Product Designer, Guest

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer, Guest

Company: Toast

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX)

Date Posted: April 07, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (2 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end product design lifecycle for features within the Guest organization, focusing on guest experience and restaurant success.

• Leverage data, user research, and restaurant feedback to inform design decisions and create intuitive, impactful user journeys.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering to translate complex workflows into seamless digital experiences that embody hospitality.

• Contribute to and uphold the Toast design system, ensuring scalability, consistency, and technical feasibility of design solutions.

• Embrace a "Founder's Mentality," taking ownership of your domain and relentlessly pursuing customer success in the dynamic hospitality industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within Toast's "Guest Org," specifically focusing on the "Digital Storefront and Marketing" team. This suggests a strong emphasis on customer-facing products that drive engagement, online presence, and direct customer interaction with restaurants. The "Guest" designation implies a focus on the end-consumer experience, distinct from internal restaurant operations tools. The mention of "AI-first tools" indicates a forward-thinking approach to design processes and product development.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the discovery, ideation, and execution of product designs for features within the Guest organization, demonstrating strong autonomy from concept to high-fidelity mockups.

• Translate complex user needs, business metrics, and qualitative research findings into actionable design requirements and user flows.

• Develop polished, high-fidelity design artifacts that address intricate restaurant operational constraints and guest interaction complexities.

• Actively participate in and contribute to the Toast design system, ensuring adherence to established patterns and advocating for system enhancements.

• Partner effectively with Product Managers to define product strategy and with Engineering teams to ensure technical feasibility and successful implementation of designs.

• Utilize storytelling and strong communication skills to present design rationale, build cross-functional alignment, and advocate for user-centered solutions.

• Champion the voice of the customer throughout the product development process, focusing on creating delightful and intuitive experiences that reflect genuine hospitality.

• Actively participate in design critiques, providing constructive feedback and fostering a growth mindset within the design team.

• Integrate emerging AI tools and methodologies to enhance the design process, accelerate ideation, and improve overall team velocity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "complex restaurant constraints" and "real-world constraints" highlights the need for pragmatic design solutions that balance user needs with the operational realities of the hospitality sector. The requirement to "integrate emerging AI-first tools" indicates that candidates should be comfortable experimenting with and adopting new technologies to improve design workflows and outcomes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design (e.g., Graphic Design, Interaction Design, UX Design), Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is generally expected for mid-level product design roles.

Experience: 3+ years of progressive experience in product design, with a proven track record of owning and delivering end-to-end design solutions for digital products. Demonstrated progression from task execution to strategic product outcome ownership is crucial.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Proven ability to lead the full product design lifecycle, from discovery and user research to high-fidelity prototyping and final UI delivery.

• User Research & Data Analysis: Demonstrated ability to leverage user research methodologies (interviews, usability testing) and business metrics (analytics, conversion rates) to inform and validate design decisions.

• Design Systems Proficiency: Experience working with, contributing to, and advocating for design systems to ensure product consistency and scalability.

• Stakeholder Management & Collaboration: Innate ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (Product Management, Engineering) and manage diverse stakeholder expectations through clear communication and influence.

• Problem-Solving & Workflow Design: Skill in untangling complex problems and mapping out intuitive, end-to-end user journeys for intricate workflows.

• Communication & Storytelling: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and build alignment through compelling narratives.

• Portfolio Excellence: A portfolio showcasing a disciplined design process, attention to detail, and the ability to address complex, real-world constraints.

Preferred Skills:

• Hospitality Industry Experience: Familiarity with the unique challenges and opportunities within the restaurant or hospitality industry.

• AI Tool Integration: Experience or a strong interest in integrating AI-first tools into the design workflow to enhance productivity and innovation.

• Prototyping Tools: Proficiency in industry-standard prototyping and design tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite).

• Agile/Scrum Methodologies: Experience working within Agile development environments.

• UX Writing & Content Strategy: Understanding of how to craft clear, concise, and on-brand UX copy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement of 3+ years of experience specifically calls for candidates who can demonstrate not just execution skills but also strategic thinking and ownership of product outcomes. The emphasis on a "disciplined process" in the portfolio suggests a need for structured thinking and a clear methodology demonstrated through case studies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies demonstrating ownership of the design process from initial problem definition through to final execution and impact.

• Problem Definition & Research: Clearly articulate the problem being solved, the target users, and the research/data utilized to inform design decisions.

• Design Process & Iteration: Detail the design process, including ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and key iterations based on feedback.

• High-Fidelity Artifacts: Present polished, high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes that highlight attention to detail, edge cases, and complex constraints.

• Impact & Outcomes: Quantify the impact of your design solutions using relevant metrics (e.g., conversion rates, user satisfaction, efficiency gains) where possible, or describe qualitative outcomes.

• System Contribution: If applicable, showcase examples of contributions to or utilization of design systems.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Mapping: Examples of how complex workflows were analyzed, simplified, and translated into intuitive user experiences.

• Data-Informed Design: Demonstrations of how quantitative and qualitative data were integrated into the design decision-making process.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Evidence of how design work was presented, iterated upon, and aligned with Product and Engineering partners.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role. Candidates should prepare to walk through their case studies, explaining their thought process, design choices, and how they addressed specific constraints and utilized data. The emphasis on "complex restaurant constraints" means showcasing how designs were adapted to real-world operational limitations is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Product Designer with 3+ years of experience in Dublin, Ireland, the estimated annual salary range is typically between €55,000 and €75,000. This can vary based on the depth of experience, specific skill set, and the candidate's negotiation.

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation: Base salary, potential for stock options or bonuses.

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive health insurance, mental health support, and wellness programs.

• Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off (vacation, public holidays), sick leave, and parental leave policies.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, training, conference attendance, and career advancement.

• Hybrid Work Model: Flexibility to work remotely with structured in-office collaboration days.

• Employee Assistance Program: Support services for personal and professional challenges.

• Retirement Savings Plan: Contributions to a pension or similar retirement scheme.

• Perks: Potential for subsidized meals, commuter benefits, or other location-specific perks.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are typically 40 hours per week. While the role is hybrid, specific in-office days will be scheduled, likely involving collaboration with local teams in Dublin. Flexibility may be afforded outside of core collaboration hours, aligning with team needs and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry benchmarks for Product Designers in Dublin, Ireland, at a mid-level experience. Toast's stated "Total Rewards Philosophy" emphasizes competitive compensation and benefits that attract and retain talent, suggesting a robust package. The specific benefits can be further explored via the provided link: https://careers.toasttab.com/toast-benefits.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically focused on the Food & Beverage and Hospitality sectors. Toast provides a comprehensive cloud-based restaurant management platform.

Company Size: Toast is a large, publicly traded company (NASDAQ: TOST), indicating a structured environment with established processes but also significant opportunities for impact.

Founded: Toast was founded in 2012, positioning it as an established but still rapidly growing tech company with a strong track record and a clear mission.

Team Structure:

• Guest Org Focus: The role is within the "Guest Org," which likely encompasses all products and features directly related to the end-customer's interaction with restaurants using Toast. This could include online ordering, loyalty programs, marketing tools, and guest profiles.

• Digital Storefront & Marketing: Specifically, the role sits within the Digital Storefront and Marketing team, indicating a focus on how restaurants present themselves online and engage customers digitally.

• Cross-Functional Pods: Product Designers typically work within cross-functional "pods" or "squads" comprising Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, and sometimes Data Scientists, fostering a collaborative and agile development environment.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Strong emphasis on using data, user research, and business metrics to guide product development and design choices.

• Customer-Centricity: A core value of understanding and serving the needs of both restaurant owners and their guests.

• Agile Development: Likely operates within an Agile framework, with iterative development cycles, regular feedback loops, and continuous improvement.

• Design System Utilization: Reliance on and contribution to a centralized design system for consistency and efficiency.

• AI Integration: Proactive adoption of AI tools to enhance productivity and innovation in design and development processes.

Company Website: https://careers.toasttab.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Toast positions itself as a company that "powers the heartbeat of local communities" through technology. This suggests a culture that values making a tangible impact on small businesses and their customer base. The "hungry to build and learn" value, coupled with AI integration, points to a forward-thinking and dynamic environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a mid-level Product Designer position (3+ years of experience). It requires taking ownership of product features and contributing strategically, moving beyond purely task-based execution. The role involves significant autonomy and partnership with senior stakeholders.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will likely report to a Design Manager or Lead within the Guest Organization. They will collaborate closely with a Product Manager and a team of Engineers within their designated cross-functional pod.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is directly tied to enhancing the guest experience, which in turn drives restaurant success. By creating seamless online ordering, engaging marketing experiences, and loyalty programs, the designer contributes to increased sales, customer retention, and brand loyalty for restaurants using Toast. This role is crucial for bridging the gap between digital platforms and the "warmth of a dining room," turning first-time diners into regulars.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas of guest experience design, digital storefronts, or marketing technology.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a Senior Product Designer role, mentoring junior designers, leading larger product initiatives, or taking on design lead responsibilities for a product area.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Possibility to move into related roles within Product Management, UX Research, or even explore product strategy.

• Skill Expansion: Continuous learning opportunities in emerging design trends, AI integration in design, and user research methodologies.

• Impactful Projects: Opportunity to work on high-visibility projects that directly influence the success of thousands of restaurants and millions of guests.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is framed as requiring a "Founder's Mentality," suggesting that candidates who demonstrate initiative, ownership, and a proactive approach to problem-solving will be highly valued and may find accelerated growth opportunities.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as Hybrid, requiring in-office presence two days per week. This indicates a blend of remote work flexibility and in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s): The specific office is located in Dublin, Ireland. The job description includes a Google Maps link for the Dublin office.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The 2 days in the office are intended for in-person collaboration, team meetings, design critiques, and fostering team cohesion.

• Modern Tech Environment: As a tech company, Toast likely provides a well-equipped workspace with access to necessary hardware, software, and collaboration tools.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: The hybrid model facilitates direct interaction with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers and researchers within the Dublin office.

• Focus on Design: The environment is expected to support focused design work, with opportunities for spontaneous brainstorming and problem-solving sessions.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours are likely aligned with typical business hours in Ireland (Europe/Dublin timezone). The hybrid model suggests flexibility in choosing which days to be in the office, within the requirement of two days per week, and flexibility in daily schedules as long as core collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model specifically calls for "in-office collaboration two days per week," implying a structured approach to hybrid work designed to maximize the benefits of both remote autonomy and in-person teamwork.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: The process typically involves several stages designed to assess design skills, problem-solving abilities, collaboration style, and cultural fit.

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager reviews the application and portfolio.

• Design Challenge/Exercise: Candidates may be given a take-home design challenge or a live design exercise focusing on problem-solving and design thinking.

• Portfolio Review & Deep Dive: A session with design peers and/or managers to walk through portfolio case studies, discuss design decisions, and assess process.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Conversations with Product Managers and Engineers to evaluate collaboration, communication, and technical understanding.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final discussion to assess overall fit, career aspirations, and alignment with company values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest, most relevant case studies that clearly demonstrate your end-to-end design process and impact.

• Tell a Story: Structure each case study as a narrative: problem, your role, process, solutions, and outcomes.

• Highlight Your Process: Clearly articulate your design thinking, research methodologies, and how you iterated based on feedback and data.

• Showcase Complexities: Emphasize how you handled complex constraints, edge cases, and real-world limitations, especially those relevant to the restaurant industry if possible.

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics and data to demonstrate the success of your designs whenever possible. If not, clearly articulate the qualitative benefits.

• Be Ready to Discuss: Prepare to verbally walk through your portfolio, answer detailed questions about your decisions, and defend your design choices.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: Carefully analyze the problem statement and constraints for any design challenge.

• Prioritize Ruthlessly: Focus on solving the core problem effectively within the given time constraints.

• Document Your Process: Even in a live exercise, articulate your thought process as you work.

• Focus on User Needs: Ensure your solutions are grounded in user needs and business objectives.

• Consider Implementation: Think about technical feasibility and how your design might be implemented.

📝 Enhancement Note: Toast mentions using AI tools for note-taking and summarization during interviews, but emphasizes that "all hiring decisions are made by people." This means candidates should focus on genuine human connection and clear communication rather than trying to "game" AI. The portfolio review is a critical component, and candidates should be prepared to articulate their thinking deeply.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly likely given industry trends and Toast's focus on collaboration), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello.

• Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics.

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Looker, Power BI.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce (likely used internally by Sales/Ops teams).

• Automation: Tools for workflow automation (e.g., Zapier, or internal systems).

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the emphasis on collaboration, data-driven design, and AI integration points towards a modern tech stack. Figma is the industry standard for collaborative design and is highly probable. Candidates should be comfortable with modern design tools and have an aptitude for learning new platforms.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Hungry to Build and Learn: A core value emphasizing continuous improvement, proactive development, and embracing new technologies and methodologies.

• Customer-Centricity: Deep focus on understanding and serving the needs of both restaurant owners and their guests, translating into user-friendly and impactful designs.

• Founder's Mentality: Taking uncompromising ownership, driving initiatives, and acting with a sense of responsibility for product outcomes.

• Teamwork & Collaboration: Valuing strong partnerships across functions, open communication, and collective problem-solving.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A commitment to creating an inclusive environment that reflects the diversity of the restaurant industry and ensures equitable opportunities.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers work closely and collaboratively with Product Managers, Engineers, and Researchers within agile pods.

• Open Feedback Culture: Encouragement of design critiques and feedback as a means to elevate design quality and foster growth.

• Transparent Communication: Emphasis on making work visible early and often, using storytelling to build alignment and ensure understanding.

• Hybrid Collaboration: Balancing remote work flexibility with structured in-office collaboration to foster strong team connections and effective teamwork.

📝 Enhancement Note: Toast's values, particularly "Hungry to Build and Learn" and "Founder's Mentality," suggest a dynamic, fast-paced environment where initiative and a proactive approach are highly valued. The emphasis on DEI and inclusivity is also a key cultural pillar.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Restaurant Constraints: Designing seamless guest experiences while accounting for the complex operational realities and technical limitations of restaurants.

• Integrating AI Effectively: Learning and applying new AI tools to enhance the design process without compromising user experience or ethical considerations.

• Driving Impact in a Large Organization: Navigating a large company structure to ensure design solutions are adopted and have measurable impact.

• Keeping Pace with Industry Evolution: The rapidly changing landscape of digital ordering, marketing, and guest engagement in the hospitality sector requires continuous learning.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Tool Mastery: Opportunities to become proficient in leveraging AI for design ideation, content generation, and workflow optimization.

• Industry Expertise: Deepening knowledge of the hospitality industry's specific needs and user behaviors.

• Design Leadership: Pathways to mentorship, leading design initiatives, and potentially managing design projects or teams.

• Skill Augmentation: Access to training, workshops, and conferences focused on UX, product strategy, and emerging design technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is positioned to tackle significant challenges related to the intersection of technology and the hospitality industry, offering substantial growth potential for designers who can navigate these complexities effectively.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used data and user research to significantly change a product direction or design decision. What was the outcome?" (Focus on your process, the data used, and the measurable impact.)

• "How would you approach designing an online ordering flow for a restaurant that has historically focused on dine-in service and has limited technical staff?" (Think about user needs, restaurant constraints, simplicity, and potential for upselling/loyalty.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Toast's mission and the restaurant industry?" (Research Toast's impact and values; connect your passion to their mission.)

• "How do you embody a 'Founder's Mentality' in your design work?" (Provide specific examples of taking ownership, driving initiatives, or going above and beyond.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role and process, key design decisions, challenges overcome, and the final outcome/impact.

• Highlight Data & Research: Explicitly show where and how data and user insights informed your design choices.

• Showcase Iteration: Present how you refined designs based on feedback, testing, or changing requirements.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about your rationale, trade-offs made, and alternative solutions considered.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Explain how you worked with Product Managers and Engineers throughout the process.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss how they would integrate AI tools into their design process and what their perspective is on AI's role in product design, aligning with Toast's stated values. The emphasis on "Guest Org" means focusing on customer-facing features and their impact on user engagement and restaurant growth.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Toast careers portal, ensuring your resume and portfolio link are clearly provided.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight 2-3 strong case studies that best demonstrate your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and impact, particularly focusing on user journeys and complex workflow simplification.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 3+ years of product design experience, highlighting achievements related to user research, data-driven design, stakeholder management, and design system contributions. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, rationale, and outcomes for your portfolio case studies. Prepare for potential design challenges and be ready to discuss your approach to collaboration and problem-solving in a hybrid environment.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Toast's mission, values (especially "Hungry to Build and Learn" and "Founder's Mentality"), products, and the restaurant industry landscape. Understand how your design philosophy aligns with Toast's culture and goals.

⚠️ 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.