Director, Product Design

Company: 23andMe Research Institute
Location: Palo Alto
Posted on: April 2, 2026

Job Description:

We are looking for a Design Director to define the future of personal health and discovery. In this role, you will take the world’s most complex dataset—the human genome—and transform it into a deeply personal, accessible, and life-changing experience. You will be responsible for shaping how millions of people understand their ancestry, manage their health, and contribute to scientific breakthroughs. You will manage and lead a high-caliber design team, balancing the craft of execution with the strategy of a director. You will champion the user while navigating the nuances of regulated health data, partnering with a diverse range of experts to build products that are as scientifically rigorous as they are emotionally resonant. Who We Are We are a group of individuals passionate about genetic discovery. 23andMe Research Institute is a nonprofit medical research organization that enables people everywhere to access their genetic information, learn about themselves, and participate in the world's largest crowdsourced research initiative. The Institute aims to be the world's most significant contributor to scientific advancement, uniting people with the common goal of improving health and deepening our understanding of DNA — the code of life. What You'll Do Design for Trust & Transparency: Lead the visual and interaction strategy for our data access, sharing, and consent flows. You will turn privacy and transparency into a brand differentiator, ensuring users feel empowered, not overwhelmed. Humanize the Health Journey: Move beyond static reporting to create a dynamic, lifelong relationship with the user. You will design for our AI-powered "Health Coach" and "Personal Discovery" tools, making data actionable and inheritance meaningful. Augment & Innovate: Leverage modern tooling and AI workflows to unlock new creative possibilities for the team. You will champion a culture where technology handles the routine, allowing your designers to focus on high-value problem solving and craft. Fuel the Flywheel: Design experiences that connect consumer discovery with scientific advancement. You will create loops where personal insights drive research participation, and research discoveries flow back to the user. Lead a Hybrid Studio: Manage and lead a lean, agile internal team while seamlessly integrating specialized contractors to scale our capabilities. You will be the guardian of quality, ensuring a cohesive design language and culture regardless of team composition. Bridge to Build: Empower our Engineering partners to ship faster by evolving our design systems and component libraries. You will prioritize velocity and scalability, ensuring seamless handoffs that enable developers to do more with less friction. Democratize Access: Tackle the design challenge of making genetic insights affordable and accessible. You will design experiences that work for the many, not just the few, expanding our reach across diverse communities. What You'll Bring 10 years of experience demonstrating a history of shipping complex, consumer-facing products with a high bar for visual and interaction craft. Experience managing and leading internal teams while effectively directing flexible contractor talent to deliver high-quality work without compromising on culture. Master communication and ability to distill complex cross-functional inputs into a clear, compelling design vision that rallies the organization. Proven track record of working cross functionally with diverse teams. You will partner with Medical Affairs for clinical validity, R&D on the science powering the product, and Product/Engineering for execution—synthesizing these inputs into a singular, elegant user experience. Comfortable defining strategy in a fast-paced environment where the answers aren't always known. Experience building and maintaining component libraries that help engineering teams move faster. You are comfortable designing with data. You can take dense scientific concepts and visualize them simply and elegantly. A genuine passion for transforming healthcare and education through genetics. BA/BS degree in Design, HCI, or related field, or equivalent practical experience. About Us 23andMe, headquartered in California, is a leading consumer genetics and research company. The company’s mission is to help people access, understand, and benefit from the human genome. 23andMe has pioneered direct access to genetic information as the only company with multiple FDA authorizations for genetic health risk reports. The company has created the world’s largest crowdsourced platform for genetic research, with 80 percent of its customers electing to participate. 23andMe research participants consent to research conducted by 23andMe which is overseen by an independent third-party Institutional Review Board (IRB) regulated under the 'Common Rule' (45 CFR part 46). More information is available at www.23andme.com/research . At 23andMe, we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at accommodations-ext@23andme.com. 23andMe will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law. Please note: 23andMe does not accept agency resumes and we are not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes. Thank you. Pay Transparency 23andMe takes a market-based approach to pay, and amounts will vary depending on your geographic location. The salary range reflected here is for a candidate based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The successful candidate’s starting pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. San Francisco Bay Area Base Pay Range $240,000 — $320,000 USD

Keywords: 23andMe Research Institute, Sunnyvale , Director, Product Design, IT / Software / Systems , Palo Alto, California