The position.

Root is seeking a Director of Product Design to lead the product design teams in our Growth org. The person in this role will advocate for solving the needs of our potential customers as they: learn about and understand Root’s value and product offering through direct and partner channels, considering which products are right for them, and finally, making their purchase to become customers. This Design leader will represent and empower design within their product teams, partner closely with the Product and Engineering group leads, guide strategic direction for the group, and mentor their teams to help them achieve the best possible outcomes.
Our company and Product Design team has a flexible approach to work. Candidates within the US can choose to work on-site in Columbus or Chicago, or the majority remote with in-person visits as needed.

What you’ll do.

• Empower and grow a team of Product Designers.
  You’ll coach Product Designers as they navigate ownership of their respective areas of focus. You’ll mentor and provide feedback as they partner with product managers, engineers, and research to drive and execute on their team’s product roadmap. You’ll hire and determine an organizational strategy around how your team scales and delivers on objectives as the company grows.
• Be the voice of product design with cross-functional directors.
  You’ll build strong relationships with your counterparts—from product management, engineering, research, business development, and beyond—to bring a customer-focused mindset to new growth and distribution opportunities.
• Drive and communicate product strategy.
  You’ll work with cross-functional leadership to ensure that everything we build is solving a problem for our users. You’ll help designers effectively identify user insights and obstacles, and determine a strategy for resolving these problems—all while communicating the value and measuring the impact of these changes on the greater business.
• Demonstrate excellence as a design practitioner
  While this role doesn’t expect a “player/coach,” you’ll have a high command of design best practices and can provide strong creative and strategic direction to your team to deliver on the promise our brand makes to our customers. You understand the power of a clear, compelling, and consistent user experience across product experiences and new product extensions.
• Learn and evolve.
  From leadership skills and design craft to research and industry market trends, you’re excited by the opportunity to challenge, grow, and learn new things.

What we're looking for.

• 12+ years of experience designing digital products and services. 5+ years of experience in a people management role
• Ability to lead and mentor designers through their work and careers
• A customer champion and practitioner of human-centered design methodologies with a deep understanding of digital product development
• Strong communication and negotiation skills; ability to advocate for design with partners in marketing, product management, and engineering through the whole product lifecycle
• Experience working closely with cross-functional partners in engineering and product management 
• A self-starter who thrives in ambiguity, and can balance switching between strategy-level and pixel-level critique
• You can switch between the macro: big picture thinking of business and customer needs, and the micro: the specific moments of an experience and how it impacts what people do and feel
• High attention to detail; comfortable independently multitasking and prioritizing projects in a fast-paced work environment
• Experience in hiring and building a team, and setting an organizational strategy in a fast-paced environment

Recognize some of yourself in this job description? We'd love to hear from you.