Director, Product Discovery

Responsibilities

As the Director, Product Discovery, you will lead a team of Product Managers, Analysts and Product Designers responsible for discovering and delivering digital and data solutions that create measurable value for the organization. Reporting to the VP/SVP of Data & AI Product Innovation, you will own the continuous discovery process—ensuring the team is solving problems worth solving, validating solutions before engineering investment, and reducing risk across four dimensions: value, usability, feasibility, and viability.

 

You will champion operational excellence by identifying opportunities to standardize and streamline processes, eliminate inefficiencies, and design solutions that reduce cost while improving outcomes. You will actively explore how AI and intelligent automation can transform workflows, accelerate decision-making, and drive sustainable efficiency gains. Innovation in this role means not only building new products but also challenging how work gets done today.

 

This is a hands-on leadership role that balances strategic thinking with execution. You will engage directly with clinical and operational users, frame problems clearly, and partner closely with Engineering, Data, Analytics, and Architecture to ensure solutions are aligned and impactful. You bring deep expertise in user-centered design, healthcare or regulated industries, and modern product practices.

You will lead product discovery for AI-powered solutions—ensuring the team understands when AI is the right approach, how to validate AI product concepts with users, and how to design for trust, transparency, and human oversight.

 

Product Strategy & Vision

• Define and communicate a clear product vision that aligns with organizational strategy and user needs.
• Identify high-impact opportunities by synthesizing insights from users, operations, data, and market trends.
• Prioritize ruthlessly—ensure the team focuses on problems worth solving that deliver measurable outcomes.
• Own the product roadmap, balancing quick wins with long-term strategic bets.

AI Product Discovery & Design

• Lead discovery for AI and machine learning product opportunities—identifying where intelligent automation creates measurable value.
• Ensure AI product concepts are validated for user trust, explainability, and appropriate human-in-the-loop controls.
• Partner with Data Science and Analytics to translate model capabilities into user-centered product experiences.
• Guide the team in designing for AI-specific risks: bias, uncertainty, and user over-reliance.

Continuous Discovery & Validation

• Lead continuous discovery practices—problem framing, assumption mapping, prototyping, and rapid validation.
• Reduce risk across four dimensions before engineering investment: value (will it matter?), usability (can users figure it out?), feasibility (can we build it?), and viability (does it work for the business?).
• Engage directly with clinical and operational users to uncover unmet needs, pain points, and workflow opportunities.
• Establish repeatable discovery rituals that keep the team close to users and grounded in evidence.

Product Design & User Experience

• Lead Product Designers in translating validated problems into intuitive, accessible solutions.
• Ensure design consistency across the product portfolio through shared patterns, standards, and design systems.
• Facilitate usability testing and feedback loops that inform iterative design improvements.
• Champion accessibility and inclusive design principles.

Operational Excellence & AI Innovation

• Identify opportunities to standardize, streamline, and automate business processes through product solutions.
• Explore and apply AI and intelligent automation to transform workflows, reduce manual effort, and drive efficiency gains.
• Design solutions that reduce operational cost while improving quality and outcomes.
• Challenge the status quo—question how work gets done today and advocate for smarter approaches.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Engineering, Data, Analytics, QA, and Architecture throughout the product lifecycle.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to align product priorities with organizational goals.
• Work closely with Delivery Management to ensure smooth execution from discovery through release.
• Communicate product decisions, trade-offs, and outcomes clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.

Team Leadership & Development

• Build, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of Product Managers and Product Designers.
• Foster a culture of curiosity, user empathy, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
• Establish clear goals, career paths, and feedback mechanisms that support individual growth.
• Scale discovery and design practices through repeatable frameworks, templates, and rituals.

Qualifications

Education:

Master’s degree required in Business, Data Science, Engineering, Healthcare Informatics, or a related field.

 

Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive product management, product design, or related disciplines include business/systems analysis, and requirements engineering.
• Deep domain expertise in blood banking systems and operations (e.g., BECS, donor management, lab workflows, compliance requirements).
• Demonstrated success leading discovery and design for complex digital products within healthcare, life sciences, or other regulated industries.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional collaboration across stakeholders, analysts, designers, and technical teams.
• Experience conducting independent systems and data analysis, including source validation and integration mapping.
• Hands-on experience with modern discovery and design tools (e.g., Figma, Confluence, Azure DevOps, SQL).
• Strong working knowledge of Agile and Lean methodologies and product delivery practices.
• Familiarity with healthcare regulatory frameworks (e.g., FDA, AABB, CLIA) as they relate to information systems and product requirements.
• Experience balancing strategic leadership with hands-on execution in a dynamic, mission-driven environment.

Licenses:

Certification in Agile / SCRUM Methodology or the willingness to pursue them.

 

Knowledge:

• Modern product management practices: continuous discovery, outcome-driven roadmaps, lean experimentation.
• User-centered design principles, usability testing, prototyping, and design systems.
• AI and intelligent automation concepts and their application to process improvement.
• AI Product development: discovery, validation and design patterns for AI/ML-powered features.
• Understand AI/ML lifecycle and collaboration with Data Science teams.
• Healthcare, life sciences, or regulated industry contexts—including how compliance shapes product decisions.
• Data fundamentals: data models, relational databases, and SQL sufficient to validate assumptions.
• Agile/Lean methodologies and software development lifecycles.

Skills:

• Cultural competency and the ability to communicate effectively in a culturally sensitive manner with both individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds.
• Problem framing—translating ambiguity into well-scoped, actionable product work.
• Facilitation—leading discovery sessions, design critiques, and stakeholder workshops.
• Communication—articulating vision, strategy, and trade-offs to technical and executive audiences.
• Coaching and developing Product Managers and Product Designers.
• Proficiency in modern product and design tools (e.g., Figma, Miro, Confluence, Azure DevOps).

Abilities:

• Balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution in a fast-paced environment.
• Challenge existing processes and advocate for change while maintaining stakeholder trust.
• Synthesize diverse inputs—users, data, operations, leadership—into sound prioritization decisions.
• Identify where AI and automation add value and champion adoption.
• Lead through influence and foster a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and continuous improvement.

For applicants who will perform this position in Westchester County, the proposed annual salary is $200,000.00 to $210,000.00 per year.  For applicants who will perform this position outside of New York City or Westchester County, salary will reflect local market rates and be commensurate with the applicant’s skills, job-related knowledge, and experience.

 

Any combination of education, training, and experience equivalent to the requirements above that has supplied the necessary knowledge, skills, and experience to perform the essential functions of the job.

Overview

Founded in 1964, New York Blood Center (NYBC) has served the tri-state area for more than 60 years, delivering 500,000 lifesaving blood products annually to 150+ hospitals, EMS and healthcare partners. NYBC is part of New York Blood Center Enterprises (NYBCe), which spans 17+ states and delivers one million blood products to 400+ U.S. hospitals annually. NYBCe additionally delivers cellular therapies, specialty pharmacy, and medical services to 200+ research, academic and biopharmaceutical organizations. NYBCe’s Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute is a leader in hematology and transfusion medicine research, dedicated to the study, prevention, treatment and cure of bloodborne and blood-related diseases. NYBC serves as a vital community lifeline dedicated to helping patients and advancing global public health. To learn more, visit nybc.org. Connect with us on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.