Senior Product Designer
📍 Job Overview
Job Title: Senior Product Designer Company: Roo Location: Remote Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / UX/UI Date Posted: 2025-11-05 Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (4-8+ years) Remote Status: Fully Remote (Hybrid for San Francisco-based employees)
🚀 Role Summary
- Lead the design and development of user-centric features and product enhancements across web and mobile platforms, driving product growth and user engagement.
- Champion the creation and governance of robust design systems, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency in design execution across the organization.
- Act as a strategic design partner within cross-functional squads, collaborating closely with Product Management and Engineering to define product vision and shape strategic opportunities.
- Leverage user research and data analysis to measure the impact of design decisions, iterate on solutions, and continuously enhance user experience and business outcomes.
📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as "Senior Product Designer," indicating a need for significant ownership, strategic input, and potential mentorship capabilities. The emphasis on "shaping the overall product vision" and "defining design at Roo" suggests a hands-on role with strategic influence, rather than purely execution-focused. The inclusion of "Squad" implies an Agile development environment.
📈 Primary Responsibilities
- Drive product growth and user adoption by designing and delivering innovative features and enhancements for Roo's website, responsive web app, and mobile application.
- Serve as a strategic design lead within assigned product squads, actively contributing to the definition of product vision and roadmap in close partnership with Product Managers and Engineering leads.
- Develop, maintain, and govern comprehensive design systems, ensuring adherence to established patterns, components, and brand guidelines for consistent user experiences.
- Proactively identify and frame design challenges that may span multiple squads, ensuring alignment with overarching product strategy, business objectives, and user needs.
- Define and execute user research initiatives, including usability testing and qualitative interviews, to gather insights that inform design decisions and product strategy.
- Analyze design impact through data interpretation and performance metrics, iterating on solutions to optimize user satisfaction and achieve key business outcomes.
- Own and optimize critical user journeys, ensuring a seamless, intuitive, and high-quality experience across all customer touchpoints.
- Collaborate with Product Managers to co-lead research efforts, translating findings into actionable design recommendations and product improvements.
- Mentor and coach junior designers, providing guidance on problem framing, project structuring, and design best practices to foster team growth.
- Disseminate design insights, user feedback, and best practices across the company to cultivate a deeper, shared understanding of user needs and product opportunities.
- Stay abreast of emerging design trends, emerging technologies, and industry best practices to continuously elevate Roo's design standards and processes.
📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership ("strategic design lead," "shape the overall product vision") and execution ("designing and delivering new features," "create and help govern design systems"). The emphasis on "measure the impact of design decisions through research and data analysis" points to a data-driven approach to product design relevant to revenue operations and GTM strategies.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong understanding of human-computer interaction, design principles, and user-centered design methodologies is expected, often gained through formal education in Design, HCI, or related fields, or equivalent practical experience.
Experience: 4-8+ years of progressive experience in product design, with a proven track record of end-to-end design ownership and impact.
Required Skills:
- Demonstrated UX/UI expertise with a strong portfolio showcasing a range of product design projects and problem-solving approaches.
- Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools, with a strong emphasis on Figma.
- Experience in creating, maintaining, and scaling design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across multiple platforms.
- Solid understanding of user research methodologies and the ability to translate research findings into actionable design improvements.
- Ability to balance user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints to deliver effective design solutions.
- Experience in defining and framing complex design challenges and project scopes.
- Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams (Product Managers, Engineers, etc.).
- Adaptability and resilience to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment with evolving priorities.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience in the animal healthcare or B2B marketplace industry.
- Proficiency with additional design tools and prototyping software beyond Figma.
- Experience in coaching or mentoring junior designers.
- Familiarity with agile development methodologies and working within squads.
- Experience working with distributed or international teams.
📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of 4-8+ years positions this role at a mid-to-senior level, suggesting the candidate will be expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy and strategic input. The emphasis on Figma is a critical technical requirement for this role. The note about "shaping early product definitions" indicates a desire for a candidate who can contribute to product strategy from its inception.
📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design ownership, detailing your process from problem definition to final solution.
- Demonstrated examples of creating or contributing significantly to design systems, including components, guidelines, and their application.
- Case studies that clearly articulate design challenges, your approach, key decisions, and measurable outcomes (user experience improvements, business impact).
- Evidence of user research initiatives and how insights were integrated into the design process to drive product decisions.
- Prototypes or live examples of features/products designed, highlighting UX/UI expertise and interaction design skills.
Process Documentation:
- Showcase understanding of design thinking frameworks and user-centered design methodologies.
- Illustrate experience with iterative design processes, including wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and refinement.
- Demonstrate ability to collaborate within an Agile/Scrum framework, integrating design into sprint cycles.
- Examples of how you have documented design decisions, system guidelines, and user flows for cross-functional reference.
📝 Enhancement Note: A "strong portfolio demonstrating UX/UI expertise and end-to-end design ownership" is explicitly mentioned. This implies that candidates will be assessed not just on the visual output, but on their strategic thinking, problem-solving process, and ability to articulate impact. The portfolio should clearly demonstrate how the candidate has influenced product strategy and outcomes.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: The provided ranges suggest a competitive compensation for a Senior Product Designer in these tech hubs:
- California: $150,000 - $190,000 USD per year
- New York: $150,000 - $190,000 USD per year
- Washington: $135,000 - $170,000 USD per year
- Colorado: $125,000 - $160,000 USD per year
- Texas: $125,000 - $160,000 USD per year
- North Carolina: $120,000 - $150,000 USD per year
Benefits:
- Accelerated growth and learning potential within a rapidly expanding company.
- Stipends for home office setup, ensuring a productive remote work environment.
- Support for professional development through continuing education stipends.
- Monthly wellness stipends to support employee well-being.
- Comprehensive health benefits package, with the base medical plan covered at 100% and options for premium buy-up plans.
- 401K retirement savings plan.
- Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) to promote work-life balance.
- Generous paid leave for maternity, paternity, and reproductive care.
- Anniversary and birthday gifts to recognize employee milestones.
- Opportunities for domestic travel, including team-building events.
Working Hours: While the specific number of hours is not detailed, standard full-time employment implies approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility inherent in a remote-first culture.
📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges are provided for specific US states, indicating the company's commitment to pay transparency and competitive compensation based on location and experience. The extensive list of benefits highlights a strong focus on employee well-being, professional development, and work-life balance, which are attractive to experienced operations professionals seeking a supportive work environment.
🎯 Team & Company Context
🏢 Company Culture
Industry: Animal Healthcare Technology / B2B Labor Marketplace. Roo operates at the intersection of healthcare services and technology, aiming to disrupt the traditional staffing models within the veterinary industry through innovative digital solutions.
Company Size: Roo is a growing startup, indicated by the "small but mighty design team" and the emphasis on "fast-paced startup environment." This suggests a dynamic, agile, and potentially less hierarchical structure compared to larger, established corporations.
Founded: The company's founding date is not specified, but the description of shaking up an industry and leveraging Silicon Valley talent suggests a relatively modern, tech-centric approach to business.
Team Structure:
- The design team is described as "small but mighty," reporting to the Lead Product Designer.
- Product Designers are integrated into "squads," which are cross-functional teams typically comprising Product Managers, Engineers, and Designers.
- Collaboration is expected across different departments, including Product Management, Engineering, and potentially Marketing/Sales, to align on product vision and business goals.
Methodology:
- Roo emphasizes a data-driven approach to product development, using "research and data analysis" to inform design decisions and measure impact.
- Design processes are aligned with Agile methodologies, focusing on iterative development within squads.
- A "bias for urgency" and "drive measurable impact" are core values, suggesting a results-oriented culture focused on rapid iteration and tangible outcomes.
Company Website: www.roo.vet
📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to "shake up this industry" and their emphasis on "Silicon Valley talent" suggests an innovative, forward-thinking culture. The core values ("Bias to Urgency," "Drive Measurable Impact," "Seek Understanding," "Solve Customer Problems," "Have Fun") provide insight into expected behaviors and priorities for employees.
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Operations Career Level: This role is a Senior Product Designer, indicating a level of expertise and autonomy where individuals are expected to lead design initiatives, influence strategy, and potentially mentor junior team members. It signifies a step beyond individual contributor roles, moving towards design leadership within product squads.
Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer reports to the Lead Product Designer, forming part of a dedicated design team. Within their squad, they will work in close partnership with Product Managers and Engineering leads, contributing to shared product goals.
Operations Impact: Product design at Roo directly impacts revenue and business decisions by shaping the user experience for both veterinary professionals and hospitals. Effective design is crucial for user acquisition, retention, platform engagement, and ultimately, the company's ability to fulfill its mission and drive marketplace activity. The role is expected to "drive product growth" and "solve customer problems," directly linking design efforts to business outcomes.
Growth Opportunities:
- Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Lead Product Designer role or specialize in areas like design systems, research, or UX strategy.
- Skill Development: Opportunities to expand expertise in areas like B2B marketplaces, healthcare tech, and advanced user research through hands-on projects and company-provided stipends.
- Strategic Influence: As the company scales, there will be increasing opportunities to shape broader product strategy and contribute to the company's long-term vision.
- Mentorship: The role explicitly includes coaching junior designers, offering a path to develop leadership and mentoring skills.
📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and explicit mention of mentorship suggest a clear career progression path within the design function. The emphasis on impacting "business outcomes" and "product growth" aligns this design role with revenue-generating and operational efficiency goals common in GTM and RevOps contexts.
🌐 Work Environment
Office Type: Roo is a "remote first company." While this generally means a distributed workforce operating from various locations, there's a specific note for employees based in San Francisco, indicating they will have a "hybrid role." This suggests a potential for a physical office or co-working space in SF for those employees.
Office Location(s): The primary remote nature means employees can work from anywhere, but the mention of San Francisco implies a presence or focus there, potentially with a hybrid office option for local employees. The company also operates across US and international teams, indicating a global remote work culture.
Workspace Context:
- Remote Collaboration: Expect a highly collaborative environment that relies heavily on digital tools for communication, design, and project management.
- Technology Stack: Access to standard design tools like Figma, along with communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Zoom) and project management software (e.g., Jira, Asana).
- Team Interaction: While remote, the company fosters connection through opportunities for domestic travel for team-building events and encourages a culture of sharing insights across the company.
Work Schedule: As a full-time role in a remote-first company, there's likely flexibility in daily working hours, provided that core collaboration times and deadlines are met. The remote setup encourages work-life integration, supported by benefits like unlimited PTO.
📝 Enhancement Note: The "remote first" culture with a hybrid option for San Francisco-based employees indicates a modern, flexible work environment. This setup requires strong self-discipline, excellent asynchronous communication skills, and proficiency with remote collaboration tools, which are increasingly valuable skills in operations roles.
📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process
Interview Process:
- Initial Screening: Likely a brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
- Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Candidates will present their portfolio, showcasing their design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. This may be followed by a take-home design challenge or a live design exercise.
- Squad Collaboration Interview: An interview with Product Managers and Engineers from a squad to assess collaboration style, communication, and ability to integrate into a cross-functional team.
- Leadership Interview: A conversation with the Lead Product Designer and potentially other senior leaders to discuss strategic thinking, mentorship capabilities, and alignment with company values.
- Final Round/Offer: May involve a final discussion with a senior executive.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Tell a Story: Structure your portfolio around case studies that narrate a problem, your process, your contributions, and the resulting impact. Quantify outcomes with data whenever possible (e.g., "increased conversion by X%", "reduced task completion time by Y%").
- Highlight Process: Emphasize your design thinking, user research methodologies, and how you iterate based on feedback and data. Show wireframes, user flows, and prototypes.
- Showcase Design System Contribution: If you have experience with design systems, clearly articulate your role in their creation, maintenance, and governance. Demonstrate how you applied system components.
- Tailor to Roo: Research Roo's product and target audience. If possible, subtly tailor your presentation to highlight relevant skills and experiences that align with their mission in animal healthcare.
- Be Prepared for Figma: Expect to discuss your proficiency with Figma and potentially walk through a project within the tool.
Challenge Preparation:
- Understand the Problem: If given a design challenge, focus on deeply understanding the user problem and business context provided.
- Define Scope: Clearly articulate the assumptions you're making and the scope of your solution.
- Iterative Approach: Demonstrate a structured, iterative approach – sketching, wireframing, defining user flows, and considering edge cases.
- Justify Decisions: Be ready to explain the rationale behind every design decision, linking it back to user needs and business goals.
- Consider "How": Think about how your design would be implemented by engineers and integrated into existing systems.
📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on "end-to-end design ownership" and "shaping product vision," interviewers will likely probe for strategic thinking, problem-framing abilities, and the capacity to influence product direction. The portfolio is critical and should demonstrate not just aesthetic skill but also a deep understanding of user needs and business impact.
🛠 Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Tools:
- Figma: The core design tool for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and collaboration. Proficiency is essential.
- Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with other prototyping tools might be beneficial.
- User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting user interviews, usability testing, and surveys (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Typeform).
- Collaboration & Project Management: Tools like Slack, Zoom, Jira, Asana, or similar platforms for team communication and workflow management.
Analytics & Reporting:
- Product Analytics Tools: Experience with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics to understand user behavior and measure feature adoption.
- Data Visualization Tools: Familiarity with tools that help present design impact data, though direct use might be limited for a designer.
CRM & Automation:
- While not a primary design tool, understanding how designs integrate with CRM systems (like Salesforce, HubSpot) or marketing automation platforms can be beneficial for context.
📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned as a required proficiency. The role also implies the need to leverage data analytics tools to measure design impact, which is a key characteristic of operations-focused roles that prioritize data-driven decision-making.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Operations Values:
- Bias to Urgency: Expect a fast-paced environment where timely execution and responsiveness are valued.
- Drive Measurable Impact: Focus on delivering tangible results and demonstrating the value of design through data and user outcomes.
- Seek Understanding: A commitment to deep user empathy, thorough research, and cross-functional collaboration to gain comprehensive insights.
- Solve Customer Problems: A core focus on addressing the needs of veterinary professionals and hospitals through effective and innovative design solutions.
- Have Fun: An emphasis on fostering a positive and enjoyable work environment despite the challenges of a startup.
Collaboration Style:
- Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are expected to work closely within squads, collaborating daily with Product Managers and Engineers to co-create product.
- Open Communication: A culture that encourages sharing design insights across the company to foster broader understanding and alignment.
- Iterative Feedback Loops: Design is integrated into agile sprints, implying continuous feedback and iteration cycles with product and engineering teams.
📝 Enhancement Note: The company's explicitly stated core values provide a strong indicator of the expected work culture and employee behaviors. For operations professionals, understanding how these values translate into daily work, decision-making, and performance evaluation is crucial.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Challenges:
- Scaling Design Systems: As Roo grows, maintaining and scaling the design system across new features and platforms will be an ongoing challenge.
- Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing diverse inputs from Product Managers, Engineers, leadership, and users to create cohesive design solutions.
- Data Interpretation: Translating complex user data and analytics into actionable design improvements requires strong analytical and strategic skills.
- Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Ensuring effective communication, collaboration, and cultural cohesion within a distributed, remote-first team.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Advanced Design Skills: Deepen expertise in UX/UI, design systems, and user research through hands-on project work.
- Industry Growth: Gain valuable experience in the rapidly evolving animal healthcare technology and B2B marketplace sectors.
- Mentorship & Leadership: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and contribute to shaping the design function's strategic direction.
- Cross-Functional Exposure: Work closely with Product and Engineering, enhancing understanding of the full product development lifecycle.
- Professional Development Stipends: Utilize company-provided resources for courses, certifications, or conferences to enhance skills.
📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a growing startup in a competitive tech landscape. The growth opportunities are significant, particularly for individuals looking to impact product strategy and take on leadership responsibilities within a dynamic environment.
💡 Interview Preparation
Strategy Questions:
- "Describe a time you had to shape a product vision or strategy with your design input. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on strategic thinking, problem framing, and impact.)
- "How do you approach collaborating with Product Managers and Engineers on defining and delivering new features? Can you share an example of a successful cross-functional collaboration?" (Highlight communication, teamwork, and integration within squads.)
- "Walk us through a complex design problem you solved. What were the user needs, business goals, and your proposed solution? How did you measure its success?" (Demonstrate problem-solving methodology, user-centricity, and data-driven evaluation.)
Company & Culture Questions:
- "Based on our mission and values, how do you see yourself contributing to Roo's culture and success?" (Connect your work style and values to Roo's stated principles like "Bias to Urgency" and "Drive Measurable Impact.")
- "How do you handle working in a fast-paced startup environment with shifting priorities?" (Showcase adaptability, resilience, and a proactive approach.)
- "What is your approach to socializing design insights and advocating for user needs across different departments?" (Emphasize communication, influence, and cross-functional education.)
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level overview of your most impactful projects. For each case study, clearly state the problem, your role, your process, key decisions, and quantifiable results.
- Focus on Process: Detail your methodology – user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, testing, and iteration.
- Highlight Design System Work: If applicable, dedicate a section to your design system contributions, showing its application and benefits.
- Use Visuals Effectively: Ensure your presentation is visually engaging but not overwhelming. Use clear mockups, flow diagrams, and data visualizations.
- Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about any aspect of your portfolio, especially your decision-making process and the impact of your work.
📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will likely assess not only design craft but also strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to operate effectively within a startup's dynamic environment and a remote-first culture. Emphasizing quantifiable results and a clear, data-informed process will be key.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:
- Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.
- Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-4 of your strongest projects that best showcase end-to-end ownership, design system experience, and measurable impact. Tailor descriptions to highlight how your work aligns with Roo's mission in animal healthcare and their B2B marketplace.
- Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your 4-8+ years of experience, proficiency in Figma, design system contributions, and experience with user research and data analysis. Use keywords from the job description.
- Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio, focusing on storytelling, clear articulation of your process, and impactful results. Be ready to discuss your strategic contributions and how you approach problem-solving.
- Research Roo: Familiarize yourself with Roo's product, mission, and core values. Understand their target users (veterinary professionals and hospitals) and their market. Prepare thoughtful questions for the interviewers.
⚠️ 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.
Application Requirements
4-8+ years of experience in product design with a strong portfolio demonstrating UX/UI expertise is required. Proficiency in Figma and experience in creating and maintaining design systems are essential.