Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer Company: Beacon Software Location: San Francisco, California, United States Job Type: Full-time Category: Product Design / UX/UI Date Posted: November 04, 2025 Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years implied) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead end-to-end product design processes for a diverse portfolio of B2B SaaS products, ensuring a cohesive and high-quality user experience.
• Develop and maintain a unified design system to support scalability and consistency across multiple product lines within the company's portfolio.
• Drive user research initiatives, including persona development, journey mapping, and UX flow creation, to inform design decisions and user-centric solutions.
• Translate complex business requirements into intuitive user interfaces and workflows, leveraging modern design tools and methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is described as "Product Designer" but the responsibilities and required skills strongly indicate a focus on UX/UI design within a product development context. The emphasis on B2B SaaS applications, user research, and systems thinking positions this role as a significant contributor to product strategy and execution rather than solely visual design. The implied experience level suggests an individual contributor role with significant autonomy.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the complete design lifecycle for multiple B2B SaaS products, from initial concept and user research through to final UI implementation and iteration.
• Contribute to the establishment and ongoing evolution of a comprehensive design system, ensuring its application across the portfolio to foster brand consistency and design efficiency.
• Conduct in-depth user research, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to identify user needs, pain points, and opportunities for product improvement.
• Develop detailed user personas, customer journey maps, and UX flows to communicate user insights and design strategy to cross-functional teams.
• Create detailed wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity visual designs, ensuring adherence to usability best practices and aesthetic standards.
• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and company leadership to translate business objectives and technical constraints into effective, user-centered design solutions.
• Apply systems thinking principles to design scalable and reusable design patterns, ensuring a consistent and efficient user experience across different products within the portfolio.
• Participate in product strategy discussions, offering design perspectives to shape product vision and roadmap prioritization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for strategic thinking and ownership, moving beyond task execution to shaping product direction. The mention of "systems thinking" and "scalable design patterns" indicates a requirement for designing with long-term product growth and portfolio-wide consistency in mind.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for roles requiring deep user-centered design principles and technical understanding. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 6+ years of progressive experience in Product Design, UX/UI Design, or a closely related discipline, with a proven track record of designing complex B2B SaaS applications. Experience working in both fast-paced startup environments and with enterprise-grade design standards is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Demonstrated ability to own and execute end-to-end product design processes for complex applications.
• User-Centered Design (UCD) Approach: Deep understanding and practical application of UCD principles, including user research methodologies, information architecture, and usability testing.
• UX Research & Analysis: Proficiency in conducting user research, developing personas, creating journey maps, and defining UX flows to inform design decisions.
• UI Design & Visual Aesthetics: Strong visual design skills with the ability to create polished, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces.
• Prototyping & Wireframing: Expertise in creating low-fidelity wireframes and high-fidelity interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts.
• Design Tool Proficiency: Fluency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools, specifically Figma, is a must.
• Modern Web Technologies: Familiarity with modern front-end development concepts, including experience with Tailwind CSS and an understanding of how designs translate to code.
• Design Systems Thinking: Experience in contributing to or establishing design systems, understanding their importance for scalability and consistency.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders in a collaborative, fast-paced environment.
• Systems Thinking: Ability to approach design challenges with a holistic view, considering how individual product designs fit into a larger ecosystem.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with other modern design and prototyping tools beyond Figma.
• Familiarity with front-end development frameworks and coding practices.
• Experience in agile development methodologies.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG).
• Experience with quantitative data analysis to inform design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and Tailwind CSS indicates a preference for candidates with hands-on experience in current design workflows. The requirement for "systems thinking" and "design systems" points to a need for designers who can think beyond individual product features and contribute to a scalable design infrastructure.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio that clearly showcases end-to-end product design projects, with a strong emphasis on complex B2B SaaS applications.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of the user-centered design process, including discovery, research, ideation, prototyping, and validation phases.
• Include case studies that highlight your role in solving specific user problems and achieving business objectives through design.
• Showcase your ability to translate complex requirements into intuitive user interfaces and workflows.
• Present examples of your work with design systems, illustrating how you've contributed to or utilized them for consistency and scalability.
• Quantify the impact of your designs whenever possible, using metrics to demonstrate improvements in user engagement, efficiency, or conversion rates.

Process Documentation:

• Candidates are expected to articulate their design process clearly, explaining their approach to user research, ideation, and iteration.
• Be prepared to discuss how you document design decisions, user flows, and UI specifications for engineering handoff.
• Demonstrate experience with creating and maintaining design system documentation, ensuring clarity and usability for other designers and developers.
• Showcase methodologies used for design validation and how feedback is incorporated into iterative design improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Product Designer role focused on B2B SaaS and design systems, a portfolio is crucial. The emphasis should be on demonstrating problem-solving skills, a structured design process, and the ability to deliver impactful, scalable solutions. Quantifiable results are key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the location (San Francisco, California), the experience level (6+ years), and the industry (B2B SaaS), a competitive salary range for a Product Designer is estimated to be between $140,000 - $190,000 annually.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance: Covering medical needs for individuals and families.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan: With potential company matching to support long-term financial planning.
• Stock Options or Equity: Opportunity to share in the company's success, particularly common in growth-stage companies.
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO): Including vacation days, sick leave, and company holidays, promoting work-life balance.
• Professional Development Stipend: Funds for conferences, courses, books, and other learning opportunities relevant to design and product development.
• Flexible Hybrid Work Environment: Combining the benefits of in-office collaboration with remote work flexibility.
• Potential for performance-based bonuses.

Working Hours: Typically 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected given the hybrid work arrangement and the nature of product development cycles. Core working hours will likely be established to facilitate team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on industry benchmarks for Product Designers in San Francisco with 6+ years of experience, considering the company's stage (Series B+). Benefits are standard for tech companies of this profile.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Beacon Software operates within the Technology sector, specifically focusing on Software and Venture Capital/Private Equity. As a permanent capital holding company, Beacon acquires and grows essential B2B SaaS businesses. This unique model means the company is involved in multiple industries through its portfolio companies, but its core expertise lies in operational improvement and scaling technology businesses. Company Size: The company is described as a "profitable series B+ firm." While the exact number of employees isn't specified, this typically implies a company with a significant team, likely ranging from 50 to 250 employees directly at Beacon, with many more across its portfolio companies. This size indicates a structured but still agile environment. Founded: Beacon Software was founded to combine technologists, operators, and M&A professionals to accelerate business growth. While the exact founding year isn't provided, its "permanent capital holding company" model and "series B+" funding suggest a relatively established yet growth-oriented organization.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team, while not explicitly sized, will likely be integrated within a central Product & Engineering function at Beacon, or closely aligned with the product leads of individual portfolio companies.
• Reporting structure for this role is likely to be to a Head of Product, Director of Design, or a senior product leader within Beacon or a key portfolio company.
• Collaboration will be extensive, involving close partnerships with Product Managers, Software Engineers, other Designers, and potentially M&A professionals evaluating new acquisitions.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Beacon's approach combines M&A expertise with operational excellence, implying a strong reliance on data analysis to identify opportunities, measure performance, and drive growth across its portfolio.
• Systems Thinking and Scalability: The focus on building a "unified design system" and "scalable design patterns" suggests a methodical approach to product development, aiming for efficiency and consistency.
• Entrepreneurial & Growth-Oriented: The company's model of acquiring and growing businesses, supported by tier-1 investors, points to a culture that values ambition, innovation, and rapid execution.

Company Website: https://beaconsoftware.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's model as a holding company for B2B SaaS businesses means this role will have exposure to diverse product challenges and operational environments, requiring adaptability and a broad understanding of business needs.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer. It requires 6+ years of experience and ownership of end-to-end design processes for multiple products. This level implies a significant degree of autonomy, the ability to mentor junior designers (if applicable), and a strong influence on product strategy and design direction. The "cross-functional" nature and collaboration with company leaders suggest a role that bridges individual contribution with strategic input.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a senior product leader, such as a Head of Product, Director of Design, or VP of Product, within either Beacon Software itself or one of its key portfolio companies. This structure allows for guidance while providing significant independence in design execution.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is directly tied to the success of the B2B SaaS products within Beacon's portfolio. By creating intuitive, user-centric experiences and contributing to a scalable design system, the designer will directly influence:

• User Adoption & Retention: Improved UX leads to higher adoption rates and reduced churn.
• Operational Efficiency: Streamlined workflows reduce user effort and internal support needs.
• Product Scalability: A robust design system enables faster development and consistent user experiences as products grow.
• Revenue Growth: Enhanced product value and customer satisfaction contribute directly to revenue.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Design: Potential to grow into a Design Lead or Manager role, overseeing design strategy for multiple products or a specific portfolio company.
• Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like Design Systems, UX Research, or specific B2B SaaS verticals.
• Product Strategy Influence: Further contribute to product vision and roadmap planning, leveraging design expertise to drive business outcomes.
• Cross-Portfolio Exposure: Gain broad experience by working on a variety of B2B SaaS products, understanding different market needs and challenges.
• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and contribute to the overall design maturity of Beacon's portfolio.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers substantial growth potential by allowing designers to work across multiple companies and contribute to foundational design infrastructure like design systems, which is highly valuable for career progression in the operations and product space.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Beacon Software operates a hybrid work model, with offices in Toronto, San Francisco, and New York. This suggests a blend of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility. The San Francisco office will likely offer a modern, tech-focused workspace designed to foster collaboration.

Office Location(s): The San Francisco office is located in a major tech hub, offering excellent accessibility via public transportation and proximity to other tech companies and amenities. Specific office details would be provided upon further inquiry.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model necessitates a workspace that supports both focused individual work and interactive team sessions, likely featuring meeting rooms equipped for hybrid collaboration and open spaces for brainstorming.
• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design tools (Figma, etc.), collaboration platforms (Slack, Zoom, etc.), and robust IT infrastructure will be standard.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for spontaneous collaboration with product and engineering teams will be balanced with structured design reviews and workshops. The emphasis on a "fast-paced technology company" implies a dynamic and energetic atmosphere.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (e.g., 40 hours/week) are expected, with a degree of flexibility to accommodate personal needs and project deadlines. The hybrid nature allows for some control over where work is performed on designated office days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the San Francisco office suggests a need for adaptable designers comfortable with both in-person and remote collaboration tools and processes.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications, experience alignment, and cultural fit.
• Portfolio Presentation & Deep Dive: An in-depth session where the candidate presents their portfolio, walking through 1-3 key B2B SaaS projects. This phase focuses on understanding the candidate's design process, problem-solving approach, impact, and collaboration skills. Expect detailed questions about their role, challenges, and outcomes.
• Design Challenge (Potential): A take-home assignment or a live design exercise may be given to assess practical design skills, problem-solving abilities, and how candidates approach specific B2B SaaS design challenges.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other stakeholders to evaluate collaboration style, communication skills, and technical understanding.
• Final Interview: A discussion with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Product, CTO) to assess strategic thinking, leadership potential, and overall fit with Beacon's values and mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest B2B SaaS projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Prioritize projects that align with the requirements (complex B2B SaaS, design systems).
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your specific role and contributions, your design process (research, ideation, iteration), the solutions you developed, and the measurable outcomes or impact.
• Highlight Systems Thinking: If you have experience with design systems, showcase how you contributed to them or leveraged them effectively across multiple products.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include metrics that demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, increased user satisfaction).
• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Expect detailed questions about your design decisions, trade-offs made, and how you handled challenging feedback or constraints.
• Showcase Figma & Tailwind CSS Skills: If applicable, demonstrate proficiency with these tools through your prototypes or UI examples.

Challenge Preparation:

• If a design challenge is given, thoroughly understand the brief and the target user/business context.
• Allocate time effectively to ensure you cover all aspects of the prompt.
• Focus on demonstrating your process and rationale, not just the final output.
• Prepare to present your solution clearly and concisely, articulating your design choices and their justification.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on B2B SaaS and design systems, candidates should prepare to discuss their experience in these specific areas in detail during portfolio reviews and interviews. Demonstrating a structured, data-informed, and collaborative approach will be key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration. Fluency is a core requirement.
• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's capabilities, familiarity with tools like InVision, Principle, or Framer might be beneficial for more advanced interactive prototypes.
• User Research Tools: Experience with tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, Hotjar, or SurveyMonkey for conducting user interviews, usability tests, and gathering feedback.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics to understand user behavior, track feature adoption, and measure the impact of design changes.
• Data Visualization Tools: Basic understanding of how data is presented in dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Looker, or internal BI tools) to inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a direct user, understanding how design impacts CRM workflows (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) can be beneficial for B2B SaaS products.
• Collaboration & Project Management: Slack, Jira, Asana, Trello for team communication, task tracking, and project management.

Front-end Technologies Context:

• Tailwind CSS: Explicitly mentioned, indicating a need to design with this utility-first CSS framework in mind, understanding its capabilities and constraints.
• HTML/CSS: A foundational understanding of web technologies is expected to ensure designs are feasible and to facilitate collaboration with engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and Tailwind CSS indicates a modern, efficient design stack. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they leverage these tools and integrate with front-end development processes.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Humility: Acknowledging that learning is continuous and that good ideas can come from anywhere. This translates to a design culture that is open to feedback, willing to iterate, and avoids ego-driven design decisions.
• Honesty: A commitment to truth-seeking in problem-solving. In design, this means being transparent about design challenges, user needs, and the rationale behind decisions, fostering trust with stakeholders and users.
• Hunger: A drive to "play to win" and hold oneself to high standards. For design, this means a proactive approach to identifying opportunities, pushing for excellence, and taking responsibility for delivering high-impact solutions.
• Horizon: A long-term perspective focused on building generational value. This implies designing for scalability, sustainability, and future growth, rather than short-term fixes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The team values close collaboration between design, product, and engineering. This means active participation in product strategy meetings, regular syncs with development teams, and a shared sense of ownership.
• Process Improvement Culture: An environment that encourages continuous refinement of workflows and methodologies, including design processes, to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
• Knowledge Sharing: A culture where team members are encouraged to share insights, best practices, and learnings, fostering collective growth and problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values (Humility, Honesty, Hunger, Horizon) provide a strong framework for understanding expected behaviors. Designers are encouraged to be collaborative, data-informed, and focused on long-term impact.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Multiple Products: Managing design consistency and user experience across a portfolio of diverse B2B SaaS products requires strong systems thinking and prioritization skills.
• Balancing Startup Pace and Enterprise Standards: Adapting design approaches to meet the rapid iteration needs of startups while maintaining the robustness and scalability expected in enterprise solutions.
• Translating Complex Business Needs: Understanding and effectively designing for intricate business processes and user workflows common in B2B SaaS.
• Evolving Design Systems: Contributing to and maintaining a design system that needs to evolve with multiple product roadmaps and user feedback.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design System Strategy: Deepen expertise in building, scaling, and governing design systems for a multi-product environment.
• B2B SaaS Domain Expertise: Develop specialized knowledge in specific industry verticals served by Beacon's portfolio companies.
• Product Strategy & Business Acumen: Gain a deeper understanding of business acquisition, growth strategies, and how design contributes to overall company valuation.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Enhance skills in influencing product roadmaps and collaborating effectively with diverse stakeholder groups.
• Mentorship and Skill Development: Opportunities to learn from experienced product leaders and potentially mentor junior designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to working within a holding company model, offering unique learning opportunities in adaptability, strategic thinking, and scalable design.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for designing a new feature for a complex B2B SaaS application. How would you ensure it aligns with an existing design system?" (Focus on process, B2B context, and design system integration).
• "How do you approach user research for a product you're unfamiliar with? Provide an example from your portfolio." (Highlight research methodologies and ability to learn quickly).
• "Walk us through a time you had to balance competing stakeholder needs or technical constraints with user experience goals. How did you find a resolution?" (Demonstrate negotiation, problem-solving, and communication skills).
• "How do you ensure consistency and scalability when designing for multiple products within a portfolio?" (Emphasize systems thinking and design system strategy).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on our values of Humility, Honesty, Hunger, and Horizon, how do you see yourself contributing to our team culture?" (Connect your personal work style and values to Beacon's).
• "What are your thoughts on the hybrid work model, and how do you ensure effective collaboration in such an environment?" (Address adaptability and communication strategies).
• "How do you stay current with the latest trends and best practices in product design, particularly within the B2B SaaS space?" (Showcase continuous learning and industry awareness).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly define the problem, your role, your process, the solution, and the impact. Use visuals effectively.
• Deep Dive on B2B SaaS: Be prepared to discuss the unique challenges of B2B design (e.g., complex workflows, diverse user roles, enterprise needs) and how you addressed them.
• Showcase Figma & Tailwind CSS: If your projects prominently feature these, highlight them. Be ready to discuss your proficiency and how you've used them.
• Quantify Outcomes: Have specific metrics ready to demonstrate the success and ROI of your design solutions.
• Engage Your Audience: Treat it as a collaborative discussion, inviting questions and feedback throughout.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a structured, user-centric design process, strong collaboration skills, and experience with B2B SaaS products and design systems, aligning with the core requirements of the role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most relevant B2B SaaS projects that showcase your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your experience with complex applications and, if applicable, design systems. Tailor your presentation to highlight how your skills align with Beacon's needs.
• Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly states your years of experience, highlights key skills (Product Design, UX/UI, Figma, B2B SaaS, Design Systems, User Research), and quantifies achievements where possible. Use keywords from the job description.
• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on clear storytelling, articulating your design process, and quantifying results. Be ready to discuss your approach to user research, systems thinking, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Research Beacon Software: Familiarize yourself with Beacon's business model as a permanent capital holding company, its values (Humility, Honesty, Hunger, Horizon), and the types of B2B SaaS businesses they acquire. Understand how product design contributes to their strategy of acquiring and growing businesses.

⚠️ 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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