Head of Product Design, Engage Experience

Ancestry; United States; Hybrid; USD 195,000 - 208,000; Full time

Job summary

Ancestry is seeking a Director of Product Design to lead the Engage team's design across core experiences like the Tree, Person Page, Merge, and Records. You will drive cohesion across customer journeys, partnering with product, engineering, data, marketing, and support to deliver human-centered solutions.

You will guide strategic and hands-on execution, mentor designers, and influence senior stakeholders to shape the future of Ancestry's flagship experiences and ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in UX or product design, including a track record of leading design in cross-functional, collaborative environments.
• Proven ability to move between strategic thinking and hands-on execution with ease.
• Deep understanding of end-to-end customer journey mapping and experience design.
• Experience leading teams focused on onboarding, lifecycle, navigation, and engagement.
• A strong foundation in human-centered design, with the ability to bring clarity to complex or unfamiliar spaces.
• Strong communicator and influencer who can align diverse stakeholders around a shared vision.
• Passionate about creating connected, high-trust experiences that put the user first.
• Bonus: Background in consumer subscription products, digital ecosystems, or identity-driven experiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design vision and execution for the Engage team, ensuring cohesion and delight across the full customer journey.
• Partner across product areas and functions to eliminate friction, fill gaps, and ensure customers experience Ancestry as a rich, connected, and purpose-driven platform.
• Identify and prioritize key moments in the user journey that drive trust, retention, and discovery - and improve them through thoughtful product design and iteration.
• Collaborate closely with product, engineering, data, marketing, and customer support to ensure every touchpoint is aligned and intentional.
• Translate insights from qualitative research and quantitative data into actionable design direction, balancing creativity and clarity.
• Evangelize the customer journey internally - bringing a user-first lens to cross-org decision making and fostering a culture of customer empathy.
• Guide the creation of key design artifacts, including user flows, prototypes, wireframes, and visual systems.
• Coach and mentor a team of talented designers, helping them collaborate and grow as strategic thinkers and empathic customer advocates.

Skills

UX design leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

User journey mapping

Job description

Ancestry is seeking a Director of Product Design to lead the Engage team's design across core experiences like the Tree, Person Page, Merge, and Records. You will drive cohesion across customer journeys, partnering with product, engineering, data, marketing, and support to deliver human-centered solutions.

You will guide strategic and hands-on execution, mentor designers, and influence senior stakeholders to shape the future of Ancestry's flagship experiences and ecosystem.