Director, Product Design (cnbc & Ott)

Company Description VERSANT is a leading force in news, sports and entertainment - home to iconic and trusted brands that inspire, inform, and delight audiences. Our unique combination of content, technology and services enriches the cultural fabric, igniting passions, sparking conversations, and connecting people to what they love most.

As an independent, publicly traded company, VERSANT brings together powerhouse cable networks - including USA Network, CNBC, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Golf Channel - with dynamic digital and direct-to-consumer brands such as Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. Together, these businesses reflect our commitment to delivering exceptional experiences across every screen and service.

VERSANT is an industry-changing media company fueled by innovation and an entrepreneurial spirit. With a strong foundation and a forward-looking vision, VERSANT empowers creativity, embraces change, and drives connection in an ever-evolving world.

Job Description We are seeking a visionary and hands-on Product Design Director to lead the design strategy and execution for our suite of digital products, including the CNBC.com website, mobile applications, and Connected TV experiences. You’ll be responsible for shaping the experience vision and for improving the end-to-end user experience across platforms, elevating our designs, and driving business results through innovative, user-centered design solutions. You will lead a team of designers and a UX researcher. You will also lead design for connected TV apps for our other news brands, namely MS NOW and E! News.

The Job

• Shape the experience vision for CNBC’s financial news and information on digital platforms
• Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of UX/UI designers across multiple products
• Ensure a consistent, intuitive, and engaging user experience across web, mobile, and OTT platforms
• Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, editorial, data, and marketing teams to deliver user-centric designs aligned with business goals
• Oversee the full design lifecycle — from discovery and concepting to prototyping, testing, and delivery — ensuring designs are validated through user research and data insights
• Advocate for design best practices, accessibility, and UX standards throughout the organization
• Champion a culture of design thinking and cross-functional collaboration, by leading design workshops and design sprints
• Maintain and evolve design systems, brand guidelines, and interaction patterns across platforms
• Monitor and assess design performance using qualitative and quantitative data; iterate accordingly
• Support experimentation, personalization, and potentially AI-driven features to deliver smarter, more relevant user experiences
• Stay current with industry trends and competitors to ensure CNBC’s digital experiences remain cutting-edge and relevant
• Actively manage direct reports, set goals and provide follow-up feedback.
• Provide regular feedback and manage career development

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience leading a team of designers for digital media companies
• Experience with successful outcomes for digital products, reaching millions of users, such as growth in users, subscriptions, revenue, customer satisfaction scores etc.
• 7+ years of experience hiring, managing, and mentoring successful product designers
• Experience with designing personalized products or AI features and using new AI prototyping tools would be a plus

You Demonstrate

• Proven track record managing high performing team(s) of in-house designers who were embedded in Pods, Agile or Scrum teams
• Design best practices, integrating UX Research and building meaningful customer experiences
• Expertise in design research with a dedicated human-centered approach to problem solving
• Strong experience in product discovery and design thinking, in particular leading design workshops with cross-functional stakeholders
• Excellent communication and presentation capabilities, articulating ideas effectively and without bias
• High energy level and a strong work ethic, someone who is self-driven
• Systems-thinking mindset, with deep knowledge of cross-platform design & visual system creation and effective implementation
• An active role in shaping and communicating “the why” behind the work your team does and how you interact with other teams and stakeholders
• Prioritization and multi-tasking skills
• Ability to hold your team accountable for high quality product design and timely cross-functional communication

Why Join Us

• Shape the digital future of a powerful media brand Collaborate with passionate teams of journalists, product managers and engineers
• Deliver high-impact experiences to CNBC’s large, loyal audience across platforms
• Drive innovation in how people consume and interact with trusted financial news and information

What We’ll Offer At CNBC Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, you’ll have access to great perks and amenities:

• Sweat it out -- Free onsite fitness center with state-of-the-art equipment, plus daily group classes
• Eat up -- Gourmet cafeteria with daily specials plus soup and salad bars
• Extras -- Dry cleaning, and sneak peeks
• Don’t have a car? No problem! We offer free shuttle transportation to and from multiple locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Hoboken and Jersey City
• This position is eligible for company sponsored benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and a variety of other discounts and perks.

Salary range: $180,000-$220,000 (bonus and long-term incentive eligible).

Additional Information As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with a VERSANT employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. VERSANT's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

For LA County and City Residents Only: VERSANT will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, or arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with relevant legal requirements, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, where applicable.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to candidateaccessibility@versantmedia.com.

VERSANT is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. We include a good faith pay range for each position to comply with applicable state and local pay transparency laws and to promote equity across our organization. Actual compensation will be based on factors such as the candidate's skills, qualifications, experience, and location and may include additional forms of compensation and benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, etc.