Director of Design and User Research

About MileIQ:

We are a leading technology company specializing in mileage tracking and reporting. Our mission is to simplify the lives of professionals by providing smart, automated mileage tracking solutions. Check us out at: www.mileiq.com.

Overview:

As the Director of Design and User Research at MileIQ, you're a systems thinker and a leader who will guide a growing team of talented designers and user researchers. Partnering closely with product, engineering, marketing and data teams, you'll define and drive our design and research strategy to create exceptional and delightful user experiences across all touchpoints. You'll champion a user-centered design approach, ensuring everything we build is visually appealing, intuitive, and cohesive, and backed by deep user insights. You'll be a key player in shaping our product strategy and leveraging design and research to achieve quantifiable business results.

Key Deliverables:

• Design and user research become leading functions in both strategy and execution velocity

• Increase user engagement (e.g., feature usage) through data-informed design and research

• Drive significant improvement in customer satisfaction and Net Promoter Score (NPS) by understanding and addressing user needs

• Substantially reduce customer support inquiries related to usability issues through user-centered design improvements

• Contribute to exponential increases in brand awareness and positive brand sentiment through compelling and user-focused experiences

• Influence measurable revenue growth attributed to design and user research insights.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing team of designers and user researchers, fostering a collaborative and creative environment

• Define the design strategy and vision (near- and long-term) for our products, aligning with business goals, product strategy, user needs, and technology trends

• Contribute to the development of the overall product strategy and roadmap, incorporating user insights and research findings

• Drive the user-centered design process from discovery to delivery and iteration, integrating user research at each stage

• Ensure design and brand consistency, quality and delight across platforms (mobile apps, web platforms) and stages in user journey (marketing awareness to user retention)

• Champion human-centered design in AI/automation-driven solutions, prioritizing user control and data transparency, validated through user research.

• Partner with product managers, engineering, and data teams to translate business and user needs into elegant design solutions

• Oversee the planning, execution, and analysis of user research studies (e.g., usability testing, surveys, field studies) to inform product development

• Establish and maintain design systems and standards to ensure quality and consistency

• Communicate research findings and design recommendations clearly and effectively to stakeholders across the organization.

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in product design, UX/UI design, or a related field, with a strong focus on mobile digital experience

• 2+ years of experience leading and managing design teams, including experience with user research teams or functions

• Proven track record of successfully shipping and iterating on digital products

• Experience working in a fast-paced, agile environment

• Demonstrated success in designing and delivering user-centered automation experiences that delight users

• Experience in analyzing and synthesizing user research data to generate actionable insights.