Principal Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Product Designer

Company: Bridgit

Location: Ontario, Canada

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design (SaaS, Construction Tech)

Date Posted: 2025-06-10

Experience Level: 8+ Years (Principal Level)

Remote Status: Remote (Canada)

🎨 Role Summary

• Lead the design vision and strategy for Bridgit's product ecosystem, focusing on cohesive and user-centric experiences.
• Drive design excellence within a cross-functional squad, collaborating closely with Product Managers and Engineers to deliver intuitive SaaS solutions.
• Champion user empathy through leading research efforts, translating complex construction industry pain points into strategic product opportunities.
• Architect scalable, modular design solutions that maintain consistency across Bridgit Bench and future product offerings, emphasizing usability and innovation.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Define and champion the long-term product design vision for Bridgit Bench, ensuring alignment with company-wide product strategy and business objectives.
• Act as the lead designer within a dedicated product squad, taking ownership of the end-to-end design process from discovery to implementation.
• Conduct and lead user research initiatives, including interviews, usability testing, and data analysis, to gain deep insights into the needs of construction professionals.
• Design elegant and scalable user interfaces and experiences for complex web-based SaaS features, ensuring technical feasibility and high-quality execution.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering and Product teams throughout the development lifecycle, providing design specifications, prototypes, and ongoing support.
• Utilize behavioral analytics and quantitative data to inform design decisions, measure the impact of launched features, and identify areas for optimization.
• Contribute to the evolution and maintenance of Bridgit's design system, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and scalability of design patterns and components.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to other designers on the team, fostering a culture of design excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Stay abreast of emerging design trends, technologies (including AI), and best practices to drive innovation within the product design function.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design (Interaction Design, Graphic Design, HCI), Computer Science, or a related field is typically preferred for a Principal role, although equivalent practical experience demonstrating a strong portfolio and strategic design thinking is often accepted.

Experience: 8+ years of professional experience in Product Design, specifically designing complex web-based SaaS products. A strong portfolio demonstrating successful delivery of elegant, scalable solutions and leadership in design initiatives is essential.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience in end-to-end Product Design, including research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and usability testing.
• Proven ability to drive design vision and contribute to product strategy, connecting design outcomes to business impact.
• Deep understanding of user-centered design principles and methodologies, with a strong research mindset and experience leading qualitative and quantitative research efforts.
• Expertise in designing scalable systems and modular design solutions for complex applications.
• Proficiency in using data and behavioral analytics to inform design decisions and measure product performance.
• Strong command of responsive design principles, accessibility standards (WCAG), interaction patterns, and visual design principles.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale, present solutions to stakeholders, and facilitate cross-functional collaboration.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor other designers, provide constructive critique, and elevate the overall quality of design work.
• Experience thriving in fast-paced, agile, cross-functional team environments.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing products for the B2B or enterprise SaaS space, particularly in industries like construction, real estate, or project management.
• Experience contributing to or leading the evolution of a comprehensive Design System.
• Knowledge of front-end development concepts (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate effective collaboration with engineers.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), and their potential applications in product design.
• Experience with design thinking workshops and facilitation techniques.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a diverse range of projects demonstrating your ability to tackle complex design challenges in web-based SaaS products.
• Include detailed case studies that clearly articulate your design process from problem definition, research, ideation, iteration, to final solution and impact.
• Highlight projects where you drove design strategy, contributed to product vision, and influenced product outcomes.
• Demonstrate your proficiency in creating high-fidelity mockups, interactive prototypes, and design specifications.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to user research, including methodologies used (interviews, surveys, usability testing) and how insights informed your design decisions.
• Illustrate your ideation and iteration process, showing sketches, wireframes, and different design explorations.
• Explain your validation methods, including how you tested designs with users and incorporated feedback.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: C$120,000 - C$160,000+ per year. This estimate is based on typical salary ranges for a Principal Product Designer in Ontario, Canada, considering the experience level (8+ years), the SaaS industry, and the company's funding stage (Series B). Actual compensation may vary based on experience, skills, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary: Commensurate with experience and industry standards for a Principal-level role.
• Equity Options: Opportunity to have ownership in a growing, privately held Series B company.
• Unlimited Vacation: Flexible time off policy to support work-life balance and personal well-being.
• 4-Hour Fridays: Reduced work hours on Fridays (specific details may vary, but implies a shorter workday).
• Health and Wellness Benefits: (Inferred) Typically includes comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage in Canada.
• Professional Growth Opportunities: (Inferred) Support for continuous learning through conferences, workshops, or online courses.

Working Hours: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week, with flexibility inherent in a remote role. The "4-Hour Fridays" suggest a compressed work week or reduced hours on that specific day, promoting work-life balance.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Construction Technology (ConTech) / SaaS. Bridgit is a leader in workforce planning software specifically designed for general contractors, addressing the significant labor shortage challenge in the industry.

Company Size: 51-200 employees (LinkedIn). This indicates a growth-stage company where a Principal Designer can have significant impact and influence on the product direction and design practices.

Founded: 2012. Founded by Mallorie Brodie and Lauren Lake, highlighting its origins as a female-founded Canadian company that has achieved Series B funding.

Team Structure:

• Cross-functional Squads: Designers work within dedicated squads alongside Product Managers and Engineers.
• Design Team: The Principal Designer will be part of a design team, contributing to the overall design culture and mentoring other designers.
• Reporting: (Inferred) Likely reports to a Design Lead, Head of Design, or VP of Product/Design.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: Working within cross-functional squads suggests an Agile or similar iterative development methodology.
• User-Centered Design: Strong emphasis on understanding customer pain points and translating insights into solutions.
• Data-Informed Design: Utilizing behavioral analytics and experimentation to guide and validate design decisions.

Company Website: https://www.gobridgit.com

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: Principal Product Designer. This is a senior-level role focused on providing design leadership, strategic direction, and mentorship. It requires deep expertise, the ability to influence product strategy, and a proven track record of delivering significant impact.

Reporting Structure: (Inferred) Reports to a senior design or product leader. This structure allows the Principal Designer to focus on strategic initiatives and mentorship while contributing to the overall design leadership. Collaboration with other Principal or Lead designers is also likely.

Design Impact: High. As a Principal Designer, this role is expected to significantly shape the product's future, drive design excellence across the platform, and influence product strategy and business outcomes. The impact extends beyond individual features to the overall product ecosystem and design team growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunity to mentor and influence the growth of other designers on the team.
• Strategic Influence: Deep involvement in shaping product strategy and driving the design vision for the company.
• Domain Expertise: Opportunity to become a leading expert in design for the construction technology space.
• Potential for Advancement: While Principal is a senior IC role, there may be future opportunities to move into a formal design management or leadership position as the team grows.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Remote (Canada). This role is fully remote, allowing for flexibility in location within Canada.

Office Location(s): Company headquarters are in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. While this role is remote, understanding the company's physical hub can provide context about potential team meetups or company culture events.

Design Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: Requires strong skills in remote communication and collaboration tools.
• Flexible Setup: Ability to create and manage your own productive workspace.
• Virtual Team Interaction: Regular interaction with the cross-functional squad and the broader design team through video calls and other virtual channels.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with the added benefit of "4-Hour Fridays," suggesting a commitment to work-life balance and potentially asynchronous work practices within the remote setup.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely involves a recruiter call to assess basic qualifications and fit.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the Design Lead or Head of Design about experience, design philosophy, and strategic thinking. Prepare to discuss your approach to design leadership and complex problem-solving.
• Portfolio Review: Presentation and discussion of selected case studies from your portfolio, focusing on your process, impact, and strategic contributions. Be prepared to walk through your most impactful projects in detail.
• Design Challenge or Whiteboarding Session: May involve a take-home design exercise or a live whiteboarding session to assess problem-solving skills, design thinking, and communication. Focus on articulating your thought process clearly.
• Team/Cross-Functional Interviews: Meet with members of the design team, product managers, and engineers to assess collaboration style and cultural fit. Be ready to discuss how you work in cross-functional teams.
• Final Interview: Potentially with a VP-level executive to discuss strategic alignment and overall impact.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate your portfolio to showcase projects that demonstrate your ability to design complex SaaS products and drive strategic outcomes.
• Structure case studies to clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, iteration), key decisions, final solution, and measurable impact.
• Highlight projects where you demonstrated leadership, mentorship, and influence on product direction.
• Be prepared to discuss the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
• Focus on demonstrating your strategic thinking, systems thinking, and ability to balance innovation with usability and technical constraints.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the typical types of design challenges for Principal roles (e.g., complex workflow redesign, new feature conceptualization, system design).
• Practice articulating your design process and rationale under pressure.
• Focus on demonstrating your problem-solving skills, user-centered approach, and ability to think through edge cases and scalability.
• If it's a take-home challenge, manage your time effectively and present your solution clearly, documenting your process.

ATS Keywords: Principal Product Designer, SaaS, Web Design, UI/UX Design, User Experience, User Interface, Product Design, Design Strategy, Design Vision, Design Leadership, User Research, Customer Empathy, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Data-Informed Design, Behavioral Analytics, Experimentation, Scalable Design, Modular Design, Technical Collaboration, Engineering, Product Management, Design System, Design Systems, Mentorship, Design Critique, Product Thinking, Agile, Cross-Functional Teams, Responsive Design, Accessibility (WCAG), Interaction Design, Visual Design, Portfolio, Case Studies, Prototyping, Wireframing, Usability Testing, ConTech, Construction Technology, B2B SaaS, Enterprise Software, Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Miro, JIRA, Asana, Communication, Collaboration, Problem Solving, Strategic Thinking, Empathy, Continuous Learning, Innovation, System Design.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma / Sketch / Adobe XD: Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools is essential for creating interfaces, flows, and interactive prototypes.
• InVision / Marvel / ProtoPie: Experience with prototyping and collaboration platforms for sharing designs and gathering feedback.
• Miro / FigJam: Tools for collaborative whiteboarding, ideation, and workshop facilitation.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• JIRA / Asana / Trello: Experience with project management tools for tracking design tasks and collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Slack / Microsoft Teams: Communication platforms for daily interaction with the squad and broader team.
• Zeplin / Abstract: (Potential) Tools for design handoff to engineers and version control for design files.

Research & Testing:

• UserTesting.com / Lookback: (Potential) Platforms for conducting remote user interviews and usability testing.
• SurveyMonkey / Typeform: Tools for creating and distributing surveys for quantitative and qualitative data collection.
• Google Analytics / Mixpanel / Amplitude: (Potential) Familiarity with analytics platforms to understand user behavior and measure design impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• Build Together, Win Together: Emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and shared goals. For design, this means working closely with product and engineering, providing constructive feedback, and collectively striving for the best user outcomes.
• Take Action, Drive Impact: Focuses on proactive problem-solving, innovation, and ensuring efforts lead to measurable results. Designers are expected to think strategically and independently to create impactful solutions.
• No Grit, No Pearl: Encourages embracing challenges, pitching in where needed, and believing that perseverance leads to growth and success. This value suggests a culture where designers are comfortable navigating ambiguity and contributing beyond their core responsibilities when necessary.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Working closely and iteratively within dedicated squads with Product Managers and Engineers.
• Design Critique: (Inferred) A culture of providing and receiving constructive feedback within the design team to elevate the quality of work.
• Open Communication: Emphasis on clear and effective communication within the team and across the organization.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Complexity of the Construction Domain: Designing intuitive solutions for a traditionally complex and often manual industry requires deep understanding and simplification of intricate workflows.
• Balancing Innovation and Usability: Driving forward-looking innovation, including potentially leveraging AI, while ensuring the product remains highly usable and accessible to a diverse user base in the construction field.
• Scaling the Design System: As the product grows, maintaining and evolving the design system to ensure consistency and efficiency across multiple teams and features.
• Measuring Design Impact: Effectively using data and analytics to demonstrate the tangible impact of design decisions on user behavior and business outcomes.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepening Domain Expertise: Opportunity to become an expert in the unique challenges and needs of the construction industry.
• Leadership and Mentorship: Developing leadership skills through mentoring junior designers and influencing strategic decisions.
• Working with Emerging Technologies: Exploring and implementing the application of AI and other new technologies in product design for the construction space.
• Contributing to a Growing Design Team: Helping shape the practices, processes, and culture of a maturing design function within a growth-stage company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• "Walk me through your design process for a complex feature in a SaaS product." Be prepared to discuss your approach from problem definition to implementation and iteration, using a specific portfolio example.
• "How do you balance user needs, business goals, and technical constraints in your design decisions?" Provide examples of trade-offs you've made and your rationale.
• "Describe a time you used data or research insights to significantly change a design direction." Highlight your research methodologies and how you translated findings into actionable design improvements.

Company Culture Questions:

• "How do you collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers in a cross-functional squad?" Discuss your communication style, handoff process, and how you ensure alignment.
• "How do you approach giving and receiving design critique?" Share your philosophy on feedback and how you use it to improve your work and the work of others.
• "Based on our company values, which one resonates most with your design philosophy and how have you demonstrated it in your work?" Connect your past experiences to Bridgit's core values.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 2-3 case studies that best showcase your experience designing complex SaaS products and your ability to drive strategic impact.
• For each case study, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your role and responsibilities, your design process (including research, ideation, and iteration), key design decisions and rationale, the final solution, and the measurable impact of your work.
• Focus on demonstrating your strategic thinking, systems thinking, and ability to lead design initiatives.
• Be prepared to go deep into the details of your process and answer questions about your choices.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link
• Tailor your resume to highlight your experience in web-based SaaS product design, your leadership and strategic contributions, and your proficiency with relevant design tools and methodologies. Use keywords from the ATS Keywords section.
• Prepare a compelling portfolio that includes detailed case studies demonstrating your end-to-end design process, strategic impact, and ability to design for complex systems. Ensure it is easily accessible and well-organized.
• Research Bridgit and the construction technology industry to understand the market, the challenges, and how Bridgit's product addresses user needs.
• Practice presenting your portfolio and articulating your design process and strategic thinking clearly and concisely.