Sr Staff Experience Designer

The Company

PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. 

We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.

We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards.  Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade. 

Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day.  We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.

Job Summary:

As a Senior Staff Experience Designer, you'll shape how millions of users experience the Venmo app. You'll craft end-to-end experiences that solve complex problems and inspire delight through thoughtful design, strategic insight, and compelling storytelling.

You'll partner closely with cross-functional teams—product, engineering, research, and marketing—to define possibilities, align around shared vision, and turn complex challenges into elegant solutions. You'll lead by example, guiding teams through ambiguity with clear thinking and user-first mindset. You'll champion design excellence across the organization, mentoring others and elevating craft to ensure every experience delivers measurable value.

Expect a fast-paced environment overseeing multiple projects while demonstrating strong communication skills, especially when relaying creative concepts to design teams and stakeholders.

Job Description:

Essential Responsibilities:

• Develop and articulate clear objectives in enhancing user and customer experiences that deliver results and meet organizational goals
• Influence decision-making at the senior leadership level
• Perform the most highly complex digital and physical products and services using domain knowledge and extensive business expertise
• Develop and deliver innovative strategies that benefit customers and product users
• Lead major business projects which impact the Experience Design job family
• Design, evaluate, and select process, product, and service improvements based on thorough understanding of user and customer needs and industry trends
• Mentor and guide junior team members in user-centered design practices.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 8+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

Additional Responsibilities & Preferred Qualifications:

Job responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end design strategy and execution for complex, high-impact initiatives that shape the future of Venmo’s commerce experience.
• Define and drive a cohesive vision across multiple products, ensuring consistency, usability, and delight in every interaction.
• Translate business goals and user insights into clear design strategies and scalable experience frameworks.
• Craft compelling narratives and storytelling that communicate design rationale, inspire teams, and influence senior stakeholders.
• Use data, research, experimentation, and a robust testing approach to measure impact and drive continuous improvements.
• Work with cross-functional team members driving the strategy, execution, and delivery for initiatives, using a customer-focused, iterative design process. 
• Create high-quality deliverables and execute based on product design goals and priorities without prescriptive guidance or direction, managing work to a more extensive schedule.
• Create opportunities to foster collaborative cross-discipline dynamics. Drive product design team delivery excellence, furthering influence to achieve product design goals.
• Stay ahead of emerging trends in UX, advertising technology, and digital product design to inform innovation and differentiation.
• Contribute to the planning and estimating of work; maintain close connection to cross-product work streams
• Create well-crafted interactive prototypes, templates, and presentations
• Ability to work across design systems fluidly, and driving cohesion across related products and surfaces that span across the PayPal network
• Play an active role in our thriving, inspiring and rewarding UX Design practice and culture.

Requirements:

• At least 8+ years working in product design, with a blend of UX and visual design strengths.
• Bachelors, Masters, or equivalent experience in one of the following areas: Design, Information Architecture, Human Factors, or equivalent project/portfolio experience.
• A portfolio of work, showcasing design excellence in delivering impactful business outcomes, and a high bar for craft.
• Experience working at either an agency or from within a consumer facing app.
• Mastery of product design methodology and lifecycle across significant channels and platforms.
• Customer-focused, with experience using design research methods to uncover customer insights.
• Effectively operates within an iterative design team, managing product design responsibilities against defined milestones and plans with little day-to-day oversight.
• Thorough knowledge of essential channels and platforms, with experience in mobile, dedicated, web and native solution design.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Extensive experience working with resources such as pattern library, repositories, and internal communication tools.  
• Sound understanding of Figma and prototyping tools

Subsidiary:

Venmo

Travel Percent:

0

-

The base pay for this role will depend on where you work and the relevant experience and expertise you bring. The expected range of pay for this role by location is:

Primary Location | Pay Range:

San Jose, California | ($196,500.00 - $291,500.00 Annually)

Additional Location(s) | Pay Range:

Austin, Texas | ($178,500.00 - $265,100.00 Annually)

Additional compensation for this role may include an annual performance bonus, equity, or other incentive compensation, as applicable.

PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. When making an application directly, we will never ask you to share passwords, one-time passcodes (OTP), or verification codes.  Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. All communication regarding your application will come from official PayPal email domains. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please report it immediately.  To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit https://careers.pypl.com/contact-us. 

For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.

Our Benefits:

At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most. We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.

Who We Are:

Click Here to learn more about our culture and community.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion 

PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.  In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.  If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at paypalglobaltalentacquisition@paypal.com.

Belonging at PayPal: 

Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.

We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.