Sr. Director

Location

Canada

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

Remote

Department

Design

Design

Overview

Building the Future of Crypto

Our Krakenites are a world-class team with crypto conviction, united by our desire to discover and unlock the potential of crypto and blockchain technology.

What makes us different?

Kraken is a mission-focused company rooted in crypto values. As a Krakenite, you'll join us on our mission to accelerate the global adoption of crypto, so that everyone can achieve financial freedom and inclusion. For over a decade, Kraken's focus on our mission and crypto ethos has attracted many of the most talented crypto experts in the world.

Before you apply, please read the Kraken Culture page to learn more about our internal culture, values, and mission. We also expect candidates to familiarize themselves with the Kraken app. Learn how to create a Kraken account here.

As a fully remote company, we have Krakenites in 70+ countries who speak over 50 languages. Krakenites are industry pioneers who develop premium crypto products for experienced traders, institutions, and newcomers to the space. Kraken is committed to industry-leading security, crypto education, and world-class client support through our products like Kraken Pro, Desktop, Wallet, and Kraken Futures.

Become a Krakenite and build the future of crypto

Proof of work

The team

We're building for a new generation of global retail users who expect products that feel trustworthy, modern, and effortless—and design is central to delivering that. We're looking for a Sr. Director, Head of Design, Consumer to raise the UX bar, define how people interact with crypto and investments, and build a design culture of consistent excellence.

This isn't an oversight role. It's a hands-on, high-impact position for a leader who wants to shape strategy while staying close to the work. Kraken's Consumer business spans some of the company's most important product areas:

Trading: The Kraken App and retail web experience

Payments: Our new money app, Krak

Earn: Staking and yield products

Equities: Our platform for equities and tokenized equities (xStocks)

Inky: Our gamified onchain trading app

As crypto and fintech evolve at breakneck speed, Kraken sits at the center. The Sr. Director will shape experiences millions rely on to trade, invest, stake, spend, and grow their wealth. You'll bring a strong POV from crypto, wealth, trading, or fintech and translate it into intuitive, high-quality product experiences.

You'll lead a team of 10 designers, work closely with PMs and engineers, and set the vision, systems, and rituals that drive clarity, speed, and quality across the Consumer portfolio.

This is a rare chance to redefine what great looks like in one of the most important categories in finance.

The opportunity

Hands-on leadership: Dive into flows, refine interaction patterns, tighten UX decisions, and coach designers through the actual work. You elevate quality by engaging directly, not by sitting behind reviews.

Define and communicate the design vision: Own the long-term UX strategy for Consumer and bring teams along with clear storytelling and crisp direction.

Bridge crypto and finance: Create experiences that work for newcomers and sophisticated investors alike, combining simplicity with the trust and rigor expected in financial products.

Transform execution quality: Deliver a step-change improvement in usability, clarity, and polish across trading, payments, staking, and investment experiences.

Partner deeply with product: Shape problem definitions, refine hypotheses, and collaborate with PMs daily to ensure we solve the right problems with the right level of ambition.

Build scalable design processes: Replace ad-hoc workflows with consistent systems for discovery, iteration, critique, and delivery.

Drive faster experimentation: Push for more prototyping, more testing, and tighter learning loops without someone needing to nudge the team.

Level up the team: Hire, coach, and grow designers while embedding a culture of accountable execution and rigorous critique.

Collaborate tightly with engineering: Ensure design intent holds through implementation and that both sides move quickly and intelligently together.

Skills you should HODL

Proven team leadership: Experience leading and scaling product design teams of 8-15+ in high-growth, product-led environments.

Domain expertise in crypto or trading plus real experience in wealth, investment, or fintech products. You understand trust, risk, decision-making, and the behavioral nuance of financial UX.

A strong point of view on design and how it shapes product strategy, not just how it shapes screens.

Hands-on design chops: You can jump into Figma, model excellent craft, and push work from good to great.

Strong product intuition: You partner with PMs as a peer, not a service function. You challenge assumptions, reframe problems, and clarify priorities.

Operational rigor: You install systems that raise the bar every time, not just when you personally touch the work.

Outstanding communication: Clear, direct, and persuasive with execs, peers, and ICs.

High judgment: Pragmatic about scope and tradeoffs without letting quality slide.

Mission drive: Belief in Kraken's role in accelerating financial freedom and expanding access to global markets.

This job is accepting ongoing s and there is no deadline.

Please note, applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Kraken is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate all Krakenites for their diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions and unique perspectives. We hire strictly based on merit, meaning we seek out the candidates with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills considered the most suitable for the job. We encourage you to apply for roles where you don't fully meet the listed requirements, especially if you're passionate or knowledgable about crypto

As an equal opportunity employer, we don't tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. Whether that's based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state or local laws.