Principal Product Designer - UX

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Product Designer - UX

Company: Epicor Software Corporation

Location: Hyderabad, India

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX / Human-Computer Interaction

Date Posted: 2025-11-16

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (with potential for remote work within India)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design vision and execution for Epicor's next-generation AI experiences, focusing on human-centered, precise, and scalable design solutions within the Kinetic App Studio.

• Elevate the quality, consistency, and usability of Epicor's AI and ERP product suite by defining interaction principles and design excellence standards.

• Mentor and coach a team of designers, fostering a culture of high craft and continuous improvement in visual and interaction design.

• Drive high-impact product design initiatives, from concept to implementation, in close partnership with product management and engineering.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role of Principal Product Designer implies significant strategic influence and leadership. The emphasis on "leading by craft, not title" suggests a hands-on approach where technical design expertise is paramount, but also a requirement to guide and mentor others. The focus on AI and enterprise products indicates a need for experience in complex systems and data-driven design.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Drive high-impact product design initiatives from ideation through to execution, ensuring alignment with business objectives and user needs.

• Define, establish, and enforce rigorous design quality standards across all user experiences, ensuring consistency and brand integrity.

• Mentor and coach junior and mid-level designers, providing constructive feedback to elevate their visual and interaction design craft.

• Lead and facilitate design reviews and critiques, offering clear, actionable feedback to improve design outcomes.

• Collaborate closely with product managers and engineering teams to translate strategic vision into scalable, maintainable design systems and product features.

• Define and document core interaction principles, motion design guidelines, hierarchy standards, and usability patterns to unify the entire product suite.

• Champion best practices in user-centered design, ensuring that user needs and business goals are balanced effectively.

• Contribute to the evolution of the company's design system, ensuring it remains robust, scalable, and relevant for AI-driven enterprise applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed highlight a blend of individual contribution and leadership. The expectation to "mentor and coach" and "lead design reviews" points to a senior role where guiding others is as critical as personal design output. The emphasis on "scalable systems" and "unifying the product suite" suggests a need for a systems-thinking approach to design.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design (e.g., Graphic Design, Interaction Design, HCI, Industrial Design) or a related field is typically expected for a Principal-level role. Advanced degrees or certifications in UX/UI or related disciplines would be advantageous.

Experience: 8 to 12 years of progressive experience in Product Design, with a significant focus on User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design for complex digital products.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Mastery: Deep expertise in the end-to-end product design process, from research and ideation to detailed UI design and implementation support.

• Interaction Design Expertise: Proven ability to design intuitive, efficient, and engaging user interactions for complex software applications.

• Visual Design Acumen: Strong aesthetic sensibility and the ability to create visually compelling and consistent user interfaces.

• Figma Proficiency: Expert-level command of Figma for wireframing, high-fidelity mockups, prototyping, and design system management.

• Prototyping Skills: Advanced experience creating interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts and test user flows.

• Design Documentation: Ability to create clear and comprehensive design specifications, style guides, and user flow diagrams for engineering handoff.

• Design Systems Experience: Proven experience in defining, building, or evolving design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across a product portfolio.

• Facilitation & Critique: Strong skills in facilitating design workshops, leading critique sessions, and providing constructive, actionable feedback.

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to balance detailed craft with strategic influence, understanding how design decisions impact business outcomes.

• Collaboration: Excellent interpersonal skills for effective partnership with product management, engineering, and other stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Enterprise Software Design: Direct experience designing for large-scale enterprise software, ERP systems, or business process management tools.

• AI/ML Product Design: Experience designing user interfaces and interactions for AI-powered features or platforms.

• Motion Design & Micro-interactions: Expertise in leveraging animation and micro-interactions to enhance usability and user delight.

• Design System Modernization: Experience leading or contributing to the modernization of existing design systems.

• Storytelling: Strong narrative skills to effectively communicate design rationale, vision, and impact to diverse audiences.

• User Research Integration: Familiarity with user research methodologies and the ability to translate research insights into design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated experience range (8-12 years) aligns with a Principal level. The emphasis on Figma, prototyping, and design systems is critical for modern UX roles, especially in enterprise software where consistency and scalability are key. The mention of AI-powered products and storytelling suggests a forward-looking role that requires both technical depth and strategic communication.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design Systems Showcase: A dedicated section demonstrating experience in creating, contributing to, or managing design systems. This should include examples of components, guidelines, and how the system was applied to achieve consistency across multiple products or features.

• Interaction Design Case Studies: Detailed case studies that illustrate the problem, your design process, key interaction design decisions, and the resulting user experience improvements. Focus on complex problem-solving.

• Visual Design Excellence: Examples of high-fidelity UI designs that showcase aesthetic quality, attention to detail, and adherence to design principles.

• Prototyping Examples: Demonstrations of interactive prototypes (e.g., via Figma links or video walkthroughs) that effectively communicate user flows and interaction patterns.

• AI/Enterprise Product Experience: If applicable, highlight projects involving AI-powered features or complex enterprise software, detailing the unique challenges and solutions.

• Design Leadership & Mentorship: Evidence of leading design initiatives, influencing product strategy, and/or mentoring other designers.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Examples of how you have mapped out user flows, identified pain points in existing processes, and designed optimized workflows.

• System Implementation Standards: Documentation demonstrating your understanding of how to translate design into scalable systems and provide clear specifications for engineering teams.

• Impact Measurement: Showcasing how you have measured the impact of your designs, ideally with quantifiable metrics related to usability, efficiency, or user satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Principal Product Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond just showcasing aesthetics and demonstrate strategic thinking, systems-level design capabilities, and leadership. The emphasis on "systems-level thinking" and "craft leadership" in the job description directly translates to portfolio requirements.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Principal Product Designer with 8-12 years of experience in Hyderabad, India, the estimated annual salary range is likely between ₹2,000,000 to ₹3,500,000 (approximately $24,000 - $42,000 USD, subject to exchange rates). This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior UX/Product Design roles in major Indian tech hubs, considering the company's enterprise software focus.

Benefits:

• Health and Wellness: Comprehensive health and wellness benefits designed to support overall well-being.

• Internal Mobility: Opportunities for mentorship, continuing education, and focused career goal setting, with a stated aim of filling 25% of positions internally.

• Career Development: Access to free LinkedIn Learning licenses and a Mentoring Program for personal and professional growth.

• Education Support: Geographically specific programs to assist with the cost of continued learning and personal development.

• Inclusive Workplace: Collaboration within a diverse, global team that fosters innovation and partnership.

• Work-Life Balance: Policies built on mutual trust and support, encouraging time off for rest and recharge.

• Global Mobility: Comprehensive support for international relocations and permanent residency processes, which may be relevant for individuals seeking to relocate to India for this role.

Working Hours: The role is advertised as FULL_TIME, and the description implies a standard 40-hour work week, common in the tech industry. However, the "Hybrid" work arrangement and the emphasis on work-life balance suggest some flexibility may be available.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary ranges for Principal-level roles in India can vary significantly by location and company. The provided estimate is a benchmark for Hyderabad. The benefits listed are comprehensive and align with typical offerings for senior technical and design roles in multinational corporations. The "Global Mobility" benefit is noteworthy for attracting international talent.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Enterprise Software, Business Management Solutions, ERP Systems. Epicor provides mission-critical software for industries like manufacturing, distribution, retail, and services, focusing on connecting people, processes, and technology.

Company Size: 5,000+ talented professionals globally. This indicates a well-established, medium-to-large enterprise with mature processes but likely still retaining some agility.

Founded: While the founding date isn't explicitly provided in the input, Epicor has a long history in the ERP space, suggesting a stable company with deep industry knowledge. The company description emphasizes innovation through data, AI, and cognitive ERP.

Team Structure:

• Operations Team Aspect 1: The Principal Product Designer will likely be part of a broader Product Design or UX team, potentially reporting to a Director or VP of Design. This team collaborates closely with Product Management and Engineering departments.

• Operations Team Aspect 2: The reporting structure for this Principal role suggests leadership potential, possibly overseeing specific product areas or leading initiatives.

• Operations Team Aspect 3: Cross-functional collaboration is a core expectation, particularly with engineering and product management, to translate design vision into scalable product features. The role also involves mentoring other designers within the team.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: The company's focus on AI and data suggests that design decisions will be informed by user data, analytics, and potentially A/B testing.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: A key aspect of the role is to optimize workflows for users of Epicor's enterprise software, making complex processes more intuitive and efficient.

• Automation & Efficiency: Designing for AI and App Studio implies a focus on automation and streamlining user tasks, contributing to overall business efficiency for Epicor's clients.

Company Website: epicor.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Epicor's focus on "real industries" and "intelligent, adaptive design" points to a company that values practical application and technological advancement. The culture appears to be geared towards partnership, continuous learning, and delivering impactful solutions for businesses. The "Proactive, Proud, Partners" tagline reinforces this.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Principal-level Product Designer role. It signifies a senior individual contributor who is expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, influence product strategy, and mentor others. The scope of responsibility extends beyond single features to encompass entire product suites and design systems, particularly in the context of AI and next-generation experiences.

Reporting Structure: The Principal Product Designer will likely report to a design leadership role (e.g., Director of Product Design, VP of Design). They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering leads, acting as a key design authority for their product area.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the usability, adoption, and perceived value of Epicor's core enterprise software and its new AI-driven capabilities. Effective design leads to increased customer satisfaction, reduced support costs, improved user efficiency, and ultimately, enhanced customer retention and revenue. By shaping how customers interact with AI and build workflows, this role can significantly influence Epicor's market position and future product direction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Progression to Lead Product Designer, Design Manager, or Director of Design roles, potentially managing larger teams or strategic design initiatives.

• Specialization: Deepening expertise in AI product design, enterprise UX, or design systems architecture, becoming a recognized subject matter expert.

• Strategic Influence: Greater involvement in product strategy, roadmap planning, and cross-functional leadership within the organization.

• Industry Recognition: Potential to contribute to industry thought leadership through speaking engagements, publications, or community involvement, particularly in enterprise UX or AI design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Principal title implies a significant level of autonomy and influence. Growth opportunities are likely focused on expanding leadership responsibilities, deepening technical expertise in specialized areas like AI design, or moving into more strategic product roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job is listed as "TELECOMMUTE" with a specific location in "India, Hyderabad." However, the description also includes "#LI-HYBRID," indicating a hybrid work model. This suggests a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration.

Office Location(s): Hyderabad, India. Specific office details or addresses are not provided, but it's expected to be a professional office environment conducive to collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model necessitates a workspace that supports both focused individual work (potentially remote) and collaborative sessions (in-office) with designers, product managers, and engineers.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, prototyping software, and potentially project management and communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams).

• Operations Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with the design team, product teams, and engineering departments, fostering knowledge sharing and alignment.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (likely 40 hours/week), with flexibility inherent in a hybrid work arrangement. The focus on "Work-Life Balance" suggests a supportive culture that encourages employees to manage their time effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "TELECOMMUTE" and "HYBRID" combination suggests that while the role is based in Hyderabad, there's an expectation of flexibility, possibly allowing for significant remote work within India, with periodic office visits for collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Recruiter screen (likely with Chaithra D B) to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit. Be prepared to discuss your career trajectory and interest in Epicor.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A key stage will involve presenting your portfolio, showcasing your design process, systems thinking, and leadership skills. This may be followed by a design exercise or case study presentation focused on a relevant problem (e.g., designing an AI interaction for an enterprise workflow).

• Hiring Manager/Team Interviews: Deeper dives into your experience, design philosophy, collaboration style, and ability to mentor. Expect questions about how you handle ambiguity, provide feedback, and drive design initiatives.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Discussions with Product Management and Engineering representatives to assess collaboration capabilities and understanding of technical constraints and business objectives.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to confirm strategic alignment and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-4 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your skills in Product Design, Interaction Design, Visual Design, Design Systems, and ideally, AI or Enterprise product experience.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your role and responsibilities, the design process you followed, key challenges encountered, design decisions made (and why), and the measurable impact or outcomes.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Explicitly show how your work contributes to or leverages a design system. Detail your approach to scalability and consistency.

• Demonstrate Leadership: If possible, include examples of how you have mentored others, led design reviews, or influenced product strategy.

• Prepare for Live Critique: Be ready to discuss your work in detail, answer challenging questions, and potentially iterate on a concept live.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Research Epicor's products, target industries, and their stated focus on AI and App Studio.

• Focus on Process: For any design challenge, emphasize your thought process, problem-solving approach, and how you would gather information (even if hypothetical).

• Consider Enterprise Constraints: Think about factors like scalability, data security, integration with existing systems, and diverse user roles in an enterprise context.

• Practice Articulation: Be able to clearly articulate your design rationale, trade-offs, and potential next steps.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio showcasing "design mastery, systems-level thinking, and craft leadership" is critical. The interview process will likely be rigorous, requiring candidates to demonstrate not just design skills but also strategic thinking and the ability to lead and influence.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned as a required mastery skill. This will be the primary tool for UI design, prototyping, and design system management.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma includes prototyping, proficiency with other tools like InVision, ProtoPie, or Adobe XD might also be relevant or beneficial.

• Design Documentation Tools: Tools for creating detailed specifications, user flows, and style guides. This could include Figma's built-in features, Zeplin, or even structured documents.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or Pendo for understanding user behavior and product adoption, which informs design decisions.

• Data Visualization Tools: While not a direct design tool, understanding how data is presented (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) can help in designing effective dashboards and reports within the application.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems (e.g., Salesforce): Understanding how enterprise software like Epicor integrates with or complements CRM systems is beneficial.

• Workflow Automation Tools: Experience with or understanding of workflow automation principles, particularly relevant given the mention of "Kinetic App Studio" and designing workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the cornerstone tool. Proficiency here is non-negotiable. Understanding how design integrates with analytics and workflow automation is key for an AI-focused role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craftsmanship & Excellence: A strong emphasis on high-quality design execution, attention to detail, and raising the bar for user experience.

• Partnership & Collaboration: Working closely with product, engineering, and other stakeholders to achieve shared goals. The "Partners" tagline is central.

• Innovation & Future-Readiness: Driving next-generation experiences, particularly leveraging AI and intelligent design.

• User-Centricity: Designing with empathy for users and a focus on solving real business problems.

• Continuous Learning: Encouraging professional development through mentorship, training, and embracing new technologies.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative environment where designers are embedded within product teams, working daily with PMs and Engineers.

• Process Review & Feedback Culture: A culture that values constructive critique and open communication to improve designs and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, design patterns, and learnings across the design team and broader organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values seem to center around delivering high-quality, innovative solutions through strong partnerships and continuous improvement, with a clear focus on the practical application of technology for businesses.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Tackling the inherent complexity of enterprise software and AI-driven features to create intuitive and efficient user experiences.

• Balancing Craft and Scale: Maintaining high design quality and craft detail while ensuring solutions are scalable across a large product suite and user base.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Effectively communicating design vision and rationale to diverse stakeholders (engineering, product, sales, executives) and ensuring alignment.

• Adoption of New Technologies: Designing user experiences for emerging technologies like AI that users may be unfamiliar with, requiring education and trust-building.

• Evolving Design Systems: Keeping pace with rapid technological advancements and evolving user needs to ensure the design system remains relevant and effective.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced AI Design Practices: Gaining deeper expertise in designing for artificial intelligence, machine learning interfaces, and data-driven applications.

• Enterprise Architecture: Understanding the intricacies of large-scale enterprise software ecosystems and how design fits within them.

• Leadership Skills: Developing mentorship, coaching, and strategic influence capabilities.

• Industry Exposure: Opportunities to attend industry conferences, workshops, and potentially pursue certifications relevant to UX, AI, or design leadership.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Collaborating with experts in AI, data science, and various industry verticals to broaden understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for senior roles in enterprise software, particularly those involving new technologies like AI. The growth opportunities are geared towards deepening expertise and expanding leadership influence.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to influence product strategy with a design recommendation. What was the outcome?" (Focus on strategic influence, data-driven arguments, and stakeholder management.)

• "How do you approach designing for AI-powered features? What are the key considerations for user trust and transparency?" (Prepare to discuss ethical AI design, user education, and managing expectations.)

• "Walk me through a complex product design challenge you solved, focusing on your process, the trade-offs you made, and the impact." (This is where your portfolio case studies shine. Structure your answer using STAR or a similar method.)

• "How do you define and maintain design quality and consistency across a large product suite?" (Discuss your experience with design systems, style guides, and design reviews.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Epicor and our focus on AI and enterprise software?" (Research Epicor's mission, products, and recent news.)

• "How do you see yourself contributing to our 'Proactive, Proud, Partners' culture?" (Relate your work style and values to their stated culture.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level overview of your career and design philosophy. Then, dive into 2-3 selected projects.

• Problem-Solution-Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, key design decisions (and rationale), and the measurable impact. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Explicitly discuss how your work relates to or builds design systems.

• Show Leadership: When discussing projects, point out instances where you led initiatives, mentored others, or influenced strategy.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your choices, technical constraints, and alternative solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily rely on demonstrating strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and a deep understanding of enterprise and AI product design, all supported by a strong portfolio.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your experience in Product Design, UX, AI, Design Systems, and leadership, using keywords from the job description. Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible and showcases relevant projects.

• Resume Optimization: Quantify your achievements whenever possible (e.g., "Improved conversion rates by X% through redesign of Y feature"). Clearly articulate your specific contributions and impact.

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly review your portfolio projects, practice articulating your design process, and prepare answers to common behavioral and situational questions. Research Epicor's products and market position.

• Company Research: Understand Epicor's business, target industries, and strategic focus on AI and App Studio. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.

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