The Trade Desk is hiring a Principal Design Lead to own and evolve the Digital Playbook and modernize design practices. This senior individual contributor role requires 10+ years in product or UX design, 4+ years leading strategic design initiatives, and expertise in design systems, AI tools, and brand integration. Responsibilities include defining and maintaining the Digital Playbook, guiding product design language evolution, defining a modern design system, integrating brand and storytelling, collaborating on AI experience design, mentoring design talent, and representing the company's design vision. Candidates must demonstrate strong visual and interaction design skills, fluency with AI tools and Figma, experience working cross-functionally, and excellent communication skills. Benefits include comprehensive healthcare, retirement plans, disability coverage, life insurance, tuition reimbursement, parental leave, paid time off, stock purchase plans, and variable compensation. Salary range is $182,800 to $335,200 USD. Location: New York, NY.
What you'll do
Own and evolve the Digital Playbook including design foundations, style guide, component anatomy, and guidance
Similar jobs
More roles worth a look
Related opportunities based on specialty and working model so candidates can keep momentum.
Set standards and principles for design consistency, clarity, and craft
Keep the Playbook a living resource adopted in daily work and responsive to product change
Translate ambiguous product and brand needs into clear, usable guidance
Partner with Director of Core Platform Evolution to align Playbook and platform direction
Guide evolution of product design language to unify experience and reduce fragmentation
Identify shared patterns and align teams on best practices
Lead hands-on, high-fidelity design of foundational elements from concept to specification and adoption
Define modern design system structure, scalability, and support for designers and builders
Partner with Design Technologist to bridge design and code ensuring alignment
Integrate brand expression into product with Product Marketing and Brand teams
Build shared visual and narrative language connecting product and brand
Present vision and direction to senior leadership with compelling storytelling
Collaborate on AI experience design to ensure consistent patterns and trustworthy AI-powered capabilities
Contribute to cross-functional conversations with Product, Engineering, and Data Science
Model hands-on use of AI tools in design exploration, prototyping, and design-to-build handoff
Help evolve workflows for faster, higher quality design, product, and engineering work
Establish standards and practices for repeatable AI-enabled workflows
Set craft standards for visual and interaction design across UX organization
Provide critique and design direction to raise quality and apply Playbook
Mentor designers on systems thinking, visual craft, storytelling, and AI-enabled ways of working
Lead by example through visible, hands-on work fostering a culture of design quality
Represent The Trade Desk’s design point of view at industry events and in design community
Position company as leader in cohesive, modern, customer-centered product design in adtech
Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or related field, or equivalent practical experience (Master’s preferred)
10+ years of experience in product design or UX design, including enterprise-grade or data-rich applications
4+ years leading high-impact design initiatives or strategic projects across teams or product areas
Proven track record owning or evolving a design language, style guide, design system, or playbook adopted at scale
Strong visual and interaction design skills with portfolio demonstrating high standards of craft, clarity, and user-centered problem solving
Experience integrating brand and product, partnering with Product Marketing and Brand teams
Deep, hands-on fluency with AI tools for design exploration, prototyping, and workflow with examples of team impact
Strong command of Figma and modern prototyping tools for fast, high-fidelity exploration
Experience partnering with design technologists or engineers to connect design foundations to implementation
Exceptional communication and storytelling skills with executive presence and experience presenting to senior leadership
Experience working in cross-functional teams, influencing outcomes through collaboration, systems thinking, and storytelling
Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity and alignment in complex, fast-moving environments
Familiarity with AI-powered experience design including trust, explainability, and error handling (preferred)
Familiarity with advertising technology, programmatic platforms, or campaign optimization tools (preferred)
Published thought leadership, talks, or case studies on design systems, design modernization, or AI-enabled design practice (preferred)
Tech stack
AI toolsFigmamodern prototyping toolsdesign systemsdesign playbookdesign languagedesign technologist collaboration
Benefits
Comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, vision) with premiums paid in full for employees and dependentsRetirement benefits including 401k plan and company matchShort and long-term disability coverageBasic life insuranceWell-being benefitsReimbursement for certain tuition expensesParental leaveSick time of 1 hour per 30 hours workedVacation time up to 120 hours in first year and 160 hours thereafterAround 13 paid holidays per yearEmployee Stock Purchase Plan with discounted stock purchaseVariable compensation-based incentives and commissions depending on roleStock-based compensation grants based on company and individual performance
Apply now
Ready to take the next step in your career? Click the button below to continue to the application process.
