Our client, a life insurance company in New York City, is hiring a freelance Lead Product Designer to shape an agent-facing AI platform. You'll set design direction for complex workflows, create production-ready prototypes, and guide quality from roadmap through QA. The role also partners across teams, mentors designers, and supports measurable improvements for users.

This is a HYBRID position in New York City. Remote is NOT an option.

Lead Product Designer Responsibilities:

• Translate complex, cross-functional problems into clear user flows and high-fidelity prototypes.
• Establish design quality standards, including component usage, responsive behavior, accessibility guidance, edge cases, and developer handoff.
• Influence product roadmaps and prioritization while contributing to PI planning and sprint ceremonies in a SAFe environment.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Implementation teams to resolve tradeoffs, manage risks, and support delivery through QA.
• Facilitate collaborative design sessions, mentor designers, and present design strategy and rationale to senior stakeholders.

Lead Product Designer Qualifications:

• Provide a portfolio or case studies as a document or accessible link with your resume, including any required passwords.
• Bring 10+ years of digital product design experience, including leadership of a product, workstream, or portfolio.
• Demonstrate a strong foundation in high-fidelity UI, design systems, responsive design, and detailed developer handoff.
• Have experience leading design in a Scaled Agile (SAFe) environment and partnering with Product, Engineering, and Implementation teams.
• Possess expert-level Figma skills, including components, variables, auto layout, prototyping, and Dev Mode handoff.

Perks and Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance.
• Life Insurance.
• 401(k) Program.
• Commuter Benefit.
• eLearning and Ongoing Training.
• Education Reimbursement.

Eligibility requires working over 30 hours per week on an assignment lasting at least 10 weeks.

If you meet the qualifications and are excited about this opportunity, apply today! Our team will connect with you to discuss next steps, support you through the interview process, and advocate for your success.

About Onward Search

Onward Search is a nationwide staffing agency and talent solutions provider specializing in creative, marketing, and technology professionals. We work with our nationwide clients to continuously pipeline and fill specialized roles. As such, not all jobs contain an application deadline. For questions about our employment process, please contact info@onwardsearch.com.

Equal Opportunity Employment

We are an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other protected category. Candidates must be at least 18 years old to be considered for employment.
EOE/M/F/D/V/SO

Inclusive Hiring Practices

We’re committed to making every part of our hiring process accessible and inclusive. If you need any accommodations or adjustments to support you during the application or interview process, please contact us at inclusivehiring@onwardsearch.com.

Employment Eligibility

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired must verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. We are unable to support 1099 / Corp-to-Corp / Independent Contractor arrangements. All freelancers will be hired as W2 employees.

Benefits

We offer medical, dental, and vision insurance as well as a 401(k) retirement plan to all eligible full-time temporary employees. Onward Search is a drug-free workplace.

Virtual Interview Process

To help streamline the hiring process and ensure a more flexible and accessible experience for all candidates, we’ve partnered with Alex.com, a virtual interviewing platform. For select job openings, you may receive an invitation to interview with Alex via email at alex@onwardsearch.com.

Alex will guide you through a brief set of questions to help us better understand your background and interests. The virtual interview can be completed on your own time, and your responses will be reviewed by our recruiting team as part of the screening process.

To learn more about the platform, visit https://www.alex.com/.

Job Seeker Scam Alert

We’ve become aware of fraudulent recruiters impersonating Onward Search representatives to collect personal or financial information from potential job seekers. Please be advised, we will only communicate with our talent through verified email addresses such as @onwardsearch and will never reach out through Gmail or any other public domains. You can learn more about potential threats and how to protect yourself by visiting our job seeker scam alert page.