Full-Time

Sr. Director

Product Design

Updated on 1/15/2025

Niche

Niche

501-1,000 employees

Platform for discovering educational institutions

Education

Compensation Overview

$197.4k - $246.8kAnnually

+ Annual Bonus + Stock Option Program

Senior, Expert

No H1B Sponsorship

Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Hybrid work model: employees can work remotely or in the Pittsburgh office.

Category
Product & UX/UI Design
UI/UX & Design
Required Skills
SEO
Product Design
Requirements
  • 10+ years of experience in product design, with at least 5 years in a leadership role, ideally within a startup or fast-paced environment.
  • Proven ability to drive a team to execute and iterate designs quickly, employing a test-and-learn mindset to adapt and improve based on data and user insights.
  • Expertise in designing for Gen Z and Gen Alpha demographics, with a deep understanding of simplicity as a core design principle.
  • Strong mentor and team builder, experienced in developing design talent and setting performance goals that align with business objectives.
  • Assertive, hands-on leader able to drive high-quality design work while staying closely connected to the day-to-day process.
  • Highly efficient and process-oriented, with a knack for developing streamlined workflows that support a lean design team.
  • Business-minded approach, with proficiency in numbers and the ability to engage meaningfully with cross-functional stakeholders.
Responsibilities
  • Establish and maintain a compelling design vision for our marketplace and SaaS products, tailored for the unique needs of Gen Z and Gen Alpha users.
  • Lead, mentor, and grow a lean, high-impact team of Senior Designers and UX Researchers, providing hands-on guidance and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
  • Assess talent rigorously while setting ambitious, clear goals for team members and creating an environment where designers are motivated to achieve their best work.
  • Actively engage in the design process by providing direction, reviewing work, and making detailed adjustments to ensure high-quality output.
  • Implement efficient, repeatable design processes that maximize productivity and minimize waste, ensuring our design team operates at peak efficiency in a fast-paced, test-and-learn environment.
  • Collaborate closely with partners across Product, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Legal, Operations and Data to align design efforts with broader business goals.
  • Drive product improvements that lead to measurable impact, ensuring design initiatives are grounded in business needs and outcomes.
  • Lead the team in designing highly personalized user experiences that adapt to individual user behaviors, preferences, and demographics, leveraging data-driven insights to enhance engagement and retention.
  • Integrate SEO-driven design principles into the UX/UI strategy, ensuring that user interfaces and content layouts are optimized for search engine visibility without compromising usability or aesthetic appeal.
  • Lead and support the UX researcher in conducting high-impact user research initiatives. Ensure that research insights are continuously integrated into the design process and that user needs and pain points are central to design decisions.
  • Confidently present design vision and updates to senior leadership, demonstrating both design expertise and business acumen.
  • Manage the department’s budget, making strategic decisions to allocate resources effectively across projects.

Niche.com helps students and families find the right educational institutions, including K-12 schools, colleges, and graduate schools. The platform provides detailed information, user reviews, and personalized recommendations based on user preferences, making it easier to navigate educational choices. Niche stands out from competitors by offering insights not only about schools but also about neighborhoods and companies, creating a comprehensive resource for users. The company generates revenue through advertising and premium services, allowing educational institutions to manage their profiles and engage with prospective students. The goal of Niche is to simplify the decision-making process for education by providing valuable information and resources.

Company Stage

Series C

Total Funding

$43.6M

Headquarters

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Founded

2002

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Growing demand for personalized education boosts Niche's user base and engagement.
  • Direct Admissions program expansion increases revenue and strengthens partnerships with institutions.
  • Rising digital engagement trends create more opportunities for Niche's premium services.

What critics are saying

  • Competition from established platforms like The Princeton Review threatens Niche's market share.
  • Integration challenges from Goodkind acquisition could disrupt Niche's operations.
  • Reliance on advertising revenue is vulnerable to changes in digital ad regulations.

What makes Niche unique

  • Niche offers personalized recommendations, setting it apart from generic educational platforms.
  • The Direct Admissions program provides real-time acceptance, a unique feature in college admissions.
  • Niche's comprehensive user reviews enhance decision-making, unlike competitors with limited user feedback.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Flexible Paid Time Off

Parental Leave

401(k) Company Match

Home Office Stipend

Remote Work Options

Mental Health Support

Performance Bonus

Stock Options

Flexible Work Hours