Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer
Company: Elanco
Location: Indianapolis, IN, United States
Job Type: FULL_TIME
Category: Product Design / User Experience
Date Posted: 2026-01-07T00:00:00
Experience Level: 2-5 Years
Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive end-to-end product discovery and validation, ensuring solutions are valuable, usable, feasible, and viable by deeply understanding user needs and business objectives.
• Champion user empathy through qualitative research methods like user interviews and journey mapping to uncover profound user insights and frame clear problem statements.
• Leverage prototyping as a primary tool for rapid learning and validation, creating prototypes of varying fidelity to test ideas and resolve design conflicts efficiently.
• Conduct integrated user testing to validate and refine design solutions, ensuring users can and will choose to use the product, iterating based on feedback.
• Communicate complex research findings and design decisions effectively to diverse audiences, including senior leadership and cross-functional partners, using visual storytelling tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a product team structure, emphasizing collaboration with Product Managers and Engineering Tech Leads. It requires a designer who can not only execute design tasks but also actively participate in the strategic discovery and validation phases, demonstrating a strong understanding of user-centered design principles and their application in achieving business objectives within a hybrid work environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineering Tech Leads to drive the complete product discovery process, from identifying core user problems to validating effective solutions.
• Conduct comprehensive user research, employing methods such as user interviews, contextual inquiry, journey mapping, and usability testing to deeply understand user needs, goals, motivations, and frustrations.
• Synthesize complex research findings into clear, actionable problem statements (Points of View) to guide the team's focus on solving the most critical challenges.
• Create and iterate on prototypes of varying fidelity (low-to-high) to quickly test hypotheses, explore design possibilities, gather user feedback, and resolve design conflicts.
• Integrate user testing methodologies into the team's workflow to continuously validate and refine design concepts, ensuring product-market fit and user adoption.
• Translate research insights and design rationale into compelling narratives and visual artifacts (e.g., journey maps, personas, problem statements) for effective communication to stakeholders.
• Advocate for and apply design principles that prioritize usability, simplicity, and ease of learning, ensuring consistency with established UI patterns and design systems.
• Contribute to and leverage existing design systems to maintain consistency, efficiency, and scalability across product development efforts.
• Navigate and contribute to product discovery processes within potentially regulated environments or those with strong internal governance policies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on the "discovery" phase of product development, meaning the designer will be involved early in defining what to build, not just how to build it. This includes problem framing, hypothesis generation, and validation. The mention of regulated environments suggests a need for meticulous documentation and adherence to specific compliance standards in design.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Interaction Design, Graphic Design, Psychology, or a related discipline.
Experience: 3-5 years of professional experience in product design roles, with a demonstrated track record of contributing to the product discovery and validation phases of software development. Possesses strong learning agility and the ability to adapt to evolving project needs and technologies.

Required Skills:

• Expert understanding and application of user-centered design principles, balancing user empathy with objective business requirements.
• Proficiency in a wide range of qualitative and quantitative user research methods (e.g., user interviews, contextual inquiry, usability testing, A/B testing) and the ability to select the most appropriate method for specific research objectives.
• Demonstrated experience in product discovery and validation, with a portfolio showcasing contributions to these critical phases.
• High proficiency with design and prototyping tools, particularly Figma, for creating interactive prototypes of varying fidelity.
• Familiarity with the "Jobs to be Done" (JTBD) methodology for understanding user motivations and product adoption.
• Experience contributing to or leveraging design systems to ensure product consistency, scalability, and efficiency.
• Ability to navigate product discovery in regulated environments or those with strong internal governance policies.

Preferred Skills:

• Proficiency in ideation and concept generation techniques to explore a broad solution space and drive innovation.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, facilitation, and storytelling skills to articulate complex ideas and research findings to diverse audiences, including executive leadership.
• Experience working in agile and iterative product development environments, with a proven ability to adapt designs based on continuous feedback and data.
• Ability to translate complex research findings into clear, actionable insights and visual artifacts for cross-functional teams.
• Understanding of how to align design solutions with critical business objectives and product requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "learning agility" and "navigating regulated environments" suggests that the ideal candidate will be adaptable, capable of handling complex constraints, and committed to continuous learning. The preference for "ideation and concept generation" points to a role that encourages proactive contribution to product strategy, not just execution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase significant contributions to the product discovery and validation phases of software development, illustrating how user insights informed design decisions.
• Include case studies demonstrating the application of user-centered design principles and various qualitative/quantitative research methods.
• Highlight your ability to frame and solve complex user problems, showing the iterative process from initial concept to validated solution.
• Present prototypes of varying fidelity (low-to-high) that were used for learning and validation, with clear explanations of their purpose and outcomes.
• Demonstrate experience with design systems, showcasing how you've leveraged them for consistency and efficiency, or contributed to their development.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to user research, including how you select methodologies, conduct studies, and synthesize findings into actionable insights.
• Illustrate your prototyping process, from ideation to high-fidelity interactive models for testing and communication.
• Explain your user testing strategies, including how you plan, execute, and iterate designs based on user feedback and observed behavior.
• Document your experience in translating research and design decisions into clear communication artifacts for cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio should strongly emphasize the "discovery" and "validation" aspects of product design. Candidates are expected to provide concrete examples of how their research and design work directly led to product improvements or informed strategic decisions. The ability to articulate the process behind the portfolio pieces is crucial, especially regarding research methodologies and iterative design.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Product Designer with 3-5 years of experience in Indianapolis, IN, the estimated annual salary range is typically between $85,000 and $115,000. This range can vary based on the candidate's specific skills, the depth of their portfolio, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Multiple relocation packages offered, easing the transition for candidates moving to Indianapolis.
• Two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in the US, providing additional paid time off beyond standard PTO.
• Generous 8-week parental leave for new parents.
• Access to 9 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) fostering community and support.
• Annual bonus offering, recognizing individual and company performance.
• Flexible work arrangements, supporting a hybrid work environment.
• Up to 6% 401K matching, aiding in long-term financial planning.

Working Hours: The standard workweek is typically 40 hours, with flexibility offered through hybrid work arrangements. Specific daily hours may vary based on team collaboration needs and project deadlines, but Elanco promotes a culture that balances productivity with work-life integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for Product Designers with 3-5 years of experience in a major metropolitan area like Indianapolis, considering the cost of living and typical compensation structures for technology and design roles. Elanco's benefits package is notably comprehensive, with unique offerings like weeklong shutdowns and extensive parental leave, which are attractive incentives for professionals seeking work-life balance and strong support systems.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Animal Health. Elanco is a global leader in this sector, dedicated to innovation in preventing and treating diseases in farm animals and pets. This industry context implies a focus on scientific rigor, regulatory compliance, and a deep commitment to improving animal welfare, which can influence product development cycles and design considerations.
Company Size: Elanco is a large, publicly traded company (NYSE: ELAN), indicated by its size and global presence. This typically means established processes, opportunities for specialization, and a structured career path, but also potential for navigating larger organizational complexities.
Founded: Elanco was founded in 1954 as a division of Eli Lilly and Company, becoming an independent company in 2019. This history suggests a blend of established corporate practices with an agile, innovative spirit as a standalone entity.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will be part of empowered, cross-functional product teams, working closely with Product Managers and Engineering Tech Leads. This structure promotes agile development and direct collaboration.
• The team likely operates with a focus on shared ownership and accountability for product outcomes.
• Collaboration extends beyond the immediate product team to various stakeholders, including senior leadership, requiring strong communication and influence skills.

Methodology:

• Elanco emphasizes continuous product discovery and validation, suggesting an iterative approach to product development driven by user insights and data.
• Design processes are user-centered, with a strong emphasis on empathy and understanding user needs before defining solutions.
• The company values innovation, creativity, and new ways of thinking, encouraging employees to acquire new skills and experiences.

Company Website: https://www.elanco.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission in animal health ("Food and Companionship Enriching Life") and its purpose ("Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People") suggest a culture driven by impact and responsibility. For a Product Designer, this means opportunities to work on meaningful products that have a tangible positive effect. The hybrid work environment and emphasis on diversity and inclusion are also key cultural indicators.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Product Designer, typically requiring 3-5 years of experience. It signifies a level where individuals are expected to contribute independently to product discovery and design, mentor junior team members, and influence product strategy within their immediate team. The role is central to product teams and requires a deep understanding of user-centered design principles and their application in achieving business objectives.
Reporting Structure: The Product Designer reports into a product leadership structure, likely a Design Manager or Head of Product, and works daily within a cross-functional product team. While reporting lines may be formal, the emphasis on "empowered cross-functional product teams" suggests a collaborative, less hierarchical day-to-day working relationship within the team.
Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is directly tied to shaping exceptional user experiences that drive product adoption, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, key business objectives. By ensuring products are valuable, usable, feasible, and viable, the designer plays a critical role in the success of Elanco's digital products in the animal health market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of product design, such as user research methodologies, interaction design for complex systems, or design system governance.
• Leadership: Progress into Senior Product Designer roles, taking on more complex projects, mentoring junior designers, and contributing more significantly to design strategy and team leadership.
• Cross-Functional Mobility: Develop skills in product management or user research leadership, leveraging deep product and user understanding gained in this role.
• Skill Development: Continuous learning through internal workshops, external conferences, and training related to emerging design tools, methodologies (e.g., advanced JTBD, service design), and industry trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within a large, established company like Elanco. The emphasis on product discovery and validation provides a strong foundation for developing strategic design thinking, which is crucial for advancing into senior or leadership positions. The hybrid work environment and focus on continuous learning support professional development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Elanco operates a Hybrid Environment for this role, based at its Global Headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. This means a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration.
Office Location(s): The primary location for this role is Indianapolis, IN. Elanco's Global HQ in Indianapolis is a significant hub for its operations and innovation.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office space is designed to facilitate collaboration, likely featuring meeting rooms, brainstorming areas, and open spaces conducive to team interaction and workshops when designers are on-site.
• Tools & Technology: Access to standard office technology, high-speed internet, and potentially specialized hardware or software required for design work. The company likely provides necessary software licenses (e.g., Figma).
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for face-to-face interaction with Product Managers, Engineers, fellow Designers, and other stakeholders, fostering stronger relationships and more dynamic problem-solving.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time with a standard 40-hour workweek. The hybrid model allows for flexibility in structuring workdays, balancing focused remote work with collaborative in-office sessions. This schedule is designed to support the iterative nature of product development and the need for both deep work and team engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model is a key feature, offering flexibility. Candidates should expect a structured approach to in-office days, likely focused on high-collaboration activities like workshops, design reviews, and team syncs, while remote days are for focused individual work, research synthesis, and prototyping.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and resume for basic qualifications and alignment with the role.
• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: You will likely be asked to present your portfolio, focusing on 2-3 key case studies that best highlight your product discovery, user research, and prototyping skills. Be prepared to discuss your process, decision-making, and the impact of your work.
• Design Challenge/Exercise: A practical exercise may be given, either take-home or during an interview, to assess your design thinking, problem-solving abilities, and proficiency with tools like Figma. This could involve critiquing an existing design, proposing solutions for a given problem, or creating a small prototype.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially other designers will assess your collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to work effectively within a cross-functional team.
• Final Interview: A final discussion with senior leadership to assess cultural fit, strategic thinking, and overall suitability for the role and Elanco's mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process: Clearly articulate your design process for each case study, emphasizing user research, problem framing, ideation, prototyping, and validation.
• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the impact of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, increased user satisfaction scores).
• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives, highlighting the challenge, your approach, the solutions you developed, and the outcomes.
• Showcase Discovery & Validation: Explicitly highlight your contributions to the product discovery and validation phases, as this is a key requirement for the role.
• Tailor to Elanco: If possible, research Elanco's products and target users to subtly align your portfolio examples with their industry and mission.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Problem: Thoroughly analyze any design challenge prompt, identifying the core problem, target users, and constraints.
• Articulate Assumptions: Clearly state any assumptions you make during the exercise, especially if you need to fill in missing information.
• Demonstrate User-Centricity: Show how you would approach the problem from a user's perspective, even in a time-constrained exercise.
• Communicate Clearly: Practice explaining your thought process and design decisions concisely and effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "product discovery and validation" means your portfolio should not just showcase polished UI, but the strategic thinking and research that led to those designs. Be ready to defend your design choices with data and user insights. The interview process likely includes a strong component of behavioral questions assessing collaboration and problem-solving within a team context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is a minimum requirement.
• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, experience with tools that support rapid iteration and testing of varying fidelity prototypes.
• Design System Management: Familiarity with contributing to or leveraging design systems for consistency and efficiency.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting and analyzing user interviews, usability tests, and surveys (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Dovetail).
• Data Analysis Tools (Basic): Ability to interpret user behavior data, A/B test results, and analytics dashboards to inform design decisions. Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics or similar product analytics platforms would be beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• Collaboration Tools: Proficiency with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence for team communication, project management, and documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly called out as a required tool. The emphasis on product discovery and validation suggests that tools facilitating user research synthesis and analysis (like Dovetail or similar) would be highly valuable. While not explicitly listed, experience with project management tools like Jira is common for designers working in agile environments.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: A strong focus on improving animal health and enriching lives through innovative products and services. Designers are expected to contribute to solutions that have a tangible positive impact.
• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs, ensuring that products are valuable, usable, and desirable. Empathy for users is a core tenet.
• Innovation & Curiosity: Encouraging new ways of thinking, exploration of novel solutions, and continuous learning to stay at the forefront of the animal health industry.
• Collaboration: Valuing teamwork and cross-functional partnerships to achieve shared goals. Designers work closely with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders.
• Integrity & Accountability: Upholding high ethical standards and taking ownership of work and its outcomes, especially in a regulated industry.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are integral members of empowered product teams, working hand-in-hand with Product Managers and Engineers from discovery through delivery.
• Iterative Feedback Loops: A culture of continuous feedback, where designs are regularly reviewed and iterated upon based on input from team members and users.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement to share insights, best practices, and learnings across design and product teams to foster collective growth and maintain high standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: Elanco's purpose, "all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People," is likely a guiding principle. For a Product Designer, this translates to creating products that not only meet user needs but also align with broader company values and ethical considerations, particularly within the animal health sector.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business/Regulatory Constraints: Designing effective solutions within the specific requirements of the animal health industry, which may involve strict regulations, diverse user groups (e.g., veterinarians, farmers, pet owners), and complex technical integrations.
• Driving Product Discovery in a Hybrid Environment: Effectively leading and participating in user research and ideation sessions while managing the complexities of a hybrid work model, ensuring all team members are engaged and insights are captured consistently.
• Translating Complex Insights into Simple Designs: Synthesizing large amounts of qualitative and quantitative data into intuitive and user-friendly product experiences that are easy for diverse users to understand and adopt.
• Maintaining Design System Scalability: Ensuring the design system remains robust and adaptable as the product suite grows and evolves, requiring proactive contributions and clear communication with development teams.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Training: Access to training in advanced user research techniques, service design, ethical design practices, and emerging UX methodologies.
• Industry Exposure: Opportunities to attend animal health industry conferences or UX-focused events to stay abreast of trends and network with peers.
• Mentorship Programs: Participation in Elanco's mentorship programs, connecting with experienced professionals for career guidance and skill development.
• Cross-Disciplinary Projects: Involvement in projects that may stretch design skills into areas like data visualization, strategic planning, or even understanding the scientific underpinnings of animal health solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the need for a designer who is not only skilled in execution but also strategic, adaptable, and adept at navigating complex stakeholder environments. The growth opportunities suggest a commitment from Elanco to invest in their employees' professional development within both design and the broader animal health domain.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used user research to identify a significant user problem that led to a product change. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on Discovery & Validation)
• "How do you approach balancing competing user needs with business objectives and technical feasibility?" (Focus on Pragmatism & Prioritization)
• "Walk me through your process for creating a prototype for a complex feature. What fidelity would you choose and why?" (Focus on Prototyping & Iteration)
• "How do you ensure your designs are accessible and inclusive for a diverse range of users?" (Focus on Empathy & Broad Application)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Elanco and the animal health industry specifically?" (Demonstrate Research & Alignment)
• "How do you typically collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers in a hybrid environment?" (Focus on Collaboration & Hybrid Work)
• "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders to adopt your design recommendation. How did you approach it?" (Focus on Communication & Influence)
• "How do you stay updated on the latest trends in product design and user research?" (Focus on Learning Agility)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 2-3 Impactful Case Studies: Choose projects that best showcase your product discovery, user research, and validation skills. Ensure they demonstrate your process and impact.
• Structure Like a Story: Clearly outline the problem, your role, the user insights, your design process (ideation, prototyping, testing), the final solution, and measurable outcomes.
• Highlight Your "Why": Be ready to explain why you made specific design decisions, grounding your choices in user data and research findings.
• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your process, challenges faced, trade-offs made, and how you collaborated with others. Be ready to discuss the impact of your work.
• Demonstrate Figma Proficiency: If asked, be prepared to briefly walk through a specific design or prototype in Figma to showcase your technical skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice emphasizes demonstrating a strong understanding of the product discovery lifecycle, user research methodologies, and the ability to translate insights into tangible design solutions. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their design process with clarity and provide specific examples of their impact, especially in the context of Elanco's mission and hybrid work environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Elanco careers portal using the provided link.
• Tailor your Resume: Highlight keywords from the job description such as "Product Discovery," "User Research," "Prototyping," "Figma," "User-Centered Design," and "Jobs to be Done." Quantify your achievements with metrics where possible.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that prominently feature your product discovery, user research, and validation experience. Ensure your process and impact are clearly articulated.
• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making, and the outcomes of your work clearly and concisely for portfolio presentations and interview discussions.
• Research Elanco: Familiarize yourself with Elanco's mission, products, and company culture. Understand their position in the animal health industry and consider how your design philosophy aligns.

⚠️ 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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