Sr Manager Product Design

We Impact Lives Through Purpose-Driven Work in A People First Culture
Ascend Learning, a leading healthcare and learning technology company, is the connection between a powerful portfolio of brands serving students, educators, and employers with outcomes-based, data-driven solutions across the lifecycle of learning. From testing to certification, Ascend Learning products are used by physicians, emergency medical professionals, nurses, allied health professionals, certified personal trainers, financial advisors, skilled trades professionals and insurance brokers.
Headquartered in Burlington, MA, with additional office locations and hybrid and remote workers in cities across the U.S., Ascend Learning was recognized by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group as one of America's 2025 Greatest Workplaces as well as America's Best Places to work for Mental Well-Being for 2025.
We're always looking for talented, passionate professionals to join us in our mission to help change lives. If this sounds like an environment where you'd thrive, read on to learn more.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
The Sr Manager Product Design for Healthcare Workforce Solutions (HWS) will lead the overall UI/UX direction across HWS products, including Laudio and StaffGarden. This role is a senior-level player-coach who combines hands-on product design execution with leadership of a distributed design team based in Nepal. The Sr Manager of Product Design ensures cohesive, high-quality, and scalable design practices that deliver intuitive, efficient experiences for end users while advancing design maturity across the portfolio.
WHERE YOU'LL WORK
This position offers the flexibility of remote work within the United States and collaborates closely with U.S. based product and engineering partners plus an offshore design team. Eastern time zone preferred.
HOW YOU'LL SPEND YOUR TIME

• Lead hands-on product design execution, creating user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity UI for Laudio and StaffGarden, ensuring accessibility and usability standards are met
• Manage, coach, and mentor Offshore / Nepal-based designers, providing direction, feedback, career development, and conducting design reviews to ensure consistent quality
• Drive UX strategy and best practices by establishing design principles, patterns, and a shared design system across products in collaboration with the broader Ascend Learning UI / UX team.
• Spearhead the integration of AI into the design and development process to maximize leverage for product and engineering teams.
• Partner closely with product managers, engineering leaders, and business stakeholders to define requirements, evaluate trade-offs, and support product delivery
• Conduct and support user research and usability testing, incorporating insights into product design decisions
• Ensure cross-product alignment and cohesive user experiences across Laudio and StaffGarden workflows
• Contribute design leadership and input into product roadmaps, feature prioritization, and long-term product vision

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, or equivalent practical experience preferred. High School Diploma or GED required.
• 8+ years of product design experience with a portfolio demonstrating end-to-end UX/UI work
• 2+ years of experience in a leadership or player-coach capacity
• Experience working within agile product development teams
• Expert knowledge of UX and UI design principles, interaction design, and responsive design
• Strong proficiency with Figma and related design tools
• Proven ability to translate complex workflows into clear, intuitive user experiences
• Experience creating, scaling, and governing design systems
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Experience leading or collaborating with remote or offshore design teams preferred
• Familiarity with healthcare workforce workflows is preferred

BENEFITS

• Flexible and generous paid time off
• Competitive medical, dental, vision and life insurance
• 401(k) employer matching program
• Parental leave
• Wellness resources
• Charitable matching program
• On-site workout facilities (Leawood, Gilbert, Burlington)
• Community outreach groups
• Tuition reimbursement

Fostering A Sense of Belonging
Our values-driven culture unifies our teams and inspires a mindset of action, innovation, and collaboration, with a relentless focus on customers. We seek out and celebrate all people and perspectives and cultivate an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive, feel valued, and be authentic. Our culture is firmly rooted in the belief that by embracing our differences and drawing on diverse perspectives, we are a stronger, more innovative, and more successful organization where employees experience a sense of belonging.
Ascend Learning, LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity employer (M/F/Vets/Disabled). No agency or search firm submissions will be accepted. Applications for U.S.-based positions with Ascend Learning, LLC must be legally authorized to work in the United States, and verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire.
Nearest Major Market: Boston