Senior Product Designer at Mantel

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Mantel

Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia & Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / Generative AI Consulting

Date Posted: 2026-04-29

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

This role is pivotal in embedding advanced generative AI and agentic methodologies into client product design strategies and execution.
You will act as a senior design voice within cross-functional, client-embedded squads, driving tangible outcomes through innovative design practices.
A core focus will be on leveraging generative AI across the entire design lifecycle, from research and ideation to prototyping and delivery.
This position demands strong consulting acumen to guide clients in maintaining human-centered design principles amidst evolving AI-driven tools and methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role explicitly emphasizes "daily generative AI practice" and "agentic product experiences," indicating a strong leaning towards cutting-edge AI integration in product design. This is a key differentiator for operations professionals looking to specialize in AI-driven GTM strategies or product development.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Embed within client squads as a senior design authority, bringing external perspectives and industry expertise to foster impactful outcomes within cross-functional teams.
Proactively integrate generative AI and agentic methodologies into daily design practices, encompassing research, ideation, prototyping, design systems, and delivery, thereby elevating the standard of what's achievable.
Collaborate with and guide team members in framing and resolving complex challenges, intentionally creating an environment where they can achieve exceptional results.
Define strategic approaches, plan workstreams, and select appropriate methodologies to deliver actionable outcomes within a cross-functional team setting.
Effectively communicate design concepts and decisions to delivery teams and clients, encouraging further exploration and refinement.
Guide clients in sustaining robust human-centered design practices, even as the landscape of tooling and methodologies rapidly evolves.
Contribute to the growth of Mantel's internal design toolkit and capabilities, with a particular emphasis on generative and AI-enabled product design.
Mentor and develop other designers, both within project teams and across the broader organization.
Participate in broader Mantel initiatives, such as running events, training team members, and supporting business development and proposal efforts.
Exercise professional judgment, treating colleagues and clients with respect and compassion, demonstrating proficiency in Mantel's core principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of client-facing consulting, hands-on design with AI, team leadership, and internal capability building. This suggests the ideal candidate will not only be a strong individual contributor but also a proactive force in shaping the company's design practice, particularly in the AI domain.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is typical for senior-level design roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 5-10 years of experience in product design, with a significant portion focused on consulting and embedded delivery.

Required Skills:

Consulting and Embedded Delivery Experience: Proven track record of working effectively within cross-functional squads, delivering tangible results in client-facing or internal hub-and-spoke models.
Daily Generative AI Practice: Demonstrated hands-on experience utilizing generative AI and coding tools in the design workflow (research, ideation, design, prototyping).
Agentic Product Experience Design: Recent, practical experience in designing product experiences that leverage agentic methodologies.
Systems Thinking: Ability to map end-to-end user journeys, considering both frontstage and backstage elements, and design within the broader service context.
UX and UI Craft: Proficiency in guiding concepts through the full UX process and developing them to a strong mid-fidelity state.
End-to-End Design Fluency: Experience across all stages of design and delivery, with a versatile toolkit of methods.

Preferred Skills:

Experience in Agile and Lean Startup environments.
Strong ability to lead collaboration with technical counterparts and business stakeholders to deeply understand problems.
Confidence in facilitating workshops, meetings, and internal design initiatives.
Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing skills.
A proactive, ownership-driven mindset with a commitment to supporting teammates.
Sound judgment and a respectful, compassionate, and professional demeanor.
Experience in business development and proposal support.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "daily generative AI practice" and "agentic product experiences" suggests that candidates with experience in areas like AI-powered chatbots, intelligent assistants, or AI-driven content creation tools will be highly regarded. This is a niche but rapidly growing area within product design and GTM strategy.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Showcase a minimum of 2-3 complex projects demonstrating end-to-end product design ownership, with a clear focus on the problem space, your role, and the outcomes achieved.
Highlight projects that explicitly involve the application of generative AI tools or agentic methodologies in the design process, detailing how these tools were used and their impact.
Include examples of systems thinking, illustrating your ability to design for broader service contexts beyond individual screens or features.
Present strong UX and UI craft, with examples that clearly articulate design decisions and their rationale, ideally showing progression from mid-fidelity to higher fidelity or implemented designs.

Process Documentation:

For each project, clearly articulate the design process followed, from initial research and discovery through to ideation, prototyping, and delivery.
Detail how you leveraged generative AI tools at different stages of the design process, providing specific examples of prompts, outputs, and how they informed your design decisions.
Explain your approach to systems thinking, potentially through service blueprints or journey maps that capture frontstage and backstage interactions.
Demonstrate your ability to collaborate within cross-functional teams, outlining how you facilitated communication and decision-making.
Showcase your experience in mentoring and guiding other designers or team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role emphasizing generative AI, the portfolio should not just show finished UI but also the process of using AI. This could include early-stage explorations, AI-generated wireframes, prompt engineering examples, or documentation of how AI helped overcome a specific design challenge. The ability to articulate this process, including limitations and ethical considerations of AI, will be critical.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers with 5-10 years of experience in major Australian cities like Melbourne and Sydney, and considering the specialized AI focus, a competitive salary range is estimated to be AUD $140,000 - $190,000 per annum, plus superannuation.

Benefits:

My Deal Program: A unique program allowing employees to tailor their yearly plan based on personal priorities, such as professional development, additional annual leave, or pursuing side projects.
Professional Development: Investment in continuous learning, including access to Mantels' AI Gateway, a secure platform with multiple AI models, and a dedicated monthly budget for experimentation.
Hybrid Work Arrangement: Flexible approach to working, balancing office and remote work based on project and client needs, guided by company principles.
Family Inclusive Workplace: Certified commitment to supporting employee wellbeing through leading practices in flexible work, parental leave, and family care.
Flexible Personal Leave: Options for personal leave to accommodate life's unplanned moments.
Technology & Swag: Provision of necessary tools, including a new phone, laptop, and company merchandise.
Partnership Benefits: Opportunity to work with teams at the highest technical levels due to Mantel's elite partnerships.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with a flexible hybrid approach to working locations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "My Deal" program and the specific AI investment (Mantel AI Gateway, monthly budget) are significant differentiators for this role. The salary estimate is based on Australian market rates for senior design roles with specialized skills, adjusted for the AI/consulting focus. Superannuation (currently 11% in Australia) is typically in addition to the base salary.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: IT Professional Services / Technology Consulting, with a strong focus on emerging technologies like AI, Digital, Cloud, Data, and Security. Mantel is an AI-enabled consultancy.

Company Size: Growing rapidly across Australia & New Zealand, with a structure described as "flat" and "no hierarchy," emphasizing principles over bureaucracy. (Specific employee count not provided, but implies a dynamic, mid-to-large size consultancy).

Founded: November 2017, indicating a relatively young but fast-growing company with a modern operational approach.

Team Structure:

The Design team is integrated into "embedded squads" working directly with clients.
The company operates on a principle-based, flat structure, implying direct collaboration and less hierarchical decision-making.

Methodology:

AI-First Approach: Mantel positions itself as a fully AI-enabled technology consultancy, integrating AI into its core operations and client offerings.
Principle-Based Operations: Decisions and actions are guided by five core principles rather than rigid hierarchies or red tape.
Human-Centered Design: Despite the AI focus, there's a strong emphasis on maintaining human-centered design practices.
Agile and Lean: Comfort with Agile and Lean Startup environments is noted as important.

Company Website: https://careers.mantelgroup.com.au

📝 Enhancement Note: The "flat structure" and "principle-based organization" suggest a culture that values autonomy, initiative, and direct communication. For a Senior Product Designer, this means having the freedom to influence and innovate, but also the responsibility to drive outcomes independently and collaboratively. The AI-first approach is central to their identity.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer, indicating a leadership track within the design discipline. It requires significant consulting experience and hands-on expertise in a cutting-edge area (Generative AI). This level involves not just execution but also strategic input, mentoring, and contributing to internal capability development.

Reporting Structure: While Mantel emphasizes a flat structure, a Senior Designer would likely report to a Design Lead, Head of Design, or a similar senior figure within the consultancy, or directly to a client-side Product Owner/Manager when embedded. The emphasis is on cross-functional collaboration within squads rather than strict hierarchical reporting for day-to-day work.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer's impact is direct: shaping client product strategies and execution using advanced AI techniques to deliver tangible value and competitive advantage. They bridge the gap between ambition and practical implementation, driving client success and contributing to Mantel's reputation as an AI-first consultancy. This role directly influences revenue through successful client engagements and indirectly through contributions to business development and internal capability growth.

Growth Opportunities:

Specialization in AI Design: Deepen expertise in generative AI and agentic methodologies, becoming a recognized leader in this niche field within the consultancy.
Consulting and Strategic Leadership: Progress to roles with greater strategic influence, leading design streams on larger client programs, or managing design teams.
Internal Capability Building: Take on leadership roles in developing Mantel's design frameworks, training programs, and best practices, particularly in AI-driven design.
Business Development: Contribute to pre-sales activities, proposals, and client relationship management, potentially leading to client-facing leadership roles.
Cross-Disciplinary Exploration: Leverage Mantel's structure to explore adjacent areas like Data, Cloud, or Security from a design perspective, fostering a holistic understanding of technology impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path here is not solely about climbing a traditional ladder but about deepening specialized expertise (AI design) and expanding influence within a consulting framework, including client strategy and internal practice development. The "My Deal" program further supports personalized career growth.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment, with flexibility guided by principles and client needs. This means the "office" context can vary from client sites to Mantel's physical office spaces (Melbourne and Sydney) or a remote setup.

Office Location(s):

Level 2/452 Flinders St, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Squads: Expect to work closely with diverse, cross-functional teams (developers, product owners, strategists, AI specialists) both on-site at client locations and potentially remotely.
AI-Enabled Tools: Access to Mantels' AI Gateway and a budget for experimentation, indicating a technologically advanced and supportive workspace for AI-focused work.
Agile Environments: Familiarity with dynamic, fast-paced project environments common in consulting and agile development.

Work Schedule: Primarily a 40-hour work week, with the understanding that client needs and project timelines may require flexibility. The hybrid model allows for adaptation to different project requirements and personal preferences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature means candidates should be comfortable working in various settings and be self-directed. The emphasis on "making good choices" about workplace location suggests autonomy but also a need for strong communication and coordination with team members and clients.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: A review of your application, focusing on your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the role's core requirements, especially generative AI experience and consulting background.
Technical/Portfolio Review: A deeper dive into your portfolio with a design leader or senior team member. Expect to walk through specific projects, discussing your design process, problem-solving approaches, and how you've applied generative AI and agentic methodologies.
Behavioral & Situational Interview: Questions assessing your consulting experience, ability to work in cross-functional teams, leadership potential, and how you embody Mantel's five principles. Expect scenario-based questions about handling ambiguity, client management, and team collaboration.
Final Interview: Potentially with a senior stakeholder or partner, focusing on strategic thinking, cultural fit, and overall alignment with Mantel's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight AI Integration: Clearly showcase projects where generative AI was a key tool. Detail the specific AI models used, your prompt engineering approach, and the tangible impact on design outcomes or efficiency.
Demonstrate Systems Thinking: Use diagrams, case studies, or project descriptions to illustrate your ability to see the bigger picture beyond individual features.
Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs – e.g., improved user engagement, reduced task completion time, increased conversion rates. For AI-driven projects, quantify efficiency gains or novel capabilities enabled by AI.
Tell a Story: Structure your portfolio pieces as compelling narratives: the problem, your unique approach (especially with AI), the solutions, and the measurable results.
Showcase Consulting Acumen: Include examples that demonstrate client interaction, stakeholder management, and the ability to drive outcomes within a client-embedded model.

Challenge Preparation:

AI Design Challenge: Be prepared for a potential exercise involving a novel problem where you're asked to outline how you'd use generative AI to approach the design. This could involve sketching out potential AI-driven features, outlining research methods using AI, or proposing an agentic system.
Process Explanation: Practice articulating your design process clearly and concisely, especially how AI fits into it. Be ready to defend your methodological choices.
Principle Application: Think about how Mantel's five principles would guide your decision-making in various challenging scenarios.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize the "daily generative AI practice" requirement. Candidates should be ready to discuss specific tools, workflows, and outcomes related to AI in their design work. The portfolio review is critical for demonstrating this specialized skill.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Design Software: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD) or similar industry-standard tools for UX/UI design and prototyping.
Prototyping Tools: InVision, Principle, ProtoPie, or advanced prototyping features within Figma/Sketch.
Generative AI Platforms: Access to Mantel's AI Gateway (likely a curated suite of models like OpenAI's GPT-4, Anthropic's Claude, Google's Gemini, or specialized AI tools for design and coding). Candidates should be familiar with concepts of prompt engineering and AI model capabilities.
Collaboration Tools: Miro, Mural for whiteboarding and workshops; Slack, Microsoft Teams for communication.

Analytics & Reporting:

Experience with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to understand user behavior post-launch.

CRM & Automation:

While not a core focus for a Product Designer, understanding how designs integrate with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation platforms can be beneficial for end-to-end product thinking.
Awareness of design system management tools and processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "Mantel AI Gateway" and a "dedicated monthly budget" for AI experimentation is a significant indicator of the technology stack. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with various AI models and platforms, not just as a concept but as a practical design tool.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Principle-Based: Operate according to Mantel's five core principles (not explicitly listed but likely include integrity, collaboration, client focus, innovation, and excellence), prioritizing these over bureaucracy.
AI-First Innovation: A strong drive to leverage AI for client solutions and internal efficiency, encouraging experimentation and forward-thinking.
Human-Centered Design: A commitment to ensuring technology serves human needs, balancing AI capabilities with user experience and ethical considerations.
Collaboration and Respect: Fostering a supportive environment where colleagues and clients are treated with respect, compassion, and professionalism.
Autonomy and Ownership: Trusting individuals to "make good choices" and take ownership of their work and contributions.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Integration: Seamless collaboration within embedded client squads, working closely with product owners, developers, data scientists, and AI specialists.
Open Communication: Encouraging proactive communication of ideas, decisions, and feedback.
Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing: A culture of actively mentoring peers and contributing to the collective growth of the design team and the broader organization.
Workshop Facilitation: A proactive approach to facilitating collaborative sessions to drive alignment and generate ideas.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "five principles" are central to Mantel's culture. Candidates should research these principles on Mantel's website and be prepared to discuss how they would apply them in their daily work. The AI-first value implies a culture that embraces rapid technological change and innovation.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Rapidly Evolving AI Landscape: Staying abreast of the fast-paced advancements in generative AI and agentic methodologies, and identifying how to best leverage them in design.
Balancing AI Capabilities with Human-Centricity: Ensuring that AI-driven solutions remain user-friendly, ethical, and meet genuine human needs, rather than becoming overly automated or impersonal.
Client Education and Adoption: Guiding clients who may be new to AI concepts or hesitant to adopt cutting-edge technologies, demonstrating value and mitigating risks.
Ambiguity in Novel Problems: Tackling genuinely novel problems where established patterns may not exist, requiring strong problem-solving skills and adaptability.
Embedded Consulting Dynamics: Navigating client environments, managing expectations, and driving change within diverse organizational structures.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Deep AI Specialization: Become a leading expert in AI-driven product design through hands-on experience, internal training, and access to advanced AI tools and budgets.
Consulting Skills Enhancement: Develop advanced client management, strategic advisory, and business development skills within a professional services context.
Leadership Development: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and potentially move into management or leadership roles within Mantel.
Cross-Disciplinary Exposure: Gain insights into Cloud, Data, and Security domains, fostering a more holistic understanding of technology consulting.
Industry Engagement: Potential to represent Mantel at industry events or contribute to thought leadership in AI and design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Challenges" section highlights the cutting-edge nature of this role. Candidates should demonstrate an appetite for learning and an ability to navigate uncertainty, particularly in the AI space. The growth opportunities are tied to both technical specialization and broader consulting leadership.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

"Describe a recent project where you used generative AI in your design process. What tools did you use, what was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on process, tools, and impact).
"How do you ensure human-centered design principles are maintained when leveraging advanced AI tools?" (Assess balance between technology and user needs).
"Walk us through a complex product design challenge you faced in a consulting or embedded environment. How did you define the problem, what was your approach, and what were the results?" (Demonstrate consulting and problem-solving skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

"How do you align with Mantel's principle-based approach to work?" (Research their principles and prepare examples).
"What excites you most about Mantel's AI-first consultancy model?" (Show genuine interest and understanding).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

AI Focus is Key: Dedicate significant time to showcasing your generative AI projects. Be ready to discuss prompts, model capabilities, limitations, and how AI accelerated or transformed your design work.
Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visual aids effectively to demonstrate your UX/UI craft, systems thinking, and the evolution of your designs.
Quantify Everything: Wherever possible, present metrics that demonstrate the impact of your design solutions, especially those enhanced by AI.
Articulate Your Process: Clearly explain your end-to-end design journey for each case study, emphasizing any unique methodologies or problem-solving techniques.
Connect to Mantel's Principles: Frame your experiences and approaches in a way that aligns with Mantel's stated values and cultural approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to go deep on the "how" and "why" of your generative AI usage. Generic statements will not suffice; specific examples of prompts, AI outputs, and their integration into the design workflow are crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

Submit your application through the provided link on the Mantel Careers site.
Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature projects demonstrating your expertise in generative AI and agentic methodologies, alongside your consulting and end-to-end design capabilities.
Resume Optimization: Highlight relevant keywords such as "Generative AI," "Agentic Design," "Consulting," "UX/UI," "Systems Thinking," and "Cross-functional Collaboration." Quantify achievements with data where possible.
Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, especially your AI-driven workflows, and be ready to discuss how you embody Mantel's principles in your work. Prepare specific examples for behavioral and situational questions.
Company Research: Thoroughly review Mantel's website, focusing on their AI-first approach, their five principles, and their client success stories to demonstrate a genuine understanding of their business and culture.

⚠️ 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.

Senior Product Designer