Senior UX Designer, Ads Planning, YouTube Ads

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer, Ads Planning, YouTube Ads Company: Google Location: Los Angeles, California, United States Job Type: Full-Time Category: UX/Product Design (Advertising Technology) Date Posted: 2025-09-19 Experience Level: 6+ Years (with Preferred 3+ Years Cross-Functional)

🚀 Role Summary

• Crafting intuitive and user-centered design solutions for complex advertising planning tools within the YouTube Ads ecosystem, focusing on advertiser needs and platform capabilities.
• Driving end-to-end product design processes, from conceptualization and user flows to detailed wireframes, mocks, and interactive prototypes for new features and improvements.
• Collaborating closely with cross-functional teams, including Product Management and Engineering, to balance technical limitations, compliance requirements, and user goals.
• Contributing to the evolution and application of Google's established design systems and fostering a strong design team culture through mentorship and shared practices.
• Leveraging data visualization expertise to present insights and inform design decisions for advertising planning features, enhancing advertiser understanding and campaign effectiveness.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the base job title is "Senior UX Designer," the explicit mention of "Ads Planning" and "YouTube Ads" firmly places this role within the Revenue Operations and Go-To-Market (GTM) technology enablement space, specifically focusing on the user experience for advertisers. This requires a deep understanding of advertising workflows, campaign management, and data interpretation within a digital advertising context.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop comprehensive design deliverables, including design briefs, user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes for advertising planning features.
• Translate complex advertising workflows and advertiser needs into intuitive, user-friendly interfaces that optimize campaign planning and management.
• Collaborate effectively with Product Managers and Engineers to define feature requirements, assess technical feasibility, and ensure design solutions meet both user and business objectives within Google Ads.
• Adhere to and contribute to Google's extensive design systems, ensuring consistency and scalability across the YouTube Ads platform, and engaging with design system owners for necessary expansions.
• Champion user-centered design principles throughout the product development lifecycle, advocating for advertiser needs and ensuring a seamless user experience.
• Support the iterative development process by incorporating feedback from user research, usability testing, and stakeholder reviews to refine and improve existing features.
• Contribute to the development and growth of the design team by mentoring junior designers, sharing best practices, and actively participating in design critiques and team culture initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of core UX design tasks with a strong emphasis on the intricacies of the advertising domain. The mention of "balancing platform constraints, technical limitations, compliance requirements and user needs" is critical for operations roles, as it implies a need for pragmatic, well-researched solutions that can be practically implemented and maintained within a complex technical and regulatory environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Master's degree in a relevant field is preferred, indicating a strong foundation in design theory and research methodologies.

Experience:

• Minimum of 6 years of dedicated experience in interaction design, product design, or UX design, demonstrating a proven track record of delivering impactful user experiences.
• At least 3 years of experience working within a cross-functional organizational structure, showcasing the ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams and stakeholders.

Required Skills:

• Interaction Design: Expertise in crafting intuitive and efficient user interfaces for complex applications, with a focus on user flows and task completion.
• Product Design: Proven ability to manage the end-to-end design process from concept to execution, ensuring user needs and business goals are met.
• UX Design: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, user research methodologies, and usability testing to inform design decisions.
• Data Visualization: Experience in designing clear and effective data visualizations to communicate complex information, particularly relevant for advertising performance metrics and planning data.
• Digital Advertising: Domain knowledge in the digital advertising space, understanding advertiser workflows, campaign structures, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Wireframing & Prototyping: Proficiency in creating wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes using industry-standard tools to effectively communicate design concepts.

Preferred Skills:

• Google Ads Experience: Prior experience designing for Google Ads or similar advertising platforms, providing direct familiarity with the ecosystem.
• Design Systems: Experience working with and contributing to large-scale design systems, ensuring consistency and scalability across product lines.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to collaborate with and influence engineering, product management, and other cross-functional teams.
• Ambiguity Management: Skill in navigating and resolving ambiguous problems, requiring critical thinking and creative problem-solving.
• Mentorship: Experience mentoring junior designers, contributing to team development and knowledge sharing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "digital/video advertising space" and "Google Ads" in preferred qualifications is crucial. For operations professionals, this means an understanding of the advertiser journey, campaign setup, performance tracking, and the tools used to manage these processes is highly valued. The ability to work with "large design systems" is also important for ensuring scalability and consistency in operations tools.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 6 years of UX/Interaction Design work, with a strong emphasis on projects within the digital advertising or complex data-driven applications.
• Include detailed case studies demonstrating your end-to-end design process, from problem definition and user research to solution design, prototyping, and outcome.
• Highlight projects that involved data visualization and the translation of complex data into actionable insights for users.
• Present examples of designing for advertiser-facing surfaces or tools, emphasizing efficiency, clarity, and user task completion.
• Provide clear documentation of your role and contributions in cross-functional team environments.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate a structured approach to user research, including methods for identifying user needs, pain points, and workflows within the advertising domain.
• Showcase your process for translating complex requirements (technical, business, compliance) into intuitive design solutions, including iterative design and refinement.
• Include examples of how you have leveraged design systems to ensure consistency and scalability, or how you have contributed to their expansion.
• Present case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your design process, the final solution, and measurable outcomes or impact on user behavior or business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: For an operations-focused candidate, the portfolio should emphasize the impact of design on operational efficiency and advertiser success. This means highlighting how your designs streamlined workflows, reduced errors, improved campaign performance, or increased user adoption of planning tools. Demonstrating an understanding of how design choices affect the broader GTM strategy and revenue generation is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The US base salary range for this full-time position is $151,000 - $222,000 USD per year. Benefits:

• Bonus: Performance-based bonus opportunities, reflecting contributions to team and company success.
• Equity: Stock options or grants as part of the overall compensation package, aligning employee success with company growth.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Includes health insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement savings plans (e.g., 401k), paid time off, parental leave, and other employee wellness programs.

Working Hours: Standard full-time work is expected, typically around 40 hours per week. While Google is known for flexibility, the nature of design work and cross-functional collaboration may require availability outside of standard hours for project deadlines or critical meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is a base salary only. For operations professionals, it's important to consider the total compensation package, including bonus and equity, as these can significantly impact overall earnings and long-term financial planning. The benefits package at a company like Google is generally robust and competitive, covering health, wellness, and financial security.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Internet Services, Advertising Technology, Software Development) Company Size: Google is a large, publicly traded technology company with tens of thousands of employees globally. This scale offers extensive resources, opportunities for specialization, and a structured environment for product development. Founded: 1998. Google's history is marked by continuous innovation, a user-first philosophy, and a commitment to organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful.

Team Structure:

• The UX team at Google is multi-disciplinary, comprising UX Designers, Researchers, Writers, Content Strategists, Program Managers, and Engineers.
• Designers typically report to a Design Lead or Manager, working within product-focused teams that include Product Managers and Engineering leads.
• Collaboration is highly emphasized, with designers working closely with Product Management to define strategy and with Engineering to ensure feasibility and implementation.

Methodology:

• User-centered design is the core methodology, with a strong emphasis on research, data analysis, and iterative design based on user feedback.
• Agile development practices are common, requiring designers to be adaptable and responsive to changing requirements and priorities.
• Data analysis is integral to understanding user behavior, evaluating design effectiveness, and informing product decisions, particularly within the advertising context.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Google's culture is renowned for its data-driven approach, emphasis on innovation, and a "moonshot" mentality. For operations roles, this translates to an environment where process optimization, efficiency gains, and data-backed decision-making are highly valued. The company's commitment to user focus is paramount, influencing all product development and GTM strategies.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a "Senior" level position, indicating a need for experienced professionals who can operate with a high degree of autonomy, tackle complex problems, and contribute to strategic design decisions. It implies leadership potential and the ability to mentor others. Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Designer will likely report to a UX Manager or Director within the YouTube Ads division. They will work within a product team, collaborating closely with Product Managers and Engineering leads. Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the usability and effectiveness of advertising planning tools, which are critical for advertiser success on YouTube. By improving these tools, the designer directly influences advertiser campaign performance, satisfaction, and ultimately, Google's advertising revenue.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deep Specialization: Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in UX design for advertising technology, particularly within the vast YouTube ecosystem.
• Leadership Development: Potential to move into Lead Designer or Design Manager roles, taking on more strategic responsibilities and managing design teams.
• Cross-Product Exposure: Possibility to work on other Google Ads products or related areas, broadening experience across Google's advertising portfolio.
• Skill Expansion: Opportunities to further develop skills in data visualization, user research, and leveraging AI/ML in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: For an operations professional, this role offers a pathway to specialize in the technology that underpins GTM and revenue generation. Growth opportunities include moving into more strategic roles focused on product operations, GTM strategy enablement, or leading design initiatives for critical revenue-generating platforms.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Google typically offers modern, collaborative office spaces designed to foster innovation and teamwork. This includes open-plan areas, private meeting rooms, and common spaces for informal interactions. The role is based in Los Angeles, CA, suggesting an on-site work environment. Office Location(s): Los Angeles, California, United States. Specific office details would be provided upon inquiry or during the hiring process.

Workspace Context:

• The environment is expected to be highly collaborative, with frequent interaction with design peers, product managers, and engineers.
• Access to cutting-edge design tools, research facilities, and internal Google resources will be available to support the design process.
• Opportunities for informal knowledge sharing, design critiques, and cross-team collaboration are integral to the workspace culture.

Work Schedule: While the standard work week is 40 hours, Google often provides flexibility in terms of start and end times. However, cross-functional collaboration and project deadlines may necessitate working outside of traditional hours. The "on-site" designation implies a primary work location within a Google office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement for this role is significant for operations candidates who may be accustomed to remote flexibility. It suggests a need for active participation in team activities, in-person collaboration, and a commitment to the physical office environment. Understanding the dynamics of on-site versus remote work is crucial for assessing fit.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Candidates are typically asked to present their portfolio, highlighting relevant projects. This may be followed by a design challenge or exercise to assess problem-solving skills, design thinking, and communication.
• On-site/Virtual Interviews: Multiple rounds of interviews with potential team members, including designers, Product Managers, and Engineering leads, focusing on design process, collaboration, and specific skill sets.
• Hiring Committee Review: Final decision is often made by a hiring committee that reviews all interview feedback and portfolio materials.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the problems you solved, your design process, and the measurable impact of your work on user behavior or business outcomes. For this role, emphasize how your designs improved advertiser efficiency or effectiveness.
• Showcase Process: Detail your approach to user research, wireframing, prototyping, and iterating based on feedback. Explain why you made certain design decisions.
• Highlight Data Visualization: Include examples of how you used data visualization to inform design or to help users understand complex information within an advertising context.
• Tailor to Google: Research Google's design principles and products. Demonstrate an understanding of their design language and user-first philosophy.
• Be Prepared to Discuss: Be ready to answer in-depth questions about your project choices, trade-offs, and collaboration experiences.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with YouTube Ads, Google Ads, and common advertiser pain points in campaign planning and management.
• Practice Problem-Solving: Be prepared to tackle hypothetical design problems related to advertising platforms, user workflows, or data interpretation.
• Structure Your Response: Clearly define the problem, outline your approach, present potential solutions with rationale, and discuss how you would test and iterate.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations candidates, the portfolio should not just showcase design skills but also business acumen. Demonstrating how design decisions directly contribute to revenue goals, advertiser retention, or operational efficiency will be highly advantageous. Be prepared to discuss the ROI of your design solutions.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, XD), InVision, Principle. Proficiency in at least one major design and prototyping tool is essential.
• User Research & Testing: Tools for user interviews, usability testing, surveys, and analytics platforms (e.g., UserTesting.com, Qualtrics, Lookback).
• Collaboration & Project Management: Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet), Jira, Asana, Trello.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Visualization Tools: Tableau, Looker, or similar platforms for analyzing user data and performance metrics.
• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics for understanding user behavior on digital platforms.
• Internal Google Analytics Tools: Proficiency with Google's proprietary analytics and data reporting tools is highly beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Familiarity with CRM concepts is helpful, though direct experience with specific CRM tools might not be primary for a UX role, understanding how design impacts CRM data is key.
• Automation Tools: Understanding how design can integrate with or be influenced by marketing automation platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a design role, an operations-minded designer should be comfortable with data analysis tools and understand how their designs interact with broader GTM technology stacks. Familiarity with data visualization tools is particularly important for this role, as it directly supports the "data visualization" requirement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User Focus: Prioritizing the needs and experiences of advertisers is paramount, aligning with Google's core user-first philosophy.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Relying on data and insights to inform design choices and measure impact, ensuring solutions are effective and efficient.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Working effectively with cross-functional teams to achieve common goals, fostering a supportive and communicative environment.
• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Constantly seeking new and better ways to solve problems, optimize processes, and enhance user experiences.
• Excellence and Quality: Striving for high-quality design outputs that are polished, functional, and aligned with Google's brand standards.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are expected to be integral members of product teams, working seamlessly with PMs and Engineers from concept through launch.
• Design Critiques: A culture of constructive feedback and peer review is encouraged to elevate the quality of design work.
• Knowledge Sharing: Opportunities to share learnings, techniques, and best practices within the design community at Google.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "data-driven decisions" and "continuous improvement" strongly resonates with operations professionals. This role offers an opportunity to apply design thinking to optimize operational workflows and enhance the efficiency of revenue-generating processes.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Advertising Platforms: Navigating the intricate requirements and constraints of advertising technology, including compliance regulations and technical limitations.
• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing diverse needs and expectations from advertisers, Product Management, Engineering, and other internal stakeholders.
• Scale and Impact: Designing for a global audience with varying technical capabilities and cultural contexts, ensuring accessibility and usability at scale.
• Evolving Landscape: Keeping pace with rapid changes in digital advertising technology, user behavior, and design trends.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Training: Access to internal and external training programs focused on UX research, interaction design, data visualization, and advertising technology.
• Industry Conferences: Opportunities to attend and present at leading UX and advertising technology conferences.
• Mentorship Programs: Participation in mentorship programs to guide career development and skill-building.
• Internal Mobility: Potential to move into different product areas or specialized design roles within Google.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, the challenges present opportunities to hone skills in managing complex systems, stakeholder management, and adapting to dynamic technological environments – all critical competencies in operations. The growth opportunities align well with a career path focused on enabling business operations through user-centric technology.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Process & Problem Solving: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio with a focus on your design process, how you tackled complex problems, and the rationale behind your decisions. Discuss how you would approach designing for a specific YouTube Ads planning scenario.
• Collaboration & Influence: Describe how you collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers. Provide examples of how you’ve influenced product decisions or resolved disagreements within a cross-functional team.
• Data Visualization & Impact: Explain your approach to data visualization and how you ensure it's effective for users. Discuss how your designs have impacted key business metrics or user behavior.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Google's Design Philosophy: Research Google's Material Design system and their user-centered philosophy. Be ready to discuss how your work aligns with these principles.
• Team Dynamics: Understand the collaborative nature of Google's UX teams. Prepare examples of how you contribute positively to team culture and mentor others.
• Advertising Domain: Demonstrate your understanding of the advertising industry and the specific challenges advertisers face on platforms like YouTube.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Structure your portfolio presentations as compelling stories, clearly outlining the problem, your solution, and the impact.
• Focus on Relevance: Prioritize projects that showcase your skills in interaction design, data visualization, and experience with complex, data-driven applications, ideally within a business/advertising context.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics and data to demonstrate the success of your designs and their contribution to business goals.
• Showcase Iteration: Highlight how you incorporated feedback and iterated on designs to improve the final outcome.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations candidates, framing portfolio examples around efficiency gains, streamlined workflows, or improved data accessibility for users will be particularly impactful. Demonstrate an understanding of how UX can directly support GTM and revenue operations objectives.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Google Careers portal, ensuring your resume includes a viewable link to your portfolio.
• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects demonstrating interaction design, data visualization, and experience with complex applications, ideally within digital advertising or B2B software. Highlight case studies that show your process for problem-solving and user-centric design.
• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 6+ years of relevant experience, specific skills in UX/Interaction Design, data visualization, and any experience within the digital advertising space. Use keywords from the job description and quantify your achievements whenever possible.
• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly research Google's design philosophy and products. Practice articulating your design process and the impact of your work, focusing on how your contributions drive user success and business value. Prepare for a potential design challenge.
• Company Research: Gain a deep understanding of Google's mission, values, and the specific challenges and opportunities within the YouTube Ads ecosystem. Understand how UX design supports Google's broader business objectives.

⚠️ 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.