Hiring guide · Leadership
How to hire a
head of design.
Head of design leads the design org — hiring, strategy, design-system direction. Pre-Series-A often a senior IC; post-Series-B usually a real leader.
Comp range$220k-$400k base + equity.
Timeline12-20 weeks.
When to hire
Hire in-house
Post-Series-A, you have multiple designers, and design quality is a strategic concern.
When to outsource
Outsource to a studio
Below 3 designers. The founder or senior IC is still leading design.
Evaluation · 02
Signs of strong candidates.
Strong signals
- Has led design at scale
- Strong portfolio + leadership track record
- Has hired and built design teams
- Cross-functional fluency
- Brand and product crossover
Red flags
- ✗Has been a senior IC, not a leader
- ✗No real hiring experience
- ✗No cross-functional experience
- ✗Title-inflated
- ✗Defensive about design org
Interview · 03
Questions to ask.
- Q1
How do you scale a design org from 3 to 30?
- Q2
How do you balance brand and product design?
- Q3
How do you partner with engineering?
- Q4
How do you build a design culture?
- Q5
How do you handle a struggling designer?
Considering a studio?
We bridge
to your hire.
We help structure design-leadership hiring. If you're not ready to hire a head of design yet, brief us — we can fill the gap and help you hire later.
Brief us