Product Designer (Expert-Level)

Overview

Aquent is partnering with a leading financial institution, a titan in the industry known for its commitment to innovation and client-centric solutions. This organization is shaping the future of financial services, empowering millions to achieve their financial goals through intuitive and impactful digital experiences.

Imagine shaping the digital experiences that empower clients to manage their investments, driving innovation, and setting new standards for user-centric design. As an expert-level Product Designer, you won’t just be designing interfaces; you’ll be defining the future of direct investing products and services, directly impacting how individuals interact with their financial world. Your strategic vision and hands-on expertise will elevate design practice, influence business outcomes, and contribute to a human-centric approach across the organization, making a tangible difference in the lives of countless clients.

About the Role

This is an expert individual contributor role where you will provide thought leadership, strategic advice, and creative expertise to senior stakeholders and design peers. You will lead cross-cutting, complex projects that define how clients interact with direct investing products and services, while simultaneously advancing overall design standards. This position bridges creative execution with business strategy, ensuring design decisions are directly linked to measurable outcomes and organizational goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead design initiatives of medium-to-high complexity, requiring cross-functional alignment across multiple teams and business units.
• Create rich interactive prototypes and complex user flows across web, mobile, and editorial experiences.
• Provide thought leadership on iconography, information graphics, imagery, and data visualization.
• Manage processes, governance, and sharing of design documentation throughout its lifecycle.
• Build brand-forward digital experiences that maintain consistency with core brand value propositions while pushing creative boundaries.
• Ensure all interactive patterns and visual displays adhere strictly to accessibility and inclusive design principles.
• Conduct advanced design testing and validation informed by strategic business objectives.
• Connect design decisions to business objectives, market positioning, and organizational strategy.
• Provide design direction and oversight to ensure high craftsmanship aligned with design systems.
• Present design strategy convincingly to executive stakeholders and incorporate feedback into iterative designs.
• Advocate for a human-centric design process with Business and Product partners.
• Identify knowledge gaps, make research recommendations, and facilitate the application of research insights to design solutions.
• Establish and track metrics demonstrating design’s contribution to business outcomes (e.g., conversion, engagement, customer satisfaction).
• Research UI behavior, visual-spatial strategies, and perform competitive design audits aligned with business goals.
• Break down complex topics and present effectively to broad audiences and senior stakeholders through clear storytelling and rationale.
• Balance client needs with business objectives, using conceptual thinking and marketing principles to inform design decisions.
• Collaborate with Business, Product, and Research peers to build strong functional partnerships.
• Drive a shared vision across teams and proactively clear obstacles to team success.
• Research emerging design strategies and technologies within financial services.
• Actively experiment with AI tools and methodologies to modernize workflows and unlock new creative possibilities.
• Contribute new practice examples, innovations, and proofs-of-concept derived from research and experimentation.
• Develop design patterns and standards that scale across products.
• Share insights and industry thought leadership via internal and external presentations.
• Assist in sourcing, mentoring, and recruiting high-performing design talent.

Must-Have Qualifications

• Demonstrated mastery of interaction and visual design principles, with a portfolio showcasing expert-level work.
• Extensive experience leading complex design initiatives from concept to execution.
• Deep domain knowledge in financial services and direct investing, capable of navigating complexity and ambiguity with ease.
• Proven ability to create rich interactive prototypes and complex user flows for web, mobile, and editorial experiences.
• Expertise in establishing and tracking design metrics that demonstrate business impact (e.g., conversion, engagement, customer satisfaction).
• Strong strategic thinking combined with operational excellence, capable of maintaining hands-on design quality while shaping broader product vision.
• Exceptional executive presence and communication skills, able to clearly articulate design impact and business value to both design peers and executive leadership.
• Experience advocating for human-centric design processes and influencing stakeholders.
• Familiarity with inclusive design principles and accessibility standards.
• Proactive approach to researching emerging technologies, including AI, and experimenting with new methodologies to enhance design workflows.
• A collaborative mindset, with a track record of building strong partnerships across business, product, and research teams.