a clear product strategy and design direction. What was your process, and what was the outcome?"

• "How would you approach building a design system from scratch for a new venture? What are the key considerations for scalability and adoption?"

• "Walk us through a complex product design challenge you led, focusing on how you collaborated with engineering and product teams, and how you measured success."

• "How do you balance the need for speed in a startup environment with the importance of rigorous design quality and user research?"

• "Given our focus on healthcare, cyber, and national security, how would you approach designing user experiences for these sensitive and complex domains?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Red Cell Partners' mission and our focus on incubation?"

• "How do you see your role as both a 'design operator' and 'design leader' contributing to our unique business model?"

• "Describe your ideal collaboration style with founders and engineering teams in a startup context."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline: The Problem, Your Role, The Process, The Solution, and The Impact (with metrics).

• Emphasize Systems & Operations: Highlight instances where you've built or scaled design systems, processes, or teams. Showcase your ability to operationalize design.

• Showcase Ambiguity Navigation: Select examples where you successfully navigated unclear requirements or evolving priorities.

• Demonstrate Leadership: Clearly articulate your leadership contributions, decision-making processes, and influence.

• Prepare for Figma Deep Dive: Be ready to discuss specific Figma techniques, component strategies, and how you've used its advanced features.

• Be Concise and Engaging: Aim for clarity and impact, keeping your presentation focused and within the allotted time.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, operational capabilities (design systems, process), leadership, and adaptability. Specific examples relating to AI and Figma will be crucial. The "design operator" aspect requires candidates to show they can build and scale design functions.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of Design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in product design leadership, design systems, working with startups, and any relevant industry experience (healthcare, cyber, national security). Use keywords from the job description, such as "product design," "UX/UI," "Figma," "design systems," "AI fundamentals," and "startup lifecycle."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select your most compelling case studies that showcase your end-to-end design process, leadership experience, and ability to operate in ambiguous environments. Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates expertise in Figma and includes examples of design systems or process improvements.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your design philosophy, leadership approach, and how you would contribute to Red Cell Partners' incubation model. Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on clear communication of problem, process, solution, and impact.

• Research Red Cell Partners: Understand their mission, their focus areas (healthcare, cyber, national security), and their incubation model. This will help you tailor your application and responses to demonstrate alignment with their goals.

⚠️ 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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