Principal Designer

Modern Life; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 220,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive equity package

Job summary

Modern Life, a NYC-based AI-driven life insurance brokerage, is seeking a senior product designer who will own design across product, brand, and marketing. You’ll shape the Figma library, design system, and work with contractors to deliver high‑impact experiences for advisors and clients.

As the sole designer for the near term, you’ll set standards, collaborate with product and engineering, and build the foundation for a future design team while working in our SoHo office a four‑day hybrid

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in digital product design, ideally including time as a solo designer or on a small team.
• A portfolio that shows both product depth and visual and brand range.
• Experience setting design standards across domains, not just executing within them.
• Comfortable directing contractors and working without a design leader above you.
• Based in NYC and open to working from our SoHo office, in person hybrid 4 days a week.

Responsibilities

• Own design end to end across product, brand, and marketing, from research to shipped work
• Set the quality bar and design standards, including our Figma library and design system
• Direct our specialty contractors (brand, illustration, graphic, UI/UX): scoping, briefing, reviewing, and shipping
• Shape how design partners with product and engineering, including how we run user research
• Prototype fast with AI-native tools and push how we use them as capabilities evolve

Skills

8+ years experience

Portfolio

Design standards

Contractor management

Hybrid work readiness

Job description

Life insurance is a complex and consequential purchase that impacts hundreds of millions of Americans. With our powerful and integrated digital tools, expert support, and leading insurance products, we empower advisors to better serve their clients, grow their businesses, and bring the future of the industry to life.

We are a high-growth, AI-driven brokerage backed by $35M from top-tier investors, including Thrive Capital (major investors in OpenAI, Stripe, Instagram, Spotify, Slack, and SpaceX), New York Life, and Northwestern Mutual.

Join a passionate team of product-minded technologists and insurance professionals who are at the leading edge of a massive industry. Make a tangible difference in people's lives and help deliver our mission to help everyone protect what matters most through advanced technology and tailored advice.

This is a hands-on, senior individual contributor role. As our only designer, you'll own design across Modern Life's product and brand, set the standards, and direct a bench of specialty contractors. This isn't a people management role to start. For the next 6 to 12 months, the focus is doing the work at a high bar and building the foundation a future design team will grow on.

What You'll Do

• Own design end to end across product, brand, and marketing, from research to shipped work
• Set the quality bar and design standards, including our Figma library and design system
• Direct our specialty contractors (brand, illustration, graphic, UI/UX): scoping, briefing, reviewing, and shipping
• Shape how design partners with product and engineering, including how we run user research
• Prototype fast with AI-native tools and push how we use them as capabilities evolve

Your Impact

• Make complex insurance workflows clear and usable for advisors and their clients
• Influence product and company direction by tying design decisions to business priorities
• Build the practices a future design team will inherit, and help shape that team as we scale

About You

• 8+ years of experience in digital product design, ideally including time as a solo designer or on a small team
• A portfolio that shows both product depth and visual and brand range
• Experience setting design standards across domains, not just executing within them
• Comfortable directing contractors and working without a design leader above you
• Based in NYC and open to working from our SoHo office, in person hybrid 4 days a week

Bonus Points

• Experience with complex B2B, fintech, or insurance workflows
• Prior design leadership experience and a preference for hands-on IC work

$220,000 - $260,000 a year

Competitive equity package included