Senior Manager, Product Designer - UX/UI

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Manager, Product Designer - UX/UI

Company: Makro PRO

Location: China

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI / E-commerce Operations

Date Posted: 2026-04-07

Experience Level: Senior (10+ years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the creation of exceptional, research-backed end-to-end product experiences within the e-commerce sector.

• Drive collaborative efforts with Product, Business, and Technology leaders to align on vision, objectives, and transformation roadmaps.

• Manage and mentor a team of product designers, fostering growth and ensuring high-quality, customer-centered outcomes.

• Define and execute core design activities, including user research, synthesis, and detailed design execution.

• Champion best-in-class design practices and customer-centricity across product development lifecycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Manager, indicating a significant leadership component. While the title is Product Designer, the responsibilities and experience level suggest a blend of hands-on design execution and team management, with a strong emphasis on strategic product vision and operations within a retail e-commerce context. The remote nature within China suggests a need for strong asynchronous communication skills and experience managing distributed teams or projects.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with Product, Business, and Technology teams to define, scope, and manage the complete product experience from conception to launch.

• Oversee and manage the design team's activities, from initial research and ideation through to final execution, ensuring consistent, high-quality deliverables.

• Guide UX designers in developing robust design strategies grounded in research and insights, and execute high-fidelity UX artifacts.

• Direct UI designers in creating best-in-class visual design work that is consistent, on-brand, and validated by user feedback.

• Partner with front-end developers to ensure the seamless and accurate implementation of visual designs and product interactions.

• Mentor and coach design team members, emphasizing new ways of working and effective strategy-to-execution mapping.

• Proactively identify and remove impediments that hinder team progress and design output.

• Work in conjunction with the Chief Product Officer (CPO) and Product Owners (POs) to align the product roadmap with the overarching vision and leverage continuous insights to ensure the voice of the customer is consistently represented.

• Continuously seek and implement innovative solutions to technical problems and design challenges, actively questioning the status quo to drive improvements.

• Represent the company externally by attending industry events and promoting customer focus, while also being a visible advocate for design principles within internal communications.

• Synchronize customer research efforts across teams and map detailed customer journeys for various user segments.

• Synthesize customer insights gathered from diverse research initiatives to create a holistic understanding of the customer journey.

• Facilitate work sessions with stakeholders and users to define key design goals, requirements, and shape the overall experience strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic and operational focus on design. The emphasis on "managing design priorities within the backlog" and "understanding the relationship between Product Owner, Scrum Master, and the rest of the team" points to a strong need for operational understanding of Agile methodologies and product lifecycle management.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for a Senior Managerial role in this domain. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in product design, with a significant portion in leadership or management roles. Proven track record of delivering successful end-to-end product experiences in a fast-paced environment.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles and methodologies.

• UX/UI Proficiency: Demonstrated ability in user research, usability testing, task flow mapping, wireframing, prototyping, and creating high-fidelity mockups.

• Design Strategy: Ability to develop and articulate comprehensive design strategies aligned with business objectives.

• Agile Development: Significant experience driving design outcomes within Agile infrastructure, environments, and deployment strategies.

• Team Leadership & Mentoring: Proven experience managing, mentoring, and coaching design teams, fostering professional growth and high performance.

• Design Operations: Seasoned expertise in design operations, with a deep insight into the newest methods, trends, and operational efficiencies.

• System Implementation: Experience working with front-end developers to ensure successful implementation of visual design and product interactions.

• Communication & Stakeholder Management: Strong communication skills with the ability to align diverse stakeholders on complex product decisions and advocate for the customer.

• Design Thinking: A strong foundation in design thinking principles and their application to problem-solving.

• Jira & Confluence: Experience using project management and collaboration tools like Jira and Confluence for backlog management and team coordination.

Preferred Skills:

• Design Systems: Experience in defining, building, and maintaining design systems to ensure consistency across multiple products and teams.

• Quantitative Research: Familiarity with quantitative research methods and data analysis to inform design decisions.

• E-commerce Experience: Specific experience in the retail or e-commerce sector, understanding its unique user behaviors and business drivers.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Experience working on projects that span multiple organizations and business units.

• Customer Journey Mapping: Proficiency in creating detailed customer journey maps to identify pain points and opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize both hands-on design skills and strong leadership/operational capabilities. The explicit mention of "design operations" and "managing design priorities within the backlog" signifies a need for candidates who understand how design integrates into broader product development processes and workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies demonstrating your ability to lead design from initial research and problem definition through to final execution and impact measurement.

• Research & Synthesis: Include examples of user research methodologies employed (qualitative, quantitative, usability testing) and how insights were synthesized to inform design decisions.

• UX Artifacts: Present a range of UX deliverables, such as user flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and site maps, illustrating your process for structuring user experiences.

• UI Design Examples: Demonstrate your visual design skills with examples of high-fidelity mockups, style guides, and components that align with brand identity and user needs.

• Design System Contributions: If applicable, showcase contributions to or the creation of design systems, highlighting how consistency and scalability were achieved.

• Impact & Metrics: Clearly articulate the business impact and user outcomes of your design work, supported by relevant metrics (e.g., conversion rates, user satisfaction, task completion times).

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Provide examples of how you've designed or optimized design workflows to improve efficiency and collaboration within a team.

• Agile Integration: Illustrate how your design process integrates seamlessly with Agile development methodologies, including backlog grooming and sprint planning.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Demonstrate how you've collaborated with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment and successful product delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Manager role, the portfolio should not only showcase design skills but also leadership, strategic thinking, and process management. The emphasis should be on demonstrating how the candidate has influenced product direction and improved design operations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the Senior Manager title, 10+ years of experience, and the fully remote nature within China, a competitive salary range is expected. Based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in major tech hubs in China and considering the remote aspect, an estimated annual salary range could be between ¥600,000 - ¥1,000,000 CNY (approximately $83,000 - $138,000 USD, subject to exchange rates). This range accounts for seniority, leadership responsibilities, and the specialized nature of e-commerce product design.

Benefits:

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive group health insurance coverage from a top insurance provider, including Outpatient (OPD), Inpatient (IPD), and Emergency services.

• Provident Fund: A company contribution of 3% to the employee's provident fund for long-term financial planning.

• Year-end Bonus: Variable and performance-based bonus opportunities, reflecting company and individual performance.

• Gym Facilities: Access to a fitness center, yoga room, and recreational space at the Head Office (potentially accessible for remote employees through partnerships or stipends, though this requires clarification).

• Attractive Vacation Days: A minimum of 18 days of annual leave, providing ample opportunity for rest and personal pursuits.

• No Overtime Policy: A commitment to a 5-day work week with a focus on efficient goal setting and deadline management, respecting work-life balance.

• Free Car Parking: If the role requires occasional office visits or for employees based near the Head Office, free parking is provided.

Working Hours: The role is structured around a standard 40-hour work week, emphasizing efficiency and goal achievement rather than strict time tracking, aligning with the "no overtime" policy. Flexibility is likely available, provided core collaboration hours and deliverables are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on typical compensation for Senior Design Managers in China's tech sector, adjusted for a fully remote role. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a particular emphasis on work-life balance and employee well-being, which is attractive for experienced professionals. The gym facilities might be more relevant for those in proximity to the Head Office, and clarification on remote access to these perks would be beneficial.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Retail / E-commerce (Southeast Asia focus). Makro PRO operates within the dynamic retail and e-commerce landscape, aiming to be a leading player in Southeast Asia. This industry context implies a fast-paced environment, a strong focus on customer acquisition and retention, and a continuous need for digital innovation.

Company Size: The description mentions serving "millions of customers through its extensive network of hypermarkets, supermarkets, and digital platforms," and aiming to build "Southeast Asia’s next unicorn." This suggests a large, established retail presence with significant ambition for digital growth, likely placing it in the large enterprise or rapidly scaling startup category.

Founded: While the founding date is not specified, the mention of "leading retail brand" and "extensive network" implies a history, possibly decades old, that is now pivoting heavily into e-commerce innovation.

Team Structure:

• Design Team: The role directly manages a team of product designers, likely comprising UX and UI specialists. This team will operate within the broader product development structure.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The Senior Manager will work closely with Product Management (CPO, POs), Business leaders, and Technology/Engineering teams, forming core product development pods.

• Reporting: The role reports into senior product leadership (e.g., CPO) and works closely with other functional leads.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: The team operates within an Agile framework, implying iterative development cycles, sprint planning, and close collaboration with Scrum Masters and Product Owners.

• Customer-Centricity: A core methodology is a relentless focus on customer needs and business goals, driven by continuous research and insights.

• Data-Informed Design: Decisions are expected to be backed by research, synthesis, and potentially quantitative data to ensure effective product experiences.

Company Website: https://www.makro.pro/ (Derived from domain)

📝 Enhancement Note: Makro PRO appears to be a traditional retail giant undergoing a significant digital transformation, aiming for unicorn status in the e-commerce space. This dual nature – established retail operations meeting agile tech innovation – creates a unique environment for operations and design professionals. Understanding this dynamic is key to success.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a Senior Management position within Product Design, focusing on both strategic leadership and operational execution. It's a key player in shaping the company's digital product strategy and user experience. The scope involves managing a team, influencing roadmaps, and driving design excellence across multiple product initiatives.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Manager, Product Designer will likely report to a Chief Product Officer (CPO) or VP of Product. They will work closely with Product Owners and Engineering Leads, forming part of a larger product development leadership team.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the company's ability to acquire, engage, and retain customers through its digital platforms. By ensuring intuitive, effective, and desirable product experiences, this position drives user adoption, satisfaction, and ultimately, revenue growth, making it a critical function within the e-commerce operations.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership: Opportunity to influence the broader product vision and long-term experience strategy for Makro PRO's digital transformation.

• Team Development: Lead and grow a team of talented designers, developing their skills and career paths within the organization.

• Cross-functional Influence: Gain experience working across diverse business units and with senior leadership, expanding influence and strategic acumen.

• E-commerce Specialization: Deepen expertise in the complexities of e-commerce design and operations within a rapidly growing Southeast Asian market.

• Potential for Advancement: Path to lead larger design organizations, Head of Design, or move into broader Product leadership roles as the company scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth trajectory is clearly defined towards leadership within product and design. The role is positioned to be instrumental in the company's digital transformation, offering significant impact and learning opportunities in a high-growth environment.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: While the role is fully remote, the mention of a "Head office" with "fitness center, yoga room, and recreational space" suggests a physical hub exists, likely in Bangkok based on the description. For remote employees, the environment is digital-first, relying on collaboration tools and virtual communication.

Office Location(s): The primary listed location is China for remote work. The company's operational base and Head Office appear to be in Southeast Asia (implied by "Southeast Asia's next unicorn" and "Bangkok scenery" in benefits). This suggests a distributed team structure across different regions.

Workspace Context:

• Digital Collaboration: The remote setting necessitates a strong reliance on digital tools for communication, project management, and design collaboration (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Figma, Jira, Confluence).

• Asynchronous Work: Experience in effective asynchronous communication and documentation is crucial for a remote role spanning different time zones.

• Autonomous Environment: Remote work fosters autonomy, requiring individuals to be self-motivated, organized, and proactive in managing their workload and collaborating with others.

• Focus on Results: The "no overtime" policy emphasizes a results-oriented work environment where efficiency and effective planning are paramount.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected, with flexibility in daily scheduling as long as core collaboration hours and project deadlines are met. The remote nature allows for greater autonomy in structuring the workday.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature within China, combined with a potential Head Office in Southeast Asia, highlights the need for strong remote work practices, cross-cultural communication skills, and proficiency in asynchronous collaboration tools.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and resume, focusing on relevant experience and skills.

2. Hiring Manager Interview: An in-depth discussion with the hiring manager (likely the CPO or a senior product leader) to assess your leadership style, strategic thinking, team management approach, and cultural fit.

3. Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: A crucial stage where you'll present your portfolio, showcasing your design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. This may be accompanied by a practical design challenge relevant to Makro PRO's e-commerce context.

4. Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product Management and Engineering to evaluate collaboration skills and understanding of technical constraints.

5. Final Interview: Potentially a final round with executive leadership to discuss vision, strategy, and long-term fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio around 2-3 key projects, clearly defining the problem, your role, the process, your solutions, and the measurable outcomes.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, prototypes, final designs) to illustrate your process. Explain why you made certain decisions, referencing user research and business goals.

• Highlight Leadership: For this Senior Manager role, emphasize how you led teams, mentored designers, influenced strategy, and managed design operations or processes.

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, include metrics that demonstrate the impact of your design work on user behavior, business goals (e.g., conversion rates, engagement, revenue), or team efficiency.

• Tailor to E-commerce: If possible, include projects relevant to retail or e-commerce, showcasing an understanding of the industry's unique challenges and opportunities.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Research Makro PRO's current digital presence, target audience, and competitive landscape in Southeast Asian e-commerce.

• Focus on Process: For any design challenge, articulate your thought process clearly. Explain how you would approach research, ideation, and solutioning within the given constraints.

• Prioritize and Justify: Demonstrate your ability to prioritize features or solutions based on user needs and business impact. Be prepared to justify your decisions.

• Consider Implementation: Think about how your proposed solutions would be implemented, especially in an Agile environment, and how you'd collaborate with developers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily emphasizes practical application of design skills, strategic thinking, and leadership capabilities. A strong, well-documented portfolio that highlights process, impact, and leadership is paramount for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly likely for collaborative design and prototyping), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• User Research & Testing: Tools for conducting usability tests, surveys, and analyzing qualitative/quantitative data (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Lookback).

• Collaboration & Workflow Management: Jira & Confluence (explicitly mentioned), Asana, Trello, Slack, Microsoft Teams.

• Design Systems: Tools for managing and scaling design systems (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or similar platforms for understanding user behavior on digital platforms.

• BI Tools: Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for data visualization and reporting on key performance indicators (KPIs).

• Product Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude, or similar for in-depth user behavior analysis within the product.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot, or other CRM systems used by the business and sales teams to understand customer data.

• Marketing Automation: Tools used for customer engagement and communication strategies.

• Integration Platforms: Understanding of how design systems and user data might integrate with broader enterprise systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in collaborative design tools like Figma is essential for remote teamwork. Experience with Agile project management tools (Jira, Confluence) and a strong understanding of analytics platforms are critical for data-informed design and demonstrating impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A deep-seated commitment to understanding and serving customer needs, making the "voice of the customer" a guiding principle in all decisions.

• Innovation & Agility: Embracing new ways of working, challenging the status quo, and continuously seeking better solutions to drive transformation in the e-commerce space.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an environment where diverse teams work together seamlessly, sharing knowledge and insights openly across functions.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing research, analytics, and customer insights to inform design strategies and measure the impact of product initiatives.

• Growth Mindset: Encouraging continuous learning, skill development, and a proactive approach to tackling complex challenges.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: A highly collaborative approach, working closely with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and Business units to ensure a unified product vision and execution.

• Mentorship & Empowerment: A leadership style that focuses on empowering team members, providing guidance, and fostering their professional development.

• Feedback Culture: An open and constructive feedback loop, encouraging healthy debate and continuous improvement based on diverse perspectives.

• Agile Cadence: Participation in Agile ceremonies (stand-ups, sprint planning, retrospectives) to ensure alignment and efficient workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values appear to blend traditional retail customer-centricity with modern tech-startup agility and a focus on growth. For a Senior Manager, demonstrating alignment with these values through leadership examples and collaborative approaches will be key.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Digital Transformation Pace: Navigating the complexities of a large retail organization undergoing rapid digital transformation and scaling e-commerce operations.

• Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Effectively managing and collaborating with distributed teams across different regions and cultural backgrounds.

• Balancing Innovation with Legacy: Integrating innovative design solutions while respecting and evolving existing retail infrastructure and brand identity.

• Defining & Measuring Impact: Clearly articulating and demonstrating the ROI of design initiatives in a complex business environment.

• Talent Development: Attracting, retaining, and growing top design talent in a competitive market.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Product Leadership: Opportunity to shape the product strategy for a major e-commerce player in Southeast Asia.

• E-commerce Domain Expertise: Deepen understanding of user behavior, market dynamics, and operational nuances specific to the e-commerce industry.

• Leadership Skills Enhancement: Develop advanced team management, stakeholder negotiation, and strategic influencing skills.

• Industry Exposure: Potentially attend industry conferences or workshops related to e-commerce, UX, and design leadership.

• Mentorship Programs: Access to senior leadership for mentorship and guidance on career progression.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant challenges tied to organizational growth and transformation, which in turn present substantial opportunities for professional development and impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to align multiple stakeholders with conflicting priorities on a product design direction. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Assesses stakeholder management, communication, and negotiation skills.)

• "How do you define and measure success for a product design initiative? Can you walk us through a case study where you demonstrated significant business impact?" (Tests understanding of metrics, ROI, and ability to connect design to business goals.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your research, what do you see as Makro PRO's biggest opportunity or challenge in the e-commerce space, and how can design play a role in addressing it?" (Assesses research skills, strategic thinking, and understanding of the business context.)

• "How do you foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within a design team, especially in a remote setting?" (Probes leadership style, team management, and understanding of remote work dynamics.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Structure your portfolio presentation around a compelling story for each case study, highlighting the problem, your unique contribution, the challenges faced, the solutions implemented, and the quantifiable results.

• Focus on Leadership & Process: For this role, emphasize your leadership in driving projects, mentoring designers, and optimizing design processes, rather than just individual design execution.

• Visual Clarity & Conciseness: Use clear visuals and concise explanations. Be prepared to dive deeper into specific aspects if asked, but start with a high-level overview.

• Demonstrate Impact: Clearly articulate the "so what?" for each project. How did your work benefit the users and the business? Use data and metrics effectively.

• Engage with Questions: Treat the Q&A session as a collaborative discussion. Be open to feedback and demonstrate your ability to think on your feet and adapt your ideas.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating leadership, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of design operations within an Agile e-commerce context. Highlighting experience with remote team management and cross-cultural collaboration will be advantageous.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on Workable.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to prominently feature experience in product design leadership, e-commerce, Agile environments, and team management. Highlight specific achievements related to process optimization, user research, and successful product launches.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 10+ years of experience, leadership responsibilities, and proficiency with key design and project management tools. Use keywords from the job description naturally throughout your resume.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, leadership philosophy, and strategic approach to product challenges. Prepare specific examples from your past work that demonstrate your ability to lead teams, drive outcomes, and collaborate effectively.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Makro PRO's current digital offerings, their stated mission, and their position in the Southeast Asian market. Understand their focus on customer value and innovation to tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.