Sr. Director of Digital Experience Design at Slate Auto

Job description

ABOUT SLATE At Slate, we’re building safe, reliable vehicles that people can afford, personalize and love—and doing it here in the USA as part of our commitment to reindustrialization. The spirit of DIY and customization runs throughout every element of a Slate, because people should have control over how their trucks look, feel, and represent them. WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR We’re looking for a Sr. Director of Digital Experience Design to own the design vision and execution across Slate’s digital customer and partner facing products: our website and online marketplace, the vehicle configurator and purchasing experience, the Slate ownership/service mobile app, and the in-vehicle digital experience including the instrument cluster. This is a senior leadership role that sits alongside Product and Software leadership as one of three legs of a stool — responsible together for defining what we build, how we build it, and how it looks, feels, and works for our customers. You’ll set design direction, build and scale the team, establish the systems and processes that make great design for our digital experiences repeatable, and bring creative energy that makes Slate owners genuinely love interacting with their truck . We have a strong preference for candidates who have worked in growth design — designing, testing, and iterating on funnels, conversion, and acquisition experiences — and in interaction design, with real depth in how people move through a product moment to moment. If you ve built a career at the intersection of measurable business outcomes and craft-level interaction quality, this role is built for you. WHAT YOU GET TO DO Design Leadership & Vision Define and drive the design vision for all customer-facing digital touchpoints: web, mobile, eCommerce flow and future experiences Translate Slate’s brand and product strategy into cohesive, human-centered design that feels intentional at every interaction Ensure design holds a strategic voice at the table — advocating for the customer in roadmap conversations, sprint reviews, and executive discussions Set and enforce quality standards across your team’s output, from early concepts through production delivery Team Building & Management Lead, coach, and grow a team of UI designers, UX designers, and copywriters focused on digital product experiences Hire thoughtfully to fill gaps in the team’s capabilities as Slate scales from pre-launch to post-launch and beyond Build a team culture of craft, curiosity, and direct feedback — one that takes design seriously without taking itself too seriously Develop career paths and growth frameworks for designers at different levels Design Systems & Process Own and evolve Slate’s digital design system so that UI components are consistent, accessible, and reusable across web and native app surfaces Scale version-controlled design artifacts, component libraries, and documentation that allow designers and engineers to work from a single source of truth Define and continuously improve the design team’s workflow within our agile delivery process: how design fits into sprint cycles, when to prototype vs. ship, and how to validate decisions quickly Drive the adoption of shared tooling (Figma, design tokens, handoff processes) and ensure consistency in how design artifacts are created, reviewed, and delivered to engineering Scale a lightweight but durable UX research practice — user testing, usability reviews, data-informed iteration — that keeps the team grounded in real customer behavior Cross-Functional Partnership Operate as a true partner with Product and Software leaders — contributing to roadmap prioritization, shaping requirements, and resolving design-engineering tradeoffs together Collaborate with brand, marketing, and vehicle design teams to ensure digital experiences feel like a natural extension of the Slate brand — distinct in execution, cohesive in identity Represent design in executive and board-level conversations — articulating design rationale and strategic intent to senior stakeholders clearly and confidently WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TEAM Required 1 5 years of experience in product design, UX, or UI design for high volume consumer/customer experiences — with at least 7 years in a people leadership role , including experience managing managers or leads A strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end ownership of complex digital products: strategy, research, interaction design, visual design, and delivery Deep experience building and maintaining design systems using atomic design principles — tokens, components, documentation, and governance Proven ability to work as a true partner with product and engineering — comfortable in sprint planning, backlog grooming, and technical tradeoff conversations Experience designing for multiple surfaces: web (responsive/adaptive), native mobile (iOS/Android), or embedded or in-vehicle UI Mastery of Figma and modern prototyping workflows; including usage of GenAI in an agile production environment, and experience establishing team-wide design tooling standards Experience leading design optimization efforts through a variety of iterative approaches (A/B and multivariate testing) to improve customer experience Strong UX research instincts — you know when to run a usability test, when to look at the data, and when to trust your gut Excellent communication skills: able to present design decisions to executives, collaborate in whiteboard sessions, and write clearly about design rationale Bachelor’s degree in Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Product Design, Graphic Design, Computer Science, or a related field — or equivalent professional experience Preferred Background in growth design and/or interaction design — experiment-driven optimization of acquisition and conversion experiences, paired with deep interaction craft Experience leading design of new or scaling e-commerce or digital marketplaces Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and component-based front-end frameworks (MUI, Tailwind, etc ) — enough to speak credibly with engineers about implementation Master’s degree in HCI, Interaction Design, or a related field Experience scaling a design team from early-stage through a major product launch Work Authorization Requirement: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship at this time. SALARY RANGE The compensation for this position is the range Slate reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including job-related knowledge; skillset; experience, education and training; certifications; work location; and other relevant business and organizational factors. Annual Base Pay Range: 222,431.00 - 370,719.00 USD ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS Slate offers a wide range of competitive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, vacation, and 401k. The successful candidate may also be eligible to participate in the equity program and/or a discretionary annual incentive program, subject to the rules governing such programs. WHY JOIN TEAM SLATE? At Slate, we’re fueled by grit, determination, and attention to detail. The start-up spirit of ingenuity and resourcefulness move our business forward. Team Slate fosters a culture of excellence, innovation, and mutual respect, and is motivated by shared principles. Safety First Delight Customers One Team Relentless Improvement Fast, Frugal, and Scrappy Respectful Collaboration Positive Legacy WE WANT TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT REFLECT THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH WE OPERATE. Slate is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason. Slate is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at slate-talent_acquisition slate.auto.

Requirements

Must-haves

Design Leadership & Vision
Define and drive the design vision for all customer-facing digital touchpoints: web, mobile, eCommerce flow and future experiences
Translate Slate’s brand and product strategy into cohesive, human-centered design that feels intentional at every interaction
Ensure design holds a strategic voice at the table — advocating for the customer in roadmap conversations, sprint reviews, and executive discussions
Set and enforce quality standards across your team’s output, from early concepts through production delivery
Team Building & Management
Lead, coach, and grow a team of UI designers, UX designers, and copywriters focused on digital product experiences
Hire thoughtfully to fill gaps in the team’s capabilities as Slate scales from pre-launch to post-launch and beyond
Build a team culture of craft, curiosity, and direct feedback — one that takes design seriously without taking itself too seriously
Develop career paths and growth frameworks for designers at different levels
Design Systems & Process
Own and evolve Slate’s digital design system so that UI components are consistent, accessible, and reusable across web and native app surfaces
Scale version-controlled design artifacts, component libraries, and documentation that allow designers and engineers to work from a single source of truth
Define and continuously improve the design team’s workflow within our agile delivery process: how design fits into sprint cycles, when to prototype vs. ship, and how to validate decisions quickly
Drive the adoption of shared tooling (Figma, design tokens, handoff processes) and ensure consistency in how design artifacts are created, reviewed, and delivered to engineering
Scale a lightweight but durable UX research practice — user testing, usability reviews, data-informed iteration — that keeps the team grounded in real customer behavior
Cross-Functional Partnership
Operate as a true partner with Product and Software leaders — contributing to roadmap prioritization, shaping requirements, and resolving design-engineering tradeoffs together
Collaborate with brand, marketing, and vehicle design teams to ensure digital experiences feel like a natural extension of the Slate brand — distinct in execution, cohesive in identity

Nice-to-haves

Background in growth design and/or interaction design — experiment-driven optimization of acquisition and conversion experiences, paired with deep interaction craft
Experience leading design of new or scaling e-commerce or digital marketplaces
Working knowledge of HTML, CSS, and component-based front-end frameworks (MUI, Tailwind, etc ) — enough to speak credibly with engineers about implementation
Master’s degree in HCI, Interaction Design, or a related field
Experience scaling a design team from early-stage through a major product launch

Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

Keywords to mirror

design systemsdesign systemagilefigma

Platform: workday
Effort: long

Benefits

Benefits detected in the listing.

Dental

Vision

401k