Senior Product Designer - SaaS
๐ Job Overview
Job Title: Senior Product Designer - SaaS
Company: NinjaOne, LLC
Location: Austin, TX
Job Type: FULL_TIME
Category: Product Design
Date Posted: 2025-06-10T00:00:00
Experience Level: 5+ years
Remote Status: Hybrid / Remote (within specified US states)
๐จ Role Summary
- Design and enhance complex B2B SaaS software features, focusing on user interfaces and experiences.
- Collaborate extensively with engineering, product management, and leadership to deliver high-quality design solutions.
- Conduct design research to gather customer insights and advocate for the user experience across the organization.
- Contribute to and maintain a growing design system, ensuring consistency and scalability.
๐ผ๏ธ Primary Responsibilities
- Design intuitive and effective user interfaces and experiences for new software product features and enhancements, aligning with strategic business priorities.
- Work in close partnership with product managers to define requirements, user stories, and acceptance criteria from a design perspective.
- Collaborate with software engineers throughout the development lifecycle to ensure design intent is accurately translated into the final product.
- Plan, conduct, and analyze qualitative and quantitative design research with customers to inform design decisions and validate solutions.
- Synthesize research findings and communicate insights effectively to stakeholders across product, engineering, marketing, and leadership teams.
- Champion the needs and perspectives of a diverse customer base, using data and research to influence product direction and design solutions.
- Contribute to the evolution and documentation of the company's design system, creating new components, patterns, and guidelines.
- Provide expert technical software subject matter expertise to inform design decisions, particularly within the context of IT operations and endpoint management.
๐ Skills & Qualifications
Education: A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Graphic Design, Software Engineering, Fine Art, or a related field is preferred, demonstrating a foundational understanding of design principles or technical environments.
Experience: A minimum of 5 years of hands-on experience providing B2B user interfaces and experience designs specifically within a SaaS company is required. A strong portfolio showcasing this experience, particularly with complex software applications, is essential.
Required Skills:
- Proven expertise in interaction design, with a portfolio demonstrating the ability to design for complex software applications and workflows.
- Strong understanding and application of visual design principles and information architecture to create user-friendly and intuitive interfaces.
- Proficiency in leading design tools such as Figma or Sketch, including prototyping and collaboration features.
- Experience analyzing and synthesizing user research data and other relevant data sources into actionable insights that inform strategic design decisions.
- Demonstrated experience creating, contributing to, and maintaining comprehensive design systems and component libraries.
- Experience working effectively within an Agile software development lifecycle, collaborating closely with product management and engineering teams.
- A strong portfolio showcasing successful, high-impact design projects for which you held direct responsibility, demonstrating positive outcomes for software users.
Preferred Skills:
- Previous experience in IT Operations, Systems Administration, Software Support, or Software Development, providing valuable context for the domain.
- Experience with user testing platforms such as Maze for conducting usability studies and gathering feedback.
- Familiarity with front-end development concepts or frameworks to facilitate effective communication and handoff with engineering teams.
๐จ Portfolio & Creative Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- Your portfolio should clearly demonstrate your end-to-end design process, from problem definition and research through ideation, iteration, and final design.
- Include detailed case studies of complex B2B SaaS applications you have designed, highlighting the challenges, your approach, and the impact of your work on users and the business.
- Showcase strong visual design skills, attention to detail, and the ability to create clean, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing interfaces.
- If applicable, demonstrate experience with technical design challenges inherent in IT management or similar complex software domains.
Process Documentation:
- Document your research and discovery phase, including methodologies used (e.g., user interviews, surveys, data analysis) and key insights gathered.
- Illustrate your ideation and iteration methods, showing sketches, wireframes, prototypes, and how you explored different design solutions.
- Describe your validation and testing approaches, including how you gathered user feedback and iterated on designs based on findings.
๐ต Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: The base salary hiring range for this position is $120,000 to $190,000 per year. The precise starting pay will depend on factors including location, market demands, experience level, job-related knowledge, and skills. This range is specifically stated for roles based in California, Colorado, and New York. For other authorized remote locations, the salary will be adjusted based on local market conditions and cost of living.
Benefits:
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage to support employee well-being.
- A 401(k) plan to help employees prepare for their financial future.
- Life insurance coverage for added security.
- Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) to encourage work-life balance and flexibility.
Working Hours: This is a full-time position, typically involving around 40 hours per week. While core hours are expected for collaboration, the remote/hybrid nature of the role allows for some flexibility to accommodate creative workflows and personal needs.
๐ฏTeam & Company Context
๐ข Company & Design Culture
Industry: Software Development, specifically focusing on IT Security, IT Management, IT Documentation, Data Protection, and IT Operations. NinjaOne operates within the highly competitive and rapidly evolving B2B SaaS market, serving the needs of IT teams and Managed Service Providers (MSPs).
Company Size: Between 1,001 and 5,000 employees globally, indicating a well-established but still growing organization. For design professionals, this size often means structured design teams with established processes, opportunities for specialization, and collaboration across multiple product areas.
Founded: While the exact founding date is not provided in the LinkedIn data, NinjaOne's rapid growth and established market position suggest a history of innovation and focus on customer needs, which likely influences its design culture.
Team Structure:
- The design team operates within "design squads," which are multi-disciplinary teams including Product Design, Product Owners, and Software Engineering.
- Designers work cross-functionally with nearly every team to ensure a unified and valuable customer experience.
- The reporting structure likely involves reporting to a Design Manager or Head of Design, with close collaboration with Product Management leadership.
Methodology:
- The company operates within an Agile software development lifecycle, implying iterative design processes and close collaboration with development sprints.
- Emphasis on user research and data analysis suggests a data-informed and user-centered approach to design.
- The focus on creating and maintaining a Design System points to a commitment to consistency, efficiency, and scalability in design execution.
Company Website: http://www.ninjaone.com
๐ Career & Growth Analysis
Design Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, indicating a position for experienced professionals capable of leading design initiatives, mentoring junior designers (potentially), and influencing product strategy. Seniority implies autonomy in design decisions and the ability to tackle complex problems independently.
Reporting Structure: As a Senior role, you would likely report to a Design Manager or Director. This structure typically involves receiving guidance and strategic direction while having significant ownership over your assigned projects within the design squad.
Design Impact: Design at NinjaOne appears to have a significant impact, influencing the user experience for over 20,000 customers. The role description emphasizes advocating for UX with data and research, suggesting design is viewed as a strategic function that directly contributes to product success and customer satisfaction.
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential for advancement to Lead Product Designer or Design Manager roles demonstrating leadership and team management capabilities.
- Opportunities to specialize in specific areas of the product or contribute to strategic initiatives, deepening expertise in complex IT management workflows.
- Professional development support, including access to learning resources, conferences, and potentially mentorship opportunities to enhance design skills and domain knowledge.
๐ Work Environment
Studio Type: NinjaOne offers flexibility with both physical office locations in Austin, TX, and Tampa, FL, and a remote-first option for employees residing in specified US states. This hybrid approach allows designers to choose the environment that best suits their work style and encourages collaboration regardless of location.
Office Location(s): Primary physical offices are in Austin, TX, and Tampa, FL, serving as hubs for in-person collaboration for hybrid employees. Remote employees are distributed across authorized US states.
Design Workspace Context:
- For those in the Austin or Tampa offices, the workspace likely includes collaborative areas, meeting rooms equipped for hybrid interaction, and potentially dedicated design spaces.
- Remote employees will need a suitable home office setup with reliable internet and tools for virtual collaboration.
- The emphasis on cross-functional squads suggests a collaborative environment, whether in-person or virtual, with regular interaction with product and engineering teammates.
Work Schedule: The role is full-time with a standard work week. Unlimited PTO provides flexibility for managing personal time and can support periods of focused creative work or necessary breaks. The remote option allows for greater control over daily schedules, while hybrid offers structured in-office time for team interaction.
๐ Application & Portfolio Review Process
Design Interview Process:
- Initial screening call, likely with a recruiter, to assess basic qualifications and fit. Prepare to discuss your experience and interest in B2B SaaS and IT management.
- Portfolio review and discussion with design team members. Be prepared to present 2-3 detailed case studies showcasing your process, problem-solving skills, and impact on complex software.
- Potential design challenge or take-home assignment to evaluate your practical design skills and approach to a specific problem relevant to NinjaOne's domain.
- Interviews with cross-functional stakeholders, including Product Management and Engineering leads, to assess collaboration style and technical understanding.
- Final interviews with Design Leadership to discuss career goals, cultural fit, and strategic contributions.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Structure your case studies to clearly articulate the problem you solved, your role, your process (research, ideation, testing), key design decisions, and the outcomes or impact of your work.
- Focus on demonstrating your ability to design for complex workflows and technical users within a B2B context.
- Highlight your contributions to design systems and your understanding of scalable design practices.
- Be prepared to discuss the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
Challenge Preparation:
- If given a design challenge, clarify the scope and expectations upfront.
- Approach the challenge using your standard design process, dedicating time to understanding the problem and potential user needs.
- Structure your solution presentation to walk through your thinking, iterations, and rationale behind your design decisions.
- Be prepared to discuss your solution with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
ATS Keywords: Product Design, UX Design, UI Design, SaaS, B2B, User Experience, User Interface, Design Research, Interaction Design, Visual Design, Information Architecture, Design Systems, Figma, Sketch, Maze, Agile, Software Development Lifecycle, IT Operations, Systems Administration, Data Analysis, Collaboration, Wireframing, Prototyping, Usability Testing, Case Studies, Portfolio, Design Process, Cross-functional Teams, Enterprise Software, Endpoint Management, Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM).
๐ Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Design Tools:
- Figma: Used for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative design work. Proficiency in Figma is essential, including experience with its features for design systems and developer handoff.
- Sketch: While Figma is the primary tool, experience with Sketch is also listed as valuable, indicating a potential transition or legacy projects.
- Maze: Utilized for user testing and gathering feedback on designs and prototypes. Experience with remote usability testing platforms is beneficial.
Collaboration & Handoff:
- Tools for cross-functional collaboration with product managers and engineers are essential, likely including platforms like Slack, Jira, or similar project management tools.
- Handoff processes and tools to provide developers with design specifications, assets, and interactive prototypes are critical for efficient implementation.
- Documentation tools may be used for maintaining the design system and style guides.
Research & Testing:
- Tools for conducting user interviews and surveys may be used, in addition to Maze for usability testing.
- Analytics tools might be accessed to understand user behavior and measure the impact of design changes.
๐ฅ Team Culture & Values
Design Values:
- Deep care for customers and a focus on distilling complex problems into thoughtful, beautiful, and holistic software experiences.
- Strong emphasis on collaboration and working effectively with product management, engineering, and marketing teams.
- Advocacy for the user experience, backed by data and in-depth research to meet diverse customer needs.
- Commitment to contributing to and maintaining a growing Design System, indicating a value for consistency and scalability.
Collaboration Style:
- Operates within multi-disciplinary "design squads," fostering close collaboration between design, product, and engineering.
- Cross-functional collaboration with numerous teams across the organization is the norm.
- Likely involves regular design critiques and feedback sessions to improve design quality and align on solutions.
โก Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Design Challenges:
- Designing for a diverse customer base with unique needs within the complex domain of IT operations and endpoint management.
- Distilling highly technical and complex functionalities into intuitive and easy-to-use software experiences.
- Maintaining and evolving a growing design system while simultaneously delivering new features and enhancements.
- Balancing user needs and business priorities within an Agile development environment with fast-paced release cycles.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Opportunity to deepen expertise in the IT management domain and design for complex technical workflows.
- Growth in strategic thinking and influencing product direction through user research and data-backed insights.
- Development of leadership skills by potentially mentoring junior designers or leading design initiatives within the squad.
- Opportunities to contribute significantly to the development and governance of a comprehensive design system.
๐ก Interview Preparation
Design Process Questions:
- Be prepared to walk through your end-to-end design process for a recent complex B2B SaaS project from your portfolio. Highlight how you approached problem definition, research, ideation, and testing.
- Discuss how you collaborate with product managers and engineers throughout the design and development lifecycle. Provide specific examples of successful collaboration.
- Explain your approach to gathering and synthesizing user feedback and data into actionable design insights.
Company Culture Questions:
- Research NinjaOne's products and target audience (IT teams, MSPs). Be prepared to discuss how you would approach designing for this specific user base.
- Ask questions about the design team structure, collaboration patterns within squads, and how design impact is measured.
- Inquire about the company's design system and your potential role in contributing to its growth and maintenance.
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Select 2-3 strong case studies that showcase your experience designing for complex B2B SaaS applications.
- For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your design process, key decisions, and the impact or outcomes of your work. Focus on demonstrating your strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Be prepared to discuss the technical constraints or considerations you faced and how you addressed them.
๐ Application Steps
To apply for this design position:
- Submit your application through this link
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in B2B SaaS product design, particularly your work on complex software applications and your proficiency in the specified design tools.
- Ensure your online portfolio is up-to-date and easily accessible, featuring detailed case studies that demonstrate your design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Select case studies most relevant to designing for technical users or complex workflows.
- Prepare for interviews by practicing walking through your portfolio case studies and articulating your design decisions and rationale clearly and concisely. Research NinjaOne and its products to demonstrate your understanding of the domain and the target audience.
- If applicable, prepare for a potential design challenge by understanding common B2B design problems and practicing your approach to rapid ideation and solution presentation.