[Contractor] Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Contractor Senior Product Designer

Company: Cheesecake Labs

Location: Remote - Brazil

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: September 02, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Remote Solely

🚀 Role Summary

• This is a contractor role focused on shaping product experiences for established and scaling organizations.

• The position requires a blend of strong product thinking, user empathy, visual design skills, and ownership across the full product design lifecycle.

• Key responsibilities include collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, conducting user research, and translating requirements into practical design solutions.

• The role demands comfort with ambiguity, evolving requirements, and fast-paced environments, with a focus on balancing user needs, business priorities, and technical constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Product Designer," the context of Cheesecake Labs as an AI, data, and product engineering partner suggests this role will also intersect with GTM (Go-To-Market) operations by contributing to the discovery and definition phases of client projects, influencing product strategy that ultimately impacts market positioning and adoption. The "contractor" nature implies a need for self-management and adaptability, aligning with operational efficiency.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with engineering, product management, and client stakeholders to define and refine product experiences, moving beyond simply executing requirements.

• Conduct user research, market analysis, and validation activities to inform design decisions and ensure product-market fit.

• Deconstruct complex product requirements and user stories into actionable design flows, wireframes, and user journeys.

• Create high-fidelity UI designs, interactive prototypes, and contribute to or develop scalable design systems for consistency and efficiency.

• Actively balance usability principles, business objectives, technical limitations, and project timelines in daily design decision-making.

• Participate in strategic product and design discussions with international clients and diverse, multidisciplinary teams.

• Leverage AI tools within the design workflow for research, ideation, prototyping, and general workflow acceleration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "shaping product experiences" and "figuring out what should actually be built" indicates a strategic contribution beyond typical execution. This aligns with a GTM Operations perspective, where design choices directly impact the marketability and user adoption of the final product. The responsibility to balance multiple competing priorities highlights the operational challenge of delivering value under constraints.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience is essential. A background in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is beneficial.

Experience: 5-10 years of progressive experience in digital product design, with a significant focus on end-to-end product design lifecycle management.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience designing digital products across both web and mobile platforms.

• Proficiency in navigating both UX (discovery, flows, research) and UI (polished interfaces, interactions) challenges.

• Strong collaborative mindset, with demonstrated ability to work effectively alongside engineers, product managers, and client stakeholders.

• Comfort and experience navigating ambiguity, evolving requirements, and fast-changing product contexts.

• Deep care for usability, design quality, consistency, and pragmatic product decision-making.

• Advanced proficiency in English for effective communication with international clients and teams (verbal, written, and async).

• Demonstrated use of AI tools in daily workflow for research, ideation, prototyping, or acceleration.

• Expertise in modern design tools such as Figma, Sketch, or similar platforms. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with modern design systems and their implementation.

• Familiarity with mobile design guidelines (iOS and Android).

• Proficiency with prototyping and collaboration tools like Zeplin.

• Experience with Adobe Creative Suite for asset creation or other related tasks.

• Understanding of product strategy and how design contributes to business objectives.

• Experience in AI Implementation, Data & Analytics, or Product Engineering contexts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for AI tool usage is a key indicator of the company's forward-thinking approach and suggests candidates should be prepared to showcase how they integrate AI into their design processes, which is becoming increasingly relevant in GTM and product development operations. The "5-10 years" experience level implies a need for strategic thinking and the ability to mentor or guide junior team members if the project structure allows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing a range of digital product design projects, with a clear emphasis on end-to-end design processes from discovery to final UI.

• Demonstrate ability to translate complex requirements into intuitive user flows and compelling visual designs.

• Include case studies that highlight problem-solving, user research methodologies, and the rationale behind design decisions.

• Showcase experience with modern design tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch) and ideally, examples of design system contributions or usage.

• Evidence of balancing user needs, business goals, and technical constraints within project constraints. Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you approach user research, including methodologies used and insights derived.

• Documentation or explanation of your wireframing, prototyping, and UI design process.

• Demonstrate how you iterate on designs based on feedback and testing.

• Showcase your approach to creating and maintaining design consistency, potentially through design systems or style guides.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a contractor role at a company like Cheesecake Labs, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to demonstrate not just aesthetic skill but also a robust design process and the ability to operate autonomously and effectively within client-facing engagements. The emphasis on "shaping product experiences" and "figuring out what should actually be built" means the portfolio should highlight strategic thinking and problem-definition skills, not just execution.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: As a contractor role paid in USD/hour, the rate will vary based on experience, project scope, and specific client needs. Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers with 5-10 years of experience in remote roles, a competitive hourly rate could range from $50 to $90 USD per hour.

Benefits:

• Competitive Hourly Rate: Paid in USD for contractor engagements.

• Flexible Allocation: Opportunities for varying weekly commitment and project duration based on availability and fit.

• Diverse Project Exposure: Work across multiple products, clients, industries, and business challenges.

• Remote-First Environment: Work from anywhere, with a focus on asynchronous communication and collaboration.

• Professional Development: Exposure to AI-accelerated delivery methodologies and modern technology stacks.

• Potential for Immediate Start: Opportunities may become available quickly for suitable candidates.

Working Hours: While the role is project-based and allocation is flexible, a typical full-time equivalent would be approximately 40 hours per week. Specific project demands may lead to variations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on typical contractor rates for senior-level design roles in the tech industry, particularly those involving specialized skills like AI integration and remote work. Cheesecake Labs operates globally, so USD payment is standard for international contractors. The benefits listed are typical for contractor roles, emphasizing flexibility and project diversity over traditional employee benefits.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, AI, Data & Analytics, Product Engineering, Consulting. Cheesecake Labs partners with established and scaling organizations to solve complex challenges related to legacy systems, data fragmentation, AI adoption, and engineering capacity.

Company Size: Cheesecake Labs is a mid-sized company, with employee counts typically ranging from 50-250 professionals. This size often fosters a dynamic environment where individuals can have a significant impact and collaborate across different functions.

Founded: Cheesecake Labs was founded over 13 years ago, indicating a strong track record and stability in the market, with experience serving a diverse client base including major organizations like the World Bank, PepsiCo, and Mercado Libre.

Team Structure:

• Designers are part of a network of contractors, working alongside internal multidisciplinary teams (engineers, product managers, data scientists).

• Reporting structures will vary by project, often involving direct collaboration with a Project Lead or Client Product Manager.

• Cross-functional collaboration is inherent, with designers expected to work closely with engineers to understand technical constraints and with product managers/clients to align on business objectives. Methodology:

• Cheesecake Labs emphasizes AI-Accelerated Delivery, aiming for faster execution (e.g., agentic workflows in 8-12 weeks).

• They focus on modernizing applications, building trusted data foundations, and developing scalable digital products.

• Their approach involves strategic conversations evolving into active projects, often requiring designers to contribute to discovery and strategy phases.

Company Website: http://www.ckl.io

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is geared towards agile, fast-paced project delivery, often for clients facing significant technological challenges. This means designers need to be adaptable, proactive, and comfortable working in evolving project scopes, which aligns with operational efficiency and GTM responsiveness.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Senior Contractor level, implying a high degree of autonomy, expertise, and the ability to influence product direction. It's suitable for experienced designers who can operate independently and contribute strategically.

Reporting Structure: As a contractor, you will likely report to a Project Manager or a designated client lead for specific projects. You will collaborate closely with engineering and product teams.

Operations Impact: The design work directly influences the user experience, marketability, and adoption rates of client products. By contributing to product strategy and user-centric design, this role has a significant impact on the success of client initiatives and, by extension, Cheesecake Labs' reputation and business growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design tools, user research methodologies, and design systems through diverse project exposure.

• Cross-Industry Experience: Gain broad experience across various sectors and client types, enhancing adaptability and market knowledge.

• Strategic Contribution: Opportunities to engage in product strategy and discovery phases, moving beyond pure execution and influencing product direction.

• Network Building: Connect with a global network of professionals and build relationships within the tech and design communities.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a contractor, "growth" is often measured by the breadth and complexity of projects undertaken, skill enhancement through exposure, and the ability to command higher rates or secure longer-term engagements. This role offers significant opportunities for a designer to expand their portfolio and strategic capabilities.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, emphasizing a "remote-first" approach.

Office Location(s): While the job listing specifies "Remote - Brazil," Cheesecake Labs operates globally. Candidates must be legally able to work in Brazil and have a business registration there. However, the nature of contractor work may allow for flexibility depending on project and client requirements.

Workspace Context:

• The work environment is highly collaborative, requiring seamless interaction with international clients and multidisciplinary teams.

• Expect a focus on asynchronous communication tools and practices, common in remote, global teams.

• Access to modern design tools and potentially AI-powered platforms will be standard.

Work Schedule: Allocation is flexible and project-dependent. While a standard 40-hour week is a baseline, the nature of consulting and contracting means schedules can adapt to project needs and client availability, often involving calls across different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature and global client base mean candidates must be self-disciplined, excellent communicators across time zones, and comfortable with asynchronous workflows. This is critical for operational efficiency in a distributed team.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of portfolio and resume to assess experience, skills, and alignment with role requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation/Discussion: A session where candidates present their work, discuss their design process, and answer questions about specific projects. Expect to detail your approach to problem-solving, user research, and balancing constraints.

• Technical/Skills Assessment: Potentially a short design challenge or a discussion focusing on specific design tools, methodologies, or AI integration in your workflow.

• Client/Team Fit Interview: Discussion to assess collaboration style, communication skills (especially in English), and comfort with ambiguity and fast-paced environments.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Showcase 3-5 of your strongest projects that best represent your senior-level capabilities and the requirements of this role (web/mobile, UX/UI, problem-solving, AI integration).

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your process, the challenges faced, your solutions, and the impact or outcomes. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Process: Emphasize your thought process, research methodologies, and how you arrived at design decisions, rather than just presenting final screens.

• Showcase Collaboration: Include examples or descriptions of how you worked with engineers, product managers, and stakeholders.

• Address AI Usage: If possible, include a project where you leveraged AI tools and explain the benefits or efficiencies gained.

• Technical Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your proficiency with Figma, Sketch, and other relevant tools.

Challenge Preparation:

• If a design challenge is given, focus on understanding the core problem quickly and outlining your approach, even if you can't complete it fully within the time limit.

• Be prepared to articulate your design strategy, rationale, and how your proposed solution addresses business and user needs.

• Practice presenting your work concisely and engagingly, anticipating questions about your choices and trade-offs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given this is a contractor role, the portfolio review will be critical. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not just design skill but also operational efficiency, strategic thinking, and the ability to integrate quickly into client projects. The emphasis on AI tools means candidates should be ready to discuss practical applications.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly preferred), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator).

• Collaboration & Handoff: Zeplin, InVision, or similar tools for design handoff to developers.

• User Research: Tools for surveys, interviews, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Google Forms).

Analytics & Reporting: While not direct responsibilities, understanding how design impacts analytics (e.g., conversion rates, user engagement) is beneficial. Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics or client-specific analytics platforms can be a plus.

CRM & Automation: Not directly applicable for this design role, but understanding how products integrate with CRM systems (like Salesforce) and automation workflows can provide valuable context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is almost a de facto requirement for modern design roles. The mention of AI tools suggests that candidates who can demonstrate experience with AI-assisted design plugins or workflows will have a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Client-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding and solving client problems effectively.

• Excellence & Quality: Commitment to delivering high-quality, well-crafted digital products and design solutions.

• Collaboration: Emphasis on teamwork, open communication, and cross-functional synergy.

• Adaptability & Agility: The ability to thrive in dynamic environments, respond to change, and deliver rapidly.

• Innovation: Embracing new technologies and methodologies, including AI, to drive efficiency and better outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Designers are expected to be proactive collaborators, engaging with engineers, product managers, and clients early and often.

• Openness to feedback and iterative design processes is crucial.

• Clear and concise communication, especially in English, is essential for successful cross-cultural and cross-functional teamwork.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values reflect a professional services firm that prioritizes client success, quality delivery, and efficient project execution. For a contractor, demonstrating alignment with these values through your past work and communication style is key