Design Team Manager

Introduction

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Clutch is a Vertical Saas Fintech transforming lending for credit unions. We believe that the best way to enhance the financial well-being of the US consumer is to connect them to the lowest cost of debt. Credit Unions while unheard of in the technology circles are large financial institutions that are community centric and have the best loan products. The average American carries over $155,000 in household debt. Unlike fintech lenders and for-profit banks that often issue high-interest loans, credit unions operate as non-profit lenders offering lower cost loans. Clutch is an Andreessen Horowitz (A16Z) backed mission driven company. We develop software that empowers credit unions to offer the best digital experience to the 130 million consumers they serve across the country.

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About the Role

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Clutch Design Mission

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At Clutch, design isn't just a department, it's the driving force behind our mission. We believe a seamless user experience can empower credit unions to compete and offer a superior banking experience for everyday people. By designing intuitive experiences, we help credit unions guide members towards financial freedom. This translates to thousands saved that can be put towards dreams and goals. Credit unions are eager to provide a modern consumer experience but lack the technology and design expertise. We bridge that gap, creating experiences that showcase the benefits of credit unions.

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Role Description

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We are looking for a Player-Coach Design manager to lead our product design team. We are hoping to find someone who is excited for both the strategic challenge of building new products, but also helps their team ship ambitious, high-quality products. This role is perfect for someone with a deep passion for user-centered design backed up by their experience in product design, ideally within fast-paced tech startups. Our ideal candidate has a track record of managing a small design team through the complete product lifecycle, from ideation to launch. As a leader in our product team, you'll mentor designers, collaborate with cross-functional teams including product managers, engineers, sales and customer success.

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Your Responsibilities

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• You will be a Player-Coach and first design manager at the company reporting directly to the Head of Product
• Manage designers and design work
• Lead and expand the product design team that consistently delivers impactful human-centered experiences that meet user needs and business goals
• Manage resource allocation, and project prioritization, and cultivate a culture of design excellenceMentor team members, helping them grow their skills and career paths, while maintaining high design standards and practices

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Skills and Qualifications

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Experience & Craft

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• At Least 7 years of product design experience, including 1-2 years leading designers
• A portfolio of high-quality work that shows your experience designing elegant and visually engaging solutions to complex problems that directly solve user needs
• A proven track record as a craftsperson and ability to teach others. The team should be able to look up to you and respect you
• Breadth of design experience whether its visual or interaction or navigation design. You love designing for the entire product process from strategy to pixel—and can demonstrate a range of skills from high-level flows to detailed interactions

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Ambiguity Handling & Problem solving

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• Ability to embrace ambiguous situations as opportunities to add clarity. Mastery in solving unstructured problems that have many dependencies
• Exceptional problem-solving skills, with an ability to articulate simple direction for complex challenges

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Balancing Quality and Speed

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• Bar Raiser: Ability to uplevel direct reports and raise the bar for design quality within an organization
• Balance an iterative approach and urgency to solve customer pain with ensuring that short term improvements ladder up to long-term vision and meet a high bar for the user experience.

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Conclusion

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Join the Product Design team at Clutch and be part of a high-performing but supportive culture that values transparency and excellence. With benefits such as flexible PTO, Stock Options, and a budget for Home Office Setup, you'll have the resources and perks to excel in a full-remote job.