Senior Product Designer, Discovery & Recommendations

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer, Discovery & Recommendations Company: Chewy Location: Bellevue, Washington, United States Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / User Experience Date Posted: 2025-08-06T21:30:47 Experience Level: Senior (5+ years) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on enhancing the product discovery journey for millions of pet parents by designing intuitive and innovative digital experiences across search, browse, personalized recommendations, and intelligent product support tools.
• The Senior Product Designer will leverage a deep understanding of user needs, data insights, and algorithmic intelligence to create scalable and personalized customer experiences within a large e-commerce platform.
• Key responsibilities include leading design projects from concept to execution, collaborating closely with product management, engineering, data science, and business intelligence teams, and contributing to a cohesive design system.
• The position requires a strong portfolio demonstrating high-impact product design work, excellent communication and storytelling skills, and a passion for mentoring and elevating design quality within a collaborative team environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is situated within Chewy's Design & Research team, specifically focused on the 'Discovery Experience'. The emphasis on 'Discovery & Recommendations' and the mention of 'algorithmic intelligence' and 'machine learning models' strongly suggest a role that interfaces heavily with data science and engineering teams to translate complex data outputs into user-friendly interfaces. This is a critical aspect for operations professionals to grasp, as it implies a need for understanding how data and algorithms influence user journeys and require robust system thinking in design.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Craft end-to-end user journeys that empower customers to easily find desired products, encompassing design for search bars, curated collections, and AI-powered recommendation modules.
• Drive innovation by collaborating with product, engineering, business intelligence, and data science teams to blend user intuition with algorithmic intelligence in experience design.
• Develop adaptable UX frameworks and scalable design solutions that support evolving machine learning models and a rapidly expanding product catalog for a large e-commerce business.
• Lead design projects throughout their lifecycle, from initial discovery and wireframing to user research testing, high-fidelity visual design, and partnership on final implementation with engineering teams.
• Design within and contribute to the evolution of a scalable design system, ensuring a cohesive and consistent customer experience across multiple platforms and devices.
• Present design work clearly and persuasively to a range of stakeholders, including cross-functional partners and senior leadership up to the C-suite.
• Mentor and inspire fellow designers by sharing standard design processes, providing constructive feedback, and championing overall design quality and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design thinking and hands-on execution, typical for a senior role. The emphasis on "end-to-end journeys," "algorithmic intelligence," and "scalable design frameworks" indicates a need for a designer who can think about systems, not just individual screens. This requires an understanding of how design decisions impact underlying data models and recommendation logic, a crucial aspect for operations-minded professionals.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a closely related field.
• Equivalent professional experience in UX/product design will be considered in lieu of a formal degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in User Experience (UX) Design, Product Design, Interaction Design, or Information Architecture.
• Demonstrated experience working on large-scale e-commerce or retail platforms, understanding the complexities of high-traffic digital storefronts.
• Proven experience with personalized, data-informed design experiences, particularly those powered by machine learning (ML) models or recommendation engines.
• Familiarity and practical experience with A/B testing and other experimentation frameworks to validate design hypotheses and drive continuous improvement.
• A strong portfolio showcasing high-impact, customer-centric, and scalable product design work is essential, demonstrating a track record of successful project delivery.

Required Skills:

• User Experience (UX) Design: Expertise in designing intuitive and effective user flows and interactions.
• Product Design: Ability to translate business requirements and user needs into compelling product experiences.
• Interaction Design: Skill in defining how users interact with digital products, ensuring usability and engagement.
• Data-Informed Design: Proficiency in utilizing user data, analytics, and insights to guide design decisions and optimize experiences.
• E-commerce Platforms: Deep understanding of e-commerce principles, customer journeys, and conversion optimization strategies.
• Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional ability to articulate design concepts, rationales, and outcomes clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
• Systems Thinking: Capacity to design within and contribute to complex, interconnected systems and design languages.

Preferred Skills:

• Machine Learning (ML) & Recommendation Engines: Understanding of how ML models and recommendation engines function and how to design effectively around them.
• Search Algorithms & Personalization Systems: Familiarity with search functionalities and personalization techniques to enhance product discovery.
• Information Architecture: Skill in organizing and structuring content and features for optimal user navigation and findability.
• Visual Design: Strong aesthetic sensibility and ability to create visually appealing and on-brand interfaces.
• Mentoring: Experience in guiding and developing less experienced designers and contributing to team growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for experience with "personalized, data-informed design experiences" and "recommendation engines, search algorithms, or personalization systems" is critical. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they've used data and technology to improve discovery. This points to a need for analytical thinking and an understanding of how design integrates with backend systems, a core competency in operations roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• High-Impact Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 detailed case studies demonstrating end-to-end product design process from problem definition to solution and impact.
• Customer-Centricity: Clearly articulate the user problems addressed and how the design solutions met user needs effectively.
• Data & Metrics Integration: Present how data (user research, analytics, A/B test results) informed design decisions and demonstrate the measurable impact of your work using key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Scalability & Systems Thinking: Include examples of designing for scale, contributing to design systems, or creating adaptable frameworks that support evolving product catalogs or features.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Highlight instances where you partnered effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Scientists, and other stakeholders to bring designs to life.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Provide examples of how you've mapped, analyzed, and optimized user workflows to improve efficiency and user satisfaction in discovery journeys.
• System Integration & Collaboration: Demonstrate how your designs integrated with backend systems or technical constraints, and how you communicated these needs to engineering and data science teams.
• Experimentation & Iteration: Showcase your process for designing experiments (e.g., A/B tests) and iterating on designs based on performance data and user feedback to drive continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on discovery and recommendations, a portfolio that demonstrates an understanding of how design interacts with data and algorithms is paramount. Candidates should be ready to discuss the "why" behind their design choices, linking them to user behavior, data insights, and business objectives. Explicitly showing how they've influenced or been influenced by recommendation engines or search algorithms will be a significant advantage.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• The provided base salary range for this position is $149,000 - $245,000 USD per year.
• The specific salary offered will be determined based on factors such as the candidate's relevant experience, education, and work location, aligning with Chewy's compensation philosophy.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, Prescription (Rx), Vision, and Dental insurance plans.
• Life & Disability Insurance: Including Life, Disability, Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, and Accident insurance for robust protection.
• Family Support: Parental Leave, Family Services Benefits, and Backup Dependent Care services.
• Financial Wellness: Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), telemedicine services, and employee assistance programs.
• Perks & Discounts: Pet Adoption Reimbursement, employee discounts (e.g., 20% off at Chewy.com), and pet insurance discounts.
• Retirement & Equity: Eligibility for 401k plan and both new hire and annual equity grants.
• Time Off: Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) for exempt salary team members, subject to manager approval, plus six paid holidays per year. Paid sick and family leave may be available in compliance with local regulations.

Working Hours:

• This is a full-time position, typically requiring approximately 40 hours per week.
• The role operates under a hybrid work arrangement, requiring 3 days per week in the designated hub location.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is quite broad, reflecting the senior nature of the role and the potential for varied experience levels. Candidates should research typical senior product designer salaries in the Bellevue, WA area to benchmark their expectations. Chewy's extensive benefits package, particularly those related to family support and pet care, is a significant perk that aligns with their brand identity and should be considered by applicants.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: E-commerce / Pet Supplies / Retail Technology Company Size: Chewy is a large, publicly traded company, indicating a significant operational scale and a structured corporate environment. This means opportunities for working with established processes and potentially influencing large-scale systems, but also a need for navigating corporate structures. Founded: Chewy was founded in 2011, establishing it as a significant player in the online pet retail space with a history of growth and innovation.

Team Structure:

• The Design & Research team is a key function within Chewy, working collaboratively to shape the customer experience across all digital touchpoints.
• As a Senior Product Designer, you will likely report to a Design Manager or Lead and work within a pod structure alongside Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, and Data Scientists focused on specific product areas like discovery and recommendations.
• Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone of Chewy's approach, requiring close partnerships with teams responsible for data science, business intelligence, product management, and engineering to deliver integrated solutions.

Methodology:

• Chewy emphasizes a customer-centric approach, leveraging data and user research to inform design decisions and drive product development.
• The company likely employs agile methodologies, with a focus on iterative development, A/B testing, and continuous improvement of user experiences.
• Designers are expected to contribute to and leverage a unified design system, ensuring consistency and efficiency across the Chewy platform.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Chewy's mission to be the most trusted and convenient online destination for pet parents is a strong guiding principle. For a designer, this means a focus on usability, reliability, and creating delightful experiences for a passionate customer base. Understanding this customer-centricity is key to aligning with the company's values and strategic direction.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, indicating a level of expertise and autonomy. It requires not only strong design execution but also the ability to influence strategy, mentor junior designers, and manage complex projects. Reporting Structure: You will likely report to a Design Lead or Manager within the Product Design organization. Collaboration will be extensive with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, Data Scientists, and Business Intelligence teams. Operations Impact: Your work directly impacts how millions of customers discover and purchase products, significantly influencing customer acquisition, engagement, and ultimately, revenue. By optimizing discovery and recommendations, you'll drive key business metrics such as conversion rates, average order value, and customer lifetime value.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership within Design: Potential to grow into a Lead Product Designer or Design Manager role, overseeing specific product areas or teams.
• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in areas like personalization, AI-driven experiences, or large-scale e-commerce UX.
• Cross-functional Influence: Develop skills in influencing product strategy and roadmap decisions by effectively communicating design insights and advocating for the user.
• Mentorship and Training: Formal and informal opportunities to mentor junior designers, conduct design critiques, and contribute to the team's overall skill development.
• Broader Business Acumen: Gain exposure to different facets of the e-commerce business, including marketing, data science, and operations, which can broaden career horizons.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Discovery & Recommendations" focus suggests a path towards specializing in user behavior analytics, data science liaison, or even product management within e-commerce. For operations professionals, this role offers a unique intersection of design thinking and data-driven decision-making, which is highly valued in growth-stage companies.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Chewy operates with a hybrid model, requiring 3 days per week in the office. This suggests a professional office environment designed to foster collaboration, with dedicated workspaces and meeting areas. Office Location(s): The role is based in either the Bellevue or Boston hubs. Applicants should be aware of the specific location requirements if they are selected for the role. Workspace Context:

• Expect a collaborative environment where designers work closely with cross-functional teams.
• Access to modern design tools, collaboration platforms, and potentially internal user research labs or facilities.
• Opportunities for informal and formal knowledge sharing sessions, design critiques, and team-building activities. Work Schedule: While the standard work week is 40 hours, the hybrid model allows for flexibility in how days are structured, provided the 3-day in-office requirement is met. This structure supports focused work and collaborative sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect. Candidates should be comfortable with a mix of remote and in-office work and understand the expectation of being present in the hub for collaborative activities. This environment is conducive to hands-on design work and frequent interaction with team members.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and portfolios to assess basic qualifications and design experience.
• Design Challenge/Case Study Presentation: Candidates will likely present a portfolio review or a specific design challenge that demonstrates their process, problem-solving skills, and ability to think strategically about discovery and recommendations.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially Data Scientists to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and alignment with team workflows.
• Leadership/Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion focused on strategic thinking, leadership potential, career aspirations, and cultural fit with the Chewy Design team.
• Final Round: May involve a presentation to senior leadership or a final discussion to confirm suitability for the role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process: Clearly articulate your design process for each case study – how you identified problems, conducted research, ideated solutions, tested, and iterated.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success and impact of your designs (e.g., increased conversion, improved task completion time, higher user satisfaction scores).
• Highlight Collaboration: Showcase how you worked with engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders, emphasizing your communication and teamwork skills.
• Address the "Why": Be prepared to explain the rationale behind your design decisions, linking them to user needs, business goals, and technical considerations.
• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects relevant to e-commerce, discovery, personalization, and recommendation systems.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Chewy's Business: Research Chewy's products, services, customer base, and competitors to understand their market position and challenges.
• Familiarize with Discovery & Recommendations: Review best practices in e-commerce search, browse, personalization, and recommendation engines to anticipate potential design challenges.
• Practice Storytelling: Prepare to present your work concisely and engagingly, focusing on the narrative of problem, process, solution, and impact.
• Anticipate Data/Algorithm Questions: Be ready to discuss how you would approach designing for data-driven features and how you'd work with ML models.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "data-informed design" and "algorithmic intelligence" means interviewers will be looking for designers who can not only create beautiful and usable interfaces but also understand the underlying systems and data that power them. Competencies in explaining how design choices impact conversion rates and customer journeys will be crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, industry standard), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator).
• User Research & Testing: UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, or similar platforms for remote usability testing and feedback collection.
• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Slack.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics.
• Data Visualization/BI Tools: Tableau, Looker, Power BI (for understanding user behavior and performance metrics).
• A/B Testing Platforms: Optimizely, VWO (Visual Website Optimizer), or internal experimentation tools.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary design tool, familiarity with CRM systems like Salesforce or marketing automation platforms could be beneficial for understanding customer data flows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is almost a given for modern design roles. Understanding how to leverage analytics tools like Google Analytics or data visualization platforms like Tableau will be key to demonstrating the "data-informed" aspect of your design work. Experience with A/B testing platforms is also a significant plus, showing an understanding of iterative optimization.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Obsession: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of pet parents, driving all design and product decisions.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Reliance on insights from data, user research, and experimentation to inform and validate design strategies.
• Collaboration & Partnership: Working effectively across teams (Product, Engineering, Data Science, Marketing) to achieve shared goals.
• Innovation & Curiosity: A drive to explore new ideas, technologies, and approaches to create delightful and effective user experiences.
• Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for designs from concept through execution and demonstrating the impact of one's work.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect close daily collaboration with Product Managers to define requirements, Engineers to ensure feasibility and implementation, and Data Scientists to leverage insights from personalization algorithms.
• Design Critiques: Active participation in design reviews, providing and receiving constructive feedback to elevate the quality of work across the team.
• Knowledge Sharing: A culture of sharing best practices, learnings from experiments, and insights gained from user research to foster collective growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: Chewy's customer-centricity is paramount. For operations professionals, this translates to understanding how design choices impact the customer journey and contribute to business objectives. The emphasis on data-driven decision-making aligns perfectly with operations principles of measurement and optimization.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Personalization with Usability: Designing recommendation systems and discovery experiences that feel genuinely helpful and personalized without overwhelming or confusing the user.
• Scalability of Design: Ensuring design solutions can adapt to a rapidly growing product catalog, evolving algorithms, and new features while maintaining consistency.
• Cross-functional Alignment: Effectively communicating complex design concepts and requirements to technical and business stakeholders who may have different priorities or perspectives.
• Measuring Impact: Quantifying the success of design interventions, particularly those related to subtle algorithmic changes or complex recommendation logic, can be challenging.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into E-commerce Personalization: Gain expertise in the nuances of recommendation engines, AI-driven product discovery, and customer segmentation.
• Advanced UX Methodologies: Opportunities to master sophisticated research techniques, experimentation frameworks, and the application of design systems at scale.
• Strategic Influence: Develop skills in influencing product strategy and roadmap prioritization through compelling data-backed design advocacy.
• Mentorship Programs: Access to experienced design leaders and opportunities to mentor junior designers, honing leadership and communication skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenge of "Balancing Personalization with Usability" is key. This requires an understanding of how algorithms work and how to translate their outputs into intuitive user interfaces, a task that often bridges design, data science, and operations.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Portfolio Deep Dive: "Walk me through a project where you designed for a complex, data-driven feature like personalization or recommendations. What was the problem, your process, the challenges, and the outcome?"
• Data & Algorithm Integration: "How would you approach designing a new recommendation module? What data would you need, how would you collaborate with data scientists, and how would you test its effectiveness?"
• Cross-functional Collaboration: "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Data Science) to adopt your design vision, especially when there were differing opinions."
• Design System Contribution: "How have you contributed to or utilized a design system? What are the benefits and challenges of designing within a system, especially for a large-scale platform?"
• Problem-Solving: "Imagine you're tasked with improving product discoverability for a specific customer segment. What steps would you take?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• Research Chewy's mission, values, and recent news. Be ready to articulate why you are passionate about their customer base (pet parents).
• Prepare examples of how you embody their values, such as customer obsession, data-driven decision-making, and collaboration.
• Think about how you would fit into a hybrid work environment and contribute to the design team's culture.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process you followed, the key decisions you made, the solutions you designed, and the measurable impact.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, user flows) effectively to illustrate your design thinking.
• Emphasize Data & Metrics: Highlight how data informed your decisions and present quantifiable results to demonstrate your impact.
• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate deep dives into your process, design rationale, and collaboration methods.
• Conciseness: Practice presenting your portfolio within a set timeframe, ensuring all key aspects are covered efficiently.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, expect interviewers to probe deeply into your understanding of how design impacts user behavior in an e-commerce context, particularly concerning discovery and personalization. Being able to articulate how you'd leverage data and work with algorithmic outputs will be critical.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position at Chewy:

• Submit your resume and a link to your online portfolio through the Chewy careers portal.
• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features 2-3 case studies that align with e-commerce, product discovery, personalization, or recommendation systems. Highlight your end-to-end design process and quantifiable results.
• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your experience in UX/Product Design, specifically mentioning large-scale platforms, data-informed design, and any experience with recommendation engines or A/B testing. Use keywords from the job description.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and the impact of your work. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions related to collaboration, problem-solving, and influencing stakeholders. Be ready to discuss Chewy's business and customer base.
• Company Research: Understand Chewy's mission, values, and the specific challenges within the pet e-commerce market. Familiarize yourself with their design system and approach to user experience.

⚠️ 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.