Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: BrightLocal

Location: Brighton, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-03-06T14:55:22

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive product strategy and identify high-value user and business opportunities through strategic design and user research initiatives.

• Lead end-to-end discovery and design processes for product squads, from ideation and research to polished, production-ready interfaces.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and front-end engineers to ensure design intent is realized and exceptional usability is delivered.

• Champion and elevate interaction quality, visual flair, and accessibility across all product features.

• Contribute to the creation and scaling of design systems, ensuring consistency and flexibility in product design.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer, indicating a need for significant experience and the ability to lead design initiatives. The emphasis on "raising the bar" for interaction quality and visual flair suggests a focus on sophisticated user experience and aesthetic appeal. The hybrid work model with 2 days in the office implies a need for strong collaboration and communication skills within a physical team setting.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Partner with Product Managers and stakeholders to conduct user research, analyze findings, and identify strategic opportunities for product enhancement.

• Facilitate design thinking workshops and brainstorming sessions to foster innovation and align teams on product vision and user needs.

• Own the design process for assigned product areas, developing user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs.

• Work iteratively with front-end engineers, providing detailed design specifications and ensuring seamless implementation of user interfaces.

• Define, measure, and analyze key product metrics to track the impact of design decisions and inform future iterations.

• Contribute to the evolution and maintenance of BrightLocal's design system, ensuring scalability, consistency, and adherence to best practices.

• Advocate for user-centric design principles and best practices, including accessibility standards, throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Proactively identify areas for improvement in the user experience of BrightLocal's SaaS platform, proposing innovative solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic product involvement and hands-on design execution. The emphasis on "leading discovery and design for your squad" and "measuring success with your Product Manager" points to a role that requires not only creative output but also a strong understanding of product management principles and data-driven decision-making common in SaaS environments.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong academic foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is often beneficial. Equivalent practical experience will be strongly considered.

Experience: Proven experience (typically 5-10 years) designing for web-based SaaS or B2B products, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the product development lifecycle and user-centered design methodologies.

Required Skills:

• End-to-End Product Design: Demonstrated ability to manage the entire design process, from initial UX flows and wireframing to high-fidelity UI mockups and interactive prototypes.

• User Research & Usability Testing: Experience planning, conducting, and analyzing user research, including usability testing, to gather actionable insights and validate design decisions.

• Figma Proficiency: Advanced skills in Figma for UI design, prototyping, and creating/managing design systems.

• Design Systems: Experience in creating, scaling, or contributing to design systems, focusing on consistency, reusability, and flexibility.

• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders.

• User-First Mindset: A deep understanding of user needs and a commitment to advocating for the user throughout the design process.

• SaaS/B2B Product Design: Specific experience designing for complex web-based Software-as-a-Service or Business-to-Business platforms.

Preferred Skills:

• Interaction Design: Expertise in crafting intuitive and engaging user interactions.

• Visual Design & Flair: A strong aesthetic sense and ability to create visually appealing and modern interfaces.

• Accessibility Standards: Knowledge of and experience implementing WCAG guidelines and other accessibility best practices.

• Design Thinking Facilitation: Experience leading design thinking sessions and workshops.

• Performance Tracking & Analysis: Familiarity with using data and analytics to inform design decisions and measure impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize practical, hands-on experience with specific tools and methodologies. The mention of "raising the bar for interaction quality, visual flair, and accessibility" suggests that candidates with a portfolio showcasing these specific skills will be highly regarded. The explicit mention of Figma points to a standardized toolset within the organization.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio demonstrating end-to-end product design projects, showcasing your process from discovery and research to final UI and interaction design.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process, key decisions, and the impact of your solutions.

• Examples of UX flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs that highlight your design craft.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of leading user research and usability testing, detailing methodologies used and insights gained.

• Examples of contributions to or creation of design systems, showcasing consistency, scalability, and component-based design principles.

• Documentation or case studies that highlight how you collaborated with engineers and Product Managers to bring designs to life.

• Demonstrations of how you measure and track the success of your designs, including A/B testing or performance metric analysis.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio that spans "end-to-end product design" and includes "UX flows to high-fidelity UI" indicates a need for comprehensive documentation. The mention of "design systems" and "collaboration with engineers" suggests that candidates should be prepared to show how their design processes integrate with development workflows and contribute to a cohesive product ecosystem.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Dependent on experience. Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in the Brighton, UK area with 5-10 years of experience, a competitive range is estimated to be between £55,000 - £75,000 per annum. This estimate considers the cost of living in Brighton and the specialized skills required for a senior role in a SaaS company.

Benefits:

• Performance-based bonus: Up to 20% of base salary, split between company performance (10%) and team performance (10%).

• Hybrid working: Flexibility to work from home, with a requirement of 2 days per week in the Brighton office.

• Holiday: Generous allowance of 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, and an additional day off for your birthday.

• Duvet days: 3 additional paid days off per year for unexpected needs.

• Healthcare: Comprehensive Vitality Healthcare coverage.

• Learning & Development: An annual personal learning budget of £1,000 to support professional growth and skill development.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered through the hybrid working model.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on publicly available data for similar roles in the UK and specifically Brighton, factoring in the "dependent on experience" clause and the company's likely positioning as a growing SaaS business. The bonus structure is clearly defined, and the benefits package is robust, offering significant value beyond base compensation.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) specializing in Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools for agencies, brands, and businesses. BrightLocal operates within the digital marketing technology sector, focusing on improving the online visibility of local businesses.

Company Size: Growing SaaS business, likely falling into the 50-200 employee range based on typical SaaS growth trajectories and the presence of multiple teams and specialized roles. This size fosters a collaborative environment with opportunities for individual impact.

Founded: The founding date is not explicitly stated, but the company's description as a "leading local SEO platform trusted by thousands" suggests a mature product with several years of operational history and market presence.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team likely consists of designers with various specializations, reporting to a Head of Product or Design Lead.

• The Senior Product Designer will work within cross-functional "squads" or "pods," typically comprising a Product Manager, several Engineers (front-end and back-end), and potentially QA or other roles.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: The mention of "delivery framework" and collaboration with engineers suggests an Agile or Scrum-based development methodology.

• User-Centric Design: A strong emphasis on user research, user needs, and creating impactful outcomes for users.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Measurement of success and sharing of learnings indicate a data-informed approach to product development.

• Continuous Improvement: A company-wide focus on "continuous improvement" and "raising the bar" suggests a culture that values iterative refinement and learning.

Company Website: https://careers.brightlocal.com

📝 Enhancement Note: BrightLocal's focus on local SEO positions it in a competitive but essential market within digital marketing. The company culture appears to be a blend of ambitious growth, collaborative teamwork, and a genuine commitment to user value and employee well-being, as evidenced by their inclusion statement and benefits.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as Senior Product Designer. This level signifies a professional who has moved beyond executing tasks to leading significant design initiatives, mentoring junior designers, and influencing product strategy. They are expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy and possess a deep understanding of user-centered design principles, business objectives, and technical constraints within a SaaS context. The Senior level implies a capacity for strategic thinking, problem-solving complex user challenges, and contributing to the overall design vision and system.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will report to a Product Design Lead or Head of Product. They will work closely within cross-functional product squads, collaborating daily with Product Managers and Software Engineers. While not a direct management role, there is an expectation of mentorship and guidance towards more junior members of the design or product team.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer's impact is directly tied to the success of BrightLocal's SaaS platform. By identifying high-value opportunities, designing intuitive and effective user experiences, and ensuring successful product implementation, they directly influence user adoption, retention, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, revenue growth. Their work in optimizing the user journey and improving the product's overall usability contributes significantly to competitive advantage and market positioning.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Lead Product Designer or Design Manager role, overseeing a team, setting design strategy, and managing design operations.

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas like UX research, interaction design, accessibility, or design systems.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Develop a strong understanding of product management, engineering processes, and business strategy, broadening career options.

• Mentorship: Gain experience in mentoring junior designers, developing leadership and coaching skills.

• Company Growth: As BrightLocal scales, new opportunities for leadership and specialized roles within the product and design functions are likely to emerge.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title suggests a role with significant responsibility and autonomy, fitting well within a growing SaaS company where the impact of design on business outcomes is highly valued. The growth opportunities lean towards leadership and specialization within the design discipline.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: BrightLocal operates a hybrid work model, requiring 2 days per week in their Brighton office. This suggests a modern office environment designed to foster collaboration, creativity, and team cohesion, while also offering the flexibility of remote work. The office space likely supports activities such as workshops, brainstorming sessions, and team meetings.

Office Location(s): The primary office is located at Huntingdon House, Brighton, BN1 1EZ, United Kingdom. This central Brighton location is likely accessible via public transport and offers a dynamic urban work setting.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office environment is expected to facilitate in-person collaboration, with meeting rooms and shared spaces conducive to teamwork with Product Managers and Engineers.

• Tooling & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, along with necessary hardware and software for a productive design workflow.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for spontaneous discussions, design critiques, and team-building activities that are enhanced by physical proximity.

• Focus Time: The hybrid model allows for dedicated focus time at home, balanced with collaborative time in the office.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week, with the hybrid arrangement providing flexibility on which days are spent in the office versus working remotely. This structure aims to support work-life balance while ensuring consistent team engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key feature, indicating a company that balances traditional office collaboration with modern workplace flexibility. The Brighton office location suggests a vibrant working environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion focused on your background, experience, and motivations, often including behavioral questions.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A more in-depth session where you'll likely present your portfolio, discuss case studies, and potentially complete a design exercise. This is crucial for evaluating your problem-solving approach, design craft, and ability to articulate your process.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers and Engineers to assess collaboration skills, cultural fit, and technical understanding.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss your strategic thinking and long-term fit within the company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 3-4 of your strongest projects that best represent your skills in SaaS/B2B product design, end-to-end process, and collaboration.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your specific role and contributions, the design process you followed (research, ideation, testing, iteration), the challenges you faced, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Highlight Figma & Design Systems: Be prepared to demonstrate your proficiency with Figma and showcase any experience with design systems, including how you've contributed to or utilized them.

• Focus on Impact: Quantify results where possible (e.g., "increased conversion by X%", "reduced task completion time by Y minutes"). If quantitative data isn't available, focus on qualitative improvements and user feedback.

• Be Ready for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, how you handle feedback, how you collaborate with engineers, and how you approach user research.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If a take-home challenge is provided, ensure you fully understand the brief, target audience, and business goals.

• Process Over Perfection: Focus on demonstrating a sound design process, clear thinking, and rationale for your decisions, rather than aiming for a pixel-perfect final output within a limited timeframe.

• Time Management: Allocate your time effectively across research, ideation, design, and preparation for presentation.

• Presentation Skills: Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, as if you were presenting to the hiring manager and product team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess a wide range of skills, from technical design proficiency to strategic thinking and collaboration. The portfolio review is highlighted as a critical component, so candidates must prepare thoroughly to showcase their end-to-end design capabilities and impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and design system management. Proficiency is a must.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma has strong prototyping capabilities, familiarity with other specialized tools (e.g., InVision, Principle) may be beneficial for certain use cases.

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting remote usability testing and gathering user feedback (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics Tools: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics or similar platforms to understand user behavior and track product performance.

• Product Analytics Tools: Experience with tools such as Mixpanel, Amplitude, or Pendo for in-depth user behavior analysis and feature adoption tracking.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a direct design tool, understanding how product design integrates with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) can provide valuable context for B2B product design.

• Project Management Tools: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing design tasks and collaborating with development teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned as a core tool, making it the most critical technical skill. The other tools listed represent the broader ecosystem of a SaaS product development environment, where a Senior Product Designer would ideally have awareness or experience.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs, ensuring products are intuitive, effective, and valuable.

• Collaboration: A belief in the power of teamwork, encouraging open communication and cross-functional partnership between design, product, and engineering.

• Continuous Improvement: A dedication to learning, iterating, and constantly seeking ways to elevate the quality of work, user experience, and business outcomes.

• Data-Informed Decisions: Utilizing data and research to validate assumptions, measure impact, and guide strategic design choices.

• Innovation & Ambition: A drive to explore new ideas, push boundaries, and contribute to the growth and success of BrightLocal.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers work closely within product squads, fostering tight-knit relationships with Product Managers and Engineers to ensure cohesive product development.

• Open Feedback Culture: An environment where constructive feedback is welcomed and exchanged regularly to refine designs and processes.

• Shared Ownership: A collective responsibility for product success, where designers contribute to strategy and product managers and engineers understand design principles.

• Agile & Iterative: Collaboration follows agile principles, with regular check-ins, sprint reviews, and iterative design cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company emphasizes a collaborative and user-focused culture, combined with a drive for continuous improvement and data-informed decision-making, which are hallmarks of successful SaaS product organizations.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively translating complex user requirements and business objectives into elegant and feasible design solutions for a SaaS platform.

• Scaling Design Systems: Ensuring the design system remains robust, consistent, and adaptable as the product and company grow.

• Driving Adoption of New Features: Designing compelling user experiences that encourage users to adopt and benefit from new functionalities.

• Remote/Hybrid Collaboration: Maintaining strong team cohesion and effective design communication within a hybrid work environment.

• Staying Ahead of Design Trends: Continuously evolving design practices and leveraging new tools and techniques in the competitive SaaS landscape.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to hone skills in areas such as advanced interaction design, generative design, or specialized UX research methodologies.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Developing leadership capabilities through mentoring junior designers and potentially leading design initiatives.

• Product Strategy Involvement: Deeper engagement in product strategy discussions, gaining exposure to business planning and market analysis.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Leveraging the £1,000 annual learning budget for conferences, workshops, online courses, and certifications relevant to product design and UX.

• Exposure to Local SEO Market: Gaining in-depth knowledge of the local SEO industry and its user base, becoming an expert in a niche but vital market.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior role in a growing tech company, emphasizing strategic thinking and execution. The growth opportunities are well-defined, offering clear paths for career progression and skill enhancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you helped shape product strategy through design and research. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your strategic thinking, research methodology, and ability to identify impactful opportunities.)

• "Walk me through a complex SaaS product you designed from end-to-end. What were the key user challenges, your design solutions, and how did you measure success?" (Be prepared to showcase your portfolio, detailing your process, rationale, and impact.)

• "How do you approach collaborating with Product Managers and Engineers to ensure design intent is met and usability is optimized?" (Highlight your communication skills, iterative feedback loops, and understanding of development constraints.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about BrightLocal and our mission to help local businesses?" (Show genuine interest in the company's purpose and market.)

• "How do you stay updated on design trends and best practices, particularly in the SaaS B2B space?" (Demonstrate a commitment to continuous learning.)

• "Describe your ideal team environment and how you contribute to a positive and productive culture." (Align your response with BrightLocal's stated values of collaboration and user-centricity.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, use a clear STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or similar framework.

• Visual Storytelling: Use high-quality visuals (screenshots, mockups, flow diagrams) to support your narrative.

• Focus on Process & Rationale: Explain why you made certain design decisions, linking them back to user research, business goals, or design principles.

• Be Data-Savvy: Present metrics and outcomes clearly, explaining how your design contributed to them.

• Engage Your Audience: Make it a conversation, not a monologue. Be open to questions and discussions throughout your presentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, a robust design process, strong collaboration skills, and a clear understanding of the SaaS B2B context, all supported by compelling portfolio case studies.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the BrightLocal careers page.

• Tailor your Resume: Ensure your resume highlights your experience with web-based SaaS/B2B products, end-to-end product design, user research, Figma, and design systems. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-4 of your strongest projects that best showcase your skills relevant to this role. Prepare detailed case studies that emphasize your process, rationale, and impact.

• Prepare for the Interview: Review potential interview questions, practice articulating your design process, and be ready to discuss your portfolio in detail. Research BrightLocal's products and mission.

• Highlight Collaboration: Be prepared to discuss how you effectively collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers, demonstrating your team-player attitude.

⚠️ 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.