Upwork is hiring: Lead Product Designer, Ads & Monetization in Chicago

Join to apply for the Lead Product Designer, Ads & Monetization role at Upwork Join to apply for the Lead Product Designer, Ads & Monetization role at Upwork Upwork ($UPWK) is the world’s human and AI-powered work marketplace that connects businesses with highly skilled, AI-enabled independent talent from across the globe. From entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 enterprises, companies rely on Upwork’s trusted platform and its mindful AI companion, Uma, to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With on-demand access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI & machine learning, software development, sales & marketing, customer support, finance & accounting, and more, Upwork enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and build agile teams for the age of AI and beyond. Upwork’s platform has facilitated more than $25 billion in economic opportunity for talent around the world. Learn more at Upwork.com and follow us on LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , and X . We’re looking for a Lead Product Designer to help shape the future of monetization on Upwork. You’ll design the experiences that power how we grow and evolve our advertising ecosystem, from surfacing the right work and talent at the right moment, to helping businesses connect with the best-fit freelancers through promoted listings, sponsored placements, and emerging ad formats. This is a high-impact opportunity to influence the core revenue engine of a two-sided marketplace, working at the intersection of discovery, search, and performance-based design. You’ll lead end-to-end experiences that connect value to visibility and collaborate deeply with cross-functional partners to unlock new monetization pathways. Join us in reimagining how Upwork monetizes its platform—and make a lasting impact on how independent work thrives. Responsibilities Lead the design strategy and execution across the Ads & Monetization space, delivering high-quality product experiences that balance business goals with user value. Partner with product managers, engineers, and data scientists to identify opportunities to enhance visibility, promote relevance, and drive conversions through ads and sponsored placements. Translate complex monetization goals into intuitive, ethical, and user-centered design flows that integrate into core marketplace interactions. Prototype and test new ad formats, surfacing strategies, and placement mechanics with a bias toward experimentation and iteration. Leverage data and user insights to continuously improve performance-focused features and workflows, optimizing for both client and talent satisfaction. Collaborate across functions to ensure design consistency, clarity, and impact—building shared frameworks and scalable patterns. Contribute to Upwork’s design culture by mentoring peers, sharing best practices, and advocating for quality and customer impact. What it takes to catch our eye Experience designing for monetization, advertising platforms, or performance marketing—ideally within a marketplace or search-heavy environment. Strong product thinking with a demonstrated ability to align design decisions with business metrics and growth goals. A portfolio that showcases user-first monetization design across web and/or mobile, with clarity on your role, thought process, and results. Proficiency in tools like Figma and comfort with rapid prototyping, experimentation frameworks, and working with data-rich interfaces. Familiarity with AI-powered systems, relevance models, or surfacing logic is a plus. Come change how the world works. At Upwork, you’ll shape the future of work for a global, remote-first workforce, creating economic opportunities for professionals worldwide. While we have a physical office in Palo Alto, we currently hire full-time employees in 21 U.S. states, making it easier than ever to join our mission from wherever you call home. Our culture is built on trust, risk-taking, customer focus, and excellence, all in service of our core mission: to create economic opportunities so people have better lives. We embrace authenticity and inclusion, encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work. Personal and professional growth is a priority here, supported through development programs, mentorship, and our Upwork Belonging Communities. We’re proud to offer benefits that go beyond the basics, including comprehensive medical coverage for you and your family, unlimited PTO, a 401(k) plan with matching, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Visit our Life at Upwork page to learn more about our values, working principles, and the overall employee experience. Ready to help shape the future of work? Check out our Careers page to learn more about opportunities at Upwork. Upwork is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and inclusive workforce. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or other legally protected characteristics under federal, state, or local law. Please note that a criminal background check may be required once a conditional job offer is made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered in accordance with applicable law, including the California Fair Chance Act and local Fair Chance ordinances. The annual base salary range for this position is displayed below. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salary for this position, and individual base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Additionally, this position is eligible for the annual bonus plan or sales incentive plan and eligibility to participate in our long term equity incentive program. Annual Base Compensation $151,500 - $215,500 USD To learn more about how Upwork processes and protects your personal information as part of the application process, please review our Global Job Applicant Privacy Notice Seniority level Seniority level Mid-Senior level Employment type Employment type Full-time Job function Job function Design Industries Staffing and Recruiting and Internet Marketplace Platforms Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Upwork by 2x Inferred from the description for this job 401(k) Vision insurance Medical insurance Paid maternity leave Tuition assistance Get notified when a new job is posted. 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Chicago, IL $130,000.00-$145,000.00 4 weeks ago Product Designer / Remote - USA / Mobile-first B2C Design Chicago, IL $100,000.00-$145,000.00 1 week ago Chicago, IL $145,000.00-$160,000.00 1 month ago Chicago, IL $120,000.00-$180,000.00 1 day ago Senior Product Designer - Health and Wellness Chicago, IL $114,000.00-$160,000.00 1 month ago Chicago, IL $114,000.00-$160,000.00 3 months ago Chicago, IL $55,000.00-$64,000.00 1 month ago Greater Chicago Area $180,000.00-$200,000.00 2 weeks ago Northbrook, IL $83,000.00-$130,000.00 2 weeks ago Greater Chicago Area $70,000.00-$90,000.00 1 week ago Greater Chicago Area $130,000.00-$170,000.00 2 weeks ago Chicago, IL $75,000.00-$95,000.00 1 week ago Talent Network Graphic Designer and Illustrator Chicago, IL $95,000.00-$110,000.00 1 day ago Staff Product Marketing Manager - Solutions Architect – Microsoft Entra Senior Manager, Product Management (MarTech) Chicago, IL $140,425.00-$229,600.00 6 hours ago Chicago, IL $115,000.00-$140,000.00 2 weeks ago Product Marketing Manager, Clinical Decision Support (REMOTE -- USA) Chicago, IL $115,000.00-$125,000.00 1 week ago Chicago, IL $115,000.00-$145,000.00 1 month ago Chicago, IL $115,000.00-$140,000.00 6 days ago Rosemont, IL $115,000.00-$140,000.00 6 days ago We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI. #J-18808-Ljbffr In Summary: Upwork is the world’s human and AI-powered work marketplace that connects businesses with highly skilled, AI-enabled independent talent from across the globe . We're looking for a Lead Product Designer to help shape the future of monetization on Upwork. Join us in reimagining how Upwork monetizes its platform . En Español: Upwork (UPWK) es el mercado mundial de trabajo basado en humanos y AI que conecta a empresas con talentos independientes altamente calificados, habilitados por IA, entre todo el mundo. Desde empresarios hasta las empresas Fortune 100, las compañías confían en la plataforma de confianza de Upwork y su experto compañero de inteligencia artificial, Uma, para encontrar y contratar talento, aprovechar soluciones de trabajo impulsadas por IA e impulsar la transformación empresarial. Con acceso on-demand a más de 10,000 habilidades dentro del aprendizaje automático, desarrollo de software, ventas & marketing, contabilidad de clientes y mucho más, Upwork permite a los profesionales de todos los tamaños escalar, facilitar y hacer crecer equipos adecuados para la edad de trabajo y sus profesionales. Esta es una oportunidad de alto impacto para influir en el motor principal de ingresos de un mercado bidireccional, que trabaja en la intersección del diseño basado en descubrimiento, búsqueda y rendimiento. Dirigirá experiencias de extremo a extremo que conectan valor con visibilidad y colaborará profundamente con socios trans funcionales para desbloquear nuevas vías de monetización. Únete a nosotros para reimaginar cómo Upwork monetizar su plataformay tener un impacto duradero en cómo prospera el trabajo independiente. Responsabilidades Lidera la estrategia de diseño y ejecución en todo el espacio de Ads & Monetization, brindando experiencia de calidad al cliente que equilibra los objetivos comerciales con el valor del usuario. Colaborará con gerentes de productos, ingenieros y científicos de datos para identificar oportunidades para mejorar la visibilidad, promover relevancia e impulsar las colocaciones patrocinadas. Contribuir a la cultura de diseño de Upwork al asesorar a sus pares, compartir las mejores prácticas y defender el impacto en la calidad y los clientes. Lo que se necesita para captar nuestra atención Experiencia diseñando para monetización, plataformas publicitarias o marketing de rendimiento idealmente dentro de un mercado o entorno pesado en búsqueda. Pensamiento sólido del producto con una capacidad demostrada de alinear decisiones de diseños con métricas comerciales y objetivos de crecimiento. Una cartera que muestra el diseño monetizador primero por parte del usuario a través de la web y/o móviles, con claridad sobre su papel, proceso de pensamiento y resultados. Proficiencia en herramientas como Figma y comodidad con prototipos rápidos, marcos de experimentación y trabajo con interfaces ricas en datos. Familiarizarse con sistemas basados en inteligencia artificial, modelos de relevancia o superficialidad es una ventaja. El crecimiento personal y profesional es una prioridad aquí, apoyado a través de programas de desarrollo, tutoría y nuestras comunidades pertenecientes al Upwork. Estamos orgullosos de ofrecer beneficios que van más allá de lo básico, incluyendo cobertura médica integral para usted y su familia, PTO ilimitada, un plan 401 (k) con coincidencia, 12 semanas de licencia parental pagada y un Plan de compra de acciones de empleados. Visite nuestra página Vida en Upwork para obtener más información sobre nuestros valores, principios laborales y la experiencia general del empleado. El rango mostrado refleja el salario mínimo y máximo para este puesto, y la remuneración básica individual dependerá de sus habilidades, calificaciones, experiencia y ubicación. Adicionalmente, esta posición es elegible para el plan anual de bonificación o plan de incentivo a las ventas y elegibilidad para participar en nuestro programa de incentivos a largo plazo. Compensación base anual $151,500 - $215,500 USD Para obtener más información sobre cómo Upwork procesa y protege su información personal como parte del proceso de solicitud, consulte nuestro Aviso de privacidad Global de solicitante de empleo nivel de antigüedad nivel de senioridad nivel mediano-senior Tipo de trabajo tipo de tiempo completo Función de trabajo función de diseño de trabajos Industriales Personal y Reclutamiento e Internet Marketplace Referencias aumentan tus posibilidades de entrevistarse en Upwork por 2x Inferido desde la descripción de este trabajo 401k) Seguro de seguro de maternidad Tenga una licencia médica cuando se establezca un nuevo trabajo Diseñador de empleos Producir asistencia profesional para los nuevos puestos de trabajo Chicago, IL $130,000.00-$145,000.00 hace 4 semanas Diseñador de Productos / Remote - Estados Unidos / Móvil-primero B2C Design Chicago, Il $100,000.00- $145.000.00 Hace 1 semana Chicago, Illinois $145,000.,00-$160,000.00 un mes atrás Chicago, il $120,000.,--$180,000,00 hace 1 día Senior Product Designer - Salud y Bienestar Chicago, Ill $114,000.,00- $160,000,00.