Director of Design

Hello Innovation; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Daily catered lunches

Bonuses

401k

Autonomy and fast decision-making

Job summary

Hello Innovation is seeking a Director of Design to steer the creative bar across a diverse product portfolio. You will lead a world-class design organization, guide concepts from ideation to shipped experiences, and build scalable systems that empower design to drive meaningful impact for millions of users monthly.

You will be responsible for shaping product strategy, partnering with Product and Engineering, and mentoring a team of designers to deliver craft, performance, and measurable

Qualifications

• 10+ years designing software and online experiences.
• At least 5 years leading design teams.
• Fluent in product and brand craft.

Responsibilities

• Define the vision and evangelize the design direction across Hello Innovation's portfolio.
• Build the dream team by hiring, coaching, and inspiring designers to do their best work.
• Own the craft by staying hands-on through the full product design process from insights to pixel-perfect execution.
• Create systems that scale by establishing and maintaining design systems for consistency and clarity across products.
• Embed design everywhere by partnering with Product and Engineering to shape development at every stage.
• Push the boundaries by infusing products with delight, emotion, and wow moments.
• Grow people by mentoring teams and building a culture of curiosity and problem-solving.
• Co-create product strategy with leadership to define bold bets and priorities.
• Sit at the table representing design at the executive level and tying outcomes to impact.

Skills

Human-centered design

Systems thinking

Team leadership

Product & brand fluency

AI-native mindset

Job description

Design what's next. Disrupt what's now.

Forget everything you know about "Director of Design" roles. This isn't about polishing decks or approving mockups. It's about leading design across a portfolio of digital products that impact tens of millions of people every month.

ABOUT US

At Hello Innovation, we're more than just a company; we're a force for change. As the parent company to an ever-growing portfolio of businesses, we're making the world a radically better place through meaningful innovation.

Here, it's not about the daily grind; it's about making a real difference, challenging the norm, breaking boundaries, and rewriting what's possible.

We started from scratch—no investors, no debt—just a relentless drive that has led us to impact over a billion lives through our products. And we're just getting started.

We're an eclectic team of dreamers, creators and doers, united in our mission to deliver work that truly matters. If you're looking to be inspired, challenged and leave work every day knowing you did the best work of your life, you've come to the right place.

ABOUT THE JOB

At Hello Innovation, our Director of Design is the visionary who sets the creative bar, the architect of world-class digital experiences, and the leader who builds an unstoppable design team.

You'll guide design across our entire product portfolio - from the earliest concept to the final shipped experience. Along the way, you'll create scalable systems, inspire a culture of craft, and deliver experiences that are as intuitive as they are impactful.

If building a dream team, leading digital product design at scale, and creating products that change lives and redefine industries don't scare you… then keep reading.

ABOUT YOU

• You're human-centered to the core. You don't just understand users - you obsess over them. You design products that feel natural, intuitive, and easy to love.
• You still design. Leading a team doesn't take you out of the work. You'd rather show than tell, and you're happiest with your hands in the details.
• You're a systems thinker. Big picture or tiny pixel, you see how it all fits together and create order out of chaos.
• You're a team builder. You attract top talent, inspire them to raise the bar, and shape a culture where “good enough” never makes it out the door.
• You're fluent in product and brand. From a complex software workflow to a brand campaign, you bring the same level of craft to both.
• You're a modern-day MacGyver. Constraints fuel your creativity, and you'd rather break the mold than play it safe.
• You're AI-native and wired for what's next. AI, new interaction models, emerging tech…you're already experimenting while others are still catching up.
• This isn't your first rodeo. With 10+ years designing software and online experiences — and at least 5 leading teams — you've mastered everything from UX and UI to design systems, and you know how to ship products that matter.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Define the vision. Set and evangelize the design direction across Hello Innovation's portfolio of companies.
• Build the dream team. Hire, coach, and inspire a multidisciplinary group of designers (product, UX/UI, brand, motion) to do the best work of their lives.
• Own the craft. Stay hands-on through the full product design process - from insights and strategy to prototyping, interactions, and pixel-perfect execution.
• Create systems that scale. Establish and maintain design systems that deliver consistency, clarity, and craft across every product experience.
• Embed design everywhere. Partner closely with Product and Engineering so design shapes every stage of development, not just the polish at the end.
• Push the boundaries. Infuse products with delight, emotion, and wow moments that millions of people feel every month.
• Grow people, not just products. Mentor and challenge your team, building a culture of curiosity, creativity, and fearless problem-solving.
• Co-create product strategy. Work hand-in-hand with leadership and product teams to define bold bets, align on priorities, and shape the future of our portfolio.
• Sit at the table. Represent design at the executive level, ensuring design is central to how we innovate and win.
• Define success by outcomes, not outputs. Ensure products are intuitive, accessible, and embraced by users…and use metrics to prove it.

COMPENSATION & PERKS

• Meaningful work. This is not just a job. You can find a job anywhere. This is a place for the bold to get paid to give a sh*t and make a real impact on people's lives when they need it most.
• Be part of something (really) big. Our products touch over 45 million people every month, and we are chasing problems that billions suffer from. Not just any problem, the ones that are filled with purpose and meaning. This is your chance to be more than a number and make history.
• Don't just imagine it - create it at our Moonshot Factory. You'll have access to our newly built Dreamlab, our secret research and development lab where employees aren't focused on what's today - but what's next… Imagine a 30,000 sq ft facility with the machines, tools, and resources (from 7 axis robots to coating systems) to create…anything.
• No red tape. Say goodbye to pointless meetings or political hoops to jump through. We're scrappy, believe in autonomy and empower our teams to do whatever it takes to do the unthinkable.
• Learning animal culture. Learn more here than any other place on earth. We make sure you never stop growing and offer an allowance for continued learning.
• We ignite the best in you. We exist not only to deliver meaningful innovation, but to ignite and inspire the creative problem solver in you.
• A creative, come-as-you-are environment. Our team never stops pushing you to be the best that you can be and still makes time to have some fun.
• Top of market pay & benefits. Along with a full benefits package including health, dental, vision, and 401k.
• Plus many more. Additional perks include daily catered lunches, team activities, paid holidays, bonuses and much more.

Diversity isn't just a checkbox. At Hello Innovation, our eclectic team from all walks of life is our secret sauce to meaningful innovation. Needless to say, we are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.