Director of Product Design

Affinity is a relationship intelligence platform that helps dealmakers find, manage, and close more deals by using the power of their network. Investors, dealmakers, and operators rely on us to turn relationship signals into action. Design is core to how we deliver on that promise.

As our Director of Product Design, you'll lead and grow our product design team, set the bar for design and research, and partner closely with Product and Engineering leadership on product vision and strategy to shape what Affinity becomes over the next several years. You'll report directly to the SVP of Product.

This is a pivotal moment for design at Affinity. We're rethinking how AI shows up across the product, expanding into new market segments, and raising our standards for quality and execution. We need a design leader with a strong point of view on craft, on team, and on how the discipline itself is evolving.

What you'll do:

• Build and lead a high-performing product design team: hire, coach, and grow designers as the team scales.
• Set and uphold the bar for craft and quality. Define what "great" looks like at Affinity, and hold the team to it across every surface we ship.
• Partner with Product and Engineering leadership on strategy, roadmap, and the operating model that gets us to durable outcomes.
• Bring a clear point of view on how design practice is changing in AI-native products. Translate that into how the team works, what we ship, and how we measure quality.
• Own the end-to-end design experience across our enterprise product surface, from core CRM workflows to mobile to MCP to new product areas.
• Establish processes and rituals that enable the team to move quickly without compromising on quality.
• Serve as a senior leader at Affinity, contributing to strategic planning beyond the design function.

What we're looking for:

• 10+ years in product design, with at least 7 years building, coaching, and leading high-performing design and UX teams.
• A strategic mindset. You can connect design decisions to business outcomes, weigh trade-offs across short and long horizons, and influence company strategy.
• A clear, considered perspective on design craft and how it's evolving with AI. You've thought carefully about what changes when AI is a primary surface, what doesn't, and where the craft bar should sit.
• Deep experience designing enterprise software. You understand the workflows, complexity, and stakes of building for professional users.
• Demonstrated taste and craft in interaction design, visual design, research, and product thinking, backed by a portfolio of work you've shipped or led.
• A track record of partnering closely with Product and Engineering leaders on both strategy and execution.
• Strong written and verbal communication. You can rally a team, influence peers, and represent design clearly to non-designers.
• High empathy as a manager. You build trust, give direct feedback, and grow people.

A note on qualifications:

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every qualification. At Affinity, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t perfectly align with the qualifications above, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

How we work:

Our culture is a key part of how we operate as well as our hiring process:

• We iterate quickly. As such, you must be comfortable embracing ambiguity, be able to cut through it and deliver incremental value to our customers each sprint.
• We are candid, transparent, and speak our minds while simultaneously caring personally with each person we interact with. 
• We make data-driven decisions and make the best decision for the moment based on the information available.

If you'd like to learn more about our values, click here.

What you'll enjoy at Affinity:

• We live our values: As owners, we take pride in everything we do. We embrace a growth mindset, engage in respectful candor, act as playmakers, and "taste the soup" by diving deep into experiences to create the best outcomes for our colleagues and clients.
• Health Benefits: We cover both you and your dependents' extended health benefit premiums and offer flexible personal & sick days to support your well-being.
• Retirement Planning: We offer an RRSP plan to help you plan for your future.
• Learning & Development: We provide an annual education budget and a comprehensive L&D program.
• Wellness Support: We reimburse monthly for things like home internet, meals, and wellness memberships/equipment to support your overall health and happiness.
• Team Connection: Virtual team-building activities and socials to keep our team connected, because building strong relationships is key to success.

Please note that the role compensation details below reflect the base salary only and do not include any equity or benefits. This represents the salary range that Affinity believes, in good faith, at the time of this posting, that it will pay for the posted job.

A reasonable estimate of the current range is $168,000 to $210,000 CAD. Within the range, individual pay depends on various factors, including geographical location and review of experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant. 

At Affinity, we may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools as part of our recruitment process to help screen and evaluate candidate applications. While AI assists our hiring team in managing applications efficiently, it never replaces decisions made by real people. We are committed to fair and transparent hiring practices, and our AI tools are regularly monitored to ensure they support - not replace - human judgment. 

Additional Information:

• This job posting represents an active vacancy that we are currently seeking to fill.