Lead Product Designer, Varo Bank
$125-175k
+ Bonus + Equity
Fee-free online banking platform
Job no longer available
Fee-free online banking platform
201-500 employees
Job no longer available
$125-175k
+ Bonus + Equity
201-500 employees
Company mission
To bring financial inclusion and opportunity to all.
Role
Who you are
- 7+ years of product design experience with a proven ability of driving end-to-end design across complex, multi-surface experiences in fast-paced environments
- A strong portfolio showcasing your design process, not just final visuals. We want to see how you solve problems
- Banking domain expertise: You are comfortable with ambiguity, move fast, and can pivot when necessary. You are a strategic architect of complex financial workflows
- You have experience in design systems, both contributing to and maintaining. You don't just design screens; you design flows and systems
- Experience leading design through ambiguity and influencing strategy through storytelling and systems thinking. You can guide and persuade executives, engineers, and other stakeholders on your design decisions clearly
- You have a mentorship mindset and a proven track record of helping other designers grow
- Bachelor's degree (BA/BS) or equivalent practical experience
- We recognize not everyone will have all of these requirements. If you meet most of the criteria above and you’re excited about the opportunity and willing to learn, we’d love to hear from you!
What the job involves
- Varo is seeking a Lead Product Designer to join our product design team
- This is a pivotal, high-impact role focused on defining and elevating the customer experience for Varo's core banking products
- We’re seeking a true hands-on leader, committed to delivering pixel-perfect execution on all design deliverables while simultaneously playing a significant, strategic role in the high-level product strategy and roadmap definition
- You will be responsible for conceptualizing, validating, and building critical features from the ground up, navigating the speed and ambiguity of a fast-paced, high-growth environment
- This role is the central point where high-level product vision meets practical, daily execution
- The Lead Designer is expected to guide cross-functional product teams, including Product Managers, Engineers, and Marketers, toward cohesive, user-centered outcomes that strike a balance between core customer needs and Varo's key business objectives
- Lead end-to-end design for the core banking experience. Take complex financial flows and turn them into seamless, trustworthy experiences
- Manage multiple, large-scale projects simultaneously, maintaining a holistic perspective in every decision
- Develop frameworks that enable scalable, data-driven design decisions across teams
- Influence decision-making at the senior leadership level across disciplines, set design direction, and align strategy
- Partner with leadership to connect design strategy to company goals and measurable outcomes
- Partner with Product, Engineering, User Research, Data Science, and Operations to define vision and roadmaps, align stakeholders, present to leadership, and deliver outcomes tied to user and business goals
- Collaborate with user research to run usability tests and gather feedback to validate hypotheses and iterate on features
- Evangelize design thinking within the company and mentor junior team members as the team grows
- Grow our design system to ensure consistency across multiple products and platforms
Our take
The traditional banking system leaves many US citizens underserved, with some minority groups struggling to access accounts. Varo Bank is one of many companies offering no-fee, high-interest accounts, as it takes on the traditional banks - with additional features such as a rewards program and access to early paychecks.
With many young customers distrustful of traditional banks, Varo has capitalized on this sentiment and grown to serve more than 7M customers. It does have a number of competitors, including Chime and Step, and it's also in competition with established traditional brick-and-mortar banks. However, as the first consumer fintech to be granted a national bank charter in the US, the company is at the front of the fintech revolution with a path to future success.
In response to ongoing economic uncertainty, the bank implemented cost-reduction measures throughout 2022, delivering a meaningful turnaround. These actions significantly reduced its burn rate, addressing a key area of concern. Notably, a refined marketing strategy has also emerged, with Varo prioritizing customers who use the platform as their primary bank rather than simply expanding overall user numbers, putting the company in a position for more sustainable, long-term growth.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
-12% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 9 rounds)
Feb 2026
$123.9m
SERIES G
Feb 2025
$29m
SERIES G
Total funding: $1.2bn
Company benefits
- Employee stock plan
- Mental health resources
- Volunteer time-off
- PerkSpot discounts
- Flexible time off
- Comprehensive health plans
- Parental and family leave
- Retirement savings plan
- Education stipend
Company HQ
Financial District, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Gavin Michael
(CEO)Prior to Varo Bank, Gavin spent 5 years at Bakkt as a Senior Advisor and CEO. He was also the Head of Technology, at Citi, Head of Digital at Chase, and CIO at Accenture.
Share this job