Fast Facts

The College Board is seeking a Principal Designer for its Work-Based Learning initiative, a fully remote role responsible for designing innovative educational experiences that connect students with real-world business challenges.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include conducting user research, leading the design execution and delivery, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure product alignment with user needs and business goals.

Skills: Candidates must have expertise in product design, qualitative and quantitative user research methodologies, strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and proficiency in design tools like Figma.

Qualifications: A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and significant experience in product design are required. A portfolio of work must be submitted for consideration.

Location: This is a fully remote position based in New York, United States, with optional hybrid work arrangements.

Compensation: $163000 - $214000 / Annually

Principal Designer, Work-Based Learning

College Board-Strategy Team

Location:This is a fully remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have theoptionof being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office).

Type:This is a full-time position

About the Team

The College Board is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization that aims to clear a path for all students to own their futures. We focus on expanding access to higher education and helping students develop the skills they need for college and career readiness. We serve7 million studentsannually – a reach unparalleled in a fragmented sector.

The College Board is launching a new exploratory effort to design and scale innovative ways for students to builddurable skills— the collaboration, problem-solving, and communication abilities that employers value and that students carry with them for life.

Our team is in an excitingbuildphase— shaping the technology, people, and processes that will bring this program to life.We’reassembling a cross-functional group of designers, engineers, product managers, and researchers who thrive on solving meaningful problems. Together,we’rebuilding tools that:

• Help teachers guide students through real-world, employer-driven projects
• Enable students to practice and strengthen durable, transferable skills while building professional connections
• Make it easier for employers to engage with future talent and invest in their communities

This work sits at the intersection of education and the workforce — translating our mission into experiences that prepare every student to succeed in whatever path they choose.You’llbe part of a team creating something new: a program that brings the world of work into schools and helps students developthe skillsthat last a lifetime.

About the Opportunity

As aPrincipal Designeron this team, you will help shape and build a potentialwork-based learning programthat connects classrooms to the real world. In this program, we aim for students to: Take onreal businesschallenges from real employers, collaborate in small teams to analyzeproblemsand propose solutions and gain firsthand experience working with professionals, building the social capital and confidence that open doors to future opportunities.

As thePrincipalDesigner, you are a highly skilled, experienced, innovativemaker andstrategist focused on shaping the overallproductexperience strategy forthis new program.You are a leader in your field witha track recordof exceptional outcomesleveragingproduct anduser-centered designbest practices.As part of aseniorproductteam,you’llevaluate ideas,develop prototypes, deliver high-quality design, andscale theprogram from thousands of students to tens of thousands of students – ensuring ahigh-qualityexperience for students, educators, and business partners. You will have the unique opportunityto bring anMVPto scale, ensuring it meets the needs and expectations of our users, doing the greatest good forstudents. You have an entrepreneurial spirit and are excited about the opportunity to developand scale a new programin an ever-shifting education landscape. You willcollaborateclosely with others to driveuser-centered design processes and deliver impactful solutions.

In this role, you will:

Conduct Research and Share Insights (30%):

• Conduct end-user research to gather insights into user needs, behaviors, and pain points
• Conduct external research on standards, trends, and designpatterns for potential business opportunities andproductimprovements
• Collect and analyzequalitative and quantitativedata to derive actionable insightsthatinform strategic decisions
• Develop user personas, service blueprints, journey maps, and other artifacts to guide the design process
• Analyze data and feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of products post-launch, providingactionable recommendations for continuous improvement

LeadDesign Execution and Delivery (30%)

• Translate concepts into designs, creatingoutputs such as user flows, sitemaps, wireframes, prototypes,information architecture,and high-fidelity UI design
• Apply design systems, ensuring visual and functional consistency as appropriate
• Write and test content using plain language for clarity and accessibility
• Design and test user experience prototypes tovalidatedesign decisions
• Useindustry-standarddesigntools like Figma to execute withproficiencyand efficiency
• Experiment with generative AI tools to support ideation and prototyping

SupportStrategic Planning (20%):

• Define andleadthe overallproduct design and userexperience strategy forthe program
• Collaborate witha cross-functional teamto ensure alignment with user needs and business goals and to ensuretimelydelivery ofdesignartifacts
• Advocate for user-centered design principles and best practices within theprogramand across the organization
• Embraceand advocate fora culture of innovation and experimentation, exploringnew ideasand approaches, iterating based on user feedback and data
• Stay up to date with industry trends and best practices in user experience andproductdesign
• Mentor any junior team members indesign and user experiencemethodologies andbestpractices

Collaborateand Communicate(20%):

• Work closely withacross-functional teamof product managers, engineers, and subject-matter experts
• Lead workshops and collaborative design sessions toshare learnings,identifyproblems, generate solutions, and integrate cross-functionalfeedbackinto theprograms and digitalproducts
• Presentdesign, research,andstrategicrecommendations to stakeholdersand senior executives

About You

You have:

• A portfolio of your work included in your application. Please either link to your online portfolio in your resume or attach your portfolio as an additional document with your application.
• ABachelor’sdegree in a related field (computer science, interaction design, HCI, industrial design, information science, social sciences, graphic design, etc.) and/or equivalent years of work experience
• Provenexpertiseand results inproductdesign with end-to-endproductexperience
• Provenexpertisein qualitative and quantitativeuserresearchmethodologies
• An understanding of accessibility best practices
• Strong knowledge of andproficiencywith various design tools
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate insights into actionable strategies
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse teams
• Ability to think strategically and advocate for user-centered design principles
• Ability to mentor and upskill cross-functional collaborators and/ormorejunior designers in user-centered design best practices
• Self-motivated and proactive, witha strong senseof ownership and accountability
• The ability to travel at a minimum of 3-5 times a year to College Board offices or on behalf of College Board business (including but not limited to traveling to client/user sites to engage with stakeholders)
• Authorization to work in the United States

All roles at College Board require:

• A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work
• Authorization to work in the United States for any employer
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, with a willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and a comfort learning and applying new digital tools independently and proactively.
• Clear and concise communication skills, written and verbal
• A learner's mindset and a commitment to growth: welcoming diverse perspectives, giving and receiving timely, respectful feedback, and continuously improving through iterative learning and user input.
• A drive for impact and excellence: solving complex problems, making data-informed decisions, prioritizing what matters most, and continuously improving through learning, user input, and external benchmarking.
• A collaborative and empathetic approach: working across differences, fostering trust, and contributing to a culture of shared success.

About Our Process  

• Application review will beginimmediatelyand will continue until the position is filled. Thisroleis expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.
• Whilethehiring processmay vary, it generallyincludes:resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise such as live coding, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks.  

What We Offer

AtCollegeBoard, we offer more than a paycheck-we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive.We’rea self-sustaining nonprofit that believes in fair and competitive compensationgrounded in your qualifications, experience, impact, and the market.

A Thoughtful Approach to Compensation

• The hiring range for this role is $163,000-$214,000
• Your exact salary will depend on your location, experience, and how your background compares to others in similar roles at the College Board.
• We aim to make our best offer upfront,rooted in fairness, transparency, and market data.
• We adjust salaries by location to ensure fairness, no matter where you live.

You’llhave open, transparent conversations about compensation, benefits, and whatit’slike to work atCollegeBoard throughout your hiring process. Check outourcareers pageformore.