Head of design and ui

Overview

Guardian Life is seeking a forward-thinking enterprise leader for our Experience Design, UI, and Guardian Design System. This leader will set the vision for our digital ecosystem, champion user-centered design, and harness the power of AI including Generative AI, Agentic AI, and Conversational AI to deliver innovative, human-centric experiences for our customers, partners, and colleagues.

You Will (Key Responsibilities):

Strategic Leadership

• Define and communicate a bold vision for digital product and experience design across Guardian's platforms.

• Lead the development and evolution of the Guardian Design System, ensuring consistency, scalability, and innovation.

• Integrate AI-driven design methodologies, including Generative and Agentic AI, to accelerate ideation, prototyping, and personalization.

• Champion Conversational AI to create intuitive, human-centric digital interactions.

Innovation & Transformation

• Drive adoption of AI-powered design tools and workflows, fostering a culture of experimentation and rapid learning.

• Collaborate with engineering, product, and data science teams to embed intelligent agents and conversational interfaces into Guardian's products.

• Identify and implement emerging technologies that enhance user experience, accessibility, and inclusion.

Team & Culture Building

• Lead, mentor, and grow a diverse, high-performing team of designers, researchers, and UI developers.

• Foster a collaborative, transparent, and psychologically safe environment that encourages creativity and continuous improvement.

• Build a pipeline of future design leaders, emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Enterprise Influence

• Infuse design thinking and AI-driven practices throughout Guardian's business units.

• Define and evolve enterprise-wide user experience best practices, standards, and governance.

• Advocate for the value of design and AI innovation at all levels of the organization.

You Have (Qualifications):

• 12+ years of progressive experience in experience design, UI, and design systems leadership, including managing multidisciplinary teams in a matrixed environment.

• Demonstrated expertise in AI-driven design, including hands-on experience with Generative AI, Agentic AI, and Conversational AI platforms.

• Proven track record of delivering innovative, scalable design solutions for complex digital ecosystems.

• Deep understanding of design system architecture, governance, and enterprise adoption.

• Strong commitment to digital accessibility, inclusive design, and ethical AI practices.

• Experience building and nurturing diverse teams, with a focus on talent development and culture.

• Exceptional communication and influencing skills, with the ability to evangelize design and AI innovation across the enterprise.

• Experience working with geographically distributed teams and stakeholders.

Preferred Skills

• Advanced knowledge of AI/ML concepts, tools, and their application in design.

• Familiarity with modern design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Adobe XD, AI-powered platforms).

• Experience in regulated industries (insurance, financial services, healthcare) is a plus.

Location:

• Hybrid: 3 Days a week at our Guardian offices in New York, NY or Holmdel, NJ.

Salary Range:

$148,940.00 - $244,685.00

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you'll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals. Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian's Purpose - to inspire well-being - we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at . Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [email protected] .

Current Guardian Colleagues: Please apply through the internal Jobs Hub in Workday.

Every day, Guardian helps our 29 million customers realize their dreams through a range of insurance and financial products and services. Our Purpose, to inspire well-being, guides our dedication to the colleagues, consumers, and communities we serve. We know that people count, and we go above and beyond to prepare them for the life they want to live, focusing on their overall well-being - mind, body, and wallet. As one of the largest mutual insurance companies, we put our customers first. Behind every bright future is a GuardianTM. Learn more about Guardian at guardianlife.com .