PayPal→
Sr. Director of Design, Identity & Trust at PayPal in San Jose, CA
Skills
Job Description
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: The Sr. Director of Experience Design, Identity & Trust, will lead the design strategy and execution for PayPal’s authentication, account security, and privacy experiences. You’ll oversee a global team focused on building seamless, secure, and trustworthy interactions — from login and passwordless authentication, to protecting accounts from fraud, to providing intuitive privacy controls.
Job Description:
Essential Responsibilities:
- Develop and articulate a clear, compelling vision and strategy in alignment with Experience Design strategy and operations that inspires others
- Oversee and direct the development of user interface plans with direct impact on PayPal revenue, expense, budget, and growth
- Negotiate with and influence the decision-making of senior internal and external executives and decision-makers
- Create operational and strategic objectives that enhance user and customer experiences using domain knowledge and extensive expertise
- Provide guidance to critical cross-functional and cross-organizational teams focused on experience design across PayPal
- Identify and resolve strategic user interface and interaction design with new or innovative solutions
Minimum Qualifications:
- 12+ years relevant experience and a Bachelor’s degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 5 years of experience leading others
Additional Responsibilities & Preferred Qualifications:
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.
Overview:
The Sr. Director of Experience Design, Identity & Trust, will lead the design strategy and execution for PayPal’s authentication, account security, and privacy experiences. You’ll oversee a global team focused on building seamless, secure, and trustworthy interactions — from login and passwordless authentication, to protecting accounts from fraud, to providing intuitive privacy controls. Partnering with product, engineering, and risk leaders, you’ll define how millions of people securely access, protect, and manage their PayPal accounts with confidence.
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
Preferred qualifications:
- Minimum of 15 years of relevant work experience and a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
What you’ll do:
Set the vision and design direction for identity, risk, and trust experiences.
Define and drive experience strategy that balances security, privacy, and usability.
Build, staff, and mentor a high-performing design team.
Lead design planning, prioritization, and execution in alignment with product objectives.
Partner with product, engineering, and risk leadership to shape roadmaps and outcomes.
Facilitate workshops and cross-functional alignment to drive strategy and execution.
Collaborate with other design leaders to ensure consistency across the PayPal ecosystem.
Advance scalable design systems, processes, and standards that raise craft and quality.
Represent design at the executive level, influencing decisions and company direction.
What we’re looking for:
15+ years of product design experience, including 8+ years leading teams and managers.
Proven ability to set vision, strategy, and direction for complex, global design portfolios.
Experience building and scaling high-performing, distributed design teams.
Strong track record of aligning design with product objectives and business outcomes.
Skilled in leading experience strategy, workshops, and cross-functional facilitation.
Demonstrated ability to balance trust, security, and usability in customer experiences.
Expertise in design systems and scalable frameworks that raise quality across teams.
Exceptional storytelling, communication, and influence skills with executives and stakeholders.
Global perspective with awareness of regulatory, accessibility, and localization needs.
This is a rare opportunity to shape how millions of people around the world securely access, protect, and trust PayPal. If you’re passionate about leading at the intersection of design, security, and customer experience, we’d love to hear from you.
Subsidiary: PayPal
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 | ($242,000.00 - $359,150.00 Annually)
Additional Location(s) | Pay Range: Austin, Texas | ($220,000.00 - $326,700.00 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.