Staff Product Designer, Platform

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer, Platform Company: ServiceNow Location: San Diego, California, United States Job Type: Full-time Category: Product Design / User Experience Date Posted: October 05, 2025 Experience Level: 7+ Years (with AI integration experience) Remote Status: Hybrid (with potential for Remote in some circumstances based on work persona)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead significant, complex product design initiatives that shape product strategy and enhance global work processes.
• Drive end-to-end user experiences, considering the entire product ecosystem, user workflows, and established design patterns.
• Develop and implement design frameworks and principles to standardize and guide cross-team design efforts.
• Collaborate closely with product management and engineering teams from the initial stages of product development.
• Actively integrate and leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) within work processes, decision-making, and problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role, while focused on Product Design, has strong implications for operations professionals. The emphasis on "Platform" design, "workflow automation," and "AI integration" suggests a deep connection to how operational processes are built, scaled, and optimized within ServiceNow's ecosystem. The "Staff" level indicates a senior individual contributor role with significant strategic influence.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the design process for large-scale, intricate product features and platforms, ensuring a world-class user experience.
• Translate complex user needs and business requirements into intuitive, effective, and scalable design solutions.
• Define and maintain design systems, frameworks, and principles to ensure consistency and efficiency across multiple product teams.
• Conduct user research, usability testing, and data analysis to inform design decisions and validate solutions.
• Champion human-centered design principles and research data to articulate and advocate for design solutions that drive product strategy.
• Collaborate with product managers, engineers, researchers, and other stakeholders to ensure successful product conception, development, and launch.
• Proactively identify opportunities to integrate AI into product experiences and operational workflows to enhance efficiency and user outcomes.
• Mentor and guide junior designers, fostering a culture of design excellence and continuous learning within the team.
• Contribute to the evolution of the product design practice at ServiceNow by sharing knowledge and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a senior role requiring not just design execution but also strategic thinking, leadership, and a deep understanding of how design impacts broader business operations. The emphasis on "influencing product strategy" and "transforming how people work" directly links design outcomes to operational efficiency and effectiveness.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for a Staff-level designer. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in User Experience (UX) Design, Product Design, or a related field within the software or web application development lifecycle.
• Proven track record of leading and delivering complex design initiatives from concept to launch with minimal supervision.

Required Skills:

• AI Integration: Demonstrated experience in leveraging or critically thinking about how to integrate AI into work processes, decision-making, or problem-solving. This includes understanding AI-powered tools, workflow automation, and analyzing AI-driven insights.
• Human-Centered Design: Deep understanding and application of human-centered design principles, grounded in user research and data.
• End-to-End Product Design: Ability to manage the entire design lifecycle for complex product features, from discovery and ideation to prototyping, testing, and final implementation.
• Design Systems & Frameworks: Experience in developing, maintaining, or critically contributing to design systems and establishing frameworks to guide cross-team design efforts.
• Portfolio: An inspiring and comprehensive portfolio showcasing complex problem-solving abilities, elegant design solutions, and a strong foundation in user research.
• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale clearly and persuasively to diverse stakeholders, including engineering and product management.
• Problem-Solving Acumen: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, capable of distilling complex issues into clear, actionable design solutions.
• Growth Mindset: A proactive and curious approach to learning, seeking new challenges, and expanding areas of expertise.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in enterprise software design, particularly within a platform or B2B SaaS environment.
• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and cross-functional team collaboration.
• Expertise in specific design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar.
• Experience with user research methodologies and tools.
• Visual design and interaction design expertise.
• Content design or UX writing experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit requirement for AI integration experience is a critical differentiator for this role, aligning it with current technological trends and ServiceNow's strategic direction. For operations professionals, this translates to a designer who understands the impact of automation and intelligent systems on workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Complex Problem-Solving Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 in-depth case studies demonstrating your ability to tackle intricate design challenges. Each case study should detail the problem, your process, your specific contributions, the solutions developed, and the measurable outcomes.
• AI Integration Examples: Include specific examples or case studies that illustrate how you've integrated AI into design solutions, workflow automation, or decision-making processes. Quantify the impact where possible.
• Design Systems Contribution: Provide evidence of your involvement in or development of design systems, frameworks, or reusable components, highlighting how they standardized and improved design consistency and efficiency across teams.
• End-to-End Product Development: Present projects that clearly demonstrate your ownership of the design process from initial concept through to successful launch, highlighting your ability to work autonomously.
• User Research & Data Utilization: Detail how user research and data (qualitative and quantitative) informed your design decisions and led to impactful solutions.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Examples of how you've mapped, analyzed, and optimized complex user workflows, particularly within enterprise or platform contexts.
• Cross-Team Collaboration & Frameworks: Documentation or descriptions of frameworks, principles, or processes you've established to guide and standardize design work across multiple multidisciplinary teams.
• Design Strategy Articulation: Demonstrations of how you've articulated and championed design strategies, supported by research and data, to influence product roadmaps and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Staff-level Product Designer, especially in a platform role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond aesthetics to demonstrate strategic thinking, process ownership, and a tangible impact on product and operational efficiency. The AI integration aspect should be a clear theme in at least one or two case studies.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For this role in San Diego, California, the base pay is between $147,300 - $257,800 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health plans, including flexible spending accounts (FSAs).
• 401(k) Plan with a company match, facilitating long-term financial planning.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), offering an opportunity to invest in ServiceNow's growth.
• Matching donations program, supporting charitable contributions.
• Flexible time away plan, promoting work-life balance and employee well-being.
• Family leave programs, providing support during significant life events.
• Potential for variable/incentive compensation, depending on role and company performance.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are typically 40 hours per week. However, as a Staff-level designer, flexibility may be expected to meet project deadlines and collaborate effectively with global teams, aligning with ServiceNow's "New World of Work" personas.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to the San Diego location and reflects a senior-level position. Operations professionals applying should note the comprehensive benefits package, which is standard for large tech companies and supports employee well-being and financial security. The mention of "work personas" indicates a flexible work environment, which is increasingly relevant for operations roles that may require collaboration across different time zones or work arrangements.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Enterprise Software / Cloud Computing / IT Service Management (ITSM). ServiceNow is a leader in digital workflow solutions, transforming how organizations operate. Company Size: Large Enterprise (over 10,000 employees). This means established processes, significant resources, and opportunities for impact across a global scale. Founded: 2004. With a history of innovation, ServiceNow has grown from a visionary startup to a global market leader.

Team Structure:

• Product Design Team: This team is diverse, encompassing specialists in design systems, visual design, interaction design, content design, and product design. They operate with a high degree of autonomy and influence.
• Reporting Structure: Designers collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering. While the exact reporting line isn't specified, Staff-level designers typically report to a Design Manager or Director and work within a matrixed product development structure.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Design is intentionally given a "seat at the table," indicating strong, early, and continuous collaboration with engineering and product management from the outset of product development.

Methodology:

• Human-Centered Approach: The design team's core mission is to empathize with and understand user and customer needs to create beloved product experiences.
• Data-Informed Design: Design decisions are informed by research data, user feedback, and the analysis of AI-driven insights.
• Workflow Optimization: A key focus is on connecting people, systems, and processes to enable smarter, faster, and better ways of working, which directly impacts operational efficiency.
• AI Integration: Proactive exploration and integration of AI into product experiences and work processes.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: ServiceNow's culture emphasizes innovation, customer focus, and a "New World of Work" approach that prioritizes flexibility and trust. For operations professionals, this means an environment that values efficiency, data-driven decision-making, and the adoption of new technologies like AI to optimize processes. The large company size offers stability and extensive resources for operational development.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Staff Product Designer. This is a senior individual contributor role, typically considered advanced in individual impact and strategic influence. It sits well above mid-level or senior designer roles and often serves as a stepping stone to Principal Designer or management tracks. For operations, this level signifies a deep understanding of system architecture, workflow design, and the ability to influence cross-functional strategy.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report into a Product Design leadership structure, working closely with Product Management and Engineering leads for specific platform initiatives. This cross-functional alignment is crucial for driving operational improvements through platform design.

Operations Impact:

• Platform Optimization: By designing the core platform experiences, this role directly impacts how efficiently and effectively thousands of customers can manage their operations.
• Workflow Transformation: The role is tasked with designing experiences that "transform how people work," a direct indicator of operational impact, aiming to streamline complex processes.
• AI Adoption: Leading AI integration in design directly influences the adoption and effectiveness of AI-powered operational tools and workflows for ServiceNow customers.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in platform design, AI integration, and complex enterprise systems.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and potentially move into Principal Designer or management roles within the design organization.
• Strategic Influence: Contribute to high-level product strategy and roadmap planning, influencing the direction of ServiceNow's core platform.
• Industry Exposure: Gain experience with a leading enterprise SaaS platform, working with AI and complex workflow solutions, which is highly valuable for operations professionals.
• Cross-functional Development: Develop strong collaborative skills with engineering and product management, enhancing understanding of the full product development lifecycle and its operational implications.

📝 Enhancement Note: For an operations professional looking at this role, the "Staff" title and platform focus indicate a position that offers deep insights into how large-scale software platforms enable and optimize business operations. The growth path emphasizes strategic contribution and technical depth, aligning well with career aspirations in operations strategy and system architecture.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. ServiceNow operates with a "New World of Work" approach, defining work personas (flexible, remote, or required in office). While the San Diego office is listed, the specific persona for this role will determine the on-site requirements, but flexibility is a core tenet. Office Location(s): 4810 Eastgate Mall, San Diego, CALIFORNIA, United States. This location provides a base for potential in-office collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on collaboration with engineering and product management suggests a dynamic, team-oriented workspace, whether in-person or virtual.
• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools and potentially internal ServiceNow platforms for design and workflow management.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with a diverse group of designers, product managers, and engineers, fostering knowledge sharing and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week is typical, but the "New World of Work" approach implies flexibility. This might involve adjusting hours to accommodate global team collaboration or project-specific demands, a common characteristic in operations-focused roles that require continuous system uptime and support.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid and flexible work environment is a key aspect. For operations roles, this flexibility can be critical for managing global support, development cycles, and ensuring continuous process improvement without being strictly tied to a physical location, while still allowing for in-person collaboration when necessary.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or Recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, salary expectations, and cultural fit.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager focusing on experience, leadership potential, and alignment with team goals.
• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: A critical stage where candidates present their portfolio, detailing key projects and their impact. This is often followed by a design challenge (e.g., a take-home exercise or live whiteboarding session) to assess problem-solving skills, design process, and AI integration thinking.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Management, Engineering leads, and potentially other designers or stakeholders to evaluate collaboration skills and technical understanding.
• Final Round: May involve a deeper dive into strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and final alignment with company values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio around 3-5 strong case studies. For each, clearly articulate the problem, your role and process, the challenges faced, the solutions implemented, and most importantly, the measurable outcomes and impact (e.g., efficiency gains, user adoption, cost savings).
• Highlight AI Integration: Dedicate specific sections or clearly call out projects where you've integrated AI. Explain the AI's role, the data used, the design considerations, and the resulting operational benefits.
• Showcase Platform Thinking: For this role, emphasize projects demonstrating an understanding of designing for scale, consistency, and interconnectedness within a platform ecosystem.
• Articulate Your Process: Be prepared to walk through your design process step-by-step, explaining why you made certain decisions, how you incorporated research and data, and how you collaborated with others.
• Quantify Results: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. For operations-minded interviewers, quantifiable results are key.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Platform Context: Research ServiceNow's platform and its role in enterprise operations. Consider common pain points and opportunities for design innovation.
• AI Application Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how AI can be applied to improve user experiences and operational workflows within the ServiceNow ecosystem. Think about automation, intelligent insights, and predictive capabilities.
• System Thinking: Practice thinking about how design decisions impact larger systems, workflows, and cross-functional teams.
• Communicate Clearly: Practice articulating your thought process concisely, especially under pressure. Focus on clarity, logic, and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review and potential design challenge, particularly with an AI integration component, requires candidates to demonstrate practical application of their skills in solving complex, operationally relevant problems. Operations candidates should be prepared to discuss how design choices directly impact efficiency, scalability, and user adoption within an enterprise context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable as industry standard), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).
• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom.
• Project Management: Jira, Confluence (common in engineering-aligned teams).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tools for user behavior analytics (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Heap) to understand user interaction with platform features.
• Data analysis tools (e.g., SQL, Tableau, Power BI) may be used indirectly or by collaborating teams to inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• While not direct tools for the designer, understanding the underlying CRM (likely ServiceNow's own platform) and automation capabilities is crucial for platform design.
• Potential exposure to workflow automation tools or concepts within the ServiceNow ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in leading design tools like Figma is essential. For operations professionals, understanding how design tools integrate with workflow automation and data analytics platforms used within ServiceNow is key to grasping the operational impact of this role. The designer needs to be conversant in the language of systems and processes.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Transformation: A drive to find "smarter, faster, and better ways to work" through innovative technology and design.
• Customer Focus: Deep empathy for users and customers, aiming to create product experiences they "love."
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Strong emphasis on working closely with engineering and product management, fostering a "community of practice."
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing research data and AI-driven insights to inform design choices and product strategy.
• Continuous Learning: A "growth mindset" is essential, encouraging exploration of new areas, challenges, and learning opportunities.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Designers are integrated into product development squads, working alongside engineers and product managers from inception.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement to "share knowledge and expertise with others across the company to elevate colleagues, teams, and community of practice."
• Open Communication: A culture that supports open dialogue and constructive feedback to refine design solutions and product strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values directly align with operational excellence: innovation, efficiency, data-driven decisions, and continuous improvement. For operations professionals, this signifies a work environment that rewards proactive problem-solving and a commitment to enhancing business processes through thoughtful design and technology.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Scale & Complexity: Creating intuitive experiences for a broad, complex enterprise platform used by diverse roles and industries.
• Integrating AI Seamlessly: Effectively incorporating AI features that genuinely enhance user workflows without adding cognitive load or complexity.
• Balancing User Needs with Business Objectives: Ensuring designs meet user needs while aligning with ServiceNow's strategic, commercial, and technical goals.
• Influencing Stakeholders: Persuading diverse teams and leadership to adopt design recommendations, especially for large-scale initiatives.
• Keeping Pace with Technology: Continuously learning and adapting to rapid advancements in AI, design tools, and enterprise software trends.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into AI in Enterprise: Gain specialized knowledge in applying AI to business processes and workflows through practical design application.
• Mastering Enterprise Platform Design: Develop expertise in designing for large-scale, complex SaaS platforms with significant user bases and integration capabilities.
• Strategic Design Leadership: Grow into roles with greater strategic influence, shaping product roadmaps and company-wide design initiatives.
• Mentorship Programs: Access to experienced designers and leaders for guidance on career progression within design and potentially operations-adjacent fields.
• Industry Conferences & Training: Opportunities to attend relevant design, AI, and enterprise technology events.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in senior operations and platform roles, focusing on scalability, integration, and strategic alignment. The growth opportunities highlight pathways for developing specialized expertise in AI and enterprise platforms, which are highly transferable to advanced operations strategy and management roles.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Platform Design Philosophy: "Describe your approach to designing for a complex enterprise platform like ServiceNow. How do you ensure consistency, scalability, and user adoption across diverse modules and functionalities?" (Focus on your frameworks, design systems, and strategic thinking.)
• AI Integration Strategy: "Walk us through a hypothetical scenario where you would integrate AI into a ServiceNow workflow (e.g., incident management, request fulfillment). What AI capabilities would you consider, how would you design the user experience, and what operational benefits would you expect?" (Demonstrate understanding of AI applications and user-centric design.)
• Process Optimization through Design: "How do you identify opportunities to optimize existing workflows or create new ones through product design? Provide an example from your portfolio." (Connect design decisions directly to operational efficiency and effectiveness.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• ServiceNow's Impact: "How do you see ServiceNow's platform transforming how people work, and what role does design play in that transformation?" (Show you've researched the company's mission and value proposition.)
• Collaboration in Practice: "Describe a time you had to influence product or engineering teams to adopt a design direction they were initially hesitant about. What was your strategy, and what was the outcome?" (Highlight your collaboration and persuasion skills.)
• Growth Mindset in Action: "Tell me about a time you encountered a new technology or design challenge outside your expertise. How did you approach learning and adapting to it?" (Showcase your proactive learning and problem-solving approach.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: Structure each case study as a narrative. Clearly define the problem, your journey of discovery and solution, and the impact achieved.
• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design decisions, referencing user research, data, and strategic goals.
• Quantify Impact: Use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. For operations roles, this means highlighting improvements in efficiency, time savings, cost reduction, or user adoption.
• Showcase AI and Platform Thinking: Explicitly point out how your work addresses AI integration and contributes to the overall platform experience.
• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your process, tools, and decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should emphasize demonstrating a strategic, operations-minded approach to design. Candidates should be ready to articulate how their design work directly contributes to business outcomes, efficiency, and the effective use of technology like AI within an enterprise context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer, Platform position:

• Navigate to the ServiceNow careers page or the provided SmartRecruiters link and submit your application.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight your most relevant experience in platform design, end-to-end product development, and especially any AI integration projects or workflow optimization case studies.
• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 7+ years of experience, your expertise in human-centered design, your proficiency with design tools, and your experience with AI integration and product lifecycles. Use keywords from the job description.
• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly prepare for each stage of the interview process, focusing on articulating your design strategy, process, and impact, particularly in relation to operational efficiency and AI. Practice your portfolio presentation and be ready to discuss case studies in detail.
• Company Research: Deeply research ServiceNow, its products, its mission, and its "New World of Work" philosophy. Understand its position in the enterprise software market and how its platform supports business operations globally.

⚠️ 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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