Staff Product Designer, Mobile
About the role
This role is a Staff Product Designer at NPR, a mission-driven multimedia organization. The position is union-represented and covered under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with NABET-CWA DMU.
Responsibilities
Drive cross-organizational design strategy and product vision by translating audience insights into scalable digital experiences that align with NPR's public service mission and strengthen long-term audience relationships.
Lead end-to-end product discovery and experience design for NPR’s next-generation mobile platform, guiding projects from opportunity framing and audience research through prototyping, validation, systems design, and launch.
Direct the user-experience strategy for NPR’s personalization engine overhaul, crafting adaptive, habit-forming digital experiences that increase audience engagement, retention, and trust while honoring public media values.
Champion an evidence-driven design culture across product teams, using rapid experimentation, audience feedback, and measurable outcomes to validate ideas early and ground product decisions in actual audience behavior.
Partner closely with Product, Software Engineering, Research, Data, Newsroom/Editorial teams, and external UX consultants to align strategy, refine implementations, and define the future of NPR's digital portfolio.
Build, scale, and maintain robust, accessible design systems that harmonize and elevate the user experience across web, native mobile, and connected audio surfaces.
Champion inclusive design principles and accessibility standards (WCAG) across all digital products to ensure NPR's platforms are universally accessible to diverse national audiences.
Partner with mid-level and senior designers to provide constructive design critiques, foster professional growth, and uphold high visual and functional standards across initiatives.
Facilitate design thinking workshops, discovery sprints, and co-creation sessions with product, editorial, and technical stakeholders to drive collaborative problem-solving.
Present design strategies, product vision, and user-centered rationale clearly and persuasively to cross-functional teams, member station partners, and executive leadership.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of experience leading product design strategies and shipping scalable digital products across web and mobile ecosystems.
- 2+ years as a Staff, Principal, or equivalent senior individual contributor.
- Native mobile design expertise (iOS & Android) with a proven focus on adaptive experiences, responsive layouts, and comprehensive mobile design systems.
- Exceptional product judgment and systems thinking.
- Proven ability to design inclusive interfaces that comply with WCAG and web accessibility standards.
- Strong proficiency in design thinking frameworks and agile methodologies, integrating user-centered practices seamlessly into delivery cycles.
- Strong track record of designing across complex contexts, including both consumer-facing platforms and internal enterprise tools.
Preferred Qualifications
- Demonstrated experience utilizing product analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude) to evaluate user behavior, measure performance, and guide iterative design decisions.
- Experience scoping, estimating, and structuring design work streams for multi-designer projects.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Interaction Design, Digital Media, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Work Location & Requirements
NPR Remote-Permitted: This is a remote-permitted role. This role is based out of our Washington, D.C. office, but the employee may choose to work on a remote basis from a location that NPR approves. You will have the option of working (a) remotely from a location of your choosing within the United States that is supported by NPR; (b) on-site at an NPR facility, based on the availability of desks and approval from NPR; or (c) a combination of both. Regardless of where you choose to work from, you may be expected to travel to other locations from time to time to perform the duties of your position.
Job Type
This is a full-time, exempt position.
Compensation
The U.S.-based anticipated salary range for this opportunity is $149,894.06 - $154,390.88 plus benefits.