Lead Product Designer

Summary

Join Upwork, the world’s largest work marketplace, as a Lead Product Designer and help shape the future of work. You will lead end-to-end product design, collaborating with cross-functional partners to create intuitive, seamless interactions for clients and talent. Leverage data and emerging technologies to inform design decisions and improve contract lifecycle workflows. Drive experimentation and continuous improvement through A/B testing and user research. Build and share design artifacts, mentor others, and contribute to design culture. This role offers the opportunity to impact millions of users and make a meaningful contribution to Upwork's mission.

Requirements

• Proven experience designing complex, multi-step workflows , ideally in contract, project management, or marketplace environments
• Strong experimentation mindset —comfortable with A/B testing, user research, and using data to refine designs
• A compelling portfolio that demonstrates end-to-end product design across web and mobile—highlighting interaction, visual, and UX design with clear rationale for your decisions
• Strong communicator and collaborator , with a track record of shaping product strategy through design
• Mastery of tools like Figma , plus experience with user testing and AI prototyping tools like V0, Galileo, or similar
• Familiarity with designing for AI-powered experiences , including intelligent workflows, LLM use cases, or cross-functional collaboration with ML/AI teams

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end product design from discovery and concepting through launch and iteration—delivering high-quality wireframes, prototypes, and polished experiences with strong craft
• Collaborate deeply with cross-functional partners (PMs, engineers, researchers, data scientists, and other designers) to frame problems, explore ideas, and shape product direction through implementation
• Leverage data, user insights, and emerging technologies to inform design decisions and uncover opportunities to improve contract lifecycle workflows. This includes prototyping with AI-powered capabilities and integrating intelligent automation where it adds value
• Drive experimentation and continuous improvement by running A/B tests, conducting qualitative user research, and using rapid prototyping to validate hypotheses and evolve the product based on real-world feedback
• Build and share design artifacts —from early concepts to detailed specs—that bring ideas to life and keep stakeholders aligned
• Mentor others and contribute to design culture , sharing best practices, giving constructive feedback, and championing design quality across the team

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical coverage for you and your family
• Unlimited PTO
• A 401(k) plan with matching
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• An Employee Stock Purchase Plan