Creative Lead, Product

The Role

Upstatement is looking for a Creative Lead to join our Product practice. People who thrive in this role are multi-disciplinary designers who feel at home in all parts of the process, playing a key role in strategy, visual design, user experience, and branding. Many Upstatement designers code, too (though that’s a plus for this role, not a requirement).

You’ll collaborate closely with client and project teams to prototype, test, iterate, and deliver products that are thoughtful down to the last detail. Creative Leads are the heartbeat of every project, 100% focused on one client at a time. As the person closest to the design, you’ll communicate the why behind big decisions and make consequential product calls along with a team of Product Managers and Engineers.

Last but not least: People who succeed here are empathetic teammates who are candid, kind, caring, and embody our core values. We believe that diverse, inclusive teams make the most impactful work. Upstatement is deeply invested in ensuring that we have a supportive, growth-oriented environment that works for everyone.

Responsibilities

• Lead design in an end-to-end product process. Contribute visual ideas as research. Express strategic ideas through design. Communicate the rationale behind your work. Make it beautiful, and (most important) deliver what users need.  
• Establish a brand vision that is informed by research, connected to business outcomes, and driven by you. Present to clients with support from the team.
• Conduct research. Run workshops, participate in user interviews, and gather inputs throughout the process. Design new activities as goals dictate.
• Explore complex problem spaces with an open mind. Feel comfortable with ambiguity. Generate multiple solutions, rapidly iterate, and make strategic product decisions in partnership with a team.
• Sweat the details. Impeccable execution and deep care given to all aspects of design, large and small: strategy, messaging, brand, colors, typography, icons — everything.
• Communicate clearly. Share daily status with teams. Deliver concepts to clients. Talk through thorny issues as they arise. Show excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills that build strong relationships.
• Love (and evolve) the process. Follow established practices and invent new ones. Evolve our process to be more thoughtful, effective, and accessible to all. 
• Contribute to an inclusive culture where people feel productive, creative, and safe. Be unafraid to name problems and move toward solutions with optimism, clarity, and calm.

About You

• Years of experience in a Product Design role shipping digital products
• Demonstrated experience solving complex problems through elegant design
• A content-first approach
• A keen eye for detail
• A deep familiarity with contexts, screens, and device capabilities
• Fluent in technology; maybe you even coded in a past life

Bonus Points

• You have editorial design experience
• Know an uncanny number of Figma quick keys
• Have an expansive definition of product
• Your type skills would make Kris Sowersby proud

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Health, dental, and vision insurance, and supplementary health benefits (EAP, FSA) 
• A company-matched retirement plan 
• A generous, flexible vacation policy
• 3 weeks vacation, plus company-wide closure between Christmas & New Year’s Day
• Hubs in New York City and Boston as well as a fully distributed workforce
• Yearly professional development stipend, plus internal events, workshops, and seminars (like our Friday Talks)

Pandemic-Related Benefits

• Increased work flexibility for parents and caretakers
• Monthly mental health days
• Tele-mental health services 
• Virtual social events (cool ones, we promise) 

Interview Process

Phone screen, video interview with hiring manager, video panel interview with a cross-section of the company. 

Interested in applying?

Send a resume, cover letter, and anything else that helps us understand what makes you awesome to jobs.design@upstatement.com with “Creative Lead, Product” in the subject line. 

FWIW: Worries of “what if I’m not the perfect fit” can sometimes hold us back from applying to jobs. We want to let you in on a secret: there is no perfect candidate. Sure, we’re interested in resumes, but also the narrative beyond that resume—unique backgrounds, experiences, points of views, etc. As such—there is no set of boxes to tick in order to be a good candidate. If this is a job that excites you, we hope you’ll apply.