Lead Product Designer (United States)

Karat is transforming organizations around the world. We provide a powerful system for technical leaders at companies like PayPal, Atlassian, and Citi who want to take control of how they hire top engineers, elevate their teams and contractors, and stay ahead. At the core of Karat’s system are live, expert-led interviews, analytics designed to give leaders maximum visibility, and the most robust interview performance dataset in the world.

Our Design team is committed to creating industry-leading user experiences that help Karat deliver on its purpose of unlocking opportunity.

As a Lead Product Designer at Karat, you'll drive major design initiatives that shape our product direction and user experience. You'll have significant cross-functional influence, setting standards and patterns that elevate our entire design practice. Your strategic thinking will impact both immediate product decisions and long-term design vision.

• →Drive major design initiatives that span multiple product areas and significantly impact business outcomes, leading cross-functional teams through complex design challenges.
• →Lead and scale our design system, establishing governance, documentation, and adoption processes that ensure consistency and efficiency across all product touchpoints.
• →Partner with Product and Engineering leadership to integrate design thinking into organizational strategy and roadmap planning, influencing product decisions at the leadership level.
• →Plan and execute strategic user research that informs product direction and business strategy, using data and analytics to measure design impact on business metrics.
• →Mentor and develop designers across all levels while leading design critiques and establishing feedback cultures that elevate the entire team.
• →Lead cross-functional ideation sessions for complex problems, creating solutions at the intersection of design, business objectives, and technology that advance design-driven initiatives.

• 7+ years of professional experience as a Product Designer, with demonstrated progression in scope and impact, including a portfolio showcasing strategic thinking and design leadership
• Proven track record of driving major design initiatives that significantly impacted business outcomes, with experience establishing design processes or standards in growing organizations
• Familiarity/experience with leveraging AI, automation, and emerging technologies in design, including creating AI-driven features with awareness of ethical considerations
• Demonstrated ability to influence product strategy and business decisions through design expertise, including experience leading cross-functional teams and building consensus among diverse stakeholders
• Advanced experience in user research methodologies and strategic research planning, with proven ability to balance competing priorities and make strategic trade-offs
• Expert-level proficiency in design tools and systems with experience scaling design operations, plus a strong understanding of technical constraints and development processes
• Proven experience mentoring and developing design talent across multiple levels, with strong communication and presentation skills for senior leadership and executive teams

• Vacation: flexible policy for salaried employees and three (3) work weeks available for hourly employees per year
• Wellness (Sick & Mental Health):  three (3) work weeks available per year
• Karat ‘No Questions Asked’ Leave: one (1) work week per calendar year
• Other: Bereavement, Jury Duty, LOA, etc. available as-needed

• U.S. Holiday Schedule available here: 10 days
• Karat Summer Break: 5 days - July
• Karat Winter Break: 5 days - December

By applying for a position, you consent to the processing of your personal data in accordance with Karat’s Employee and Contractor Privacy Notice found here.

In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination or harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination and harassment based on “protected categories,” we also strive to prevent other subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (i.e., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our office. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at Karat.

We value a diverse workforce: people of color, womxn, and LGBTQIA+ individuals are strongly encouraged to apply.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know at accommodation@karat.com.