VP of Design (Remote - Work from Anywhere)

Position overview

We are looking for a VP of Design to own the measurable quality of Xapo's end-to-end user experience, not just the aesthetic of it. Sitting as a peer to the VP of Product and CTO, you will be accountable for the metrics that prove design is working: conversion and drop-off rates through onboarding and KYC flows, task-completion and error rates in core journeys, app store ratings, and design-system adoption across teams. You will run the product design function operationally — owning headcount, prioritization, and output — while ensuring our UX safely handles complex payment rails, private banking interactions, and crypto-native features without adding friction.

Responsibilities

• Own design performance metricsTake direct accountability for usability and conversion metrics across core flows — onboarding completion rate, task success rate, time-on-task, support-ticket volume linked to UX issues, and app store ratings (iOS/Android) — and report progress against targets quarterly.
• Lead and scale the teamLine-manage, develop, and performance-manage a remote team of Product and UX/UI Designers, removing single-person dependencies and setting clear output expectations (e.g. prototype turnaround time, design review cycle time).
• Govern the Xapo Design SystemOwn adoption of the design system as a tracked metric (% of UI built from system components) across mobile, web, and backend-driven features, and hold engineering and design teams accountable for compliance.
• Operationalize user discoverySet a minimum cadence for usability testing and customer discovery per major release, and require that findings convert into measurable backlog items, not just insights.
• Partner across Product Groups (PGCs)Embed designers into Stream Aligned Teams (Customer Acquisition, Payments, Wealth Management) with shared friction-reduction targets — e.g. reducing onboarding steps or time-to-first-transaction by a defined percentage.
• Pressure-test before buildMandate high-fidelity prototyping and usability testing as a gate before engineering handoff, with a target reduction in post-launch UX defects/rework.
• Hold the quality bar post-launchReview shipped product against platform and app-store benchmarks on a fixed cycle, and own remediation of any flow that falls below agreed thresholds.
• Govern AI in design responsiblyPartner with the CISO and AI engineering teams on a governed framework for AI-assisted design and personalization, with clear approval and monitoring steps before any AI-driven UI ships.

Skills needed

• Executive design leadership8+ years in design, including 4+ years at Director/VP level owning a design function inside a regulated digital bank, high-scale fintech, or crypto/web3 platform, with direct accountability for measurable UX outcomes.
• Track record on metricsDemonstrable history of moving specific product metrics (conversion, completion, NPS/CSAT, app store rating) through design changes, with the data to evidence it.
• Native mobile masteryDeep, evidenced portfolio of native iOS and Android design shipped at scale, with strict platform compliance.
• Design systems at scaleProven experience building and governing a component-driven design system across multiple engineering teams, including adoption tracking.
• Complex flow designExperience mapping and shipping multi-step, high-stakes flows — wealth management tools, real-time transaction tracking, security/KYC setups.
• Quantitative fluencyComfortable defending design decisions to executives using telemetry, funnel data, and research, not just craft rationale.
• Crypto/fintech literacyWorking knowledge of transaction states, card networks, and blockchain payment flows; Bitcoin-native design experience is a strong advantage.
• Operational leadership styleA direct, accountable management style — clear feedback, defined output targets for the team, and removal of bottlenecks/silos.

Other requirements

• A dedicated workspace.
• A reliable internet connection with the fastest speed possible in your area.
• Alignment with Our Values and the Xapo Values-Driven Leadership principles.