Job Description
About the Principal Product Designer at Headspace:
Headspace’s mission is to create a world where mental health is never an obstacle. We combine evidence-based content, clinical care, and innovative technology to help millions of members around the world get support that’s effective, personalized, and truly accessible, whenever and wherever they need it.
Design is central to how that mission becomes real. We are seeking a Principal Product Designer to set the design direction for our most complex, high-stakes product surfaces, someone who operates at the intersection of strategic vision, deep craft, AI-forward thinking, and rigorous design research. You’ll be part of a collaborative team of designers and researchers, working closely with engineers, product managers, content creators, brand designers, and clinical experts to bring ideas to life.
We’re looking for someone passionate about making a positive impact on both individuals and the world. If you’re into solving meaningful challenges, love behavioral design, and enjoy creating features that delight and support members, this could be the perfect fit. This role blends big-picture design thinking with hands-on creation. You’ll seamlessly move between talking to members to ideation and building intuitive flows and screens that make a real difference in the lives of people.
What you will do:
- Lead design strategy and execution for Headspace’s most complex product areas , setting a high bar for interaction quality, visual craft, and member experience across consumer and B2B surfaces.
- Define and drive design vision across multi-quarter workstreams, partnering closely with Product, Engineering, Research, and Clinical teams to ensure design thinking is embedded early and often in the product lifecycle.
- Influence roadmap decisions and product strategy with evidence-based design rationale, representing the design perspective in cross-functional planning conversations.
- Lead and conduct design research including generative studies, contextual inquiry, concept testing, and usability evaluations, to deeply understand member needs, behaviors, and mental models.
- Partner with dedicated Research team members to define research agendas for your workstreams, and operate independently when research support is not available.
- Apply behavioral design principles to create experiences that support habit formation, reduce friction, and drive meaningful engagement with mental health content and care.
- Bring AI fluency to every stage of the design process , using AI-powered tools for prototyping, research synthesis, and rapid iteration to accelerate and elevate the quality of design work.
- Mentor and elevate designers across levels , leading critique, sharing craft expertise in both design execution and research practice, and creating the conditions for others to do the best work of their careers.
What you will bring:
Required Skills:
- 8+ years of experience designing thoughtful, human-centered products—ideally with exposure to emerging technologies or innovative problem spaces.
- Exceptional visual design expertise with a strong portfolio showcasing high-impact, polished designs and a deep understanding of motion design principles.
- Demonstrated AI fluency , actively uses AI tools (e.g. Claude, Figma Make, Cursor, generative prototyping tools, LLM-assisted research workflows) to accelerate and elevate design work, and can design AI-powered product experiences that feel natural, trustworthy, and human-centered.
- Strong knowledge of iOS and Android patterns, behaviors, and interface design standards.
- Proficiency in Figma and prototyping tools to create and communicate complex design ideas with clarity.
- Experience designing interfaces for digital products, with a focus on crafting seamless, engaging, and accessible experiences.
- A curious, strategic mindset with the ability to break down ambiguous challenges into actionable design solutions.
- Demonstrated ability to drive cross-functional collaboration and clarify how design decisions align with broader team and company goals.
- Proven ability to mentor, inspire, and cultivate a culture of design excellence while promoting a growth-oriented mindset.
Preferred Skills:
- 2+ years working in emerging technologies, AI-driven experiences, or other innovative product spaces.
- Demonstrated design research competency , experience independently planning and executing generative and evaluative research methods (user interviews, usability testing, diary studies, concept testing) and translating findings into product-shaping insights is highly preferred.
- Proven ability to lead engaging workshops and foster creativity across interdisciplinary teams.
- Skilled in motion design and interaction design, creating dynamic and seamless user experiences.
- Strong ability to explore, iterate, and refine ideas through prototyping, user testing, and experimentation.
- Experience contributing to or working within design systems to ensure consistency and scalability.
- Experience in healthcare or digital health is a plus, particularly where design work touched health behavior change, sensitive member journeys, or collaboration with clinical teams.
Location:
We are currently hiring this role remotely in the US and Hybrid for San Francisco (SF). Candidates must permanently reside in the US full-time. For candidates with a primary residence in the greater SF area, this role will follow our hybrid model. You’ll work 3 days per week from our office, allowing for impactful in-office collaboration and connection, while enjoying the flexibility of remote work for the rest of the week. Your recruiter will share more details about our hybrid model.
Pay & Benefits:
The anticipated new hire base salary range for this full-time position is $180,000-$230,000 + equity + benefits.
Our salary ranges are based on the job, level, and location, and reflect the lowest to highest geographic markets where we are hiring for this role within the United States. Within this range, individual compensation is determined by a candidate’s location as well as a range of factors including but not limited to: unique relevant experience, job-related skills, and education or training.
Your recruiter will provide more details on the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
At Headspace, base salary is but one component of our Total Rewards package. We’re proud of our robust package inclusive of: base salary, stock awards, comprehensive healthcare coverage, monthly wellness stipend, retirement savings match, lifetime Headspace membership, generous parental leave, and more. Additional details about our Total Rewards package will be provided during the recruitment process.
About Headspace
Headspace exists to provide every person access to lifelong mental health support. We combine evidence-based content, clinical care, and innovative technology to help millions of members around the world get support that’s effective, personalized, and truly accessible whenever and wherever they need it.
At Headspace, our values aren’t just what we believe, they’re how we work, grow, and make an impact together. We live them daily: Make the Mission Matter, Iterate to Great, Own the Outcome, and Connect with Courage. These values shape our decisions, guide our collaborations, and define our culture. They’re our shared commitment to building a more connected, human-centered team—one that’s redefining how mental health care supports people today and for generations to come.
Why You’ll Love Working Here:
- A mission that matters—with impact you can see and feel
- A culture that’s collaborative, inclusive, and grounded in our values
- The chance to shape what mental health care looks like next
- Competitive pay and benefits that support your whole self
How we feel about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging:
Headspace is committed to bringing together humans from different backgrounds and perspectives, providing employees with a safe and welcoming work environment free of discrimination and harassment. We strive to create a diverse & inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, feel a sense of belonging, and do impactful work together.
As an equal opportunity employer, we prohibit any unlawful discrimination against a job applicant on the basis of their race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, family or parental status, disability*, age, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. We respect the laws enforced by the EEOC and are dedicated to going above and beyond in fostering diversity across our workplace.
*Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws. A reasonable accommodation is a change in the way things are normally done which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on Headspace. Please inform our Talent team by filling out this form if you need any assistance completing any forms or to otherwise participate in the application or interview process.
Headspace participates in the E-Verify Program .
Privacy Statement
All member records are protected according to ourPrivacy Policy. Further, while employees of Headspace (formerly Ginger) cannot access Headspace products/services, they will be offered benefits according to the company’s benefit plan. To ensure we are adhering to best practice and ethical guidelines in the field of mental health, we take care to avoid dual relationships. A dual relationship occurs when a mental health care provider has a second, significantly different relationship with their client in addition to the traditional client-therapist relationship—including, for example, a managerial relationship.
As such, Headspace requests that individuals who have received coaching or clinical services at Headspace wait until their care with Headspace is complete before applying for a position. If someone with a Headspace account is hired for a position, please note their account will be deactivated and they will not be able to use Headspace services for the duration of their employment.
Further, if Headspace cannot find a role that fails to resolve an ethical issue associated with a dual relationship, Headspace may need to take steps to ensure ethical obligations are being adhered to, including a delayed start date or a potential leave of absence. Such steps would be taken to protect both the former member, as well as any relevant individuals from their care team, from impairment, risk of exploitation, or harm.
For how how we will use the personal information you provide as part of the application process, please see: https://www.headspace.com/applicant-notice
