📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Product Design Lead – Account Opening
🔹 Company: M&T Bank
🔹 Location: Hybrid within footprint, open to FT remote if outside of footprint
🔹 Job Type: Full-Time
🔹 Category: Product Design
🔹 Date Posted: 2025-07-03
🔹 Experience Level: 5-10 years
🔹 Remote Status: Hybrid (open to full-time remote if outside of footprint)
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Leading design for digital and in-branch account opening experience
- Collaborating with business and product teams to understand goals and customer needs
- Improving application processes using research and data-driven insights
- Utilizing user-centered design methods across the product lifecycle
- Mentoring product designers and contributing to design system patterns
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a strong background in product design, with a focus on complex workflows and form design, preferably in financial services or regulated industries.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Lead design for digital and in-branch account opening experience, ensuring forms, flows, and interactions are intuitive, compliant, and optimized for conversion
✅ Partner with business and product teams to understand goals, requirements, and customer needs for sales and onboarding across channels
✅ Use research and data to identify pain points in the application process and propose improvements that reduce abandonment, enhance clarity, and increase sales
✅ Utilize user-centered design methods across the product lifecycle, including discovery, wireframes, prototyping, and testing
✅ Collaborate with developers to ensure delivery of accessible, responsive, usable solutions across desktop and mobile devices
✅ Facilitate and lead cross-functional design thinking workshops to align on goals, brainstorm solutions, and prioritize improvements
✅ Mentor product designers on the team and contribute to design system patterns relevant to forms, inputs, and guided workflows
✅ Contribute to storytelling, vision-setting, and relationship-building with stakeholders across Product, Engineering, Marketing, Legal, Risk, and Compliance
ASSUMPTION: This role requires strong communication and collaboration skills, as well as the ability to work effectively with various teams and stakeholders.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree in UX Design, Human Computer Interaction, Industrial Design, or similar, and a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience; or, in lieu of a degree, a combined minimum of 9 years education and/or relevant product design work
Experience: Hands-on experience designing complex workflows, forms, or digital applications, especially in financial services or regulated industries
Required Skills:
- Strong proficiency with Figma and Adobe design tools
- Demonstrated ability to work across multi-step user journeys
- Experience defining, documenting, and iterating on form patterns, instructional copy, and information architecture
- Skilled at partnering and building relationships with engineers and product teams to ensure high-quality implementation of designs
- Experience conducting and incorporating usability testing and customer feedback into iterative improvements
- Understanding and experience implementing accessibility standards, mobile and desktop responsive design, and leveraging design systems for UX consistency
Preferred Skills:
- Familiarity with design systems and the ability to contribute patterns back to shared libraries
- Experience working in financial services or with complex, compliance-driven workflows
- Exposure to digital sales and banker-assisted digital experiences
ASSUMPTION: While not explicitly stated, proficiency in English is likely required for this role.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $107,656.56 - $179,427.60 Annual (USD). The successful candidate’s particular combination of knowledge, skills, and experience will inform their specific compensation.
Benefits:
- Medical
- Retirement
- Paid Volunteer Time
Working Hours: 40 hours per week
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for a Product Design Lead role in the financial services sector. The final compensation will be determined based on the candidate’s qualifications and experience.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Financial Services. M&T Bank is a top 11 full-service US-based commercial bank with a retail footprint across the east coast and wealth services available nationwide and abroad.
Company Size: 10,001+ employees. As a large organization, M&T Bank offers opportunities for career growth and development.
Founded: 1856 in Buffalo, NY. M&T Bank has a long history of community involvement and commitment to its customers.
Company Description:
- M&T Bank offers advice, guidance, expertise, and solutions across the entire financial spectrum, combining traditional banking services with wealth management and institutional capabilities offered by Wilmington Trust.
- The company is committed to fair, competitive, and market-informed pay for its employees, offering a range of benefits including medical, retirement, and paid volunteer time.
- M&T Bank is an equal opportunity employer, providing opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, ethnicity, sex, gender identity, age, disability, citizenship, pregnancy, veteran status, military status, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.
Company Specialties:
- Commercial Banking
- Retail Banking
- Wealth Management
- Investment Services
Company Website: http://www.mtb.com
ASSUMPTION: M&T Bank is a well-established financial institution with a strong focus on community involvement and customer service.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Mid-level to senior. This role requires a significant amount of experience and expertise in product design, with a focus on complex workflows and form design.
Reporting Structure: This role reports to the Head of Product Design within the Sales & Onboarding and Banker Experience Design Team.
Work Arrangement: Hybrid (open to full-time remote if outside of footprint). This role requires a balance of on-site and remote work, with the potential for full-time remote work for candidates outside of the company's footprint.
Growth Opportunities:
- Mentoring and contributing to the design system can help the candidate develop leadership and technical skills.
- Collaborating with various teams and stakeholders can provide opportunities for career growth within the organization.
- The company's size and diverse offerings provide opportunities for career progression within different business units or functions.
ASSUMPTION: This role offers opportunities for professional growth and development, both in terms of design skills and leadership abilities.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Hybrid. This role requires a balance of on-site and remote work, with the potential for full-time remote work for candidates outside of the company's footprint.
Office Location(s): Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America (open to full-time remote if outside of footprint)
Geographic Context:
- The Baltimore office is located in the heart of the city, offering easy access to public transportation and various amenities.
- The city of Baltimore has a diverse cultural scene, with a rich history and a variety of neighborhoods to explore.
- Baltimore has a humid subtropical climate, with mild winters and warm, humid summers.
Work Schedule: The work schedule for this role is 40 hours per week, with the potential for flexible hours based on the candidate's needs and the team's requirements.
ASSUMPTION: The hybrid work arrangement offers a balance between on-site collaboration and remote flexibility, allowing for a better work-life balance.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Online application and resume screening
- Phone or video screen with the hiring manager
- On-site or virtual interview with the design team and other stakeholders
- Final interview with the Head of Product Design
Key Assessment Areas:
- Design portfolio and case studies
- Problem-solving skills and design thinking approach
- Collaboration and communication skills
- Understanding of financial services industry and compliance requirements
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight your experience with complex workflows, form design, and user-centered design
- Prepare examples of your design process, including research, wireframes, prototypes, and usability testing results
- Be ready to discuss your approach to accessibility, responsive design, and design systems
ATS Keywords: Product Design, User Experience, Figma, Adobe Design Tools, Usability Testing, Accessibility Standards, Design Systems, Collaboration, Prototyping, Wireframing, Customer Feedback, Information Architecture, Mentoring, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Digital Applications, Sales Funnels
ASSUMPTION: The interview process for this role will focus on assessing the candidate's design skills, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit within the organization.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Figma
- Adobe Design Tools
- User research and testing tools (e.g., UsabilityHub, UserInterviews, etc.)
- Project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Asana, etc.)
ASSUMPTION: The tools and technologies required for this role are industry-standard and widely used in the product design field.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Integrity
- Ownership
- Collaboration
- Curiosity
- Candor
Work Style:
- Collaborative and cross-functional
- Data-driven and user-centered
- Focused on continuous improvement and innovation
Self-Assessment Questions:
- Do you have experience working in a collaborative, cross-functional environment?
- Are you comfortable using data and user research to inform your design decisions?
- Do you have a growth mindset and a willingness to learn and adapt in a dynamic work environment?
ASSUMPTION: M&T Bank values a collaborative and innovative work environment, with a focus on continuous improvement and a growth mindset.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- The role requires a strong understanding of financial services industry regulations and compliance requirements
- The hybrid work arrangement may present challenges in terms of communication and collaboration with on-site team members
- The role may require occasional travel to other office locations or client sites
- The Baltimore office is located in a city with a higher cost of living compared to some other regions in the United States
ASSUMPTION: While this role offers many opportunities for professional growth and development, it also presents several challenges that the candidate must be prepared to overcome.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role is similar to a UX/UI Designer or Product Designer role, with a focus on complex workflows and form design
- However, this role is unique in its focus on the account opening experience for both individual and business customers
- Career progression in this role could lead to a senior product design role or a leadership position within the design organization
ASSUMPTION: While this role shares similarities with other product design roles, its focus on the account opening experience and its potential for career growth make it a unique opportunity in the financial services industry.
📝 Sample Projects
- Redesigning the account opening process for individual customers, focusing on improving conversion rates and reducing abandonment
- Streamlining the business account opening experience, with a focus on optimizing forms and reducing friction for banker-assisted digital experiences
- Developing a design system for account opening forms, inputs, and guided workflows, ensuring consistency and accessibility across digital and in-branch channels
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects illustrate the types of design challenges and opportunities that the candidate may face in this role.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you describe the current state of the account opening experience and the key pain points that the design team is looking to address?
- How does the design team collaborate with business, product, and engineering teams to ensure high-quality implementation of designs?
- What opportunities are there for mentoring and contributing to the design system within this role?
- How does the company support the growth and development of its product design team members?
- What is the work-life balance like for this role, and how does the company support remote work for employees outside of the footprint?
ASSUMPTION: These key questions will help the candidate better understand the role, the team, and the company culture, allowing them to make an informed decision about the opportunity.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight your experience with complex workflows, form design, and user-centered design
- Prepare examples of your design process, including research, wireframes, prototypes, and usability testing results
- Be ready to discuss your approach to accessibility, responsive design, and design systems
- Follow up with the hiring manager one week after submitting your application to inquire about the status of your application
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
