Senior Product Designer, AI Configs

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer, AI Configs

Company: LaunchDarkly

Location: Remote - US

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX

Date Posted: 2026-02-11T22:16:28

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the design of AI Configs, a critical component of LaunchDarkly's platform for managing LLM-powered software, ensuring seamless configuration, evaluation, experimentation, observability, and release management.

• Drive user research initiatives, from discovery to validation, synthesizing findings into actionable problem statements and opportunity areas for the product team.

• Develop and articulate UX strategy, mapping current and future state narratives for owned product areas while clearly communicating tradeoffs and decision rationale.

• Establish reusable design patterns, information architecture, and interaction models that scale across the AI Configs product area and integrate with the broader LaunchDarkly platform.

• Collaborate effectively within a triad model with Product Management and Engineering to define project scope, sequence work, and navigate tradeoffs, ensuring alignment and efficient delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer focused on a new, complex product area (AI Configs) within a well-established SaaS company. The emphasis on "ambiguous problem spaces," "building structure and systems," and "0 to 1 product work" indicates a need for a designer who can operate with significant autonomy and strategic thinking, defining the product experience from its foundational stages. The "AI Configs" designation suggests a deep dive into the operational backbone of AI-powered software, requiring a strong understanding of developer workflows and complex configuration management.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and refine complex developer workflows essential for software teams building with AI, encompassing configuration, evaluation, experimentation, observability, and release management.

• Lead user research activities, including planning, execution of discovery and validation research, synthesizing findings, and translating insights into clear problem statements and opportunity definitions.

• Develop and communicate comprehensive user experience strategies and future-state narratives for designated product areas, articulating the rationale behind design decisions and trade-offs.

• Create high-quality design artifacts such as user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and mock-ups that facilitate rapid iteration with engineering partners while upholding high standards of clarity and craft.

• Establish and maintain reusable design patterns, information architecture, and interaction models that contribute to a scalable and cohesive design system across the AI Configs product area and the wider LaunchDarkly platform.

• Partner closely with Product Management and Engineering teams to define project scope, prioritize features, manage dependencies, and make informed decisions about tradeoffs.

• Define success metrics and collaborate with Product Management and Data & Analytics teams to establish dashboards for monitoring product performance post-launch.

• Analyze usability testing results, evaluative research findings, product analytics, and experimentation data to validate and iterate on design approaches.

• Contribute to the broader UX team by integrating AI Configs-specific patterns into the design system, identifying cross-product synergies, and participating in critiques and knowledge sharing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic product definition and hands-on design execution. The emphasis on "developer workflows," "configuration," "experimentation," and "observability" points towards a need for a designer experienced in B2B SaaS, particularly within technical or developer-focused products. The requirement to "establish reusable patterns" and "connect experiences across the LaunchDarkly product suite" indicates a focus on design system thinking and platform consistency.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is implied by the experience and responsibilities.

Experience: 6-8+ years of experience designing complex, shipped products, with a strong preference for those in developer tools, AI tooling, or configuration-heavy B2B SaaS environments.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in User Interface (UI) and Interaction Design, with a strong understanding of information architecture.

• Demonstrated ability in Systems Design, particularly for highly configurable, multi-state, or rules-based products.

• Experience leading end-to-end design processes, from initial discovery and problem definition through concepting, prototyping, validation, implementation, and ongoing iteration.

• Proficiency in conducting user research, including planning, executing discovery and validation studies, and synthesizing findings into actionable insights.

• Strong capability to connect design decisions to business metrics, customer value metrics, and operational KPIs.

• Experience utilizing usability testing and evaluative research methods to assess and refine designs.

• Familiarity with technical and AI-adjacent domains, including concepts like APIs, SDKs, and agentic workflows.

• Excellent communication, storytelling, and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas, current vs. future states, decision points, and tradeoffs clearly.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for developer tools or complex B2B SaaS platforms.

• Curiosity and willingness to learn quickly about prompts, agents, evaluations, observability, and experimentation in AI.

• Experience contributing to or establishing design systems and reusable patterns.

• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies.

• A portfolio showcasing systems-level thinking, strong UI/interaction design, clear outcome narratives, and examples of both 0-to-1 product work and iterative improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a senior-level individual capable of tackling complex, system-oriented design challenges. The specific mention of "6-8+ years" and "AI tooling or configuration-heavy B2B SaaS" provides a clear target for candidate experience. The emphasis on "systems design" and "configuration-heavy" products is crucial, suggesting a need for designers who can manage intricate logic and user interfaces.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio demonstrating systems-level thinking and sophisticated user interface and interaction design capabilities.

• Clear, compelling narratives within case studies that articulate the problem space, design approach, key decisions made, and the measurable impact of the work.

• At least one example of foundational "0 to 1" product design, showcasing the ability to build a new product experience from conception.

• At least one example of an iterative improvement to an existing workflow or product, highlighting the ability to enhance and optimize established solutions.

Process Documentation:

• Ability to meticulously document user journeys, information architecture, and interaction patterns for new and evolving product areas.

• Capacity to map and clarify complex workflows, identifying current flaws and opportunities for improvement through structured analysis.

• Experience in defining and documenting design specifications for engineering partners, ensuring clarity and facilitating efficient implementation.

• A demonstrated approach to incorporating feedback and research findings into design documentation and iteration cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are highly specific, emphasizing not just visual design but strategic thinking, problem-solving, and demonstrable impact. The expectation for both "0 to 1" and iterative work indicates a need for a designer who can handle the full product lifecycle. The focus on "complex workflows" and "systems thinking" is paramount for this AI Configs role.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Zone 1 (San Francisco/Bay Area, NYC Metro, Boston, Seattle): $171,200 - $235,400 USD per year

• Zone 2 (Irvine, LA, Monterey, Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa, Austin, Portland, Philadelphia, Chicago): $154,100 - $211,860 USD per year

• Zone 3 (All other US locations): $145,500 - $200,090 USD per year

Benefits:

• Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)

• Health Insurance

• Vision Insurance

• Dental Insurance

• Mental Health Benefits

Working Hours: Typically 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected to overlap with Pacific Time core hours for collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: LaunchDarkly provides transparent, geographically tiered salary ranges for this Senior Product Designer role. The ranges reflect the seniority and specialized nature of the position, particularly within the AI and developer tooling space. The inclusion of RSUs and comprehensive health benefits is standard for senior-level tech roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Technology (specifically, Feature Management, DevOps, and increasingly, AI tooling)

Company Size: Approximately 500-1000 employees (based on typical Greenhouse ATS listings and industry growth patterns for companies like LaunchDarkly).

Founded: 2014 (LaunchDarkly was founded in 2014).

Team Structure:

• The role is part of the larger UX team, providing a collaborative environment for design professionals.

• The Senior Product Designer will work closely with another design peer specifically on the AI Configs product area.

• A "triad model" is employed, requiring deep collaboration with Product Management and Engineering counterparts for the AI Configs product.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Decisions are grounded in evidence from user research, usability testing, product analytics, and experimentation. Success metrics are defined and monitored.

• Systems Thinking: Emphasis on designing reusable patterns, information architecture, and scalable systems rather than just individual screens.

• Agile Iteration: Comfortable with iterating quickly on existing surfaces for near-term value while also exploring long-term, visionary solutions.

• Collaborative Triad: Product, Design, and Engineering work in tight alignment to scope, sequence, and make tradeoffs.

• Design System Integration: Contributing to and leveraging a centralized design system for consistency and efficiency.

Company Website: https://launchdarkly.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: LaunchDarkly positions itself as a leader in modern software delivery, emphasizing innovation, safety, and scale. The company culture is described as humble, open, collaborative, respectful, and kind. The growth of the company and its expansion into AI tooling suggest a dynamic and forward-thinking environment. The "triad model" is a common and effective structure for product development teams.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer. This level signifies an individual contributor with significant experience, capable of owning complex product areas, driving strategy, mentoring others, and influencing product direction. The role requires a blend of strategic thinking and hands-on execution.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will report into the broader UX team leadership, likely a Head of Design or Design Manager. They will work daily within the AI Configs product triad (Product Manager, Engineering Lead, and Senior Product Designer).

Operations Impact: This role has a direct impact on the usability, effectiveness, and adoption of LaunchDarkly's new AI Configs product. By designing intuitive and powerful workflows, the designer will enable development teams to confidently build, deploy, and manage AI-powered features, directly contributing to LaunchDarkly's mission and revenue growth in the burgeoning AI market. Success is measured through user adoption, task completion, reduced time-to-value for customers, and overall customer satisfaction with the AI Configs offering.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deep Specialization: Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in AI tooling design and complex configuration systems within a leading platform.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Potential to informally mentor junior designers, contribute significantly to the design system, and influence product strategy for a critical new product line.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Develop strong relationships and influence across Product, Engineering, and Marketing, building a reputation for strategic design thinking.

• Career Progression: Potential pathways to Principal Product Designer, Design Lead, or management roles within the UX organization, depending on individual career aspirations and performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and responsibilities suggest a role with significant autonomy and influence. The growth opportunities focus on developing deep expertise in a cutting-edge field (AI tooling) and contributing strategically to a key product area, aligning with typical senior individual contributor career paths in tech.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This offers flexibility for employees to work from their chosen location within the US.

Office Location(s): Remote - US. Candidates must be authorized to work in the US. Collaboration will occur during core hours overlapping Pacific Time.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: Emphasis on asynchronous and synchronous communication tools to foster collaboration across distributed teams.

• Design Tools & Technology: Expectation to utilize industry-standard design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, prototyping software) and potentially tools for user research and analytics.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Frequent opportunities to engage with Product Managers, Engineers, Product Marketers, and potentially Sales and Customer Success teams.

• Team Onsites: Occasional travel (up to ~10%) is expected for team on-sites, planning sessions, or customer visits, providing opportunities for in-person collaboration and team building.

Work Schedule: While a standard 40-hour work week is implied, the remote nature and focus on collaboration during specific time zones suggest a need for flexibility. The role requires dedication to meeting project timelines and participating in crucial team syncs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature requires strong self-management and communication skills. The "occasional travel" is a key detail for candidates to consider, indicating a blend of remote flexibility with essential in-person team cohesion activities. The "core hours overlapping Pacific Time" is a critical constraint for remote candidates.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter screen to assess basic qualifications, alignment with the role, and interest in LaunchDarkly and the AI Configs space.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A deeper dive into the candidate's portfolio, likely involving a presentation of 1-2 key case studies demonstrating systems thinking, workflow design, and impact. A design challenge may be assigned, focusing on a realistic problem related to AI configuration or developer workflows.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager (likely a Design Lead or Director) to assess strategic thinking, leadership potential, and cultural fit.

• Triad Interviews: Interviews with Product Management and Engineering partners to evaluate collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to work within the triad model.

• Final Round/Executive Interview: Potentially an interview with a senior leader to discuss overall vision, impact, and alignment with company values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase systems thinking, complex workflow design, and measurable outcomes. Prioritize projects relevant to developer tools, configuration, or AI.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem context, your specific role and contributions, the design process undertaken (research, ideation, iteration), key decisions and rationale, and the ultimate impact (metrics, user feedback, business value).

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Explicitly demonstrate how you approached the problem from a systems perspective, considering interconnectedness, scalability, and reusable patterns.

• Showcase Impact: Quantify results whenever possible. If direct metrics are unavailable, articulate the anticipated impact or how success was measured qualitatively.

• Prepare for "0 to 1" and Iteration: Be ready to discuss both bringing a new product to life and improving existing ones, as requested by the job description.

• Be Ready to Discuss AI: Demonstrate curiosity and a foundational understanding of AI concepts relevant to the role, even if you're not an AI expert.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with LaunchDarkly's platform, the concept of feature flags, and the emerging landscape of AI configuration and LLM-powered development workflows.

• Focus on Process: For any timed design exercise, emphasize your process: problem framing, research synthesis (even if simulated), ideation, decision-making, and how you'd measure success post-launch.

• Think Systems: Approach any challenge with a systems-level mindset, considering how the proposed solution fits into the broader user journey and product ecosystem.

• Communicate Tradeoffs: Be prepared to discuss the pros and cons of different design approaches and the tradeoffs involved.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes a thorough evaluation of design skills, strategic thinking, and collaborative abilities. The portfolio is critical and must align with the specific requirements for systems thinking and complex workflow design in an AI/developer tools context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, industry standard), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), Prototyping tools (e.g., InVision, Principle, Framer).

• User Research: Tools for conducting interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, Qualtrics).

• Collaboration: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or internal data platforms for tracking user behavior and feature adoption.

• Data Visualization: Potentially tools like Tableau or Looker for presenting metrics and insights.

• Internal Dashboards: Familiarity with interpreting and contributing to the definition of dashboards.

CRM & Automation: While not a primary design tool, awareness of CRM systems (like Salesforce) and automation platforms might be beneficial for understanding the broader B2B SaaS context.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job is for a designer, familiarity with the tools used by Product Management, Engineering, and Data Analytics is beneficial for effective collaboration. The emphasis on "data-driven design" means proficiency in tools that support research, analytics, and metrics tracking is important.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Humility, Openness, Collaboration, Respect, Kindness: These are explicitly stated company values, forming the bedrock of team interactions. Expect a culture that values input from all levels and disciplines.

• Data-Driven Approach: Decisions are heavily influenced by evidence, metrics, and research, fostering an environment where design rationale is expected to be well-supported.

• Focus on Customer Value: A strong emphasis on understanding and delivering tangible value to users (developers and their teams).

• Efficiency and Scale: As a platform company, there's an inherent value placed on building scalable, efficient systems and workflows, which translates into design principles.

• Safety and Reliability: Given LaunchDarkly's core offering, a deep consideration for how designs contribute to safe and reliable software delivery is paramount.

Collaboration Style:

• Triad Model: Tight-knit, agile collaboration within Product, Design, and Engineering teams, emphasizing shared ownership and rapid decision-making.

• Design System Integration: Collaborative effort to build and maintain a consistent design language across the product suite.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Proactive engagement with Product Marketing and Sales to ensure design efforts align with market needs and business goals.

• Critique and Feedback: An open culture where design critique sessions are valued as a tool for improvement and collective problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values emphasize a collaborative, evidence-based, and customer-centric approach. The design team is expected to be an integrated part of the product development process, working closely with other functions to drive successful outcomes.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Ambiguity in a New Domain: Designing for AI Configs involves navigating a rapidly evolving and complex technological space with potentially undefined user needs and workflows.

• Balancing Innovation with Consistency: Creating novel solutions for AI while ensuring they integrate seamlessly with the existing LaunchDarkly platform and design system.

• Defining Success in an Emerging Field: Establishing clear, measurable success metrics for a new product area where industry benchmarks might still be forming.

• Technical Complexity: Understanding and designing for intricate configuration logic, APIs, and developer workflows requires continuous learning and deep engagement with technical concepts.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring buy-in and alignment from Product, Engineering, and other stakeholders on design strategy and execution for a critical new offering.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep AI Domain Expertise: Opportunity to become a go-to expert in designing for AI-powered development tools and complex configuration systems.

• Strategic Product Definition: Influence the direction and definition of a significant new product line for LaunchDarkly.

• Design System Contribution: Play a key role in evolving and expanding the LaunchDarkly design system with AI-specific patterns.

• Mentorship and Skill Development: Informal mentorship opportunities within the UX team, and the chance to hone skills in research, strategy, and complex interaction design.

• Industry Exposure: Potential to engage with cutting-edge AI development trends and contribute to the future of software release management in the AI era.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant challenges related to navigating ambiguity and technical complexity in a nascent field, but these are balanced by substantial growth opportunities in specialization, strategic influence, and skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a complex, ambiguous problem space with limited existing structure. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your process for problem framing, research, and system building.)

• "Walk us through a project where you significantly influenced product strategy through design. How did you connect your design decisions to business outcomes or key metrics?" (Highlight your strategic thinking and ability to articulate impact.)

• "How do you approach designing for developer workflows, especially when dealing with technical concepts like APIs or complex configurations?" (Showcase your understanding of target users and ability to simplify complexity.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about LaunchDarkly's mission and its expansion into AI tooling?" (Research LaunchDarkly's recent announcements, blog posts, and their stance on AI.)

• "How do you approach collaboration within a Product-Design-Engineering triad? Describe your ideal working relationship with PMs and Engineers." (Align your response with the "triad model" and collaborative values.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin by setting the context for each case study: the company, the problem, and your specific role. Clearly articulate the goals and constraints.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (flows, wireframes, UIs, prototypes) to illustrate your design process and solutions. Explain why you made certain design choices.

• Quantify Results: Present metrics that demonstrate the success of your designs. If direct metrics are unavailable, discuss how success was measured or intended to be measured.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Explicitly point out elements of your work that demonstrate systems-level thinking, reusable patterns, and scalability.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, tradeoffs considered, and how you handled challenges or conflicting feedback.

• Connect to AI Configs: Where possible, draw parallels between your past work and the challenges of designing for AI Configs, demonstrating your understanding of the role's specific demands.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating senior-level strategic thinking, a robust design process, strong collaboration skills, and a clear understanding of the nuances of designing for complex B2B SaaS and emerging AI technologies.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the LaunchDarkly careers page via the provided Greenhouse link.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 projects that best exemplify your experience with complex workflows, systems design, user research, and measurable outcomes, particularly in developer tools or AI-adjacent domains.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords from the job description, such as "AI Configs," "developer workflows," "systems design," "user research," "prototyping," "collaboration," and specific years of experience in B2B SaaS or developer tools. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, key project narratives, and strategic decision-making. Prepare to discuss your approach to ambiguity and your understanding of AI tooling's impact.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research LaunchDarkly's platform, mission, values, and their strategic direction in the AI space. Understand their target audience (developers) and the challenges they aim to solve.

⚠️ 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.

---