Lead Product Designer

About the Role

TXI is looking for a Lead Product Designer who grounds innovation in humanity.

Building the right thing is often harder than building it right. More than 80% of digital innovations fail because they are not solving the real user need. We take a pragmatic approach to innovation by deploying integrated teams to uncover insights from users and turn them into compelling digital solutions. As an employee-owned boutique strategy and product innovation firm, our capabilities include product discovery, delivery, and adoption. As a Lead Product Designer, you have the opportunity to strategically grow our design team and expand our design capabilities.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for a Lead Product Designer with an established career in design leadership and a proven track record of driving design vision across complex projects. Some designers execute on strategy—you define it. You're not just interested in creating exceptional design work, you're driven to elevate teams, shape processes, and deliver innovative solutions that transform how our clients operate. You thrive in ambiguity, turning undefined challenges into clear paths forward. This is your chance to work with world-class consultants, shape the future of design at TXI, and create lasting impact for our clients and our people.

Don't hesitate if you don't have 100% of the specifics listed. We have a preference for folks with previous consulting experience leading complex, politically nuanced engagements, but if you're a strong design leader with deep expertise and a passion for mentorship, we want to hear from you. TXI encourages everyone interested in a role to apply.

As a lead designer, here’s what we’d expect from you:

Consultative Leadership & Vision

• Own greenfield projects end to end; responsible for setting the design vision as well as accountable for the quality of the end result
• Partner effectively with product and engineering colleagues to cultivate client relationships built on generosity and trust
• Be curious and engaged in the evolving landscape of AI and software development
• Nurture the next generation of talent within TXI, serving as a sounding board and trusted advisor.

Design Craft & Execution

• Demonstrate expertise across Design Thinking, Research, Interaction Design, and Visual Design
• Lead discovery, research, and usability testing using observational research, conversational inquiry, and collaborative workshops
• Create prototypes across fidelity levels for testing, validation, and building conviction
• Produce intentional, expressive, and visually precise UI and product designs
• Apply deep knowledge of design systems, branding, typography, and color theory to craft cohesive, accessible experiences
• Leverage industry tools including Figma

Design at TXI

Design matters to us. Design manifests possibility and gives us a glimpse of our future. It provides us a sense of purpose and guides our intent. Design is never about just an idea. It requires an understanding of its audience. Design is strategic. It generates value by driving deliverables, outcomes, and recommendations. Design is bigger than a single skill set or discipline.

We design for resonance: to create change, and to make meaning. We aim to design product and service experiences that we are proud of—in a consistent and repeatable way. While there’s much more behind these five design principles, we believe they hold us accountable to each other, our clients, their users, and our own work:

1. Humanity
2. Curiosity
3. Clarity
4. Ingenuity
5. Quality

Who We Are

We’re a curious and humble group of people who are intentional about personal growth and supporting each other’s careers. We aim to explore new skills, frameworks, and approaches to deliver the most meaningful digital product experiences. And we’re constantly pushing ourselves to experiment, explore, and challenge assumptions. 

We bring that same passion for learning and growth to our clients, by digging into their organizations, reframing their problem statements, and spending time with their users. This ensures that we’re pushing our clients forward while developing and delivering valuable products that matter.

Learn more about TXI (video)

What your days will look like, what success looks like

It’s important to set the right expectations in order to promote your growth at TXI. Here is some of what you can expect in your first two years as a Lead Product Designer.

Within 1 month, you will

• Begin the company onboarding process and immerse yourself in TXI's culture, values, history, and client commitments
• Gain comprehensive understanding of our integrated development process, tooling, frameworks, and project methodologies
• Learn from our cross-functional teams of designers, engineers, delivery managers, and strategists
• Develop insight into the full client experience, from product discovery through delivery
• Deepen your understanding of the employee-owner experience at TXI

Within 3 months, you will

• Complete your onboarding process
• Participate in your first TXI Quarterly with the entire organization

Within 6 months to 12 months, you will

• Complete a comprehensive review with your manager
• Establish a balanced rhythm between client project delivery work and internal TXI initiatives
• Attend TXI in-person quarterly to meet many of your colleagues including outside the office setting 

Within 1 to 2 years, you will 

• Look back proudly on the projects and organizational changes you've inspired or directed, as well as the impact you have made across TXI
• Achieve a sustainable cadence in your role of helping to spearhead our AI capabilities within the engineering practice, demand, and throughout TXI 

Some reasons why you might like working with us

We have been recognized for both our internal employee experience and for delivering a trusted client experience. At TXI, we are intentional about the way we work and how we support both our team and our clients. 

1. We focus on Product Innovation by helping to envision initial new product concepts for our clients. We are core contributors to shaping the work that we do and the problems we're working to solve. In addition to that ideation stage, we get to help them bring these new concepts to market. We help both to build the right thing (design thinking and product discovery) and build the thing right (agile mindset and iterative approach).
2. We care about DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging). To deliver the best solutions, we need positive, inclusive environments with as much diversity in the room as possible. Learn more about our DEIB learnings, roadmap, and history: https://txidigital.com/deib.  
3. We work in a variety of industries and encourage our team members to explore new domains, solve different kinds of problems, and adopt new technologies. You’ll work across Industry 4.0, manufacturing, and logistics; and build data, web, mobile, and IoT solutions. 
4. We work in integrated teams (and occasionally we will work as staff augmentation if there's a good rationale for it). At TXI, we seek to bring all of the good ideas to the table so you learn from the talented teammates you regularly pair with. Strategy, delivery management, design, and engineering regularly collaborate.
5. We are intentional about supporting each individual's growth. "Challenge and support each other" is a core value of the company and we take that mission seriously. That's why every employee has a personal learning & development budget and a bi-weekly conversation with their manager about their progress–as well as why we created our Career Pathways to equitably promote each person's path at TXI. 
6. We value transparency and open discussion. As an employee-owner, you will have a front-line view of the company's performance, risks and issues, finances, and budgets. 
7. We build products that matter. We advance the causes and goals of our partners and consistently deliver outcomes for them. See some examples below.

What We Make

For over two decades, we've partnered with clients across industries to research, design, and develop custom web and mobile applications that make a meaningful impact. Some examples of that impact include: 

• Improving prediction of patient enrollment in global clinical trials for life-saving drugs through the integration of advanced analytics and digital innovation  
• Developing responsive applications for a major logistics company to amplify productivity and decrease maintenance time 
• Transformed a manufacturer from a company known for data loggers to an international leader in tech-powered environmental monitoring solutions through proactive, data-powered IT products
• Empowering nonprofits with real-time insight into progress and potential for donor impact through transformative fundraising software 
• Designing a digital experience that is driven by evidence-based treatment and therapy plans to support LGBTQ+ youths who face societal and personal biases due to their orientation  
• Driving accountability and motivation for patients recovering from spinal surgery through an integrated mobile app and a wearable device on the patient’s lower back
• Creating a new mobile app to inspire employees to love where they work by delivering meaningful savings and recognition in their workplace, while also amplifying merchant partner reach across the U.S.

But the work is just one part of what makes TXI a rewarding place to be. We support each other’s interests—whether it’s volunteering, organizing meetups, speaking at industry events, or learning new techniques and technologies. If there's something you're passionate about, we want you to pursue it and teach it to the rest of us. Our company Town Halls and regular practice meetings are just some of the ways we create space for sharing, learning, and professional development.

What We Offer

We believe in equitable pay. The base salary range for this role is $160,000 to $175,000. In addition to base compensation and an incentive pay structure, we also offer the following benefits, which are intended to take care of you (and the people you care about):

• Employee Stock Ownership Program: TXI is 100% employee-owned through an ESOP, which grants shares of company stock to all employees as a retirement benefit
• Quality health insurance and medical travel benefit
• Paid vacation time, holidays, sick leave, and a floating holiday
• Paid parental leave policy (equal for all TXI parents)
• 12 weeks of paid FMLA leave for qualifying events, ensuring you can prioritize important life moments
• 401k plan, including employer matching
• Remote-first working environment with minimal onsite client work
• Company retreats and Quarterly days, both of which are a chance to connect in person and outside of the office
• Benefits for professional development, home office improvements, and renewable energy switching

Location

This role requires candidates to be based in the Chicago area. We have a remote environment at TXI, with distributed team members in the US, Canada, South America, and Europe who work from home. We communicate and collaborate effectively in a remote environment using tools like Miro, Notion, Slack, and Zoom. We also prioritize virtual bonding and emphasize inclusivity, autonomy, and trust while cultivating a safe and welcoming environment that is conducive to supporting a positive employee experience.

While we encourage asynchronous communication, we often work in pairs or in collaboration sessions. Therefore, having some core hours that overlap with our clients and your fellow team members is important. Regardless of where you are living and working, all TXIers have multiple opportunities throughout the year to meet and hang out in person to continue building those connections.