UX Team Lead

Who we are

The Tor Project, Inc. (TPI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization advancing human rights and freedoms by creating and deploying free and open source anonymity and privacy technologies. TPI's team is committed to and passionate about our mission. We currently have a team of over 65, along with thousands of volunteers who contribute to our work. TPI is funded by government research and development grants, as well as individual, foundation, and corporate donations.

We are seeking a UX Lead to manage and grow our design team while shaping the user experience of our products and platforms such as Tor Browser and Mullvad Browser for both Desktop and Android, Tor VPN for Android, Tails OS among others. This role is responsible for leading a team of designers, ensuring user experiences are intuitive, accessible, and aligned with both user needs and organizational priorities while helping build a strong, collaborative, and high-performing design culture.

Overview of the Role

TPI is a nonprofit where we are building technology for privacy, and this role will lead the design function, working across teams including engineering, product, communications, and leadership to help create thoughtful, human-centered digital experiences. The UX Lead manages and develops a team of designers, user research and ensures the user perspective is embedded throughout the product development process, from early discovery and research through delivery and iteration.

This role combines people management with strategic leadership of the UX function, ands-on design work. The UX Lead will set team priorities and workload, support the growth of individual designers, establish clear UX standards, improve consistency across products, strengthen collaboration between technical and non-technical teams, and advocate for accessible, inclusive, and privacy-conscious design practices. Success in this role requires strong leadership and people management skills alongside systems thinking, user empathy, collaboration skills, and the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear and effective experiences.

What You’ll Do

• Manage a team of designers, and lead end-to-end UX strategy and execution across web and software products
• Set team goals, prioritize work across products and allocate design resources
• Provide regular 1:1s, mentorship, feedback and coaching to support the team’s growth
• Build and sustain a healthy team culture, grounded in openness, collaboration and learning
• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, and Communications teams to shape product direction early
• Facilitate discovery work including user interviews, journey mapping, usability testing, and synthesis
• Develop user flows, wireframes, prototypes, interaction patterns, and high-fidelity designs
• Champion accessibility, inclusive design, and privacy-conscious product experiences
• Establish and evolve design systems, UX standards, and documentation practices
• Mentor and support designers through feedback, coaching, and collaborative critique
• Advocate for user needs while balancing technical constraints, business priorities, and organizational goals
• Use qualitative and quantitative insights to inform design decisions and measure impact
• Help cultivate a healthy design culture grounded in openness, collaboration, and continuous learning

What We’re Looking For

• 3+ years experience managing or formally leading a team of designers, including direct people management responsibilities
• 7+ years of experience in UX, product design, interaction design, or related fields
• Experience leading UX initiatives across complex digital products or platforms
• Must have experience contributing to or maintaining design systems is highly valued
• Familiarity with frontend technologies and constraints e.g. Android/Material Design 3 (must have), Firefox (nice to have), and static websites that function without JavaScript.
• Strong portfolio of skills demonstrating systems thinking, interaction design, and user-centered problem solving
• Deep understanding of usability principles, accessibility standards, and responsive design
• Experience conducting or partnering closely on user research
• Comfort working in cross-functional, distributed teams, including leading remote direct reports
• Strong communication, facilitation and leadership skills with the ability to align diverse stakeholders and support a team through ambiguity and change
• Proficiency with modern design and prototyping tools specifically Figma

Nice to Have

• Experience working on open-source products or developer-focused platforms
• Background in privacy, security, accessibility, civic tech, or public-interest technology
• Experience designing for global audiences and multilingual products
• Familiarity with participatory design or community-driven product development

Compensation

This is a full-time, remote position with flexible geographic location. The salary range for this position is $110,000 - $121,275 USD. If provided an offer, TPI will determine the specific compensation package based on skills and years of experience. TPI provides an attractive benefits package that currently includes flexible Fridays, unlimited responsible personal time off (RPTO), generous leave options, healthcare (type is dependent on geographic location), and a monthly phone and internet stipend, and a tech stipend.

TPI has a strong culture of transparency and democratic processes, and long-standing community guidelines and cultural norms. At TPI, we are invested in discussing the depth and breadth of each candidate’s background and experience during the interview process and using that information to determine the best offer while considering internal pay equity. 

TPI is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or military or veteran status in accordance with federal law. Applicants must be authorized to work in the country in which they live, we cannot provide visa assistance for this position. Due to U.S. sanctions and embargo regulations, TPI is not able to hire individuals with citizenship and residency in certain countries, including but not limited to Russia, North Korea, Cuba, Iraq, China, Iran, and Syria.

English- Fluent