Are you looking to hire an Interim Vice President Product Design or transition into the role yourself? These temporary but crucial positions ensure continuity in product design and development, driving innovation and seizing market opportunities. Whether you’re a client seeking talent or a professional exploring this sector, this guide covers key skills, responsibilities and contract considerations.
The Interim Vice President Product Design usually reports into the CEO or Chief Product Officer, depending on the business type or structure. They are directly responsible for overseeing the Product Design Director and the Head of Product Design on an interim basis, as well as responsible for the output and performance of the Product Design department as a whole.
Interim Vice President Product Design roles
An Interim Vice President Product Design role plays a critical part in shaping and executing a company’s design strategy, driving innovation, and delivering exceptional user experiences. Interim VP’s Product Design are visionary leaders with a passion for design, a strong understanding of user-centric principles, and a track record of successfully leading design teams.
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What is an Interim VP Product Design?
An Interim Vice President of Product Design is a senior executive responsible for leading and overseeing the product design function, usually bridging a gap during periods of leadership transformation.
They play a crucial role in shaping the strategic direction and vision of the company’s design initiatives. They collaborates closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, engineers, marketers, and user researchers, to ensure that design solutions align with business objectives and user needs.
Crucially, they provide leadership and guidance to design teams, setting standards for design excellence, fostering a culture of innovation, and driving the execution of design projects from concept to delivery.
This role requires a combination of creative and strategic thinking, strong leadership abilities, and a deep understanding of best practise design principles.
Ultimately, the Interim VP Product Design plays a pivotal role in driving the overall user experience and the success of the company’s products.
Day-to-day tasks of Interim VP Product Design
The day-to-day tasks of an Interim Vice President of Product Design can vary depending on the business and its specific needs but typically they include:
Strategy and vision
Develop and communicate the design strategy, vision, and goals. Continuously assess market trends, user insights, and competitive landscape to inform design decisions.
Team leadership
Provide strong leadership to the design team, including hiring, mentoring, and managing designers through one-to-one sessions. Foster a collaborative and inclusive culture, encouraging creativity, growth, and innovation within the team.
Design oversight
Review and provide feedback on design work, offering guidance to improve user experiences, visual aesthetics, and design principles.
Best practise processes
Establish and maintain design standards, guidelines, and processes to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability within the design team. Implement best practices, tools, and methodologies to enhance the design workflow.
Budget and resource management
Collaborate with the executive team to manage the design budget, allocate resources effectively, and prioritise design initiatives based on business needs.
Performance evaluation
Regularly assess the performance of the design team, providing feedback, setting goals, and identifying opportunities for skill development and growth. Continuously seek ways to improve design processes, tools, and methodologies.
Report to the CEO
Keep the CEO abreast of all developments within the team including any analysis and reporting to demonstrate progress to goals or impact of the design team. The Interim VP should also contribute to the wider running of the business including management meetings and strategy sessions with other members of the board / leadership team
Interim VP Product Design day rate
In today’s market, a typical Interim Vice President Product Design’s day rate would be in the region of £1,000-£1,200.
Interim VP Product Design job description
A typical Interim Vice President Product Design job description will read something like the below:
Job title: Interim VP Product Design
Location: Remote or on-site
Duration: 3-12 months
Reporting the Chief Product Officer, the Interim VP of Product Design will lead a team of expert designers in creating best in class digital experiences across all of our products.
The individual that is successful in this role will need to lead a passionate team of designers across the globe to develop a thorough understanding of customer expectations and competitor activity. This role requires expertise to deliver the product design strategy as well as demonstrable team leadership experience, to lead the team to success.
The Interim VP Product Director will work underneath the Chief Product Officer to:
- Inspire and coach the product design team to deliver best practise product design
- Create a user centric department
- Be able to problem solve and provide insights to help with resolution
- Lead the product design team to success against KPIs and objectives
- Manage cross functional relationships to ensure all designs are consistent and market leading
- Facilitate user research programmes utilising new and relevant tools, providing data and insights for design optimisation
- Build a consistent and compelling user journey across our brands product portfolio to maximise consumer metrics (conversion and retention)
To be successful in this Interim Vice President Product Design role, you will:
- Have 15+ years’ experience leading a product design team in a diverse design environment
- You are passionate about creating human-centric design that meets the customers needs and wants
- You possess a diverse skill set, able to communicate and influence stakeholders in all functions and levels
Product Design interview questions
Read our guide to the top 50+ Product Design interview questions, often asked by employers at interview.
What is the Difference Between an Interim and Fractional Vice President of Product Design?
While both roles are temporary and bring senior-level design expertise, there are key differences:
- Interim Vice President of Product Design: Works full-time and is deeply embedded in the company, overseeing design strategy, team leadership and execution for a defined period. They drive initiatives, align design with business goals and ensure seamless collaboration across teams.
- Fractional Vice President of Product Design: Provides part-time support, often working with multiple companies simultaneously. They focus on high-level strategic guidance rather than day-to-day execution or management.
The right choice depends on your company’s needs. If your business requires hands-on, dedicated design leadership to manage teams, implement processes, and execute a design vision, an interim role is the better fit. For broader, advisory-level input without full-time commitment, a fractional role may be more suitable.
When to hire an Interim Director of Product?
Here are some of the top scenarios where hiring an Interim VP Product Design can be crucial:
Navigating a period of leadership transition, such as when a permanent VP Product Design is leaving or has already left.
Scaling up product efforts during times of rapid growth or major product launches.
Stabilising and aligning product teams in response to organisational restructuring or a strategic pivot.
Driving critical projects to meet market deadlines or seize strategic opportunities.
Managing complex product portfolios in times of high complexity, such as mergers or partnerships.
Interim Vice President Product Design FAQs
- What is the day rate of an Interim Vice President Product Design
- An Interim Vice President of Product Design's day rate is typically between £1,000-£1,200.
- What is an Interim VP in design?
- Reporting to the Chief Product Officer, the Interim VP of Product Design will lead a team of expert designers in creating best in class digital experiences across all of our products. An Interim VP of Product Design's main objective is to build a consistent and compelling user journey across a brands product portfolio to maximise consumer metrics, including conversion and retention.
- How long does an Interim VP Product Design typically stay at a company?
- Typically, an Interim Vice President Product Design stays between 3 and 12 months. The duration depends on the company's needs, such as finding a permanent replacement or completing a critical project.
- What is the difference between an Interim and Fractional Vice President Product Design?
- Interim VP Product Design: Work full-time, providing hands-on leadership and operational management for a defined period. Fractional VP Product Design: Work part-time, focusing on high-level strategic guidance while often overseeing multiple organisations.
