Vice president product design at BetterUp

Let’s face it, a company whose mission is human transformation better have some fresh thinking about the employer/employee relationship.

We do. We can’t cram it all in here, but you’ll start noticing it from the first interview.

Even our candidate experience is different. And when you get an offer from us (and accept it), you get way more than a paycheck. You get a personal BetterUp Coach, a development plan, a trained and coached manager, the most amazing team you’ve ever met (yes, each with their own personal BetterUp Coach), and most importantly, work that matters.

This makes for a remarkably focused and fulfilling work experience. Frankly, it’s not for everyone. But for people with fire in their belly, it’s a game-changing, career-defining, soul-lifting move.

Join us and we promise you the most intense and fulfilling years of your career, doing life-changing work in a fun, inventive, soulful culture.

If that sounds exciting—and the job description below feels like a fit—we really should start talking.

We’re on the hunt for a VP of Design who’s not just a visionary but a detail-oriented leader ready to shape the future of BetterUp as we transition from a multi-product to a full-scale platform company. At BetterUp, design is more than aesthetics—it’s the driving force behind how we empower millions to reach their full potential. You’ll be at the forefront of creating cohesive, seamless experiences across our expanding platform, responsible for the user experience design for members, coaches, and enterprise partners on both mobile and web. Leading a talented team of product designers, you’ll redefine how behavioral growth and change are embedded into the flow of work and life. If you’re ready to lead with passion, inspire a world-class team, and turn bold ideas into reality, this is your opportunity to make a lasting impact. Let’s create something extraordinary together!

What You’ll Do

• Shape and Execute a Forward-Thinking Design Vision: Develop and implement a design strategy that aligns with BetterUp’s mission, driving a seamless and impactful user experience across all products and solutions, with the flexibility to scale as we grow.
• Lead and Develop a High-Performing Design Team: Manage and inspire a diverse team of Product Designers, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Drive End-to-End Design Excellence: Oversee the design process for our members, coaches, and enterprise partners across both mobile and web platforms, ensuring that the user experience is intuitive, human-centered, and reflects BetterUp’s commitment to human transformation.
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally to Embed Design Thinking: Partner with Product, Engineering, and other teams to ensure design principles are integrated into every stage of product development, from discovery to launch.
• Model for User-Centric Design: Lead the integration of research, data, and deep empathy into the design process. Proactively model innovative ways to embed user insights, ensuring that every design iteration anticipates and enhances the user journey, driving meaningful behavioral change.
• Optimize Design Operations for Growth: Build and refine scalable design processes, tools, and systems that support rapid growth, enabling your team to deliver high-quality, consistent results without compromising agility.
• Innovate Through Feedback and Insights: Use analytics, user feedback, and design research to inform decisions, iterate on experiences, and ensure BetterUp remains at the forefront of user experience innovation.
• Demonstrate Strong Business Acumen: Translate complex business strategies into actionable design initiatives, enhancing team alignment with business and customer goals.
• Ensure Cohesive Design and Communication Across Teams: Collaborate closely with Product Marketing and Field Teams to align partner communication with the experience we deliver to members, ensuring a consistent, seamless narrative that reflects BetterUp’s value and mission at every touchpoint.
• Align Design with BetterUp’s Mission: Infuse purpose into every design decision, aligning closely with BetterUp’s mission to unlock human potential and create meaningful growth opportunities for individuals and organizations.

If you have some or all of the following, please apply:

• 7+ years leading design teams, including managing managers, with experience in dynamic, multi-product environments.
• Proven ability to define and execute design strategies that align with both product evolution and company growth, ensuring a seamless user experience across diverse touchpoints.
• Experience working in start-up or fast-paced, high-growth environments, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, wear multiple hats, and thrive with lighter processes.
• Expert in guiding teams through complex design challenges, balancing user needs, business goals, and technical constraints, while keeping the design process efficient and scalable.
• Deep expertise in the fundamentals and best practices of human-centered design and systems thinking for complex platform products, with a strong track record of creating user-friendly, impactful, and scalable experiences.
• Exceptional cross-functional collaborator, experienced in working with Product, Engineering, and other teams to embed design thinking across products and solutions.
• Executive-level communication skills with the ability to clearly articulate design’s strategic impact to senior leadership, influencing stakeholders and driving alignment.
• Proven experience scaling design operations and processes in high-growth environments, ensuring design consistency, quality, and efficiency at scale.
• Data-driven mindset with a strong grasp of user research, analytics, and feedback loops, using insights to inform design decisions and continuously improve user experiences.
• Passionate about fostering an inclusive and diverse design culture, ensuring the design team and product experiences reflect the needs of our global user base.

Deep alignment with BetterUp’s mission, with a passion for using design to drive behavior change, enhance user journeys, and create a platform that transforms lives.

Benefits

At BetterUp, we are committed to living out our mission every day and that starts with providing benefits that allow our employees to care for themselves, support their families, and give back to their community.

• Access to BetterUp coaching; one for you and one for a friend or family member.
• A competitive compensation plan with opportunity for advancement.
• Medical, dental and vision insurance.
• Flexible paid time off.
• Per year:
  • All federal/statutory holidays observed.
  • 4 BetterUp Inner Work days.
  • 5 Volunteer Days to give back.
  • Learning and Development stipend.
  • Company wide Summer & Winter breaks.
• Year-round charitable contribution of your choice on behalf of BetterUp.
• 401(k) self contribution.

We are dedicated to building diverse teams that fuel an authentic workplace and sense of belonging for each and every employee. We know applying for a job can be intimidating, please don’t hesitate to reach out — we encourage everyone interested in joining us to apply.

BetterUp Inc. provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status. In addition to federal law requirements, BetterUp Inc. complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

At BetterUp, we compensate our employees fairly for their work. Base salary is determined by job-related experience, education/training, residence location, as well as market indicators. The range below is representative of base salary only and does not include equity, sales bonus plans (when applicable) and benefits. This range may be modified in the future.

The base salary range for this role is $282,000 – $487,000.

If you live in New York, the base salary range for this role is:

$325,000 – $487,000: New York City

$282,000 – $424,000: Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Nassau, Newburgh, Syracuse

Protecting your privacy and treating your personal information with care is very important to us, and central to the entire BetterUp family. By submitting your application, you acknowledge that your personal information will be processed in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice. If you have any questions about the privacy of your personal information or your rights with regards to your personal information, please reach out to support@betterup.co.