Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer Company: Tails.com Location: London, England, United Kingdom Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Product Design Date Posted: 2025-10-23T07:17:54 Experience Level: 5-10 years

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end product design process, from discovery and research to wireframing, prototyping, visual design, interaction design, and usability testing.
• Partner closely with Product Managers, User Researchers, Engineers, Content Specialists, and other cross-functional teams to shape product strategy and direction.
• Translate complex customer insights and data into usable, delightful, and impactful digital product experiences that solve real customer problems.
• Champion design excellence, setting high standards for visual and interaction design, and ensuring a cohesive customer experience across all digital touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer, indicating a need for a candidate with substantial experience (5-10 years) and the ability to not only execute design tasks but also to mentor junior designers and advocate for design thinking across the business. The emphasis on "end-to-end discovery" and "shaping product direction" suggests a strategic contribution beyond pure execution.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and participate in all phases of the product design lifecycle, including user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, visual design, interaction design, and usability testing.
• Collaborate effectively with Product Management, User Research, Engineering, Content, and other stakeholders to define product vision and strategy.
• Transform qualitative and quantitative customer insights into innovative, user-centered solutions that address identified customer needs and business objectives.
• Utilize design as a rapid learning and validation tool within a fast-paced, agile, and iterative product development environment.
• Present design concepts, rationale, user testing results, and strategic vision clearly and compellingly to cross-functional teams and senior leadership.
• Craft high-fidelity, polished user interfaces with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring aesthetic quality and functional integrity.
• Maintain and contribute to design systems, component libraries, and comprehensive design documentation to ensure scalability and consistency.
• Ensure seamless integration with brand guidelines and collaborate with Creative/Brand teams to uphold a cohesive brand experience across all customer touchpoints.
• Mentor and provide constructive feedback to Junior Product Designers, fostering their growth and sharing best practices in design craft.
• Act as a design advocate within the organization, elevating the understanding and appreciation of product design through compelling storytelling and presentations.
• Anticipate customer needs beyond explicit requirements, demonstrating a deep understanding of user motivations and behaviors.
• Proactively collect and interpret both qualitative and quantitative feedback to drive informed design decisions and product iterations.
• Stay abreast of emerging design practices, industry trends, and market conditions, including the strategic application of AI in design processes and product offerings.
• Challenge existing paradigms with creative problem-solving and a continuous improvement mindset to drive product innovation.
• Balance customer needs with business goals, ensuring designs support both excellent customer experiences and key commercial metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly outline a senior-level role that encompasses strategic input, mentorship, and cross-functional leadership, going beyond typical execution-focused design tasks. The emphasis on "shaping product direction" and "advocating for design" highlights the senior nature of the position.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio and relevant experience are prioritized, suggesting that formal education in Design, HCI, or a related field is beneficial but not strictly required if practical experience is substantial.

Experience: Minimum of 5+ years of professional product design experience, with a proven track record across all stages of the design and development lifecycle.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise across all phases of the product design process, from discovery and research to final UI implementation.
• A strong, compelling portfolio showcasing user-centered digital products with exceptional UI quality and measurable impact on user behavior or business metrics.
• Expert-level visual design skills, including a nuanced understanding of typography, color theory, layout principles, and micro-interactions.
• Advanced interaction design capabilities, with a deep understanding of usability principles, user flows, and intuitive navigation patterns.
• High proficiency in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design creation.
• Experience with prototyping tools and established processes for engineering handoff, ensuring smooth collaboration with development teams.
• Proven ability to contribute to and maintain design systems, component libraries, and design documentation to ensure consistent and scalable design quality.
• Strong understanding of usability testing methodologies and research synthesis; comfort in conducting independent research studies.
• Experience working with Product Management on ticket creation and specification writing, utilizing tools such as Jira and Confluence.
• Exceptional creative problem-solving abilities and a meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of design work.
• Comfort working within an ambiguous and rapidly changing product environment.
• A customer-obsessed mindset with the ability to effectively balance user needs with business objectives and commercial goals.
• Strong collaborative skills and the ability to build robust cross-functional relationships.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work autonomously while recognizing when to seek input and collaboration from others.

Preferred Skills:

• A strong creative or brand background, which can be beneficial for ensuring cohesive brand experiences across all touchpoints.
• Experience with a variety of user research methods and the ability to synthesize findings into actionable design recommendations.
• Familiarity with data analysis tools and techniques to interpret quantitative data and inform design decisions.
• Experience in the direct-to-consumer (DTC) or subscription-based service industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5+ years" experience requirement is specified, and the description implies a need for a candidate who can operate independently and mentor others, which is characteristic of a senior-level role. The explicit mention of Figma, Jira, and Confluence points to the essential toolset.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio is mandatory, showcasing a minimum of 5+ years of product design experience.
• Demonstrate a strong track record of creating user-centered products, emphasizing exceptional UI quality and demonstrable measurable impact.
• Include case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your design process, the solutions implemented, and the resulting outcomes (e.g., user behavior changes, business metric improvements).
• Highlight your skills in visual design, interaction design, and your approach to creating intuitive and delightful user interfaces.
• Showcase your understanding of user research and usability testing, detailing how you incorporated feedback into your design iterations.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of contributions to or creation of design systems, component libraries, and design documentation is expected.
• Showcase how you have used design as a tool for rapid learning and validation in iterative product development.
• Examples of how you have collaborated with engineering and other cross-functional teams, demonstrating effective design handoff processes.
• Showcase your approach to transforming customer insights (both qualitative and quantitative) into actionable design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description explicitly states "Strong portfolio demonstrating user-centered products with exceptional UI quality and measurable impact." This heavily implies that the portfolio is a critical component of the application and will be reviewed in detail, focusing on impact and user-centricity.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in London with 5-10 years of experience, and considering the company's backing by Purina and its DTC model, a competitive salary range is estimated between £60,000 - £85,000 per annum. This range is subject to variation based on the candidate's specific experience, skill set, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary, reviewed annually.
• Annual bonus, based on company performance.
• Flexible core working hours, promoting work-life balance.
• Hybrid working arrangement, offering flexibility between office and remote work.
• 25 days of holiday per year (excluding bank holidays), increasing with tenure up to a maximum of 27 days.
• A 9/10 day working week (implying a compressed work week for enhanced well-being without pay reduction).
• Optional 5 days of unpaid leave per year.
• 1 paid volunteer day each year.
• Opportunity to work from abroad for 2 weeks every 6 months.
• Health insurance provided by Tails.com.
• Extended maternity, paternity, shared parental, and adoption pay (6 months at 70% pay).
• Flexible paid care leave to support immediate dependants, close individuals, and pets.
• Access to an in-house Learning & Development (L&D) team with year-round courses.
• 50% discount on all Tails.com products.
• Discounted gym membership.

Working Hours: The role is advertised with "Flexible core hours" and a "9/10 day working week," suggesting a standard full-time commitment (likely around 40 hours per week, adjusted for the compressed week) with flexibility in daily start/end times, provided core operational hours are covered.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on typical Senior Product Designer compensation in London. The detailed benefits listed are directly extracted from the provided job description. The "9/10 day working week" is a unique benefit that warrants specific mention.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Pet Food Subscription Service (Direct-to-Consumer). Tails.com operates within the rapidly growing pet care and e-commerce sectors, leveraging data and personalization to disrupt traditional pet food markets. Company Size: While not explicitly stated, being backed by Purina and operating at a scale that requires a Senior Product Designer suggests a medium to large organization with established processes but still retaining a dynamic, growth-oriented culture. Founded: The founding date is not provided, but the company has established itself as a leader in its niche and has scaled significantly, indicating a mature yet innovative operational framework.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is described as strong and collaborative, working both independently and within cross-functional Product Squads.
• Squads typically include engineers, designers, researchers, data analysts, and QA professionals, fostering a multidisciplinary approach.
• Designers work within and across these Product teams and Squads, ensuring design thinking is integrated at various levels.
• The Senior Product Designer will mentor Junior Product Designers, indicating a clear hierarchy and development focus within the design function.

Methodology:

• A strong emphasis is placed on user-centered design, driven by both qualitative and quantitative data.
• The company operates in a fast-paced, iterative environment, valuing rapid learning and validation through design.
• Collaboration is key, with designers working closely with Product Managers, Researchers, and Engineers to shape product direction.
• A continuous improvement mindset is encouraged, with a focus on challenging the status quo and solving complex problems.
• Design systems and component libraries are utilized to ensure consistency and scalability.

Company Website: https://careers.tails.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's positioning as a disruptor in the pet food industry, backed by a major corporation, suggests a culture that balances innovation with structured execution. The description of cross-functional squads highlights a modern, collaborative approach to product development.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Product Design Career Level: This role is explicitly Senior Product Designer, signifying a level of responsibility and autonomy beyond mid-level positions. It involves leading design initiatives, mentoring junior team members, and contributing strategically to product direction. This level typically requires a deep understanding of user-centered design principles, strong execution skills, and the ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to the Head of Product and Design, as indicated by the interview process. They will also work closely with Product Managers within their respective squads and collaborate with fellow designers, including mentoring junior team members. This structure allows for both strategic oversight and hands-on collaboration.

Product Design Impact: The role is central to creating "product experiences that delight our customers" and has a direct impact on customer acquisition, retention, and satisfaction. By translating customer insights into valuable solutions, the Senior Product Designer influences customer loyalty and commercial outcomes, directly contributing to the company's revenue and growth objectives. The emphasis on balancing customer needs with business goals underscores this impact.

Growth Opportunities:

• Mentorship & Leadership: Opportunity to mentor Junior Product Designers, honing leadership and guidance skills.
• Strategic Influence: Contribute to product strategy and vision, gaining experience in high-level decision-making.
• Skill Development: Access to an in-house L&D team with year-round courses for continuous professional development in design, technology, and related areas.
• Cross-Functional Expertise: Deepen understanding of product management, engineering, and data analysis through close collaboration.
• Career Advancement: Potential to progress into Lead Product Designer, Head of Design, or related product leadership roles within Tails.com or the broader Purina ecosystem.
• Industry Exposure: Work in a unique DTC pet food niche with opportunities to explore emerging trends like AI in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities are inferred from the senior nature of the role, the mentorship responsibilities, and the company's commitment to L&D, suggesting a clear path for career progression within the design function and beyond.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as "Hybrid," indicating a mix of in-office and remote work. The company has a physical office located in Richmond, London. Office Location(s): Spencer House, Richmond, TW9 1BN, United Kingdom. This location is in a well-connected part of London.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The company emphasizes working in collaborative, cross-functional squads, suggesting a dynamic and interactive office space designed to facilitate teamwork.
• Tools & Technology: Designers will have access to industry-standard tools such as Figma, Jira, and Confluence, supported by potentially robust IT infrastructure.
• Team Interaction: The hybrid model allows for focused remote work while also encouraging in-person collaboration, team building, and knowledge sharing within the design team and across squads.

Work Schedule: The role offers "Flexible core hours" and a "9/10 day working week." This provides significant flexibility in structuring the workday and week, aiming to enhance employee well-being and work-life balance, while still ensuring operational needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Hybrid role" designation and the specific office address confirm the work environment. The combination of flexible hours and the 9/10 day week suggests a modern, employee-centric approach to work scheduling.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. CV Review: Initial screening by the Talent Acquisition team.
2. Talent Acquisition Call: A 30-minute call to discuss skills and experience.
3. Head of Product & Design Video Call: A 45-minute discussion with the Head of Product and Design.
4. Portfolio Presentation: A 60-minute session where candidates present their portfolio to a panel of interviewers.
5. Product Design & Product Management Team Meet & Greet: A 60-minute session to meet team members, followed by a final chat with the Head of Product and Design.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly define the problem statement, your role, the design process undertaken, key decisions made (and why), and the measurable outcomes achieved.
• Showcase Impact: Quantify the impact of your designs whenever possible. Use metrics related to user engagement, conversion rates, task completion, customer satisfaction, or business KPIs.
• Highlight User-Centricity: Emphasize how user research, testing, and feedback informed your design decisions at each stage.
• Demonstrate Craftsmanship: Present high-quality visuals, interactive prototypes, and a polished UI. Pay attention to detail in typography, color, layout, and micro-interactions.
• Tailor to the Role: Select projects that best demonstrate your experience in end-to-end design, strong UI/visual design, interaction design, and collaboration with cross-functional teams, aligning with the responsibilities of a Senior Product Designer at Tails.com.
• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design process, problem-solving approach, how you handle feedback, and how you balance user needs with business goals.

Challenge Preparation:

• The portfolio presentation itself serves as a key assessment. Be ready to articulate your design rationale, defend your decisions, and discuss trade-offs.
• Prepare to discuss how you would approach specific design challenges relevant to the Tails.com business (e.g., improving customer onboarding, enhancing the subscription management experience, designing for new product features).
• Practice clear and concise communication. Be ready to explain complex design concepts to a diverse panel, including non-designers.
• Understand the Tails.com business model and customer base to frame your portfolio examples and potential solutions effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The detailed interview process is provided. The portfolio presentation is a significant step, requiring candidates to prepare a structured narrative and be ready for in-depth questioning about their design process and impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Highly proficient use is required for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity UI design. This will be the core tool for design creation and collaboration.
• Prototyping Tools: Experience beyond Figma's built-in prototyping is beneficial for creating more complex or interactive prototypes for testing and stakeholder presentations.
• Design Systems: Experience in contributing to, maintaining, or utilizing design systems and component libraries is essential for ensuring design consistency and scalability.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Jira: Used for ticket creation, specification writing, and project management, facilitating collaboration with engineering and product teams.
• Confluence: Utilized for documentation, knowledge sharing, and detailed specification writing.
• Data Analysis Tools (Implied): While not explicitly named, the role requires leveraging both qualitative and quantitative data. Familiarity with tools that allow for data synthesis and interpretation (e.g., Amplitude, Google Analytics, internal dashboards) would be advantageous.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM (Implied): Understanding customer data and journey within a CRM context is likely beneficial, though specific CRM tools are not mentioned as a direct requirement for the designer.
• Collaboration Platforms: Tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams are standard for day-to-day communication and collaboration within cross-functional teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly called out as a primary tool. Jira and Confluence are mentioned for project management and documentation, indicating the workflow tools the designer will interact with. The need to use qualitative and quantitative data implies familiarity with analytics concepts and potentially associated tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Product Design Values:

• Customer Obsession: A deep-seated focus on understanding and meeting customer needs, driving the creation of delightful and valuable experiences.
• Excellence & Craftsmanship: A commitment to high-quality design, meticulous attention to detail in UI and interaction, and setting high standards for the team.
• Collaboration: A strong belief in teamwork, working effectively within cross-functional squads and across the design team to achieve shared goals.
• Continuous Improvement: A mindset of constantly seeking better solutions, challenging the status quo, and embracing rapid learning and iteration.
• Impact-Driven: A focus on creating designs that not only satisfy users but also contribute measurably to business objectives and commercial success.
• Advocacy for Design: Championing the value of product design across the entire business through clear communication and compelling storytelling.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are embedded within multidisciplinary squads (engineers, researchers, PMs, QA) to ensure design is integrated from conception through delivery.
• Feedback-Rich Environment: The design team works collaboratively, providing constructive feedback to challenge and elevate each other's work.
• Knowledge Sharing: Mentorship and sharing best practices are encouraged to foster growth across the design function.
• Agile & Iterative: Collaboration is structured around agile methodologies, valuing flexibility, rapid iteration, and adaptability to change.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values and collaboration style are synthesized from the description of the team's working methods, the emphasis on customer delight, and the mention of mentoring and cross-functional work.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Competing Priorities: Effectively balancing user needs, business objectives, technical constraints, and tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Navigating Ambiguity: Thriving in a dynamic startup-like environment (despite Purina backing) where requirements can evolve rapidly.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent understanding and buy-in for design decisions across diverse stakeholder groups (Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, Leadership).
• Scaling Design Quality: Maintaining high design standards and consistency as the product and team grow, leveraging design systems effectively.
• Measuring Design Impact: Clearly articulating and quantifying the ROI of design initiatives to stakeholders.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership & Mentorship: Developing leadership skills by mentoring junior designers and guiding design initiatives.
• Strategic Product Input: Gaining experience in shaping product strategy and contributing to high-level business decisions.
• Advanced Design Craft: Refining UI, interaction, and UX design skills through complex problem-solving and exposure to innovative practices.
• Industry Trends: Staying current with emerging design practices, including the potential integration of AI in design workflows and product features.
• Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge: Deepening understanding of product management, data analysis, and engineering through close collaboration.
• Formal Training: Access to an in-house L&D team offering year-round courses and development opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are identified based on the senior nature of the role, the hybrid work environment, and the company's growth phase. Growth opportunities are derived from the defined responsibilities and the company's stated commitment to employee development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Process & Problem Solving: Be prepared to walk through a specific design project from your portfolio, detailing your thought process, how you approached challenges, the trade-offs you made, and the impact. Expect questions like: "Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult design decision." or "How do you incorporate user feedback when it contradicts your initial design vision?"
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: Prepare examples of how you've worked with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders. Questions might include: "How do you handle disagreements with Product Managers or Engineers regarding design direction?" or "Describe a time you successfully influenced a cross-functional team with your design perspective."
• Customer-Centricity & Business Acumen: Be ready to discuss how you balance user needs with business goals. Questions could be: "How do you ensure your designs meet both customer delight and commercial objectives?" or "How would you approach designing a feature to increase customer retention for a subscription service like Tails.com?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• Research Tails.com: Understand their business model, target audience (dog owners), value proposition, and competitive landscape. Familiarize yourself with their current product and brand.
• Design Philosophy: Be prepared to articulate your personal design philosophy and how it aligns with Tails.com's focus on customer delight and data-driven design.
• Team Dynamics: Consider how you would integrate into a hybrid, collaborative team environment and contribute positively to the design culture. Discuss your experience with mentoring or leading.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: Structure your presentation around compelling narratives for 2-3 key projects. Clearly define the problem, your role, your process, your solutions, and the results.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use high-quality visuals, interactive prototypes, and clear explanations. Focus on why you made specific design choices.
• Quantify Impact: Highlight metrics and outcomes. If exact numbers aren't available, discuss the intended impact and how you would measure it.
• Be Concise and Engaging: Allocate time effectively for each project and for Q&A. Practice your delivery to ensure clarity and confidence.
• Address the Role: Select projects that best demonstrate your senior-level capabilities, UI/UX expertise, and experience with customer-centric digital products.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides tactical advice tailored to a Senior Product Designer role, emphasizing portfolio presentation, understanding the business context, and preparing for specific types of interview questions common in design hiring processes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided careers link on Tails.com.
• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to highlight 2-3 of your most relevant projects that demonstrate end-to-end design ownership, strong UI/visual design skills, user-centric problem-solving, and measurable impact. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates your role and contributions.
• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 5+ years of product design experience, proficiency in Figma, and success in cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description such as "user-centered," "UI quality," "measurable impact," "design systems," and "customer insights."
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, rationale, and outcomes for your portfolio projects. Prepare answers for behavioral questions focusing on collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership.
• Company Research: Thoroughly research Tails.com's business, mission, target audience, and current product offerings. Understand their approach to customer experience and data-driven design.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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