Chief Design Officer

Candescent; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Candescent is seeking a visionary Chief Design Officer to lead product design strategy across their platform. This role involves mentoring a global team, championing design philosophy, and influencing executive strategy to enhance user experiences in the fintech ecosystem.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in product design.
• Strong portfolio showcasing user-centric solutions.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the end-to-end design strategy across product lines.
• Lead, mentor, and scale a multidisciplinary team of product designers.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic Thinking

Communication

Job description

Candescent is the largest non-core digital banking provider. We bring together the transformative technologies that power and connect account opening, digital banking and branch solutions for banks and credit unions of all sizes on any core. Our Candescent solutions power the top three U.S. mobile banking apps and are trusted by banks and credit unions of all sizes.

We offer an extensive portfolio of industry-leading products and services with an extensible ecosystem of out-of-the-box and integrated partner solutions. In addition, our API-first architecture and developer tools enable financial institutions to optimize and expand upon their existing capabilities by seamlessly integrating custom-built or third-party solutions. And our connected in-person, remote and digital experiences reinvent customer service across all channels.

Self-service configuration and marketing tools give financial institutions greater control of their branding, targeted messaging and overall user experience. And data-driven analytics and reporting tools provide valuable insights to help drive continued growth and profitability. From conversions and implementations to custom development and customer care, our clients get expert, end-to-end support at every step.

Chief Design Officer

Division/Function:

Global Product

Reports to:

Chief Product Officer

Location:

Atlanta, GA – virtual

Type:

Full-time

Job Summary:

Design is central to how we build trusted, world-class products at Candescent. We’re looking for a visionary Vice President of Product Design to lead our experience strategy—ensuring every product touchpoint reflects clarity, simplicity, and cohesion across our platform. As we scale, our design approach must transcend tactical execution and drive a unified platform experience that meets the needs of the personas we serve—today and in the future.

You’ll lead a global team of designers and researchers to elevate our design maturity, embed customer empathy deep within our product culture, and shape how we deliver value across the fintech ecosystem.

Key Outcomes and Deliverables:

• Own and evolve the end-to-end design strategy across product lines to deliver a seamless, elegant platform experience.
• Lead, mentor, and scale a multidisciplinary team of product designers, UX researchers, and design ops professionals.
• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, and Marketing to translate complex ideas into simple, intuitive user experiences.
• Champion a design philosophy rooted in inclusivity, scalability, and forward-thinking innovation.
• Establish and elevate design systems, governance, and cross-functional rituals that foster design excellence and velocity.
• Represent the design voice at the executive table, influencing strategy and business decisions with design-led thinking.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in product design, including 5+ years at a senior executive level.
• A strong portfolio of design leadership—showcasing user-centric solutions, design systems, and platform-scale impact.
• Proven success building and leading high-performing, cross-functional design teams in a product-led environment.
• Strategic mindset with a deep understanding of customer personas, behavioral insight, and design's role in business growth.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence across product, technology, and executive teams.

Key Competencies

• Global mindset and cultural agility
• Enterprise transformation leadership
• Strategic thinking with outcome orientation
• Servant leadership and coaching expertise
• Data-driven decision-making and agile metrics fluency
• Change management and influence across complex matrix environments

Preferred Distinctions

• Experience in fintech, SaaS, or high-growth B2B environments

Working Style & Culture Fit

We are a performance-driven, values-anchored team that values curiosity, clarity, and creative thinking. Success here requires strategic agility, a test-and-learn mindset, and the ability to elevate a brand through both data and emotion.

Offers of employment are conditional upon passage of screening criteria applicable to the job.

EEO Statement

Integrated into our shared values is Candescent’s commitment to diversity and equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, age, race, color, creed, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, military service, genetic information, or any other characteristic or conduct protected by law. Candescent is committed to being a globally inclusive company where all people are treated fairly, recognized for their individuality, promoted based on performance, and encouraged to strive to reach their full potential. We believe in understanding and respecting differences among all people. Every individual at Candescent has an ongoing responsibility to respect and support a globally diverse environment.

Statement to Third Party Agencies
To ALL recruitment agencies: Candescent only accepts resumes from agencies on the preferred supplier list. Please do not forward resumes to our applicant tracking system, Candescent employees, or any Candescent facility. Candescent is not responsible for any fees or charges associated with unsolicited resumes.