Product Designer, InVivo

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer, InVivo Company: Benchling Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Product Design / UX Design Date Posted: January 27, 2026 Experience Level: 5+ Years Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on designing user experiences for Benchling's In Vivo product, catering to enterprise users in the pre-clinical research space within the biotechnology sector.
• The position involves a hybrid work arrangement, requiring 3 days per week in the Belfast office, with collaboration across global teams, particularly in the United States.
• The Product Designer will be instrumental in defining product strategy, conducting user research, and driving the end-to-end design process for complex scientific software.
• A strong emphasis is placed on creating elegant, user-friendly solutions that simplify complex scientific workflows and contribute to the acceleration of biotech advancements.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the primary title is "Product Designer, InVivo," the description and responsibilities clearly indicate a Senior UX Designer role, emphasizing user research, prototyping, and end-to-end design ownership within a specific product suite. The "InVivo" designation points to a specialized domain within Benchling's broader offerings, focusing on pre-clinical experimentation, which is a critical area in drug discovery and development.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering teams to define and refine product strategy, scope, and prioritization for the In Vivo product suite in a dynamic, agile environment.
• Partner with Product teams to conduct user-centered research, deeply understanding the needs and pain points of enterprise customers and end-users in pre-clinical research.
• Drive the entire product development lifecycle, from initial problem definition and opportunity exploration through to the successful implementation and launch of new features.
• Rapidly design and prototype multiple user experience concepts to effectively validate product directions and gather early feedback.
• Take ownership of the design for high-impact initiatives, managing the process from initial research and concept development through to final implementation and deployment.
• Effectively communicate design decisions, research findings, and project progress to remote team members, particularly those based in the United States, ensuring seamless collaboration.
• Participate in necessary business travel, estimated at 1-3 times per year, to Benchling's headquarters for key collaboration sessions, team building, or major company events.
• Contribute to the evolution and maintenance of Benchling's design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency across the In Vivo product.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on design role with significant strategic input. The expectation to "own the design for high-impact initiatives" suggests a senior-level contribution. The emphasis on collaboration with remote US-based teams and occasional travel points to a global team structure and the need for strong remote communication skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in design principles, user experience, and human-computer interaction is implied. Candidates with degrees in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or related fields are typically well-suited.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience driving the design of software products, with a strong preference for experience in SaaS environments.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a relentless focus on the user throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Proven experience in simplifying complex problems and translating them into elegant, intuitive user experiences.
• Experience working within an agile development framework, collaborating effectively with Product Management and Engineering.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio: A strong, comprehensive portfolio showcasing relevant design work, demonstrating the ability to ship elegant, easy-to-use products that achieve market success. Portfolio pieces should ideally highlight complex problem-solving and user-centric design approaches.
• User Research: Proficiency in conducting user research, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to gather insights and inform design decisions.
• UX/UI Design: Expertise in creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes for complex software applications.
• Agile Methodologies: Experience working effectively within agile sprint cycles, collaborating with cross-functional teams.
• Design Systems: Experience contributing to or utilizing design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency in product design.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and influence stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• SaaS Design Expertise: Specific experience designing for Software-as-a-Service platforms, understanding their unique challenges and opportunities.
• Front-End Development: Ability to develop front-end code (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript) is a significant plus, enabling deeper collaboration with engineering and a better understanding of implementation constraints.
• Scientific/Healthcare Background: Prior experience in lab work, scientific research, or the healthcare industry is advantageous for understanding user context within the biotech domain.
• AI/Emerging Technologies: An affinity for designing with new technologies, such as AI, to address real-world user problems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5+ years of experience" is intentionally flexible, as noted in the job description itself. The emphasis is on the quality and type of experience. The portfolio requirement is critical, and candidates should prepare to showcase projects that demonstrate problem-solving, user empathy, and successful product outcomes. The preference for SaaS and the note about front-end code suggest a company that values technical understanding within its design team.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Detailed case studies for 3-5 key projects that demonstrate your design process from problem identification to solution implementation and impact. Each case study should clearly articulate the user problem, your role, the design decisions made, the rationale behind them, and the measurable outcomes.
• Problem-Solving Examples: Showcase examples where you tackled complex user problems and simplified them into elegant, user-friendly solutions, ideally within a B2B or enterprise SaaS context.
• User Research Integration: Evidence of how user research directly informed your design decisions and led to improved user experiences.
• Prototyping & Iteration: Examples of interactive prototypes and how they were used for user testing and iteration, demonstrating your ability to quickly validate ideas.
• Design System Contribution: If applicable, include examples of your work on design systems, showing contributions to component libraries, style guides, or pattern libraries.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Be prepared to discuss your approach to mapping and optimizing user workflows, particularly for complex scientific processes.
• Agile Design Process: Articulate how you integrate design into agile development cycles, including sprint planning, backlog grooming, and collaboration with engineering.
• Design System Implementation: Discuss your experience in implementing and maintaining design systems, ensuring brand consistency and developer efficiency.
• Impact Measurement: Demonstrate how you measure the success of your designs, focusing on key metrics related to user adoption, task completion, efficiency, and overall product goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Product Designer role, especially in a B2B/enterprise SaaS company like Benchling, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond just visual aesthetics and demonstrate strategic thinking, user empathy, and a systematic approach to problem-solving. Candidates should be ready to walk through their process and articulate the "why" behind their design choices, linking them to business and user outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Benchling employs a market-based approach to compensation. For a Senior UX Designer role with 5+ years of experience in Belfast, UK, the estimated annual salary range would typically fall between £55,000 and £75,000 GBP. This range is an estimate and can vary based on the candidate's specific qualifications, interview performance, and Benchling's internal compensation bands for this role and location.

Benefits:

• Private Medical Insurance: Comprehensive coverage for healthcare needs.
• Pension Plan: Employer-sponsored retirement savings plan.
• Parental Leave: Four months of fully paid parental leave, supporting new parents.
• Family Forming Benefits: Support for employees pursuing family growth through adoption, surrogacy, or other means.
• Global Income Protection: Financial support in case of long-term disability.
• Commuter Benefits: For in-office employees, likely subsidies or pre-tax schemes for commuting.
• Home Office Set Up Stipend: For remote employees, a budget to create an effective home workspace.
• Mental Health Benefits: Access to therapy and coaching services for employees and dependents.
• Vacation Days: 25 days of annual leave, plus public holidays, offering ample time for rest and rejuvenation.
• Monthly Wellness Stipend: A recurring allowance to support employee well-being (e.g., gym memberships, mindfulness apps).
• Learning and Development Stipend: Funds allocated for professional development, courses, conferences, or certifications.
• Generous and Flexible Vacation: Reinforces the emphasis on work-life balance and employee well-being.

Working Hours: The role is full-time, with a standard expectation of approximately 40 hours per week. The company promotes a flexible hybrid work arrangement, requiring 3 days in the Belfast office. While core hours for collaboration exist, there's likely flexibility around start and end times, accommodating different working styles and personal needs, especially given the international team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is an estimate based on industry benchmarks for a Senior UX Designer in Belfast, UK, considering the company's likely positioning as a well-funded tech company. Benefits are comprehensive and align with typical offerings for senior roles in the tech sector, with a strong emphasis on employee well-being and work-life balance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Biotechnology and Life Sciences Software. Benchling operates at the intersection of cutting-edge scientific research and modern software technology, providing a critical platform for innovation in drug discovery, agricultural science, and industrial biotech. Company Size: Benchling is a rapidly growing, well-funded technology company. While the exact number of employees is not specified in the raw data, companies of this nature typically range from several hundred to over a thousand employees, indicating a dynamic and evolving organizational structure. Founded: Benchling was founded in 2012. This history suggests a company that has moved beyond an early-stage startup phase and has established products and processes, while still retaining a sense of innovation and growth.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is integrated within the broader Product and Engineering organization. It likely consists of specialized designers focusing on different product areas, such as In Vivo.
• Designers collaborate closely with Product Managers who define the "what" and "why," and Engineers who build the "how."
• There's a clear international component, with a significant presence in the United States, requiring strong cross-cultural and remote collaboration skills.
• The team aims to support scientists by enhancing the efficiency and quality of their research workflows.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design: A core philosophy, emphasizing understanding and addressing customer and end-user needs through research and iterative design.
• Agile Development: Design processes are embedded within agile sprints, requiring close collaboration and rapid iteration with engineering and product teams.
• Data-Informed Decisions: While not explicitly stated for design, the company's overall mission in biotech implies a data-driven approach, which likely extends to how design success is measured.
• Design Systems: A commitment to building and leveraging design systems for consistency and efficiency across the product suite.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Benchling's position as a leader in the biotech software space means the company culture likely values scientific rigor, innovation, and a mission-driven approach. The "startup-like environment" mentioned for the role suggests a fast-paced, less hierarchical structure within specific product teams, even within a larger, established company.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior UX Designer. This implies a level of autonomy, ownership, and the ability to lead design initiatives. It's a role for an experienced individual contributor who can mentor others and influence product direction.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will report to a design lead or manager, likely within the Product organization. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads on specific product initiatives. The hybrid nature means reporting lines might extend to teams or managers based in the US, requiring clear communication protocols.

Operations Impact: While not a traditional "Operations" role (like RevOps or Sales Ops), the impact of this Product Designer is significant. By improving the usability and efficiency of Benchling's In Vivo platform, they directly contribute to:

• Accelerated Scientific Discovery: Enabling scientists to conduct experiments faster and more effectively.
• Improved Data Quality: Designing interfaces that reduce errors and enhance data integrity in research.
• Customer Satisfaction & Retention: Delivering intuitive experiences that delight users and encourage platform adoption.
• Revenue Growth: Successful product adoption and expansion within biotech organizations directly impacts Benchling's revenue.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Design: Potential to grow into a Lead Designer or Design Manager role, overseeing specific product areas or teams.
• Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for complex scientific domains (like pre-clinical research) or emerging technologies (AI).
• Cross-Functional Influence: Develop stronger strategic partnerships with Product Management and Engineering, influencing product roadmaps.
• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth of the design team.
• Broader Product Exposure: As Benchling grows, opportunities may arise to contribute to other product lines or initiatives within the company.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a path for experienced designers to deepen their impact within a critical scientific sector. The "Senior" title suggests a career trajectory focused on individual contribution, leadership within projects, and strategic influence, rather than necessarily moving into people management immediately.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Benchling operates a hybrid work model. The Belfast office will serve as a hub for in-person collaboration, team meetings, and focused work sessions, while also accommodating remote work flexibility.

Office Location(s): The primary office location for this role is Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Specific office details (e.g., address, amenities) are not provided but can be assumed to be a modern, professional workspace conducive to collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model emphasizes in-office days (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday) for fostering team cohesion, spontaneous brainstorming, and direct interaction with colleagues.
• Technology-Enabled: Expect access to modern design tools, software, and potentially hardware necessary for UX design and prototyping. Collaboration with US-based teams will heavily rely on digital communication and collaboration platforms.
• Cross-Functional Interaction: Frequent opportunities to engage with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially customer-facing teams (Sales, Support) to gain diverse perspectives and ensure alignment.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, requiring approximately 40 hours per week. The hybrid model allows for flexibility, with mandated in-office days. The collaboration with US-based teams may occasionally require adjusting working hours to accommodate time zone differences for specific meetings or urgent tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect of the work environment. Candidates should be comfortable with a mix of in-office and remote work, and possess strong skills in remote collaboration tools and asynchronous communication. The emphasis on specific in-office days suggests a structured approach to hybrid work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications and fit.
• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: Candidates will likely be asked to present their portfolio, walking through 1-2 key case studies. This may be followed by a design exercise or challenge, either take-home or live, to assess problem-solving skills, design thinking, and execution.
• Hiring Manager/Team Interviews: Interviews with the hiring manager and potential team members (other designers, Product Managers, Engineers) to evaluate technical skills, collaboration style, and cultural fit. Expect behavioral questions and discussions about past projects.
• Final Interview: Potentially an interview with a senior leader or executive to discuss strategic alignment and overall fit within the company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your skills relevant to this role (SaaS, complex problems, enterprise users, scientific context if possible).
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your process, your specific contributions, the challenges faced, the solutions implemented, and the measurable impact. Use visuals effectively.
• Highlight Process: Emphasize your thought process, research methods, iteration cycles, and how you made design decisions.
• Be Ready for Questions: Anticipate questions about your rationale, trade-offs you made, how you handled feedback, and your collaboration with Product and Engineering.
• Focus on Impact: Quantify outcomes wherever possible (e.g., "increased task completion by X%", "reduced errors by Y%", "improved user satisfaction scores").

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a take-home challenge, thoroughly understand the prompt and the target user.
• Define Scope: Clearly define the scope of your solution and any assumptions you are making.
• Demonstrate Process: Show how you would approach the problem, even if you can't complete a full design. This includes user research considerations, ideation, and key UX/UI decisions.
• Communication is Key: Be prepared to clearly articulate your approach and rationale. If it's a live challenge, think aloud and engage with the interviewer.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a design role at a tech company like Benchling will heavily scrutinize the candidate's portfolio and design process. Candidates should prepare to be articulate, transparent about their work, and showcase a user-centric, data-informed, and collaborative approach.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable given industry trends and collaboration needs), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).
• Prototyping Tools: InVision, Principle, ProtoPie (for more advanced interactions).
• Design System Management: Tools like Zeroheight or Storybook, or internal documentation platforms.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics (for understanding user behavior, feature adoption, and conversion funnels).
• User Feedback Tools: Hotjar, FullStory (for heatmaps, session recordings, and user feedback widgets).
• Data Visualization: Tableau, Looker (for analyzing research data, A/B test results, and presenting insights).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot (for understanding customer segments and sales processes, though less directly used by designers).
• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello (for managing design tasks within agile sprints and collaborating with engineering).
• Collaboration: Slack, Microsoft Teams (for daily communication and team interaction).
• Documentation: Confluence, Notion (for documenting design decisions, research findings, and team processes).

📝 Enhancement Note: While Benchling may have specific tools, Figma is the industry standard for collaborative design and prototyping in modern tech companies. Familiarity with product analytics tools is also increasingly important for UX designers to understand user behavior and measure the impact of their designs.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: (Interpreted for a Design Team within Benchling)

• Mission-Driven: A commitment to empowering scientists and advancing biotechnology, understanding that good design directly contributes to this mission.
• User-Centricity: Placing the needs and experiences of scientists at the forefront of all design decisions.
• Collaboration: Valuing teamwork, open communication, and cross-functional partnership to achieve shared goals.
• Innovation & Curiosity: Encouraging exploration of new technologies and approaches to solve complex problems in novel ways.
• Excellence & Rigor: Striving for high-quality design that is both elegant and robust, reflecting the scientific nature of the product.
• Efficiency: Designing streamlined workflows that save scientists time and reduce cognitive load.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: A close working relationship with Product Management and Engineering, with design integrated early and throughout the development process.
• Iterative Feedback: A culture that embraces constructive feedback through design reviews, usability testing, and direct communication.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of design best practices, research insights, and learnings across the team and with other departments.
• Data-Informed Iteration: Using user data and feedback to continuously improve designs and product experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: Benchling's mission to "unlock the power of biotechnology" suggests a culture that is deeply invested in scientific progress. The design team's values will likely reflect this, prioritizing user impact, scientific accuracy, and innovation.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Scientific Workflows: Designing for highly specialized and complex pre-clinical research processes requires deep understanding and careful simplification.
• Balancing User Needs with Scalability: Ensuring that individual user needs are met while maintaining a consistent, scalable, and maintainable design system across a large enterprise product.
• Remote Collaboration: Effectively collaborating and building strong relationships with a globally distributed team, particularly across different time zones.
• Rapid Product Evolution: Adapting to a fast-paced, agile development environment where priorities and product direction can shift.
• Integrating New Technologies: Designing intuitive interfaces for emerging technologies like AI within a scientific context, ensuring they add genuine value without overwhelming users.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Domain Expertise: Gaining in-depth knowledge of pre-clinical research methodologies and the biotech industry.
• Advanced Design Skills: Honing skills in complex enterprise UX, design systems, and potentially AI-driven design.
• Cross-Functional Acumen: Developing a strong understanding of product strategy, engineering constraints, and business objectives.
• Mentorship: Opportunities to learn from experienced designers and potentially mentor junior team members.
• Industry Exposure: Attending conferences or workshops related to UX design in SaaS, biotech, or enterprise software.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior designers in specialized SaaS companies. Benchling's growth and focus on innovation provide significant opportunities for professional development and career advancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex product or feature you designed from concept to launch. Walk us through your process, the key decisions you made, and the impact it had." (Focus on demonstrating your end-to-end design process, user research, problem-solving, and impact measurement).
• "How do you approach understanding the needs of enterprise users in a highly technical domain like biotechnology?" (Highlight your user research methods, empathy, and ability to translate complex requirements).
• "Tell us about a time you had to simplify a highly complex problem into an intuitive user experience. What were the trade-offs you considered?" (Showcase your ability to distill complexity and make strategic design choices).
• "How do you collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers in an agile environment? Describe a situation where you had a disagreement and how you resolved it." (Demonstrate your teamwork, communication, and negotiation skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Benchling and our mission to advance biotechnology?" (Show genuine interest in the company's mission and industry).
• "How do you stay current with design trends and new technologies, particularly in areas like AI?" (Highlight your commitment to continuous learning).
• "Describe your experience working with or contributing to design systems. What are the benefits and challenges?" (Assess your understanding of design system principles and practical application).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically, usually starting with an overview of your role and the project's goals, followed by your process, key design decisions, and finally, the outcomes and learnings.
• Visuals: Use high-quality mockups, prototypes, and flow diagrams. Ensure visuals are clear and support your narrative.
• Narrative: Tell a compelling story about each project. Focus on the "why" behind your decisions and the impact of your work.
• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Practice your presentation to ensure you cover the most critical points effectively.
• Interaction: Be prepared for questions throughout your presentation, not just at the end. Engage with the interviewers.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for a Senior UX Designer should focus on demonstrating a deep understanding of the design process, strong problem-solving skills, excellent communication, and a user-centric mindset. The ability to articulate the impact of design decisions is crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects that best demonstrate your experience with complex SaaS products, enterprise users, and problem-solving. Prioritize case studies that clearly articulate your process and the impact of your design work.
• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly states your years of experience and highlights key skills relevant to UX design, SaaS, agile environments, and user research. Use keywords from the job description and quantify achievements where possible.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and project rationale. Prepare to present your portfolio confidently and be ready to discuss your approach to user research, problem-solving, and collaboration.
• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Benchling's mission, products (especially In Vivo, if possible), and company culture. Understand the challenges and opportunities within the biotechnology software sector.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details, particularly regarding salary estimates and specific interview processes, should be verified directly with the hiring organization during the application and interview stages.