Sr. Product Designer (Hybrid in Bangalore)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr. Product Designer (Hybrid in Bangalore) Company: Smartsheet Location: Bangalore, India Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / UX Design Date Posted: 2026-02-19T11:22:15 Experience Level: 5-10 years Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design strategy and execution for critical components of a complex enterprise SaaS platform focused on collaborative work management.
• Drive the end-to-end user-centered design process, from discovery and research to high-fidelity prototyping and detailed UI specifications.
• Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering teams to translate business objectives and user needs into elegant, intuitive, and impactful user experiences.
• Champion and contribute to the evolution of a robust design system, ensuring scalability, consistency, and usability across the platform.
• Advocate for inclusive design practices, including accessibility and localization, to ensure a superior and equitable user experience for a global customer base.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically for a Senior Product Designer within a hybrid work model in Bangalore, India. The focus is on enterprise SaaS, emphasizing collaborative work management tools. The role requires significant autonomy and leadership in design strategy and execution, with a strong emphasis on user-centered design principles and design system contribution.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and drive the overall design experience for key areas of the enterprise platform, translating business goals and user needs into innovative and elegant solutions.
• Lead the design lifecycle for major product initiatives, encompassing high-level framework creation, conceptual prototyping, detailed specification delivery, and final UI design.
• Collaborate effectively with product managers and engineers to identify opportunities, define requirements, and deliver features that offer clear business value and a superior user experience.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and refinement of the company's design system, ensuring mobile patterns and components are scalable, consistent, and user-friendly across the entire platform.
• Champion a customer-centric mindset, leveraging data, user feedback, and design research to inform design decisions and drive continuous product iteration.
• Operate with a high degree of autonomy, taking full ownership of projects from conceptualization through to successful launch with minimal supervision.
• Maintain the highest standards for design quality, encompassing visual design, interaction design, and applied systems thinking to create cohesive and effective user interfaces.
• Advocate for and implement inclusive design practices, such as accessibility (WCAG compliance) and localization, ensuring these are integral to the design system and product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a full spectrum of design leadership, from strategic vision setting to detailed execution. The inclusion of "enterprise-grade platform," "collaborative work management," and "design system evolution" points to a need for experience in complex B2B environments. The emphasis on autonomy suggests a candidate who can self-manage and drive projects proactively.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Experience: 6+ years of dedicated product design experience, with a proven track record of designing complex B2B or enterprise-level products.

Required Skills:

• Deep expertise in the end-to-end user-centered design process, covering discovery, research, user journey mapping, wireframing, interactive prototyping, and usability testing.
• Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, InVision).
• Strong understanding of core design principles, heuristics, and best practices in visual design, interaction design, and information architecture.
• Demonstrated ability to drive design strategy and vision for large-scale product initiatives, effectively aligning diverse stakeholders.
• Proven experience contributing to or leveraging design systems to ensure consistency, scalability, and accelerate design velocity.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to articulate complex design decisions clearly and influence product direction.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong cross-functional partnerships and influence stakeholders at all organizational levels.
• Experience working within an Agile development environment, collaborating closely with product managers and engineers to deliver high-quality products efficiently.
• Exceptional organizational skills, self-motivation, and the capability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously while maintaining high quality.
• Legal eligibility to work in India on an ongoing basis.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken).

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with enterprise-grade collaboration and work management platforms.
• Familiarity with content design principles, accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG), and localization best practices.
• Understanding of technical frameworks and how they impact design possibilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements highlight a senior-level individual contributor role with significant ownership. The emphasis on "complex B2B or enterprise products" and "design systems" is critical. The need for strong communication and stakeholder management skills is paramount, given the collaborative nature of enterprise software development. Legal eligibility to work in India is a strict requirement.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio showcasing 5-7 strong case studies that demonstrate a deep understanding of the end-to-end user-centered design process.
• Case studies should highlight complex B2B or enterprise product experiences, detailing your specific role, challenges, design decisions, and measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrate proficiency in translating complex business goals and user needs into intuitive and elegant design solutions.
• Include examples of wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and final UI designs, clearly articulating the rationale behind each.
• Showcase contributions to or expertise in leveraging design systems, illustrating how they were used to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• Provide evidence of experience with user research, usability testing, and how feedback informed design iterations.
• Clearly articulate the impact of your design work, ideally with quantifiable results (e.g., improvements in conversion rates, task completion times, user satisfaction scores).

Process Documentation:

• Portfolio pieces should implicitly or explicitly document your design process, from initial problem definition and user research through to iteration and final implementation.
• Demonstrate an understanding of Agile methodologies and how design processes integrate within sprint cycles.
• Showcase how you collaborate with product managers and engineers, including artifact handoffs and feedback loops.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. It must go beyond static mockups to showcase a strategic and systematic approach to problem-solving, user advocacy, and cross-functional collaboration within an enterprise context. Demonstrating impact and a deep understanding of the design system are key differentiators.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: While not explicitly stated, for a Senior Product Designer with 6+ years of experience in Bangalore, India, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between ₹2,000,000 and ₹3,500,000 per annum. This range is based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in major tech hubs in India, considering the complexity of enterprise SaaS product design and Smartsheet's positioning as a leading work management platform.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage for employees and dependents.
• Generous paid time off (PTO) policy, including vacation, sick leave, and public holidays.
• Retirement savings plan or provident fund contributions.
• Opportunities for professional development, including training, conferences, and workshops.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) or stock options, reflecting Smartsheet's commitment to employee ownership and long-term growth.
• Hybrid work model flexibility, promoting work-life balance.
• Access to company-sponsored wellness programs and employee assistance programs (EAPs).
• Opportunities for career advancement within a growing global organization.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are typically 40 hours per week, aligned with India Standard Time (IST) and the company's operational needs. Flexibility may be offered based on project demands and team agreements, but core hours are expected for collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on market data for senior product design roles in Bangalore and the specific requirements of the position. The benefits listed are typical for a company of Smartsheet's size and industry, designed to attract and retain top talent in the tech sector. The hybrid nature implies a structured approach to office attendance, likely with a few designated days per week.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software, specifically Collaborative Work Management and Productivity Tools. Smartsheet operates in a competitive but growing market, enabling businesses to manage projects, automate workflows, and gain insights. Company Size: Smartsheet is a publicly traded company (NYSE: SMAR) and is considered a large enterprise, with a global presence and a significant number of employees. This implies a structured corporate environment with established processes and a focus on scalability. Founded: Smartsheet was founded in 2005. Its history reflects a journey of growth from a startup to a major SaaS provider, indicating a culture that has evolved to balance innovation with stability and enterprise-readiness.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is likely structured to support various product areas or feature sets within the Smartsheet platform. There will be multiple Senior Product Designers, potentially reporting to a Sr. Manager of Product Design, who in turn reports to a Director or VP of Product/Design.
• The reporting structure for this role is to the Sr. Manager, Product Design, based in Bangalore, indicating a strong local design leadership presence.
• Cross-functional collaboration is central, involving close partnerships with Product Managers responsible for strategy and requirements, and Engineering teams responsible for development and implementation. This ensures alignment on product vision and execution.

Methodology:

• Smartsheet likely employs a data-driven approach to product development, using analytics, user feedback, and A/B testing to inform design and product decisions.
• Workflow planning and optimization are core to their product's purpose, so this methodology will also be reflected in their internal processes, likely favoring Agile or hybrid Agile methodologies.
• Automation and efficiency practices are key to Smartsheet's offering, suggesting an internal culture that values streamlined processes and effective tool utilization.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Smartsheet's industry and scale suggest a professional, data-informed, and process-oriented culture. The emphasis on collaborative work management implies that internal collaboration and communication are highly valued. The hybrid model in Bangalore indicates a commitment to supporting employees in a flexible work environment while maintaining team cohesion.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level individual contributor role within the Product Design function. It signifies a high level of expertise, autonomy, and responsibility. A Senior Product Designer is expected to lead significant design initiatives, mentor junior designers, and contribute to the strategic direction of the product. The scope involves shaping the user experience for core platform features, impacting a large enterprise customer base.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to the Sr. Manager, Product Design, based in Bangalore. This suggests a direct line of communication with design leadership and potential for mentorship and guidance from experienced managers. The Sr. Manager will likely work closely with Product Management and Engineering leads.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is substantial. By designing intuitive and powerful experiences for Smartsheet's enterprise SaaS platform, this designer directly influences:

• User Adoption and Engagement: Well-designed products are easier to learn and use, leading to higher adoption rates and sustained engagement.
• Customer Satisfaction and Retention: Superior user experiences contribute to higher customer satisfaction, reducing churn and increasing customer loyalty.
• Operational Efficiency for Users: Smartsheet's core value proposition is improving efficiency; the design directly enables users to automate tasks, streamline workflows, and make better decisions.
• Revenue Growth: Ultimately, a strong product experience drives customer acquisition, retention, and expansion, directly contributing to Smartsheet's revenue growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Progression: Potential to move into Lead Product Designer roles, managing specific product areas, or into management roles (e.g., Sr. Manager, Director of Product Design) as experience and leadership skills develop.
• Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like design systems, accessibility, inclusive design, or specific product domains within Smartsheet.
• Cross-Functional Mobility: Potential to move into related roles such as Product Management, UX Research, or Design Operations, leveraging a deep understanding of the product and user.
• Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, contributing to their growth and developing leadership capabilities.
• Industry Influence: Contributing to industry best practices through public speaking, writing, or participation in design communities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a significant level of autonomy and strategic input. The growth opportunities highlight pathways typical for senior design roles within established tech companies, focusing on both individual contribution excellence and potential leadership trajectories. The emphasis on "operations impact" is framed through the lens of how design contributes to business outcomes and user efficiency, aligning with the broader operations and GTM context.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as "Hybrid in Bangalore." This means employees are expected to work from the office for a portion of the week, with the remaining days allowing for remote work. This model aims to balance the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work. Office Location(s): Specific office location details for Bangalore would typically be provided by the hiring team. However, major tech companies in Bangalore often have modern office spaces designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and employee well-being, likely located in key business districts.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model encourages in-person collaboration for brainstorming sessions, design critiques, team meetings, and building stronger interpersonal relationships. Office spaces are usually equipped with meeting rooms and open areas conducive to teamwork.
• Operations Tools and Technology: Employees will have access to industry-standard design software (Figma, Sketch, etc.), collaboration tools (Slack, Teams), project management software (likely Smartsheet itself, Jira), and potentially specialized UX research tools. High-speed internet and reliable IT support are standard.
• Operations Team Interaction: Regular interaction with the local Bangalore design team, as well as remote collaboration with product managers, engineers, and designers in other locations. This fosters a diverse and globally connected work environment.

Work Schedule: The hybrid arrangement implies a structured work schedule, likely with core office days (e.g., Tuesday-Thursday) and remote days (e.g., Monday, Friday). Standard business hours (approximately 9 AM to 5 PM IST) are expected, with potential for flexibility depending on project needs and team agreements. This schedule is designed to facilitate both focused individual work and effective team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature is a key aspect of the work environment, requiring candidates to be comfortable with a blend of in-office and remote work. This setup is common in the tech industry to foster culture and collaboration while offering flexibility.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Submission: Submit resume and a link to your portfolio.
• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications to assess qualifications against the job requirements.
• Portfolio Review & Screening Call: If selected, you will likely have a call with a designer or design manager to discuss your portfolio in detail. This stage assesses your approach to design problem-solving, your process, and your communication skills. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key case studies.
• Design Challenge/Exercise: You may be given a take-home design challenge or an in-person/virtual whiteboarding session to assess your design thinking, problem-solving abilities, and how you approach a new design problem within a limited timeframe.
• On-site/Virtual Interviews: A series of interviews with cross-functional team members, including Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other Designers. These interviews will delve deeper into your experience, collaboration style, and how you handle specific design scenarios.
• Final Interview: Potentially an interview with a senior leader (e.g., VP of Product/Design) to assess overall fit, strategic thinking, and leadership potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant case studies that best represent your skills and experience with complex enterprise/B2B products.
• Tell a Story: Structure each case study as a narrative: the problem, your role, the process, the solutions (with rationale), and the impact/outcomes.
• Showcase Your Process: Clearly articulate your research methods, ideation techniques, iterative design process, and how you incorporated user feedback.
• Highlight Impact: Quantify results whenever possible. If direct metrics are unavailable, articulate the intended impact and how you would measure it.
• Demonstrate Design System Understanding: If applicable, show how you’ve contributed to or leveraged design systems.
• Be Prepared to Discuss: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, trade-offs made, collaboration challenges, and how you handle ambiguity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: Carefully read and understand the design challenge prompt. Ask clarifying questions if needed.
• Define the Problem: Start by clearly articulating the problem you are trying to solve and the target users.
• Outline Your Approach: Verbally or visually map out your design process for tackling the challenge.
• Focus on Rationale: Explain why you are making certain design decisions, referencing user needs, business goals, and design principles.
• Prioritize Key Areas: Given time constraints, focus on the most critical aspects of the design problem.
• Communicate Clearly: Practice articulating your thoughts and solutions concisely and effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to rigorously assess not only design skills but also problem-solving capabilities, communication effectiveness, and cultural fit within a collaborative, hybrid tech environment. The portfolio is the primary gatekeeper, so meticulous preparation is essential.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, as it's industry standard), Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision for prototyping and collaboration.
• User Research & Testing: Tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, or internal tools for conducting usability tests and gathering feedback.
• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams for real-time communication and team coordination.
• Project Management: Smartsheet (as the company's core product), Jira, Confluence for tracking tasks, managing workflows, and documenting processes.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tools for analyzing user behavior and product performance, such as Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, or internal BI tools. Understanding how to use data to inform design decisions is crucial.
• Dashboard tools for visualizing key metrics and performance indicators.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct user of CRM for design tasks, an understanding of how CRM systems (like Salesforce) integrate with product platforms and impact user workflows might be beneficial.
• Awareness of automation principles, as they are core to Smartsheet's offering, and how design can facilitate or enhance automated workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern design and prototyping tools like Figma is almost a given. Familiarity with enterprise collaboration platforms and project management tools, especially Smartsheet itself, would be a significant advantage. An understanding of how design impacts user engagement with analytics and automation features is also key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of enterprise customers, ensuring that design decisions are always user-focused.
• Collaboration & Transparency: Encouraging open communication, knowledge sharing, and teamwork across product, engineering, and design functions. This is crucial for a hybrid environment.
• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Fostering an environment where new ideas are welcomed, and there's a drive to constantly improve both the product and internal processes.
• Quality & Excellence: Upholding high standards in design execution, attention to detail, and the overall user experience delivered. This includes a commitment to accessibility and inclusive design.
• Ownership & Accountability: Empowering individuals to take responsibility for their work, drive projects forward, and deliver on commitments.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are embedded within product teams, working closely with Product Managers and Engineers on a daily basis. This ensures design is integrated early and throughout the development lifecycle.
• Process Review & Feedback: Regular design critiques, sprint reviews, and feedback sessions are likely part of the workflow to ensure alignment and continuous improvement.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging designers to share best practices, learnings, and new techniques through internal presentations, workshops, or documentation. The hybrid model necessitates strong digital communication and documentation practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Smartsheet's culture likely emphasizes a balance between innovation and process rigor, reflecting their enterprise SaaS product. The hybrid model necessitates a strong emphasis on asynchronous communication and clear documentation to maintain collaboration.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Enterprise Complexity: Balancing the needs of diverse enterprise users with a vast array of features and workflows requires sophisticated design thinking and a deep understanding of user contexts.
• Maintaining Design Consistency: As the platform grows, ensuring a consistent and cohesive user experience across all features and touchpoints, while contributing to and leveraging a large design system, can be challenging.
• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing and prioritizing input from various stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Sales, Marketing, Support) while advocating for the user can be demanding.
• Adapting to Hybrid Work: Navigating the nuances of collaboration, communication, and team cohesion within a hybrid work environment requires strong interpersonal and digital communication skills.
• Staying Ahead of Technology Trends: Continuously evolving design approaches and tools to keep pace with technological advancements and user expectations in the SaaS landscape.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like advanced interaction design, complex data visualization, or enterprise workflow design.
• Design System Leadership: Potential to take on more responsibility in evolving and governing the design system, becoming a subject matter expert.
• Accessibility & Inclusive Design: Growing expertise in these critical areas through training, projects, and advocacy.
• Mentorship Programs: Participating in or leading mentorship initiatives to guide junior designers and develop leadership skills.
• Industry Engagement: Access to conferences, workshops, and online courses to stay current with design trends and network with peers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for senior roles in large tech companies focusing on complex products. The growth opportunities focus on both deepening technical design expertise and developing leadership and strategic capabilities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex feature for an enterprise B2B product. What was the problem, your process, and the outcome?" (Focus on your structured approach, user advocacy, and impact.)
• "How do you approach balancing the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., Product, Engineering, Sales) when designing a new feature?" (Highlight your communication, negotiation, and prioritization skills.)
• "Walk me through your process for contributing to or leveraging a design system. What are the key benefits and challenges?" (Showcase your understanding of consistency, scalability, and efficiency.)
• "How do you ensure accessibility and inclusive design principles are integrated into your work?" (Demonstrate your commitment to ethical and universal design practices.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Smartsheet and our mission to empower teams through collaborative work management?" (Research Smartsheet's product, market position, and recent news.)
• "How do you see your design philosophy aligning with our company values of customer-centricity and innovation?" (Connect your personal values and work style to Smartsheet's stated values.)
• "How have you adapted your collaboration style to a hybrid work environment?" (Be prepared to share specific strategies for effective remote and in-office teamwork.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select High-Impact Case Studies: Choose projects that best demonstrate your senior-level problem-solving, strategic thinking, and impact on complex enterprise products.
• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role and responsibilities, your design process (research, ideation, iteration), key design decisions with rationale, and measurable outcomes or lessons learned.
• Articulate Your "Why": Be ready to explain the reasoning behind every significant design decision, including trade-offs made.
• Showcase Collaboration: Highlight how you worked with PMs, engineers, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrate Design System Thinking: If applicable, show how you used or contributed to a design system.
• Practice Your Delivery: Rehearse your presentation to ensure it's concise, engaging, and within the allotted time. Be prepared for in-depth Q&A.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, robust design process, strong collaboration skills, and a clear understanding of enterprise SaaS product design. The portfolio is the central piece, so preparing to discuss it thoroughly is paramount.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Smartsheet careers page.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight your experience with complex B2B/enterprise products, user-centered design processes, and design system contributions. Select 3-5 case studies that best align with the job description's requirements, focusing on demonstrating strategic impact and problem-solving.
• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly lists your years of experience, key skills (e.g., Figma, User-Centered Design, Design Systems, Agile), and quantifiable achievements related to product design within enterprise contexts. Use keywords found in the job description.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and decision-making for your portfolio case studies. Prepare to discuss how you handle cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder management, and design challenges in a hybrid environment. Research Smartsheet's products and company culture.
• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Smartsheet's platform, its competitors, and its mission. Understand their approach to collaborative work management and identify how your design skills can contribute to their success.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details, particularly regarding compensation, benefits, and specific interview stages, should be verified directly with the hiring organization during the application and interview process.