VP of Design

We're seeking a VP of Design, Commerce to join our Product Design team. As VP of Design, you will oversee creation of a premium affiliate commerce experience across the Dotdash Meredith family of brands. You will be responsible for ensuring that we deliver the most insightful experiences to educate and empower our readers so they can take the next step, whatever it is.

The ideal candidate will be a hands-on leader with a deep understanding of user experience, interaction design, visual design, digital publishing products, commerce and transactional experiences, and how they manifest through all touchpoints, including evergreen content sites, email, news, and social. This role reports directly to the Chief Design Officer of Dotdash Meredith.

About Your Contributions:

• You will drive the design vision and strategy for our Commerce program—leading a team of designers in defining how the Dotdash Meredith commerce experience comes to life via our sites and off-platform channels. 
• You will shape our UX practices and product strategy—defining and fine-tuning our research, design and user testing processes to ensure a premium product execution. 
• You will partner with product and engineering leadership to oversee delivery of product features, tackling complex problems and building superb experiences that perform, scale and respect the user’s needs.  
• You will articulate and present conceptual, aesthetic and directional choices­ to business partners–taking part in design leadership initiatives including brand development and design advocacy, and stakeholder outreach and education across our Commerce, Content, Product, and Technology groups.
• You will develop and expand a common design system, working in coordination with cross functional design groups across our brands and verticals (Health, Finance, Lifestyle and Entertainment). 
• You will oversee all design output for the full range of brand offerings—developing and upholding standards of creative excellence across all digital touchpoints. 
• You will continually explore opportunities to improve, enhance and expand our commerce program

About You:

• You have at least seven (7) years of creative leadership in interaction design, user experience design or product design. Experience with transactional and commerce design is a plus
• You have at least five (5) years of experience managing and scaling teams, with proven mentoring and supervisory skills—from junior designer through to director-level talent
• You are a champion and advocate of user-centered design principles
• You have a mastery of lean UX, design thinking and agile methodologies, employing techniques that ensure the team is solving the right problem
• You have the ability to present and explain design thinking with rationale rooted in user needs and business goals to technical and non-technical audiences alike
• You're excellent at collaborating with a wide range of teams and stakeholders to influence, execute and evolve process
• You’re a design leader with a strong depth of field—going macro with strategy, but can get micro with execution when the need arises
• You have strong design instincts and a proven record of designing for complex, innovative, and memorable experiences that add real value to people’s lives and measurably push businesses forward
• You have a strong perspective on emerging experience patterns within the realm of e-Commerce and conversion optimization in a premium brand context.
• You're experienced in developing creative policies, procedures and standards that actively contribute to a culture of innovation, excellence, and accountability
• You have the superior organizational skills, and the acumen to provide clear design direction, career path guidance and helpful, timely feedback to improve creative processes/output
• You have a command of current design methodologies and trends, a curiosity for new technologies and a proven ability to innovate how people engage with products
• You have a degree in Graphic Design, Interactive Design, or equivalent work experience
• You have a compelling portfolio of work