Product Designer 2 (Mid-Level)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer II (Mid-Level)

Company: Togetherwork

Location: Austin, TX

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX Design

Date Posted: March 06, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (In-office collaboration encouraged)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on owning the User Experience (UX) for specific products within a diverse SaaS portfolio, driving significant improvements in usability and accessibility.

• Key responsibilities include modernizing complex and legacy workflows, leveraging behavioral analytics and user research to identify and address friction points.

• The position requires close collaboration with Product Management and Engineering teams throughout the entire product development lifecycle, from discovery to delivery.

• A crucial aspect involves contributing to and maintaining a shared design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across multiple applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Product Designer," the detailed responsibilities heavily emphasize UX design, workflow modernization, and systems thinking, indicating a strong focus on the user experience and interaction design aspects of product development within a complex SaaS environment. The emphasis on "owning UX" and "improving clarity, usability, and accessibility" positions this as a core UX/Product Design role.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Assume ownership of the User Experience (UX) for designated products within the Togetherwork portfolio, ensuring a cohesive and intuitive user journey.

• Lead the modernization of complex or legacy workflows, transforming them into clear, user-friendly, and accessible interfaces that enhance customer satisfaction.

• Analyze behavioral analytics data (e.g., Pendo) and conduct qualitative user interviews to deeply understand user pain points, identify areas of friction, and uncover opportunities for workflow optimization.

• Drive UI consistency across different products and features, effectively reducing visual and interaction inconsistencies while diligently respecting technical constraints and engineering feasibility.

• Collaborate intimately with Product Managers and Engineers, participating in all phases of the product development process, from initial concept discovery and ideation through to final delivery and post-launch iteration.

• Actively contribute to and maintain the shared design system, which includes refining existing components, developing new patterns, and ensuring consistent application of design principles across the portfolio.

• Champion accessibility best practices, ensuring designs adhere to core usability principles and WCAG standards.

• Leverage AI-assisted workflows and tools to accelerate research, explore design concepts, and rapidly prototype for alignment, thereby improving personal and team velocity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a proactive, ownership-driven approach to design, moving beyond task execution to strategic problem-solving within a mature SaaS product suite. The emphasis on analytics, user research, and design systems points to a data-informed and scalable design process.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating practical application of design principles and processes is paramount. Relevant educational backgrounds in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or related fields are beneficial.

Experience: 3–5 years of dedicated product design experience, with a proven track record of shipping features within Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) environments or complex, workflow-driven software applications.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated ownership of UX for specific product areas or features, driving initiatives from concept to completion.

• Proven experience in modernizing complex or legacy workflows, with a focus on improving usability, clarity, and accessibility.

• Proficiency in analyzing behavioral analytics data (e.g., Pendo, Amplitude) and synthesizing qualitative user interview findings to inform design decisions.

• Strong understanding of UI consistency principles and the ability to reduce visual and interaction inconsistencies while respecting technical limitations.

• Experience collaborating closely with Product Managers and Engineers, acting as a partner throughout the discovery and delivery phases.

• Ability to contribute to and maintain design system components, including patterns and reusable UI elements.

• Familiarity with AI-assisted workflows in design, such as generative UI, AI prototyping tools, or workflow automation for research and iteration acceleration.

• Solid understanding of core usability principles and WCAG accessibility standards.

• Excellent communication and facilitation skills, capable of effectively engaging with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for multiple vertical markets or a diverse SaaS portfolio.

• Demonstrated ability to balance product-specific needs with broader portfolio coherence and systems thinking.

• Experience with rapid prototyping tools and techniques to quickly validate design concepts.

• A proactive approach to identifying design opportunities and advocating for user needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize practical, shipped work and collaborative experience, particularly within SaaS. The inclusion of AI-assisted workflows highlights a forward-thinking approach to design tools and processes. The "ownership" aspect is a recurring theme, suggesting a need for self-starters.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Complex Product or SaaS Workflows: Showcase at least one significant project involving the design and improvement of intricate workflows within a SaaS product or a similar complex software application. This should demonstrate your ability to navigate and simplify challenging user journeys.

• Clear Problem Framing and Constraints: Clearly articulate the specific user problem or business challenge addressed by your design work. Explicitly detail the constraints (technical, time, business goals) that influenced your design decisions.

• Tradeoffs Made: Provide concrete examples of difficult tradeoffs you made in collaboration with engineering or product management teams. Explain the rationale behind these decisions and their impact on the final solution.

• Evidence of Shipped Work: Focus on projects that have been successfully launched and are in production. Avoid speculative redesigns or conceptual work unless it is clearly framed as a learning exercise or a foundational step for a shipped feature.

• Systems Thinking: Include examples that demonstrate your ability to think in systems. This could include contributions to design systems, reusable interaction patterns, or logical frameworks that ensure consistency and scalability across multiple features or products.

• Demonstrated AI-Assisted Workflows: Showcase instances where you leveraged AI tools (e.g., for research synthesis, rapid prototyping, idea generation) to enhance your design process, accelerate iteration, or improve team velocity.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design and Optimization: Present case studies that detail your process for analyzing existing workflows, identifying pain points through user research and data, and redesigning them for improved efficiency, usability, and accessibility.

• Implementation and Automation Methods: Illustrate how your designs were translated into actionable specifications for engineering, and how you collaborated to ensure successful implementation. If applicable, show how automation or AI tools were integrated into the workflow design process.

• Measurement and Performance Analysis: Explain how you measured the success of your design interventions. This should include defining key performance indicators (KPIs), analyzing post-launch data (analytics, user feedback), and iterating based on performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are highly specific, emphasizing practical application, collaboration, and the use of modern tools like AI. The focus is on demonstrating impact and a systematic, evidence-based design approach, not just aesthetic output.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: While a specific range is not provided, a mid-level Product Designer (3-5 years of experience) in Austin, TX, can typically expect a competitive base salary. Based on industry benchmarks for this role and location, a reasonable estimate would be between $90,000 - $130,000 USD annually. This range is subject to variation based on the candidate's specific experience, skills, and the final negotiation process.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance options to support employee health and well-being.

• 100% employer-paid short-term and long-term disability insurance, providing financial security during challenging times.

• Basic life insurance coverage to offer peace of mind for employees and their families.

• A 401(k) retirement savings plan with a generous 100% company match up to 4% of employee contributions, supporting long-term financial planning.

• Flexible paid personal/vacation time, emphasizing trust and accountability for work-life balance.

• 10 sick days annually to ensure employees can take time off when needed for health reasons.

• 10 company-paid holidays to observe national and local celebrations.

• Generous 6 weeks of paid parental leave to support new parents.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are expected to be approximately 40 hours per week, aligning with a full-time employment arrangement. The hybrid work model allows for flexibility, with in-office collaboration encouraged, suggesting a balance between remote work and in-person engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on typical compensation for a mid-level Product Designer in a major tech hub like Austin, TX, considering the company's stated recurring revenue SaaS model and the competitive talent market. The benefits package is comprehensive, reflecting a commitment to employee well-being and financial security.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software & Technology, specifically focused on providing SaaS solutions across over 12 vertical markets. Togetherwork operates as a recurring revenue business, managing a portfolio of more than 33 distinct software applications. This diverse industry focus means designers may encounter a wide range of user needs and business contexts.

Company Size: Togetherwork is a significant player with over $250 million in recurring revenue. While the exact employee count isn't specified, the mention of "major hiring phase" and building "in-house product and engineering teams" suggests a company undergoing substantial growth and organizational development. This implies an dynamic environment where processes are being formalized and scaled.

Founded: The founding date is not explicitly stated, but the description implies a company that has acquired and integrated multiple software applications over time, leading to a need for modernization and standardization. This history suggests a culture that values integration, scalability, and long-term product quality.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is being actively built in-house, suggesting it may currently be small or in a growth phase, offering opportunities to shape its structure and processes.

• Designers will report into a Product or Design leadership role, working closely with dedicated Product Managers and Engineering teams for specific product areas.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis and Insights: The role emphasizes a data-driven approach, utilizing behavioral analytics (e.g., Pendo) and qualitative user research to inform design decisions and identify opportunities for improvement.

• Workflow Planning and Optimization: A core methodology involves modernizing complex workflows, focusing on clarity, usability, and reducing friction points for users.

• Automation and Efficiency Practices: The company values the thoughtful application of AI and modern tools to accelerate design processes, improve velocity, and enhance the efficiency of both the design team and the end-user experience.

Company Website: https://togetherwork.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context suggests an environment of growth and transformation, where established products are being modernized. This offers a unique opportunity for designers to have a tangible impact on product quality and process definition, rather than just iterating on existing designs. The emphasis on "in-house" teams implies a move towards greater internal control and standardization.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Product Designer II (Mid-Level)," indicating a professional with 3-5 years of experience who is expected to operate with a significant degree of autonomy. They are not entry-level but are not yet senior leaders. This level typically involves owning specific product areas, contributing to strategic discussions, and mentoring junior designers or interns if the team structure allows. The focus on "ownership" and "modernizing complex software" suggests a role with substantial responsibility and opportunity for strategic impact.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a Design Lead, Head of Product Design, or a Director of Product. They will work very closely with Product Managers and Engineering teams on a day-to-day basis, forming a core product triad for their assigned products. This structure encourages tight collaboration and shared accountability for product outcomes.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is directly tied to improving the user experience of Togetherwork's diverse SaaS applications. By modernizing workflows, enhancing usability, and ensuring accessibility, the designer contributes to increased customer satisfaction, reduced support costs, improved user adoption, and ultimately, stronger recurring revenue. The ability to influence design standards and processes across the portfolio also has a broader, long-term impact on the company's product quality and market competitiveness.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization & Leadership: With 3-5 years of experience, there's potential to grow into a Senior Product Designer role, taking on more complex products, larger strategic initiatives, or mentoring opportunities. The company's growth phase may also open doors to leadership roles within the expanding design team.

• Skill Development: The role offers opportunities to deepen expertise in UX for complex SaaS, design systems, user research methodologies, and the practical application of AI in design. The company's focus on modernization provides a fertile ground for learning and applying new design patterns and technologies.

• Cross-Functional Influence: By effectively collaborating with Product and Engineering and contributing to design system standards, the designer can increase their influence across the organization, potentially impacting product strategy and development processes more broadly.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Mid-Level" designation is key. Candidates should expect to be hands-on and take ownership, but also to learn from and collaborate with more senior members of the Product and Engineering teams as the company scales. The growth path likely involves increasing complexity and strategic input.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as Hybrid, with a preference for in-office collaboration. This suggests a modern office environment that facilitates teamwork, brainstorming, and face-to-face interaction, particularly at their headquarters in Austin, TX (on South Congress). It's likely designed to encourage a sense of community and shared purpose.

Office Location(s): The primary location for hybrid work is Austin, TX. The company may have other locations for its distributed teams, but the expectation for this role is to be present in the Austin office on a regular basis to foster collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is likely to be collaborative, with open areas for team interaction, meeting rooms for focused discussions, and individual spaces for concentrated work. Given the emphasis on building in-house teams and strengthening collaboration, the office environment will be a key factor in how teams connect and innovate.

• Designers will have access to modern design tools and technologies. The mention of AI-assisted workflows and the need to contribute to a design system implies a tech-forward environment where tools are expected to evolve. Access to analytics platforms like Pendo will be crucial.

• Opportunities for interaction with product and engineering teams will be frequent and integrated into daily workflows, fostering a strong sense of shared ownership and efficient communication.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is approximately 40 hours per week. The hybrid model allows for flexibility in how these hours are structured, balancing remote work with in-office days. This flexibility is beneficial for deep work sessions and structured collaboration, allowing designers to manage their time effectively around product sprints and team meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect, indicating a company that values both focused individual work and the synergy of in-person collaboration. For operations roles, understanding this balance is crucial for productivity and team integration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a brief call with a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Candidates will present their portfolio, showcasing specific projects that meet the requirements (complex workflows, shipped work, AI integration, systems thinking). This is often followed by a design challenge, which could be a take-home exercise or a live collaborative session. The challenge will assess problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to work within constraints.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineers to evaluate collaboration style, communication, technical understanding, and ability to work within a team.

• Final Interview: Possibly with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Product, VP of Engineering) to discuss strategic thinking, career aspirations, and overall fit with the company culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that most closely align with the job description's requirements: complex

SaaS workflows, modernization efforts, and evidence of shipped work.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each project, follow a clear narrative:

  1. The Problem: Clearly define the user or business problem and the context.
  2. Your Role & Constraints: Specify your responsibilities and any limitations (technical, time, budget).
  3. Your Process: Detail your methodology (research, ideation, prototyping, testing). Highlight how you used analytics, user interviews, and AI tools.
  4. The Solution: Present the final design, explaining key decisions and tradeoffs made.
  5. The Impact: Show evidence of shipped work and its measurable outcomes (e.g., improved conversion, reduced errors, increased satisfaction).

• Highlight AI Integration: Explicitly call out how AI tools were used and what value they brought to the process. Be ready to discuss the practical applications.

• Demonstrate Systems Thinking: Show how your work fits into a larger design system or contributes to product consistency.

• Be Prepared for Discussion: Anticipate questions about your decision-making, collaboration with engineers, and how you handle ambiguity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a take-home challenge, thoroughly research Togetherwork's products and industry to understand potential user needs and business goals.

• Focus on Process: The interviewers will be looking at how you approach a problem, not just the final solution. Think about user research, ideation, iteration, and collaboration.

• Communicate Your Thinking: Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, especially during live sessions. Explain your assumptions and rationale.

• Be Pragmatic: Understand that real-world design involves constraints. Show that you can make reasonable tradeoffs and deliver scalable solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical skills, collaborative abilities, and a data-informed, systems-oriented approach. The portfolio is critical, and candidates must tailor their presentation to directly address the stated requirements, particularly regarding shipped work and AI integration. The prohibition of real-time AI assistance during interviews underscores the need for genuine problem-solving and communication skills.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma is a likely primary tool given its industry prevalence for collaborative design and prototyping. Other tools like Sketch or Adobe XD might also be used, but Figma is highly probable for design system work and collaboration.

• Design System Management: Tools that integrate with design files (like Figma) or dedicated platforms for managing design tokens, components, and documentation.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: This is an explicit requirement, suggesting the use of AI for research synthesis, idea generation, rapid prototyping, or workflow automation. Examples could include tools like Midjourney for concept exploration, AI-powered research analysis platforms, or AI plugins within design software.

• Collaboration Tools: Slack or Microsoft Teams for team communication, Jira or Asana for project management and workflow tracking.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Behavioral Analytics: Pendo is specifically mentioned, indicating its use for understanding user behavior, tracking feature adoption, and identifying product friction. Other tools like Amplitude or Google Analytics could also be part of the stack.

• User Feedback Platforms: Tools for collecting and analyzing user feedback, such as surveys (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform) or in-app feedback widgets.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly designing within CRM, an understanding of how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce) might inform user personas or business goals could be beneficial.

• Automation tools might be integrated into the workflow design, such as Zapier or custom internal tools, to streamline processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Pendo and AI-assisted workflows points to specific tool proficiencies that candidates should highlight. A strong understanding of design system tools and collaborative platforms is also essential given the role's responsibilities.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Accountability & Clarity: The company values clear communication and taking ownership of responsibilities. Designers are expected to be accountable for their work, proactively seek clarity, and deliver transparently.

• Thoughtful Execution: Emphasis is placed on not just ideation but also on carefully considered implementation. Designs should be practical, scalable, and aligned with business and technical realities.

• Continuous Improvement: The culture encourages a mindset of ongoing betterment, both for the products being designed and for the processes used to create them. This is evident in the focus on modernization and refining workflows.

• Collaboration: Working effectively with cross-functional teams is paramount. The company fosters an environment where designers, product managers, and engineers are partners in product development.

• User-Centricity: While not explicitly stated as a value, the role's responsibilities heavily imply a deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs through improved usability and accessibility.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership-Oriented: Designers are expected to act as collaborative partners to Product and Engineering, making pragmatic tradeoffs and caring about how their work ships. This means actively participating in discussions and contributing to shared goals.

• Systems-Oriented Approach: Collaboration extends to ensuring consistency and coherence across the product portfolio through shared design systems and interaction patterns.

• Evidence-Based Decision Making: The team values data and qualitative insights over mere opinion. Collaboration involves presenting evidence and using it to drive design decisions.

• Proactive Communication: Given the hybrid environment and distributed teams, proactive and clear communication is essential for effective collaboration and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be a blend of established SaaS business practices and the dynamism of a growing organization. Values like accountability, clarity, and thoughtful execution are crucial for candidates to embody.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Modernizing Legacy Systems: The primary challenge will be updating and improving complex, potentially outdated software workflows. This requires balancing user needs with technical constraints and managing stakeholder expectations.

• Balancing Portfolio Coherence with Product Specificity: Ensuring consistency across a diverse portfolio of 33+ applications while still meeting the unique needs of individual products presents a significant design systems and strategic challenge.

• Navigating Ambiguity and Evolving Processes: As Togetherwork builds in-house teams and refines its design processes, designers will need to be comfortable working in an environment where standards and workflows are still maturing.

• Integrating AI Thoughtfully: Effectively leveraging AI tools without falling into buzzword territory requires careful consideration of practical applications that genuinely improve design velocity and user outcomes.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen SaaS UX Expertise: Gain extensive experience in designing for complex, workflow-driven SaaS applications across multiple industries.

• Contribute to Design System Maturity: Play a key role in shaping and scaling a design system for a large product portfolio, developing expertise in scalable design practices.

• Master AI-Enhanced Design: Become proficient in using AI tools to augment the design process, learning how to integrate them effectively for research, ideation, and prototyping.

• Influence Product Strategy: Through strong collaboration and demonstrated impact, gain opportunities to influence product roadmaps and design strategy.

• Career Progression: Potential to advance to Senior Product Designer roles, lead design initiatives, or potentially move into leadership positions as the design team grows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to working in a growing SaaS company focused on modernization. These challenges also represent significant growth opportunities for designers looking to build robust skills in complex environments.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you owned the UX for a complex feature or product. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on ownership, problem framing, your specific contributions, and measurable impact. Highlight how you navigated ambiguity and collaborated with engineering/product).

• "How would you approach modernizing a legacy workflow that users are accustomed to but is inefficient? What data would you look for, and how would you involve users and stakeholders?" (Demonstrate your understanding of user research, data analysis (mention Pendo), change management, and collaborative design processes. Emphasize balancing user needs with technical feasibility and business goals).

• "Tell me about a time you had to make a significant tradeoff between design perfection and implementation reality. How did you handle it, and what was the result?" (Showcase your pragmatism, collaboration skills, and understanding of shipping products. Discuss how you communicated the decision and its impact).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Togetherwork's mission and our approach to product modernization?" (Research the company's values, industry, and recent initiatives. Connect your interest to their focus on improving complex software and building in-house teams).

• "How do you ensure consistency across multiple products when working with a design system?" (Discuss your experience with design systems, component libraries, and collaboration with other designers and developers to maintain standards).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start Strong: Begin by clearly stating the problem, your role, and the impact you aimed to achieve.

• Tell a Story: Guide the interviewers through your process, highlighting key decisions, challenges, and how you overcame them. Use visuals effectively.

• Emphasize Process, Not Just Pixels: Explain why you made certain design choices, referencing user research, data, and collaboration.

• Showcase AI Integration: Dedicate time to explaining how AI tools were used and the value they provided.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your work. Be prepared to discuss how you measured it.

• Be Conversational: Treat it as a discussion, not a lecture. Invite questions and actively engage with your audience.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating ownership, a systematic and data-driven approach, strong collaboration skills, and practical experience with modern design tools, including AI. Candidates must be ready to articulate their process and the impact of their work with specific examples.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer II position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on the Togetherwork website.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects that demonstrate complex SaaS workflows, evidence of shipped work, clear problem framing, and your process for modernization. Specifically highlight any instances where AI tools were used to accelerate your design process.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 3-5 years of experience in SaaS product design, emphasizing your collaboration with Product Management and Engineering, and your ability to improve usability and accessibility. Use keywords from the job description such as "UX Ownership," "Workflow Modernization," "Design System," and "AI-Assisted Workflows."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and project outcomes using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Prepare to discuss your experience with Pendo, WCAG, and how you approach ambiguous environments. Rehearse your portfolio walkthrough to ensure clarity and conciseness.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Togetherwork's mission, its diverse portfolio of software applications, and its stated values of accountability, clarity, and thoughtful execution. Understand the company's focus on modernization and building in-house teams.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions to provide a comprehensive overview. All details, especially regarding specific processes, tools, and exact interview stages, should be verified directly with the hiring organization during the application process.