Principal Product Designer - Wall Street Journal Newsroom Technology

The Wall Street Journal is a global news organization that provides leading news, information, commentary and analysis. It engages readers across print, digital, mobile, social, podcast and video, and covers U.S. & world news, politics, arts, culture, lifestyle, sports, and health. The Journal holds 38 Pulitzer Prizes for outstanding journalism.

We are seeking a Principal Product Designer to lead design strategy for a new initiative that places the evolution of the reader experience at the heart of our newsroom. This role sits within a newly formed cross‑functional team that bridges technology and journalism, and is embedded directly in the WSJ Newsroom to accelerate innovation in how we tell stories and engage readers.

As a key member of the team, you will shape the future of digital journalism by designing experiences that enhance story presentation and pioneer new storytelling formats, leveraging emerging technologies such as AI to serve our readers better. You will work at the intersection of editorial vision and technical innovation, translating newsroom priorities into exceptional reader experiences that set industry standards.

• Define design strategy for the future of digital journalism, working directly with newsroom leaders and technology executives.
• Pioneer new approaches to story presentation and reader engagement that become benchmarks for the industry.
• Bridge newsroom and technology through design, translating editorial vision into technically feasible, user‑centered experiences.
• Serve as the design voice in a channel between newsroom priorities and technology capabilities.
• Lead rapid experimentation and prototyping of new reader experiences, from AI‑powered applications to innovative storytelling formats.
• Drive end‑to‑end execution from concept to implementation, partnering with product, engineering, and editorial to deliver experiences that measurably improve reader engagement and satisfaction.
• Influence WSJ product strategy through design leadership, contributing to roadmap decisions that require alignment between the Chief Technology Officer and Editor in Chief.
• Mentor and develop design talent within this pioneering team structure, establishing practices for how design operates at the intersection of newsroom and technology.
• Measure and iterate based on reader behavior, using data and user research to continuously improve experiences and demonstrate the impact of design on key business and editorial metrics.

• 10+ years of product design experience with significant time designing content experiences, media platforms or reader‑facing products at scale.
• A portfolio demonstrating innovation in content presentation that shows how you’ve reimagined storytelling, improved engagement, or pioneered new formats for digital media.
• Proven experience bridging different cultures and priorities
  , especially between creative/editorial teams and technology organizations.
• Track record of rapid experimentation and iteration with examples of quick prototyping, testing, and learning in fast‑paced environments.
• Deep understanding of reader behavior and content consumption patterns and experience using data and research to inform design decisions.
• Excellence in designing for emerging technologies such as AI/ML, with a focus on maintaining user trust while introducing new capabilities.
• Experience with multimedia and interactive storytelling (video, audio, data visualization, etc.) that enhances narrative experiences.
• Strong systems thinking to create scalable design patterns across diverse content types and storytelling needs.
• Demonstrated ability to work embedded in cross‑functional teams
  , influencing without direct authority and building consensus across disciplines.
• Passion for journalism and media with understanding of editorial workflows, newsroom culture, and the unique challenges of designing for news consumption.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills to articulate design decisions to both editorial and technology leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience in Design, Human‑Computer Interaction, Journalism, or a related field.

• Com…