Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer Company: lemlist Location: Paris, France (Remote OK) Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Product Design / GTM Operations Support Date Posted: 2025-09-10 Experience Level: 5-10 Years

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive product innovation and user experience enhancements within a rapidly growing B2B SaaS company.
• Own the end-to-end design process, from problem discovery and user research to final delivery and iteration, ensuring high-impact solutions.
• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and Developers to translate user needs and business objectives into intuitive and effective product features, particularly in the Sales tech domain.
• Contribute to shaping the future of Sales technology, including the integration of AI, by delivering world-class design experiences that maintain lemlist's market leadership.
• Actively identify opportunities for improvement, influence the product roadmap, and champion design consistency, simplicity, and ease of use across the platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is explicitly for a Product Designer, its focus on the "Sales tech space" and "Sales engagement platform" implies a strong connection to Go-To-Market (GTM) operations and revenue enablement. The designer will be instrumental in creating tools that directly impact sales team efficiency and effectiveness, thus supporting core GTM operations. The emphasis on "shipping directly to users," "making your role evolve based on where you believe you can create more value," and "challenging the status quo" suggests a highly autonomous and impact-driven role within the operations ecosystem.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth user research and market analysis to identify pain points, opportunities, and unmet needs within the Sales tech landscape.
• Translate complex problems into elegant, user-centered design solutions, creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product Management and Engineering teams to define product requirements, user flows, and feature specifications.
• Champion user advocacy throughout the product development lifecycle, ensuring that design decisions are data-informed and user-validated.
• Drive the visual and interaction design of new features and improvements, maintaining a consistent and high-quality user experience across the lemlist platform.
• Proactively identify areas for design improvement, advocating for best practices in usability, accessibility, and aesthetic appeal.
• Contribute to the evolution of the product roadmap by providing design insights and strategic recommendations based on user feedback and market trends.
• Explore and integrate emerging technologies, such as AI, into the product design to enhance user workflows and drive greater efficiency for sales teams.
• Own the design quality of assigned product areas, ensuring adherence to design systems and brand guidelines.
• Facilitate design critiques and provide constructive feedback to peers, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and shared learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a deep involvement in the product lifecycle which directly influences the effectiveness of sales operations. Owning the "delivery process from discovery to launch" and "shaping the future of Sales tech" means this role will have a significant impact on how sales teams operate and achieve their goals, making it crucial for understanding GTM operational efficiency. The emphasis on "making your role evolve based on where you believe you can create more value" suggests a dynamic environment where the designer can proactively contribute to operational improvements beyond traditional design tasks.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating a deep understanding of user-centered design principles and product development processes is paramount.

Experience: A minimum of 4 years of progressive experience in Product Design, with a preference for candidates who have worked in a scale-up environment or a fast-paced SaaS company. Experience within the Sales technology sector or supporting sales operations functions is highly advantageous.

Required Skills:

• Proven track record in end-to-end product design, from user research and conceptualization to high-fidelity prototyping and final delivery.
• Exceptional proficiency in design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar platforms for wireframing, prototyping, and visual design.
• Strong understanding of user-centered design principles, usability heuristics, and information architecture.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct user research, synthesize findings, and translate insights into actionable design solutions.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and influence stakeholders effectively.
• Fluency in both English and French, essential for clear communication within the global team and with users.
• Strong business acumen and a solid understanding of SaaS market dynamics, including user acquisition, retention, and revenue generation strategies.
• Ability to work autonomously, demonstrate a strong bias for action ("débrouillard" mentality), and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Pragmatism and a keen eye for detail, with a good taste for high-quality software.
• Humility, curiosity, passion for the craft, and a dedicated growth mindset.

Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience in the Sales tech industry, understanding the unique needs and workflows of sales professionals.
• Background or experience in Sales or Operations roles, providing a unique perspective on user needs and business objectives.
• Experience with AI integration in product design and its potential impact on user workflows.
• High tech literacy and an ability to quickly grasp complex technical concepts.
• Experience in Product Management, offering a broader understanding of the product development lifecycle.
• Ability to easily process and synthesize large amounts of information from various sources.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "bias for action" and "débrouillard" mentality are critical for roles supporting operations, as they often require quick problem-solving and proactive initiative rather than waiting for detailed instructions. The emphasis on "business acumen" and "SaaS markets & mechanisms" directly relates to understanding the operational goals of a SaaS company and how design can support revenue generation and customer success. The "ability to inspire and lead teams" hints at potential mentorship or thought leadership within the design function, which can influence broader operational strategies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing a range of product design projects, with a strong emphasis on impact and problem-solving.
• Projects should demonstrate ownership of the design process, from initial problem definition and user research through to shipped solutions and iterative improvements.
• Include case studies that highlight your ability to define problems, explore solutions, and articulate the design rationale behind your choices.
• Showcase examples where you have actively sought user feedback and incorporated it into your design iterations.
• Demonstrate your understanding of how design contributes to key business metrics, such as user engagement, conversion rates, and overall customer satisfaction.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of your process for user research, including methods used (e.g., interviews, surveys, usability testing) and how insights were synthesized.
• Examples of workflow mapping and how you identified inefficiencies or areas for improvement.
• Documentation illustrating your approach to prototyping and user testing, including the tools and methodologies employed.
• Case studies should clearly outline the problem, your proposed solution, the design process followed, and the measurable impact of the final product.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role supporting GTM operations, a portfolio should ideally include examples of designing for efficiency, clarity, and user adoption within complex workflows. Highlighting projects that improved a user's ability to complete a task faster, more accurately, or with less friction would be highly relevant. Demonstrating how design has directly contributed to revenue-generating activities or operational efficiency improvements would be a significant advantage. The prompt's emphasis on "shipping directly to users" and "real value creation" means portfolios should focus on tangible outcomes rather than just polished visuals.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the Senior level, 4+ years of experience, and the company's reported $35M ARR and $150M valuation, a competitive salary range for a Senior Product Designer in Paris, France, would typically fall between €60,000 - €90,000 annually, depending on experience, specific skills, and the candidate's negotiation.

Benefits:

• Opportunity to drive innovation in the Sales tech space, directly impacting user success and company growth.
• Work alongside a team of senior, highly skilled professionals, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
• Significant autonomy in shaping your role and contributing to strategic decisions.
• A culture that values meritocracy and encourages the best ideas to win.
• Remote-friendly work environment, promoting work-life balance.
• Exposure to cutting-edge technologies and the opportunity to influence the future of Sales technology, including AI.
• A chance to be part of a fast-paced, action-oriented team with a strong bias for execution.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week. The remote-friendly environment suggests flexibility in how these hours are managed, provided deliverables and collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's bootstrapped, profitable, and high-growth status suggests a strong financial foundation, which often translates into competitive compensation and benefits. The emphasis on "autonomy" and "challenging the status quo" points to a work environment where employees are empowered to make a significant impact, which is a key non-monetary benefit for ambitious professionals. The "remote friendly environment" and the location in Paris also contribute to the overall attractiveness of the compensation package. The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior product designers in major European tech hubs like Paris, considering the company's scale and funding.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: B2B SaaS, specifically Sales Engagement and Sales Technology. lemlist operates in a competitive but rapidly expanding market focused on empowering sales teams with tools to improve outreach, efficiency, and conversion rates.

Company Size: lemlist has grown significantly from its bootstrapped beginnings to $35M ARR. While the exact employee count isn't specified in the input, this ARR suggests a substantial team size, likely in the range of 100-300 employees, indicating a dynamic scale-up environment.

Founded: Founded 6 years ago, lemlist has achieved rapid, organic growth without external funding, reaching $35M ARR and a $150M valuation. This history points to a strong founding team, effective product-market fit, and a culture of resilience, execution, and customer focus.

Team Structure:

• You will work "hand in hand with Senior Product Managers and Senior Developers across squads." This suggests a squad-based or feature-team structure, common in agile SaaS companies, where cross-functional teams own specific product areas.
• The design team is likely integrated within these squads, ensuring designers are close to product and engineering decisions.
• There is a clear hierarchy with a VP of Product & Design and a CPO, indicating a structured product organization where design leadership is present.

Methodology:

• User-Centricity & Impact Focus: The company explicitly states they are "not looking for designers who... Make user impact their priority" and emphasizes "real value creation." This indicates a strong commitment to user-centric design driven by measurable outcomes.
• Agile & Iterative: The mention of "moving fast," "shipping directly to users," and "learning fast" points to an agile development methodology with a focus on rapid iteration and continuous delivery.
• Proactive & Autonomous: The emphasis on designers being "hands-on," "proactive," and "making your role evolve based on where you believe you can create more value" highlights a culture that rewards initiative and ownership.
• Data-Informed Decisions: While not explicitly stated for design, the company's growth and SaaS nature imply a data-driven approach to product development and business strategy.

Company Website: https://www.lemlist.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's bootstrapped growth story is a significant cultural indicator, suggesting a lean, efficient, and resourceful team that prioritizes impactful execution. The explicit "we're not looking for designers who..." list provides direct insight into the desired mindset: proactive, user-focused, and execution-oriented, rather than purely process-driven or passive. This aligns well with supporting operational efficiency where quick wins and direct impact are highly valued.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, indicating a mid-to-senior level position within the product organization. It requires significant autonomy, ownership, and the ability to influence product direction. In the context of operations, this role is crucial for translating user needs and business objectives into the very tools that sales operations teams rely on for execution.

Reporting Structure: You will report to the VP of Product & Design. The role involves close collaboration with Senior Product Managers and Senior Developers within product squads. This structure facilitates direct input into product strategy and execution.

Operations Impact: As a Senior Product Designer, your work will directly impact the efficiency and effectiveness of lemlist's users, who are primarily sales teams. By designing intuitive and powerful features, you will enable these teams to book more meetings and close more deals, thereby directly contributing to the company's revenue generation and operational success. The focus on "Sales tech" means your design decisions have a tangible effect on sales workflows and operational outcomes.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deepening Domain Expertise: Gain profound knowledge of the Sales tech industry and AI integration in sales workflows, establishing yourself as an expert.
• Product Strategy Influence: Contribute to and influence the product roadmap, driving strategic initiatives and new feature development.
• Leadership Potential: As a senior member, you may have opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, or even move into a Design Lead or Managerial role as the team grows.
• Skill Expansion: Develop expertise in emerging areas like AI-driven design, user behavior analysis, and advanced prototyping techniques.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Hone skills in stakeholder management, cross-functional collaboration, and driving consensus across diverse teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "making your role evolve based on where you believe you can create more value" and "challenging the status quo" suggests a high degree of agency for growth. This role offers not just design growth but also the opportunity to influence operational strategy through product design, a valuable trajectory for anyone interested in the broader GTM operations landscape. The "within 12 months" key results, such as "Launched solutions that positively impact users and the company’s revenue" and "Influenced and improved the roadmap," are direct indicators of expected career progression and impact.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is listed as "TELECOMMUTE" with a primary location in Paris, France. This indicates a fully remote or a highly flexible hybrid work model, with the company HQ likely in or near Paris.

Office Location(s): The primary specified location is Paris, France, with a remote work option within France.

Workspace Context:

• Remote-First Culture: lemlist promotes a "remote friendly environment," suggesting that remote collaboration tools and practices are well-established.
• Collaborative Squads: You will be part of cross-functional "squads," fostering close collaboration with Product Managers and Developers. This means your workspace will involve frequent virtual interaction and teamwork.
• High-Paced Environment: The company's rapid growth and "bias for action" indicate a dynamic and energetic work environment, even in a remote setting.
• Tooling: Expect access to modern collaboration and design tools necessary for effective remote work and product development.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) are expected, with flexibility inherent in a remote work setup. The focus is on delivering results and maintaining effective communication and collaboration within your squad and with stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a remote role supporting operations, the emphasis on clear communication channels, asynchronous collaboration, and efficient virtual teamwork is paramount. The "remote friendly environment" suggests the company has invested in the infrastructure and culture to support this effectively, which is crucial for maintaining operational cohesion and productivity.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Interview with Victoire (Talent Acquisition Manager) to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest.
• Product Leadership Interview: Conversation with Kévin (VP of Product & Design) to delve deeper into design philosophy, experience, and strategic thinking.
• Business Case & Q&A: An asynchronous business case exercise to evaluate problem-solving skills and design thinking, followed by a live Q&A session with Maël (CPO) to discuss your approach and rationale. This is a critical stage for demonstrating your understanding of business impact.
• Executive Interview: Final interview with Charles (CEO) to discuss vision, company alignment, and high-level strategic contributions.
• Reference Check: Standard verification of professional background.
• Offer: Extended upon successful completion of all stages.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem you solved, your specific role and process, the solutions you designed, and most importantly, the measurable impact on users and the business (e.g., conversion lift, efficiency gains, retention improvement).
• Showcase Your Process: Detail your thought process, from initial research and ideation to iteration and final delivery. Highlight how you navigated challenges and made trade-offs.
• Demonstrate Pragmatism: Given lemlist's culture, showcase projects where you moved quickly and efficiently ("bias for action"), perhaps highlighting a project that shipped rapidly or had significant iterative improvements based on early feedback.
• User-Centricity: Emphasize your user research methodologies and how user feedback directly informed your design decisions.
• Relevance: Prioritize projects that are most relevant to SaaS products, B2B platforms, or complex user workflows. If you have Sales tech experience, feature it prominently.
• Conciseness: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio efficiently, focusing on the key takeaways for each project.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand lemlist's Product: Familiarize yourself thoroughly with lemlist's platform, its target audience, and its value proposition in the sales engagement space.
• Think Like a Business User: Approach the business case from a strategic perspective, considering not just design elegance but also business impact, scalability, and user adoption.
• Articulate ROI: Be ready to discuss how your design efforts contribute to business objectives, such as increasing user efficiency, improving conversion rates, or driving revenue.
• AI Integration: Consider how AI could be leveraged within the lemlist product to enhance user experience or operational efficiency, and be prepared to discuss your thoughts.
• Communication: Practice articulating your ideas clearly, concisely, and persuasively, as strong communication is a key requirement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The recruitment process is rigorous, with multiple stages involving senior leadership. The emphasis on "real or fake work, we don’t care. We want to see what you can ship" is a critical signal. For this role, portfolio pieces demonstrating how design has directly supported sales operations, improved outreach effectiveness, or streamlined CRM interactions would be highly valued. The business case is a prime opportunity to showcase your ability to think strategically about product design in a business context, which is crucial for GTM roles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly likely given industry standards and its prevalence for collaborative design), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).
• User Research & Testing: Tools for conducting user interviews, usability testing, and surveys (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Hotjar, SurveyMonkey).
• Collaboration: Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace or similar for communication and project management.
• Project Management: Tools like Asana, Jira, or Trello might be used by the squads to manage workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Pendo would likely be used to track user behavior, feature adoption, and conversion funnels.
• Data Visualization: While not directly a design tool, familiarity with how data is presented in dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Looker) can be beneficial for understanding user engagement metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Familiarity: Understanding of CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) is beneficial, as lemlist is a sales engagement tool that often integrates with or complements CRMs.
• Automation Tools: Awareness of sales automation principles and tools used in the GTM process.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern, collaborative design tools like Figma is almost certainly a prerequisite. Understanding how design outputs integrate with development workflows and how user analytics inform design decisions is key. For a role supporting sales operations, an understanding of the tools sales teams use daily (CRMs, sales engagement platforms) is highly advantageous, as it allows the designer to empathize with user needs and design more effective solutions.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact & Value Creation: Prioritizing tangible user and business impact over process for its own sake. The company values designers who "create value for users" and "make user impact their priority."
• Bias for Action & Execution: A culture that favors speed, pragmatism, and shipping solutions quickly. The "débrouillard" mentality and "moving fast" are central themes.
• Proactivity & Ownership: Encouraging individuals to take initiative, identify problems, and drive solutions without constant direction.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Working "hand in hand" with Product Managers and Developers suggests a collaborative environment where shared ownership and mutual respect are important.
• Curiosity & Growth: A commitment to continuous learning, embracing new challenges, and developing skills, particularly in areas like AI.
• Humility & Passion: Approaching work with a humble attitude and a genuine passion for design and the problem space.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to be deeply integrated within product squads, working closely with PMs and engineers on a daily basis.
• Open Communication: The remote-friendly environment and emphasis on communication skills imply that clear, direct, and frequent communication is the norm.
• Idea Meritocracy: The principle that "best ideas win" suggests a culture where constructive debate and challenging the status quo are encouraged, leading to better outcomes.
• Feedback Loops: Expect regular feedback sessions, design critiques, and opportunities to give and receive feedback to drive continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values clearly align with supporting operational goals: efficiency, impact, and proactive problem-solving. The emphasis on "challenging the status quo" and "making your role evolve based on where you believe you can create more value" suggests that designers are encouraged to think beyond their defined tasks and contribute to broader operational improvements through product innovation.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Pace and Scale: Adapting to the rapid pace of a growing scale-up and managing multiple design initiatives simultaneously.
• Defining Impact: Quantifying the impact of design decisions in a way that clearly demonstrates value to the business and users, especially in a fast-moving environment.
• Navigating Ambiguity: Proactively defining problems and solutions in a dynamic market and technology landscape, including the integration of AI.
• Balancing Speed and Quality: Ensuring that the "bias for action" does not compromise the quality and user-centricity of the design output.
• Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong team cohesion and effective communication in a remote-first environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Sales Tech: Deepen expertise in applying AI to enhance sales workflows and user experiences, a key future growth area.
• Product Strategy: Gain hands-on experience in shaping product roadmaps and influencing business strategy through design.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Develop advanced skills in leading through influence, stakeholder management, and cross-functional project execution.
• Domain Expertise: Become a recognized expert in the Sales engagement and Sales tech industry.
• Mentorship: Potential to mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth of the design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical of high-growth tech environments, requiring resilience and adaptability. The growth opportunities are significant, offering a path to not only become a top-tier product designer but also a strategic contributor to the operational success of a leading Sales tech company. The focus on AI is particularly relevant for future career growth in operations and product development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Philosophy & Impact: "Describe your approach to product design, emphasizing how you ensure user impact and align with business objectives. Can you provide an example of a time your design directly led to measurable business value?" (Prepare with a case study that highlights ROI).
• Problem Solving & Process: "Walk me through a challenging product problem you solved. What was your process, what alternatives did you consider, and how did you arrive at your final solution?" (Focus on demonstrating your "bias for action" and user-centricity).
• Collaboration & Influence: "How do you collaborate effectively with Product Managers and Developers? Describe a situation where you had to influence stakeholders with a different perspective." (Prepare examples showcasing strong communication and pragmatism).
• AI & Future Trends: "How do you see AI transforming the Sales tech landscape, and how would you approach designing AI-powered features for a sales engagement platform?" (Research current AI applications in sales and think about user workflows).

Company & Culture Questions:

• Culture Fit: "What attracts you to lemlist's culture, particularly our 'bias for action' and 'value creation' focus? How do you embody these principles in your work?" (Research the company's background and values thoroughly).
• Team Dynamics: "How do you see yourself contributing to a remote, fast-paced, and collaborative team environment?" (Prepare examples of your remote collaboration skills and proactive contributions).
• Growth Mindset: "Describe a time you stepped outside your comfort zone or learned a new skill to contribute more value. How do you stay curious and passionate about your work?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Structure each case study as a narrative: the problem, your journey (research, ideation, iteration), the solution, and the outcome (impact).
• Quantify Success: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. For operations-focused products, this could be efficiency gains, time saved, conversion rate improvements, or task completion rates.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (mockups, prototypes, user flow diagrams) to support your explanations. Be prepared to demo interactive prototypes if possible.
• Focus on "Why": Clearly articulate the rationale behind your design decisions, connecting them back to user needs and business goals.
• Conciseness & Clarity: Be prepared to present your key projects within a limited timeframe, focusing on the most impactful aspects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes a candidate's ability to execute, think strategically, and align with the company's fast-paced, impact-driven culture. For a role supporting GTM operations, be ready to discuss how design can directly enable sales teams to achieve their targets. Demonstrating an understanding of sales workflows and the challenges faced by sales professionals will be highly beneficial. The "Business Case (async.) + Live Q&A" is a critical opportunity to showcase your practical problem-solving and strategic thinking.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Ashby link.
• Prepare a Strong Portfolio: Curate your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating end-to-end ownership, user impact, and business value. Prioritize case studies that showcase problem-solving, rapid iteration, and measurable results, ideally within SaaS or B2B contexts.
• Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 4+ years of product design experience, emphasizing achievements related to user engagement, efficiency improvements, and collaboration with product and engineering teams. Use keywords like "Product Design," "SaaS," "User Research," "Prototyping," and "Bias for Action."
• Research lemlist: Thoroughly understand lemlist's product, mission, target audience, and company culture. Familiarize yourself with the competitive landscape of sales engagement platforms.
• Practice Your Pitch: Be ready to articulate your design philosophy, your understanding of the Sales tech industry, and how your skills align with lemlist's values during interviews. Prepare to discuss your portfolio confidently and answer scenario-based questions effectively.

⚠️ 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.