Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: American Century Investments

Location: Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / Digital Experience Operations

Date Posted: April 15, 2026

Experience Level: 7+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the evolution of the digital product design language and user experience across customer-facing platforms, internal tools, and emerging AI-enabled applications.

• Lead the development and scaling of the company's design system (ACDS) to ensure consistency, accessibility, and brand alignment across all digital touchpoints.

• Apply advanced AI-assisted design methodologies to enhance ideation, content generation, personalization, and overall design process efficiency.

• Collaborate extensively with Product Management, Engineering, Brand, Analytics, and Marketing teams to translate strategic vision into high-fidelity, shippable user interfaces.

• Act as an individual contributor with significant ownership and influence over multiple digital products and strategic initiatives within the company's digital ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Product Designer," the responsibilities heavily lean into areas crucial for operational excellence within a digital product team. This includes scaling design systems, ensuring consistency, and leveraging AI for efficiency, which are core tenets of operations. The role's focus on internal tools and cross-functional collaboration also highlights its operational significance.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define, refine, and maintain the visual and interaction design standards for American Century and Avantis Investors' digital presence, ensuring clarity, accessibility, and brand integrity.

• Develop and contribute to a comprehensive design system (ACDS), creating scalable, reusable UI patterns, components, and templates that adhere to established brand guidelines.

• Design end-to-end user experiences and high-fidelity interfaces for responsive websites, native mobile applications, and internal operational tools, balancing marketing objectives with user task completion.

• Actively partner with product managers and engineering teams to translate business requirements, user needs, and technical constraints into functional and user-friendly digital solutions.

• Conduct rapid prototyping, user testing, and iterative design cycles, leveraging analytics data and client insights to inform design decisions and optimize user flows.

• Strategically integrate AI-assisted design tools and techniques into the workflow for tasks such as generating design concepts, assisting with content creation, exploring personalization strategies, and improving accessibility features.

• Participate in and lead design critiques, contribute to comprehensive design documentation, and uphold shared design standards to elevate the overall quality and consistency of digital products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on defining and evolving design language, scaling a design system, and applying AI for efficiency points to a role that is not just about aesthetics but also about establishing repeatable, efficient processes for design delivery. This aligns with operational principles of standardization and optimization.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is typically expected for senior-level roles in this domain.

Experience: 7+ years of hands-on product design experience across diverse digital products (consumer, B2B, or a blend).

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated systems-thinking capabilities in designing scalable and consistent user experiences across multiple digital products and use cases.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including expert-level use of components, variants, auto-layout, constraints, shared styles, design tokens, and interactive prototyping features.

• Proven experience in creating, evolving, or significantly contributing to a design system, including developing component libraries, defining usage patterns, and documenting best practices.

• Strong ability to collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Marketing, Brand) and articulate design rationale clearly to diverse stakeholder groups.

• Practical experience applying AI tools and techniques within a product design workflow, such as for generative visuals, copy assistance, prompt-driven ideation, or AI-supported prototyping.

• Deep understanding of responsive web and native mobile application design principles and best practices.

• Familiarity with user research methodologies, usability testing, and data-driven design iteration.

Preferred Skills:

• Strong sensibility for interaction design and motion graphics, including micro-interactions and transitions, to enhance user engagement and delight.

• Deep knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG) and practical application in design solutions to ensure inclusive digital experiences.

• Experience with performance optimization techniques in UI design to ensure fast-loading and responsive digital products.

• Familiarity with front-end development concepts (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to foster better collaboration with engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 7+ years of experience and advanced Figma proficiency, coupled with design system and AI integration experience, positions this as a senior, strategic role. The emphasis on systems-thinking and scaling design is a key indicator of operational focus, requiring the designer to build frameworks rather than just individual solutions.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 projects that clearly demonstrate systems-thinking, illustrating how you scaled design solutions across multiple products, platforms, or use cases.

• Highlight end-to-end design process for responsive web and native mobile application experiences, from initial concept and research through to high-fidelity design and post-launch iteration.

• Include examples of contributions to or creation of design systems, component libraries, or style guides, detailing the process and impact.

• Present case studies that involve cross-functional collaboration with product managers and engineers, detailing problem-solving approaches and the rationale behind design decisions.

Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of how you document user flows, interaction patterns, and component specifications to ensure clear communication and handoff to development teams.

• Showcase how you have contributed to or maintained design system documentation, including pattern libraries, usage guidelines, and accessibility considerations.

• Detail your approach to user research, usability testing, and data analysis, illustrating how insights were translated into actionable design improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role, especially one emphasizing design systems and AI, the portfolio is critical. It needs to demonstrate not just visual output but also strategic thinking, process scalability, and the ability to build reusable assets—all hallmarks of operational efficiency in design. The AI component is a strong differentiator.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in Kansas City, MO, with 7+ years of experience, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between $120,000 - $170,000 annually. This range can vary based on the candidate's specific skills, portfolio, and interview performance.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package including a bonus plan, reflecting performance and company success.

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) policy to support work-life balance.

• Comprehensive benefits package covering health, dental, and vision insurance.

• 401k retirement savings plan with a 5% company match, supplemented by an annual performance-based discretionary contribution.

• Opportunities for professional development, including tuition reimbursement, a formal mentorship program, and access to live and online learning resources.

Working Hours: The role is structured around a standard 40-hour work week. As a hybrid position, employees are expected to be in the office on a scheduled frequency, which is essential for fulfilling role expectations and fostering collaborative engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on data for Senior Product Designer roles in the Kansas City metropolitan area, considering the specified experience level and the financial services industry context. Benefits are directly extracted from the provided text, emphasizing their value proposition for attracting and retaining talent. The working hours and hybrid arrangement are also detailed as provided.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services / Asset Management. American Century Investments is a global asset manager with a long history, focusing on investment management expertise. A unique aspect is its significant philanthropic commitment, directing 40% of its dividends to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, aiming to combat life-threatening diseases.

Company Size: Approximately 1,400 employees globally. This mid-size structure allows for a balance between established processes and the agility to implement new initiatives.

Founded: Over 65 years ago. This long history signifies stability, deep industry knowledge, and a well-established reputation.

Team Structure:

• The Senior Product Designer will report to the VP, Head of Digital and Client Experience.

• The role is part of a broader digital team that includes Product Management, Engineering, Content, Brand, Analytics, and Marketing professionals, fostering a collaborative, cross-functional environment.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: The team utilizes analytics and client insights to inform design decisions and drive iterative improvements.

• Agile Product Development: Collaboration with engineering implies an agile or iterative development process where design plays a crucial role in sprint planning and execution.

• Design System Centricity: A strong emphasis on the ACDS design system indicates a commitment to standardized, efficient, and scalable design practices.

• AI Integration: The explicit mention of applying AI-assisted tools suggests a forward-thinking approach to design and process optimization.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's unique philanthropic mission can be a significant cultural differentiator, attracting candidates who value purpose-driven work. The size and industry suggest a professional environment that likely values process, compliance, and strategic execution, while the emphasis on digital evolution and AI points to an openness to innovation within those structures.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as a Senior Individual Contributor. It requires a high degree of autonomy, expertise, and the ability to influence product strategy and design execution. The scope extends across multiple digital products, indicating significant responsibility and a focus on building foundational design assets (like the design system) that impact the entire digital ecosystem.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer reports to the VP, Head of Digital and Client Experience. This direct line to senior leadership offers visibility and the opportunity to influence strategic digital initiatives. The role also involves close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineering leads.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, extending beyond just user interface design. By defining and scaling the design system, applying AI methods, and ensuring consistency across digital touchpoints, the Senior Product Designer directly influences:

• Efficiency: Streamlining the design and development process through reusable components and AI assistance.

• Scalability: Enabling the company to launch new digital features and products more rapidly and consistently.

• Customer Experience: Enhancing user satisfaction, engagement, and conversion rates through well-crafted, accessible, and on-brand digital interactions.

• Brand Integrity: Ensuring a cohesive and professional brand representation across all digital channels.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Design Systems: Opportunity to become a subject matter expert and lead the continued evolution and adoption of the ACDS design system.

• AI Design Specialization: Develop deep expertise in applying AI tools and methodologies within product design, positioning as a leader in this emerging field.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Grow influence across product, engineering, and marketing by demonstrating the strategic value of design in achieving business objectives.

• Mentorship: Potential to mentor junior designers and contribute to the overall growth of the design practice within the company.

• Strategic Product Input: Influence product roadmaps and digital strategy through design-led innovation and problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role's seniority and focus on foundational elements like design systems and AI integration suggest significant growth potential, moving towards design leadership, strategic influence, or specialization in emerging design technologies. The direct reporting line to a VP further amplifies this potential.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The position is based in Kansas City, MO, and is designated as a hybrid role. This implies a structured office environment that balances in-person collaboration with remote flexibility. Employees are expected to adhere to a scheduled frequency of office presence.

Office Location(s): Kansas City, Missouri. The specific office location is identified as "Tower One." This suggests a professional corporate office setting within a key business district.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and cross-functional nature of the role necessitate a workspace that supports both focused individual work and seamless collaboration with colleagues in person and remotely.

• Technology-Rich: As a financial services firm focused on digital evolution, expect access to modern design software (Figma is primary), collaboration tools, and robust IT infrastructure.

• Team Interaction: The scheduled office days are crucial for design critiques, team syncs, brainstorming sessions, and building strong working relationships with product and engineering peers.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected. The hybrid arrangement requires a commitment to being present in the Kansas City office on designated days, facilitating direct interaction and team cohesion.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "scheduled frequency" for office presence highlights the company's commitment to in-person collaboration within a hybrid model. This is typical for roles where team synergy and spontaneous problem-solving are valued, especially in a corporate setting like financial services.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with required skills and experience, particularly in Figma, design systems, and AI integration.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: Candidates will likely present a curated portfolio showcasing systems-thinking, responsive design, and AI application. This may be followed by a design exercise or case study focused on a relevant business problem, assessing problem-solving skills, design rationale, and process.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineering leads, and potentially other stakeholders to evaluate collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to integrate design into the broader product development lifecycle.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the VP, Head of Digital and Client Experience to assess strategic thinking, cultural fit, and alignment with the team's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Clearly articulate how your designs scale and address consistency across multiple products or use cases. Show the evolution of components or patterns.

• Showcase AI Integration: Dedicate specific examples or a section to how you've used AI tools in your design process. Detail the tools, your prompts, the outcomes, and any lessons learned.

• Demonstrate Process: Walk through the "why" and "how" behind your design decisions. Include research, iteration, testing, and collaboration with engineering.

• Focus on Impact: Quantify the impact of your work where possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced design debt, faster development cycles).

• Tailor to ACDS: If possible, reference how your experience designing for or building design systems aligns with the needs of scaling ACDS.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Business: Research American Century Investments, its mission, its products (retail investors, advisors, sales teams), and its competitive landscape in financial services.

• Focus on AI & Systems: Anticipate challenges that might require you to think about scaling solutions or integrating AI into a design workflow, especially within a regulated industry.

• Prepare to Articulate Rationale: Be ready to defend your design choices with clear, logical reasoning, referencing user needs, business goals, and design principles.

• Practice Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio walkthrough and any case study presentations to ensure clarity, conciseness, and confidence.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a senior role involving design systems and AI, the interview process will heavily scrutinize the candidate's ability to not only design but also to build and scale design operations. The portfolio review is paramount for demonstrating these capabilities effectively.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design and prototyping tool. Advanced proficiency is mandatory, including deep understanding of its capabilities for design systems (components, variants, auto-layout, constraints, design tokens) and interactive prototyping.

• Design System Tools: Experience with tools or methodologies for managing and scaling design systems (e.g., Storybook, Zeroheight, or similar documentation platforms) is highly valuable.

• AI Design Tools: Practical experience with AI-assisted design tools for ideation, content generation (e.g., ChatGPT, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion for visuals), personalization concepts, or AI-supported prototyping.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to interpret user behavior data and inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary focus for this role, awareness of how design integrates with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms is beneficial for understanding the broader digital ecosystem.

• Understanding of front-end development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) is preferred for effective collaboration with engineering.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit requirement for advanced Figma skills and practical AI tool usage highlights the critical technology stack. Proficiency in these areas is non-negotiable and will be heavily assessed.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Client Focused: All design efforts should ultimately serve the needs of retail investors, advisors, and sales teams, ensuring digital experiences are intuitive and valuable.

• Curious and Adaptable: Embracing new technologies like AI and evolving design methodologies to stay at the forefront of digital experience creation.

• Collaborative: Working effectively with diverse teams (Product, Engineering, Brand, Marketing) to achieve shared goals and deliver cohesive digital products.

• Competitively Driven: Striving for excellence in design to create differentiated digital experiences that support American Century's market position and client success.

• Courageous and Accountable: Taking ownership of design decisions, advocating for user needs, and being accountable for the outcomes of design work.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Design is deeply embedded within product teams, working hand-in-hand with Product Managers and Engineers throughout the development lifecycle.

• Design Critique Culture: An environment where constructive feedback is shared openly and respectfully to elevate design quality and foster continuous improvement.

• Process-Oriented: A structured approach to design and development, leveraging design systems and documentation to ensure efficiency and consistency.

• Data-Informed: Decisions are supported by user research, analytics, and stakeholder input, creating a balanced approach to design innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated winning behaviors directly translate into expected values for team members. For a Senior Product Designer, demonstrating these collaboratively and through the lens of design operations (efficiency, scalability, consistency) will be key.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Innovation with Regulation: Navigating the complexities of the financial services industry, which often involves stringent regulations, while still pushing the boundaries of design and incorporating new technologies like AI.

• Scaling Design Systems in a Large Organization: Ensuring consistent adoption and contribution to the ACDS design system across various product teams and initiatives.

• Integrating AI Thoughtfully: Applying AI tools effectively and ethically within the design process without compromising user experience, brand integrity, or data privacy.

• Hybrid Collaboration Dynamics: Optimizing collaboration and communication within a hybrid work model to maintain team cohesion and productivity.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Financial Services UX: Gain specialized knowledge of user needs and design considerations within the asset management and investment sector.

• AI in Design Mastery: Become a go-to expert for leveraging AI tools and techniques in product design, potentially leading internal workshops or strategy.

• Design System Leadership: Grow into a leadership role for the ACDS design system, influencing its roadmap and adoption across the organization.

• Mentorship & Skill Development: Access formal mentorship programs and continuous learning resources to enhance both design craft and strategic thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the unique environment of a large, regulated financial institution embracing modern design practices and emerging tech. Growth opportunities are clearly tied to mastering these challenges and becoming a leader in specialized design areas.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to scale a design system or a set of design patterns across multiple products. What were the biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on process, documentation, collaboration, and impact.)

• "How have you integrated AI tools into your product design workflow? Provide a specific example of a project where AI assisted your ideation, content creation, or prototyping, and discuss the outcomes." (Highlight specific tools, your approach, and measurable results.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about American Century Investments, particularly our mission and our approach to digital client experience?" (Research the Stowers Institute connection and recent digital initiatives.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers, especially in a hybrid work environment?" (Emphasize communication, transparency, and a shared goal orientation.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to clearly showcase systems-thinking, AI integration, and end-to-end process. Use distinct sections for each.

• Tell a Story: For each project, frame it as a problem, your solution, your process, and the outcome. Use visuals effectively to illustrate your points.

• Quantify Achievements: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased user engagement, improved task completion rates, faster development).

• Highlight AI Application: Dedicate a segment to your AI experience. Explain the "why," the "how," and the "what" of your AI-assisted design work.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design decisions, technical Figma skills, and understanding of design system principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing for questions that probe your ability to operationalize design (scaling systems, using AI efficiently, collaborating effectively) will be crucial. Demonstrating strategic thinking and a deep understanding of the tools and processes will set you apart.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the official careers portal link provided.

• Curate Your Portfolio for Impact: Select 3-5 projects that best showcase your systems-thinking, responsive design experience, and practical application of AI tools in design. Ensure each project clearly articulates the problem, your process, your role, and the measurable outcomes.

• Optimize Your Resume for Operations & Design Keywords: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords such as "Figma," "Design Systems," "ACDS," "AI-Assisted Design," "Responsive Web," "Mobile App Design," "Systems Thinking," "Cross-functional Collaboration," and "UI/UX." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Portfolio Presentation: Practice walking through your selected portfolio projects, focusing on clear storytelling, articulating your design rationale, and specifically detailing your experience with AI tools and design system contributions. Be ready to discuss your process and the impact of your work.

• Research American Century Investments: Understand the company's mission, its position in the financial services industry, its client base (retail investors, advisors, sales teams), and its commitment to the Stowers Institute. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions based on the provided job data and company context. All details should be verified directly with American Century Investments during the application and interview process. The salary range provided is an estimate.