Team Lead, UX & Design 

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Team Lead, UX & Design

Company: ServiceUp

Location: Los Gatos, CA

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX/UI Design, Design Leadership, Product Design

Date Posted: June 5, 2025

Experience Level: 7+ years (including 2+ years in leadership)

Remote Status: Flexible (Onsite or Remote)

🎨 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor a growing UX/UI design team, fostering excellence in interaction design, visual design, and human-centered design practices.
• Drive the full product design lifecycle, from initial user research and customer journey mapping through to delivering high-fidelity UI and complex workflow automation solutions.
• Champion user-centered design principles within the organization, building empathy for diverse user groups (internal and external) through robust research and usability testing methodologies.
• Define and evolve the design strategy, aligning design initiatives with ServiceUp's overarching business objectives and establishing scalable UX principles and design systems.

🖼️ Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee the UX/UI team, providing guidance, feedback, and mentorship to ensure high standards in design craft, usability, and visual execution across all projects.
• Lead the creation of design artifacts including user flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, high-fidelity mockups, and detailed visual designs for complex software interfaces.
• Advocate for user needs and perspectives throughout the product development process, leveraging qualitative and quantitative research methods to inform design decisions.
• Collaborate effectively with Product, Engineering, and Operations teams to translate business requirements and technical constraints into intuitive, scalable, and impactful design solutions.
• Develop and implement design processes, playbooks, and systems that enhance team efficiency, collaboration, and the overall quality of design output.
• Conduct design reviews and provide constructive feedback to team members, ensuring consistency, adherence to design principles, and alignment with project goals.
• Plan and prioritize design activities in alignment with product roadmaps, focusing on driving key user experience metrics and business outcomes.
• Contribute to building a positive and innovative design culture that encourages experimentation, continuous learning, and a commitment to design excellence.
• Explore and integrate AI and automation tools into the design workflow to improve efficiency, enhance prototyping capabilities, and streamline the design of complex logistics workflows.
• Utilize behavioral analytics, user research findings, and product data to iteratively refine designs and make data-informed decisions that optimize the user experience.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is typically preferred, although equivalent practical experience with a strong portfolio demonstrating relevant design skills is often accepted.

Experience: A minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in UX/UI design is required, with at least 2 years specifically in a design leadership or management capacity. Candidates with a strong desire to step into a leadership role from a senior individual contributor position may also be considered, provided they demonstrate leadership potential and a robust portfolio. Experience designing for SaaS, managed services, logistics, or enterprise platforms with complex operational workflows is highly relevant.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in UX/UI design principles, methodologies, and best practices, including user-centered design (UCD), interaction design, and information architecture.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and mentor a team of designers, providing guidance, performance feedback, and fostering professional growth.
• Mastery of industry-standard design tools, with specific proficiency required in Figma for prototyping, wireframing, and high-fidelity mockups.
• Experience in designing complex operational workflows for B2B or enterprise software, focusing on efficiency, usability, and scalability.
• Strong portfolio showcasing a range of design projects, with a particular emphasis on complex workflow design, user research methodologies, and elegant UI solutions.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and rationale clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders, including senior leadership.
• Solid understanding of service design principles and experience applying them to improve end-to-end user journeys.
• Experience with Design Operations (DesignOps) best practices to streamline workflows, manage design systems, and improve team efficiency.
• A strong point of view on design principles and best practices, coupled with experience collaborating closely with engineering teams to implement designs effectively.
• Ability to leverage behavioral insights, user research findings, and product data to inform and validate design decisions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI or automation tools for design, prototyping, or enhancing workflow design.
• Familiarity with front-end technologies such as React and component libraries like Material UI (MUI) to facilitate effective collaboration with developers.
• Experience in the automotive, logistics, or fleet management industries.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive design practices.

🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Your portfolio should demonstrate your expertise in tackling complex design challenges, particularly within enterprise, SaaS, or logistics domains.
• Include detailed case studies that walk through your design process from problem definition and research to ideation, iteration, and final solution.
• Highlight projects where you designed intricate operational workflows, showcasing your ability to simplify complex systems and improve user efficiency.
• Present high-fidelity mockups and visual designs that demonstrate strong UI craft, attention to detail, and adherence to design system principles.
• If applicable, include examples of how you've integrated AI or automation concepts into your designs or leveraged them in your design process.

Process Documentation:

• For each case study, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your role in the project, and the specific design methods you employed during the research and discovery phases (e.g., user interviews, surveys, competitive analysis).
• Document your ideation and iteration process, showcasing sketches, wireframes, prototypes (including interactive prototypes), and usability testing methodologies.
• Explain how you validated your design solutions, including any metrics or data you used to measure success or inform refinements.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on market data for Senior Manager/Team Lead level UX/UI roles in the Los Gatos/Silicon Valley area with experience in SaaS/Enterprise software, the estimated base salary range is typically between $150,000 and $200,000 annually. This range can vary significantly based on the candidate's specific experience, leadership track record, the complexity of their portfolio, and negotiation. This estimate is based on Payscale, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn Salary data for comparable roles and locations in the tech industry, adjusted for a leadership position in a growth-stage company. Please note that this is an estimate, and the actual compensation package will be discussed during the interview process.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package, including base salary and potentially equity or bonuses, reflecting the leadership level and impact of the role.
• Comprehensive health benefits package (Medical, Dental, Vision) to support your well-being.
• Flexible and remote-friendly work options, allowing for a better work-life balance and the ability to work from various locations.
• Opportunities for professional development and growth within a fast-growing company.

Working Hours: This is a full-time position, typically requiring approximately 40 hours per week. As a leadership role, flexibility may be needed to attend meetings and collaborate with cross-functional teams across different time zones, especially if working remotely. The company culture values smart work and ownership, implying a focus on results rather than rigid hours, while ensuring effective collaboration within the team and across departments.

🎯Team & Company Context

🏢 Company & Design Culture

Industry: ServiceUp operates within the Vehicle Repair and Maintenance industry, leveraging technology to redefine logistics, rental cars, automotive repair, and fleet safety. Specializing in Vehicle Repair, Fleet Repair, Vehicle Claims Repairs, Collision Repair, Mechanical Repair, and Insurance Repair Management, the company focuses on automating and streamlining complex repair processes.

Company Size: ServiceUp is a privately held company with a size of 11-50 employees, as reported on LinkedIn. This indicates a growth-stage startup environment, where individuals often have broad responsibilities and direct impact. For a design leader, this means an opportunity to significantly shape the design function and culture within a relatively small but growing team.

Founded: ServiceUp was founded in 2020.

Team Structure:

• The role involves leading and mentoring a growing UX/UI team, suggesting the current team is small but expanding.
• The position requires close collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Operations teams, indicating a cross-functional team structure where design is integrated into the product development process.
• The "player/coach" aspect means the Team Lead will likely report to a higher-level manager (e.g., Head of Product, VP of Engineering) and will directly manage other designers.

Methodology:

• The emphasis on the "full product design lifecycle" suggests a methodology that incorporates user research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and implementation.
• The requirement for experience with "user-centered design, service design, and design ops best practices" points towards a methodology that values understanding the user, mapping end-to-end experiences, and optimizing the design process.
• The mention of leveraging AI and automation for prototyping and workflow design suggests an interest in exploring innovative design tools and techniques.

Company Website: https://www.serviceup.com/about-us

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Design Career Level: This role is positioned as a Team Lead/Senior Manager within the design function. It represents a step up from a Senior Designer or Lead Designer individual contributor role and involves both managing a team and contributing hands-on to design projects. The level of responsibility suggests a significant impact on the overall product experience and design strategy.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, this role will likely report to a head of the product or engineering function, given the collaborative nature with these teams. As a Team Lead, you will have direct reports among the UX/UI design team.

Design Impact: The description emphasizes owning the "full product design lifecycle" and creating "user-first, AI-enhanced, and data-driven solutions for complex repair logistics." This indicates that design has a significant influence on product strategy, user experience, and business outcomes within ServiceUp.

Growth Opportunities:

• As ServiceUp is a growth-stage company, there is potential for the design team to expand, offering opportunities to manage a larger team and take on broader leadership responsibilities.
• The focus on AI, automation, and data-driven design provides opportunities to develop expertise in cutting-edge design technologies and methodologies, enhancing your skill set for future roles.
• Working closely with Product, Engineering, and Operations offers exposure to different aspects of the business, which can be valuable for transitioning into broader product leadership or management roles in the future.

🌐 Work Environment

Studio Type: ServiceUp offers a flexible work environment, allowing for both onsite and remote work options. The onsite location is listed as Los Gatos, CA, with Campbell, CA also mentioned as a possibility. This suggests a hybrid approach is likely supported, where team members may work from the office or remotely depending on their preference and team needs. The emphasis on collaboration implies that when working onsite, the office environment would facilitate team interaction and cross-functional communication.

Office Location(s): Primary location listed is Los Gatos, CA. Campbell, CA is also mentioned as a potential location. The specific office addresses are not provided in the job description.

Design Workspace Context:

• Whether working onsite or remotely, the design workspace should support creative work, collaboration, and focus.
• Onsite, this would likely involve dedicated design areas, meeting rooms for critiques and workshops, and access to necessary hardware and software.
• For remote work, the company likely provides tools and infrastructure to support virtual collaboration, file sharing, and communication within the design team and with other departments.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time. While specific hours are not detailed, the flexible and remote-friendly nature suggests a degree of autonomy in managing one's schedule, while ensuring availability for key team meetings and collaborative sessions, especially given the cross-functional nature of the role.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Design Interview Process:

• The initial step will likely involve a review of your resume and portfolio to assess your experience, skillset, and the quality of your design work, particularly focusing on complex workflow design and enterprise experience.
• Successful candidates will likely proceed to an initial screening call with a recruiter or hiring manager to discuss your background and interest in the role.
• Subsequent rounds may include interviews with members of the design team, product managers, engineering leads, and potentially leadership. These interviews will likely assess your design process, problem-solving abilities, technical understanding, and leadership potential.
• Be prepared for a portfolio presentation where you walk through key case studies, articulating your design decisions, research methods, and the impact of your work.
• A design challenge or whiteboarding session may be included to evaluate your on-the-spot problem-solving skills and ability to think through design problems collaboratively.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects related to SaaS, logistics, enterprise software, or complex operational workflows.
• For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, user needs, your design process (research, ideation, testing), and measurable outcomes or impact.
• Focus on the "why" behind your design decisions, demonstrating your strategic thinking and understanding of user needs and business goals.
• Showcase your proficiency in Figma with high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes.
• If you have experience with AI or automation in your design process, highlight this in relevant case studies.

Challenge Preparation:

• If a design challenge is part of the process, clarify the scope, timeline, and expected deliverables beforehand.
• Approach the challenge by applying a structured design process, articulating your assumptions, exploring different solutions, and explaining your rationale.
• Practice explaining your design thinking and process clearly and concisely, especially if it's a timed exercise or whiteboarding session.
• Be prepared to discuss trade-offs and alternative approaches to the problem.

ATS Keywords:

• Design Skills: UX/UI Design, Product Design, Interaction Design, User Research, Usability Testing, Information Architecture, Workflow Design, Prototyping, Wireframing, High-Fidelity Mockups, Visual Design, Service Design, Design Ops, Design Systems, Design Strategy, Design Leadership, Team Leadership, Mentorship, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Data-Driven Design, Design Quality Assurance, Innovation Facilitation.
• Tools: Figma, [potentially other relevant tools like Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, InVision, Zeplin, Miro, Maze, etc. if applicable to your experience].
• Methodologies: User-Centered Design (UCD), Design Thinking, Agile, Lean UX.
• Soft Skills: Communication, Presentation, Storytelling, Collaboration, Problem-Solving, Critical Thinking, Mentoring, Leadership, Strategic Thinking.
• Industry Terms: SaaS, Enterprise Software, Logistics, Managed Services, Automotive Repair, Fleet Management, Workflow Automation, AI, Automation, Data Analysis, Behavioral Insights.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly required for prototyping, wireframing, high-fidelity mockups, and potentially design system management. Expect to demonstrate strong proficiency.
• [Based on industry standards and the nature of the work, other tools commonly used might include:] Sketch (less likely if Figma is primary), Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator for visual assets), InVision or similar for interactive prototyping and collaboration.

Collaboration & Handoff:

• Collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Operations is key. Tools like Slack, Jira, or Asana are likely used for project management and communication.
• Handoff to engineering may involve tools like Zeplin, Abstract (for Sketch), or built-in features within Figma for design specifications and asset delivery.
• Documentation of design systems and guidelines might utilize tools like Confluence or Zeroheight.

Research & Testing:

• User research and testing tools would be necessary to gather feedback and validate designs. These could include tools for usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze), survey platforms (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Google Forms), and analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to analyze user behavior.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Design Values:

• User-First Approach: A strong emphasis on understanding and advocating for the needs of both internal and external users (businesses, consumers, shops) involved in the car repair process.
• Design Excellence and Craft: Commitment to high standards in interaction design, UI, and visual design, balancing functionality with elegance in complex workflows.
• Innovation and Bold Thinking: Encouragement to bring new ideas and leverage technologies like AI and automation to redefine the car repair experience.
• Collaboration and Teamwork: Working closely with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Operations) and fostering a supportive environment within the design team.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Utilizing behavioral insights, research findings, and product data to inform and validate design choices, ensuring designs are effective and impactful.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional collaboration is a core aspect, requiring effective communication and partnership with Product, Engineering, and Operations teams to deliver integrated solutions.
• A culture of mentorship within the design team, where experienced designers guide and support the growth of others.
• Likely involves regular design critiques and feedback sessions to improve design quality and foster a collaborative learning environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Design Challenges:

• Designing intuitive and efficient interfaces for complex operational workflows within the automotive repair and logistics domain, which involves multiple stakeholders and intricate processes.
• Integrating AI and automation effectively into the user experience to enhance workflows without sacrificing usability or transparency.
• Balancing the needs of diverse user groups (businesses, consumers, repair shops) with potentially conflicting requirements.
• Building and scaling a design team and design processes within a fast-growing startup environment.
• Championing design excellence and user-centered practices across the organization, ensuring design has a strong voice in product strategy and development.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Opportunity to deepen expertise in designing for complex enterprise workflows and the logistics industry.
• Gain experience in leveraging AI and automation tools within the design process and designing AI-enhanced user experiences.
• Develop leadership and management skills by building and mentoring a design team.
• Work closely with experienced professionals across Product, Engineering, and Operations, gaining broader business and technical knowledge.
• Potential for increased responsibility and career advancement as the company and design team grow.

💡 Interview Preparation

Design Process Questions:

• Be prepared to discuss your end-to-end design process for a complex project, focusing on how you approach problem definition, research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and collaboration with engineering. Use a case study from your portfolio to illustrate your process.
• Expect questions about how you balance user needs with business goals and technical constraints in your design decisions.
• Be ready to discuss your experience designing for complex operational workflows and how you ensure usability and efficiency in such systems.

Company Culture Questions:

• Research ServiceUp's mission and values, particularly their focus on redefining car repair and leveraging technology. Be prepared to discuss why this resonates with you and how your approach to design aligns with their goals.
• Ask questions about the design team structure, collaboration with other departments, and how design impact is measured within the organization.
• Be ready to discuss your leadership and mentorship style and how you foster a positive and productive design team culture.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 2-3 case studies that best showcase your experience with complex workflow design, enterprise software, and your leadership abilities.
• For each case study, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or a similar structured approach to clearly explain the problem, your role, the actions you took, and the outcome or impact of your design work.
• Highlight your process, including user research methods, wireframes, prototypes, and how you iterated based on feedback or data. Clearly articulate your design decisions and rationale.
• Practice presenting your portfolio concisely and engagingly, being prepared to answer questions about your choices and process.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this design position:

• Submit your application through this link.
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your experience in UX/UI design, leadership, and working with complex workflows or enterprise software. Use relevant ATS keywords from the list provided.
• Prepare your design portfolio, ensuring it clearly showcases projects relevant to the requirements, particularly complex workflow design and your design process through detailed case studies.
• Practice presenting your portfolio and articulating your design decisions and process clearly and concisely.
• Research ServiceUp and the automotive repair/logistics industry to understand the company's business, challenges, and how design contributes to their success.