Kraken · 1 day ago
Head of UX
New York, NY
Full-time
Hybrid
Director/Executive
$190K/yr - $240K/yr
8+ years expKraken is a technology company focused on creating a smart, sustainable energy system. They are seeking a Head of UX who will redefine user experience in the energy sector, leading a team of designers and researchers to establish high standards and innovate the design system.
BitcoinBlockchainCryptocurrencyEthereum
Responsibilities
The design system, but making it iconic
You’ll build and evolve Kraken’s design system into the single source of truth that powers multiple product lines. Think tokens, variants, accessibility, AI patterns, and customer journeys that are all coherently orchestrated
A UX bar so high that 'Kraken UX' becomes a household name
Define what 'great' means at Kraken. Set the standards for interaction, content, research, accessibility, and product storytelling. Make 'Kraken UX' something people reference in interviews elsewhere
A team that other teams try to poach (but can’t)
Lead, level-up, and inspire a global crew of designers, researchers, and design-systems nerds
Grow manager-of-managers. Build a culture of critique that people brag about. Create the conditions for the best work of their careers
Be a 3-in-a-box power player
You won’t be a service desk for 'making things pretty.' You’ll shape product bets, influence priorities, and co-create strategy with Product and Engineering. If a solution stinks for users, you’ll stop the room
A research engine that kills guesswork
You’ll make insights impossible to ignore through continuous discovery, strong qualitative and quantitative triangulation, and evidence baked into product decisions
Craft at scale without the bureaucracy
Design Ops, rituals, tooling, and playbooks without the design theater and pixel policing. You’ll scale clarity, not process for process’s sake
Qualification
Required
8–12+ years in UX/Product Design, including leading managers at a high-growth SaaS or tech scale-up. (You've built systems, not just screens. Bonus if you've done it across multiple products.)
A portfolio that shows systems thinking, principled decisions, and business impact; not just glossy UI
Real scars and glory from owning a design system at scale (adoption battles, legacy migrations, dev partnership, governance)
You influence product direction through storytelling, clarity, and data, not volume
You know how to balance speed + craft, and when 'done' needs to be 'excellent'
A clear POV on AI in UX: for users, for designers, and for the future of product experience
Preferred
Experience in complex or regulated spaces (energy, fintech, gov, healthcare) where the stakes are high and failure is visible
A track record of evangelising UX to execs, boards, and sometimes politely skeptical engineers
Building design cultures that people feel and embody belonging, ambition, curiosity, and joy
Global product experience (localisation, cultural design patterns, accessibility beyond WCAG checklists)
Company
Kraken
Kraken is a global cryptocurrency exchange platform that allows users to buy, sell, and trade digital assets securely.
1001-5000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
David Ripley
CEO
Trevor Rutar, MBA
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Kraken Bank
Recent News
2025-10-07
Crowdfund Insider
2025-10-07
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