VP, Product Design

Vice President of Design

Why project44?

At project44 we’re on a mission - to make supply chains work.

project44 optimizes the movement of products globally, delivering better resiliency, sustainability, and value for our customers. As the supply chain connective tissue, we operate the most trusted end-to-end visibility platform that tracks more than 1 billion shipments annually for the world’s leading brands. The undisputed leader in the market, project44 was named the Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant, #1 in FreightWaves’ FreightTech 25, and the Customer’s Choice in Gartner Peer Insights’ Voice of the Customer report. project44 is headquartered in Chicago with a diverse and fast-growing, global workforce.

If you’re eager to be part of a winning team that works together to solve some of the most challenging supply chain challenges every day,let’s talk.

Position Summary

We are looking for a dynamic and experienced Vice President of Design to lead our product design efforts at project44. As the VP of Design, you will be responsible for driving the design vision and strategy across our platform and applications, ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience. You will lead a talented team of product designers and collaborate closely with product management, engineering, and other stakeholders to deliver world-class design solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end product design efforts, aligning with Project44's strategic vision and business goals.
• Manage and mentor a team of product designers, fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and excellence.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to define and execute design strategies that enhance user experience and drive product adoption.
• Oversee the development of UI components and ensure seamless collaboration between design and development teams.
• Establish and maintain best practices for design systems and component libraries, ensuring consistency and efficiency in UI design.
• Facilitate design reviews and presentations, gathering feedback and aligning stakeholders on design decisions.
• Evangelize design thinking within the organization and externally, positioning Project44 as a leader in product design for the logistics industry.
  
  

What You’ll Do

Design & Research Leadership:

• Provide visionary leadership to the product design & research team, setting high standards for creativity, innovation, craft and user-centric design.
• Oversee user research and collaborate with product managers to understand user needs, ensuring designs meet and exceed expectations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product management and engineering, to align design strategy with business goals.
  
  

Strategic Design Planning

• Develop and communicate a comprehensive design strategy that aligns with the overall product and business strategy.
• Drive the evolution of the design language and principles to ensure a cohesive and distinctive brand identity that energizes the organization and our customers.
  
  

Team Development

• Hire, mentor and develop a team of skilled designers and managers.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous learning, professional growth and creative excellence.
• Drive innovation within the design team, exploring new approaches to elevate the visual and interactive aspects of our products.
  
  

User-Centric Design

• Advocate for user-centered design principles throughout the product development process.
  
  

Design Process Optimization

• Implement and refine design processes to improve efficiency and quality.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to integrate design into agile development cycles, ensuring a seamless and iterative design approach.
  
  

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Present design vision concepts and strategies to executives and key stakeholders, incorporating feedback to drive design excellence.
• Be a champion for the design organization to the rest of the organization, driving thought leadership and influencing our creative brand vision at the company level.
  
  

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in designing digital products, with a focus on strategic Product and UX systems thinking.
• 7+ years of experience in a design leadership role, including building and maturing design teams and processes in a growth-stage business.
• Proven track record of leading successful complex B2B design initiatives from concept to launch to iteration, including setting and achieving quantitative and qualitative success metrics.
• Proficient in design tools such as Sketch and Figma, with expertise in creating pragmatic design systems.
• Proficient in interaction design, information architecture, and at least one additional UX competency (user research, visual design, or product design).
• Ability to lead design conversations within a team or group context, solving complex problems collaboratively.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work cross-functionally with internal and external partners.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in product design, specializing in complex systems and enterprise software.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, or related field.
• Strong understanding of user-centered design principles and methodologies.
• Experience with design tools such as Figma and familiarity with React.js libraries.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a bias for action, with the ability to drive projects forward in a collaborative environment.
• Passion for self-learning and staying updated on industry trends, especially in AI, analytics, and design.
• Willing to roll up your sleeves and be hands-on when needed.
  
  

Diversity & Inclusion

We're designing the future of how the world moves and is connected through trade and global supply chains. We can only deliver a truly world-class product and experience if our teams are as diverse and unique communities we are building for. So it's up to us to create a company where anyone can bring their authentic self to work everyday. We're constantly working to improve, and we accept our responsibility to elevate the voices left in the margins. It's on every one of us.

Our focus on inclusion manifests in the way we hire, the customers we serve, and the regions we prioritize. We're building a company that every one of us at project44 is proud to work for: a company that celebrates you for being you.

We pride ourselves on celebrating everyone — project44 is an equal opportunity employer actively working on creating a diverse and inclusive work environment where underrepresented groups can thrive. If you share our values and our passion for helping the way the world moves, we’d love to review your application!

For any needed accommodations during the hiring process, please email Even if you don’t meet 100% of the above qualifications, you should still seriously consider applying. Studies show that you can still be considered for a role if you meet just 50% of the role’s requirements.

More About Project44

Since 2014, project44 has been transforming the way one of the largest, most important global industries does business. As transportation and logistics continues to evolve and customer expectations around delivery become more demanding, industry technology must rise to the occasion. In just a few short years, we’ve created a digital infrastructure that eliminates the inefficiencies caused by dated technology and manual processes. Our Advanced Visibility Platform is used by the world’s leading brands to track shipments, collaborate with supply chain partners, drive operational efficiencies, and create outstanding customer experiences.

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