Senior Director, UX Design

The Trade Desk
$221,200-$405,600 USD
life insurance, parental leave, paid holidays, sick time, tuition reimbursement, 401(k), retirement plan
United States, Washington, Seattle
Mar 03, 2026
The Trade Desk is changing the way global brands and their agencies advertise to audiences around the world. How? With a media buying platform that helps brands deliver a more insightful and relevant ad experience for consumers - and sets a new standard for global reach, accuracy, and transparency. We are proud of the culture we have built. We value the unique experiences and perspectives that each person brings to The Trade Desk, and we are committed to fostering inclusive spaces where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work every day. So, if you are talented, driven, creative, and eager to join a dynamic, globally-connected team, then we want to talk! Who We Are Looking For The Trade Desk is seeking an experienced Senior Director of UX Design to lead our global user experience organization with a relentless focus on quality, craft, and impact. This strategic leadership role will shape not only how our platform works, but how it feels-elevating our product brand through exceptional visual taste, cohesive design systems, and refined interaction standards. The ideal candidate will raise the bar for design excellence across the organization, strengthening rigor and execution while modeling craftsmanship through hands-on engagement, thoughtful critique, and mentorship. The Trade Desk is transforming the way advertising is bought, sold, and consumed as a global leader in the programmatic industry. As this industry continues to evolve, you and your team will play a critical role in translating the power and complexity of our technology into intuitive, elegant, and highly effective workflows for advertisers and agency partners. Our industry is complicated, but we don't believe our platform should be. As Senior Director, you will lead a team of UX leaders, interaction designers, visual designers, researchers, and content designers with a player-coach mindset. You will actively engage in critical product initiatives, guide high-impact design work, and raise the standard of execution across every touchpoint. Beyond oversight, you will coach and develop leaders, sharpen design critique practices, and foster a culture of accountability, craft, and continuous improvement. You will serve as a strategic partner to Product, Engineering, and Executive Leadership - not only advocating for user-centered thinking but ensuring design excellence is visible in shipped experiences. This role reports to the Vice President of UX Design and is a key member of the UX leadership team, responsible for strengthening The Trade Desk's reputation as a company that delivers best-in-class product quality through design leadership. What You Will Be Doing As Senior Director of UX Design, you will: Set Vision & Strategy Define and champion the long-term UX vision and strategy across product areas Align UX strategy with company objectives, growth initiatives, and platform evolution Drive organizational design maturity and operational excellence Establish scalable design systems, frameworks, and best practices Lead & Scale the Organization Lead and mentor a team of Directors, Sr. Managers, and IC leaders across multiple product domains Build a high-performing, inclusive, and diverse UX organization Attract, retain, and develop world-class design talent Create clear career paths, succession planning, and leadership development within UX Drive Cross-Functional Influence Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Research, Data Science, and Executive leadership to influence product strategy and roadmap decisions Build deep trust with senior leaders and serve as a strategic thought partner Advocate for user-centered decision-making at the executive level Elevate UX as a strategic differentiator for the company Ensure Design Excellence at Scale Oversee high-quality UX execution in a fast-paced, complex, and ambiguous environment Ensure cohesive and coherent experiences across products using scalable design patterns and systems Balance qualitative research insights and quantitative data to inform decisions Guide teams through complex trade-offs across multiple product initiatives Conduct executive-level design reviews and provide high-level strategic critique Operational Leadership Establish and optimize design processes that scale across teams and geographies Lead through rapid growth, evolving product demands, and cross-team dependencies Ensure effective collaboration across disciplines and time zones Measure and communicate UX impact through meaningful business and user metrics Industry Presence & Thought Leadership Represent The Trade Desk at industry conferences and events Position TTD as a company known for exceptional UX Contribute to broader UX community conversations and innovation What You Bring to the Table You are an experienced leader with a proven track record of successfully managing large distributed (and global) design teams. You possess a strong business sense, display competence in driving quality experiences through your design leadership, and have a skillful approach to prioritization. You are driven by action and results, striving to deliver designs efficiently, analyze both quantitative and qualitative data, and iterate rapidly. Furthermore, you take full ownership of your responsibilities, excel in managing and mentoring others, and embody an entrepreneurial spirit that embraces learning from failures. Bachelor's degree in Design, Product Design or related field (Master's preferred) 15+ years of industry experience in UX, including: o6-8+ years leading managers and senior-level design leaders oExtensive experience delivering complex enterprise or platform-based products Strong executive presence with experience presenting to C-level and senior leadership Demonstrated ability to influence product strategy and business outcomes through UX Experience leading multi-disciplinary UX teams (Design, Research, Content, UX Program Management) Deep understanding of user-centered design principles and systems thinking Exceptional communication, storytelling, and negotiation skills Strong operational and organizational leadership capabilities Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity in complex environments Experience with enterprise SaaS or advertising technology is a plus Portfolio demonstrating strategic impact, organizational leadership, and measurable outcomes Why This Role Matters* At The Trade Desk, each opportunity to engage a consumer is unique. Our platform provides advertisers and agencies with extraordinary power to describe and reach their target audiences. As that power grows, so does the responsibility to make it usable, intuitive, and elegant. User experience is not just important to our business - it is foundational to our success. As Senior Director of UX Design, you will shape the future of our platform, influence company strategy, and build a design organization that sets the industry standard. The Trade Desk does not accept unsolicited resumes from search firm recruiters. Fees will not be paid in the event a candidate submitted by a recruiter without an agreement in place is hired; such resumes will be deemed the sole property of The Trade Desk. The Trade Desk is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law. [LA JOBS ONLY] The Trade Desk will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring, Ordinance No. 184652. [SF JOBS ONLY] Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. CO, CA, IL, NY, WA, and Washington DC residents only: In accordance with CO, CA, IL, NY, WA, and Washington DC law, the range provided is The Trade Desk's reasonable estimate of the base compensation for this role. The actual amount may differ based on non-discriminatory factors such as experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, and location. All employees may be eligible to become The Trade Desk shareholders through eligibility for stock-based compensation grants, which are awarded to employees based on company and individual performance. The Trade Desk also offers other compensation depending on the role such as variable compensation-based incentives and commissions. Plus, expected benefits for this role include comprehensive healthcare (medical, dental, and vision) with premiums paid in full for employees and dependents, retirement benefits such as a 401k plan and company match, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance, well-being benefits, reimbursement for certain tuition expenses, parental leave, sick time of 1 hour per 30 hours worked, vacation time for full-time employees up to 120 hours thru the first year and 160 hours thereafter, and around 13 paid holidays per year. Employees can also purchase The Trade Desk stock at a discount through The Trade Desk's Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The Trade Desk also offers a competitive benefits package. Click here to learn more. Note: Interns are not eligible for variable incentive awards such as stock-based compensation, retirement plan, vacation, tuition reimbursement or parental leave At the Trade Desk, Base Salary is one part of our competitive total compensation and benefits package and is determined using a salary range. The base salary range for this role is $221,200 — $405,600 USD As an Equal Opportunity Employer, The Trade Desk is committed to creating an inclusive hiring experience where everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Please reach out to us ataccommodations@thetradedesk.comto request an accommodation or discuss any accessibility needs you may require to access our Company Website or navigate any part of the hiring process. When you contact us, please include your preferred contact details and specify the nature of your accommodation request or questions. Any information you share will be handled confidentially and will not impact our hiring decisions.