ABOUT RETOOL
Nearly every company in the world runs on custom software: Gartner estimates that up to 50% of all code is written for internal use. This is the operational software for refunding orders, underwriting loans, onboarding employees, analyzing transactions, and providing customer support. But most companies don’t have adequate resources to properly invest in these tools, leading to a lot of old and clunky internal software or, even worse, users still stuck in manual and spreadsheet flows.
At Retool, we’re on a mission to bring good software to everyone. We’re building a new type of development platform that combines the benefits of traditional software development with a drag-and-drop UI editor and AI, making it dramatically faster to build internal tools. We believe that the future of software development lies in abstracting away the tedious and repetitive tasks developers waste time on, while creating reusable components that act as a force multiplier for future developers and projects. The result is not just productivity, but good software by default. And that’s a mission worth striving for.
Today, our customers span from small startups building their first operational tools to Fortune 500 companies building mission-critical apps for thousands of users across their business. Interested in joining us? Let us know!
WHY WE’RE LOOKING FOR YOU
We're seeking a design leader to guide an extraordinary team of product designers, shaping their work and processes to ensure high quality and timely execution of Retool’s goals and product vision. Your influence will extend beyond the design realm, as you’ll partner closely with your product management and engineering counterparts to effectively communicate the objectives, insights, and status of product work to the rest of the organization. You’ll help scale the product design function at Retool, recruiting and developing the careers of product designers, while building an environment where design changes the trajectory of our customers and our business.
IN THIS ROLE, YOU WILL:
- Work closely with our Head of Design to model Retool's operating principles, cultivate an inclusive and empowering workplace with a clear organizational structure, and devise practical strategies that help us achieve concrete and measurable objectives
- Help establish an outstanding design practice, influence product strategy, plan and ensure product execution, and uphold a high quality bar
- Lead with clarity and vision, motivating and coaching designers to deliver the best work of their career by building a demanding, but supportive environment
- Help to create repeatable systems and processes for product design to deliver high quality work at an ambitious velocity
- Improve our process for attracting high-quality product design candidates and refine our career growth frameworks
- Partner with our other design leaders to facilitate close collaboration and operational support between product design, brand design, and design engineering
- Share ownership of product outcomes with your engineering and product management partners, reinforcing a “three-legged stool” operating model
- Create alignment by communicating objectives and progress across the company and to senior leadership
THE SKILLSET YOU'LL BRING:
- A body of work that demonstrates high quality and meaningful business impact—you know what great design looks like, and how to enable your team to produce just that
- 12+ years of professional design experience with 4+ years of leadership experience, including managing individual contributors and managers
- Experience setting product design direction in a cross-disciplinary, multi-team environment at all altitudes, from strategic direction down to detailed UI design
- Strong systems and conceptual thinking, paired with direct communication that's concise, articulate, and capable of inspiring a team
- A history of deep collaboration with product and engineering functions, empowering design to lead with vision and drive holistic product experiences that significantly impacted the business' trajectory
- An obsessions with customers, and direct experience building processes for developing customer understanding in collaboration with sales, customer success, and marketing partners
- Proven expertise in attracting, nurturing, and retaining top-tier talent, cultivating well-rounded and inclusive teams that expand with the company's growth
- The inspiration and drive to radically rethink how software is built, and shape the future of programming
For candidates based in San Francisco, the pay range(s) for this role is listed below and represents base salary range for non-commissionable roles or on-target earnings (OTE) for commissionable roles. This salary range may be inclusive of several career levels at Retool and will be narrowed during the interview process based on a number of factors such as (but not limited to), scope and responsibilities, the candidate’s experience and qualifications, and location.
Additional compensation in the form(s) of equity, and/or commission/bonuses are dependent on the position offered. Retool provides a comprehensive benefit plan, including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k). Pay and benefits are subject to change at any time, consistent with the terms of any applicable compensation or benefit plans.
San Francisco
$251,900—$340,700 USD
Retool offers generous benefits to all employees and hybrid work location. For more information, please visit the benefits and perks section of our careers page!
Retool is currently set up to employ all roles in the US and specific roles in the UK. To find roles that can be employed in the UK, please refer to our careers page and review the indicated locations.
What We Do
Retool is a development platform for building business software. Users can visually design apps that interface with any database or API, and switch to code to customize how their apps look and work. With Retool, developers ship more apps and move their business forward—all in less time.
Thousands of teams at companies like Amazon, DoorDash, Peloton, and Brex collaborate around custom-built Retool apps to solve internal workflows. We're just getting started and growing quickly—join us!
Why Work With Us
Retools are solution drivers—whether fixing a button misalignment or enabling customers to build with the newest AI technologies, we wear many hats and act like owners. Our small teams work on big problems, pushing hard and moving quickly to create outsized impact. We hold each other accountable and celebrate together when we get it right. Join us!
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