Staff Product Designer (Internal Tools)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer (Internal Tools) Company: EarnIn Location: Bangkok, Thailand Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / Operations Technology Date Posted: 2025-11-22 Experience Level: 7+ Years Preferred Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end design process for critical internal operations platform tools, focusing on enhancing user workflows and operational efficiency for internal teams.
• Drive the creation and evolution of a dedicated design system specifically for internal tools, ensuring scalability, accessibility, and consistent user experiences across various modules.
• Collaborate closely with a global user base and cross-functional partners (Product, Engineering, Data) to deeply understand operational needs and translate them into intuitive, impactful design solutions.
• Champion a user-centric approach by directly engaging with internal stakeholders to uncover pain points, identify inefficiencies, and prototype/test solutions iteratively.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a "Staff Product Designer," indicating a senior individual contributor role with significant autonomy and strategic influence over the internal tools' design direction. The emphasis on "internal operations platform" and "operational efficiency" strongly suggests a focus on Revenue Operations, Sales Operations, or broader GTM operations support functions, even though the title is Product Designer. The target audience for this role should be operations-minded designers who excel at building tools for complex, data-rich, and workflow-intensive environments.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the full product design lifecycle for a high-impact internal application central to multiple operational teams' daily tasks and strategic objectives.
• Conduct in-depth user research and collaborative sessions with internal stakeholders to map existing workflows, identify bottlenecks, and gather requirements for process improvements.
• Partner with Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Analysts to define feature roadmaps, design specifications, and technical feasibility for new tool functionalities.
• Develop and refine interaction patterns and design frameworks to effectively replace outdated or inefficient legacy workflows, enhancing speed and clarity.
• Spearhead the development and maintenance of a robust design system tailored for internal tools, ensuring adherence to accessibility standards and brand consistency across all modules.
• Iteratively prototype, test, and validate design concepts with international users, incorporating feedback to ensure solutions meet diverse operational needs.
• Strategically balance the delivery of immediate, essential features with the development of a long-term vision for the internal tools platform, managing phased rollouts effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a need for a designer who understands operational processes, can translate complex requirements into user-friendly interfaces, and can manage a design system's growth within an operational context. This goes beyond typical consumer product design, requiring a deep dive into business logic and workflow optimization.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent industry experience required.

Experience: 7+ years of experience working with product teams to ship complex tools or consumer products is preferred.

Required Skills:

• Exceptional interaction design and systems thinking skills, with the ability to map complex logic, states, and dependencies.
• Proven experience designing for data-rich or workflow-heavy products, such as dashboards, internal tools, or administrative interfaces.
• A strong belief in crafting functional and aesthetically pleasing internal tools, demonstrating a keen attention to craft, detail, and usability.
• Demonstrated curiosity and a user-centric approach, using customer needs to explore and validate multiple design solutions.
• Proficiency with Figma and modern design workflows and toolkits.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, capable of working effectively with international partners and translating technical/operational complexity into intuitive user experiences.
• Comfort working independently while maintaining close collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience building or maintaining design systems from the ground up.
• Familiarity with the financial services or fintech industry, particularly relating to operational workflows.
• Experience in user research methodologies and usability testing for internal applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "7+ years preferred" coupled with "Staff Product Designer" title suggests a senior-level candidate. The emphasis on "systems thinking," "data-rich/workflow-heavy products," and "internal tools" indicates a need for a designer who can navigate complex business logic and operational processes, rather than solely focusing on visual aesthetics or simple user flows. A background in operations-adjacent design is a significant plus.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate end-to-end ownership of complex design projects, showcasing problem definition, user research, ideation, prototyping, and final implementation for internal tools or data-intensive applications.
• Include case studies that highlight your systems thinking, illustrating how you mapped out complex logic, states, and dependencies within a user interface.
• Showcase your experience in designing for workflow-heavy environments, providing examples of how you improved efficiency and reduced friction for expert users.
• Present examples of how you have contributed to or built design systems, emphasizing scalability, accessibility, and consistency.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your process for user research and requirement gathering specifically for internal operational teams, including methods for uncovering pain points and inefficiencies.
• Illustrate your approach to creating and iterating on prototypes, demonstrating how you gather and incorporate user feedback early and often.
• Provide examples of how you collaborate with product, engineering, and data teams throughout the design and development lifecycle, particularly in defining features and technical requirements.
• Explain your strategy for balancing long-term design vision with short-term delivery needs in a phased rollout environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a senior design role focused on internal tools, a portfolio is crucial. It needs to go beyond visual mockups and demonstrate a deep understanding of user workflows, system logic, and the ability to drive operational efficiency through design. Case studies should clearly articulate the problem, the user, the design process, and the measurable impact on operational efficiency or user productivity.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: While not explicitly stated, based on the role's seniority (Staff Product Designer), location (Bangkok, Thailand), and the significant benefits package, a competitive salary range for a Staff Product Designer in Bangkok would typically fall between 2,000,000 THB to 4,000,000+ THB annually.

Benefits:

• Hybrid work setup with flexibility.
• 80,000,000 THB per year Platinum international health insurance (covering Inpatient, Outpatient, Optical, and Dental).
• Potential opportunity for travel to the Mountain View HQ and experience working with international teams.
• Flexible annual learning budget for professional development.
• Home office setup allowance to create an optimal remote workspace.
• Phone, internet, and transportation allowances to support work-from-home and office commutes.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered due to the hybrid work arrangement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated "80m THB/year" for health insurance is extremely high and likely a typo, possibly intended to be 800,000 THB or similar. The salary estimate is based on typical senior designer compensation benchmarks in major global tech hubs, adjusted for the Bangkok market and the specific benefits offered, which are quite generous. A candidate should clarify the health insurance benefit amount during the interview process.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech / Financial Services (Earned Wage Access) Company Size: EarnIn is a well-established company with significant funding and growth, likely falling into the mid-to-large enterprise category in terms of operational scale, though specific employee counts are not provided. The presence of international teams and an expanding site in Bangkok suggests a global footprint. Founded: EarnIn was founded in 2012, indicating a mature company with established processes but also a forward-looking approach to financial technology.

Team Structure:

• The role is the "sole designer" for the internal platform, implying a lean, agile team structure for this specific initiative.
• This designer will report into a Product organization and work closely with dedicated Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Analysts focused on internal operations.
• Cross-functional collaboration is inherent, requiring close partnerships with various operational teams who are the end-users of the tools.

Methodology:

• EarnIn emphasizes a user-centric approach, driven by understanding member needs and operational challenges.
• The company likely employs agile methodologies for product development, enabling rapid iteration and phased rollouts.
• Data-driven decision-making is implied, given the partnership with a data team and the focus on operational efficiency and metrics.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be a blend of a mission-driven startup (focused on helping everyday people) with the stability and resources of a well-funded, established tech company. The hybrid model and international collaboration suggest a modern, flexible work environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at the "Staff" level, which is a senior individual contributor position. It implies a high degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and the ability to mentor or guide others, even if not directly managing. The focus on internal tools means impacting the core operational engine of the company.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report into a Head of Product or Director of Product Design, with direct day-to-day collaboration with a Product Manager and Engineering Lead for the internal tools domain. The role requires significant independence in design execution and strategy.

Operations Impact: The work directly impacts the efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and scalability of EarnIn's internal operations. By improving internal tools, this role contributes to reduced operational costs, faster customer service, better data integrity, and ultimately, an enhanced customer experience for EarnIn's members. This is a critical lever for business growth and sustainability.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deep specialization in designing complex internal tools and operational platforms, becoming an expert in this domain within EarnIn.
• Potential to lead the design strategy and evolution of the entire internal tools ecosystem as the company grows.
• Opportunity to influence and potentially build out a specialized design function for internal tools, if the team expands.
• Exposure to international teams and potential travel to HQ, offering broader organizational insight and networking opportunities.
• Development of skills in designing for expert users and complex data-driven workflows, highly transferable across product design roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" title is key here, suggesting opportunities for leadership in design thinking and strategy, even without direct reports. The impact on operational efficiency is a significant aspect of growth for any operations-focused role.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as "Hybrid" with "two days a week onsite/in-person" in the Bangkok office. This suggests a modern office setup designed to facilitate collaboration and focused work. Office Location(s): Bangkok, Thailand. Specific office address details would be provided upon request or during the interview process.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model allows for a blend of focused individual work (likely at home) and collaborative team interaction (in the office).
• The company provides allowances for home office setup, indicating support for creating an effective remote workspace.
• Opportunities for in-person collaboration with product, engineering, and potentially operations stakeholders will be available on designated office days.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours/week) are expected, with a hybrid arrangement offering flexibility in where work is performed. This schedule supports the need for deep work required in design and collaboration with international time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature and allowances suggest a company that values work-life balance and employee well-being, while still recognizing the importance of in-person collaboration for complex projects like internal tool development.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience, skill alignment, and the quality of your design work, particularly in complex or internal tool contexts.
• Design Exercise/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a take-home design challenge or present a detailed case study from your portfolio, focusing on a complex problem you solved, your design process, and the impact of your solution. Expect questions about your systems thinking and how you approached operational inefficiencies.
• Hiring Manager/Team Interviews: Interviews with the hiring manager (likely a design or product leader) and key collaborators (Product Manager, Engineering Lead) to assess your technical skills, design philosophy, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit.
• Cross-functional Interviews: Discussions with representatives from the operational teams who would be users of the internal tools, assessing your ability to understand their needs and communicate design concepts effectively.
• Final Round: Potentially a discussion with senior leadership to evaluate strategic thinking and overall fit within EarnIn's culture and mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the specific design solutions, and most importantly, the measurable impact on efficiency, user satisfaction, or cost reduction. Quantify results whenever possible.
• Showcase Systems Thinking: Highlight projects where you had to design complex workflows, intricate data models, or interconnected components. Explain your thought process for managing states, dependencies, and logical flows.
• Demonstrate User Empathy: Detail how you engaged with users (especially internal stakeholders), understood their pain points, and incorporated their feedback into your design iterations.
• Highlight Internal Tool/Data-Rich Experience: Prioritize projects that resemble internal tools, dashboards, or data-intensive applications. If you don't have direct internal tool experience, draw parallels from complex consumer products or enterprise software.
• Detail Your Process: Walk through your design process step-by-step, explaining the rationale behind your decisions, the tools you used (Figma is key), and how you collaborated with engineering and product.

Challenge Preparation:

• Deconstruct the Problem: If given a design challenge, spend time understanding the core operational problem, the target users, and the business goals.
• Think Systemically: Consider how your proposed solution fits into the broader operational ecosystem. Map out potential dependencies and edge cases.
• Prioritize and Scope: Be prepared to discuss trade-offs and how you would prioritize features for a phased rollout, balancing immediate needs with long-term vision.
• Articulate Trade-offs: Be ready to explain why you chose certain design patterns over others and the potential implications of your choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the senior level and focus on internal tools, the interview process will likely be rigorous, with a strong emphasis on practical design skills, systems thinking, and the ability to translate operational needs into effective design solutions. The portfolio is paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned as a required proficiency. This will be the primary tool for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and collaboration.
• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's capabilities, experience with other advanced prototyping tools may be beneficial for complex interactions.
• Design System Tools: Familiarity with tools or methodologies for building and managing design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not directly a design tool, understanding how to interpret data from analytics platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, or internal BI tools) used to track user behavior and operational metrics will be crucial for informing design decisions.
• Experience with data visualization principles to ensure dashboards and reports within the internal tool are effective.

CRM & Automation:

• While the role is for a designer, understanding the underlying CRM (likely Salesforce or a similar platform) and automation workflows that the internal tools support or interact with would be advantageous for designing cohesive solutions.
• Familiarity with how operational processes are automated and how design can enhance or streamline these automated workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable. The ability to work with data and understand how the internal tools integrate with broader business systems (CRM, automation) will be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of internal users to drive operational excellence.
• Efficiency & Optimization: A drive to continuously improve processes, reduce friction, and enhance productivity through thoughtful design and technology.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing data and user feedback to inform design choices and measure the impact of solutions.
• Collaboration & Transparency: Working effectively across teams, sharing insights, and fostering an open environment for feedback and idea exchange.
• Craftsmanship & Quality: A dedication to delivering high-quality, well-executed designs that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Proactively engaging with Product, Engineering, Data, and Operations teams to ensure alignment and shared understanding of goals and challenges.
• Iterative Feedback Loops: Embracing a culture of continuous feedback, both giving and receiving, to refine designs and processes.
• Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share design expertise, best practices, and learnings with colleagues, contributing to a stronger design culture.
• Proactive Communication: Maintaining clear and consistent communication, especially with international partners, to bridge time zone and cultural differences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values suggest a collaborative, results-oriented environment where design is seen as a critical enabler of operational success. Candidates should be prepared to articulate how they embody these values in their work.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Expert Users: Internal tool users often have deep domain knowledge and specific, complex workflows. Designing for them requires a different approach than consumer products, focusing on efficiency, power-user features, and minimizing cognitive load for repetitive tasks.
• Balancing Vision and Delivery: As the sole designer, you'll need to manage stakeholder expectations and prioritize features effectively to deliver value incrementally while working towards a cohesive long-term vision.
• Working Across International Teams: Collaborating with users and stakeholders across different time zones and cultural backgrounds requires strong communication skills and adaptability.
• Defining and Scaling a Design System: Building a design system from the ground up for internal tools, ensuring it meets diverse needs and scales effectively, is a significant undertaking.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen Expertise in Internal Tools Design: Gain specialized knowledge in designing for operations, logistics, and critical business functions within a fintech environment.
• Lead Design System Development: Take ownership of creating and evolving a design system, a highly valuable skill for senior designers.
• Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Enhance skills in working with global teams, understanding diverse perspectives, and navigating international business contexts.
• Strategic Impact: Contribute directly to the company's operational efficiency and cost savings, understanding the business impact of design at a senior level.
• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers or product managers on design best practices, if the team grows.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity to tackle complex design challenges in a critical business area, with significant potential for professional growth and impact. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they approach these types of challenges.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex workflow for expert users. What were the key challenges, and how did you address them?" (Focus on process, user research, and efficiency gains).
• "How would you approach designing a new feature for our internal operations platform, considering you're the sole designer and need to collaborate with remote teams?" (Highlight your process for requirements gathering, stakeholder management, and communication).
• "Walk us through a project where you had to balance short-term delivery needs with a long-term design vision. What trade-offs did you make?" (Demonstrate strategic thinking and prioritization skills).
• "How do you build and maintain a design system? What are the key principles you follow to ensure scalability and consistency?" (Focus on your experience with design system architecture, documentation, and adoption).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about designing internal tools for EarnIn specifically, as opposed to consumer products?" (Show genuine interest in operational efficiency and the company's mission).
• "How do you ensure accessibility and inclusivity in your designs, especially for a global user base?" (Connect to EarnIn's diversity and inclusion values).
• "Describe your ideal collaborative relationship with product managers and engineers." (Highlight your approach to cross-functional teamwork).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, follow a clear story arc: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Impact.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics (e.g., "reduced task completion time by X%", "improved data accuracy by Y%", "decreased support tickets by Z%") to demonstrate the value of your design work.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, user flows, mockups, prototypes) to illustrate your design decisions and the final product.
• Explain Your Rationale: Be prepared to deep-dive into why you made specific design choices, linking them back to user needs, business goals, or operational requirements.
• Highlight Systems Thinking: Explicitly point out where your designs demonstrate an understanding of complex systems, data relationships, and interconnected workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to discuss your design process in detail, focusing on how you solve complex problems, collaborate with technical teams, and measure the impact of your work. Your ability to articulate your systems thinking and user empathy will be critical.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best showcase your experience with complex tools, data-rich interfaces, workflow design, and systems thinking. Prioritize projects with measurable impact on efficiency or user productivity.
• Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume highlights your 7+ years of experience, specific contributions to internal tools or complex products, proficiency in Figma, and your systems thinking capabilities. Use keywords from the job description.
• Prepare Your Portfolio Presentation: Practice walking through your selected case studies, focusing on clarity, impact, and your design rationale. Be ready to answer in-depth questions about your process and decisions.
• Research EarnIn: Understand EarnIn's mission, their product offerings (especially the earned wage access model), and their likely operational challenges. Consider how your design skills can directly address these.

⚠️ 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.