Back to jobs
New

Director, Product Design

Company Overview:

Everything we do is for educators. We’re partnering with them to advance a bold vision for education that boosts district performance and student success. At Follett Software, we empower educators across roles with technology that streamlines processes and manages information and resources to improve their schools, increase student success, and drive the future of education. We believe that by empowering educators to amplify their impact on students’ lives, we can change the world. Our goal and mission is to drive the future of education. We are inspired by educators to deliver transformative technology. Our innovative, connected solutions simplify challenges and offer a seamless and intuitive experience.

Position Summary:

This is a visionary and experienced Product Design Director who will lead our Follett Software Design team in the creation of innovative and customer centric, user friendly products and their continuous enhancement. This position not only ensures that our product offerings are functional and engaging for users, but also provides a strategic oversight with hands-on leadership to our design team and builds relationships with the executive leadership and works closely with Product and Engineering stakeholders to align UX strategies with company goals.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership:  

  • Set and develop a clear vision, and communicate the design vision to the Design Team, aligning it with the company’s goals, driving the overall product strategy and fostering a user-centric culture. 
  • Manage the resources across the product team to optimize project outcomes, balancing cost, time and scope effectively.  
  • Champion change within the product line, promoting practices that support agile and innovative product development. 

Design System Implementation: 

  • Establish and maintain a cohesive design system that enhances usability and ensures consistency across all product lines.
  • Define and implement effective interaction design and information architecture and use strategies to conduct regular user discoveries, implement usability strategies. Demonstrate awareness of the market and competitive landscape. 

User Research & Insights: 

  • Facilitate discovery, champion user research initiatives to gather insights and inform design decisions, ensuring that products meet user needs and market demands.  

Cross-Functional Collaboration: 

  • Collaborate closely with Product Management, engineering, and marketing teams to ensure alignment on product goals and to drive design excellence throughout the development process. 

Innovation & Trends: 

  • Stay abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies, integrating innovative design solutions that set our products apart in the marketplace. 

Leadership Responsibilities:  

  • Act as a mentor and coach, guiding a diverse team of product designers in their professional growth, and providing continuous feedback and conducting regular one-on-one meetings to discuss goals, challenges, and achievements.
  • Lead by setting a positive example, prioritizing the needs of the team, removing obstacles that hinder their success, and empowering team members by providing the tools, resources, and support they need to excel in their roles.
  • Identify and nurture individual varying strengths and specialized abilities to foster career development and job satisfaction.
  • Create and maintain a positive, inclusive, and collaborative work environment, promoting open communication and a sense of belonging within the team.
  • Set clear expectations and performance goals aligned with the broader organizational strategy, ensuring everyone understands their role in achieving company objectives.
  • Ensure regular, clear, and transparent communication with the team about organizational updates, changes, and expectations, facilitating open dialogue and encouraging feedback from all team members.
  • Partner with recruiting in driving recruitment processes to attract top talent, and develop strategies to retain high-performing team members by recognizing achievements and creating opportunities for advancement. 

To be considered for and to perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.  

Qualifications include: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in graphic design, product design, or related design field preferred
  • 10+ years of Product Design experience
  • 3+ years in a leadership role, influencing, coaching, inspiring small design teams
  • Must possess a strong strategic mindset, with the ability to balance high-level goals with hands-on design 
  • Deep understanding of user-centered design principles and a passion for building and maintaining effective design systems 
  • Able to work collaboratively and maintain strategic alliance with product stakeholders, thrive in cross functional environments, and can develop talent and foster continuous improvement with the team 
  • Demonstrated ability to align and cultivate a culture within the product team that values creativity and innovation.  

 

EEO

Follett Software provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to, among others, individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans. If you are interested in applying for employment and need assistance or an accommodation in the application process due to a disability, please contact us by email and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. 

 Email:  recruiting@follettsoftware.com

CCPA Notice for California Residents: https://follettsoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Notice-to-California-Applicants.pdf

 

 

 

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf


Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Follett Software, LLC’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.