Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer Company: Sama Location: Sweden (Remote) Job Type: CONTRACTOR Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX) / User Interface (UI) Date Posted: 2025-11-03 Experience Level: 3-5 Years Professional Experience Remote Status: Fully Remote (Europe Open)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design initiatives, from initial concept and user research through to final delivery and iteration, ensuring a user-centered approach.
• Develop intuitive and engaging digital product experiences that align with business objectives and technical feasibility for a B2B SaaS platform.
• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineers to translate complex user needs and business goals into elegant, scalable design solutions.
• Contribute to and actively evolve the company's design system, promoting consistency, efficiency, and maintainability across all product interfaces.
• Support marketing and sales efforts by designing essential collateral, ensuring brand consistency across the entire customer journey, from initial touchpoints to sales enablement.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a Contractor position, emphasizing flexibility and project-based contributions. The primary focus on Product Design with a secondary focus on Marketing & Sales Design indicates a need for a versatile designer capable of both deep product work and broader brand representation. The "open to candidates across Europe" with a specific mention of Sweden indicates a potential need for timezone alignment or collaboration within European working hours.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product Design Ownership: Take full ownership of the design process for critical product features, including user research, ideation, wireframing, user flow mapping, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototyping.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work hand-in-hand with Product Managers to define product strategy and requirements, and with Engineers to ensure design feasibility and accurate implementation, fostering a collaborative decision-making environment.
• User-Centric Development: Conduct user research and usability testing sessions to gather actionable insights, validate design concepts, and continuously iterate on product designs to enhance user satisfaction and product performance.
• Design System Contribution: Actively contribute to the development, maintenance, and application of the company's design system, ensuring component reusability, design consistency, and scalability across the product.
• Marketing & Sales Design Support: Create compelling marketing assets such as landing pages, ad visuals, and campaign graphics. Design sales collateral, including one-pagers and presentation decks, to support go-to-market strategies and ensure a cohesive brand experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The dual focus on product and marketing/sales design suggests the need for a designer who can balance detailed UX/UI work with broader brand and customer journey considerations. The emphasis on "owning end-to-end design" implies a level of autonomy and strategic thinking expected from a senior-level candidate.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in design principles, user experience, and visual communication is expected, typically acquired through formal education, bootcamps, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 3-5 years of professional experience in product design, with a strong preference for candidates who have worked within a SaaS (Software as a Service) environment and have experience in startup settings.

Required Skills:

• User-Centered Product Design: Proven ability to translate user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints into intuitive and effective product solutions.
• Visual Design Aesthetic: A strong sense of visual design, with the ability to create aesthetically pleasing and on-brand user interfaces.
• Responsive Design Experience: Demonstrated experience designing for responsive web and/or mobile applications, ensuring seamless user experiences across various devices.
• Figma Proficiency: Expert-level proficiency in Figma or equivalent industry-standard design and prototyping tools (e.g., Sketch, Adobe XD).
• Design System Understanding: Solid knowledge of design systems, component-based design principles, and their application for scalability and consistency.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, and Marketing/Sales teams.
• User Research & Testing: Experience in conducting user research and usability testing to inform design decisions and validate solutions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with marketing design, including landing pages, digital ads, and campaign visuals.
• Familiarity with branding principles and their application across digital touchpoints.
• Experience with motion graphics or animation to enhance user experience and engagement.
• Background in designing for B2B SaaS platforms.
• Experience working in fast-paced startup environments with evolving processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "3-5 years of professional experience" positions this as a mid-level to senior-level role, demanding a strong portfolio and proven track record. The preference for SaaS and startup experience is critical; candidates should highlight these specific environments in their applications.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies that illustrate your ability to manage projects from discovery and research through to final design and implementation, highlighting your problem-solving process.
• User-Centered Design Examples: Provide clear examples of how you've incorporated user research and feedback into your design process, demonstrating a deep understanding of user needs and behaviors.
• Systemic Design Thinking: Include examples demonstrating your understanding and application of design systems, component libraries, and scalable design patterns.
• Visual Design & UI Execution: Present high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes that exhibit strong UI design skills, attention to detail, and a clear visual aesthetic.

Process Documentation:

• Design Workflow Articulation: Be prepared to articulate your typical design workflow, including how you approach problem definition, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.
• Collaboration Process: Detail how you collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers, including your methods for receiving feedback, incorporating technical constraints, and ensuring design implementation fidelity.
• Metrics-Informed Design: Showcase how you have used data and metrics (qualitative and quantitative) to inform design decisions and measure the impact of your designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is paramount for this role. Candidates should prioritize showcasing their process, problem-solving skills, and the impact of their designs, rather than just presenting polished final screens. Demonstrating experience with design systems and user research is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: €40,000 - €50,000 per year, plus a bonus.

Benefits:

• Remote Work: Fully remote working arrangement, offering flexibility and work-life balance.
• Growth Opportunities: Ample opportunities for professional growth and advancement as the company scales.
• Access to Professional Coach: Free access to Sama’s core offering – professional coaching via their app.
• Training and Development: Regular access to training and development programs to enhance skills and knowledge.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexibility inherent in a remote contractor role. Alignment with European working hours is likely preferred for effective collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated salary range of €40,000-€50,000 for a Product Designer with 3-5 years of experience in Sweden (a high cost of living country) is on the lower end of typical market rates, especially for a contractor role which often commands a premium. This may be influenced by the "Contractor" employment type and the company's startup stage. Candidates should research comparable roles in Europe and be prepared to negotiate based on their experience and the value they bring.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / B2B SaaS Platform (Professional Coaching & Employee Development) Company Size: The provided data does not specify company size, but the mention of a "growing design team" and "ambitious team" suggests a scaling startup environment. Founded: The founding date is not provided, but Sama is positioned as a company building the future of work, indicating a forward-thinking and innovative culture.

Team Structure:

• The design team is described as "growing," implying it's a developing function within the company.
• The Product Designer will collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineers, indicating a cross-functional, agile team structure.
• Collaboration extends to Marketing and Sales teams, highlighting a GTM-aligned operational structure.

Methodology:

• The company emphasizes "entrepreneurial mindset," "autonomous work," and operating in an "environment with limited structure and processes," suggesting a lean, agile, and adaptable operational methodology.
• A "bias for action" and a "doer" mentality are key, pointing towards a results-oriented and execution-focused approach.
• Data-driven decision-making is implied through the need for user research and performance metrics.

Company Website: sama.io

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture described leans heavily towards a startup environment: high autonomy, comfort with ambiguity, a focus on execution, and rapid iteration. Candidates should highlight their ability to thrive in such settings.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a senior-level Product Designer (3-5 years experience), responsible for owning significant product design areas and contributing to marketing/sales collateral. It's a hands-on design role with significant ownership.

Reporting Structure: The reporting structure is not explicitly defined, but given the "growing design team" and collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers, the designer likely reports to a Head of Design, Design Lead, or potentially a Head of Product.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work directly impacts user engagement, product adoption, and customer satisfaction for Sama's B2B SaaS platform. By ensuring intuitive product experiences and consistent brand representation across marketing and sales, the role contributes to lead generation, sales enablement, and overall business growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Design: As the design team grows, there's potential to take on more leadership responsibilities, mentor junior designers, and help shape the future of Sama's design function.
• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like user research, interaction design, visual design, or expand into UX strategy.
• Broader GTM Contribution: The secondary focus on marketing and sales design offers a chance to develop skills in go-to-market strategies and brand storytelling.
• Startup Growth: Being part of a scaling startup provides significant exposure to business operations and the opportunity to grow alongside the company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "plenty of room for growth" is a significant draw for candidates looking to make a substantial impact in a developing company. Emphasizing the potential to shape design processes and contribute strategically will resonate with ambitious designers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. The company operates without a central physical office for this role, with candidates open across Europe.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the company is based in or has a strong presence in Sweden, and candidates are sought across Europe. This suggests a potential need for candidates to be within specific European time zones for optimal collaboration with the core team.

Workspace Context:

• Autonomy & Flexibility: The remote nature and startup environment foster a high degree of autonomy, allowing designers to structure their workday effectively.
• Digital Collaboration Tools: Expect extensive use of digital collaboration tools for design, communication, and project management (e.g., Figma, Slack, Jira).
• Cross-Functional Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Sales teams, fostering a collaborative and integrated work environment.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week is expected, but the remote contractor nature may offer some flexibility in daily scheduling, provided core collaboration hours are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should be comfortable with remote work, self-management, and asynchronous communication, while also being prepared for synchronous collaboration during defined working hours.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a brief call with HR or a hiring manager to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A deep dive into the candidate's portfolio, focusing on process, problem-solving, and impact. This may be followed by a design challenge (e.g., a take-home assignment or live exercise) to evaluate practical design skills and approach.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Discussions with Product Managers and Engineers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to integrate design with development.
• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss overall fit, strategic thinking, and long-term potential within the company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process, Not Just Polish: Select case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your thought process, the constraints you faced, the solutions you designed, and the outcomes achieved.
• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics and data to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction scores, reduced task completion times).
• Highlight Collaboration: Show examples of how you've worked with cross-functional teams, managed feedback, and navigated trade-offs.
• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that showcase SaaS product design, responsive design, and ideally, any marketing or sales collateral design experience.
• Prepare to Discuss: Be ready to walk through your portfolio in detail, answer questions about your design decisions, and articulate your reasoning confidently.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Product: Familiarize yourself with Sama's platform (sama.io) and its target audience.
• Embrace Ambiguity: Be prepared for open-ended problems that require you to define the scope and make assumptions.
• Think Aloud: If it's a live challenge, verbalize your thought process, assumptions, and design rationale.
• Focus on Core Principles: Even with limited information, apply strong user-centered design principles and be able to justify your approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio demonstrating user-centered product design" means candidates should prepare to articulate their design decision-making exceptionally well.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for wireframing, UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is a must.
• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities are likely primary, but familiarity with others like InVision or ProtoPie could be beneficial.
• Design Systems: Tools and methodologies for building and managing component libraries.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar for understanding user behavior and product performance.
• Customer Feedback Tools: Experience with survey tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform) or feedback platforms.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct design tool, understanding how product design integrates with CRM (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms (e.g., HubSpot) can be beneficial for ensuring consistent customer journeys.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned as a required skill. Candidates should highlight their expertise with this tool and any experience with design system management within Figma.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Entrepreneurial Mindset: Taking initiative, thinking like an owner, and being proactive in identifying and solving problems.
• Autonomy & Ownership: Comfort and capability in working independently with limited oversight, owning deliverables from start to finish.
• Bias for Action: A preference for doing and iterating rather than over-analyzing; a "get things done" attitude.
• Curiosity: A drive to learn, explore new ideas, and understand user needs and market trends deeply.
• Openness, Trust, Commitment: Foundational values for effective teamwork and collaboration in a remote setting.
• Team Player: Ability to collaborate effectively, support colleagues, and contribute positively to team dynamics.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Close collaboration with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Sales is key to aligning design with business goals and user needs.
• Agile & Iterative: Expect a dynamic environment where feedback is frequent, and designs evolve based on testing and new insights.
• Open Communication: A culture that likely values direct and transparent communication, especially in a remote setup.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "limited structure and processes" and an "entrepreneurial mindset" points to a culture that rewards initiative, adaptability, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Operating in an environment with "limited structure and processes" requires adaptability and the ability to define solutions and processes as needed.
• Balancing Priorities: Juggling primary product design responsibilities with secondary marketing and sales design needs requires strong time management and prioritization skills.
• Scaling Design Systems: As the product and company grow, maintaining and scaling a design system efficiently will be an ongoing challenge.
• Remote Collaboration: Ensuring effective communication and collaboration across different time zones and with distributed teams.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunity to influence and shape the design function and processes within a growing company.
• Cross-Disciplinary Exposure: Gaining experience in marketing and sales design, broadening skill sets beyond core product design.
• Startup Acumen: Developing a deep understanding of how product design contributes to overall business strategy and growth in a startup context.
• Professional Coaching: Direct access to the company's core service provides a unique opportunity for personal and professional development.

📝 Enhancement Note: These challenges are framed as opportunities for growth, aligning with the company's value of embracing new challenges and potential.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you owned the end-to-end design for a complex product feature. What was your process, what challenges did you face, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on process, problem-solving, and impact.)
• "How do you approach balancing user needs, business goals, and technical constraints in your design process?" (Assess user-centered thinking and practical application.)
• "Tell us about your experience with design systems. How have you contributed to or utilized them, and what are the benefits?" (Gauge understanding of scalability and consistency.)
• "How do you collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers? Describe a situation where you had to navigate conflicting opinions or technical limitations." (Evaluate communication and teamwork skills.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Sama and our mission to build the future of work?" (Assess alignment with company values and mission.)
• "Describe your experience working in a startup environment with limited structure. How do you thrive in such settings?" (Gauge comfort with ambiguity and autonomy.)
• "How do you demonstrate an entrepreneurial mindset and a bias for action in your work?" (Assess proactivity and ownership.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each case study, clearly define: Problem, Your Role, Process, Solution, and Outcome/Impact.
• Articulate Your 'Why': Be prepared to explain the rationale behind every design decision. Why did you choose this approach? Why this color palette? Why this interaction?
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, mockups, and prototypes effectively to illustrate your points.
• Highlight Collaboration: Explicitly mention who you worked with and how you integrated their input.
• Be Ready for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, challenges, and how you would iterate on your presented work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss their portfolio with a strong narrative, emphasizing their process, problem-solving skills, and the tangible impact of their design work, especially within a SaaS context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 3-5 years of product design experience, specifically mentioning SaaS environments and startup experience. Use keywords from the job description such as "user-centered design," "Figma," "design systems," and "responsive design."
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end product design process, user research integration, and measurable impact. Ensure it includes examples of high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes.
• Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Briefly explain why you are a great fit for Sama, referencing your experience with SaaS, startups, and your enthusiasm for their mission.
• Prepare for Portfolio Discussion: Be ready to walk through your portfolio in detail during interviews, articulating your design decisions and process clearly and confidently.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details, especially regarding compensation, benefits, and specific interview processes, should be verified directly with Sama during the application and interview stages.