[Hiring] VP of User Experience and Design Innovation @Smartsheet

Role Description

As VP of User Experience and Design Innovation, you will lead a multi-disciplinary organization spanning UX research, design systems, content and globalization, and AI-driven software delivery, alongside a team of design leaders driving product design across the platform. You have a track record of making the people around you better — you drive quality and efficiency by establishing process, developing talent, and elevating your team to accomplish more than they could without you. You see yourself as a team captain more than a coach.

You are an AI-forward leader. You don't just support AI adoption — you own it. You will define and drive the strategy for bringing AI into every function you lead:

• Accelerating research synthesis
• Scaling design systems
• Automating content and localization
• Modernizing the software development lifecycle through AI-assisted workflows

Your Organization includes Product Design, User Experience Research, Globalization & Content and Design Systems. You report to our Chief Product and Technology Officer and may work remotely from anywhere in the US where Smartsheet is a registered employer.

You Will:

• Lead, evolve, and articulate a bold, user-centered vision for the future of design and user experience across Smartsheet's product portfolio and external systems.
• Own and scale research, design, design systems, content, localization, and AI-first design strategy across all product lines and geographies.
• Build, mentor, and grow a team of senior functional and design leaders; scale and evolve the org in alignment with company growth.
• Develop career paths and programs tailored to individual team member professional development.
• Set organizational strategy around design maturity, AI adoption, design systems adoption, and cross-functional design-led decision-making across product, engineering, and business teams.
• Build, evolve, and scale UX processes, standards, and tools, owning the AI agenda for the org by identifying and driving high-impact opportunities to embed AI into research, design systems, content/localization, and the software development lifecycle.
• Work closely with executive leadership, product, engineering, and go-to-market teams to define strategy and ensure design and AI-forward thinking are embedded in critical business decisions.
• Establish and own key metrics tying design and AI initiatives to user satisfaction, adoption, retention, revenue outcomes, and delivery velocity; regularly review and communicate progress.
• Translate business goals into innovative, creative, and engaging product experiences.
• Own content strategy and localization approaches across all product lines.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in a highly cross-functional role running strategic projects from idea through implementation.
• 15+ years leading and building UX, design, research, or content organizations, including experience as a manager of managers with P&L responsibility.
• A track record of building and scaling high-performing, multi-disciplinary teams (research, design, design systems, content, localization, engineering-adjacent functions).
• Demonstrated experience driving AI adoption within a design, research, content, or software delivery organization not just using AI tools individually, but setting org-wide AI strategy.
• Deep expertise in research methodologies, design strategy, content strategy, and localization best practices for global B2B SaaS platforms.
• Experience leading enterprise SaaS products with complex user workflows, multi-stakeholder environments, and mission-critical use cases.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted software development practices and how they change the design-to-engineering handoff.
• Experience finding simple, innovative solutions for complex problems, and facilitating research to uncover user needs.
• Strong visual design sense; expert-level fluency in Figma or comparable design/prototyping tools.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; ability to influence across Product, Engineering, and executive leadership.
• Ability to articulate design decisions and advocate for the user, while balancing speed and innovation enabled by AI.

Benefits

• Employer subsidized medical/vision and dental coverage for full-time employees
• 401k Match to help you save for your future (50% of your contribution up to the first 6% of your eligible pay)
• Monthly stipend to support your work and productivity
• Flexible Time Away Program, plus Sick Time Off
• US employees are automatically covered under Smartsheet-sponsored life insurance, short-term, and long-term disability plans
• US employees receive 12 paid holidays per year
• Up to 24 weeks of Parental Leave
• Personal paid Volunteer Day to support our community
• Opportunities for professional growth and development including access to Udemy online courses
• Company Funded Perks, including a counseling membership, local retail discounts, and your own personal Smartsheet account
• Teleworking options from any registered location in the U.S. (role specific)
• Smartsheet provides a competitive base salary range for roles that may be hired in different geographic areas we are licensed to operate our business from.
• Actual compensation is determined by several factors including, but not limited to, level of professional, educational experience, skills, and specific candidate location.
• This role will be eligible for a market competitive incentive opportunity.

Company Description

At Smartsheet, your ideas are heard, your potential is supported, and your contributions have real impact. You’ll have the freedom to explore, push boundaries, and grow beyond your role. We welcome diverse perspectives and nontraditional paths—because we know that impact comes from individuals who care deeply and challenge thoughtfully. When you’re doing work that stretches you, excites you, and connects you to something bigger, that’s magic at work. Let’s build what’s next, together.

Smartsheet is an Equal Opportunity (EEO) employer committed to fostering an inclusive environment with the best employees. It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants in accordance with applicable laws in the US, UK, Australia, Germany, Costa Rica, Japan, Bulgaria, India, and Singapore. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

If there are preparations we can make to help ensure you have a comfortable and positive interview experience, please let us know.