Principal Product Designer

Black Airplane is a digital product agency dedicated to solving complex business problems through innovative technology and design.

As a Principal Product Designer, you will take on a strategic leadership role, driving design excellence across complex and large-scale projects. You will act as a visionary within the organization, inspiring both clients and internal teams with your forward-thinking approach to digital product design. In this role, you will be a key influencer in shaping Black Airplane’s design standards, mentoring team members, and fostering innovation at every step.

This is a full-time, remote position (US only).

Key Responsibilities

• Drive alignment between design, business objectives, and technology to deliver impactful digital products for our clients.
• Lead high-profile design initiatives across multiple projects and clients, ensuring a seamless and unified experience.
• Act as a trusted advisor to clients, helping them define their digital product vision and strategy.
• Manage complex stakeholder relationships, balancing business goals and user needs while providing thought leadership.
• Oversee end-to-end design processes, including research, ideation, prototyping, and design to development handoff.
• Collaborate with design leadership to define and evolve the vision for Black Airplane’s design practices.
• Advocate for user-centered methodologies throughout the design lifecycle.
• Introduce cutting-edge trends, tools, and technologies to push the boundaries of design.
• Tackle intricate design challenges with a systematic, data-informed, and creative approach.
• Mentor and coach Product Designers across all levels, fostering a culture of continuous learning.
• Act as a role model for collaboration, creativity, and excellence within the design team.
• Work closely with Product Owners, Engineers, and other stakeholders to deliver best-in-class solutions.
• Ensure design quality and fidelity during the implementation phase by collaborating with developers and QA teams.
• Working alongside design leadership, refine and improve Black Airplane’s design methodologies and processes to elevate design impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, Visual Arts, or equivalent industry experience.
• 8+ years of professional experience in product design.
• Proven track record of delivering innovative, user-centered digital products across web and mobile platforms.
• Expert-level proficiency in Figma and similar design tools, with the ability to create scalable design systems.
• Deep understanding of user research methodologies, interaction design, and visual design principles.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and lead design teams to achieve high-quality outcomes.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders and articulate the value of design.
• A robust portfolio showcasing a diverse range of projects, including process, strategic thinking, and outcomes for large-scale products.
• Exceptional ability to manage competing priorities and drive decision-making in ambiguous situations.
• Collaborative, humble, and servant-leader mindset that fosters a positive and inclusive team environment.

Bonus Skills That Set Candidates Apart

Candidates with the following creative and visual design skillsets will stand out:

• Experience in animation and motion graphics.
• Expertise in branding and logo design.
• Strong graphic and marketing design abilities.