Director, Product Design

About the Design Team

We're a tight-knit team of product designers, researchers, and content designers working closely with engineers and product managers to research, explore, and iterate on well-crafted user experiences that are innovative, engaging, and delightful. We collaborate regularly through design critiques, work sessions, and presentations to inspire and influence the direction of the product and company as a whole.

About the role

At Thumbtack, we're building the most trusted way for people to care for their homes. Delivering on that promise means meeting homeowners at every doorway into our product — from the partners who bring them to Thumbtack to the experiences that keep them coming back. Our Demand Partnerships and Demand Gen teams sit at the front of that mission: Demand Partnerships builds the strategic relationships — retail and OEM platforms like Lowe's, GenAI platforms like OpenAI and Gemini, and new verticals like real estate and property management — that create new entry points into Thumbtack, while Demand Gen owns the acquisition, lifecycle, and experience-led growth work that turns demand into lasting engagement.

We're looking for a Director of Product Design to lead design across the Demand Partnerships and Demand Gen pillar. This is a senior leadership role responsible for setting vision, elevating craft, and driving strategy across multiple teams spanning partner-facing and homeowner-facing experiences. You'll build strong cross-functional partnerships with Business Development, Marketing, and Engineering leadership, and lead a high-performing design organization to deliver impactful, user-centered experiences at scale.

What you’ll do

• Lead and scale Product Design across the Demand Partnerships and Demand Gen pillar, overseeing multiple teams and designers
• Define and drive a clear, compelling vision and north star that guides product and experience decisions
• Mentor and develop the skills, talents, and careers of the designers on your team, coaching them to success and impact
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Research, and Data leaders (as well as cross-functional partners in Business Development and Marketing) to shape strategy and drive business impact
• Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality, user-centered design solutions across teams
• Establish effective team processes, operating models, and org design to scale design impact
• Champion user-centered thinking and integrate research and data into decision-making

In order to be successful, you must bring

• 10+ years of experience managing product designers, including senior-level talent and/or managers
• Proven track record of driving product vision and strategy across complex, cross-functional environments
• Craft and Systems Thinking: a high bar for visual, interaction, and systems thinking across experiences, and ability to raise quality through teams rather than individual contribution
• Exceptional cross-functional leadership and influence at senior and executive levels
• Experience building and scaling high-performing design teams and inclusive team cultures
• Deep commitment to user-centered design, with strong partnership with Research and Data
• Experience leading product design for growth and/or demand-generation experiences, with a track record of improving acquisition, conversion, activation, and/or retention through experimentation, data, and user insight

Expected salary ranges

• For candidates living in San Francisco / Bay Area, San Jose, New York City, or Seattle metros, the expected total cash compensation (base salary + variable pay, if applicable) range for the role is currently $293,300.00 - $379,500.00.
• For candidates living in Austin, TX or Washington DC metros or in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, or Washington states, the expected total cash compensation (base salary + variable pay, if applicable) range for the role is currently $264,400.00 - $342,100.00.
• For candidates living in all other US locations, the expected total cash compensation (base salary + variable pay, if applicable) range for this role is currently $249,100.00 - $322,300.00.