Principal Product Designer

Headspace is on a mission to create a world where mental health is never an obstacle. They are seeking a Principal Product Designer to set the design direction for complex product surfaces, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver impactful, human-centered designs.

Responsibilities:

• Lead design strategy and execution for Headspace's most complex product areas , setting a high bar for interaction quality, visual craft, and member experience across consumer and B2B surfaces
• Define and drive design vision across multi-quarter workstreams, partnering closely with Product, Engineering, Research, and Clinical teams to ensure design thinking is embedded early and often in the product lifecycle
• Influence roadmap decisions and product strategy with evidence-based design rationale, representing the design perspective in cross-functional planning conversations
• Lead and conduct design research including generative studies, contextual inquiry, concept testing, and usability evaluations, to deeply understand member needs, behaviors, and mental models
• Partner with dedicated Research team members to define research agendas for your workstreams, and operate independently when research support is not available
• Apply behavioral design principles to create experiences that support habit formation, reduce friction, and drive meaningful engagement with mental health content and care
• Bring AI fluency to every stage of the design process , using AI-powered tools for prototyping, research synthesis, and rapid iteration to accelerate and elevate the quality of design work
• Mentor and elevate designers across levels , leading critique, sharing craft expertise in both design execution and research practice, and creating the conditions for others to do the best work of their careers

Requirements:

• 8+ years of experience designing thoughtful, human-centered products—ideally with exposure to emerging technologies or innovative problem spaces
• Exceptional visual design expertise with a strong portfolio showcasing high-impact, polished designs and a deep understanding of motion design principles
• Demonstrated AI fluency, actively uses AI tools (e.g. Claude, Figma Make, Cursor, generative prototyping tools, LLM-assisted research workflows) to accelerate and elevate design work, and can design AI-powered product experiences that feel natural, trustworthy, and human-centered
• Strong knowledge of iOS and Android patterns, behaviors, and interface design standards
• Proficiency in Figma and prototyping tools to create and communicate complex design ideas with clarity
• Experience designing interfaces for digital products, with a focus on crafting seamless, engaging, and accessible experiences
• A curious, strategic mindset with the ability to break down ambiguous challenges into actionable design solutions
• Demonstrated ability to drive cross-functional collaboration and clarify how design decisions align with broader team and company goals
• Proven ability to mentor, inspire, and cultivate a culture of design excellence while promoting a growth-oriented mindset
• 2+ years working in emerging technologies, AI-driven experiences, or other innovative product spaces
• Demonstrated design research competency, experience independently planning and executing generative and evaluative research methods (user interviews, usability testing, diary studies, concept testing) and translating findings into product-shaping insights is highly preferred
• Proven ability to lead engaging workshops and foster creativity across interdisciplinary teams
• Skilled in motion design and interaction design, creating dynamic and seamless user experiences
• Strong ability to explore, iterate, and refine ideas through prototyping, user testing, and experimentation
• Experience contributing to or working within design systems to ensure consistency and scalability
• Experience in healthcare or digital health is a plus, particularly where design work touched health behavior change, sensitive member journeys, or collaboration with clinical teams