Senior Product Designer II, Real-Time Operations at Axon

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer II, Real-Time Operations

Company: Axon

Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design

Date Posted: 2025-06-09T19:49:48

Experience Level: 10+

Remote Status: Hybrid

🎨 Role Summary

Lead the design of critical systems for real-time collaborative operations in public safety, focusing on seamless integration of live video, geospatial data, automated alerts, and multi-agency communication.
Drive a human-centered design approach throughout the product development lifecycle, from user research and concept ideation to iterative prototyping and usability testing.
Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners in product management and engineering to define innovative experience visions that address the complex needs of first responders and community partners.
Advocate for and contribute to the evolution of Axon-wide design patterns, processes, and overall design culture, mentoring other designers and championing design excellence within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role title "Senior Product Designer II" suggests a level of seniority beyond a standard Senior Product Designer, likely indicating a requirement for leadership in significant product initiatives and a deep level of expertise in complex system design within a niche domain like public safety. The focus on "Real-Time Operations" points to a need for designing interfaces and workflows that are highly responsive, data-intensive, and support critical decision-making under pressure.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

Conduct in-depth user research with first responders, Real-Time Crime Center personnel, and community partners to gain deep understanding of their needs, motivations, and operational contexts in critical incident scenarios.
Translate research insights and user knowledge into a compelling and grounded experience vision, collaborating effectively with product management and engineering teams to align design strategy with business and technical feasibility.
Apply human-centered design principles to design, evaluate, and refine product concepts iteratively, utilizing a range of design artifacts from low-fidelity sketches and wireframes to high-fidelity prototypes.
Plan and execute usability testing and evaluation activities to gather feedback on design concepts, analyzing behavioral and business data to inform design decisions and product iterations.
Facilitate and lead design workshops, co-creation sessions, and collaborative design activities with internal teams and external stakeholders to foster shared understanding and generate innovative solutions.
Present and articulate research findings, design concepts, prototypes, and design rationale clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, including peers, cross-functional partners, senior leadership, and external customers.
Build strong partnerships with design, product, engineering, and business teams, fostering a collaborative environment that promotes effective communication and shared ownership of product outcomes.
Actively work to improve design process fundamentals, enhance co-creation practices, and strengthen collaboration models between design, product, and engineering teams.
Contribute to the definition and evolution of Axon's design patterns, design system, experience vision, and overall design processes across the organization.
Serve as an advocate and mentor for other designers, actively championing a strong design culture within the Real-Time Operations team and across Axon's broader experience design teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: Responsibilities are detailed and emphasize a full-stack design approach including significant user research, strategic collaboration, and design leadership. The specific mention of working with "live video, geospatial data, automated alerts, and multi-agency communication" highlights the complexity and real-time nature of the domain, requiring a designer with experience in complex data visualization and critical system interfaces.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for a role of this seniority. Equivalent practical experience demonstrating a strong foundation in design principles and methodologies is also highly valued.

Experience: A minimum of 8 years of product design experience is required, with at least 4 years specifically leading major product or design initiatives from concept to launch. A strong portfolio showcasing both design and research work on complex interactive systems is essential for demonstrating the required experience level.

Required Skills:

Extensive experience in product design, with a proven track record of designing and shipping complex products and services.
Deep expertise in conducting user research, including qualitative and quantitative methods, to uncover user needs, motivations, and behaviors.
Proficiency in creating a range of design artifacts, from low-fidelity sketches and wireframes to high-fidelity interactive prototypes.
Demonstrated ability to plan, conduct, and analyze usability testing to evaluate and iterate on design concepts.
Strong foundation in human-centered design principles and methodologies, applying them throughout the product development lifecycle.
Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to effectively partner with product management, engineering, and business stakeholders.
Experience presenting design work and rationale to diverse audiences, including senior leadership and external customers.
Ability to operate independently, drive design initiatives, and thrive in a highly collaborative team environment.

Preferred Skills:

Experience designing for critical systems, real-time data visualization, or complex collaborative workflows.
Prior experience working within or designing for the law enforcement or public safety domains.
Experience contributing to or defining design systems and organizational design patterns.
Demonstrated ability to mentor and coach other designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior Product Designer II" level implies a need for significant leadership experience beyond individual contribution. The preferred skills strongly indicate that direct experience in the public safety domain or with complex, real-time systems is a significant advantage, reflecting the specialized nature of Axon's products.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Showcase a diverse range of projects demonstrating your ability to tackle complex design challenges and deliver impactful solutions.
Include detailed case studies that walk through your design process from initial problem definition and research through ideation, iteration, and final implementation.
Highlight your contributions to major product or design initiatives, clearly articulating your leadership role and the impact of your design decisions.
Present high-fidelity prototypes and visual designs that demonstrate attention to detail and a strong understanding of interaction design principles.

Process Documentation:

For each case study, clearly articulate your research methodology, including how you identified user needs and validated assumptions.
Document your ideation process, showcasing iterative design approaches, sketching, wireframing, and prototyping methods.
Explain your approach to testing and validation, including usability testing methods, data analysis, and how feedback informed your design iterations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the seniority and the domain, the portfolio should not just showcase final screens but deeply emphasize the designer's strategic thinking, research capabilities, process rigor, and the ability to lead complex projects. Case studies demonstrating experience with real-time data, complex workflows, and critical decision-making scenarios would be particularly relevant.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The starting base pay for this role in the Atlanta, Georgia market is between USD 143,250 and USD 229,200 per year. The actual base pay will be determined by factors such as level, function, training, transferable skills, work experience, business needs, and geographic market. This range reflects a competitive salary for a Senior Product Designer II in the US tech industry, particularly within a specialized domain like public safety technology.

Benefits:

Competitive Base Salary with potential for annual bonus and Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) eligibility, providing a comprehensive total compensation package.
Comprehensive Pension Plan with Matching Contribution, supporting long-term financial planning and security.
30 days paid holiday in addition to UK public holidays (Note: This may be a standard global benefit listed, but US-specific holiday policies and PTO should be clarified).
Enhanced Maternity and Paternity Leave, demonstrating a commitment to supporting employees' family needs.
Private Health Insurance and Cash Plan including Dental, Optician, and Therapeutic Treatment Plans, providing comprehensive health and wellness coverage.
Life assurance (x4 Annual Salary) and Group Income Protection, offering financial security in unforeseen circumstances.
Employee Assistance & Development Programs, providing resources for personal and professional growth.

Working Hours: The role is primarily full-time (approximately 40 hours per week) with a flexible hybrid work schedule out of the Atlanta/Peachtree Corners office. Expect to be in the office approximately 2 days a week, with travel potentially required up to 7 times per year as needed for user research, team collaboration, or stakeholder meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to geographic markets, with Atlanta falling within a certain tier. The benefits package appears comprehensive, although the mention of UK holidays suggests this might be a standard list; candidates should confirm US-specific holiday and PTO details. The hybrid work model with travel indicates a need for flexibility and willingness to engage directly with users and teams on-site and in the field.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: Public Safety Technology. Axon is a leader in developing connected public safety technologies, including devices like TASER energy weapons and body cameras, and cloud-based software solutions for evidence management, real-time operations, and dispatch. The industry focuses on providing tools and systems to law enforcement, military, and civilians to enhance safety and transparency.

Company Size: 1,001-5,000 employees (LinkedIn indicates 4564 employees). This size suggests a well-established company with defined processes and teams, but still potentially agile enough for individual contributors to have significant impact.

Founded: 1993. Founded as TASER International, the company has a long history in public safety, evolving its mission to "Protect Life" through an ecosystem of devices and software. This history implies a deep understanding of the public safety domain and a culture focused on innovation with a strong mission-driven purpose.

Team Structure:

The role reports to the Director of Product Design, Real-Time Operations, indicating a dedicated design team focused on this specific product area.
While there are no direct reports for this role, a Senior II level suggests potential for mentorship and leadership within the team.
Collaboration is emphasized across design, product management, and engineering, highlighting a cross-functional team structure.

Methodology:

Emphasis on conducting research to deeply understand users suggests a user-centered design methodology.
Building experience models, prototypes, and conducting usability testing points to an iterative design process.
Facilitating workshops and co-creation activities indicates a collaborative and potentially Design Thinking-inspired approach.

Company Website: http://www.axon.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Axon's mission-driven culture and focus on public safety are core to the company's identity. For a design role, this means designing for high-stakes, critical environments where usability, reliability, and ethical considerations are paramount. The "Real-Time Operations" segment is particularly complex, requiring thoughtful design of data-intensive interfaces under pressure.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: Senior Product Designer II. This level typically signifies a highly experienced individual contributor who can lead complex design initiatives with significant autonomy. It may also involve mentoring junior designers and contributing to strategic design direction within their product area.

Reporting Structure: Reports to the Director of Product Design, RTO. This reporting line suggests a clear path for design leadership within the Real-Time Operations domain and access to senior design leadership for guidance and career development.

Design Impact: The role is positioned to have a significant impact on critical public safety operations. Designing the interface for real-time situational awareness and multi-agency communication directly influences the effectiveness and safety of first responders and community partners. The emphasis on user research and building innovative experiences highlights the strategic importance of design in this product area.

Growth Opportunities:

Potential for advancement to Principal Product Designer or Design Lead roles within the Real-Time Operations team or other product areas at Axon.
Opportunities to deepen expertise in designing for critical systems, real-time data, and complex workflows, becoming a subject matter expert in this specialized domain.
Potential to take on increased mentorship responsibilities and contribute more significantly to the overall design culture and process improvement initiatives across Axon.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior II" designation likely implies a higher level of expected impact and autonomy compared to a standard Senior role. Growth opportunities would likely involve taking on more complex problem spaces, leading larger initiatives, or moving into formal design leadership roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: Hybrid work schedule out of the Atlanta/Peachtree Corners office. This indicates a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work flexibility. The office likely provides dedicated workspace and meeting rooms for design and cross-functional team collaboration.

Office Location(s): 5550 Triangle Pkwy, Peachtree Corners, Georgia 30092, US. This is a specific office location for the team.

Design Workspace Context:

The hybrid model suggests that while remote work is supported, there is value placed on in-person interaction for collaboration, brainstorming, and team building.
The office environment likely facilitates cross-functional collaboration with product management and engineering teams who may also work from this location.
Travel requirements indicate a need to engage with users and stakeholders in their operational environments, which is crucial for designing effective public safety tools.

Work Schedule: Flexible work schedule with approximately 2 days a week in the Atlanta office. This provides a degree of autonomy in managing work location while ensuring regular in-person team interaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is common in tech, but the travel requirement is notable and specific to the nature of Axon's work in public safety. Designers in this role will need to be comfortable with and prepared for site visits to truly understand user needs in their critical environments.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

Initial screening call with a recruiter to discuss background and interest.
Interview(s) with design team members to assess design skills, process, and experience. Expect portfolio reviews and discussions about past projects, focusing on complex problem-solving and process.
Interview(s) with cross-functional partners (Product Management, Engineering) to assess collaboration skills, strategic thinking, and ability to work effectively across disciplines.
Potentially a design challenge or case study presentation to evaluate problem-solving abilities, design methodology, and presentation skills.
Interview(s) with hiring manager and potentially senior leadership to assess fit with team culture, leadership potential, and overall impact.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects relevant to complex systems, real-time data, critical workflows, or public safety if you have them.
For each case study, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your research methods, your design process (including iterations and rationale), your collaboration with stakeholders, and the impact of your design.
Focus on demonstrating your strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, not just the final visual design.
Be prepared to discuss the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
Practice presenting your case studies concisely and engagingly, highlighting key insights and design decisions.

Challenge Preparation:

If a design challenge is part of the process, carefully read and understand the prompt. Ask clarifying questions.
Structure your approach clearly, outlining your process from understanding the problem to proposing solutions.
Focus on demonstrating your design thinking, user-centered approach, and ability to articulate your rationale.
Be mindful of the time constraints and prioritize accordingly.

ATS Keywords: Product Design, Senior Product Designer, UX Design, User Experience, UI Design, User Interface, Human-Centered Design, Usability Testing, User Research, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research, Prototyping, Wireframing, Interaction Design, Visual Design, Design Systems, Design Thinking, Collaboration, Cross-functional Collaboration, Stakeholder Management, Design Leadership, Mentorship, Real-Time Systems, Critical Systems, Public Safety, Law Enforcement, Government Technology, SaaS, Cloud Software, Complex Workflows, Data Visualization, Agile, Scrum, Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, InVision, Miro, User Interviews, Journey Mapping, Service Design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a Senior II role will be rigorous, focusing on depth of experience, strategic thinking, and leadership capabilities. The portfolio review will be critical, with a strong emphasis on process, impact, and experience with complex or domain-relevant challenges. Preparation should focus on clearly articulating design decisions and demonstrating a robust, user-centered approach.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

Specific tools are not explicitly mentioned, but industry standards for product design at this level typically include Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD for UI design and prototyping.
Expect proficiency in creating high-fidelity prototypes using tools like InVision, Axure, or directly within primary design software.

Collaboration & Handoff:

Collaboration likely involves tools like Miro or FigJam for brainstorming and workshops.
Handoff to engineering may utilize tools that integrate with design software, such as Zeplin, Abstract, or built-in features within Figma or Sketch.
Documentation for design systems and style guides might use tools like Zeroheight or Confluence.

Research & Testing:

User research activities may utilize tools for remote interviews (Zoom, etc.), survey platforms (Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey), and potentially specialized usability testing software.
Data analysis from behavioral and business metrics may involve tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics, although direct interaction with these may vary by role.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, proficiency in core industry-standard design and prototyping tools is expected. Experience with tools that support collaboration, developer handoff, and user research is also critical for a role at this level. Given the domain, experience with tools for visualizing complex data or mapping real-time information could be beneficial.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

A core value is likely a deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of public safety professionals, designing solutions that enhance their effectiveness and safety.
Emphasis on humane and human-centered design indicates a focus on empathy, ethics, and designing for the well-being of users in high-stress situations.
Collaboration and working better together are explicitly mentioned, suggesting a team environment that values diverse perspectives and shared problem-solving.
A culture of continuous growth and improvement is implied, encouraging designers to take ownership and drive change.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-functional collaboration with product management, engineering, and business teams is a key aspect of the role.
Facilitating workshops and co-creation activities points to an interactive and inclusive collaboration style.
Mentoring and championing design culture suggest a supportive environment for knowledge sharing and professional development within the design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: Axon's mission to "Protect Life" and its focus on public safety shape the company and design culture. Designers need to be mission-aligned and comfortable working in a domain with unique ethical considerations and user needs. The emphasis on humane design is particularly relevant in this context.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

Designing intuitive and effective interfaces for complex, real-time systems that integrate diverse data sources (video, geospatial, alerts) under high-pressure conditions.
Balancing the needs of multiple user groups (field officers, command center personnel, community partners) with potentially conflicting requirements and workflows.
Navigating the ethical considerations and privacy implications inherent in designing technology for law enforcement and public safety.
Staying ahead of rapidly evolving technology and user needs in a critical and constantly changing environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Opportunity to become a leading expert in designing for public safety and critical real-time operations, a highly specialized and impactful domain.
Exposure to advanced technologies like AI, machine learning, and geospatial data visualization.
Potential for participation in industry conferences and training related to public safety technology and design for critical systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges in this role are significant and unique, requiring a designer who is not only skilled in UX/UI but also adaptable, ethically minded, and capable of understanding complex operational environments. The growth opportunities lie in becoming a specialist in a high-impact, mission-driven field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

Be prepared to discuss your end-to-end design process for a complex project, focusing on how you identified user needs, iterated on solutions, and collaborated with cross-functional teams.
Explain your approach to designing for real-time data and critical decision-making scenarios, using examples from your portfolio if possible.
Discuss how you incorporate user research insights throughout your design process and how you validate your design decisions.

Company Culture Questions:

Demonstrate your understanding of Axon's mission and how your design skills align with protecting life and enhancing public safety.
Be prepared to discuss your experience working in collaborative, cross-functional team environments.
Ask thoughtful questions about the design team culture, collaboration with engineering and product, and the impact of design within the organization.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Select 2-3 case studies that best demonstrate your experience with complex design challenges, user research, and impactful outcomes.
Structure your presentation to highlight your problem-solving process, focusing on the "why" behind your design decisions.
Clearly articulate the user needs you addressed, the constraints you worked within, and the impact of your solution.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should go beyond standard design questions. Candidates should research Axon's products and mission, understand the challenges of designing for public safety, and be ready to discuss how their skills and experience are relevant to this specific domain and the complexities of real-time operations.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

Submit your application through this link
Carefully review the job description and tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your experience with product design, user research, and leading design initiatives, particularly any experience relevant to complex systems or public safety.
Ensure your design portfolio is up-to-date and clearly showcases your design process, problem-solving skills, and the impact of your work through detailed case studies.
Prepare for the interview process by researching Axon, understanding their products and mission, and practicing articulating your design process and relevant experience, especially regarding designing for critical, real-time environments.

⚠️ 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.

Senior Product Designer II, Real-Time Operations