Lead Product Designer

Onward Search; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 96,000 - 207,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance.

Life Insurance.

401(k) Program.

Commuter Benefit.

eLearning and Ongoing Training.

Education Reimbursement.

Job summary

Onward Search is assisting a life insurance client in New York City in finding a freelance Lead Product Designer to shape an agent-facing AI platform. You will set design direction for complex workflows, create production-ready prototypes, and guide quality from roadmap through QA. The role partners across teams, mentors designers, and supports measurable improvements for users.

This is a HYBRID position in New York City. Remote is NOT an option.

Qualifications

• Portfolio or case studies with resume, including any required passwords.
• 10+ years of digital product design experience, including leadership of a product, workstream, or portfolio.
• Strong foundation in high-fidelity UI, design systems, responsive design, and detailed developer handoff.
• Experience leading design in a SAFe environment and partnering with Product, Engineering, and Implementation teams.
• Expert-level Figma skills, including components, variables, auto layout, prototyping, and Dev Mode handoff.

Responsibilities

• Translate complex, cross-functional problems into clear user flows and high-fidelity prototypes.
• Establish design quality standards, including component usage, responsive behavior, accessibility guidance, edge cases, and developer handoff.
• Influence product roadmaps and prioritization while contributing to PI planning and sprint ceremonies in a SAFe environment.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Implementation teams to resolve tradeoffs, manage risks, and support delivery through QA.
• Facilitate collaborative design sessions, mentor designers, and present design strategy and rationale to senior stakeholders.

Skills

Leadership experience

Stakeholder collaboration

Mentoring designers

Tools

Figma

Prototyping

Design systems

Job description

Our client, a life insurance company in New York City, is hiring a freelance Lead Product Designer to shape an agent-facing AI platform. You'll set design direction for complex workflows, create production-ready prototypes, and guide quality from roadmap through QA. The role also partners across teams, mentors designers, and supports measurable improvements for users.

This is a HYBRID position in New York City. Remote is NOT an option.

Lead Product Designer Responsibilities:

• Translate complex, cross-functional problems into clear user flows and high-fidelity prototypes.
• Establish design quality standards, including component usage, responsive behavior, accessibility guidance, edge cases, and developer handoff.
• Influence product roadmaps and prioritization while contributing to PI planning and sprint ceremonies in a SAFe environment.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Implementation teams to resolve tradeoffs, manage risks, and support delivery through QA.
• Facilitate collaborative design sessions, mentor designers, and present design strategy and rationale to senior stakeholders.

Lead Product Designer Qualifications:

• Provide a portfolio or case studies as a document or accessible link with your resume, including any required passwords.
• Bring 10+ years of digital product design experience, including leadership of a product, workstream, or portfolio.
• Demonstrate a strong foundation in high-fidelity UI, design systems, responsive design, and detailed developer handoff.
• Have experience leading design in a Scaled Agile (SAFe) environment and partnering with Product, Engineering, and Implementation teams.
• Possess expert-level Figma skills, including components, variables, auto layout, prototyping, and Dev Mode handoff.

Perks and Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance.
• Life Insurance.
• 401(k) Program.
• Commuter Benefit.
• eLearning and Ongoing Training.
• Education Reimbursement.

Eligibility requires working over 30 hours per week on an assignment lasting at least 10 weeks.