Product Design Director

Who We Are 

We are 8th Light, an employee-owned, remote-first software consultancy, we consider software design and development a craft. We’re driven by our deep commitment to excellence, and powered by our collective depth of knowledge and experience. Our team of expert developers and designers hold the title of "Crafter" to reflect our dedication to quality, our emphasis on continual learning, and our belief that software is truly a craft — something we take pride in, and value highly. We value colleagues who enjoy learning and teaching, which creates our collaborative organization.

We take a human-centered design (HCD) approach to crafting digital solutions, collaborating with the people writing code as well as those using it. We enjoy working with empathetic, passionate collaborators who value the work they do. We embrace the need for adaptability in a constantly changing world. 

As a team of polyglot generalists — thinkers and doers ready to take on most any challenge that we encounter, we remain positioned to help an ever growing portfolio of client partners. If this approach to product and software development & design resonates with you, we'd love to talk. We value colleagues who enjoy learning and teaching, which further cultivates our collaborative organization. You’ll also have opportunities to further your expertise as a design leader, through project contributions, and working directly with senior leadership and the Head of Design. 

Who You Are

You’ve led teams in the past and would describe yourself as being most inspired when you can bring others on a journey conceptually and aesthetically. You are prepared to deepen your organization influence and leadership skills while keeping your heart and hands firmly planted in the low level activities of any design project and engagement. You’ve successfully:

• Ideally gained design experience over at least 7 years with over 3 years of experience effectively leading design teams 
• Enhanced, created and updated UI style guidelines, ensuring they are enforced and optimized throughout all projects.
• Contributed to consulting engagements in both small and large B2C + B2B organizations
• Led solutions resulting in measurable financial and organizational growth 
• Designed products with stakeholders and through research that meet or exceed your clients expectations on time and within budget
• Amassed a proven track record of guiding clients and project teams through the human-centered design process and integrating Agile engineering practices
• Motivated teams by modeling and applying quality design practices through leadership and collaboration with both internal and client teams in software product design and development processes
• Developed design strategies for multiple software products and applications by providing direction and customization for each client’s needs and with their users in mind.
• Demonstrated exceptional communication skills (oral and written) and an ability to inspire through teaching and hands-on collaboration with numerous stakeholders 

What You’ll Do At 8th Light

You’ll establish and maintain our design activities and the quality of our project outcomes from design through delivery. You will also support the overall growth and development of design team members through project collaboration and mentorship. The Product Design Director will contribute to the development and growth of client relationships through business development and project advisory services. In unison with the engagement team, you will be responsible for: 

• Advising and guiding client stakeholders across our software design and delivery engagements
• Championing our multidisciplinary, integrated approach to software product design and development
• Contributing to all aspects of design through hands-on collaboration with our integrated core and extended teams
• Ensuring the desirability, feasibility, and viability of our design directions throughout the entire design and delivery process 
• Participating in business development activities by offering design perspective in connection to new opportunities and creating positive relationships with clients by setting them up for success
• Contributing to the growth and development of our designers and the Design Discipline as a whole in collaboration with our Head of Design
• Creating opportunities for our design colleagues to be exposed and immersed in new practices and tools that evolve and expand their expertise

Nice to Have

We work across many areas, and encourage anyone with the experience mentioned above to apply. Given recent client requests, we would particularly like to encourage applicants with experience in the following areas:

• Design consulting across a range of industries and client organizations 
• Depth in UX and visual design
• Integrated human-centered design and Agile delivery practices

We truly hope to hear from you.

How You’ll be Supported

We want our people to feel supported and encouraged to embrace their most authentic selves. Our wellness package at 8th Light is centered around the Whole YOU. Offerings that include:

• Annual budget for learning & development
• L&D time allotment of 120+ hours per year
• Flexible PTO
• Access to a worldwide network of coworking spaces through our partnership with Desana © 
• Wellness days
• 12 weeks of new parent leave available immediately
• Fertility benefits
• Semi annual promotion panel

See our full list of Benefits

Join Us –– 8th Light is Fully Remote

We recognize that creating a truly diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization is an ongoing journey, and we’re excited to share our journey with you. We have a proud tradition of hiring talented colleagues with unusual career experiences. We're more interested in your experiences, results, and impact than brand names, degrees, or keywords that may appear on your resume.

8th Light currently recruits and supports a distributed team of employees in various states who work remotely. When opportunities allow we can also consider hiring talent eligible to work in the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Canada. In this new workplace landscape, it is rare that our consulting engagements require travel for current roles. 

We are committed to supporting, onboarding, growth, and engagement of employees who choose to work remotely on a permanent basis. For team members who seek to work in-office, where local regulations allow, we can provide an experience that supports in-person social interaction and collaboration in our hub cities of Chicago, New York, London and Los Angeles. Learn more about our philosophy, plans, and updates by signing up for our Talent Community!

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