Lead Product Designer

Who is CADY?

CADY exists to inspire and unleash human potential. Started in 1999, we have become the fastest growing photography company in the U.S., with an average 20% growth each year. Through photography, classroom solutions, school branding, and more, we deliver an experience unlike anything in our industry. We are an innovative company competing to outdo ourselves, year after year. As the nation’s premier school photography company, we engage with students, schools, and our team members to make them feel accepted and empowered. CADY’s mission is to go beyond a portrait and to provide a premier experience for the extraordinary- because each of our guests, school partners, and team members are utterly extraordinary. 

Who are you?

You are an ambitious, detail-oriented team member who finds joy in making meaningful connections with people. You have a true passion for creating memorable experiences for people. You see beyond the surface of interactions and recognize that every person has a story, and the idea of being a part of that is exciting! You enjoy working hard and celebrating hard. You love the opportunity to exceed expectations- and be rewarded for your contribution to the company! 

Job Summary 

Are you passionate about creating digital experiences that are as beautiful as they are intuitive? At CADY, we are building the future of school photography, and we need a talented Lead Product Designer to help bring that vision to life. Reporting to the VP of Brand Experience, you will design responsive web experiences across mobile and desktop that students, parents, and school administrators interact with every day. In this role you will constantly balance the needs of the business with the voice of the customer, using data-driven insights, user research, and design best practices to inform decisions that are both strategically sound and genuinely user-centered. A great storyteller at heart, you communicate your vision with equal confidence in a Figma prototype and a room full of executives and you thrive in the fast pace of a seasonal production cycle.

Key Responsibilities:

Product Design Leadership

• Own the product design experience across our Booking and Ordering websites, Parent Dashboard, and CADY.com platforms, setting the design vision for new products and feature updates
• Lead product design initiatives in partnership with the VP of Brand Experience, establishing design language, component structure, and interaction models from the ground up
• Translate design concepts and constraints into elegant wireframes, storyboards, user flows, and functional UI prototypes that communicate ideas clearly and shape responsive web experiences across mobile and desktop platforms
• Analyze data-driven insights and user research to inform design decisions
• Stay current with the latest product design trends, techniques, and technologies and apply best practices across CADY’s digital platforms
• Create high-fidelity designs and mockups that demonstrate strong visual design craft, integrating copy, photography, product imagery, and promotional assets into polished, pixel-perfect digital layouts that elevate the CADY brand
• Clearly organize and maintain Figma files with consistent naming conventions, structured layers, annotated specs, and detailed annotations explaining functionality and how features work to ensure a clean and efficient handoff to the development team
• UAT test and coordinate with external development partners to ensure Designs are implemented with fidelity

• Own and maintain the CADY Design System including components, tokens, and documentation
• Create interactive prototypes using a variety of software tools for stakeholder review, user testing, and developer handoff
• Set up and manage user testing projects on testing platforms such as Maze, designing studies that generate actionable insights to inform product and design decisions
• Implement feedback from user testing sessions and the customer service team to continuously improve the experience

• Collaborate with team members from marketing strategy, e-commerce, brand, and creative to define and implement innovative solutions for product direction, visuals, and experience across CADY digital platforms
• Present product design decisions and key milestone deliverables to peers and the executive team with clear articulation of design rationale
• Balance strategic business goals with customer feedback, surfacing tensions and proposing solutions that serve both
• Work quickly with the ability to respond to the fast pace of a seasonal production cycle with flexibility to work within development and time constraints
• Assist with scoping and manage tasks via Monday.com and deliver on established timelines
• Collaborate daily with Senior Designers, Lead Content Writer, Sr. Creative Services Project Manager, and Director of Ecommerce and Product Merchandising

Qualifications/Skill Requirements:

• BA in a design-related field or equivalent credentials in a UX or product design training program
• 5 or more years working as a product designer, UX designer, or interaction designer in the digital field
• Portfolio demonstrating end-to-end product design work including research, wireframes, flows, high-fidelity UI, and prototypes
• Expert-level Figma proficiency including but not limited to developing variable components, responsive layouts using auto-layout, annotations and style 
• Demonstrated ability to lead design decisions and influence product direction across a cross-functional team
• Experience designing consumer-facing ecommerce or digital products
• Experience building or contributing to a design system
• Able to design across desktop, tablet, and mobile breakpoints

• Familiarity with WCAG accessibility guidelines
• Familiarity with AI tools and an interest in leveraging them to accelerate design workflows, from rapid prototyping and ideation to asset generation and user research synthesis
• Experience with interaction design including micro-animations, state design, and transitions
• Exposure to user research and usability testing methods
• Experience working with external development partners
• An understanding of e-commerce platforms is a plus

Physical Requirements and Work Environment 

• Ability to sit and work at a computer for extended periods of time.
• Ability to use a computer, keyboard, mouse, and other standard office equipment regularly.
• Ability to occasionally stand, walk, bend, or reach within an office environment.
• Ability to lift and move items up to 15 lbs., such as files, office supplies, or equipment.
• Comfortable working in a standard indoor office setting with moderate noise levels.
• Ability to communicate effectively in person, via phone, and through virtual meeting platforms.