Senior Director of Design, Search & Feeds

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 317,000 - 444,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) employer match

Generous vacation time and parental le

Restricted stock units

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Senior Director of Design, Search & Feeds to own the end-to-end design vision for search, ranking, and discovery experiences. This leader will shape short- and long-term product direction and partner with cross-functional teams to translate ambiguity into strong design strategy.

You will build a high-performing design organization, mentor managers, and influence senior stakeholders with clear judgment.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience leading design for complex consumer products, particularly in search and discovery.
• Proven track record in building and developing design teams, including managing managers.
• Strong product judgment with the ability to translate ambiguous problems into clear strategies.
• Deep expertise in interaction design and information architecture, supported by a strong portfolio.
• Experience collaborating with Engineering, Product, Research, and Data Science on ranking and personalization systems.
• Ability to balance user needs with business priorities and technical constraints.
• Excellent communication skills to influence senior leaders and navigate competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Set the design vision for search and feed experiences, connecting near-term improvements to a long-term strategy.
• Lead and develop the design team, fostering an environment for ambitious work and growth.
• Shape product direction by partnering with cross-functional leaders to identify opportunities and establish priorities.
• Drive high-quality interaction design and accessible experiences from concept to launch.
• Clarify and enhance user understanding of ranking, personalization, and recommendations.
• Design for diverse discovery needs, supporting both focused search and exploratory browsing.
• Connect discovery efforts to community health, enhancing participation and conversation quality.
• Establish success metrics using research and behavioral data to evaluate user satisfaction and engagement.

Skills

Design leadership

Search & discovery design

Team management

Product judgment

Interaction design

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Senior Director of Design, Search & Feeds to join the team of a leader in the Media space.

This leader will own the design vision for search and discovery experiences that help people find answers, explore interests, and engage more meaningfully with content and communities. The role will shape short- and long-term product direction across ranking, personalization, and recommendations, while partnering closely with cross-functional leaders to turn ambiguous challenges into clear design strategies. It is also a people leadership role, responsible for developing a high-performing design organization and influencing senior stakeholders through strong product judgment and a compelling point of view.

Location: Remote

Compensation: $317,000 - $443,800 annually

Responsibilities

• Set the design vision for search and feed experiences, connecting near-term improvements to a long-term strategy


• Lead and develop the design team, fostering an environment for ambitious work and growth


• Shape product direction by partnering with cross-functional leaders to identify opportunities and establish priorities


• Drive high-quality interaction design and accessible experiences from concept to launch


• Clarify and enhance user understanding of ranking, personalization, and recommendations


• Design for diverse discovery needs, supporting both focused search and exploratory browsing


• Connect discovery efforts to community health, enhancing participation and conversation quality


• Establish success metrics using research and behavioral data to evaluate user satisfaction and engagement

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience leading design for complex consumer products, particularly in search and discovery


• Proven track record in building and developing design teams, including managing managers


• Strong product judgment with the ability to translate ambiguous problems into clear strategies


• Deep expertise in interaction design and information architecture, supported by a strong portfolio


• Experience collaborating with Engineering, Product, Research, and Data Science on ranking and personalization systems


• Ability to balance user needs with business priorities and technical constraints


• Excellent communication skills to influence senior leaders and navigate competing priorities

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance


• 401(k) program with employer match


• Generous vacation time and parental leave


• Equity in the form of restricted stock units

Our client is an equal opportunity employer.