Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Planet

Location: Graz, Styria, Austria

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / Geospatial Technology

Date Posted: 2026-04-24

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

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in-office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end product design process for sophisticated geospatial web applications, transforming complex satellite data into actionable intelligence for critical decision-making.

• Architect and define intuitive, high-performance user interfaces for a next-generation monitoring platform, with a focus on GIS, data visualization, and AI-powered tools.

• Drive user research, usability testing, and interaction design to ensure a seamless and powerful user experience for diverse customer segments, including Defense & Intelligence and Global Monitoring Services.

• Collaborate closely with product management and engineering teams to translate technical requirements into exceptional user-centered designs, contributing to a robust frontend architecture and design system.

• Play a pivotal role in shaping and elevating Planet's design culture through mentorship, advocacy for design best practices, and fostering a collaborative environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a "Senior Product Designer" but given the focus on geospatial applications, data visualization, AI, and enterprise SaaS, it strongly aligns with roles typically found in Revenue Operations (RevOps), Sales Operations (SalesOps), or GTM Operations departments that require deep analytical and user-centric design thinking for complex platforms. The emphasis on transforming data into actionable insights and improving user workflows suggests a strong connection to operational efficiency and revenue enablement.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product Design Ownership: Spearhead the complete product design lifecycle, from initial user research and ideation through rapid prototyping, high-fidelity design, and continuous iteration based on user feedback and performance metrics.

• Geospatial Interface Design: Develop intuitive, powerful, and scalable geospatial interfaces that effectively translate complex satellite imagery and derived data into clear, actionable intelligence for tactical decision-making and global-scale analytics.

• User Research & Validation: Conduct lightweight user research, usability testing, and user interviews in close collaboration with product managers and stakeholders to gather critical insights, synthesize findings, and drive data-informed design decisions.

• UI Architecture & Design Systems: Define, architect, and maintain the interaction patterns, user flows, and core components of Planet's monitoring platform's design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and adherence to accessibility standards.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner effectively with product management, engineering, data science, and other cross-functional teams to ensure the successful implementation of designs, maintain high design quality, and align user experience with business objectives.

• Culture & Mentorship: Contribute to building and elevating Planet's design culture by sharing best practices, mentoring junior designers, advocating for user-centered design principles, and fostering a collaborative and innovative design environment.

• AI Integration in Design: Explore and leverage AI tools for creative ideation, design generation, and enhancing the user experience within the geospatial platform, staying at the forefront of technological advancements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a key requirement for operations professionals: the ability to translate complex data into actionable insights. For a Senior Product Designer in this context, it means not just creating interfaces but designing systems that drive operational efficiency, improve data utilization, and ultimately impact revenue generation through better decision-making capabilities for Planet's clients.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 6+ years of professional experience in digital product design, with a strong emphasis on designing and launching complex technical, SaaS, or B2B products.

Required Skills:

• UX/UI Design: Expertise in user experience and user interface design principles, with a focus on creating intuitive and effective digital products.

• Interaction Design: Ability to design complex user flows, microinteractions, and system behaviors that enhance usability and efficiency.

• Rapid Prototyping: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes to test design concepts, gather feedback, and communicate design intent.

• Accessibility Standards: Strong understanding and application of WCAG and other accessibility guidelines to ensure products are usable by everyone.

• Visual Design Principles: Mastery of visual design elements, including typography, color theory, layout, and brand consistency.

• Figma Proficiency: Advanced skills in Figma for design, prototyping, and collaboration, including experience with complex file structures and components.

• Enterprise Design Systems: Experience in defining, building, or contributing to enterprise-level design systems, ensuring scalability and consistency across products.

• User Research & Usability Testing: Capability to conduct lightweight user research, synthesize findings, and translate them into actionable design improvements.

• Agile & Ambiguous Environments: Ability to work effectively and deliver high-quality design solutions in fast-paced, undefined, and ambiguous environments.

Preferred Skills:

• Geospatial Data & GIS: Advanced experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), geospatial data formats, mapping technologies, and remote sensing principles.

• Data Visualization: Proven experience designing effective and informative data visualizations, especially for complex, multi-dimensional datasets.

• AI-Native Mindset: Experience or strong interest in utilizing AI tools for creative ideation, design generation, or integrating AI-driven features into product design.

• SaaS & B2B Product Development: Deep understanding of the nuances of designing for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and Business-to-Business (B2B) markets.

• Systemic Problem Solving: Demonstrated ability to identify, communicate, and solve complex, systemic design challenges.

• Stakeholder Management: Skill in balancing user needs with business requirements and effectively communicating design decisions to diverse stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations candidates, demonstrating a portfolio that includes case studies on process optimization, workflow streamlining, or improving data accessibility through design will be highly valuable. Highlighting experience with enterprise-level tools and systems, and their direct impact on user efficiency and decision-making, will resonate strongly with the hiring team.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies of complex digital products you've designed from conception to launch, clearly illustrating your design process, problem-solving approach, and the measurable impact of your work.

• Geospatial/Data Focus: Prioritize projects that involve complex data visualization, geospatial interfaces, or enterprise SaaS applications, demonstrating your ability to handle intricate information and translate it into user-friendly experiences.

• Process Documentation: Clearly articulate your design methodology, including user research activities, ideation techniques, prototyping tools and strategies, and how you iterated based on feedback and data.

• Systemic Design Thinking: Include examples that demonstrate your ability to think systemically, design for scalability, and contribute to or leverage enterprise design systems.

• Impact & Metrics: Quantify the impact of your design solutions whenever possible, using metrics such as user adoption rates, task completion efficiency, user satisfaction scores, or improvements in data utilization.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Demonstrate how you've mapped out user workflows, identified friction points, and designed solutions to streamline processes and improve efficiency for end-users and internal stakeholders.

• System Implementation & Integration: Provide examples of how your designs integrate with existing or new technology stacks, and how you've considered the technical feasibility and implementation challenges.

• Performance Analysis & Iteration: Show how you've used data and user feedback post-launch to analyze performance, identify areas for improvement, and drive iterative design enhancements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations-minded candidates, framing portfolio pieces around "optimizing user workflows," "enhancing data accessibility for decision-making," or "driving operational efficiency through intuitive design" will be highly effective. Highlighting the ROI of design decisions, even indirectly, will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Estimated Range: €70,000 - €95,000 per year (Gross Annual Salary)

• Methodology: This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in technology companies within major European tech hubs, considering the hybrid work model and the specific technical demands of designing geospatial SaaS applications. Factors such as the company's global presence, equity offerings, and the specialized nature of the role contribute to this range. Local market data for Austria (Graz) was also consulted, with adjustments for the company's international standing and the senior level of the position.

Benefits:

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, public holidays, and company-wide days off for well-deserved rest and rejuvenation.

• Employee Wellness Program: Comprehensive programs and resources to support physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

• Home Office Reimbursement: Support for setting up an ergonomic and productive home workspace.

• Monthly Phone and Internet Reimbursement: Contribution towards essential communication and connectivity costs.

• Tuition Reimbursement & LinkedIn Learning: Investment in your continuous professional development, with access to extensive online learning resources.

• Equity: Opportunity to own a part of Planet through stock options or grants, aligning your success with the company's growth.

• Volunteering Paid Time Off: Encouragement and time allocated to give back to the community.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with flexibility to manage work effectively within the hybrid model, ensuring alignment with team collaboration needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate for a Senior Product Designer in a European tech hub. For candidates coming from operations backgrounds, it's important to note how this role contributes to revenue generation through enhanced product adoption and client satisfaction, which can influence overall compensation discussions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Space Technology, Earth Observation, Data Analytics, SaaS

Company Size: 500-1000 Employees (as per LinkedIn data)

Founded: 2010

Team Structure:

• Design Team: The design team at Planet is likely structured to support various product lines and initiatives, with Senior Designers taking ownership of key product areas. They operate with a high degree of autonomy while collaborating closely with dedicated product and engineering pods.

• Reporting Structure: Senior Product Designers typically report into a Design Lead, Head of Design, or Director of Product. They work in cross-functional "squads" or "pods" comprising Product Managers, Engineers, and other specialists, fostering direct collaboration.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Collaboration is central to Planet's operations. Designers work hand-in-hand with Product Managers to define strategy and requirements, with Engineers to ensure feasibility and high-quality implementation, and with Data Scientists to understand the nuances of the geospatial data being visualized.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Decisions are heavily influenced by data, including user analytics, performance metrics, and insights from user research, leading to iterative improvements.

• Agile & Iterative Development: The company embraces agile methodologies, allowing for rapid iteration, continuous delivery, and adaptation to evolving market needs and customer feedback.

• User-Centricity: A strong emphasis is placed on understanding user needs and pain points, ensuring that the products designed solve real-world problems effectively.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Planet's mission-driven nature suggests a culture that values individuals who are passionate about making a tangible impact. For operations professionals, this means aligning with a purpose that transcends typical business objectives, focusing on how technology can solve global challenges.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer

Reporting Structure:

Operations Impact:

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in geospatial design, AI-driven design tools, or complex enterprise data visualization.

• Leadership: Transition into a Design Lead role, managing a team of designers and overseeing larger product areas, or move into a Product Management track.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Develop a strong understanding of product strategy and engineering, potentially moving into Product Management or GTM roles focused on user adoption and enablement.

• Skill Development: Access to continuous learning resources, industry conferences, and challenging projects to expand technical and strategic design skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: For candidates transitioning from operations, this role offers a unique opportunity to leverage analytical skills in a user-centric design context. Growth opportunities can be framed around becoming a domain expert in geospatial technology's application to business operations and revenue enablement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, requiring 3 days per week in the office. This suggests a blend of focused individual work and collaborative team interaction.

Office Location(s): Graz (Austria), Berlin (Germany), Haarlem (The Netherlands), Ljubljana (Slovenia). This role is specifically for the Graz office.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model encourages face-to-face interaction for brainstorming, design critiques, and team alignment, fostering a strong sense of community and shared purpose.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (Figma), prototyping tools, and collaboration platforms (e.g., Slack, Jira, Confluence) is expected. The company's focus on data means robust data analysis and visualization tools are likely available.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with product managers, engineers, and other designers through stand-ups, design reviews, and cross-functional meetings.

Work Schedule:

• The hybrid nature allows for flexibility in managing work hours, balancing in-office collaboration days with remote work. Standard business hours in the CET timezone are expected, with potential for some flexibility to accommodate global team needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment is typical for many modern tech companies and allows for a balance between focused work and team synergy. For operations roles, this structure can be beneficial for managing complex projects that require both deep concentration and collaborative problem-solving.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and Planet's mission.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A session where candidates present their portfolio, discussing their process, design decisions, and impact. This may be followed by a take-home design challenge or an in-person/virtual whiteboarding session focused on a specific problem.

• Team Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other Designers to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, problem-solving abilities, and fit within the team dynamic.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final interview with the hiring manager to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and leadership potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your process, the constraints you faced, your key design decisions, and the measurable impact of your solution.

• Focus on Process: Highlight your thinking – how you approached the problem, researched users, iterated on ideas, and made trade-offs. This is as important as the final visuals.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. For operations-focused candidates, this means showing how your design improved efficiency, reduced errors, or drove user adoption.

• Tailor to Planet: Show an understanding of Planet's mission, products, and target audience. If possible, include a speculative project or redesign related to geospatial data or satellite imagery that showcases your interest and capabilities.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, how you handle feedback, your collaboration style, and how you'd approach specific challenges at Planet.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, thoroughly understand the problem statement, target users, and business goals.

• Structure Your Approach: Outline your strategy before diving into solutions. This might involve defining user personas, user journeys, key features, and then moving to wireframes and mockups.

• Communicate Your Thinking: Clearly articulate your rationale for each design decision. Explain your trade-offs and why you chose certain solutions over others.

• Consider Operations Impact: Think about how your design will impact user workflows, data utilization, and overall operational efficiency for Planet's customers.

📝 Enhancement Note: For candidates with operations backgrounds, emphasize how your analytical skills and understanding of business processes translate into designing user-friendly interfaces that drive operational efficiency and revenue. Use portfolio examples to demonstrate this connection.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is essential.

• Design System Tools: Experience with tools used for managing and scaling design systems (e.g., Storybook, Zeplin) might be beneficial.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's built-in capabilities, experience with tools like ProtoPie or Axure for more complex interactions could be a plus.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude for tracking user behavior and product performance.

• Data Visualization Tools: Experience with tools like Tableau, Power BI, or custom-built dashboards for analyzing user data and product metrics.

• Reporting Dashboards: Ability to use or contribute to the creation of dashboards that track key design and product KPIs.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a direct design tool, understanding how products integrate with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) is valuable for B2B SaaS.

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

• Collaboration Platforms: Slack for real-time communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, highlighting experience with data analysis tools, CRM systems, and project management software will demonstrate transferable skills. Emphasizing how design impacts the adoption and effective use of these operational tools for end-users will be key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to Planet's overarching mission of using space to help life on Earth, fostering a sense of purpose beyond profit.

• Data-Driven: A culture that values evidence-based decision-making, utilizing data from user behavior, market analysis, and product performance to inform design and strategy.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication, knowledge sharing, and a collaborative spirit across teams and departments to achieve shared goals.

• Innovation & Agility: Embracing new ideas, experimenting with new technologies (like AI), and adapting quickly to change in a fast-paced industry.

• Belonging & Inclusivity: A commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are embedded within product teams, working closely with Product Managers and Engineers in an agile, iterative fashion. This ensures designs are technically feasible and aligned with business objectives.

• Design Critiques & Feedback: A culture of constructive feedback through regular design critiques and peer reviews, aimed at elevating the quality of work and fostering learning.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement of sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across the design team and with other departments through presentations, documentation, and informal discussions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Planet's emphasis on its mission and "Belonging" suggests a culture that values individuals who are not only skilled but also aligned with the company's purpose and committed to creating an inclusive environment. Operations professionals can highlight their ability to drive efficiency and achieve results while contributing to a positive and collaborative team dynamic.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Geospatial Data: Designing intuitive interfaces for highly complex, multi-layered geospatial and satellite data requires deep understanding and creative problem-solving.

• Balancing Tactical & Strategic Needs: Evolving the platform for both immediate tactical decision-making (e.g., defense) and long-term strategic analytics requires designing for diverse user needs and workflows.

• Scalability & Performance: Ensuring design solutions remain performant and scalable as the platform and data volume grow significantly.

• Rapidly Evolving Technology: Staying ahead of advancements in AI, machine learning, and geospatial technologies to integrate them effectively into product design.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Domain Expertise: Opportunity to become a deep expert in geospatial technology, Earth observation, and their application in various industries.

• AI & Emerging Technologies: Hands-on experience with integrating AI into product design and exploring new technological frontiers.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into design leadership roles, mentoring teams and shaping product strategy.

• Industry Exposure: Access to conferences, workshops, and professional development resources to stay current with design trends and industry best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, these challenges represent opportunities to apply their analytical and problem-solving skills to complex, real-world problems with significant impact. The growth opportunities align well with a career path focused on driving strategic initiatives through user-centered design and technology adoption.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• How would you approach designing a feature for near real-time monitoring of specific geographic regions, considering potential data latency and user needs for immediate alerts?

• Describe a time you had to design for a complex dataset or technical system. What was your process, and what challenges did you overcome to make it user-friendly?

• How would you balance the needs of a tactical user (e.g., defense analyst) with those of a strategic user (e.g., environmental researcher) on the same platform?

Company & Culture Questions:

• What interests you about Planet's mission and our work in geospatial technology?

• How do you contribute to a positive and inclusive team culture?

• Describe your experience working in a fast-paced, evolving environment. How do you manage ambiguity?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, aim for a clear structure: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Impact.

• Highlight Operational Impact: Explicitly connect your design decisions to user efficiency, data utilization, or improved decision-making capabilities for the end-user.

• Showcase Your Toolkit: Be ready to discuss the specific tools and methods you used (Figma, research techniques, prototyping) and why you chose them.

• Demonstrate Problem-Solving: Focus on the challenges you faced and how you creatively overcame them, showcasing your resilience and analytical approach.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your decisions, alternative approaches, and how you would apply your skills to Planet's specific challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Operations candidates should prepare to discuss how their experience in optimizing processes, analyzing data, and understanding business workflows directly translates into creating effective and valuable user experiences for Planet's customers. Emphasize how design can be a tool for operational excellence.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Greenhouse portal via the provided link.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects demonstrating expertise in complex data visualization, geospatial interfaces, enterprise SaaS, and end-to-end design processes. Highlight case studies that showcase problem-solving and impact on user efficiency.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 6+ years of experience in digital product design, your proficiency with Figma and design systems, and any experience with SaaS, B2B, or data-heavy applications. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, rationale, and the impact of your work. Prepare to discuss how your skills align with Planet's mission and the specific challenges of designing geospatial applications. Be ready to present your portfolio.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Planet's mission, products, and target markets. Understand their approach to data and their position in the space technology industry. This will help you tailor your application and interview responses, demonstrating genuine interest and understanding.

⚠️ 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.