Principal Product Designer
- Job Ref:
- R25_0000002261
- Location:
- Papa John's Blvd, Jefferson City, MO 65101
- Category:
- Research & Development
- Employment Type:
- Full time
Job Details
Job Summary
The Principal Product Designer serves as a cross-functional design leader, responsible for driving Product Design strategy and execution across product lines, teams, and long-term organizational goals. The role leads the identification and resolution of complex, ambiguous design challenges, aligning cross-functional stakeholders around solutions that are both user-centered and business-aligned.
The Principal Product Designer plays a pivotal role in shaping design maturity and design culture across the organization, influencing not just what is built, but how the organization operates. Acting as a strategic partner to Product, Engineering, Research, and Brand leadership, the role brings a systems-thinking mindset to every touchpoint—ensuring design solutions scale consistently and effectively across the platform.
The Principal Product Designer also guides the evolution of the Design System Library (DSL), helps define research roadmaps, and serves as a mentor and multiplier for other designers. The work of this role is highly visible to senior leadership, driving high-impact initiatives that influence product strategy and customer outcomes at scale.
Duties and Responsibilities (other duties as assigned)
Lead design strategy and execution across multiple product areas, connecting Product Design initiatives to long-term business outcomes.
Partner with senior product and engineering leadership to shape discovery processes and align on complex problem spaces.
Champion a user-centered design culture across the company through best practice sharing, mentoring, and process refinement.
Facilitate and scale design thinking workshops that unlock innovation and drive cross-functional alignment.
Co-own and evolve the Design System Library (DSL), driving adoption, governance, and consistency at the enterprise level.
Identify research needs and partner with research teams or lead usability testing to validate and optimize design direction.
Mentor, coach, and delegate work across designers, helping develop design talent and elevate team performance.
Present and defend design strategies to executive stakeholders, balancing user needs, technical feasibility, and business impact.
Collaborate with Brand, Marketing, and Customer Relationship Management teams to align and unify the customer experience.
Drive organizational clarity and execution in high-ambiguity initiatives, breaking down complexity into achievable milestones.