Staff Product Designer, Platforms & Systems

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer, Platforms & Systems Company: HubSpot Location: Remote - USA Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / UX Engineering Date Posted: 2025-10-06T14:28:31 Experience Level: Staff Level (HUB-7) Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is pivotal in shaping the foundational user experiences of HubSpot's core products, focusing on the interconnectedness of its platform and systems.
• You will be instrumental in driving the design of scalable, cohesive, and user-centric solutions that span across multiple product lines, particularly leveraging AI and data integrations.
• The position demands a strategic thinker with a strong systems-level perspective, capable of influencing technical frameworks and holistic cross-product experiences.
• You will collaborate closely with Product Management, Engineering, UX Research, and Content Design to innovate and iterate on the future of HubSpot's AI-powered customer platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Product Designer," the emphasis on "Platforms & Systems," "design systems," "technical frameworks," and "cross-product experiences" strongly aligns this role with advanced operations and infrastructure design within a product organization. The "Staff" level designation indicates a senior individual contributor role with significant strategic influence and autonomy. The role is not a traditional Revenue Operations or Sales Operations role but requires a similar mindset of building scalable, efficient systems that underpin business functions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and Design Cross-Product Experiences: Lead the definition, design, and stewardship of user experiences that integrate seamlessly across HubSpot's entire product ecosystem, actively working to prevent functional silos and ensure a unified customer journey.
• Evolve Design Systems and Standards: Shape, evolve, and contribute significantly to HubSpot's design system, establishing high standards for consistency, scalability, accessibility, and maintainability across all platform components.
• Integrate and Innovate with AI & Automation: Ideate, design, and experiment with AI-powered features and automation, applying these technologies to enhance customer-facing functionalities, develop predictive tools, and optimize internal design workflows.
• Foster Cross-Functional Collaboration and Leadership: Cultivate deep, trusting partnerships with Product Managers, Engineers, UX Researchers, and Content Designers, acting as a design leader and advocate to drive alignment and champion user-centric solutions.
• Drive Impactful Iteration through Data: Define key success metrics for platform and system designs, validate design decisions with quantitative analytics and qualitative user insights, and implement iterative improvements to maximize both user value and business outcomes.
• Champion a Culture of Innovation and Inclusivity: Elevate the team's design craft, mentor junior designers, provide constructive feedback, and actively contribute to defining the future direction and best practices for HubSpot's Product Platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design leadership and hands-on execution, with a strong emphasis on systems thinking and cross-functional influence, aligning with senior operations roles that require strategic planning and process improvement.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: No specific degree requirement is listed, emphasizing practical experience and demonstrated skill over formal education, a common trait in dynamic tech environments. Experience: The role is open to various levels, from Mid-Level (HUB-4) up to Principal (HUB-8), with the "Staff" level (HUB-7) being the primary target. This implies a need for substantial experience in product design, particularly within complex platform or systems environments.

Required Skills:

• Proven Product Design Craft Expertise: Demonstrated ability to craft sophisticated, user-centered designs, with a strong portfolio showcasing depth of skill, systems thinking, and measurable impact on users and business objectives, especially within complex, scalable, or platform environments. (Minimum of three recent case studies required).
• Collaborative Leadership: A track record of influencing outcomes across diverse disciplines (Product Management, Engineering, UX Research, Content Design) by building trust, driving alignment, and championing user-centric solutions.
• Systems and Scale Thinking: A passion for connecting the dots across products and platforms, designing experiences that are robust, scalable, and capable of growing alongside customer needs and business evolution.
• Adaptability & Change Readiness: Comfort with ambiguity and a proactive, resilient mindset in dynamic and evolving environments. Ability to thrive amidst new challenges and shifting priorities.
• AI & Automation Curiosity: Enthusiasm and a willingness to work with, learn about, and apply AI and automation technologies to enhance user experiences and optimize design processes.
• Growth Mindset: A genuine drive for continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and contributing to the professional development of oneself and others within the team.

Preferred Skills:

• Design System Expertise: Experience in contributing to, evolving, or leading the development of comprehensive design systems.
• Accessibility Standards: Deep understanding and practical application of accessibility best practices (WCAG compliance).
• Data Analysis & Metrics Definition: Ability to define, track, and interpret key performance indicators (KPIs) and user analytics to inform design decisions and measure impact.
• Technical Framework Understanding: Familiarity with front-end development concepts and technical constraints that influence design feasibility and scalability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "systems thinking," "scalability," "cross-product experiences," and "measurable impact" directly relates to the core competencies sought in operations professionals focused on building and optimizing business infrastructure. The "Staff" level designation implies a senior individual contributor role requiring strategic thinking and the ability to influence beyond immediate tasks.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Depth of Craft & Systems Thinking: Showcase your ability to design complex, interconnected systems and user journeys, not just individual features.
• Measurable Impact: Include case studies that clearly articulate the business and user outcomes achieved through your design work, supported by data and analytics.
• Scalability & Platform Design: Highlight projects that demonstrate your understanding of designing for scale, consistency, and maintainability across a product ecosystem.
• AI & Automation Integration: If applicable, present projects where you've leveraged AI or automation to solve user problems or improve processes.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Evidence of successful collaboration with engineering, product management, and other stakeholders.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design and Optimization: Demonstrate how you approach understanding existing workflows and designing optimized, user-centric processes within a platform context.
• System Implementation Standards: Show examples of how you've contributed to or adhered to standards for building scalable and maintainable systems.
• Measurement and Performance Analysis: Clearly articulate how you define success metrics and use data (analytics, user feedback) to iterate and improve platform-level designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio with "depth of craft, systems thinking, and measurable impact," particularly in "complex, scalable, or platform environments," is highly analogous to the expectations for operations professionals who must demonstrate their ability to build and optimize business processes and systems. This section is crucial for candidates to prepare.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $210,000 - $336,000 USD Annually Benefits:

• Equity: Potential to participate in HubSpot's equity plan (Restricted Stock Units - RSUs).
• Annual Bonus: Eligibility for annual bonus targets.
• On-Target Commission: For employees in eligible roles (though this role is design-focused, this is mentioned in the broader compensation philosophy for context).
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: HubSpot offers a range of benefits and perks designed to support employee growth, which typically include health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, parental leave, and professional development opportunities. The specific details are available via a provided link.
• Flexible Work Arrangements: The company supports a hybrid model and remote work, emphasizing flexibility and connection.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are assumed to be approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility for remote work. The company culture emphasizes output and impact over strict adherence to hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated salary range is for the US and is a significant indicator of the senior, strategic nature of this role. The inclusion of equity and annual bonuses further reinforces the level of responsibility and potential for significant compensation. This range is competitive for Staff-level Product Designers in the US tech market.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / AI-Powered Customer Platform (SaaS) Company Size: HubSpot is a publicly traded company (NYSE: HUBS) with a significant global presence, indicating a large and established organization with complex internal systems and processes. Founded: HubSpot was founded in 2006, giving it ample time to develop mature product lines and operational frameworks.

Team Structure:

• Product Design Team: This role is part of HubSpot's Product Design team, which focuses on the core user experiences of its platform.
• Platforms & Systems Focus: The specific team emphasizes building the connective tissue, scalable UI patterns, and foundational elements across HubSpot's product suite.
• AI & Data Integration: This team is at the forefront of integrating AI and data across product lines, suggesting a forward-thinking and technically sophisticated environment.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The structure inherently requires close partnership with Product Management, Engineering, UX Research, and Content Design to ensure cohesive product development.

Methodology:

• Customer-Obsessed: A core company value, meaning all design and operational decisions are driven by understanding and solving customer needs.
• Data-Driven Iteration: Emphasis on defining metrics, using analytics, and gathering qualitative insights to inform design and product development cycles.
• Agile Development: While not explicitly stated, the nature of SaaS product development and the mention of iteration strongly suggest agile methodologies are in use.
• Systems Thinking: A fundamental approach for this role, focusing on how individual components interact within a larger ecosystem.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: HubSpot's established presence and commitment to AI and customer platforms indicate a sophisticated operational environment where design plays a crucial role in enabling business functions and customer success. The culture emphasizes data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement, aligning with operations principles.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Staff Product Designer (HUB-7) is a senior individual contributor role. This level signifies a high degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and the ability to lead complex, large-scale projects that impact multiple product lines. It's a leadership position within the design discipline, focused on architectural and systemic contributions rather than people management. Reporting Structure: While not explicitly detailed, a Staff Product Designer typically reports to a Director or VP of Product Design or UX. They collaborate extensively with Product Managers and Engineering leads who may report into separate functional leaders (e.g., VP of Product, VP of Engineering). Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, as it shapes the foundational platform and systems upon which hundreds of thousands of customers rely. This includes:

• Scalability of Business Processes: Designing systems that enable HubSpot's own growth and efficiency.
• Customer Success & Retention: Ensuring a seamless and powerful user experience that drives customer value and loyalty.
• Innovation Enablement: Contributing to the development and integration of new technologies like AI that drive business value.
• Efficiency of Internal Teams: Optimizing design systems and workflows that empower other product teams.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deepening Platform Expertise: Opportunities to become a go-to expert for specific platform areas, design systems, or AI integration strategies.
• Cross-Product Ownership: Taking on increasingly complex and strategic initiatives that span more of HubSpot's product portfolio.
• Mentorship and Leadership: Guiding and mentoring other designers, contributing to team-wide skill development and best practices.
• Potential Advancement: Progression to Principal Product Designer (HUB-8) or leadership roles (e.g., Design Manager, Director) if desired, though the focus is on individual contribution at this level.
• Skill Development: Continuous learning in areas like AI, data science, and advanced UX research methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" level and its associated responsibilities are comparable to senior roles in operations, where individuals are expected to drive strategic initiatives, optimize complex systems, and influence organizational direction. The growth path emphasizes deep technical and strategic expertise.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position within the USA. HubSpot operates with a hybrid work model, but this specific role is designated as remote. Office Location(s): While remote, HubSpot has offices globally, including headquarters in Cambridge, MA. Remote employees are expected to align with specific time zones for collaboration. Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration Tools: Expect extensive use of collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Asana, Figma) to maintain connection and productivity across distributed teams.
• Asynchronous Communication: A strong emphasis on asynchronous communication is likely necessary to bridge time zone differences and accommodate remote work flexibility.
• Focus on Output: The culture prioritizes brilliant work and impact over physical presence, fostering an environment where designers can concentrate on complex problem-solving.
• Team Interaction: Regular virtual team meetings, design critiques, and cross-functional syncs will be integral to the workflow.

Work Schedule: While full-time, the remote nature likely offers flexibility in daily scheduling, provided key collaboration hours are met. This allows designers to structure their day for deep work and personal needs, which is beneficial for complex problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote and hybrid work environment at HubSpot, while offering flexibility, necessitates strong self-management, proactive communication, and proficiency with digital collaboration tools, mirroring the requirements for remote operations roles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a recruiter screen to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.
• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A core part of the process will involve a deep dive into your portfolio, focusing on systems thinking, scalability, and impact. You may be given a design challenge that requires you to apply these principles to a relevant problem.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially UX Researchers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and problem-solving approaches.
• Leadership/Staff-Level Interview: A discussion focused on strategic thinking, influence, mentorship, and how you operate at a senior individual contributor level.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Final discussion with the hiring manager to assess overall fit, career aspirations, and alignment with team goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Prioritize Systems-Level Case Studies: Showcase projects where you influenced the architecture, scalability, or consistency of a product platform or complex interconnected system.
• Quantify Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the solution, and the measurable outcomes (e.g., increased user adoption, reduced error rates, improved efficiency, revenue impact).
• Demonstrate Process: Explain your design process, including how you conducted research, iterated on solutions, collaborated with stakeholders, and used data to inform decisions.
• Showcase Design System Contributions: If you have experience with design systems, highlight your contributions – whether it's creating new components, evolving patterns, or advocating for their adoption.
• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives that highlight your problem-solving skills and the value you delivered.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand HubSpot's Platform: Familiarize yourself with HubSpot's product suite and common business workflows it supports.
• Focus on Systems Thinking: Be prepared to address problems from a holistic, interconnected perspective. How does a change in one area affect others?
• Consider Scalability and Maintainability: Think about how your proposed solutions can scale with user growth and business complexity.
• Emphasize AI Integration: If the challenge allows, consider how AI or automation could enhance the proposed solution.
• Articulate Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss the pros and cons of different design decisions and justify your recommendations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio that demonstrates "systems thinking" and "measurable impact," coupled with a multi-stage interview process including a potential design challenge, is critical preparation for candidates. This mirrors the structured evaluation processes common in operations roles where candidates present case studies and demonstrate problem-solving abilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The primary tool for UI/UX design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency in Figma, including its collaborative features and design system capabilities, is essential.
• Design System Tools/Platforms: Experience with tools or methodologies used to manage and scale design systems (e.g., Storybook, Zeroheight, or internal HubSpot systems).
• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with other prototyping tools might be beneficial for specific use cases or legacy systems.
• Collaboration Platforms: Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace, Asana or similar project management tools for team communication and workflow management.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Analytics Platforms: Experience with user analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to understand user behavior and measure the impact of designs.
• Data Visualization Tools: Familiarity with tools that can present data clearly, such as Tableau, Looker, or HubSpot's own reporting dashboards.
• User Research Tools: Tools for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Lookback).

CRM & Automation:

• HubSpot CRM: While not explicitly stated as a design requirement, a deep understanding of HubSpot's CRM and its various functionalities would be highly advantageous for designing platform-level experiences that integrate with sales, marketing, and service hubs.
• Automation Tools: Awareness of how automation plays a role within SaaS platforms and user workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with design tools like Figma is paramount. However, the mention of analytics, CRM understanding (specifically HubSpot CRM), and automation highlights the operational aspect of this design role, requiring an understanding of how design impacts business processes and system efficiency.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Solve for the Customer: This is HubSpot's primary value. All design decisions must prioritize customer needs and deliver tangible value.
• Be Bold: Encourages taking calculated risks, pushing boundaries, and driving significant innovation, especially in platform and systems design.
• Learn Fast: Emphasizes continuous learning, rapid iteration, and adapting quickly to new technologies and market changes, particularly relevant for AI and evolving platform needs.
• Align, Adapt & Go!: Focuses on clear communication, strategic alignment, and decisive action, crucial for complex, cross-functional projects.
• Deliver with HEART: A framework that likely encompasses aspects of Honesty, Empathy, Accountability, Respect, and Transparency in all interactions and deliverables.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative environment where designers work hand-in-hand with product managers, engineers, researchers, and content designers.
• Feedback-Driven: A culture that values constructive feedback, design critiques, and open communication to refine designs and processes.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement to share learnings, best practices, and insights across teams to foster collective growth and elevate design craft.
• Empowerment and Autonomy: At the Staff level, there's an expectation of self-direction and the ability to drive initiatives with minimal oversight, while still being a strong team player.

📝 Enhancement Note: HubSpot's core values (Solve for the Customer, Be Bold, Learn Fast, Align, Adapt & Go!, Deliver with HEART) are foundational. For a Staff Product Designer, these values translate into designing customer-centric, innovative, and adaptable platform solutions, while fostering transparent and efficient collaboration. This is analogous to how operations professionals embody company values in process design and execution.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complexity: Designing for a multi-product platform with interconnected systems requires a sophisticated understanding of user needs and technical constraints across different business functions.
• Balancing Scalability and User Experience: Ensuring that platform-level designs are scalable for hundreds of thousands of users without compromising usability or intuitiveness.
• Integrating Evolving AI Technologies: Staying ahead of rapid advancements in AI and effectively integrating them into the platform in a meaningful and user-beneficial way.
• Cross-Team Alignment: Gaining buy-in and ensuring consistency across numerous product teams that interact with or depend on the platform and design systems.
• Measuring Impact: Defining and tracking relevant metrics for platform-level changes can be more complex than for individual features.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into SaaS Architecture: Gain profound insights into the architecture and operational backbone of a leading SaaS company.
• AI and Machine Learning in Design: Opportunities to work directly with AI/ML teams and apply cutting-edge technologies to user experiences.
• Design System Leadership: Play a key role in evolving and scaling a mature design system used by a large organization.
• Mentorship and Influence: Develop leadership skills by mentoring junior designers and influencing product strategy at a high level.
• Industry Conferences and Training: Potential for attending industry events and pursuing relevant certifications to stay abreast of design and technology trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges listed are common for senior roles focused on infrastructure and platforms, requiring strategic thinking, problem-solving under ambiguity, and continuous learning. The growth opportunities mirror those in advanced operations roles, emphasizing strategic impact and specialized skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you influenced a large-scale system or platform design. What was the challenge, your approach, and the outcome?" (Focus on systems thinking, cross-functional influence, and measurable impact.)
• "How would you approach designing a new AI-powered feature for a complex SaaS platform, considering scalability, user adoption, and potential ethical implications?" (Demonstrate AI curiosity, user-centricity, and strategic thinking.)
• "Walk us through a case study from your portfolio that best exemplifies your skills in systems design and delivering measurable business impact. What metrics did you track, and what were the results?" (Prepare your most compelling case study, focusing on quantifiable achievements.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about HubSpot's mission and its AI-powered customer platform?" (Research HubSpot's values, products, and recent announcements.)
• "How do you embody HubSpot's value of 'Be Bold' in your design work?" (Connect your experience to their core values.)
• "How do you handle ambiguity and adapt to changing priorities in a dynamic environment?" (Highlight your adaptability and proactive problem-solving.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the 'Why': Clearly articulate the problem you were trying to solve and the business/user context.
• Showcase Your Process: Detail your methodology, from research to iteration to final solution. Emphasize collaboration.
• Highlight Systems Thinking: Specifically point out how your design addressed interconnectedness, scalability, or platform consistency.
• Quantify Results: Present your metrics and their impact clearly. Use visuals if helpful.
• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, trade-offs, and how you would handle hypothetical scenarios.
• Connect to HubSpot: Where possible, frame your experiences in a way that demonstrates how they align with HubSpot's needs and challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice is tailored to a senior design role, but the emphasis on strategy, problem-solving, measurable impact, cross-functional collaboration, and understanding company values is directly transferable to preparing for operations roles. Candidates should be ready to articulate their strategic contributions and process-oriented thinking.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the official HubSpot Careers portal via the provided URL.
• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features at least three detailed case studies that highlight your expertise in systems thinking, platform design, scalability, and measurable impact. Tailor your selection to showcase the skills most relevant to HubSpot's platform and AI focus.
• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your experience with complex systems, cross-functional leadership, and driving business outcomes. Use keywords relevant to product design, UX, AI, and platform development.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving methodologies, and key accomplishments. Prepare specific examples that demonstrate your ability to collaborate, lead, and deliver impact in a senior individual contributor role.
• Company Research: Thoroughly research HubSpot's product suite, its customer base, its core values, and its recent advancements in AI. Understand how the Platforms & Systems team contributes to the overall company mission.

⚠️ 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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