[Hiring] Vice President of Design and User Experience @Cengage Group

Role Description

We seek an innovative design leader to reshape and redefine the future of educational technology experiences. As VP of Design and User Experience, you will craft the vision and creative direction for how learners, educators, and institutions experience our platforms. You will design intuitive, inspiring, and impactful experiences to improve measurable learning outcomes. This position goes beyond creating products; it involves building ecosystems that empower learner success and promotes equity and accessibility. The role integrates new technologies, including AI-enhanced user experience solutions and automation, to personalize education broadly. You will define the vision for a world-class Design and User Experience organization, advancing EdTech and rethinking teaching and learning resources relevant today. You will encourage seamless collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, and Learning Science teams to deliver experiences that advance our mission: unlocking potential through outstanding learning experiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and articulate a compelling design vision, creative direction, rooted in design thinking principles — emphasizing empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing.
• Empower teams to imagine what’s possible, unlocking new approaches to innovation and invention in education technology.
• Build and mentor a high-performing UX team, encouraging creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Establish design quality and craft standards and conduct executive-level design reviews.
• Work within the Product Operating Model to incorporate UX principles at each phase of product development, ensuring consistency with product roadmaps and delivery timelines.
• Establish scalable build systems and governance models, incorporating AI-assisted prototyping, accessibility checks, and personalization engines to ensure consistency and quality.

Qualifications

• Experience: 10+ years in UX Design, leading UX, Product Design, and Experience Design, with a proven track record in complex digital ecosystems or EdTech.
• 8+ years managing senior leaders and multidisciplinary teams.
• Experience leading large-scale digital transformation initiatives.
• Proven success influencing executive stakeholders and organizational strategy. Demonstrated ability to connect experience investments to business outcomes.
• Education: Bachelor’s or equivalent experience, or Master’s degree or equivalent experience in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Learning Sciences, or related field.
• Expertise in UX Design, Craft and research methodologies.
• Strong understanding of learning principles and how building impacts educational outcomes.
• Familiarity with user experience tools powered by artificial intelligence, personalization technologies, and automation workflows.
• Extensive experience working within a Product Operating Model or comparable frameworks.
• Outstanding communication and storytelling skills to articulate vision and influence collaborators.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large, diverse teams and drive organizational change.

Benefits

• Comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees.
• Participation in the company’s discretionary incentive bonus program.
• Bonus target amount: 35% Annual Individual Target.
• Base pay range: $192,500.00 - $300,000.00 USD, varying based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location.

Company Description

Cengage, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.