Executive Design Director

A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our core and supplemental programs in ELA, math, and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. Our formative assessment products help teachers identify the targeted instruction students need to build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs provide educators with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves more than 15 million students in all 50 states. For more information, visit amplify.com.

Job Description:

Amplify’s creative team is a group of designers, artists, and storytellers. We sketch, we write, we push pixels, we also love paper. We live for the big ideas, and we sweat the details. We work on digital, print, environmental, interactive, and animation projects. We have a strong hands-on and highly collaborative approach to both product development and graphic design systems and ensure ideas are realized to the highest standards of execution.

Executive Product Design Director at Amplify is responsible for leading and growing our product design practice that envisions the whole -- form, function, narrative, and context -- of impactful educational experiences that amplify a teacher's capabilities and a student's learning.

They will thrive simplifying and enhancing complex and multi-platform systems, as well as our own methods and processes, and inspire cross-disciplinary teams to push the boundaries of what's possible while making sure no talent is wasted. They'll bring a clear vision of how to orchestrate and steer a creative direction for products and projects of varying sizes. Working directly with executive leadership, business owners and internal thought leaders to move from strategy to execution, the ideal candidate is an innovative hands-on designer, a responsive product owner, a helpful mentor, a team player, a great story teller, and a skilled business partner all rolled into one. 

Essential Responsibilities:

• Identify design opportunities, envision relevant new experiences, create business cases, evaluate the necessary enablers, and create roadmaps with interdisciplinary teams

• Participate in business development activities including creating points of view, design responses, program approaches, and input to product teams while estimating resource needs and schedules

• Collaborate with cross-discipline leads to provide guidance, mentorship, and skill-building to members of your team, and to the greater design organization

• Coach and manage career growth and trajectory for multi-disciplinary team members, including hiring key roles needed for product development

• Shape and define the discipline of experience design and evangelize it both internally as well as with partners and the larger community

• Lead the thinking and problem-solving at the project level while managing expectations for the product teams and the business level drivers

• Express a point of view and knowledge-sharing on specific areas of interest within experience design or industry trends and share via thought leadership avenues

• Extensive knowledge of UI and UX experience, driving and applying user-centered design processes.

• Champion design thinking and design craft at both project and company-wide level 

• Actively develop and evolve Amplify's product design processes, capabilities and approaches

Minimum Qualifications: 

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in a related field 

• 8+ years in a digital or product design field with 5+ years of increasing managerial experience

• Relationship builder with consistent leadership abilities, strong management, and mentorship skills

• Experience running large teams or working across multiple products

• Has extensive experience engaging with sales and marketing

• Ability to influence, negotiate and coordinate across multiple groups and disciplines

• Strong presentation and communication skills with experience leading workshops and presenting ideas to executives

• Proven leadership across disciplines, products, and channels within the organization

• Working experience on a product team from product concept through launch.

• Deep familiarity with agile methods and team constructs, and understands the product manager role within projects.

• Demonstrated experience leading design work across multiple cross-discipline teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Full understanding of how to apply the methodologies of human-centered design and research to business problems

• Experience developing and evolving large-scale design systems, or patterns with a desire to produce the best digital design in the industry

• Has managed day to day aspects of senior-level business relationships as a strong representative of a user-centric approach

What we offer:

Salary is only one component of the Amplify Total Rewards package, which includes a 401(k) plan, stock options, competitive health insurance and mental health options, basic life insurance, paid time off, parental leave, and access to best-in-class development programs. The gross salary range for this role is $176,000 - $200,000. This role is eligible to earn an annual discretionary bonus that rewards individual and company performance.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To that end, we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. 

Amplify is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. 

This position may be funded, in whole or in part, through American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funds.

Amplify Education, Inc. is an E-Verify participant.

If selected, a background check will be required. As required by state and local laws and district policies, you may also be required to provide additional documentation, such as proof of vaccination or submit to enhanced background screening, including fingerprints.