Full-Time

Senior Director of Design and Research

Confirmed live in the last 24 hours

Upside

Upside

201-500 employees

Cash-back app for retail purchases

Consumer Software
Cybersecurity
Consumer Goods

Compensation Overview

$216k - $270kAnnually

+ Bonus + Equity

Senior

Austin, TX, USA

Hybrid role requires in-office presence in Austin, NYC, or DC for 2 days/week.

Category
Product & UX/UI Design
UI/UX & Design
Required Skills
UI/UX Design
Product Management
Product Design
Requirements
  • 10+ years of professional design experience and 5+ years managing and leading design and research teams
  • Customer focus on high-impact, high-visibility projects
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills to persuade and influence stakeholders
  • Collaborative work with Engineering, Product, and Marketing team members
  • Experience leading, recruiting, and scaling design teams at both startups and established companies
  • Experience systematically growing product designer and researcher skills
  • Experience using UX to influence strategic decision making
  • Experience translating ambiguous asks and directions into clear user centric approaches
  • Experience fostering divergent design thinking and shepherding radical ideas
  • Experience with organizational transformation and design education
  • Consultation of key team-level research, insights, and product strategy
  • Setting the standard and fostering a culture for UX design practice
Responsibilities
  • Collaborate with engineering and product to enable key strategic initiatives
  • Manage a diverse team in establishing and maintaining Upside's Design Principles and Vision
  • Work with Research and Development leadership to improve and build the future of Upside
  • Incorporate systems thinking into Upside's Design System
  • Create a culture of craft, quality, and execution by inspiring, motivating, and leading product designers
  • Work closely with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and executive leadership
  • Own emergent, highly complex, and ambiguous opportunities from inception to a landed proposal
  • Hone Upside’s research practice and deepen its integrations into decision making mechanisms

Upside operates in the retail and consumer goods market with a cash-back app that rewards users for their everyday purchases, such as gas, groceries, and food. Users can claim cash-back offers at local stores, allowing them to earn money back while shopping as they normally would. This approach not only enhances the purchasing power of consumers but also helps retailers increase their sales and customer loyalty without changing their operations. Upside generates revenue through partnerships with retailers and brands, receiving a commission for driving sales, which is then shared with users as cash-back rewards. The company prioritizes data protection to ensure user privacy and is committed to environmental sustainability by investing in projects that offset carbon emissions from fuel purchases. Upside aims to create a fairer economic model in brick-and-mortar commerce, empowering both consumers and retailers while promoting inclusivity and diversity in its workplace.

Company Stage

Series D

Total Funding

$63.2M

Headquarters

Washington, District of Columbia

Founded

2015

Growth & Insights
Headcount

6 month growth

-2%

1 year growth

-2%

2 year growth

5%
Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Upside's expanding network of over 100,000 retailers nationwide offers significant growth potential and market penetration.
  • The company's values-driven approach and commitment to inclusivity foster a positive and supportive workplace culture.
  • Strategic partnerships, like those with Chime and Schnucks, provide additional revenue streams and enhance user engagement.

What critics are saying

  • The competitive landscape of cash-back and rewards apps is crowded, requiring Upside to continuously innovate to maintain its edge.
  • Dependence on retailer partnerships means that any disruption in these relationships could impact revenue and user satisfaction.

What makes Upside unique

  • Upside's unique cash-back model directly benefits both consumers and retailers, unlike traditional loyalty programs that often favor one party.
  • The company's commitment to environmental sustainability and carbon offset projects sets it apart in the cash-back and rewards app market.
  • Upside's partnerships with major retailers and brands, such as Casey's General Store and Circle K, enhance its market presence and credibility.

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Benefits

Health, vision, & dental insurance

Free lunch

Stock options

Unlimited PTO