Senior Product Designer, Growth and Conversion

OVERVIEW

A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility – and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide.

Across our organization, we’re building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR.

This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR.

Application Instructions or Deadline:

Deadline to apply is midnight on Tuesday, October 6. Cover letter is not required but encouraged. Portfolio of work is required with a link and any password needed.

Intro to Position

As a Senior Product Designer, you will be involved in every aspect of the design process, from concept development to inspecting pixels just before launch. You will rely on a full range of design skills from interaction design to product design to prototyping. This role represents design on multidisciplinary project teams, working with researchers, product managers, and developers. Your job is to help inform product vision and foster positive digital experiences for millions of NPR consumers.

In particular, this role initially focuses on the top of the funnel for our audience, capturing and engaging them across web, mobile, voice, CarPlay and other surfaces to encourage deeper interaction and sustained contributions long-term.

This is a union-represented role covered under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with: NABET-CWA DMU.

Responsibilities

• Conceptualize and direct end-to-end design experiences, qualitative studies, design systems/Figma standards, campaigns, and/or collateral
• Gather business requirements and translate them to audience-focused product or campaign goals
• Effectively collaborate with adjacent disciplines to define vision for products or campaigns
• Create and contribute to organizing and evolving elegant and useful design systems / Figma Libraries that define a consistent digital experience and ensure best practices are followed across our platforms
• Recommend and execute user research for new and existing products and make recommendations for change
• Understand intended audience(s) and how they might be impacted by design decisions
• Work closely with developers to help build prototypes and refine working products
• Facilitate design thinking and co-creation sessions with relevant partners
• The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least seven (7) years of product design experience, with 2-3 years of proven retention-based projects on mobile, web or other digital platforms
• Proven record of simplifying complex offerings (e.g., audience personalization, user retention and growth, or onboarding for new & existing features) into intuitive, emotionally resonant experiences that lead to retention and conversion
• User interface expertise with a focus on scalable interaction patterns, adaptive experiences, personalized journeys and comprehensive design systems for large-scale platforms
• Experience designing across multiple platforms (desktop, mobile, connected devices) and contexts, including both user-facing and internal tools
• Strong proficiency in design thinking and agile project methodologies, with the ability to integrate these approaches into daily workflows
• Versatility in prototyping techniques, from low to high fidelity, adapting methods based on project needs and timelines
• Deep curiosity for user behavior and emerging technologies, with a focus on how they influence design and user interaction.

Preferred Qualifications

• History of advocating for and/or implementing design systems
• Experience using analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics) to track user behavior, assess product performance, and inform design iterations.
• Familiarity with implementation of accessibility standards
• Required Skills/Competencies
• Strong understanding of visual design elements and principles
• Proficiency with established and emergent industry standards, tools and best practices
• Ability to balance innovation with pragmatism and accurately scope work
• Ability to explain design decisions and elicit specific, useful feedback
• Understanding of technology frameworks that power digital products, such as APIs, web and mobile platforms, content management systems, and Google Analytics for data-driven insights and decision-making
• Education Requirements
• Bachelor's degree in HCI, Digital Media, or similar field preferred but not required.
• Work Location & Requirements
• NPR Remote-Permitted
• : This is a remote-permitted role. This role is based out of our Washington, D.C. office, but the employee may choose to work on a remote basis from a location that NPR approves. You will have the option of working (a) remotely from a location of your choosing within the United States that is supported by NPR; (b) on-site at an NPR facility, based on the availability of desks and approval from NPR; or (c) a combination of both. Regardless of where you choose to work from, you may be expected to travel to other locations from time to time to perform the duties of your position.
• Job Type
• This is a full-time, exempt position.