Lead Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer

Company: Brightplan

Location: Florida, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-09-10

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end product design for BrightPlan's next-generation financial wellness experience (App 2.0), encompassing information architecture, user flows, wireframing, prototyping, interaction design, and high-fidelity UI.

• Establish and evolve a robust design system, focusing on components, patterns, behaviors, documentation, and governance to ensure consistency and scalability across the product.

• Drive the integration of AI-first design practices, experimenting with AI tools and workflows to enhance ideation, exploration, and prototyping while maintaining design quality and judgment.

• Partner closely with Product Management and Engineering to translate product strategy, customer needs, and business priorities into intuitive, accessible, and engaging user experiences.

• Champion accessibility by embedding WCAG 2.2 AA principles throughout the design and design system development process, ensuring compliance and inclusivity.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a senior individual contributor (IC) with a significant leadership component, focusing on both hands-on design execution (80%) and design practice leadership (20%). The emphasis on AI-first design is a key differentiator, requiring candidates to be proactive experimenters in this emerging field.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the complete product design lifecycle for App 2.0, from initial concept and information architecture through to final implementation, ensuring seamless user journeys.

• Design responsive and mobile-optimized experiences that cater to diverse user behaviors and interaction patterns across different devices and platforms.

• Develop and meticulously maintain the App 2.0 design system, ensuring its components, patterns, and documentation are up-to-date, scalable, and effectively utilized by the development team.

• Collaborate intensely with Engineering to ensure accurate design implementation, minimize UX drift, and proactively address design debt and custom component sprawl.

• Integrate accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA) from the outset of all design and design system initiatives, working with stakeholders to address findings and ensure compliance.

• Experiment with and define AI-enabled design workflows, tools, and agents to increase design capacity, consistency, and exploration capabilities.

• Formulate a clear perspective on how AI should shape the financial wellness experience and the future direction of BrightPlan's product.

• Utilize customer feedback, product analytics, experiments, A/B testing, and usability studies to validate design decisions and measure their impact on engagement and adoption.

• Engage directly with customers, including the Customer Advisory Board, to gather insights, present design concepts, and validate design directions.

• Provide design support for the existing App 1.0 during the transition phase, ensuring continuity while prioritizing App 2.0 development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a need for a highly autonomous and proactive designer who can influence direction. The blend of hands-on execution, system ownership, and AI exploration suggests a role that requires strong strategic thinking alongside meticulous craft.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is often preferred for senior design roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be strongly considered.

Experience: 5-10 years of progressive product design experience, with a proven track record of shipping complex digital products and leading end-to-end design initiatives.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Leadership: Proven experience leading the design for major features, new products, or significant experience overhauls from concept to launch.

• Design Systems: Demonstrated experience establishing, owning, or significantly evolving a design system within a component-based development environment.

• Core Design Craft: Exceptional skills in interaction design, visual design, information architecture, user flows, wireframing, and prototyping.

• Tool Proficiency: Fluency in modern design tools, with Figma being a primary requirement.

• Accessibility Standards: Working knowledge of WCAG 2.2 AA principles and practical experience applying them in the design process.

• AI in Design: Experience using AI tools in product design and a strong interest in exploring AI's potential to enhance design workflows, ideation, and scale.

• Systems Thinking: Ability to balance individual feature needs with the broader product experience and maintain consistency.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Strong partnership skills with Product Management and Engineering, including clear communication of design rationale and navigation of implementation tradeoffs.

• Autonomy & Initiative: Comfort operating independently in a fast-paced environment, establishing direction, and driving initiatives forward.

• Data-Driven Design: An evidence-based approach to design, with a willingness to test assumptions, measure results, and iterate based on data.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in financial services, employee benefits, healthcare, or other regulated/trust-sensitive product domains.

• Familiarity with component-based development frameworks such as React Native, shadcn, or Tailwind.

• Experience with accessibility audits, VPAT/ACR findings, or working with accessibility partners.

• Proficiency with product analytics tools like Mixpanel for informing design decisions.

• Experience designing AI-enabled product experiences or experimenting with AI agents and novel AI design workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level is clearly defined as senior, with a strong emphasis on the ability to lead and establish practices rather than just execute. The preferred skills highlight domains that are highly relevant to BrightPlan's offering, suggesting a candidate with domain experience will have an advantage.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Shipped Work Showcase: A portfolio demonstrating a minimum of 5-10 significant digital products or features that have been shipped to market, with a focus on complex problem-solving.

• End-to-End Design Process: Case studies illustrating the complete design process for at least two major projects, from initial concept and research through to implementation and post-launch analysis.

• Design System Ownership: Evidence of contributions to or leadership of a design system, detailing its components, patterns, governance, and impact on development efficiency and consistency.

• AI Integration Examples: Specific examples or case studies showcasing experimentation with AI tools or methodologies in the design process, highlighting learning outcomes and potential applications.

• Accessibility Integration: Demonstrations of how accessibility principles (WCAG 2.2 AA) were integrated into designs or design systems, with examples of problem-solving for inclusive experiences.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Examples of how you've mapped out and optimized user workflows to improve efficiency, reduce friction, and enhance user satisfaction.

• System Implementation: Documentation or case studies detailing the implementation of design systems, including component libraries, style guides, and the process for onboarding development teams.

• Measurement & Analysis: Evidence of using data (analytics, A/B tests, user feedback) to validate design decisions, measure impact, and inform iterative improvements on shipped products.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Lead Product Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. It must not only showcase strong design craft but also leadership in establishing systems, processes, and strategic thinking, particularly around emerging technologies like AI and critical compliance areas like accessibility.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $165,000 - $195,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• 401(k) plan with a company contribution.

• Life insurance.

• Paid time off (PTO).

• Annual performance bonus.

• Equity participation.

Working Hours: Full-time, standard 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected to meet project deadlines and collaboration needs within the US time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific and falls within the expected band for a Lead Product Designer role in the US with this level of experience and responsibility, especially in a remote capacity. The benefits package is robust and typical for a tech company offering comprehensive coverage and performance-based incentives. The explicit mention of equity participation is a significant draw for senior roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Technology (FinTech), specifically focused on Financial Wellness and Employee Benefits. BrightPlan operates in a sector that requires a high degree of trust, accuracy, and user-centricity, especially given the sensitive nature of financial planning.

Company Size: BrightPlan is a small, fast-moving organization, which implies a dynamic and agile work environment where individual contributions have a significant impact. This size suggests less bureaucracy and more direct access to decision-makers.

Founded: While the founding date is not provided, the company's focus on shaping the "next generation" of their product implies a growth stage where innovation and strategic development are key.

Team Structure:

• The design team is likely small, with this Lead Product Designer playing a pivotal role in shaping its future direction.

• Close collaboration with Product Management and Engineering is essential, indicating a cross-functional team structure where designers are integrated into product development squads.

• Direct interaction with customers and a Customer Advisory Board suggests a strong customer-centric approach embedded within the team's operational model. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on using product analytics, A/B testing, and user feedback to validate design choices and measure impact.

• Agile Development: Implied by the "small, fast-moving organization" context, suggesting iterative design and development cycles.

• AI Integration: A forward-thinking approach to incorporating AI into both the product experience and the design workflow itself.

Company Website: https://brightplan.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to value autonomy, innovation, and a direct impact on product direction. The FinTech industry context means that reliability, security, and user trust are paramount, which should be reflected in the design philosophy.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Lead Individual Contributor (Lead IC) role. It signifies a senior position where the individual is expected to be a top-tier practitioner in their field, capable of setting technical or design direction, mentoring others, and driving complex projects autonomously. While not a management role, it carries significant leadership responsibilities within its domain.

Reporting Structure: The role likely reports into a Head of Product, VP of Product, or potentially a Head of Design if one exists. The direct collaboration with Product Management and Engineering suggests a matrixed reporting or strong peer-level interaction.

Operations Impact: As the Lead Product Designer, the impact is direct on user engagement, adoption, and ultimately, the perceived value and success of BrightPlan's financial wellness platform. By shaping the core user experience and establishing scalable design practices, this role has a profound influence on customer satisfaction, retention, and the company's ability to scale its offerings. The focus on AI integration also positions this role at the forefront of technological innovation within the company.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership Expansion: Potential to grow into a formal Design Manager role if the team expands, or to deepen expertise as a Principal/Staff Designer, becoming the go-to expert for complex product challenges and strategic design initiatives.

• AI Design Specialization: Opportunity to become a recognized expert in AI-first design practices, potentially leading the company's strategy in this area and influencing industry best practices.

• Product Strategy Influence: Through hands-on design and strategic input, there's a chance to significantly influence the product roadmap and long-term vision for BrightPlan's offerings.

• Mentorship & Skill Development: Opportunity to mentor junior designers (if any) and influence design standards and processes across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for career growth within a senior individual contributor track, emphasizing deep expertise and strategic influence rather than people management. The focus on AI presents a unique opportunity for specialization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This means the work environment is digital, requiring strong self-discipline, excellent communication skills, and proficiency with remote collaboration tools.

Office Location(s): Remote within the United States. This allows for a wide talent pool but requires adherence to US-based time zones for effective collaboration. Occasional travel for company meetings, customer meetings, or other business needs may be required.

Workspace Context:

• Digital Collaboration Hub: The primary workspace will be digital, relying heavily on tools like Slack, Zoom, Figma, and project management software for communication, collaboration, and design execution.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design and collaboration tools will be critical. The company is likely investing in robust digital infrastructure to support its remote workforce.

• Team Interaction: While remote, the emphasis on cross-functional partnership suggests structured opportunities for team interaction through virtual meetings, design reviews, and collaborative sessions.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time (40 hours/week) with flexibility. Given the remote nature and the need for cross-time zone collaboration, some flexibility in working hours may be necessary, but core hours for team syncs will likely be established.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature of this role requires candidates to be self-starters and highly effective communicators. The need for occasional travel indicates that while remote-first, there's still a value placed on in-person interaction for key strategic discussions or team building.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess fit for the role's core requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A session where you'll present selected case studies from your portfolio, discussing your process, decision-making, and impact. Expect deep dives into your design systems, AI experimentation, and accessibility work.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Management and Engineering leads to assess collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to translate design into implementation.

• Leadership & Vision Interview: A conversation with senior leadership to discuss your strategic thinking, vision for design at BrightPlan, and approach to leading design practices.

• Potential Design Challenge: A take-home assignment or live design exercise may be used to evaluate your problem-solving skills, design craft, and ability to work within constraints.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 in-depth case studies that best showcase your end-to-end product design experience, design system contributions, AI experimentation, and accessibility integration.

• Highlight Process & Rationale: Clearly articulate your design process, the problems you solved, the trade-offs you made, and the rationale behind your design decisions.

• Showcase Impact & Metrics: Quantify the impact of your work with relevant metrics (e.g., engagement increases, conversion improvements, efficiency gains) and explain how you measured success.

• Detail Design System Work: If you have significant design system experience, dedicate a section or case study to its creation, evolution, and governance, including examples of components and patterns.

• Emphasize AI Exploration: Clearly present any work or experiments involving AI in design, explaining your approach, findings, and future potential.

• Address Accessibility: Integrate discussions on how accessibility was considered and implemented in your projects.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with BrightPlan's product and the financial wellness space.

• Focus on Core Skills: Be prepared to demonstrate your strengths in information architecture, interaction design, and UI design under time pressure.

• Think Systems & Scalability: Consider how your solutions would scale and integrate with existing systems or design principles.

• Articulate Your Process: Be ready to explain your thought process clearly and concisely, even if you don't complete the entire challenge.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess both design craft and leadership capability. The portfolio review will be a critical component, with a specific focus on how candidates have led design initiatives, built systems, and embraced new technologies like AI.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative workflows. Proficiency is a must.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in capabilities, or potentially others like ProtoPie, for creating interactive prototypes.

• Design System Management: Tools and methodologies for creating, documenting, and maintaining design systems (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook, or internal documentation platforms).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Experience with tools like Mixpanel, Amplitude, or similar platforms to understand user behavior and inform design decisions.

• A/B Testing Platforms: Familiarity with tools that facilitate experimentation and data-driven iteration.

• Data Visualization: Ability to interpret and potentially contribute to dashboards that track key product metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly designing CRM/automation systems, understanding how they integrate with user-facing products and influence user journeys is beneficial.

• Familiarity with how design systems translate into code (e.g., React Native, Tailwind, shadcn) is important for effective collaboration with Engineering.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core tools are centered around design execution and collaboration. The emphasis on understanding how design translates to code and how to leverage analytics for design decisions highlights the need for a technically-minded and data-aware designer.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A deep understanding of customer needs and a commitment to designing experiences that genuinely improve financial well-being.

• Innovation & Experimentation: A willingness to explore new technologies (like AI) and methodologies to push the boundaries of the product and design practice.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Strong emphasis on working effectively with Product Management and Engineering to achieve shared goals.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Using evidence and metrics to guide design choices and measure success.

• Quality & Craftsmanship: A commitment to high-quality design execution, with attention to detail in UI, interaction, and accessibility.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Cross-Functional Teams: Designers are expected to be embedded within product squads, working closely with PMs and Engineers on a daily basis.

• Open Communication & Feedback: A culture that encourages open dialogue, constructive feedback, and iterative refinement of designs.

• Shared Ownership: A collective responsibility for product success, where design plays a crucial role in achieving business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values suggest a company that is forward-thinking, collaborative, and focused on tangible user and business outcomes. The ideal candidate will thrive in an environment that values both innovation and rigorous execution.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Innovation with Stability: Integrating cutting-edge AI technologies while maintaining a stable, reliable, and trustworthy financial wellness experience.

• Scaling Design Systems: Establishing and evolving a design system that can support rapid product development and diverse feature sets across desktop and mobile.

• AI Integration Complexity: Navigating the technical and ethical complexities of AI within product design, ensuring it genuinely enhances the user experience without introducing bias or confusion.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Effectively leading design initiatives and fostering a strong design culture within a fully remote, fast-paced environment.

• Domain Sensitivity: Designing for a regulated industry (FinTech) requires careful consideration of compliance, security, and user trust.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Deep dive into AI tools and methodologies for design, becoming a leader in this emerging field.

• Design System Architecture: Advanced learning in building and governing scalable, component-based design systems.

• FinTech Product Strategy: Gaining in-depth knowledge of the financial wellness and employee benefits landscape.

• Leadership in IC Track: Developing skills in mentoring, strategic influence, and setting technical direction within a senior individual contributor path.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant opportunities for growth by tackling complex challenges at the intersection of design, technology (AI), and a sensitive industry. The learning curve is steep but rewarding.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing an AI-powered feature that helps users optimize their savings goals?" (Focus on process, user impact, AI integration, and potential risks).

• "Describe your experience building or evolving a design system. What were the key challenges, and how did you address them to ensure adoption