Product Design Director - HR Design

Capital One; New York (NY); On-site; USD 251,000 - 287,000; Full time

Job summary

Capital One is seeking a Product Design Director to lead an enterprise design team focused on transformational associate experiences. You will guide a cross-disciplinary group, collaborate with research, Product and Tech leadership, and shape design strategy aligned with business goals.

The role emphasizes building foundational, AI-enabled workflows and turning internal enterprise tools into world-class experiences, with a player-coach mindset and hands-on prototyping.

Qualifications

• At least 8 years of experience in product design role.
• At least 3 years of experience leading design teams.
• At least 10 years of experience in product design role.
• At least 5 years of experience leading design teams.
• Experience in a design toolkit spanning product design, service design, design strategy and content design.
• Experience leading design teams across UX and UI, strategy, content and research from strategy through delivery to market.
• Experience partnering with product managers, engineers, marketing and analytics leaders to shape strategy and roadmaps.
• Experience working within a design system.
• Proficiency with design and prototyping tools such as Figma.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead design strategy for high-priority, emerging challenges.
• Drive design of sophisticated internal platforms using AI tools.
• Oversee creation of patterns to enable repeatable experiences across platforms.
• Lead the team through hands-on prototyping and building real experiences.

Skills

Product design

Team leadership

Design systems

Figma

Cross-functional collaboration

UX/UI

Tools

Figma

Job description

At Capital One, we’re building a leading information-based technology company. Still founder-led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Fairbank, Capital One is on a mission to help our customers succeed by bringing ingenuity, simplicity, and humanity to banking. We measure our efforts by the success our customers enjoy and the advocacy they exhibit. We’re succeeding because they’re succeeding.

Guided by our shared values, we thrive in an environment where collaboration and openness are valued. We believe that innovation is powered by perspective and that teamwork and respect for each other lead to superior results. We elevate each other and obsess about doing the right thing. Our associates serve with humility and a deep respect for their responsibility in helping our customers achieve their goals and realize their dreams. Together, we’re on a quest to change banking for good.

We’re currently seeking a Product Design Director to join our enterprise design team focused on creating transformational associate experiences.

As a Director on the HR design team, you’ll lead a talented, cross-disciplinary team of designers and collaborate deeply with our research teams and Product and Tech leadership. You’ll be responsible for leading high-impact, highly complex projects and defining and driving design strategy that informs the higher-level vision of the organization and aligns to business objectives.

This specific remit requires a leader who is energized by foundational building, experimentation with emerging AI enabled ways of working, and has a genuine passion for transforming internal enterprise tools into world class experiences.

In this role you will:

• Navigate Nascent Domains: Take the lead on defining the design strategy for high-priority, emerging challenges where the "target state" isn't yet known. You will be responsible for working with partners to move initiatives from abstract concepts to concrete roadmaps.
• Lead High-Complexity Product Design: Leverage emerging AI tools to drive the design of sophisticated internal platforms—specifically focusing on associate growth and performance experiences—built on consistent, repeatable, and scalable design foundations rather than one-off solutions.
• Standardize Complexity: You deeply understand the value of design systems in reducing technical debt and designer "swirl." You will oversee the creation of patterns that allow for high-integrity, repeatable experiences across a diverse portfolio of internal platforms.
• Lead Through Making: We are looking for a "player-coach" who remains hands-on. You will lead your team not just through management, but by prototyping, visualizing complex workflows, and learning through the act of building and testing real experiences.

We require not just a people leader who can tactically execute work, but rather, a strategic design leader. In this Director role, you will be expected to deliver on the following critical areas:

Product Design Expertise

Leverage established expertise and leadership in product design to elevate the quality and maturity of the design practice at Capital One. Leveraging a variety of skills across interaction, visual and service design; in collaboration with cross-functional partners, help to oversee and optimize the use of appropriate tools, platforms, frameworks and design systems and enable your team to develop artifacts that may include vision stories, journey maps, blueprints, high-fidelity designs and prototypes

Leadership

Create conditions for a positive and inclusive team environment and set a vision for an inclusive, collaborative culture that makes your team feel valued and heard

Human-Centered

Champion voices of both customers and partners, modeling the mindset that business and customer outcomes are not distinct but complementary, ultimately resulting in experiences that exceed baseline customer needs and expectations

Business-Focused

Demonstrate expert knowledge of products, processes, our customers, competitors and industry market trends, applying relevant insights to shape how Design should engage and solve business challenges

Problem-Solving

Share insights around technical advances and data capabilities that could influence outcomes, while helping larger teams navigate technical limitations and boundaries in service of bold technological solutions, data destinations and efficiency

Collaboration

Connect the dots across teams, portfolios, platforms and LOBs, bringing together partners and processes in ways that drive more coherent experiences, accelerate delivery and elevate the value of design

Communication

Present work across levels and job functions, modeling a strategic human-centered approach that integrates design frameworks, data and research insights to make the complex accessible, influence senior stakeholders and achieve impactful results

The ideal candidate has a strong portfolio demonstrating your leadership, process, results and impact.

Basic Qualifications

• At least 8 years of experience in product design role
• At least 3 years of experience leading design teams

Preferred Qualifications

• At least 10 years of experience in product design role
• At least 5 years of experience leading design teams
• Experience in a design toolkit that spans product design, service design, design strategy and content design
• Experience leading product design teams operating across UX and UI, strategy, content and research from strategy through delivery to market
• Experience partnering with product managers, engineers, marketing and analytics leaders across multiple business lines to shape strategy, OKRs, roadmaps and operating models
• Experience working within a design system
• Proficiency with web and mobile technologies and platforms, navigating technology considerations and constraints to drive sound product and experience decisions
• Expertise with design and prototyping tools such as Figma
• Experience managing an interdisciplinary design team
• Proficiency in business case development, grounding product and user experience decisions to business value
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and relationship building across complex organizations
• Exceptional people management and development skills

At this time, Capital One will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.

McLean, VA: $230,400 - $263,000 for Director, Design

New York, NY: $251,400 - $286,900 for Director, Design

Richmond, VA: $209,500 - $239,100 for Director, Design

Candidates hired to work in other locations will be subject to the pay range associated with that location, and the actual annualized salary amount offered to any candidate at the time of hire will be reflected solely in the candidate’s offer letter.

This role is also eligible to earn performance based incentive compensation, which may include cash bonus(es) and/or long term incentives (LTI). Incentives could be discretionary or non discretionary depending on the plan.

Capital One offers a comprehensive, competitive, and inclusive set of health, financial and other benefits that support your total well-being. Learn more at the Capital One Careers website. Eligibility varies based on full or part-time status, exempt or non-exempt status, and management level.

This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.

If you have visited our website in search of information on employment opportunities or to apply for a position, and you require an accommodation, please contact Capital One Recruiting at 1-800-304-9102 or via email at [e-mail]. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.

For technical support or questions about Capital One's recruiting process, please send an email to [e-mail]

Capital One is an equal opportunity employer (EOE, including disability/vet) committed to non-discrimination in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Capital One promotes a drug-free workplace. Capital One will consider for employment qualified applicants with a criminal history in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable laws regarding criminal background inquiries, including, to the extent applicable, Article 23-A of the New York Correction Law; San Francisco, California Police Code Article 49, Sections 4901-4920; New York City’s Fair Chance Act; Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Records Screening Act; and other applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding criminal background inquiries.

Capital One Financial is made up of several different entities. Please note that any position posted in Canada is for Capital One Canada, any position posted in the United Kingdom is for Capital One Europe and any position posted in the Philippines is for Capital One Philippines Service Corp. (COPSSC).