Principal Distinguished Experience Architect jobs at Paypal in United States, San Jose

Essential Responsibilities:

• Establish overall business or technical strategy for user experience initiatives.
• Negotiate with and influence decision-making reaching the senior executive level
• Identify and resolve unique situations of substantial significance in user interface or interaction design
• Allocate resources, responsibly and apply creativity to enhancing user and customer experiences across digital and physical products and services
• Lead the development of user experience strategies that resonate with target audiences.
• Support and mentor less-experienced roles to provide an example of innovation, excellence, and day-to-day learning

Expected Qualifications:

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

WhereExperience Strategydefines theand

,defines—across structure, sequencing, navigation, and behavioral flow.

This is not just a UX strategy or systems design role—it’s both. You will lead the practice of Experience Architecture: the structuring of journeys, flows, navigation, taxonomy, and interaction models into a unified, extensible system. Your work will ensure that every interaction fits together to form a complete, coherent whole—one that reflects our brand, reinforces behavior, and reduces experience entropy as we scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect the Experience Ecosystem
  

• Lead Horizontal Experience Strategy
  Architect critical cross-product journeys (e.g., Account, Wallet, Rewards) that unify the customer experience across silos.

• Own and Govern Taxonomy & Information Architecture
  Partner with Content Design, Product Design, and Engineering to establish scalable IA systems and navigational models.

• Advance Service Design & System Mapping
  Connect frontstage flows to backstage systems and operational logic; drive service blueprinting across the product lifecycle.

• Drive CX Improvements
  Identify and resolve systemic customer experience issues across surfaces, workflows, and product areas through architectural interventions—not just interface refinements.

• Partner with Design Systems
  Collaborate to encode architectural logic into reusable components and interaction frameworks, ensuring real behavior is reflected—not just UI consistency.

• Transform Experience Delivery
  Work with Product Ops and PMO to embed architectural checkpoints into planning, roadmapping, and SDLCprocesses—acceleratingdelivery while protecting experience integrity.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in experience design, UX architecture, or systems design, with a strong portfolio demonstrating strategic impact.

• Proven leadership in structuring complex digital ecosystems and scaling design systems.

• Deep expertise in journey mapping, taxonomy design, interaction modeling, and platform strategy.

• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to influence across disciplines and levels.

• Experience working in large-scale, matrixed organizations with a focus on platform thinking and design maturity.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with enterprise platforms, developer tools, or internal design infrastructure.

• Familiarity with accessibility standards, localization, and inclusive design practices.

• Strategic mindset with a bias for action and a passion for enabling great design at scale.

Travel Percent:

The total compensation for this practice may include an annual performance bonus (or other incentive compensation, as applicable), equity, and medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. For more information, visit .

The US national annual pay range for this role is $188,000 to $323,950

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please

Essential Responsibilities:

• Establish overall business or technical strategy for user experience initiatives.
• Negotiate with and influence decision-making reaching the senior executive level
• Identify and resolve unique situations of substantial significance in user interface or interaction design
• Allocate resources, responsibly and apply creativity to enhancing user and customer experiences across digital and physical products and services
• Lead the development of user experience strategies that resonate with target audiences.
• Support and mentor less-experienced roles to provide an example of innovation, excellence, and day-to-day learning

Expected Qualifications:

• 10+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 2 years of experience leading others

What you'll do

• Define and drive the design vision for onboarding and compliance platforms at a global scale

• Lead, mentor, and inspire multiple design teams, fostering innovation, inclusivity, and design excellence

• Partner with executives and cross-functional leaders to align design with business growth and compliance

• Collaborate across teams to balance global consistency with user- and region-specific needs

• Champion user-centered solutions with executives and senior stakeholders, influencing priorities and trade-offs

• Serve on the Platforms & Tools leadership team, shaping strategy and driving alignment across critical initiatives

• Pioneer innovative solutions—including AI and automation—for onboarding, verification, and regulatory workflows

What we’re looking for

• 15+ years in product design, with 5+ years leading design teams at scale

• Experience designing global, multi-market platforms in regulated industries

• Portfolio showing large-scale transformations with measurable business and customer impact

• Executive presence with strong communication and influencing skills across functions and geographies

• Expertise in design systems, workflow design, and operational excellence

• Passion for financial inclusion and building trusted, accessible, and compliant experiences

Travel Percent:

The total compensation for this practice may include an annual performance bonus (or other incentive compensation, as applicable), equity, and medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. For more information, visit .

The US national annual pay range for this role is $188,000 to $323,950

Our Benefits:

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please

You will partner with data scientists, ML engineers, and functional leaders across domains to define, deliver, and scale intelligent automation and generative AI use cases that transform how PayPal works.This role sits at the intersection of AI strategy, product innovation, and enterprise transformation. You’ll define the blueprint for how PayPal applies AI to unlock human potential — not just building models, but reshaping work itself.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Establish a shared vision across the company for one or more products, or a platform product enabling development & scalability, with a deliberate and cohesive strategy.
• Leads product strategy development, and develops a clear, executable view of the product strategy with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Influences the architectural roadmap and balances innovative design and technical implementation, while balancing regulatory requirements, time-to-market, meeting customer needs and product profitability.
• Champions the customer experience and prioritizes customer needs in product requirements and decision making.
• Defines and uses metrics that inform the success of products including usability studies, research and market analysis.
• Standardizes workstreams to include analytics, customer discovery, market research and competitive analysis to drive data-driven decision-making.
• Responsible for product profitability, including budgetary decisions.
• Leads operational mechanisms that drive execution and accountability including Product Reviews, Operating Reviews, and Business Reviews. Interfaces with senior leadership as needed.
• Maximizes efficiency in a constantly evolving environment where the process is fluid and creative solutions are the standard.

Expected Qualifications:

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

Travel Percent:

The total compensation for this practice may include an annual performance bonus (or other incentive compensation, as applicable), equity, and medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. For more information, visit .

The US national annual pay range for this role is $188,000 to $323,950

Our Benefits:

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please

This job drives product strategy in alignment with a shared vision, collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders. It includes planning and implementing an architectural roadmap that balances innovative design with regulatory requirements and customer needs. The position assesses customer experience and establishes data-gathering mechanisms to measure product success through usability studies and market analysis. Responsibilities also encompass overseeing product profitability, leading operational reviews, and partnering with various experts to maximize efficiency in a dynamic environment. This job is an individual contributor.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Drives product strategy with cross-functional stakeholders consistent with the shared vision for the product.
• Plans and implements the architectural roadmap that balances innovative design and technical implementation, while balancing regulatory requirements, time-to-market, meeting customer needs and product profitability.
• Assesses the customer experience and customer needs in product requirements and decision making.
• Sets up data gathering mechanisms relative to the metrics that inform the success of products including usability studies, research and market analysis.
• Leads workstreams to include analytics, customer discovery, market research and competitive analysis to drive data-driven decision-making.
• Oversees product profitability measures, including budget.
• Plans operational mechanisms that drive execution and accountability including Product Reviews, Operating Reviews, and Business Reviews. Interfaces with product leadership as needed.
• Partners with content strategists, data scientists, product designers and user experience researchers.
• Maximizes efficiency in a constantly evolving environment where the process is fluid and creative solutions are the standard.

Expected Qualifications:

• Minimum of 12 years of relevant work experience and a Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

Product & Performance Initiatives

• Drive product initiatives that improve customer and merchant performance across adoption, engagement, and retention.
• Collaborate with peer product managers to ensure consistency and alignment across PayPal’s portfolio.
• Define product requirements that balance innovation, regulatory compliance, and customer trust.

Data-Driven Execution

• Establish experimentation and measurement practices that guide prioritization and accelerate learning.
• Partner with data science and product teams to build predictive models that address adoption, engagement, and performance health.
• Leverage analytics and research to uncover performance opportunities and guide investment decisions.

AI & Emerging Technology

• Champion AI/ML capabilities that improve scalability, cost efficiency, and product performance.
• Partner with engineering and product peers to operationalize emerging technologies into merchant and customer solutions.
• Explore innovative approaches to deliver differentiated experiences across multiple product areas

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Collaborate with engineering, design, data science, and peer product managers to deliver cohesive platform capabilities.
• Work with merchant, sales, and go-to-market teams to ensure PayPal delivers measurable improvements in merchant performance.
• Support operational reviews (product reviews, OKRs, portfolio planning) that create visibility and accountability across teams.

Experience

• 6-10 years in product management, product strategy, or performance-focused roles.
• Strong track record of launching products that deliver measurable adoption and business impact.
• Experience with AI/ML integration, experimentation design, and analytics-driven decision-making.
• Background in global or platform businesses, preferably in payments, fintech, or commerce ecosystems.

Skills & Competencies

• Ability to influence peers and stakeholders across product, engineering, design, and business teams.
• Data-driven mindset with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Comfort operating in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with evolving priorities.
• Strategic thinking paired with strong execution discipline.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Business, Engineering, or related field required.
• Advanced degree (MBA/MS) preferred but not required.

Travel Percent:

The total compensation for this practice may include an annual performance bonus (or other incentive compensation, as applicable), equity, and medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. For more information, visit .

The US national annual pay range for this role is $188,000 to $323,950

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please

This job involves independent collaboration to enhance user experience processes, influencing quality and effectiveness. The designer determines appropriate actions for user experience challenges while overseeing team performance. Responsibilities include conducting user research, creating intuitive designs, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals, all while prioritizing user needs and preferences to deliver engaging and aesthetically pleasing experiences.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Perform product designs specialized in experience design knowledge and developed business expertise
• Lead projects and/or programs within the product function with moderate scope impacting function or sub-function
• Create customer experiences across digital and physical products within general parameters under broad supervision
• May act as a subject matter resource for entry level and developing colleagues

Expected Qualifications:

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

Travel Percent:

The total compensation for this practice may include an annual performance bonus (or other incentive compensation, as applicable), equity, and medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. For more information, visit .

The US national annual pay range for this role is $123,500 to $212,850

Our Benefits:

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please

In this role, you’ll be a key driver in scaling the Venmo ads platform. As a Senior Staff Designer, you’ll partner with cross-functional teams to create cohesive, user-centered ad products and experiences for customers and merchants worldwide. Your deep understanding of design patterns will help build trust and security within our financial products.

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.

Expected Qualifications:

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

As a Senior Staff Experience Designer, you’ll play a pivotal role in shaping how millions of users experience ads in the Venmo product. You’ll craft end-to-end experiences that not only solve complex problems but also inspire delight through thoughtful design, strategic insight, and compelling storytelling.You’ll partner closely with cross-functional teams—product, engineering, data, and marketing—to define what’s possible, align around a shared vision, and turn complex challenges into elegant, intuitive solutions. You’ll lead by example, guiding teams through ambiguity with clear thinking, strong communication, and a user-first mindset.As an early member of the ad platform team, you’ll have the opportunity to shape the experience by identifying opportunities for innovation, crafting cohesive journeys, and creating systems that are scalable, ethical, and impactful. You’ll champion design excellence across the organization, mentoring others and elevating the craft to ensure that every experience tells a compelling story and delivers measurable value.Job responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end design strategy and execution for complex, high-impact initiatives that shape the future of Venmo’s ads ecosystem.
• 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 on our Venmo ads platform, 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 substantial focus on consumer-facing ads.
• 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 in the B2C advertising space, either agency side 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 technology mediums (i.e., JavaScript, HTML/CSS) including differences between them.
  

Travel Percent:

The total compensation for this practice may include an annual performance bonus (or other incentive compensation, as applicable), equity, and medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. For more information, visit .

The US national annual pay range for this role is $169,500 to $291,500

Our Benefits:

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please

This job establishes the overall business or technical strategy for user experience initiatives, significantly influencing executive-level decision-making. They lead the development of user experience strategies that resonate with target audiences and collaborates with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment on goals. Responsibilities include analyzing user feedback to inform design improvements and innovations while ensuring that user-centered design principles are integrated into all projects.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Establish overall business or technical strategy for user experience initiatives.
• Negotiate with and influence decision-making reaching the senior executive level
• Identify and resolve unique situations of substantial significance in user interface or interaction design
• Allocate resources, responsibly and apply creativity to enhancing user and customer experiences across digital and physical products and services
• Lead the development of user experience strategies that resonate with target audiences.
• Support and mentor less-experienced roles to provide an example of innovation, excellence, and day-to-day learning

Expected Qualifications:

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

Travel Percent:

The total compensation for this practice may include an annual performance bonus (or other incentive compensation, as applicable), equity, and medical, dental, vision, and other benefits. For more information, visit .

The US national annual pay range for this role is $188,000 to $323,950

Our Benefits:

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please