Manager, Product Design

Fluency; Burlington (VT); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Fluency is seeking a Manager of Product Design to lead and mentor a team of designers while contributing hands-on. You will steer design direction as we evolve from form-driven interfaces to conversational, AI-powered experiences, partnering with product and engineering to simplify enterprise advertising and drive retention and growth.

You will balance people management with high-impact design work, ensuring alignment with business goals and a high-trust, growth-oriented culture.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in product design, with 2+ years managing or leading designers.
• Enterprise SaaS product design experience.
• Track record of shipping complex products that users describe as simple.
• Experience designing for AI-powered, conversational, or agent-driven interfaces.
• Proficiency in Figma; comfort with prototyping tools and design systems.
• Self-directed; can identify high-leverage design problems without direction.

Responsibilities

• Mentor and grow a team of product designers.
• Align design priorities with the product roadmap and business objectives.
• Run design critiques and maintain a high-quality bar.
• Provide team clarity and shield them from noise.
• Advocate for design's impact on product strategy.
• Own end-to-end design for key product surfaces.
• Define AI-native patterns and intent-driven workflows.
• Evolve the design system to support current and future surfaces.
• Collaborate with Product and Engineering to shape development.

Skills

Leadership

Product design

Enterprise SaaS

AI-powered UI

Figma

Design systems

Tools

Figma

Prototyping tools

Job description

Company Overview

At Fluency, we come together under two shared passions that drive our culture: the scaling of digital ad operations, and fostering a workplace environment rooted in open communication, inclusivity, and a growth‑oriented mindset. These passions not only set us apart in the industry, but also fuel our collective drive to reshape the industry and reinvent ourselves along the way. We're not just revolutionizing the digital advertising horizon, we're shaping an organization where every member feels a sense of pride and is inspired to do their best work.

Team Overview

We're a passionate, detail‑obsessed team building the next generation of AI‑native enterprise software. We turn complex ad‑tech into intuitive, conversational experiences. We need a design leader to guide our small team through this transformation.

Job Summary

The Manager, Product Design leads a team of designers while staying hands‑on. You will steer our design direction as we evolve from form‑driven interfaces to conversational, AI‑powered experiences. This role blends people management—mentoring, coaching, and balancing workloads—with high‑impact individual contribution. You will partner with product and engineering to simplify enterprise advertising, while fostering a high‑trust, growth‑oriented team culture.

Your Role

Leadership & Management

• Mentor and grow a team of product designers.
• Align design priorities with the product roadmap and business objectives.
• Run design critiques and maintain a high‑quality bar.
• Provide team clarity and shield them from noise.
• Advocate for design's impact on product strategy.

Design & Craft

• Own end‑to‑end design for key product surfaces.
• Design AI‑native patterns: conversational UX, progressive disclosure, and intent‑driven workflows.
• Define how the platform communicates system intelligence, recommendations, and uncertainty.
• Evolve our design system to support current and future product surfaces.
• Translate complex ad‑tech into accessible, intuitive experiences.
• Align design decisions with business goals like retention and competitive growth.

Collaboration & Process

• Partner with Product and Engineering to shape product development.
• Use data‑driven insights and user‑centered design to guide decisions.
• Clearly present design rationale and trade‑offs to leadership.
• Collaborate with Sales, Client Success, and Marketing to ensure a cohesive customer journey.
• Conduct design reviews and QA to ensure execution matches design intent.

What We Look For

Required Experience

• 5+ years in product design, with 2+ years managing or leading designers.
• Enterprise SaaS product design experience.
• Track record of shipping complex products that users describe as simple.
• Experience designing for AI‑powered, conversational, or agent‑driven interfaces.
• Proficiency in Figma; comfort with prototyping tools and design systems.
• Self‑directed; can identify the highest‑leverage design problems and pursue them without waiting for direction.

Skills & Mindset

• Zooms between strategy and pixel‑level craft in the same day.
• Thinks in systems — patterns, components, states — not just screens.
• Comfortable designing where conventions don't exist yet.
• Strong communicator; articulates design decisions to technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Business‑minded; connects design choices to revenue and retention.
• Loves feedback, iterates quickly, ships over perfection.
• Energized by ambiguity; leads design forward when direction is still forming.

Bonus

• Experience in the digital advertising or ad‑tech industry.
• Experience with the transition from traditional UI to AI‑first interaction models.
• Familiarity with LLM capabilities and limitations as they relate to UX.
• Background in data visualization or complex information architecture.

At Fluency, we're proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We're committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace where everyone can thrive. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and identities and do not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind.

Employment decisions at Fluency are made based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications—without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws.