Director of Product Design, Etsy
UX Foundations
$228-296k
+ Equity Package + Annual Performance Bonus
More information about location
eCommerce platform for handcrafted goods
Open for applications
eCommerce platform for handcrafted goods
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$228-296k
+ Equity Package + Annual Performance Bonus
More information about location
1001+ employees
Company mission
To keep human connection at the heart of commerce.
Role
Who you are
- 12+ years of experience in product design, with a strong portfolio showcasing high crafted experiences
- 5+ years of experience in a leadership role, managing and mentoring designers
- Proven track record of building and scaling design systems for complex digital products
- Experience leading design teams at a marketplace, e-commerce, or consumer technology company
- Strong understanding of user-centered design principles, methodologies, and best practices
- Demonstrated ability to balance business goals with user needs and technical constraints
- Experience partnering effectively with product, engineering, and marketing teams
- History of successful strategic leadership and organizational influence
- Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and their impact
What the job involves
- The Director of Design for User Experience Foundations will play a pivotal role in defining and elevating the Etsy marketplace experience, establishing quality standards, and fostering a culture of design excellence
- The Director of Design, User Experience Foundations will lead our design systems team and foundation designers who collectively define the Etsy marketplace experience
- Reporting to the VP of Design, this role will be responsible for up-leveling the quality bar across the entire design organization while ensuring a consistent, intuitive, and delightful user experience
- You'll oversee the development and evolution of our design system, establish design quality standards, and build a foundation that enables all product teams to create cohesive experiences aligned with Etsy's brand and values
- This is a full-time position reporting to the VP of Design
- Help us define the vision of the look, feel and voice of Etsy’s marketplace
- Partner with product, engineering, and marketing leadership to align on a unified vision for the Etsy marketplace experience
- Lead and mentor a team of designers focused on design systems and foundational user experience components
- Define and champion Etsy's design quality standards across the organization
- Drive the strategic direction for Etsy's design system, ensuring it supports both immediate needs and long-term vision
- Foster a culture of design excellence, craftsmanship, and innovation
- Establish processes and workflows that enhance cross-functional collaboration and design efficiency
- Advocate for user-centered design methodologies and accessibility best practices
- Represent design in executive-level discussions, articulating the value and impact of design decisions
- Build and nurture a diverse team of design talent through thoughtful hiring, development, and retention strategies
- Of course, this is just a sample of the kinds of work this role will require! You should assume that your role will encompass other tasks, too, and that your job duties and responsibilities may change from time to time at Etsy's discretion, or otherwise applicable with local law
- As the Director of Design for User Experience Foundations, you'll shape how millions of buyers and sellers experience Etsy. Your work will establish the design foundation that enables our marketplace to grow while maintaining the unique, human-centered experience that defines Etsy
- You'll build and nurture a team of exceptional designers who create the systems and components that power our platform's user experience, directly contributing to Etsy's mission of keeping commerce human
Our take
Created as an alternative to more corporate eCommerce sites, Etsy is a peer-to-peer (P2P) website where users buy and sell handmade crafts, vintage items, art, and photography. The online marketplace works similarly to Amazon and eBay, only with an emphasis on unique items rather than mass-produced merchandise.
Since its IPO in 2015, it has managed to hold its own in an increasingly competitive eCommerce industry, including from Amazon's handmade section that launched in 2015. Further, by providing sellers with ownership over pricing and branding, the site is attractive for those wanting to set up a business on an established platform.
However, the seller-side of Etsy is not without problems. The recent hike in transaction fees and the introduction of mandatory marketing fees for artists with high turnovers has created significant discontent amongst sellers. Etsy must reconcile these issues to ensure artists continue to operate on the same scale within the platform. It plans to attract shoppers with its message of extraordinary, handmade and affordable products.
Freddie
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
8% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 6 rounds)
May 2012
$40m
LATE VC
Aug 2010
$20m
SERIES E
Total funding: $91.7m
Company benefits
- Equity (offers vary by country)
- Performance bonuses
- Paid gender neutral parental leave
- Adoption and family planning
- Back-up care
- Volunteer time off
- Donation matching
- Employee resource groups
- Global virtual events
- Employer paid health benefits
- Fitness benefits
- Wellness programming
- Mental health benefits
- 401K matching/Pension contributions
Company HQ
Downtown Brooklyn, NY
Leadership
Josh Silverman
(CEO)Previously senior executive at eBay, CEO of Shopping.com, CEO of Skype and President of Consumer Products & Services at American Express.
Salary benchmarks
We don't have enough data yet to provide salary benchmarks for this role.
Submit your salary to help other candidates with crowdsourced salary estimates.
Share this job
View 52 more jobs at Etsy