Manager – Product Design

About the role:

As the UX Design Manager, you will lead and inspire a high-performing team of product designers responsible for delivering exceptional user experiences across one or more of 8am’s core product lines. You will set a clear vision for design in your area, drive strategy, and create an environment where designers can do the best work of their careers.

You’ll combine big-picture thinking with operational rigor — guiding your team to translate complex business challenges into elegant, user-centered solutions that drive measurable impact. You will partner closely with Product, Engineering, Research, and Content leadership to ensure design excellence at every stage of the product development lifecycle.

This is both a strategic and hands-on leadership role, where you will shape the future of 8am's design culture while championing our users and mentoring the next generation of design leaders.

About us:

At 8am, our vision is to power a world where professionals thrive. We start every day on a mission to empower professionals with the most trusted, innovative technology to deliver world-class outcomes for their clients and exceptional financial results for their business. They count on our purpose-built solutions to simplify operations, ensure compliance, and fuel profitable growth, so they can focus on their clients and do more of the work that matters.

Founded in 2005, 8am™ (formerly AffiniPay) is the professional business platform built to help legal, accounting, and other client-focused professionals run stronger, more profitable businesses. Today, more than 250,000 professionals across the U.S. trust 8am to help them work smarter, serve clients better, and unlock their full potential. We have been recognized as one of Inc 5000’s fastest growing companies in the U.S. for 13 years in a row, and as a result, our teams continue to grow as well!

What you'll do:

Lead & Grow the Design Team

• Hire, onboard, and develop top design talent to meet current and future business needs.
• Mentor, coach, and inspire designers at all levels, fostering career growth, skill development, and professional confidence.
• Build and support a strong content design function, ensuring content strategy and UX writing are seamlessly integrated into product design.
• Create a collaborative, inclusive team environment that celebrates diverse perspectives and design thinking.

Define & Champion Design Strategy

• Set the UX vision and strategy for your product area, ensuring alignment with AffiniPay’s overall business objectives.
• Partner with Product and Engineering to shape roadmaps and influence organizational priorities.
• Identify opportunities to leverage emerging technologies such as AI and automation to drive competitive differentiation and user value.
• Ensure that both visual and content design work together to deliver a cohesive, consistent, and accessible user experience.

Drive User-Centered Excellence

• Ensure the “voice of the customer” is embedded in every decision through regular, structured collaboration with Research.
• Translate research insights into clear, actionable design strategies that solve real customer problems.
• Maintain high standards for usability, accessibility, and ethical design — for both visual and written interfaces.

Advance Design Systems & Processes

• Lead the evolution and governance of AffiniPay’s design system, ensuring scalability, consistency, and efficiency.
• Oversee content design guidelines as part of the broader design system to maintain consistent voice, tone, and terminology across products.
• Establish and optimize design processes, tools, and workflows that enable the team to ship quickly without sacrificing quality.
• Encourage experimentation and innovation while maintaining operational discipline.

Influence at All Levels

• Advocate for design excellence and user needs to executives and stakeholders across the company.
• Collaborate seamlessly with cross-functional partners, building strong relationships that drive alignment and results.
• Serve as a visible design leader, representing AffiniPay’s design vision internally and externally.

About you:

• 8+ years of professional experience in UX / Product Design, with 2+ years in a people management role.
• Proven track record of leading design teams to deliver high-impact product experiences.
• Experience hiring, developing, and retaining top design talent.
• Strong portfolio or case studies showcasing your team’s work, impact, and design leadership.
• Ability to balance visionary thinking with practical execution in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience collaborating closely with Product, Engineering, and Research at a strategic level.
• Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence at the executive level.
• Mastery of design tools, systems thinking, and user-centered methodologies.

Bonus Points: 

• Experience with the fintech, legaltech or SaaS products.
• Familiarity with AI, automation, or emerging technology applications in product design.

Why 8am 

At 8am, our culture is shaped by the people who bring it to life every day. Together, we build a company rooted in continuous learning, genuine community, holistic wellness, and meaningful engagement—values that empower us as individuals and unite us as a team. Our culture is grounded in our core values: Work Smart, Win Fast; Outshine Ordinary, and We Find a Way. These values drive how we serve our customers and work with each other in a collaborative, inspiring, and empowering environment, every day.

Here’s how we support our 8Team:

• Health Insurance Coverage: We offer our 8Team a variety of medical, dental, and vision plans, designed to fit your needs, including a 100% company-paid HDHP plan for employees.
• Financial perks: We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package including annual bonuses, equity options and 401(k) or RRSP if in Canada, with a company match for all team members.
• Time for what matters: Flexible Time Off, paid holidays, and a parental leave program for our new parents.
• Wellness: Wellness stipends, mental health support, and one-on-one nutrition coaching.
• Learning and Development: Continuous learning through 8am.edu, leadership programs, professional development funds, and individually focused talent development.
• Giving back to the communities around us: Participate in our charitable matching gift program, paid time off for volunteer service, and company-sponsored volunteer events (both local and virtually).
• Engagement: Virtual and in-person team-building events, quarterly award recognition through our Rise & Shine Award of Excellence Program, and our peer-to-peer appreciation platform.

At 8am, we don’t just offer benefits—we create an environment where people can thrive, grow, and make a real impact every day.

Diversity, equity & inclusion at 8am

At 8am, we recognize that innovation occurs with a strong team of people who are diverse in background, personality, talent and ideas. Experience comes in many forms and ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace where we continue to learn from each other is an integral part of our culture. We are committed to creating a welcoming and transparent environment for all that embraces those differences through education, equal access to opportunities and information, inclusionary programs, and community outreach. 

Security advisory

Our hiring teams at 8am are dedicated to recruiting top talent that share our passion for serving the professional services industry through innovative financial technology.  As such, our Talent Acquisition Team only follows legitimate hiring practices.  We will always communicate with our candidates using emails with the 8am domain and will never ask for sensitive/personal data during the application process.  All interviews take place over phone call, Zoom/Google Meet or in person.  All offers are communicated verbally by our Talent Acquisition Specialists with a written offer letter as a follow up.