Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer
Company: 8am
Location: Remote - US
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Product Design / User Experience
Date Posted: 2026-01-09
Experience Level: 5-10 Years
Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive and elevate User Experience (UX) for critical and strategic product features, often spanning multiple product areas or complex initiatives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to proactively identify systemic problems and define visionary, user-centered design strategies that yield measurable business and user impact.
• Mentor and guide less experienced designers, fostering a culture of design excellence and continuous improvement.
• Champion the end-to-end user experience, influencing product strategy and ensuring intuitive, scalable user flows and elegant interface design.
• Leverage advanced AI and automation technologies to drive product-led growth and identify strategic opportunities for efficiency and personalization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role of Senior Product Designer at 8am emphasizes strategic impact, cross-functional leadership, and a deep understanding of user needs within a technology-driven environment. The emphasis on AI and automation suggests a forward-thinking approach to product development, requiring designers to be adept at integrating new technologies into user experiences. The seniority of the role implies a need for strong influencing skills and the ability to mentor.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Independently translate complex product and business objectives into innovative, user-centered design strategies that accelerate product-led growth across key metrics such as activation, retention, conversion, expansion, and advocacy.
• Lead the design and optimization of experiences by leveraging advanced AI and automation, identifying strategic opportunities to drive efficiency, hyper-personalization, and new forms of user value, resulting in demonstrable, high-impact business outcomes.
• Proactively identify and resolve systemic design challenges that impact product adoption and key customer journeys, ensuring seamless and efficient user flows.
• Drive and orchestrate collaboration with Product Managers, User Researchers, Content Designers, and Cross-Functional Leadership from discovery through launch and iteration of critical features and complex initiatives.
• Partner deeply with Engineering leads to define technical feasibility, solve complex implementation challenges, and ensure the highest quality execution of designs, particularly for sophisticated AI/ML integrations and automated systems.
• Develop a profound, holistic understanding of user needs, motivations, and pain points across diverse and complex user segments, often through leading advanced research methodologies.
• Act as a leading advocate for intuitive, accessible, and consistent user experiences, setting the standard for design quality and ensuring features, especially those incorporating AI/automation, align with long-term user and product vision.
• Autonomously select, adapt, and invent appropriate user-centered design methods and tools to solve highly ambiguous problems, including service design blueprints, complex journey mapping, system-level design patterns, and leveraging emerging AI-powered design tools.
• Significantly contribute to the evolution and governance of the design system, ensuring its scalability, robustness, and adoption across the organization, and guiding its adaptation for AI-driven interfaces.
• Consistently deliver exceptional quality designs at a rapid pace across multiple workstreams, demonstrating strong project management and execution skills.
• Proactively influence strategic direction by partnering with Product Leadership, Engineering Leadership, User Research, and Data/Product Science teams.
• Articulate complex design decisions, strategic tradeoffs, and technical considerations with clarity and conviction, shaping a truly collaborative, data-informed, and AI-aware design culture.
• Mentor and guide less experienced designers, fostering their growth and upholding design excellence within the team.
• Architect and oversee the development of highly scalable, maintainable, and efficient design solutions that optimize team processes and maximize product impact, actively seeking opportunities for automation within design workflows and the product's self-serve capabilities.
• Champion design decisions that lead to self-service efficiencies and reduced support needs.
• Identify, evaluate, and integrate innovative visual trends and cutting-edge techniques, including advanced applications of AI, generative design, and novel interaction paradigms, to continuously elevate and future-proof the quality and impact of product experiences.
• Lead complex user research initiatives and collaborate strategically with researchers to uncover deep insights that challenge assumptions and inform breakthrough design decisions, especially concerning AI ethics, trust, and advanced feature adoption.
• Conceptualize, develop, and refine high-fidelity prototypes for comprehensive evaluative research and visionary ideal-state experiences, driving iterative improvement and exploring transformative applications of AI/automation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design leadership, hands-on execution, and cross-functional influence. The emphasis on AI, automation, and product-led growth indicates a focus on driving measurable business outcomes through design. The senior nature of the role also implies a significant contribution to design system governance and mentorship.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, or a related field.
• Equivalent professional experience will be considered in lieu of a formal degree.

Experience:

• 5-9+ years of progressive experience in UX/Product Design.
• A significant portion of this experience should be in a senior capacity, demonstrating leadership and strategic impact.

Required Skills:

• Exceptional portfolio showcasing leadership in solving complex user problems, strategic thinking, influence on product direction, and measurable impact on launched products or significant features across various touchpoints.
• Expert proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, InVision), with the ability to leverage them for advanced prototyping and complex system design.
• Proficient in leveraging and evaluating research tools to independently drive insights and inform design decisions.
• Proven ability to independently plan, conduct, and synthesize a variety of user research and testing methods (e.g., ethnographic studies, A/B testing, advanced usability testing), translating insights into actionable design strategies.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, with a proven ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams and stakeholders, including senior leadership.
• Skilled at mediating discussions, facilitating workshops, and driving consensus among diverse groups.
• Mastery of user-centered design principles, usability, accessibility, and inclusive design, applied to complex, ambiguous, and strategic product challenges.
• Ability to strategically articulate and persuasively defend complex design decisions, trade-offs, and their impact on business goals and technical feasibility to diverse audiences.
• Extensive experience working within, significantly contributing to, and evolving comprehensive design systems, including defining new patterns, governance, and advocating for adoption across teams.
• Demonstrated experience leveraging AI tools and technologies to improve workflows, enhance decision-making, or drive innovation within design processes or product features.
• Experience working with fintech, legaltech, or SaaS products.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience identifying research needs and collaborating effectively with dedicated User Researchers.
• Familiarity with data analysis tools and methodologies to inform design decisions and measure impact.
• Experience designing for complex B2B or professional services platforms.
• Understanding of AI ethics, trust, and the unique design considerations for AI-powered features.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a strong portfolio as a primary indicator of capability, alongside deep expertise in design methodologies, tools, and a proven ability to influence. The requirement for experience with AI tools and specific industry verticals (fintech, legaltech, SaaS) indicates a need for specialized knowledge.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase leadership in solving complex user problems with clear problem statements and design rationale.
• Demonstrate strategic thinking and influence on product direction, illustrating how design decisions aligned with business objectives.
• Provide evidence of measurable impact on launched products or significant features, supported by data or key performance indicators.
• Include case studies that detail the end-to-end design process, from discovery and research to ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.
• Highlight contributions to design systems, including evolution, governance, or adoption strategies.
• Feature examples of designing for complex systems, AI integrations, or automation-driven features.

Process Documentation:

• For each project featured, clearly document the design process followed, including methodologies used (e.g., design thinking, agile UX).
• Illustrate how user research and data analysis informed design decisions at each stage of the process.
• Detail the rationale behind key design choices, including trade-offs and considerations for scalability, accessibility, and technical feasibility.
• Showcase the iterative nature of the design process, including feedback loops and adjustments made based on testing and stakeholder input.
• Explain how design decisions contributed to business outcomes or user adoption metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role, serving as the primary artifact to demonstrate strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and quantifiable impact. The emphasis on process documentation within portfolio pieces is crucial to understanding the candidate's approach to complex challenges and their ability to influence product direction.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $120,000 - $180,000 Annually

Benefits:

• Health Insurance Coverage: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans. Includes a 100% company-paid HDHP plan for employees.
• Financial Perks: Competitive compensation package, annual bonuses, equity options, and 401(k) with company match. (Note: RRSP mentioned for Canada, but role is US-focused).
• Time Off: Flexible Time Off (FTO), paid holidays, and a dedicated parental leave program.
• Wellness: Wellness stipends, mental health support services, and one-on-one nutrition coaching.
• Learning and Development: Access to continuous learning through "8am.edu," leadership programs, professional development funds, and individually focused talent development initiatives.
• Community Engagement: Charitable matching gift program, paid time off for volunteer service, and company-sponsored volunteer events.
• Engagement: Virtual and in-person team-building events, quarterly award recognition, and a peer-to-peer appreciation platform.

Working Hours: The role is listed as full-time, and while specific hours are not detailed, a standard 40-hour work week is implied. The remote nature offers flexibility in structuring the workday, aligning with operations that may span different time zones within the US.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided ($120,000 - $180,000 USD annually) is specific to the US. The extensive benefits package emphasizes holistic employee well-being, professional growth, and work-life balance, which are attractive to senior-level professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Technology (Fintech), specifically serving professional services (legal, accounting). The company operates within the SaaS model. Company Size: The description mentions being recognized as one of Inc 5000's fastest-growing companies for 13 years, indicating significant growth and a dynamic, expanding environment. While an exact headcount isn't provided, this suggests a mid-to-large-sized organization with established processes but also the agility of a growth-stage company. Founded: 2005. This indicates a company with over 15 years of experience, suggesting stability, a proven track record, and mature product offerings, while still maintaining a growth-oriented mindset.

Team Structure:

• The Senior Product Designer will likely be part of a dedicated Product Design or UX team, reporting to a Design Lead or Director.
• This role requires significant cross-functional collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, User Research, Content Design, and Data/Product Science teams.
• Mentorship responsibilities suggest an established team structure where senior members guide junior designers.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: The role emphasizes translating complex user insights and product requirements into design solutions, implying a strong reliance on data and research to inform decisions.
• User-Centered Approach: A core tenet is understanding user needs, motivations, and pain points to deliver intuitive and effective experiences.
• Agile/Iterative Development: Collaboration with Engineering and a focus on launch and iteration suggest an agile development environment where design is an ongoing process.
• AI and Automation Integration: A key methodological focus is on leveraging AI and automation to enhance product features and user value.

Company Website: https://www.8am.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: 8am (formerly AffiniPay) presents itself as a stable yet rapidly growing fintech company with a strong mission to empower professionals. The culture is described as rooted in continuous learning, community, wellness, and engagement, driven by core values like "Work Smart, Win Fast," "Outshine Ordinary," and "We Find a Way." This suggests an environment that values both high performance and employee well-being.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer. This level signifies a high degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and the ability to tackle ambiguous problems. It involves leading complex design initiatives, mentoring others, and contributing to the overall product and design strategy.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to a Design Manager, Director of Product Design, or Head of Product. They will work closely with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and User Researchers, acting as a key design voice within product teams.

Operations Impact: The role is positioned to drive "Product-Led Growth" and "Strategic Impact." The Senior Product Designer is expected to craft user-centered design strategies that significantly accelerate key business metrics (activation, retention, conversion, expansion, advocacy) through innovative feature design, particularly incorporating AI and automation. This role has a direct line of sight to business outcomes and the potential to shape the future direction of the product.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and potentially move into management or lead design roles.
• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like AI-driven design, complex system design, and advanced user research methodologies.
• Strategic Influence: Grow influence within the product organization, contributing more significantly to product strategy and roadmap decisions.
• Industry Expertise: Further develop knowledge within the fintech, legaltech, and SaaS sectors.
• Continuous Learning: Access to "8am.edu," professional development funds, and leadership programs supports ongoing skill enhancement.

📝 Enhancement Note: This senior role offers significant opportunities for professional growth, moving beyond execution to strategic contribution and leadership. The focus on AI and the company's growth trajectory suggest a dynamic environment for career advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This indicates a distributed workforce, requiring strong asynchronous communication skills and self-discipline.

Office Location(s): Remote - US. This means candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and will likely be expected to align with US-based business hours, potentially across different time zones.

Workspace Context:

• Collaboration: The remote nature necessitates a reliance on digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Miro) for seamless interaction with distributed teams.
• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design, prototyping, and research tools will be provided or expected. The role also requires proficiency with AI tools.
• Team Interaction: While remote, the company emphasizes engagement through virtual team-building events and a supportive culture, aiming to foster connection despite physical distance.

Work Schedule: While the exact daily schedule isn't specified, a full-time role typically implies a 40-hour work week. The remote setup allows for flexibility in how these hours are structured, provided work is completed effectively and team collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature of this role requires candidates to be self-motivated and proficient in digital collaboration. The company's efforts to foster engagement suggest a commitment to making remote work a positive experience.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a brief call with a recruiter to assess foundational qualifications, cultural fit, and salary expectations.
• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A core component will involve presenting a portfolio to the hiring manager and/or design team. This is where candidates showcase their best work, explain their process, and demonstrate strategic thinking. Be prepared to discuss specific projects, challenges, and outcomes.
• Design Challenge/Case Study: Candidates may be given a design exercise or a take-home case study to solve a realistic product problem. This assesses problem-solving skills, design thinking, and execution under time constraints.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, or other stakeholders to evaluate collaboration skills, ability to influence, and understanding of technical constraints.
• Final Round: Potentially with senior leadership (e.g., Head of Product, VP of Engineering) to assess strategic alignment and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 impactful projects that best represent your senior-level capabilities, strategic thinking, and measurable impact. Prioritize projects that align with 8am's focus (fintech, SaaS, AI).
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role and process, key decisions made and why, challenges overcome, and the resulting outcomes (quantify impact whenever possible).
• Showcase Process: Detail your design methodology, research techniques, and how you collaborated with teams. Demonstrate your ability to handle ambiguity and complex problems.
• Highlight AI/Systemic Impact: If possible, include projects that demonstrate experience with AI integration, complex systems, or significant contributions to design systems.
• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design rationale, trade-offs, how you handle feedback, and your approach to mentoring.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a case study, thoroughly research 8am's products, target audience, and industry to inform your approach.
• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a clear, logical design process, even if time is limited. Outline your assumptions and how you'd validate them.
• Prioritize and Scope: For take-home challenges, be realistic about what can be achieved within the given timeframe. Focus on demonstrating core skills rather than over-scoping.
• Communicate Clearly: Present your solution concisely, highlighting key decisions and their rationale. Be prepared to defend your choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly assess a candidate's strategic capabilities, design execution, and collaborative potential. A strong portfolio and a well-articulated design process are paramount. The emphasis on AI and complex problem-solving suggests that candidates should be prepared to discuss these areas in detail.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Expert proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD), and InVision. Ability to create advanced, high-fidelity prototypes.
• Collaboration: Tools like Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Miro for seamless communication and virtual workshop facilitation.
• Project Management: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for tracking design tasks and progress within agile workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Research Tools: Proficiency in leveraging and evaluating tools for user research and testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze).
• Data Analysis Tools: Familiarity with tools or platforms that provide insights into user behavior and product performance (specific tools not listed, but understanding data interpretation is key).

CRM & Automation:

• Design Systems: Experience working with, contributing to, and evolving comprehensive design systems. This includes understanding component libraries, style guides, and governance models.
• AI Tools: Demonstrated experience leveraging AI tools and technologies for design workflow improvement, decision-making enhancement, or product innovation. This could include generative AI tools, AI-powered design assistants, or tools for analyzing AI model outputs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack emphasizes standard design and collaboration tools, with a specific call-out for proficiency in AI tools and design systems. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with these specific technologies and how they leverage them to drive impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Work Smart, Win Fast: Emphasizes efficiency, strategic execution, and achieving results quickly. This translates to prioritizing impactful design work and optimizing workflows.
• Outshine Ordinary: Drives a commitment to excellence, innovation, and delivering exceptional quality that stands out. For designers, this means pushing creative boundaries and striving for user experiences that exceed expectations.
• We Find a Way: Fosters resilience, problem-solving, and a proactive approach to overcoming challenges. Designers are expected to be resourceful and innovative in finding solutions, even with complex or ambiguous problems.
• Continuous Learning: A stated value that encourages ongoing professional development, skill enhancement, and staying current with industry trends, including emerging technologies like AI.
• Genuine Community: Focuses on building strong relationships, fostering collaboration, and supporting team members, even in a remote environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Highly collaborative, working closely with Product Management, Engineering, User Research, and Data Science to ensure a unified product vision and execution.
• Data-Informed and AI-Aware: Decisions are expected to be grounded in user insights, data, and an understanding of AI capabilities and implications.
• Influential Advocacy: Designers are expected to advocate for design excellence and user needs, influencing stakeholders and leadership through clear communication and compelling rationale.
• Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing: Senior designers are encouraged to mentor junior team members and actively share knowledge to elevate the entire design function.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture at 8am is built around high performance, innovation, and a strong sense of community and continuous improvement, even in a remote setting. These values are directly applicable to how a Senior Product Designer would operate, requiring strategic thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and a commitment to excellence.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Tackling highly ambiguous product challenges and translating them into clear, actionable design strategies.
• Integrating AI/Automation: Designing user experiences for complex AI-driven features, ensuring trust, usability, and ethical considerations are addressed.
• Cross-Functional Influence: Effectively influencing product direction and gaining buy-in from diverse stakeholders with varying priorities.
• Scalability and Design Systems: Balancing the need for rapid iteration with the maintenance and evolution of a robust design system across multiple product areas.
• Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong team cohesion and effective communication within a fully remote environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for AI-powered products, including understanding AI ethics, generative design, and advanced interaction paradigms.
• Leadership and Mentorship: Develop leadership skills through mentoring junior designers and leading strategic design initiatives.
• Product Strategy Contribution: Influence the broader product roadmap and strategy through deep user understanding and innovative design thinking.
• Industry Exposure: Gain extensive experience within the fintech, legaltech, and SaaS sectors, understanding their unique user needs and market dynamics.
• Formal Learning: Access to "8am.edu," professional development funds, and leadership programs provides structured opportunities for skill advancement and career growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior role in a growing tech company, particularly with the integration of new technologies like AI. The growth opportunities are significant, offering a clear path for career progression into leadership and specialized expertise.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you independently drove the UX for a critical product feature. What was your process, what challenges did you face, and what was the measurable business/user impact?" (Focus on strategic thinking, problem-solving, and quantifiable results.)
• "How have you leveraged AI tools or technologies in your design process or to enhance product features? Provide specific examples." (Demonstrate practical experience with AI and its application.)
• "Walk us through a complex design system you've worked with. How did you contribute to its evolution or governance? How would you adapt it for AI-driven interfaces?" (Showcase understanding of design systems and scalability.)
• "Tell us about a time you had to influence senior leadership or cross-functional partners on a significant design decision. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Highlight influencing skills and stakeholder management.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on our values (Work Smart, Win Fast; Outshine Ordinary; We Find a Way), how would you approach a project with tight deadlines and ambiguous requirements?" (Connect your work style to company values.)
• "How do you stay current with design trends, particularly in emerging areas like AI and generative design?" (Assess commitment to continuous learning.)
• "Describe your experience mentoring junior designers. What is your philosophy on fostering design talent?" (Evaluate leadership and team development potential.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with a brief overview of your role and the project's objective. Clearly articulate the problem space, target users, and business goals.
• Process Walkthrough: Detail your design process, including research methodologies, key insights, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and user testing. Use visuals to illustrate your journey.
• Decision Rationale: Explain why you made certain design choices, discussing trade-offs and how they aligned with user needs and business objectives.
• Impact & Outcomes: Quantify the success of your project using metrics (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced support tickets, improved user satisfaction scores). If direct metrics aren't available, discuss anticipated impact or qualitative feedback.
• AI/Systemic Focus: If applicable, highlight how your work integrated AI, addressed complex systems, or contributed to design system scalability.
• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Practice your presentation to ensure it's clear, engaging, and hits all key points within the allocated duration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, practical application of design skills (especially with AI), and the ability to influence and collaborate. Be ready to articulate your process, rationale, and measurable impact with specific examples.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on 8am.com.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your most impactful projects that showcase senior-level strategic thinking, problem-solving, and quantifiable results relevant to fintech, SaaS, or AI-driven features. Ensure your portfolio clearly outlines your process, rationale, and outcomes.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords from the job description, such as "User Experience Design," "Product Design," "AI Integration," "Design Systems," "Strategic Thinking," and "Cross-Functional Collaboration." Quantify your achievements and experience level.
• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your selected portfolio projects. Be ready to clearly articulate the problems you solved, your design process, the rationale behind your decisions, and the measurable impact of your work, especially concerning AI and complex systems.
• Research 8am: Familiarize yourself with 8am's mission, products, company values (Work Smart, Win Fast; Outshine Ordinary; We Find a Way), and recent news. Understand their target audience and the fintech/SaaS landscape.

⚠️ 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.