Principal Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Product Designer

Company: Gen Digital Inc.

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design Leadership / GTM Operations (Design Strategy)

Date Posted: 2026-09-01

Experience Level: Senior / Principal (10+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (Remote with potential for occasional in-office collaboration)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end product design strategy and execution for the MoneyLion brand's digital experiences, encompassing both mobile app features and a growing focus on the web platform.

• Drive design quality, consistency, and innovation by overseeing and mentoring a global team of product designers across multiple time zones.

• Champion the adoption and advancement of design systems (MLDS 4.0), ensuring seamless integration between design and development workflows.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering to define scope, manage delivery timelines, and uphold rigorous quality standards for all product releases.

• Leverage AI tools, including Claude, to enhance design processes, explore new capabilities, and introduce innovative skills that elevate team performance and output.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Principal Product Designer," the emphasis on leading other designers, driving adoption of design systems, and partnering closely with Product and Engineering positions this role as a critical link in the GTM strategy, bridging creative execution with business objectives. This role requires not just strong design craft but also strategic thinking and team enablement, aligning with a GTM Operations perspective on design's impact on market success.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct hands-on product design for key MoneyLion app features, with a strategic emphasis on enhancing the MoneyLion web experience.

• Provide day-to-day oversight, design reviews, critique sessions, and unblocking support for designers across three distinct global regions.

• Coach and mentor junior designers to elevate the overall execution quality and consistency of design output across the team.

• Drive the adoption and effective implementation of MLDS 4.0 (MoneyLion Design System 4.0) across product teams, ensuring design and build alignment.

• Ensure designers have the necessary resources, clarity of direction, and context to effectively deliver high-quality design solutions.

• Partner closely with Product Management and Engineering teams to align on feature scope, manage delivery timelines, and ensure the quality of shipped products.

• Proactively identify opportunities to introduce new AI-driven tools and skills that enhance the team's workflow and design capabilities.

• Contribute to the strategic roadmap for MoneyLion's digital product evolution, influencing user experience and business outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of individual contribution and leadership, a common characteristic of Principal-level roles. The emphasis on "driving MLDS 4.0 adoption" and partnering with Product/Engineering points to a strong operational component in ensuring design consistency and efficient execution, crucial for GTM success.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in product design, with a proven track record of shipping thoughtful, high-impact digital products.

• Demonstrable experience in a leadership or senior mentorship capacity, guiding design teams and fostering skill development. Required Skills:

• Senior-level product design expertise with exceptional craft and a portfolio showcasing successful product launches.

• Deep proficiency in Figma, including advanced skills in managing design systems, components, variants, and tokens.

• Proven experience leading or mentoring designers, ideally with exposure to managing teams across different time zones and cultures.

• Fluency in leveraging AI tools (e.g., Claude, Midjourney, etc.) for daily design practice, ideation, and workflow enhancement.

• Ability to seamlessly transition between individual design contributions and team leadership responsibilities.

• Strong understanding of user-centered design principles and methodologies.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with web design and development principles, particularly in the context of financial technology or consumer-facing applications.

• Familiarity with building or contributing to internal tools that enhance design team efficiency.

• Experience in the FinTech or financial wellness industry.

• Knowledge of A/B testing and data-driven design iteration processes.

• Exposure to agile development methodologies and cross-functional team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma proficiency, design systems, and AI tools directly aligns with current industry demands for operations-focused design roles. The requirement to balance IC and leadership duties is a key indicator of the role's strategic importance in operationalizing design execution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio that clearly demonstrates a minimum of 10 years of impactful product design work, with a strong emphasis on shipped features and products.

• Case studies must highlight the design process from ideation through to launch, detailing problem definition, user research, ideation, prototyping, user testing, and final execution.

• Specific examples showcasing leadership in design execution, team mentorship, and the strategic application of design systems (e.g., MLDS 4.0 or similar).

• Evidence of leveraging AI tools to enhance design outcomes, streamline workflows, or explore novel design solutions.

• Projects that clearly articulate the impact of design decisions on key business metrics (e.g., user engagement, conversion rates, customer satisfaction). Process Documentation:

• Showcase experience in defining and implementing design processes that ensure efficiency, quality, and scalability.

• Examples of how you've documented and evangelized design system components, guidelines, and best practices to cross-functional teams.

• Demonstrations of how you've facilitated design critique sessions and provided constructive feedback to improve design quality.

• Evidence of partnering with engineering to ensure faithful implementation of designs and to iterate based on technical constraints or opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Principal-level role, the portfolio is critical for demonstrating not just design skill but also operational leadership. The emphasis on "shipped features," "design systems," and "impact on business metrics" underscores the need for a portfolio that reflects strategic thinking and tangible results.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• The provided salary range for this role is $210,000 - $235,000 USD per year. Benefits:

• Flexible working options, supporting a hybrid work model to promote work-life balance.

• Generous time off policies, allowing employees to recharge and maintain well-being.

• Competitive pay structure, reflecting the seniority and impact of the role.

• Comprehensive well-being programs designed to support physical, mental, and financial health.

• Gen Digital Inc. offers a robust benefits package typically including health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans (e.g., 401k), life insurance, and disability coverage. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time commitment, typically around 40 hours per week.

• While remote-friendly, the role requires availability for collaboration with global teams, potentially necessitating some flexibility in working hours to accommodate different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a Principal Product Designer role in a major metropolitan area like New York, especially within the tech and FinTech sectors. The listed benefits are standard but valuable, with "flexible working options" being particularly relevant for a hybrid role.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, Cybersecurity, Financial Wellness, Digital Services. Gen Digital Inc. operates across diverse consumer-focused digital services, including cybersecurity (Norton, Avast), identity protection (LifeLock), and financial wellness (MoneyLion). This broad scope allows for cross-pollination of ideas and strategies across its portfolio.

Company Size: Gen Digital Inc. is a large, established global company, indicated by its "nearly 500 million users in more than 150 countries." This suggests a well-resourced organization with established processes and a significant market presence.

Founded: While the exact founding date of Gen Digital Inc. as a consolidated entity isn't explicitly stated, its constituent brands have deep historical roots, implying a company built on decades of innovation and market experience. This history fosters a culture of resilience and continuous adaptation.

Team Structure:

• The design team is global, with designers located across three regions, necessitating strong communication and coordination protocols.

• The Principal Product Designer will lead and mentor these designers, acting as a central point of guidance and quality assurance.

• Close collaboration is expected with Product Management and Engineering teams, forming a core GTM triad for product development.

• The culture is described as "scrappy and relentlessly customer driven," encouraging "healthy debate, experimentation, and continuous learning." Differences are seen as a competitive advantage. Methodology:

• Emphasis on leveraging AI as a "teammate" to "move faster and deliver meaningful results."

• A commitment to data-driven decision-making and continuous learning is implicit in the company's approach.

• The design team operates with a focus on execution quality, consistency, and the adoption of standardized design systems (MLDS 4.0).

Company Website: https://www.gendigital.com/us/en/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes innovation, customer-centricity, and leveraging AI, which is highly relevant to modern GTM and operations roles. The global team structure highlights the need for strong operational management of design resources.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at the Principal level, signifying a senior individual contributor with significant leadership responsibilities. It sits at the top tier of individual contributor roles, often bridging individual contribution with team management and strategic direction. For operations, this means influencing how design processes impact GTM efficiency and product market fit.

Reporting Structure: The Principal Product Designer will likely report to a Director or VP of Design or Product, and will directly oversee and mentor designers in the MoneyLion product group across different regions. This structure demands strong communication skills and the ability to manage distributed teams effectively.

Operations Impact: The design leader's impact is crucial for the MoneyLion brand's success. By ensuring high-quality, user-centered design and efficient execution, they directly influence customer acquisition, engagement, retention, and ultimately, revenue. Driving MLDS 4.0 adoption contributes to operational efficiency by standardizing processes and reducing redundant work.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Development: Opportunity to refine skills in managing distributed teams, implementing design system governance, and integrating AI tools into operational workflows.

• Leadership Expansion: Potential to grow into a Director-level role, managing larger design teams or taking on broader product strategy responsibilities within Gen Digital.

• Industry Specialization: Deepen expertise in FinTech product design and user experience, becoming a recognized leader in this domain.

• Innovation Leadership: Spearhead the adoption of new design technologies and methodologies, influencing the future of product development at Gen.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities for growth, particularly in operationalizing design strategy and leading teams. The "Principal" title suggests a path towards executive leadership in design and product.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as "Hybrid," with the primary location being New York, New York. This implies a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration, offering flexibility while maintaining opportunities for in-person interaction.

Office Location(s): New York, New York, United States. This vibrant tech hub offers access to a large talent pool and a dynamic business environment.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model allows for focused individual work remotely, while in-office days can be utilized for team meetings, design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and building stronger cross-functional relationships.

• Access to modern design tools and technologies, including Figma and AI platforms, is expected.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with product managers, engineers, and other key stakeholders will be frequent, fostering a collaborative and integrated work environment. Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours (approx. 40/week) are expected, with flexibility to accommodate global team collaboration. This might involve occasional early morning or late afternoon calls to connect with designers in different time zones. The emphasis is on output and results rather than strict adherence to a 9-to-5 schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role in a major city like New York provides a balance of flexibility and collaborative opportunity, which is increasingly valued by senior professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• TA Call: An initial conversation with a recruiter to discuss your background, motivation for joining Gen Digital, and alignment with the role's core requirements. Be prepared to articulate your experience in leadership, design systems, and AI tool usage.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive with the hiring manager (likely a Director or VP of Design) focusing on your leadership philosophy, design strategy, and specific examples of how you've driven impact in previous roles.

• Panel Interview: This typically involves meeting with cross-functional partners (Product Managers, Engineering Leads) and potentially other designers. Expect questions that assess your collaboration skills, problem-solving abilities, design execution expertise, and understanding of GTM alignment. This is also where your portfolio will be thoroughly reviewed and discussed.

• Potential Final Round: Depending on the structure, there might be a final executive interview or a presentation of a design challenge.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your most impactful projects that demonstrate leadership, design system implementation, and significant business outcomes. Prioritize projects relevant to consumer apps and web experiences, ideally within FinTech.

• Highlight Leadership & Mentorship: Clearly articulate your role in leading design efforts, mentoring junior designers, and driving team execution. Use specific examples of how you unblocked teams or improved their output.

• Showcase Design Systems & AI: Dedicate sections or specific projects to demonstrating your deep Figma proficiency, experience with design systems (especially MLDS 4.0 if possible), and how you've integrated AI tools to enhance your work.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics and data to demonstrate the success of your designs. Focus on KPIs relevant to user engagement, conversion, retention, or revenue.

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies with a clear narrative: the problem, your approach, the solutions, and the results. Explain your decision-making process and why you chose certain solutions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for potential design challenges that may assess your ability to quickly understand a problem, ideate solutions, and articulate your thought process.

• Practice presenting your portfolio and design thinking concisely and engagingly. Focus on clarity, logic, and demonstrating your operational approach to design challenges.

• Anticipate questions about how you would approach specific aspects of the MoneyLion product or how you would integrate new AI capabilities into the design workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess both design craft and operational leadership. The portfolio review is a critical component, so preparing detailed case studies that highlight leadership, design system governance, and AI integration is essential.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is explicitly mentioned as a required skill and is the primary tool for design, prototyping, and design system management. Expect advanced proficiency to be tested.

• AI Tools: Claude is specifically mentioned, indicating a strong emphasis on leveraging AI for design tasks, content generation, research assistance, or workflow automation. Other AI design and content tools are also likely to be utilized.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma has robust prototyping capabilities, familiarity with other specialized tools might be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed, a Principal Product Designer would likely interact with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to understand user behavior and measure the impact of design changes.

• Experience with data visualization tools or dashboards to interpret user data and present findings to stakeholders is valuable. CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) or marketing automation platforms might be indirectly relevant, especially in understanding how user data flows and how design impacts customer journeys.

• Experience with project management and collaboration tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello is expected for managing tasks and cross-functional workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and Claude indicates a modern, AI-integrated design workflow. Proficiency here is not just about using tools but understanding how they enable efficient and innovative GTM design operations.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A relentless focus on understanding and serving the user, driving product decisions that lead to customer satisfaction and loyalty.

• Innovation & Experimentation: A culture that encourages healthy debate, trying new approaches, and learning from both successes and failures, particularly with AI integration.

• Collaboration & Inclusion: Valuing diverse perspectives and experiences to foster a strong, supportive team environment where different ideas are welcomed.

• Efficiency & Execution: A drive to deliver high-quality work effectively and on time, optimizing processes and leveraging tools like design systems to achieve goals.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Using insights from user data and analytics to inform design choices and measure impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Strong emphasis on working closely with Product Management and Engineering to ensure alignment and efficient product delivery.

• Design Critique & Feedback: A culture where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged to elevate design quality and foster continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging team members to share best practices, learnings, and new skills, particularly concerning AI tools and design system advancements.

• Global Coordination: Developing effective communication strategies to collaborate seamlessly with designers across different regions and time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values like "scrappy," "customer driven," and embracing "healthy debate, experimentation, and continuous learning" align well with the dynamic nature of operations roles. The emphasis on AI as a "teammate" suggests an openness to evolving work methodologies.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing IC and Leadership: Effectively switching between hands-on design work and team management responsibilities can be demanding. This requires strong time management and prioritization skills.

• Managing Global Teams: Coordinating design efforts across different time zones, cultures, and communication styles presents an operational challenge that requires robust management practices.

• Driving Design System Adoption: Ensuring consistent and effective adoption of MLDS 4.0 across various product teams requires ongoing advocacy, training, and support.

• Integrating AI Seamlessly: Identifying and implementing AI tools that genuinely enhance design workflows without disrupting existing processes or compromising quality is an ongoing challenge.

• Maintaining Design Quality at Scale: As the MoneyLion brand grows and evolves, ensuring that design quality remains high across all features and platforms requires constant vigilance and process refinement.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Leadership Training: Opportunities to hone skills in managing, mentoring, and developing a global design team.

• AI in Design Specialization: Becoming an expert in leveraging cutting-edge AI tools for product design, potentially leading internal initiatives or workshops.

• FinTech Product Strategy: Deepening expertise in the specific user needs and market dynamics of the financial wellness and FinTech sectors.

• Design Operations Enhancement: Contributing to the optimization of design processes, tooling, and workflows to improve overall team efficiency and impact.

• Cross-functional Strategy: Gaining broader exposure to product and engineering strategies, enhancing your ability to contribute to GTM planning from a design perspective.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges listed are common for senior operational leadership roles. The growth opportunities focus on developing both leadership and specialized technical/strategic skills relevant to modern design operations.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach leading and mentoring a distributed design team to ensure consistent quality and alignment with MLDS 4.0?" (Focus on communication strategies, feedback mechanisms, and governance.)

• "Describe a time you used AI tools to significantly improve a design process or outcome. What was the impact?" (Be ready to detail specific tools, your process, and quantifiable results.)

• "How do you balance individual hands-on design contributions with the responsibilities of team leadership?" (Discuss prioritization, delegation, and your personal workflow management.)

• "What are your strategies for ensuring successful adoption of a design system across multiple product teams and engineering disciplines?" (Highlight your experience with evangelism, documentation, and collaboration.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Gen Digital's mission and the MoneyLion brand specifically?" (Research the company's brands, values, and recent news.)

• "How do you see AI evolving the role of product designers and design teams in the next 3-5 years?" (Showcase your forward-thinking perspective and alignment with Gen's AI focus.)

• "Describe your ideal collaborative relationship with Product Management and Engineering." (Emphasize partnership, shared goals, and proactive communication.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Structure your case studies as compelling narratives. Clearly define the problem, your role, the process, key decisions, and the measurable impact.

• Visual Clarity: Ensure your presentation is visually clean, easy to follow, and effectively showcases your design work and system thinking. Use high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes where appropriate.

• Highlight Leadership & Operations: For each project, explicitly state your leadership contributions, how you managed complexity, and any operational efficiencies you introduced (e.g., through design systems or process improvements).

• Quantify Impact: Be prepared to discuss the business metrics your designs influenced. If exact numbers aren't available, discuss the rationale for expected impact.

• Address AI Integration: If applicable, point out where AI tools were used in the project and the specific benefits they provided.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing for these types of questions will require you to think about your experience through an operational lens, focusing on process, efficiency, collaboration, and measurable impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects demonstrating leadership, design system expertise (especially Figma), AI tool integration, and quantifiable impact on user engagement or business goals. Tailor your case studies to highlight your operational approach to design.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 10+ years of experience, leadership roles, and proficiency with key technologies like Figma and AI tools. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, leadership philosophy, and experience with design systems and AI through mock interviews. Prepare specific examples for behavioral and situational questions.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Gen Digital Inc., its brands (especially MoneyLion), and its stated values. Understand their approach to AI and customer-centricity to demonstrate cultural fit and strategic alignment.

⚠️ 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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