Brandwatch, Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer Company: Brandwatch (part of Cision) Location: Budapest, Hungary / Sofia, Bulgaria Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design Date Posted: 2025-11-19 Experience Level: 5-10 Years Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end product design process for Brandwatch's SaaS offerings, focusing on user-centric solutions within a cross-functional product team.
• Champion user advocacy by conducting in-depth user research (both generative and evaluative, quantitative and qualitative) to uncover customer needs and translate them into actionable design opportunities.
• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Marketers, and Data Scientists to deliver consistently brilliant and delightful user experiences for sophisticated SaaS products.
• Establish and evolve effective design practices within your immediate work context, demonstrating leadership in design methodology and execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Product Designer," the description emphasizes working within a "product team focused on the Social Media Management solution," suggesting a specialization within a larger product suite. The "product trio" model (Designer, PM, Engineers) is a common agile structure. The "5 years aggregated commercial experience" aligns with a senior-level role.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design of user interfaces and experiences for Brandwatch's SaaS products, ensuring modern, accessible, and inviting solutions.
• Plan, conduct, and analyze user research initiatives, including generative and evaluative studies, to inform design decisions and product strategy.
• Translate complex user requirements and business needs into intuitive and effective design outputs, from wireframes and prototypes to high-fidelity mockups.
• Collaborate effectively within a cross-functional product trio (Product Manager, Engineers) to ensure seamless execution and delivery of design solutions.
• Regularly engage with customers to understand their evolving requirements, gather feedback, and identify new opportunities for product enhancement.
• Contribute to and leverage the company's design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across product features.
• Document and communicate design decisions, research findings, and project progress clearly and effectively to diverse stakeholders.
• Proactively identify areas for design practice improvement and advocate for user-centered design principles within the team and organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibility is to deliver excellent product experiences. This involves a blend of hands-on design, user research, and team collaboration. The emphasis on "translating outcomes into outputs" and "establishing and evolving effective design practice" suggests a need for strategic thinking beyond just execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Specific educational requirements are not detailed, but a strong portfolio and relevant experience are prioritized over formal degrees. Experience: A minimum of 5 years of aggregated commercial experience working as a Product Designer on digital products, specifically web applications and SaaS platforms.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Excellence: Demonstrated ability to design and deliver consistently brilliant and delightful product experiences.
• User Research Expertise: Proven experience planning and conducting user research (generative and evaluative, quantitative and qualitative) and translating findings into actionable design opportunities.
• UX Research Tools & Techniques: Deeper experience in UX research methodologies and tools.
• Design Systems Proficiency: Experience working with and contributing to design systems.
• Visual Design Principles: Understanding and application of core visual design principles.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to work effectively within cross-functional teams (Product Managers, Engineers, Marketers, Data Scientists).
• Requirement Translation: Skill in distilling and translating complex requirements into intuitive, modern, and accessible user experiences.
• Documentation & Communication: Ability to document and communicate work efficiently and effectively to various stakeholders.
• Work Planning & Management: Experience in planning work, setting expectations, and delegating tasks appropriately.

Preferred Skills:

• Specialization in specific design areas (e.g., strategy/planning, information architecture, interaction design, UI design).
• Passion for data visualization.
• Experience designing and testing information dashboards.
• Experience designing for mobile contexts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "You must" section clearly outlines the non-negotiable qualifications, emphasizing practical experience, research skills, and the ability to manage one's own work. The "You might" section highlights areas that would make a candidate stand out, particularly related to data visualization and dashboards, which are highly relevant to Brandwatch's market intelligence offerings.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio must be presented during the interview, demonstrating excellence in your craft.
• The portfolio should clearly showcase your process of translating user needs and business outcomes into tangible design outputs.
• Examples of how you have designed and delivered delightful product experiences, especially within SaaS or complex web applications, are crucial.
• Evidence of your ability to establish and evolve effective design practices within project contexts should be highlighted.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate your approach to planning and conducting user research (generative and evaluative, quant and qual).
• Showcase how you translate complex requirements into design solutions, detailing your workflow from initial concept to final delivery.
• Illustrate your experience working with and contributing to design systems, including how you ensure consistency and scalability.
• Provide examples of how you document and communicate your design process, decisions, and findings to various stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The prompt explicitly states the portfolio should showcase the "process of translating outcomes into outputs." This means candidates should prepare to walk through their thought process, research methodologies, iteration stages, and final design rationale, not just present polished final screens.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the role's seniority (5-10 years experience), location (Budapest/Sofia), and industry (SaaS/Tech), a competitive salary range is estimated.

• Budapest, Hungary: Approximately €35,000 - €55,000 per year gross.
• Sofia, Bulgaria: Approximately BGN 60,000 - BGN 95,000 per year gross.

Benefits: Specific benefits are not listed in the job description, but typical offerings for a global tech company like Brandwatch (Cision) often include:

• Competitive salary and potential for performance-based bonuses.
• Comprehensive health insurance packages (medical, dental, vision).
• Paid time off (vacation, sick leave, public holidays).
• Opportunities for professional development, training, and conference attendance.
• Retirement savings plans or contributions.
• Potential for flexible working arrangements within the on-site model.
• Employee assistance programs and wellness initiatives.
• Contribution to a dynamic and innovative work environment.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are presumed to be 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time role in this sector, with flexibility often available within operational needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary ranges are estimated based on typical market rates for Senior Product Designers in Budapest and Sofia. These figures are gross annual salaries and can vary based on specific experience, negotiation, and the exact benefits package. Researching local benchmarks for IT/SaaS roles in these cities is recommended. The description indicates an "On-site" work arrangement, so benefits related to office perks or commuting assistance might be present.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, Software (SaaS), Marketing & Communications Technology, Media Intelligence. Brandwatch, as part of Cision, operates in the rapidly evolving space of communication intelligence, providing tools for brands to monitor, analyze, and engage with their audiences across digital channels. Company Size: Cision is a large global organization, indicated by its presence in 24 countries and a significant digital footprint. Brandwatch, as a key part of Cision, likely maintains a substantial product and engineering presence. This means opportunities for interaction with a broad range of professionals and access to significant resources. Founded: Cision was founded in 1994, and Brandwatch was founded in 2010. This indicates a company with established market presence and a history of innovation, particularly in the digital intelligence space.

Team Structure:

• The role is within a product team focused on Social Media Management solutions.
• You will be part of a "tightly aligned product trio" consisting of a Product Designer, a Product Manager, and Engineers.
• This structure emphasizes agile development and close collaboration within a dedicated feature or product area.
• Designers will likely interact with other designers, product teams, and potentially broader marketing or data science functions.

Methodology:

• The company operates with a strong emphasis on user advocacy and delivering "consistently brilliant and delightful product experiences."
• Agile methodologies are implied through the "product trio" and cross-functional team structure, suggesting iterative development and continuous feedback loops.
• Data-driven decision-making is highlighted by the presence of Data Scientists in cross-functional teams and the company's core business in "intelligence."
• Customer engagement is a key part of the process, with weekly direct contact with customers to gather requirements and evaluate research.

Company Website: https://www.cision.com/ and https://www.brandwatch.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company description mentions "Empower your impact at Cision. Be seen, be understood, be you." This suggests a culture that values individual contributions and encourages authenticity. The integration into Cision means understanding Brandwatch's specific SaaS offerings (like social media management) within the broader context of PR, marketing, and communication intelligence.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role. It implies a level of autonomy, strategic input, and the ability to mentor or guide less experienced designers. The responsibility extends beyond task execution to establishing and evolving design practices. Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, Senior Product Designers typically report into a Design Lead, Head of Product Design, or potentially a Director of Product Management, depending on the organizational structure. Within the "product trio," the designer works alongside a Product Manager and Engineers, forming a collaborative unit. Operations Impact: The designer's impact is directly tied to the usability, desirability, and effectiveness of Brandwatch's SaaS products. By delivering brilliant user experiences and translating customer needs into design solutions, they directly influence customer satisfaction, adoption rates, retention, and ultimately, revenue generation for the Social Media Management solution.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific design disciplines (UX strategy, interaction design, UI, research) within the social media management domain or other Brandwatch product areas.
• Leadership: Progress into Lead Product Designer roles, mentoring junior designers, or taking on more strategic design initiatives across multiple product teams.
• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain deeper understanding of product management, data science, and engineering processes, potentially leading to roles with broader product ownership.
• Industry Expertise: Become a subject matter expert in the complex field of social media management and media intelligence technology.
• Learning & Development: Access to training, conferences, and internal workshops to stay abreast of the latest design trends, tools, and methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and the emphasis on "establishing and evolving effective design practice" suggest that candidates who can demonstrate leadership potential and strategic thinking in design will be highly valued. Growth likely involves deepening product expertise and potentially moving into leadership or more strategic design roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job is listed as "On-site" with specific locations in Budapest, Hungary, and Sofia, Bulgaria. This suggests a traditional office-based work environment where in-person collaboration is expected. Office Location(s):

• Budapest, Hungary: A vibrant European capital with a strong tech scene.
• Sofia, Bulgaria: Another key European hub known for its growing tech industry.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role explicitly thrives within a "cross-functional team" and a "tightly aligned product trio," indicating a highly collaborative workspace. Expect daily interaction with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers.
• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design tools and technologies will be provided, supporting the creation of sophisticated SaaS products. Familiarity with design systems is also a key component of the environment.
• Customer Interaction: Regular direct contact with customers is part of the role, offering opportunities to understand real-world usage and gather direct feedback, fostering a user-centric work culture.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected for this full-time, on-site position. While an on-site role, companies of this caliber often offer some degree of flexibility within the working day to accommodate personal needs, provided business objectives and team collaboration are maintained.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" requirement means candidates should be prepared for a traditional office setting in either Budapest or Sofia. The collaborative nature of the "product trio" suggests a dynamic, team-oriented office culture rather than an isolated individual workspace.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: The process typically involves several stages to assess skills, experience, and cultural fit.

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications.
• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: A key stage where candidates present their portfolio, discussing their design process, problem-solving skills, and project outcomes. This may be followed by a practical design exercise or case study to evaluate on-the-spot problem-solving and design thinking.
• Team/Hiring Manager Interviews: Interviews with the hiring manager and potential team members (Product Manager, Engineers, other Designers) to discuss experience, collaboration style, and technical skills in more detail.
• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to assess strategic thinking and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process: Clearly articulate your "process of translating outcomes into outputs." Walk through your thinking, research, iterations, and rationale for design decisions. Use case studies that highlight complex problems and your systematic approach.
• Showcase Impact: Quantify the impact of your designs where possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced support tickets, increased user satisfaction scores).
• Highlight Collaboration: Include examples of how you worked with cross-functional teams and stakeholders, demonstrating your communication and teamwork skills.
• Design Systems: If you have experience with design systems, showcase how you've used them or contributed to them.
• Tailor Your Presentation: Be prepared to discuss projects most relevant to SaaS products and complex web applications, and potentially highlight any experience with social media management platforms or data visualization if applicable.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Thinking: Be ready to apply your design thinking process to a given problem, focusing on user needs, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing.
• Communication: Practice articulating your thoughts clearly and concisely. Be prepared to explain your design choices and justify them with user research and design principles.
• Time Management: Design challenges often have time limits, so practice working efficiently and prioritizing tasks.
• User Research Integration: Demonstrate how you would incorporate user research into the problem-solving process, even in a simulated scenario.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on presenting a portfolio during the interview is critical. Candidates should prepare a concise, compelling presentation that highlights their most relevant work and clearly demonstrates their design process and problem-solving capabilities. The "outcomes into outputs" phrasing is a direct cue to focus on the journey, not just the destination.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools: While specific tools aren't listed, the expectation for a Senior Product Designer in a SaaS company includes proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping software.

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Axure RP (or similar). Figma is increasingly becoming the industry standard for collaborative design.
• User Research Tools: Tools for surveys (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform), user testing platforms (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze), and analytics dashboards.
• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello (for workflow tracking and team communication).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to understand user behavior and product performance.
• Experience interpreting data visualization and potentially designing dashboards.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how design impacts user journeys within CRM or marketing automation platforms can be beneficial.
• Familiarity with how design integrates with development workflows and CI/CD pipelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "You might" section mentions data visualization and information dashboards. This suggests that candidates with experience in these areas, and the tools used to create them (possibly Tableau, Power BI, or specialized charting libraries), will have a distinct advantage. Proficiency in a collaborative design tool like Figma is highly probable.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: Based on the company's messaging and the role's requirements, key values likely include:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Valuing collective effort and cross-functional partnership to achieve goals.
• Innovation & Curiosity: Encouraging new ideas and a proactive approach to problem-solving.
• Impact & Results: Focusing on delivering tangible value and driving business success through design.
• Excellence & Craftsmanship: A dedication to high-quality design output and continuous improvement.
• Authenticity & Inclusivity: Encouraging employees to be themselves and fostering a diverse environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Product Trio Focus: The primary collaboration occurs within the tight-knit product trio, emphasizing shared ownership and rapid iteration.
• Cross-functional Integration: Seamless integration with Product Management, Engineering, and Data Science is essential for translating research into solutions and ensuring successful implementation.
• Customer-Facing: A willingness to engage directly with customers fosters a collaborative approach grounded in real-world feedback.
• Design Practice Evolution: An open approach to discussing and improving design methodologies within the team and organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's emphasis on "Empower your impact" and being "seen, be understood, be you" suggests a culture that values open communication, encourages diverse perspectives, and empowers individuals to contribute meaningfully. The design team likely fosters a culture of constructive critique and shared learning.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of SaaS Products: Navigating the intricate requirements and user flows of sophisticated SaaS platforms, particularly in the competitive social media management space.
• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively translating diverse user research findings into design solutions that also align with business objectives and technical constraints.
• Evolving Technology & Trends: Staying current with rapid advancements in design tools, methodologies, and user expectations in the tech industry.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent communication and buy-in from various stakeholders (product, engineering, marketing, sales) throughout the design lifecycle.
• Establishing Design Best Practices: Proactively defining and implementing robust design processes and standards within a rapidly evolving product environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like advanced UX research, interaction design patterns, data visualization, or accessibility standards.
• Industry Exposure: Attending industry conferences, webinars, and workshops to learn from peers and thought leaders in product design and SaaS.
• Mentorship: Potential to be mentored by senior design leaders or to mentor junior designers, fostering leadership skills.
• Career Pathing: Clear pathways for career progression within the design function, potentially into lead, principal, or management roles.
• Product Specialization: Developing deep domain expertise in social media management and media intelligence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "challenges" listed are common for senior roles in fast-paced tech environments. The "growth opportunities" highlight that the company invests in its employees' development, offering paths for both technical and leadership growth.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for translating complex requirements into user experiences." Prepare a detailed case study from your portfolio that walks through this. Emphasize your research, ideation, iteration, and validation steps.
• "How do you ensure your designs are user-centric while meeting business objectives?" Discuss your approach to user research, stakeholder management, and finding balanced solutions.
• "Tell me about a time you had to influence stakeholders to adopt a design decision." Prepare an example demonstrating your communication, persuasion, and negotiation skills, backed by data or user insights.
• "How do you collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers?" Be ready to explain your role in the "product trio" and how you foster effective teamwork, handle disagreements, and ensure alignment.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Brandwatch/Cision and our products?" Research Brandwatch's SaaS offerings, their market position, and Cision's broader mission. Connect this to your career aspirations and design interests.
• "How do you stay updated on design trends and best practices?" Mention specific resources, communities, or methods you use.
• "Describe your ideal team environment." Align your answer with the company's stated values of collaboration, user-centricity, and innovation.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio around 2-3 key projects. For each, clearly define the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, design, testing), your specific contributions, and the outcomes/impact.
• Visuals: Use high-quality visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, user flows). If discussing user research, present key findings and how they informed your design.
• Storytelling: Weave a narrative around each project, highlighting challenges, your problem-solving approach, and the lessons learned.
• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Practice your presentation to ensure it fits within the allocated slot, leaving ample time for Q&A.
• Interactive Elements: Be prepared to share interactive prototypes if possible, or demonstrate how key user flows would function.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "translating outcomes into outputs" and showcasing the "process" means the interview will likely focus heavily on how you arrive at your design solutions, not just the final polished screens. Be prepared to defend your decisions with research and strategic reasoning.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest SaaS or complex web application design projects. Ensure each project clearly demonstrates your end-to-end design process, user research integration, problem-solving approach, and the impact of your work. Tailor the selection to highlight experience relevant to social media management or data visualization if possible.
• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight keywords from the job description such as "Product Designer," "SaaS," "User Research," "Design Systems," "Cross-functional Teams," and "Stakeholder Communication." Quantify achievements where possible.
• Prepare Your Presentation Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on the "process of translating outcomes into outputs." Rehearse explaining your design rationale, research findings, and how you collaborated with teams. Be ready to articulate your understanding of Brandwatch's products.
• Research Brandwatch & Cision: Understand their market position, key products (especially Social Media Management), target audience, and company culture. Familiarize yourself with their brand identity and any public design principles or case studies they may have shared.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.