Staff Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer
Company: PermitFlow
Location: New York City, New York, USA
Job Type: FULL_TIME
Category: Product Design / GTM Operations Support
Date Posted: October 29, 2025
Experience Level: 5-10 Years
Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in-office per week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the strategic vision and execution of product design for PermitFlow's AI-powered construction permitting platform, focusing on enhancing user experience and visual appeal.
• Lead end-to-end design projects, translating complex workflows and customer needs into intuitive and scalable software interfaces.
• Champion a design-centric approach by establishing and refining early design processes, ensuring consistency and quality across all product touchpoints.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product management, sales, and marketing, to deliver exceptional internal and customer-facing applications.
• Become an expert in the construction permitting industry, leveraging deep understanding to inform design decisions and contribute to overall product strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Staff Product Designer," the responsibilities heavily involve supporting GTM functions (sales collateral, branding) and require deep understanding of complex B2B workflows within a specific industry (construction permitting). This suggests a role that bridges traditional product design with a strong operational understanding of Go-To-Market needs and industry-specific nuances. The emphasis on "establishing early processes" and "design-centric approach" also implies a significant operational component in shaping how design integrates with the business.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct thorough user research and analysis to identify pain points and opportunities for UX and visual improvements within the PermitFlow application, with a focus on complex B2B workflows.
• Lead the design lifecycle for new features and product enhancements, from ideation and wireframing to high-fidelity mockups and prototyping, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Collaborate with product managers and engineers to define product requirements, technical feasibility, and design specifications for internal and customer-facing applications.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive design system to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency across the PermitFlow product suite.
• Partner with sales and marketing teams to create compelling sales collateral, branding materials, and visual assets that effectively communicate the value proposition of PermitFlow.
• Actively participate in strategic product planning sessions, contributing design insights and advocating for user-centered solutions that drive product direction and innovation.
• Facilitate design thinking workshops and user feedback sessions to gather insights and iterate on designs based on customer input and market trends.
• Contribute to the development and documentation of design processes, guidelines, and best practices to foster a design-centric culture within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "help establish our early processes that advocate for a design-centric approach" and "collaborate with the sales and marketing team to produce sales collateral and branding material" indicates a need for strong operational thinking. This designer will not only create user interfaces but also contribute to the operational framework of design within PermitFlow and support GTM initiatives through visual communication.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for a Staff level designer, demonstrating a foundational understanding of design principles and methodologies.

Experience: 4+ years of professional experience in software design, with a strong emphasis on B2B products and the design of complex workflows. Experience in industries with intricate regulatory or procedural elements, such as construction, finance, or enterprise SaaS, is highly beneficial.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio: A compelling portfolio showcasing end-to-end design solutions for relevant or related product areas, demonstrating high-quality design thinking and product design execution in a fast-paced environment.
• B2B Product Design: Proven experience designing sophisticated interfaces for business-to-business applications, understanding the unique needs and user journeys of enterprise clients.
• Complex Workflow Design: Demonstrated ability to dissect and design intuitive user experiences for intricate, multi-step processes common in industries like construction permitting.
• Design Tools Proficiency: Expertise in industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Figma, with familiarity with collaboration and documentation platforms like Notion and task management tools like Linear.
• Communication & Collaboration: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions clearly to engineers, product managers, sales, marketing, and external stakeholders.
• Technical Competence: A strong understanding of technical implications and trade-offs in design and development, enabling effective collaboration with engineering teams.
• Ambiguity Tolerance: A high tolerance for ambiguity and the ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-changing environment, contributing to the iterative improvement of processes.
• Industry Acumen: A proactive approach to learning and becoming an expert in the construction permitting domain to inform design decisions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the construction technology or AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) industry.
• Familiarity with AI-driven product development.
• Experience in establishing and scaling design systems.
• Basic understanding of front-end development (HTML/CSS/JavaScript) or experience working closely with developers in an agile environment.
• Experience in branding and creating sales collateral.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio and specific tooling (Figma, Notion, Linear) are critical for operations roles. The emphasis on "technical competence" and "communication skills" highlights the need for a designer who can operate effectively within a product development lifecycle that requires close operational alignment between design, engineering, and GTM.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Detailed case studies that illustrate your design process from problem identification to solution implementation. Focus on projects that involved complex B2B workflows, intricate data, or regulatory environments.
• Problem-Solution Framing: Clearly articulate the business problem or user need addressed by each design solution, demonstrating strategic thinking beyond just aesthetics.
• Process Documentation: Showcase examples of how you've documented your design process, including wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and user research findings. This demonstrates your ability to operationalize design.
• Impact & Metrics: Quantify the impact of your design solutions whenever possible. Include metrics related to user engagement, task completion rates, efficiency gains, or adoption rates, showcasing an operations-oriented mindset.
• Tooling Showcase: Demonstrate proficiency with Figma for UI design and prototyping, and mention experience with Notion for documentation and Linear for task management, or equivalent tools.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Provide examples of how you've mapped out and designed complex user workflows, emphasizing clarity, efficiency, and user-centricity within a B2B context.
• System Integration: Illustrate how your designs integrate with broader software systems and contribute to seamless end-to-end user experiences, reflecting an understanding of operational systems.
• Iterative Improvement: Showcase instances where you've used feedback loops, user testing, and data analysis to iterate on designs and improve product performance, demonstrating a commitment to continuous operational refinement.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Staff Product Designer role, especially one with operational responsibilities, the portfolio is paramount. It's not just about visual output but demonstrating a structured, process-driven approach to problem-solving that aligns with business objectives and can be integrated into the company's operational framework.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $130,000 - $225,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Equity Packages: Generous stock options providing ownership and participation in the company's growth.
• Competitive Salary: As detailed in the provided range, reflecting the seniority and impact of the role.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: 100% paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees.
• Technology & Equipment: Company-issued laptop and a stipend for home office setup and equipment.
• Daily Perks: Daily lunch and dinner provided via UberEats, complemented by a fully stocked kitchen.
• Commuter Benefits: Assistance with commuting costs for in-office days.
• Team Cohesion: Regular team-building events to foster collaboration and company culture.
• Work-Life Balance: Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO), encouraging a healthy balance between professional dedication and personal well-being.

Working Hours: The role is structured around a standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility afforded by the hybrid work arrangement. Specific hours may vary based on team needs and project deadlines, typical for a dynamic startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is broad, indicating that compensation will be highly dependent on the candidate's specific experience, portfolio strength, and demonstrated ability to meet the requirements of a Staff-level designer with operational responsibilities. The benefits package is robust, typical for well-funded startups aiming to attract top talent.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically focused on Construction Technology and AI-driven solutions for the pre-construction phase of the $1.6T construction industry. PermitFlow is modernizing a traditionally manual and fragmented process. Company Size: PermitFlow is in a hypergrowth phase, having raised over $36.5M from prominent venture capital firms. This indicates a company that has achieved product-market fit and is scaling rapidly, likely with a team size ranging from 50-150 employees. Founded: Founded with a mission to modernize how the built world operates, PermitFlow is leveraging AI to bring speed, accuracy, and visibility to the pre-construction phase. The company's founding aims to address significant inefficiencies in the construction sector.

Team Structure:

• The design team, while early-stage, is expected to operate collaboratively with product management and engineering.
• The Staff Product Designer will likely report to a Head of Product or Design Lead, working closely with a dedicated engineering team and product managers.
• Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone, with direct interaction anticipated with sales, marketing, and potentially customer success teams.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on user research, data analysis, and customer feedback to inform design decisions and product strategy.
• Agile Development: Likely operating within an agile framework, requiring iterative design and development cycles.
• Process Optimization: A core focus on identifying and implementing improvements to design and product development processes to enhance efficiency and scalability.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: PermitFlow's focus on AI and modernizing a massive, traditional industry suggests a culture that values innovation, efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. For a designer, this means an opportunity to shape processes and product from an early stage, with significant cross-functional interaction and a clear impact on business growth.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This "Staff" level position signifies a senior individual contributor role. It implies a high degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and the expectation to lead complex projects, mentor junior designers (if applicable), and contribute to shaping design and product strategy. It sits above mid-level roles and below Principal or Director levels.

Reporting Structure: The Staff Product Designer will likely report to a Head of Product or a Director of Product/Design. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads, forming a core product development triad. Collaboration extends to Sales and Marketing, indicating influence across Go-To-Market functions.

Operations Impact: The designer's work will have a direct impact on PermitFlow's ability to scale its operations and achieve its ambitious growth targets. By improving the user experience of both internal tools and customer-facing applications, they will contribute to:

• Increased customer adoption and retention.
• Enhanced sales efficiency through effective collateral and product demonstration capabilities.
• Streamlined internal operations by designing efficient tools for employees.
• A stronger brand perception through polished visual design and consistent user experiences.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunity to shape the future of design at PermitFlow, potentially growing into a Design Lead or Manager role as the team expands.
• Industry Expertise: Deepen knowledge in construction technology and AI, becoming a subject matter expert within a rapidly evolving sector.
• Process Development: Play a key role in defining and refining design and product development methodologies, contributing to operational excellence.
• Cross-Functional Influence: Expand influence beyond pure design into product strategy, GTM support, and operational efficiency improvements.
• Mentorship: Potential to mentor junior designers and contribute to building a strong design culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" title and the emphasis on process establishment point to a role with significant potential for growth, not just in design execution but also in operational leadership and strategic influence within the company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: PermitFlow operates with a hybrid work model, requiring 3 days per week in their New York City headquarters. This suggests a modern office environment designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): The primary office is located in New York City, New York, USA. This location offers access to a vibrant tech ecosystem and a large talent pool.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office environment likely includes dedicated areas for team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and cross-functional collaboration, supporting the hybrid model.
• Tools & Technology: Employees are provided with company laptops and have access to essential design and productivity tools like Figma, Notion, and Linear, facilitating seamless workflow integration.
• Team Interaction: The hybrid structure encourages in-person interaction for key design and product discussions, team building, and fostering a strong company culture, while still allowing for remote flexibility.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected, with the hybrid model providing structure. While specific daily hours may have flexibility, the 3-day in-office requirement ensures consistent team presence and collaboration opportunities for design and product initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect of the work environment. For operations professionals, understanding the balance between in-office collaboration and remote flexibility is crucial for managing workflows and team dynamics effectively.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Submission: Submit your application with a direct link to your portfolio.
• Portfolio Review: Initial screening will focus on your portfolio, evaluating your design thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and execution quality, particularly for B2B and complex workflows.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Discuss your experience, career aspirations, and how your skills align with PermitFlow's mission and the Staff Product Designer role.
• Design Exercise / Case Study: You may be asked to complete a design challenge or present a detailed case study from your portfolio, focusing on your process, decision-making, and impact. This is a critical step to assess your operational approach to design.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meet with engineering, product management, and potentially sales/marketing team members to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit.
• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership to evaluate strategic thinking, leadership potential, and overall alignment with PermitFlow's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure Your Case Studies: Organize your portfolio with clear narratives for each project. Start with the problem, detail your process (research, ideation, iteration), showcase your solutions, and highlight the outcomes and learnings.
• Emphasize B2B & Workflow Complexity: Prioritize projects that demonstrate your experience with complex, multi-step processes and B2B user needs, as this is central to PermitFlow's product.
• Showcase Process, Not Just Pixels: Detail your decision-making process. Explain why you made certain design choices, what trade-offs you considered, and how you collaborated with stakeholders. This demonstrates operational rigor.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include metrics that demonstrate the success of your designs. This could be user adoption, task completion rates, efficiency gains, or conversion improvements.
• Tooling Proficiency: Clearly indicate your proficiency with Figma, Notion, and Linear, or comparable tools, and how you leverage them for efficiency.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research construction permitting, the challenges faced by builders and contractors, and PermitFlow's AI-driven approach.
• Focus on Process: If given a design challenge, emphasize your structured approach to problem-solving, user research, and iterative design.
• Articulate Trade-offs: Be prepared to discuss design decisions and the trade-offs involved, especially concerning technical feasibility, business goals, and user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio review, case studies, and design challenges highlights the operational aspect of assessing a designer's capabilities. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate their process, problem-solving methodology, and ability to deliver tangible results, mirroring the expectations for operational roles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Candidates must demonstrate strong proficiency in creating complex interfaces and interactive prototypes.
• Notion: Used for documentation, knowledge sharing, and process definition. Experience with Notion is expected for maintaining design documentation and team resources.
• Linear: A modern issue tracking and project management tool. Familiarity with Linear is preferred for efficient collaboration within the product development lifecycle.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed, a Staff Product Designer should be comfortable using or interpreting data from analytics platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) to inform design decisions and measure impact.
• Experience with A/B testing frameworks and methodologies to validate design hypotheses.

CRM & Automation:

• While the designer may not directly manage CRM systems, understanding how design impacts CRM data and sales workflows is beneficial.
• Familiarity with how design integrates with automation tools to create seamless user journeys.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma, Notion, and Linear is explicitly required. For a Staff level role, understanding how design tools integrate with broader operational systems like analytics and project management platforms is crucial for demonstrating a holistic approach to product development.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of construction professionals, ensuring designs are intuitive and valuable.
• Innovation & Efficiency: Embracing AI and technology to drive significant improvements in speed, accuracy, and visibility within the construction process.
• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an open environment where ideas are shared freely, feedback is constructive, and cross-functional teams work cohesently.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Relying on data, research, and measurable outcomes to guide design choices and product strategy.
• Adaptability & Resilience: Thriving in a fast-paced startup environment, embracing change, and contributing to the continuous evolution of processes and products.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership Approach: Working as a close partner with Product Management and Engineering, forming a tight-knit product development unit.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Actively engaging with Sales, Marketing, and other GTM teams to ensure design efforts align with and support business objectives, including collateral creation.
• Feedback Loops: Encouraging a culture of continuous feedback, both giving and receiving, to refine designs and improve team processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on collaboration, data-driven decisions, and adaptability aligns with the operational values of a high-growth tech company. The designer is expected to be a proactive team member who contributes to process improvement and business success.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Industry Expertise Acquisition: Rapidly becoming an expert in the nuanced and often complex world of construction permitting, which involves specialized knowledge and terminology.
• Scaling Design Processes: As a growing company, establishing and scaling design processes, systems, and documentation to support future team expansion and product complexity.
• Balancing Ambiguity and Structure: Navigating a fast-paced startup environment where processes are evolving, while still delivering high-quality, well-reasoned design solutions.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring design considerations are effectively integrated and prioritized across diverse teams (engineering, sales, marketing) with potentially different priorities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Industry Specialization: Becoming a recognized expert in construction tech and AI applications within the built environment.
• Design System Leadership: Opportunity to build out and lead the evolution of a comprehensive design system from its early stages.
• Product Strategy Influence: Contributing significantly to product roadmap decisions and strategic planning.
• Mentorship & Team Building: Developing leadership skills by mentoring junior designers and actively participating in building the design function at PermitFlow.
• Continuous Learning: Access to resources and opportunities to stay abreast of the latest trends in UX design, AI, and construction technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented highlight the operational demands of a senior role in a growing startup. Successfully navigating these requires strong problem-solving, adaptability, and proactive engagement, skills that are critical in operations roles.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to become an expert in a new, complex industry for a design project. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your learning process and ability to operationalize domain knowledge.)
• "How would you approach designing a new feature for a complex B2B workflow, given limited initial information and a fast-paced development cycle?" (Highlight your structured approach, iterative process, and ability to manage ambiguity.)
• "Walk us through a project where your design significantly improved a key business metric or operational efficiency. What was your process, and how did you measure success?" (Prepare a strong case study demonstrating measurable impact.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about PermitFlow's mission to modernize the construction industry with AI?" (Show genuine interest and understanding of the company's vision.)
• "How do you envision establishing and advocating for a design-centric approach within a rapidly growing startup?" (Discuss your strategies for process influence and collaboration with non-design teams.)
• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid environment. How do you ensure effective collaboration and communication with your team?" (Address your ability to thrive in PermitFlow's work arrangement.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Structure your presentation around a compelling story for each project: the challenge, your role, your process, the solution, and the impact.
• Process Deep Dive: Clearly articulate why you made specific design decisions. Explain your research methodologies, user testing, and how you iterated based on feedback. This demonstrates operational rigor.
• Metrics & Outcomes: Quantify the success of your designs. Use data to show how your work contributed to business goals, efficiency, or user satisfaction.
• Tooling Integration: Briefly showcase how you used Figma for design/prototyping and Notion/Linear for collaboration and documentation, demonstrating your operational toolkit.
• Q&A Readiness: Be prepared to answer in-depth questions about your design choices, technical considerations, and how you handle feedback and trade-offs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skills but also an understanding of business operations, process improvement, and the ability to collaborate effectively in a dynamic environment, mirroring the requirements of operations roles.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Ashby link, ensuring your resume and a direct link to your portfolio are included.
• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to highlight projects that best demonstrate your experience with B2B products, complex workflows, and your design process. Prioritize case studies that show quantifiable impact and problem-solving.
• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 4+ years of software design experience, specific achievements in B2B product design, and proficiency with tools like Figma, Notion, and Linear. Use keywords from the job description.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making, and the impact of your work. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions and be ready to present a detailed case study from your portfolio. Research PermitFlow's product, mission, and the construction tech industry.
• Company Research: Gain a deep understanding of PermitFlow's AI-driven approach to construction permitting, their market position, and their company culture. Identify how your operational mindset and design expertise can contribute to their growth.

⚠️ 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.

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