📍 Job Overview
Job Title: Senior Product Designer
Company: Smartcat
Location: Serbia - Remote
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Product Design, UI/UX Design
Date Posted: 2025-06-12T19:46:55
Experience Level: 5-10 years (Senior Level)
Remote Status: Remote Solely
🎨 Role Summary
- Drive the future of user experience for a platform reshaping global content creation and localization.
- Partner deeply with Product Managers and Engineers in an empowered product team, influencing strategy and outcomes.
- Lead the design process from problem discovery through solution delivery, ensuring exceptional user experience.
- Contribute significantly to a $100B+ industry by shaping a category-defining AI-powered SaaS product.
📝 Enhancement Note: Based on the job title "Senior Product Designer" and the emphasis on strategic partnership within empowered teams, this role likely involves significant autonomy, leadership in design initiatives, and influence on product direction beyond just execution. The focus on a "category-defining product" in a "fast-paced startup environment" suggests a need for proactive, innovative, and adaptable design approaches.
🖼️ Primary Responsibilities
- Collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineers throughout the product lifecycle, from initial problem discovery to final solution delivery.
- Conduct comprehensive user research, including usability testing and feedback analysis, to inform and validate design decisions.
- Develop a range of design artifacts, from wireframes and low-fidelity drafts to high-fidelity pixel-perfect designs and interactive prototypes for web and mobile interfaces.
- Build, maintain, and evolve the company's design system and style guide to ensure consistency, scalability, and a seamless user experience across the platform.
- Iterate rapidly on designs based on user insights, internal feedback, changing project requirements, and product performance data.
- Explore and apply new design tools, technologies, and methodologies, including AI, to enhance design quality, efficiency, and user empathy.
- Proactively identify opportunities to improve existing design practices and introduce fresh, creative approaches to complex problem-solving within the product area.
📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of partnering deeply with PMs and Engineers "from problem discovery to solution delivery" indicates a full-stack product design role with end-to-end ownership. The requirement to "build and maintain a design system" suggests a focus on scalability and consistency, typical for growing SaaS platforms. The emphasis on rapid iteration and proactive exploration of AI tools highlights the dynamic nature of the role and the company's focus on innovation in the Agentic AI space.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, or a related field is typically expected for a Senior Product Designer role, or equivalent practical experience demonstrated through a strong portfolio.
Experience: Proven experience as a Product Designer with a portfolio demonstrating industry-standard design excellence, likely 5-10 years in a product-focused environment.
Required Skills:
- Expert-level proficiency in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design.
- Deep understanding and strong advocacy for user-centered design principles and methodologies.
- Proven ability to conduct user research, usability testing, and gather actionable feedback.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions clearly to both design and non-design stakeholders.
- Strong collaboration skills, enabling effective partnership with product managers, engineers, and other cross-functional teams.
- Data-driven mindset with the ability to use metrics and research to support and validate design choices.
- Strong sense of ownership and comfort working in a fast-paced, evolving startup environment.
- High integrity, commitment to quality outcomes, and a growth-oriented, product-focused mindset.
Preferred Skills:
- Familiarity with UI animation techniques to enhance user interaction and engagement.
- Understanding of HTML, CSS, and front-end development concepts to facilitate effective collaboration with engineers.
- Experience using AI tools to accelerate design workflows, enhance prototyping, or improve user research processes.
- Curiosity and enthusiasm for experimenting with new tools, technologies (especially AI), and design methods.
📝 Enhancement Note: The "Expert-level skills in Figma" is a critical hard requirement, indicating Figma is the primary design tool used by the team. The emphasis on "user-centered design" and "data-driven mindset" aligns with modern product development practices. The preferred skills in front-end technologies and AI tools suggest a desire for a designer who can bridge the gap between design and development and is keen on leveraging emerging technologies.
🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- Showcase a portfolio that "sets the industry standard," emphasizing end-to-end product design processes for complex web and mobile applications.
- Include detailed case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process (including research, ideation, iteration), the solution, and the impact or outcomes.
- Demonstrate strong visual design skills with pixel-perfect execution and attention to detail in high-fidelity mockups.
- If applicable, showcase examples of interactive prototypes and documentation of technical considerations or handoff processes.
Process Documentation:
- Clearly document the research and discovery phase, including methodologies used (e.g., user interviews, surveys, competitive analysis) and key insights gathered.
- Illustrate the ideation and iteration methods employed, such as sketching, wireframing, prototyping, and feedback incorporation.
- Explain the validation and testing approaches used (e.g., usability testing, A/B testing) and how feedback influenced design decisions.
📝 Enhancement Note: A portfolio that "sets the industry standard" implies a high bar for design quality, process rigor, and demonstrated impact. The emphasis on detailed case studies highlighting the full design process (research, ideation, iteration, validation, outcomes) is crucial for a Senior Product Designer role, as it demonstrates strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, not just execution skills.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: While not specified, based on the Senior level, remote location in Serbia, and the company's Series C funding status in the tech/AI industry, a competitive salary range for a Senior Product Designer in Serbia could be estimated between €35,000 - €65,000 EUR Gross Annually. This estimate is based on research into typical salary ranges for remote senior tech roles in Serbia, factoring in the cost of living and market demand for experienced product designers in the AI/SaaS space. Specific compensation will depend on experience, skills, and negotiation.
Benefits:
- Competitive salary and potential for equity/stock options in a rapidly growing, Series C company.
- Opportunity to work fully remotely as part of a global team across 30+ countries, offering flexibility.
- Be part of a company recognized for its culture and innovation (e.g., "Best Places to Work 2025" and "Top AI in Training Companies 2024").
- Opportunity to work on a high-impact product that is redefining a $100B+ industry and enabling global communication and inclusion.
Working Hours: Full-time, standard working hours, with flexibility inherent in a fully remote global team setting. Collaboration across different time zones may require some flexibility.
📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on publicly available data and reports on tech salaries for senior roles in Serbia, considering the remote nature and the company's funding stage. It's crucial for candidates to research current market rates and negotiate based on their specific experience and the value they bring. The benefits listed are inferred from the company description, highlighting the remote-first culture, industry impact, and potential for growth in a venture-backed company.
🎯Team & Company Context
🏢 Company & Design Culture
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet, specifically focusing on Language AI and the future of work, enabling enterprises with Agentic AI and human-in-the-loop workflows for multilingual content creation and localization.
Company Size: 201-500 employees (currently 348 LinkedIn employees), indicating a growth-stage company with established processes but still maintaining a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
Founded: 2016, suggesting a company with a solid foundation and several years of market presence and product development.
Team Structure:
- Part of an "empowered product team" consisting of Product Managers and Engineers, suggesting a collaborative, cross-functional structure.
- Likely a dedicated design team structure, though the reporting lines and exact team size are not specified.
- High emphasis on global distribution, with a fully remote team across 30+ countries.
Methodology:
- Focus on "problem discovery to solution delivery" suggests a product development process that incorporates research, ideation, design, development, and iteration.
- Emphasis on "user research, usability tests, and gathering feedback" indicates a commitment to user-centered design methodologies.
- Rapid iteration and continuous improvement are highlighted, aligning with agile development principles.
Company Website: https://www.smartcat.com
📝 Enhancement Note: The company's positioning in "Agentic AI" and "multilingual content creation" places it at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and a specific market need. The description of empowered product teams and a focus on rapid iteration points towards an agile or lean product development methodology. The fully remote and globally distributed nature significantly impacts team collaboration and communication dynamics.
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Design Career Level: This is a Senior-level role (5-10 years experience), implying significant autonomy, leadership in design initiatives within a product area, and mentorship opportunities for more junior designers (though mentorship is not explicitly stated). The role is expected to "own design execution in your product area end-to-end" by day 90.
Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Design Lead, Design Manager, or Head of Design, working closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads within a specific product team.
Design Impact: Design plays a "key strategic partner" role, driving the future user experience of a core platform and influencing product strategy and outcomes in a rapidly growing company aiming for significant scale.
Growth Opportunities:
- Opportunity to deepen expertise in Product Design within the specialized domain of Language AI and enterprise SaaS.
- Potential for advancement into design leadership roles as the company scales rapidly.
- Opportunities to mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth of the design team and culture.
- Exposure to cutting-edge AI technologies and the chance to shape their application in product design.
📝 Enhancement Note: The "How You'll Ramp" section provides a clear trajectory for the first 90 days, culminating in owning design execution and contributing to product strategy. This structure confirms the senior nature of the role and the expected level of impact and autonomy. The company's rapid growth trajectory suggests significant opportunities for career advancement and skill development in a dynamic environment.
🌐 Work Environment
Studio Type: Fully remote, distributed team. There are no physical office requirements for this specific role in Serbia.
Office Location(s): Smartcat has concentrations of employees in locations like Boston, NYC, SF, the Bay Area, London, and Lisbon, but this role is specifically remote in Serbia.
Design Workspace Context:
- Requires comfort and effectiveness in a fully remote work setup, utilizing digital collaboration tools extensively.
- Collaboration will occur across various time zones, necessitating flexible communication strategies.
- Emphasis on asynchronous communication and documentation is likely given the distributed nature of the team.
Work Schedule: Flexible due to the remote nature, but likely requires availability during core collaboration hours with the product team, which may be spread across different time zones. The "How You'll Ramp" section implies a structured approach to onboarding and integration into the team and product area.
📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature emphasizes the need for strong communication, collaboration, and self-management skills. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience working effectively in a distributed team environment and how they maintain collaboration and creative flow without a physical studio space.
📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process
Design Interview Process:
- Initial screening call to assess basic qualifications and fit.
- Likely a portfolio review round where you present selected case studies, focusing on your process, decision-making, and impact. Prepare to discuss your role in the outcomes.
- Potential design challenge or take-home assignment to evaluate problem-solving skills and execution abilities within a specific timeframe.
- Interviews with the hiring manager (Design Lead/Manager), Product Manager(s), and potentially Engineering Lead(s) from the product team you'd be joining. Focus on collaboration, strategic thinking, and technical understanding.
- Cultural fit interviews with other team members to assess alignment with Smartcat's values and remote work culture.
- Final interview round, potentially with a Head of Design or other senior leadership.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Select 2-3 strong case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end product design process, particularly for complex SaaS or enterprise applications.
- For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your specific role and responsibilities, the research conducted, the design process and iterations, the final solution, and the measurable impact or outcomes achieved.
- Be prepared to articulate your design decisions and rationale clearly and concisely.
- Highlight examples of collaboration with Product Management and Engineering, and how you navigated constraints or feedback.
- If applicable, showcase your contributions to design systems or style guides.
Challenge Preparation:
- Understand the typical format and expectations for design challenges in a remote setting (e.g., timed exercise, take-home assignment with a presentation).
- Focus on demonstrating your problem-solving approach, not just the final visual design. Articulate your assumptions, process, and rationale.
- Practice presenting your work within a limited time frame, clearly explaining your thinking and decisions to a non-design audience.
ATS Keywords: Product Design, UI/UX Design, User-Centered Design, Design Thinking, Usability, User Research, Usability Testing, Wireframing, Prototyping, Figma, Design Systems, Style Guides, Information Architecture, Interaction Design, Visual Design, Mobile Design, Web Design, SaaS, Enterprise Software, Agile, Scrum, Collaboration, Communication, Problem-Solving, Data-Driven Design, AI Tools, HTML, CSS, Front-End, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Zeplin, JIRA, Confluence, Remote Work, Distributed Teams, Localization, Multilingual Content, Agentic AI, Generative AI, Case Studies, Portfolio, Design Process, Iteration, Feedback, Stakeholder Management, Cross-Functional Team.
📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured based on common practices for Senior Product Designer roles in tech companies, especially those with a strong product and design focus. The emphasis on portfolio case studies, a potential design challenge, and interviews with cross-functional team members are standard for evaluating a candidate's strategic thinking, collaboration skills, and technical proficiency. The ATS keywords are a comprehensive list derived from the job description and relevant design industry terms to help candidates optimize their applications.
🛠 Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Design Tools:
- Figma: Required at an expert level for all stages of the design process, including wireframing, prototyping, high-fidelity design, and collaborative work. Expect the team to heavily rely on Figma for design system management and handoff.
- UI Animation Tools: Familiarity with tools or techniques for creating UI animations is a plus, indicating a focus on enhancing user engagement and micro-interactions.
Collaboration & Handoff:
- Collaboration Tools: Likely uses tools like Slack, Zoom, or similar platforms for communication and real-time collaboration with a distributed team.
- Handoff Tools: Figma is the primary tool for developer handoff, but knowledge of tools like Zeplin, Avocode, or similar could be beneficial, though not explicitly required.
- Documentation Tools: Tools like Confluence or Notion may be used for documenting design specifications, user flows, and design system guidelines.
Research & Testing:
- User Research Tools: May use tools for conducting remote user interviews, surveys (e.g., Typeform, SurveyMonkey), or usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze).
- Analytics Tools: Familiarity with product analytics platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) to inform design decisions and measure impact is part of the data-driven mindset requirement.
📝 Enhancement Note: Figma being listed as an "Expert-level" requirement signifies it's the core of the design workflow. The mention of UI animation, HTML, and CSS hints at a desire for designers who understand how their designs translate into functional interfaces and can effectively communicate with front-end developers. The preference for AI tools indicates an openness to leveraging new technologies in the design process.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Design Values:
- User-Centeredness: A strong advocate for user needs and usability principles, ensuring the user is at the forefront of design decisions.
- Quality and Craftsmanship: Commitment to delivering "high-quality, pixel-perfect designs" and maintaining consistency through a robust design system.
- Innovation and Experimentation: Curiosity and enthusiasm for exploring new tools, technologies (especially AI), and creative approaches to problem-solving.
- Impact-Driven: Focus on contributing to strategy, shaping outcomes, and ensuring the design delivers tangible value to users and the business.
Collaboration Style:
- Deep Partnership: Works closely and collaboratively with Product Managers and Engineers as an integral part of an "empowered product team."
- Clear Communication: Ability to communicate design decisions effectively to both design and non-design audiences.
- Receptive to Feedback: Openness to receiving and integrating feedback from diverse perspectives to improve designs.
- High Integrity: Operates with honesty and a strong commitment to ethical design practices and outcomes.
📝 Enhancement Note: The company's "Culture Code" linked in the original description provides further insight into values like respect, appreciation for diversity, focus on results, and clear communication. These values, combined with the emphasis on collaboration and feedback within the job description, paint a picture of a team that values both individual contribution and collective success in a transparent environment.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Design Challenges:
- Designing for a complex domain: The multilingual content creation and localization space involves intricate workflows and diverse user needs.
- Integrating cutting-edge AI: Applying Agentic AI effectively within the product design to create intuitive and powerful user experiences.
- Scaling design practices: Contributing to and maintaining a design system in a rapidly growing company with evolving product areas.
- Working effectively in a fully remote, globally distributed team, requiring strong communication and collaboration skills across time zones.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Become an expert in the intersection of AI and Product Design, a rapidly evolving and high-demand area.
- Deepen skills in designing for enterprise-level SaaS products with complex workflows.
- Enhance collaboration and communication skills in a fully remote, global team setting.
- Opportunities to contribute to the design system and influence design standards across the company.
📝 Enhancement Note: The primary design challenges stem from the complexity of the product domain (multilingual enterprise content), the integration of novel AI technologies, and the need to scale design practices in a fast-growing, distributed company. These challenges also represent significant growth opportunities for a designer looking to work at the forefront of AI and enterprise SaaS.
💡 Interview Preparation
Design Process Questions:
- Be prepared to walk through your end-to-end design process for a complex project from your portfolio. Focus on problem definition, research, ideation, iteration, and validation.
- Discuss how you approach incorporating user feedback and data into your design decisions.
- Explain your experience working with product managers and engineers throughout the development lifecycle.
Company Culture Questions:
- Research Smartcat's values and culture, particularly their remote-first approach and emphasis on high performance and diversity. Be prepared to discuss how your working style aligns with these values.
- Ask questions about the design team structure, collaboration rituals, and how design contributes to product strategy.
- Inquire about how feedback is given and received within the team.
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- For each case study, clearly state the problem you were solving, your specific role, and the impact of your design work.
- Focus on the "why" behind your design decisions, not just the "what."
- Be concise and engaging, tailoring your presentation to the audience (designers, PMs, engineers).
📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation tips are tailored to the specific requirements of a Senior Product Designer role at Smartcat, emphasizing the need to demonstrate a strong end-to-end design process, collaborative skills, and alignment with the company's remote-first, high-performance culture. Preparing specific questions about the design team and workflow will also show genuine interest and understanding of the role's context.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this design position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your experience as a Senior Product Designer, specifically addressing the requirements and preferred skills mentioned in the job description. Use relevant ATS keywords naturally.
- Curate your portfolio to showcase your strongest product design case studies, focusing on complex problems, your process, and the impact of your work. Ensure it is easily accessible and clearly presented.
- Prepare to discuss your experience working in a remote or distributed team environment and how you collaborate effectively across different time zones.
- Research Smartcat, its product, and its market position in Language AI to demonstrate your understanding and enthusiasm for the company's mission.
⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and design industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.