Product Design Strategist

Paper

1d • $110,000 - $130,000 • Remote

About The Position

Paper is reimagining how schools support students so that every learner can reach their full potential. Our vision is a world where every student receives timely, personalized, and relevant academic support. We offer a suite of scalable solutions including 24/7 tutoring, writing feedback, math practice, college and career support, and AI-powered instructional tools that provide personalized support to all students, including multilingual learners. Our GROW high-impact tutoring program accelerates learning through targeted small-group instruction, delivers measurable gains in student achievement, and eases teacher workloads. Trusted by 500+ school districts across 40+ states and backed by leading investors including IVP, Sapphire Ventures, Framework Capital, and Reach Capital, we’re pursuing a bold goal: to drive the best academic outcomes for as many students as possible. Recent articles: GROW by Paper Drives 201% Increase in Grade-Level Proficiency in Just 12 Weeks GROW by Paper Earns Stanford’s NSSA Tutoring Program Design Badge, Signaling Excellence in Research-Aligned Design Paper Appoints Marisa Burkhart as CRO Job Description The Opportunity The line between product designer and product manager is blurring - and we're looking for someone who lives in that space naturally. This role is approximately 60% product design and 40% product strategy, but really it's 100% about owning outcomes. You'll design interfaces that make learning feel less like homework and more like leveling up. You'll define what gets built and why. You'll manage the details that turn good ideas into shipped products. And you'll use modern tools to work faster and more creatively than traditional workflows allow. We believe the best designers are a step ahead of the project managers they work with. If you've ever felt like you're capable of more than your job title suggests - if you're the designer who keeps track of dependencies, anticipates developer needs before they ask, and connects business goals to user goals - this role was designed for you.

Requirements

• The design foundation Strong portfolio demonstrating illustration skills and visual design that connects with younger audiences (elementary through middle school)
• Experience designing consumer products, gaming experiences, educational tools, or youth-focused apps where engagement and retention actually matter
• Comfort with modern design tools (Figma, etc.) and excitement about new workflows that amplify creative output
• An eye for detail and an instinct for what makes interfaces feel
• The strategic mindset Deep curiosity about game mechanics, habit formation, behavioral psychology, and what makes students come back tomorrow
• Ability to balance qualitative insights with quantitative data to make product decisions - and the judgment to know which should lead
• Track record of not just designing features but defining them, scoping them, and managing them through to measurable impact
• Comfort writing specs, setting priorities, and having the difficult conversations about what not to build
• The business sensibility You spend your first conversation with any stakeholder asking questions about goals, constraints, and context before jumping to solutions
• You see how your work fits into the bigger picture of customer experience, growth, and business opportunities
• You can articulate design decisions in terms of business strategy, not just user needs or aesthetic preferences
• You understand that exceptional design work is dead in the water without the acute management skills to carry it from idea to delivered solution
• The modern approach Comfort with ambiguity and excitement about defining your role as you grow into it
• Willingness to experiment with new workflows and share what you learn with the team
• Belief that the best solutions come from people who understand both the "what" and the "how".

Nice To Haves

• Have designed for K-8 audiences, consumer gaming, or apps where daily engagement is the metric that matters
• Have evidence of shipping features that demonstrably changed user behavior or business metrics
• Have been told they "think too much like a PM" or "ask too many questions about the business"
• Care deeply about educational equity and access

Responsibilities

• Design the experiences that move metrics Craft beautiful, engaging interfaces for elementary and middle school students, making complex educational concepts feel accessible and fun.
• Define what gets built and why Shape product strategy by connecting user needs, business goals, and technical constraints into coherent solutions, then make the tough calls about feature prioritization and scope.
• Manage the details that matter Keep track of schedules, dependencies, and unresolved decisions while bringing developers the complete picture - edge cases, error states, and precise interaction documentation.
• Bridge business strategy and user experience Understand Paper's business context before tackling design problems, connecting educational outcomes, student engagement metrics, and business impact to create solutions that satisfy all stakeholders.

Benefits

• Comprehensive & competitive compensation, health benefits, retirement plan, stock options, and more.
• In addition to vacation days, we provide Paperites with sick days and 4 extra weeks off - including statutory holidays, Paper Days throughout the year, and a full Paper Week from Dec 25 to Jan 1.
• A $500 stipend to set-up your workspace and $100 monthly stipends to support with on-going workspace needs.
• We support growing families with generous paid parental leave.
• Unlimited access to tutoring and educational support for children of Paper employees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed