Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer Company: EasyLlama Location: United States Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Product Design / User Experience / SaaS Date Posted: 2025-08-15 Experience Level: 10+ Years (Implied by "8+ years" and "Senior" title) Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the user experience (UX) direction for EasyLlama's ambitious, fast-paced multi-product platform strategy, impacting millions of users.
• Spearhead product development from initial research and vision creation through to iterating on user experiences for launch, ensuring an intuitive and seamless platform for both administrators and learners.
• Act as a design leader within cross-functional teams, influencing strategy at both the team and project levels, and championing design system standards.
• Drive the design of approachable, product-led growth (PLG) and freemium products in complex domains, with a focus on user-centricity and business impact.
• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Engineering, Product Marketing, and executive stakeholders to define product strategy, roadmaps, and OKRs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role explicitly states "first Design hire," implying a significant opportunity for the candidate to shape the design function and its strategic direction within EasyLlama. The emphasis on "multi-product platform strategy" and "design system expertise" suggests a need for a candidate who can think holistically across various product offerings and ensure consistency and scalability.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and champion a long-term UX vision for the EasyLlama platform, ensuring alignment with the company's broader strategic mission and goals.
• Co-lead the definition of product strategy, roadmap development, and functional Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) for the product teams.
• Conduct user research and collaborate with Product Management, Product Marketing, and Customer Support to deeply understand customer pain points and identify key opportunities for both user value and business growth.
• Ship high-quality new features and iterative improvements that consistently deliver value to customers, maintaining a superior quality bar throughout the design process.
• Evangelize design best practices and share knowledge with internal and external design partners, fostering a culture of design excellence.
• Define, champion, and evolve the company's design system and platform standards, ensuring consistency and scalability across the product suite.
• Collaborate with marketing and go-to-market teams to ensure product and brand design consistency across all customer touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership (UX vision, product strategy) and hands-on execution (shipping features, evolving design systems). The "builder mindset" requirement suggests they are looking for someone who can not only design but also establish and refine processes and standards within the design function.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is typically expected for this level of role. Experience: 8+ years of professional software product design experience, with a strong preference for B2B SaaS environments. Experience in domains like Workplace Training, EdTech, or Learning & Development is highly advantageous.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Demonstrated ability to lead the end-to-end product design process, from discovery to delivery, with a focus on user-centered design principles.
• User Experience (UX) Strategy: Proven experience in defining and articulating a UX vision, influencing product strategy, and driving alignment across cross-functional teams.
• Design Systems: Expertise in creating, maintaining, and championing design systems to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency across a multi-product platform.
• SaaS Product Design: Significant experience designing for B2B SaaS platforms, understanding the unique needs of both end-users and administrators.
• User Research: Proficiency in conducting user research, synthesizing findings, and translating insights into actionable design solutions.
• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively collaborate with Product Managers, Engineers, Marketing, and executive stakeholders.
• Builder Mindset: Proven ability to act as an individual contributor and design leader, setting direction and building alignment through design work, particularly in a startup or scaling environment.
• Product Acumen: Comfort working with executive stakeholders and demonstrating how design decisions have shaped business outcomes.

Preferred Skills:

• AI-Driven Experiences: Experience designing with AI-driven learning experiences, adaptive learning, or gamification elements.
• Product-Led Growth (PLG) & Freemium: Experience designing for PLG and freemium products, understanding user acquisition and conversion funnels.
• Startup/Scaling Experience: Proven ability to thrive in fast-paced startup environments, balancing high-quality design craft with rapid iteration.
• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity and experience working within Agile development frameworks and the product development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "8+ years" combined with "Senior" title implies a level of leadership and strategic contribution expected beyond typical senior designer roles. The emphasis on "builder mindset" and being the "first Design hire" suggests they are looking for someone who will not only execute but also establish design processes, standards, and potentially mentor future design hires.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Comprehensive Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 detailed case studies demonstrating your product design process, problem-solving skills, and impact on user experience and business goals.
• Pixel-Perfect UI Examples: Include high-fidelity mockups and prototypes that highlight your attention to detail and visual design craft.
• Design System Contributions: Clearly present your experience with design systems, including examples of components you've designed, documentation, and how you've applied them to ensure consistency and scalability.
• Cross-Product Strategy: Demonstrate instances where you've considered and designed for a multi-product platform, showing an understanding of platform-level thinking.
• User-Centric Approach: Articulate your process for user research, ideation, iteration, and validation, showing how user needs informed your design decisions.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Evidence of designing and documenting user workflows, information architecture, and interaction models.
• System Implementation: Examples of how you've contributed to or implemented design systems, including style guides, component libraries, and governance models.
• Measurement & Analysis: Showcase how you've used data and user feedback to iterate on designs and measure their success, linking design efforts to key performance indicators (KPIs).

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "first Design hire" context and the requirement for a "builder mindset," the portfolio should not only showcase execution but also the candidate's ability to establish design processes, standards, and systems. Demonstrating experience in evolving or building a design system will be crucial. The mention of a "test project" requiring wireframing suggests an expectation for foundational design skills alongside strategic thinking.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $150,000 - $184,000 Annually Benefits:

• Flexible, Fully Remote Environment: Work from anywhere within the United States, fostering work-life balance.
• Generous PTO: 4 weeks of Paid Time Off to encourage recharging and prevent burnout.
• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Employer-sponsored health insurance plans.
• 401(k) with Company Matching: Financial planning support for long-term savings.
• Professional Development Reimbursements: Support for continuous learning, skill enhancement, and industry certifications.
• Monthly Remote Work Stipend: Assistance with home office setup and ongoing remote work expenses.
• Annual Wellness Stipend: Support for health and well-being activities.

Working Hours: Full-time position, with an implied 40-hour work week. The fully remote nature offers flexibility in managing daily schedules, while collaboration with cross-functional teams across different time zones may require some coordination.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a Senior Product Designer role in the US tech market, especially for a fully remote position. The benefits package is robust, emphasizing work-life balance, professional growth, and employee well-being, which aligns with a modern, employee-centric company culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: HR Compliance, Workplace Training Technology, EdTech Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of "thousands of organizations" as clients and "over 5,000 clients" suggests a company that has scaled significantly, likely falling into the 50-250 employee range or larger, but still retaining a dynamic, growth-oriented culture. Founded: EasyLlama was founded to reinvent outdated training solutions, indicating a company built on innovation and challenging the status quo in a traditional industry.

Team Structure:

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role emphasizes close partnership with Product Managers, Engineers, Product Marketing, and Customer Support teams.
• Leadership Involvement: Senior Product Designers are expected to work with other members of the leadership team to define UX vision and product strategy, indicating a flat or collaborative leadership structure.
• Design Team Context: As the "first Design hire," the Senior Product Designer will likely build and shape the design function, potentially working with external design partners initially before internal team growth.

Methodology:

• User-Centric Design: A strong focus on understanding customer problems through research and translating those insights into user-friendly solutions.
• Agile Development: Implied preference for working within Agile methodologies and a fast-paced production environment.
• Data-Driven Iteration: The role requires shipping iterative projects and using feedback to refine experiences, suggesting a data-informed approach to design.
• Innovation & Disruption: EasyLlama aims to "challenge the status quo" and is focused on "AI-driven content creation," positioning itself as an innovator in the HR Tech space.

Company Website: http://www.easyllama.com

📝 Enhancement Note: EasyLlama's culture is described as collaborative, innovative, and focused on "getting things done." Their high customer ratings (G2, NPS, CSAT) point to a company that prioritizes customer satisfaction and product quality. The "first Design hire" aspect means the culture is still being shaped in terms of design leadership and process.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer (Individual Contributor / Design Lead) Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Head of Product, VP of Product, or potentially a CTO/CEO, given it's the first design hire. The role will closely partner with Product Managers and Engineering leads. Operations Impact: High. The Senior Product Designer will directly influence the user experience of a platform used by millions, impacting customer acquisition, retention, and overall satisfaction. They will play a key role in defining the product's strategic direction and competitive positioning.

Growth Opportunities:

• Foundational Role: Opportunity to build and lead the design function from the ground up, establishing design processes, standards, and potentially building a design team.
• Strategic Influence: Direct impact on product strategy, roadmap, and the overall UX vision for a rapidly growing SaaS platform.
• Skill Expansion: Potential to gain experience in AI-driven features, advanced SaaS platform design, and product-led growth strategies.
• Leadership Development: Chance to develop leadership skills by mentoring, guiding, and potentially managing future design hires.
• Industry Impact: Contribute to transforming the HR compliance and training industry with innovative, user-friendly solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This is a pivotal role for a designer looking to make a significant impact and shape a company's design trajectory. The "first Design hire" status offers unparalleled opportunity for influence and growth, moving beyond a typical senior individual contributor role into one with significant strategic and foundational responsibilities.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This implies a distributed workforce with no central physical office required for daily work. Office Location(s): United States (specific approved states listed: AR, AZ, CA, CO, FL, IL, LA, MA, MN, NE, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI).

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration Tools: Expect extensive use of collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Figma, Miro) to facilitate communication and teamwork across distances.
• Asynchronous Workflows: Potential for some asynchronous work practices to accommodate different time zones and schedules within the US.
• Focus on Autonomy: A remote environment requires a high degree of self-discipline, time management, and autonomy.
• Team Connection: The company offers monthly team events to foster connection, mitigating potential isolation in a remote setting.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with flexibility inherent in a remote setup. While core hours for collaboration might exist, the precise daily schedule can likely be managed by the individual within the context of team needs and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature necessitates strong communication skills and the ability to work independently. The list of approved states is important for candidates to check if they reside in one of them. The company's commitment to monthly team events suggests an effort to build a cohesive culture despite the distributed workforce.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: Approximately 3 weeks, involving multiple stages:

1. Recruiter Screen: Initial assessment of qualifications and cultural fit.
2. Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion on experience, role expectations, and strategic alignment.
3. Creative Director Interview: Deep dive into design philosophy, process, and portfolio.
4. Development Team Interview: Evaluation of collaboration skills with engineers and understanding of technical constraints.
5. At Home Test Project: A concise, practical design exercise (wireframing) to assess core design skills and problem-solving.
6. CEO Meet and Greet: Final conversation, likely focusing on vision, culture, and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Process, Not Just Polish: Clearly articulate the "why" behind your design decisions, detailing user research, ideation, iteration, and problem-solving steps.
• Highlight Impact: Quantify the impact of your designs whenever possible using metrics (e.g., conversion rates, engagement improvements, task completion times).
• Design System Focus: Dedicate a section or specific project to your design system work, demonstrating your ability to create scalable and consistent UI.
• Multi-Product Thinking: If possible, include examples that show how you've managed design consistency or integration across different products or features.
• Storytelling: Frame your case studies as compelling narratives that lead the reviewer through the challenge, your approach, and the successful outcome.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Scope: Prepare for the test project by reviewing EasyLlama's platform and understanding the core user problems they aim to solve in workplace training.
• Focus on Fundamentals: The test requires wireframing, so ensure you are comfortable with basic wireframing tools and principles for conveying user flows and information architecture.
• Practice Articulation: Be ready to formally walk through your test project deliverable, explaining your design choices, trade-offs, and how it addresses the prompt.
• Research EasyLlama: Understand their mission, target audience (employees and administrators), and their product offerings to tailor your approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is thorough, including a practical test project. The "first Design hire" context means the evaluation will likely heavily weigh the candidate's ability to establish design practices and systems, not just execute existing ones. Demonstrating strong product thinking and strategic alignment will be key throughout.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable given industry standard and collaborative nature), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).
• User Research & Testing: Tools like UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, Hotjar, or internal user research platforms.
• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), Jira, Confluence.
• Design System Management: Storybook (common for code-based design systems), Zeroheight, or internal documentation platforms.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Pendo, or similar platforms for understanding user behavior and product adoption.
• Data Visualization: Tableau, Looker, or other tools for analyzing and presenting data insights.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot (likely used by Sales/Marketing, but designers may interact with data or user journeys originating from these).
• Integration Tools: Familiarity with how different SaaS tools integrate might be beneficial for understanding the platform ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, proficiency in industry-standard design tools like Figma is essential. Experience with user research tools and product analytics platforms will be valuable for demonstrating data-informed design practices. Familiarity with collaboration tools is critical for a remote role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Collaboration: Working effectively with diverse cross-functional teams to achieve shared goals.
• Innovation: Challenging the status quo and actively seeking new, better ways to solve problems, especially with AI.
• Customer Focus: Prioritizing user needs and striving for exceptional customer experiences.
• Execution & Getting Things Done: A bias for action and delivering high-quality results in a fast-paced environment.
• Design Craft: A commitment to high-quality, pixel-perfect design and a well-crafted user experience.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Seamless integration with Product Management and Engineering to ensure cohesive product development.
• Open Communication: Encouraging direct and honest feedback, both giving and receiving, to foster continuous improvement.
• Knowledge Sharing: Actively sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across teams.
• Design Advocacy: Championing design principles and user needs within broader product discussions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture values innovation, customer satisfaction, and efficient execution. As the first design hire, the Senior Product Designer is expected to embody and help instill these values within the design domain, fostering a collaborative and impactful design practice.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing Design Foundations: As the first design hire, building out design processes, standards, and potentially a design system from early stages.
• Balancing Strategic Vision with Rapid Iteration: Ensuring a cohesive platform vision while delivering features quickly in a fast-paced startup environment.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Effectively communicating and aligning design vision with product, engineering, and marketing stakeholders who may have different priorities.
• Scaling Design Operations: Preparing for future growth by creating design systems and processes that can scale with the company.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Shape the Design Function: Directly influence the design strategy, tooling, and team growth at EasyLlama.
• Master AI-Driven Design: Gain hands-on experience designing innovative AI-powered learning experiences.
• Product-Led Growth Expertise: Deepen understanding and application of PLG principles in a B2B SaaS context.
• Leadership Mentorship: Opportunity to learn from and potentially mentor future design team members.
• Professional Development: Utilize reimbursements for courses, conferences, or certifications to further enhance skills in areas like UX strategy, AI design, or leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the unique opportunity of being the foundational design hire. Growth is substantial, offering a chance to build something significant and gain expertise in cutting-edge areas like AI in EdTech.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• UX Vision & Strategy: "How would you approach defining a long-term UX vision for a multi-product platform like EasyLlama? What key elements would you consider, and how would you align it with business goals?" (Prepare to discuss frameworks, user research methodologies, and stakeholder alignment strategies).
• Design System Development: "Describe your experience building or evolving a design system. What are the key components, governance considerations, and how do you ensure adoption and consistency across a product suite?" (Be ready to show examples from your portfolio).
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: "How do you effectively collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers to ensure a seamless product development process? Describe a time you had to navigate conflicting priorities." (Prepare specific examples showcasing your communication and negotiation skills).
• Product-Led Growth Design: "What are the key design considerations for product-led growth and freemium models? How do you design for user acquisition, onboarding, and conversion?" (Think about user journey mapping and conversion funnel optimization).

Company & Culture Questions:

• Understanding EasyLlama's Mission: "What excites you about EasyLlama's mission to transform HR compliance training? How do you see design contributing to that mission?" (Research their website, G2 reviews, and company values).
• Remote Work Philosophy: "How do you maintain productivity and engagement in a fully remote environment? What are your strategies for effective remote collaboration?" (Highlight self-discipline, communication tools, and proactive engagement).
• Design Leadership: "As the first design hire, how would you approach establishing design best practices and influencing the company's product direction?" (Focus on your builder mindset, strategic thinking, and communication skills).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process you followed, the solutions you designed, and the measurable impact.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively – wireframes, user flows, high-fidelity mockups, and prototypes – to illustrate your design thinking and execution.
• Highlight Design System Work: Ensure your design system contributions are clearly presented, explaining the rationale behind component design and usage guidelines.
• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, back up your design decisions with data and metrics demonstrating user or business value.
• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your process, trade-offs, challenges, and how your work aligns with EasyLlama's specific business context (SaaS, training, PLG).

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical application (test project) and strategic thinking. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design philosophy, demonstrate their process, and show how they can contribute to EasyLlama's growth and vision as the foundational design leader.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight B2B SaaS product design, design systems, and any relevant experience in EdTech or workplace training. Ensure case studies clearly demonstrate your process and impact.
• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize leadership experience, strategic contributions, and achievements relevant to the "builder mindset" and "product acumen" requirements. Use keywords like "UX Strategy," "Design Systems," "SaaS," "PLG," and "Cross-functional Leadership."
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, showcasing your portfolio with a focus on impact, and preparing for potential questions about your approach to establishing design functions and leading initiatives.
• Company Research: Thoroughly research EasyLlama's mission, product, customer base, and culture to demonstrate genuine interest and alignment during interviews. Understand their position in the HR compliance training market.

⚠️ 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.