Head of Design

What you’ll do

• Lead a team of ~40 designers and design directors across GRC, Trust, Platform, Self-serve, and AI — setting org-wide direction and enabling each leader to do their best work.
• Lead the team building the next generation of agentic, AI-native product experiences — defining what great design looks like as Vanta’s products are increasingly shaped by AI.
• Establish an AI-native design practice: evolve agentic UX patterns, redesign team workflows around AI tooling, and define how design engineers and designers collaborate in an AI-first environment.
• Bring a strong point of view to design decisions — engaging deeply on interaction design, visual quality, and product direction, and building the trust that allows design decision-making to scale.
• Set a clear, shared standard for design quality across Vanta — spanning visual design, interaction design, and AI-enabled experiences — and build the systems that hold that bar consistently: design system, definitions of done, and launch review frameworks.
• Drive design as a first mover: shape design direction proactively, establishing the taste and systems that set the pace for the product and the org.
• Build strong partnerships with Product and Engineering, establishing shared quality frameworks embedded in how the whole org ships.
• Recruit and grow the team — develop existing leadership, maintain a high bar for AI fluency and design craft across every hire, and close capability gaps as the org evolves.

How to be successful in this role

• 15+ years of design experience, with 5+ years leading and scaling large design organizations, with director-level reports.
• Deep fluency in interaction design and visual craft — enjoys getting into the weeds, providing precise direction, and holding a high bar for quality across design decisions.
• Deep B2B SaaS experience — understanding the constraints of building for SMB and enterprise customers, complex workflows, multi-user products, and platform-level design challenges.
• Org-level AI fluency: has built AI tooling, workflows, and cultural adoption into a design team’s practice, enabling teams to ship more and move faster; has a clear point of view on how AI changes design roles and team structure.
• Proven track record building quality systems: design system ownership, definitions of done, launch review processes, and quality frameworks built in partnership with Product and Engineering.
• Has led design through a company inflection point — navigates ambiguity, adapts the org, and maintains quality and momentum when the business is changing fast.
• Strong XFN leadership — trusted by product and engineering counterparts, navigates fast-moving and opinionated exec environments, and drives alignment on shared outcomes.
• Open to using AI to amplify their skills and strengthen their work - demonstrating curiosity, a willingness to learn, and sound judgment in applying AI responsibly to improve efficiency and impact.

What you can expect as a Vanta’n

• Industry-competitive salary and equity.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, with 100% of employee-only benefit premiums covered for most medical plans.
• 16 weeks fully-paid Parental Leave for all new parents.
• Health & wellness stipend.
• Remote workspace, internet, and cellphone stipend.
• Commuter benefits for team members who report to the SF and NYC office.
• Family planning benefits.
• Matching 401(k) contribution with immediate vesting.
• Flexible PTO policy, plus 80 hours of Sick Time.
• 11 company-paid holidays.
• Virtual team building activities, lunch and learns, and other company-wide events!