Director, User Experience Design

Cengage; Massachusetts; Hybrid; USD 138,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cengage, a global education technology company, seeks a UX Design Director to shape the future of educational technology from Massachusetts. You will set design strategy, lead a team of designers, and partner with Product, Engineering, and Marketing to embed UX principles throughout the product lifecycle.

You will mentor talent, elevate design craft, and stay ahead of evolving trends and technologies to deliver simple, intuitive experiences that empower learners and educators.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a senior UX design leadership role with 3+ years of people management leading 10+ designers.
• Deep expertise in UX/UI design principles, human-centered design, research-informed practices, and modern product design processes.
• Outstanding leadership with a track record mentoring high-performing teams.
• Excellent collaboration and communication, with ability to influence and partner with cross-functional leaders.

Responsibilities

• Lead impactful design by empowering your team to create modern experiences grounded in data and customer insights.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, and Marketing to define focus areas and align teams around priorities.
• Guide design from concept to polished solutions that meet real customer needs.
• Set UX standards and guidelines for consistent, high-quality experiences across products.
• Continuously evaluate the customer experience to identify opportunities and drive improvements.
• Stay ahead of design trends, AI capabilities, and new tools to advance design practice.
• Use design as a competitive advantage by differentiating products through look, feel and value.
• Develop talent through coaching and mentorship to expand team impact.

Skills

UX design leadership

People management

Portfolio required

Collaboration

Job description

We believe in the power and joy of learning At Cengage, our employees have a direct impact in helping learners around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose – driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

What Makes This Opportunity Unique As a UX Design Director, you’ll help shape the future of educational technology, creating modern, exceptional experiences that exceed the expectations of learners and educators. You’ll bring vision and set design strategy, lead and mentor a dedicated team of designers, and set the standard for design quality and craft. Grounded in deep customer understanding, empathy, data, and insights, you’ll apply the rigor of design fundamentals to solve substantial problems and turn complex challenges into simple, intuitive experiences that make a real difference.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead impactful design by empowering your team to create exceptional, modern experiences that solve complex problems and are grounded in data, insights, and a deep understanding of our customers!
• Lead through strategic partnership by working closely with Product, Engineering, and Marketing leaders to define focus areas, align teams around shared priorities, and embed UX principles throughout the product development process.
• Drive the creation of intuitive, modern experiences and scalable design patterns, guiding your team from early concepts and prototypes through polished solutions that solve real customer needs!
• Set and evolve UX standards, design principles, and guidelines that set the standard for modern, consistent, and high-quality experiences across our products.
• Continuously evaluate the customer experience, using data, research, and insights to find opportunities, shape priorities, and drive substantial product improvements.
• Stay ahead of evolving design trends, AI capabilities, emerging technologies, and new tools, applying them thoughtfully to advance our design practice and create more innovative customer experiences.
• Use design as a competitive advantage by evaluating leading products and experiences, finding opportunities to differentiate, and setting a higher standard for how our products look, feel, and deliver value to customers.
• Develop outstanding talent by coaching and mentoring those you lead to strengthen their craft, grow as leaders, and deliver high-quality work that expands their impact!

Requirements

• Proven experience in a senior UX Design leadership role, including 3+ years of people management experience leading and developing design teams of 10 or more.
• Deep expertise in UX and UI design principles, human-centered design methodologies, research-informed practices, and modern product design processes.
• Outstanding leadership skills with a track record of mentoring and developing high-performing teams.
• Exceptional collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to influence, align, and build strong partnerships
• A portfolio is required to be considered for this position

Cengage is committed to working with broad talent pools to attract and hire strong and most qualified individuals. Our job applicants are considered regardless of any classification protected by applicable federal, state, provincial or local laws.

Cengage is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities including during our job application process.

About Cengage

Cengage, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

Compensation

At Cengage Group, we take great pride in our commitment to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees.

The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location. Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond this base pay range. In this position, you will be eligible to participate in the company’s discretionary incentive bonus program. This position's bonus target amount, which is not guaranteed and is dependent on individual performance and overall company results among other factors, is provided below.

25% Annual: Individual Target $138,200.00 - $179,650.00 USD

Cengage, a global edtech company, supports learners, educators and institutions across more than 100 countries. With products serving nearly 16 million digital users across the Higher Education, School, Work and English Language Learning markets, we’ve built a learning ecosystem that connects education to employment.