Product Designer III

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer III Company: GitHub, Inc. Location: Remote, United States Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / User Experience Date Posted: December 18, 2025 Experience Level: Mid-Senior (5-10 years) Remote Status: Remote Solely

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive end-to-end product design for critical Customer Success, Support, Certifications, Community, and Services platforms, including AI-powered support bots and ML analytics.
• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and Researchers to conduct discovery, validate ideas, and craft accessible, user-centered interfaces.
• Apply systems thinking and contribute to the evolution of GitHub's design system for AI- and ML-driven experiences.
• Champion WCAG-compliant and inclusive design practices, ensuring seamless experiences across various platforms.
• Lead product initiatives from initial discovery through iterative development and final delivery, shaping complex user and business problems.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role focuses on designing scalable and intuitive user experiences within GitHub's customer-facing and internal support ecosystems. The emphasis on AI and ML indicates a forward-thinking approach to product development, requiring a designer adept at integrating emerging technologies into user flows and interfaces. The "III" in the title suggests a mid-to-senior level position with significant autonomy and responsibility for complex design challenges.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design comprehensive user experiences, including detailed user flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and polished high-fidelity UI for intricate product surfaces.
• Execute rapid iteration on design concepts and functional prototypes to explore innovative solutions and validate user hypotheses.
• Produce detailed design assets for engineering and stakeholder review, encompassing interaction flows, mockups, style guides, reusable component libraries, and precise visual specifications.
• Maintain a user-centric design ethos throughout all stages of product development, ensuring user needs are paramount.
• Conduct, synthesize, and integrate insights from user research, customer development initiatives, and usability testing to rigorously inform design decisions.
• Implement iterative feedback loops to continuously refine designs and validate product assumptions.
• Foster strong partnerships with Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, and other cross-functional stakeholders to effectively frame problems, explore potential solutions, and prioritize product opportunities.
• Communicate design rationale and solutions with clarity and purpose, employing storytelling, strategic reasoning, and constructive critique to align teams and influence product direction.
• Assist Product Managers in assessing user needs, identifying technical constraints, and navigating trade-offs to guide robust product roadmaps.
• Apply holistic systems thinking to ensure design coherence and scalability across GitHub's complex product architecture.
• Contribute to the development and enhancement of GitHub's design system, reusable patterns, component libraries, and overall design architecture.
• Bring structure and clarity to ambiguous problem spaces by clearly defining complex challenges and outlining actionable pathways forward.
• Advocate for and integrate WCAG-compliant and inclusive design principles that exceed basic accessibility standards.
• Develop user experiences that function flawlessly across diverse platforms, including web applications, mobile interfaces, Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), terminals, and other relevant environments.
• Contribute to the long-term product vision and strategy by conceptualizing solutions for complex user and business challenges.
• Prototype and explore advanced AI-powered concepts, strategically leveraging model capabilities, user behavior data, and design intuition.
• Lead design efforts from the initial discovery phase and problem framing through iterative development cycles and final product delivery.
• Develop visual identity systems, sophisticated data visualizations, and intuitive components that enhance product clarity, hierarchy, and overall usability.
• Craft polished visual and interaction designs that significantly elevate the overall user experience of GitHub's products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a full-stack design role, encompassing strategic thinking, user research, detailed UI/UX design, and system-level contributions. The emphasis on AI/ML integration and complex product surfaces indicates a need for designers who can handle ambiguity and scale.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, or a related field, OR equivalent practical experience.
• Master's Degree in Industrial Design, Product Design, Human Computer Interaction, or a related field is a plus.

Experience:

• 5+ years of progressive experience in product or service design.
• Alternatively, 3+ years of experience in product or service design with a Bachelor's Degree, or 1+ year of experience with a Master's Degree.
• A minimum of 2 years of experience shipping products or delivering customer-facing solutions resulting from an end-to-end design process.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in Figma and modern design workflows, with a keen focus on interaction design, visual hierarchy, and achieving a high degree of polish.
• Proven ability to design end-to-end user experiences, including user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity UI.
• Strong understanding of user-centered design principles and methodologies.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and storytelling skills, with the ability to effectively partner with cross-functional teams (Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers).
• Proficiency in conducting user research, synthesizing findings, and applying insights to design decisions.
• Experience with accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and a commitment to inclusive design practices.
• Familiarity with systems thinking and its application in complex product ecosystems.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI and Machine Learning concepts and their application in user interfaces.
• Portfolio showcasing a diverse range of end-to-end product design projects across various user journeys and interface types.
• Familiarity with UX research methodologies, including usability testing and customer development.
• Experience contributing to or evolving design systems, component libraries, and design architecture.
• Exposure to visual systems, data visualization, or front-end development technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize practical experience and a strong portfolio. The specific mention of Figma highlights a key tool requirement. The blend of required and preferred skills indicates a desire for a well-rounded designer with some exposure to emerging technologies like AI/ML, and a solid understanding of foundational design principles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product design work, demonstrating ownership from problem identification to final delivery.
• Include case studies that detail the design process, including problem framing, user research, ideation, prototyping, iteration, and final solution.
• Highlight contributions to complex product surfaces and diverse user journeys.
• Clearly articulate the user problems addressed and the business impact of the designed solutions.
• Demonstrate proficiency in applying systems thinking to ensure design scalability and coherence.

Process Documentation:

• Present detailed user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes that illustrate the interaction design and user journey.
• Provide examples of how user research and usability testing informed design decisions and iterations.
• Illustrate contributions to or evolution of design systems, component libraries, and design architecture.
• Showcase the application of accessibility standards and inclusive design principles in the presented projects.
• Explain the collaborative process with Product Managers, Engineers, and Researchers, and how alignment was achieved.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role. Candidates should prepare to walk through their process, emphasizing problem-solving, user-centricity, and the impact of their designs. Demonstrating experience with complex systems and collaboration is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD $107,700.00 - USD $285,900.00 /Year (This range is for roles based across the United States and may vary based on geographical location, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities.)

Benefits:

• Annual Bonus: Eligibility for performance-based bonuses.
• Stock Options: Potential to receive stock options as part of compensation.
• Comprehensive benefits package (details not specified, but typical for a company of GitHub's size and caliber).
• Generous learning and growth opportunities.
• Support for remote work, allowing employees to work on their own terms.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are assumed (approximately 40 hours per week), with flexibility expected for a remote role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is broad, reflecting the "III" level designation and potential for significant experience variation. The inclusion of annual bonus and stock options indicates a comprehensive compensation package common for senior technical roles at established tech companies. The remote nature implies a focus on asynchronous communication and flexible work schedules.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software Development Platform, AI-Powered Developer Tools, Cloud Services. Company Size: Large (GitHub is part of Microsoft, a major global corporation, and has a significant employee base itself). Founded: 2008 (Acquired by Microsoft in 2018).

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team likely operates within a larger Product organization, closely integrated with Product Management and Engineering teams.
• Designers will collaborate with cross-functional pods or squads focused on specific product areas (e.g., Customer Success, Developer Tools).
• Reporting structure is likely to a Design Lead or Director, with direct collaboration across various product lines.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using user research, analytics, and customer feedback to inform design decisions.
• Agile Development: Iterative design and development processes, working in sprints with continuous feedback.
• Systems Thinking: Designing for scalability and consistency across a complex product ecosystem.
• AI/ML Integration: Actively incorporating AI and Machine Learning capabilities into product experiences.
• Remote-First Operations: Processes and tools designed to facilitate effective collaboration in a distributed environment.

Company Website: https://www.github.careers

📝 Enhancement Note: GitHub's culture is characterized by its developer-centricity, open-source ethos, and a commitment to innovation, particularly with AI. The "remote-first" approach shapes how teams collaborate and manage workflows. The company values emphasize customer obsession, learning, and collective success.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a Product Designer III, signifying a mid-to-senior level position. It requires a strong foundation in end-to-end design processes, the ability to tackle complex problems independently, and contribute strategically to product vision and design systems. It's a role for experienced designers who can mentor others and drive significant product initiatives.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer III will report to a Design Manager or Lead within the Product organization. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads on specific product teams or initiatives.

Operations Impact: Designers at GitHub play a crucial role in shaping the developer experience and the efficiency of internal operations (like customer success and support). Their work directly impacts user adoption, satisfaction, retention, and the overall perception and usability of GitHub's platform. By designing intuitive interfaces for complex systems, they enable developers and internal teams to be more productive and successful, ultimately driving business outcomes.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like AI/ML design, design systems, or specific product domains (e.g., developer tools, customer success platforms).
• Leadership: Progress to Senior Product Designer, Staff Product Designer, or Design Lead roles, managing larger projects or teams.
• Mentorship: Guide and mentor junior designers, contributing to the growth of the design team.
• Cross-Functional Influence: Increase impact on product strategy and roadmap decisions through strong collaboration and advocacy.
• Learning & Development: Access to training, conferences, and internal resources for continuous skill enhancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "III" designation points to a significant level of autonomy and contribution. Growth opportunities are expected to involve increased scope, leadership, and strategic influence within the design and product organizations.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Remote-First. While GitHub has physical offices, this role is designated as remote within the United States. Office Location(s): Remote, United States. Specific physical office locations are not primary for this role, but GitHub maintains offices in various US cities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect frequent virtual collaboration through video conferencing, chat, and collaborative design tools.
• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (Figma), project management tools, and communication platforms.
• Team Interaction: Regular team meetings, design critiques, and cross-functional syncs to ensure alignment and foster a sense of community despite the remote setup.
• Focus on Asynchronous Work: Emphasis on clear documentation and communication to support a distributed team structure.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time schedule, but with flexibility inherent in a remote-first environment.
• The focus will be on delivering high-quality work and meeting deadlines, with the ability to manage one's schedule to optimize productivity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature of GitHub means that the work environment is optimized for distributed collaboration. Candidates should be comfortable with virtual communication tools and asynchronous workflows.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Recruiter Screen: Initial conversation to assess general fit, experience, and alignment with the role.
2. Hiring Manager Interview: Deeper dive into experience, design philosophy, and approach to problem-solving.
3. Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Presentation of past work, often followed by a take-home design challenge or an on-the-spot design exercise to assess practical skills, problem-solving abilities, and design thinking. This stage will heavily focus on the candidate's process and rationale.
4. Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially Researchers to evaluate collaboration skills, communication, and ability to work within a team.
5. Final Interview/Debrief: A concluding discussion to finalize assessment and address any remaining questions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest, most relevant projects that demonstrate end-to-end design thinking, complex problem-solving, and impact.
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, iteration, testing), the challenges you faced, and the final outcome/impact. Use visuals effectively.
• Highlight Process Over Polish: While polished final UIs are important, interviewers will focus more on your design process, your ability to articulate decisions, and how you responded to feedback.
• Demonstrate Systems Thinking: For GitHub, show how you've considered scalability, consistency, and integration within larger product ecosystems.
• Showcase Collaboration: Explain how you worked with cross-functional partners and how you incorporated their input.
• Quantify Impact: If possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced support tickets, increased user satisfaction).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Scope: Be clear about the problem statement, constraints, and desired outcomes of any design challenge.
• Focus on Process: Even if you don't complete a perfect UI, demonstrating a structured approach to problem-solving is key.
• Think Aloud: If it's an on-the-spot exercise, verbalize your thought process.
• Ask Clarifying Questions: Don't hesitate to ask for more information to ensure you're addressing the core problem.
• Consider Edge Cases & Accessibility: Show a holistic view of design, including potential issues and inclusive solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is typical for senior design roles, with a strong emphasis on portfolio and practical application. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process and rationale thoroughly.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is a must.
• Prototyping Tools: In-depth knowledge of Figma's prototyping features or other relevant tools for creating interactive mockups.
• Design Systems: Experience with or contributions to design systems, understanding component libraries and pattern consistency.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) to understand user behavior and measure design impact.
• Experience interpreting data to inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how customer support and success platforms (e.g., Zendesk, Salesforce Service Cloud, Intercom) function is beneficial.
• Awareness of how design impacts efficiency in these operational areas.
• Experience with AI/ML tools and concepts is a plus, particularly as they relate to user interfaces and automation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the core design tool. Familiarity with analytics and an understanding of customer support/success tools will provide context for the products the designer will be working on. Experience with AI/ML is a significant plus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Obsessed: Designing with a deep understanding of user needs and aiming to solve their problems effectively.
• Ship to Learn: Embracing iterative development and learning from released products and user feedback.
• Growth Mindset: Continuously seeking to learn, improve, and adapt to new challenges and technologies.
• Own the Outcome: Taking responsibility for the success of designs from inception to impact.
• Better Together: Valuing collaboration, diverse perspectives, and collective problem-solving.
• Diverse and Inclusive: Actively working to create inclusive products and foster a diverse work environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Working seamlessly with Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, and other stakeholders.
• Open Communication: Clear, direct, and respectful communication, especially in a remote setting.
• Constructive Critique: Participating in and providing thoughtful feedback during design reviews.
• Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share insights, best practices, and learnings with the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: GitHub's values are strongly aligned with modern tech company culture, emphasizing user focus, continuous improvement, teamwork, and inclusivity. The "Better Together" value is particularly relevant for a collaborative role like Product Designer.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Scale: Creating intuitive experiences for complex, large-scale systems used by millions of developers and organizations.
• AI/ML Integration: Designing effective and trustworthy user interfaces for AI-powered features, managing user expectations and error states.
• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Ensuring designs meet user needs while also supporting GitHub's strategic objectives.
• Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong communication and alignment within a distributed team.
• Evolving Design System: Contributing to and adapting the design system as product offerings and technologies evolve.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Techniques: Opportunities to learn and apply cutting-edge design methodologies, especially in AI/ML product design.
• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to resources for professional development and staying current with design trends.
• Mentorship: Guidance from senior designers and leaders within GitHub.
• Cross-Domain Exposure: Working on diverse product areas within GitHub's ecosystem.
• Leadership Development: Pathways to take on more strategic responsibilities and leadership roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to working at a large, innovative tech company like GitHub, particularly in areas like AI integration and managing complex product ecosystems. Growth opportunities are aligned with senior-level progression and continuous learning.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a complex workflow or system with many interconnected parts. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on systems thinking, problem decomposition, and clarity.)
• "Walk me through a project where you integrated user research into your design process. How did the research influence your decisions, and how did you validate your solutions?" (Highlight user-centricity, research methodology, and iterative design.)
• "How do you approach designing for AI-powered features? What are the unique challenges and considerations?" (Assess understanding of AI/ML design principles, user trust, and managing emergent behavior.)
• "Tell me about a time you had to influence stakeholders or cross-functional partners on a design decision. What was your strategy, and how did you achieve alignment?" (Focus on communication, storytelling, and collaboration skills.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about GitHub and its mission?" (Research GitHub's impact on developers and the open-source community.)
• "How do you see your design philosophy aligning with GitHub's values, particularly 'Customer-Obsessed' and 'Better Together'?" (Reflect on how your approach embodies these values.)
• "How do you contribute to a diverse and inclusive environment, both in your work and your interactions?" (Showcase commitment to inclusivity in design and teamwork.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your specific role and contributions, the process, key decisions, and the impact.
• Emphasize Your 'Why': Be ready to explain the rationale behind your design choices at every step.
• Showcase Iteration: Highlight how you used feedback (from users or stakeholders) to refine your designs.
• Demonstrate Collaboration: Explain how you worked with PMs, engineers, and researchers.
• Quantify Results: If possible, present metrics that show the success of your designs.
• Be Prepared for Design Challenges: Practice thinking out loud and structuring your approach to a new design problem.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on articulating design process, strategic thinking, and collaborative capabilities. Candidates should be ready to deeply discuss their portfolio and demonstrate how their skills align with GitHub's specific needs, especially regarding AI and complex systems.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer III position:

• Submit your application through the GitHub Careers website.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in end-to-end product design, Figma proficiency, collaboration with cross-functional teams, and any experience with AI/ML or complex systems. Quantify achievements where possible.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that demonstrate your design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Ensure it's easily accessible and clearly explains your role and contributions.
• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on your strategic thinking, design rationale, and collaborative approach. Be ready to discuss your experience with user research, accessibility, and systems thinking.
• Research GitHub: Understand GitHub's mission, products, and its impact on the developer community. Familiarize yourself with their stated company values and how they translate into design practice.

⚠️ 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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