Lead Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer

Company: Rakuten Rewards

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: Full time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-21

Experience Level: 6+ Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive end-to-end design strategy and execution for the Vertical Squad's product portfolio, encompassing gift card redemption, dining, and in-store shopping experiences.

• Define and communicate a compelling design vision that aligns with Rakuten's broader value proposition and strategic objectives.

• Leverage a systems-thinking approach to ensure cohesive integration of new surfaces with Rakuten's core shopping experience and established design patterns.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Research, UX Writing, and Engineering to frame problems, validate solutions, and deliver high-impact product enhancements.

• Actively contribute to and elevate the design team's culture through critiques, knowledge sharing, and mentorship, fostering a high-craft, high-impact environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Lead Product Designer within a specific "Vertical Squad," indicating a strategic focus on expanding Rakuten's Cash Back offerings beyond traditional e-commerce. The emphasis on "translating operational complexity into something that feels simple and rewarding" suggests a strong need for a designer who can bridge intricate business logic with user-centric design solutions. This implies a significant degree of GTM (Go-To-Market) operations influence, as the designer will be instrumental in shaping how new revenue streams are presented and accessed by consumers. The mention of AI tools and rapid prototyping points to a forward-thinking team that values efficiency and innovation.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the complete design lifecycle for the Vertical Squad's product areas, from initial problem framing and user research through to shipped product and post-launch iteration.

• Develop and articulate a clear design vision and strategy for the squad's diverse product surfaces, ensuring alignment with business goals and user needs.

• Proactively define and scope complex problems by asking critical questions, identifying core user needs, and determining the most impactful design solutions before UI development.

• Apply systems thinking to design solutions that seamlessly connect with Rakuten's existing e-commerce platform, leveraging and extending established design patterns for consistency.

• Partner with embedded researchers or conduct user research independently to validate design concepts, uncover user friction points, and mitigate development risks early in the process.

• Foster strong cross-functional collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, and UX Writers, effectively communicating design decisions and rationale to secure buy-in and drive consensus.

• Actively participate in design critiques, share insights and learnings, and mentor junior designers to elevate the overall quality and impact of the design team's output.

• Integrate and experiment with AI tools throughout the design process, from research synthesis and ideation to rapid prototyping, to enhance creativity and accelerate delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a leadership role that extends beyond traditional UX/UI design. "Design Ownership" and "Squad Vision" indicate a strategic contribution to product direction. The emphasis on "Problem Definition" and "Systems Thinking" is crucial for a role that needs to integrate diverse offerings (gift cards, dining, in-store) into a cohesive user experience, often involving complex backend operations. The requirement to "Navigate stakeholder dynamics" and "communicate design decisions confidently up to senior leadership" points to strong GTM alignment and the need for persuasive communication.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Industrial Design, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Experience:

• A minimum of 6+ years of professional design experience, with a significant portion dedicated to working with complex systems and end-to-end product design.

• Demonstrated experience in leading design initiatives and setting design direction for product areas. Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Proven ability to own and deliver end-to-end product design solutions for complex consumer-facing applications.

• Systems Thinking: Capacity to understand and design for interconnected systems, ensuring seamless integration and consistent user experiences across multiple touchpoints.

• Problem Framing & Scoping: Skill in defining and structuring design challenges, identifying core issues, and prioritizing solutions before visual design.

• Design & Prototyping Tools Proficiency: Expertise in industry-standard tools such as Figma.

• Visual & Interaction Design: A strong aesthetic sense and a track record of creating intuitive, engaging, and visually appealing user interfaces.

• User Research & Validation: Experience partnering with researchers or conducting user research to inform design decisions and validate concepts.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders to achieve shared goals.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for e-commerce platforms, marketplaces, or large-scale consumer products.

• Active and experimental use of AI tools within a design workflow, including AI coding tools for rapid prototyping.

• Proven ability to influence design quality and culture across multiple teams through critiques, mentorship, or leading design initiatives.

• Experience with dining, gift card, or in-store retail technology integrations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "significant experience working with complex systems" is a key differentiator for this role, suggesting that candidates will need to demonstrate how they've navigated intricate business logic and technical constraints in previous roles. The explicit mention of "Claude Code" alongside Figma indicates a desire for designers who can leverage AI for more than just ideation, potentially for rapid prototyping or even basic code generation.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design projects with clear evidence of your design process, strategic decision-making, and measurable outcomes.

• Examples that demonstrate your ability to tackle complex systems and translate operational intricacies into user-friendly experiences.

• Case studies detailing how you framed problems, conducted research, iterated on designs, and collaborated with cross-functional teams.

• Visualizations of user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and final UI designs that highlight your interaction and visual design skills.

• Evidence of how your designs have driven specific, measurable business or user impact (e.g., increased conversion, improved user satisfaction, reduced friction). Process Documentation:

• Clearly articulated design processes used for projects, emphasizing methodologies like user-centered design, design thinking, and agile development.

• Documentation of research methodologies employed, including user interviews, usability testing, surveys, and data analysis.

• Examples of how you've used design systems or component libraries to ensure consistency and efficiency across multiple product surfaces.

• Demonstrations of how you've leveraged prototyping tools to test hypotheses and gather feedback early in the design cycle.

• Evidence of iterative design improvements based on user feedback, A/B testing, or performance metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily geared towards demonstrating a strategic and process-driven approach. "Clear evidence of process, decision-making, and measurable outcomes" is critical. For this role, showcasing how you've navigated "operational complexity" and integrated diverse "surfaces" (gift cards, dining, in-store) into a cohesive experience will be paramount. This implies a need for case studies that not only present polished UIs but also delve into the strategic thinking and problem-solving behind them, including how they support GTM initiatives.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Based on industry benchmarks for a Lead Product Designer role in Toronto, Canada, with 6+ years of experience, the estimated base salary range is CAD $110,000 - $150,000 annually. This range accounts for the seniority of the role, the complexity of the product domain (gift cards, dining, in-store integrations), and the cost of living in Toronto. A discretionary bonus is also expected.

Benefits:

• Stock options: Opportunity to gain equity in a growing company.

• Health insurance: Comprehensive coverage for medical needs.

• Vision insurance: Coverage for eye care.

• Dental insurance: Coverage for dental care.

• RRSP matching: Employer contributions to retirement savings plans.

• Personal Time Off (PTO): Paid time off for rest and personal needs.

• Volunteer Time Off (VTO): Paid time off for community engagement.

• Other employee benefits as the company implements. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, typically 40 hours per week.

• While the role is on-site, Rakuten may offer some flexibility in scheduling, particularly given the emphasis on AI-assisted workflows which can sometimes enable more efficient work outside traditional hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on aggregated data from reputable Canadian salary survey sites and job boards for senior design roles in major tech hubs like Toronto. The inclusion of a "discretionary bonus" is noted from the raw job description. The benefits listed are comprehensive and competitive for a tech company. The "AI-assisted workflows" mention might imply a culture that values efficient work practices, potentially allowing for some flexibility within the on-site framework.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: E-commerce, Digital Marketing, Technology Services. Rakuten operates as a global technology leader providing a wide array of services, with Rakuten Rewards focusing on incentivizing consumer spending through Cash Back programs. This industry context means a strong emphasis on user acquisition, retention, and partner relationships, all of which are influenced by the design and functionality of their platforms.

Company Size: Rakuten Group has over 4,000 employees worldwide, with Rakuten Rewards being a significant division. This size indicates a company with established processes and resources, but also one that fosters specialized teams and requires clear communication across departments. For operations professionals, this means opportunities for structured career growth within a large organization, but also a need to navigate larger corporate structures.

Founded: Rakuten Group was founded in 1997. This long history suggests a stable company with deep experience in the e-commerce and technology sectors. The company's longevity implies a resilient business model and a culture that evolves with market trends while retaining core values.

Team Structure:

• The Lead Product Designer will be part of the Vertical Squad, a cross-functional team composed of a Product Manager, Researcher, UX Writer, and embedded Engineers. This structure emphasizes agile development and close collaboration.

• This squad likely reports up through a broader Product or Design leadership structure, potentially under the Director of Product Design mentioned in the role description.

• Collaboration is expected to be highly integrated within the squad and also extend to other design squads, marketing teams, and business development units responsible for partnerships (e.g., with brands, gift card providers, retailers). Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decisions: Rakuten emphasizes research and experimentation to de-risk solutions and measure impact, aligning with GTM operations best practices.

• AI Integration: The team actively encourages the use of AI tools to enhance creativity, efficiency, and amplify the impact of design work, reflecting a modern approach to product development.

• Agile Development: The squad structure suggests an agile methodology, focusing on iterative development and continuous improvement.

• Customer Focus: A core principle is "Maximize Customer Satisfaction," ensuring that all design and operational efforts are centered on delivering value and positive experiences to Rakuten members.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's extensive history and global presence suggest a mature organization with well-defined operational frameworks. The "Vertical Squad" structure points to a strategic alignment with GTM objectives, as these squads are designed to drive specific business initiatives. The emphasis on "AI-assisted workflows" and using AI "freely in their process" indicates a culture that embraces innovation and efficiency, which is highly relevant for operations roles focused on optimizing processes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a "Lead" level, signifying a senior individual contributor position with significant design ownership and strategic influence. It requires not only strong individual design craft but also the ability to set direction, mentor others, and contribute to team-level improvements. For operations professionals, this translates to a role that requires strategic thinking about how product design impacts GTM execution and user adoption.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Designer reports to the Director of Product Design. They will work daily with a dedicated cross-functional squad (PM, Researcher, UX Writer, Engineers), fostering a collaborative and agile environment. This structure allows for direct leadership oversight while ensuring deep integration within a product team.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer's work directly impacts the Go-To-Market strategy by expanding how and where members earn Cash Back. By simplifying complex offerings like gift card redemption, dining, and in-store shopping, the designer plays a crucial role in driving user acquisition, engagement, and revenue growth through new channels. Their designs will influence partner integrations and the overall perception of Rakuten's value proposition in diverse market segments.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Senior Design Lead or Managerial role, overseeing larger product areas or multiple squads, and further shaping design strategy and team culture.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like consumer-scale e-commerce, loyalty programs, or the application of AI in design and operations.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Develop stronger strategic partnerships with Product, Engineering, and Business Development, potentially leading to roles with broader GTM or product strategy responsibilities.

• Mentorship & Culture Building: Take a leading role in mentoring other designers, contributing to design system evolution, and championing best practices within the design and broader product organizations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Lead" title implies a path towards more strategic GTM involvement, potentially influencing how new products and features are rolled out and supported operationally. The emphasis on "influencing design quality and culture beyond your immediate squad" suggests opportunities for leadership in process improvement and operational excellence within the design function.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as "On-site" in Toronto, Canada. This suggests a traditional office environment where in-person collaboration is valued. Rakuten Rewards is a division of a larger global company, implying a professional office setting with access to standard corporate amenities.

Office Location(s): The job posting specifies "CN-Yonge Sheppard Center" in Toronto. This is a well-known commercial hub in Toronto, likely offering good accessibility via public transportation and proximity to various amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office environment likely includes meeting rooms, brainstorming areas, and open-plan workspaces designed to facilitate interaction among squad members and other colleagues.

• Technology Access: As a tech-forward company, expect access to modern hardware, software licenses for design and productivity tools (e.g., Figma, potentially AI development tools), and reliable network infrastructure.

• Team Interaction: Daily interaction with the embedded squad (PM, Researcher, UX Writer, Engineers) will be central to the work. Opportunities to connect with the broader design team and other departments will also be available.

Work Schedule:

• The standard working hours are 40 hours per week.

• While the role is on-site, the company's forward-thinking approach, particularly with AI-assisted workflows, may allow for some degree of flexibility in daily scheduling, provided core collaboration hours and team needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" requirement is clear. For operations-minded candidates, understanding the collaborative dynamics of an on-site team is key. The mention of AI tools suggests that while in-office, the team might be leveraging technology to make their time highly efficient and potentially more flexible within the traditional workday structure.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and experience against the job requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you present your portfolio, focusing on 2-3 key projects that demonstrate your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Be prepared to articulate your decision-making rationale, the challenges you faced, and the outcomes.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with members of the Vertical Squad (Product Manager, Researcher, UX Writer, Engineers) to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and technical understanding.

• Design Leadership Interview: A discussion with the Director of Product Design to evaluate your design vision, strategic thinking, leadership potential, and cultural fit.

• Potential Case Study/Exercise: While not explicitly stated, some companies at this level may include a design challenge or exercise to assess problem-solving skills and approach in real-time.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process & Impact: Don't just show final screens. Detail the problem, your research, your hypotheses, design iterations, and crucially, the measurable outcomes or impact of your work.

• Highlight Complex Systems: Showcase projects where you've navigated intricate requirements, integrated with existing systems, or simplified complex user journeys. This is critical for this role.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Explain how you worked with PMs, engineers, researchers, and other stakeholders. Use "we" when describing team efforts and "I" when detailing your specific contributions.

• Articulate AI Usage: If you have examples of using AI in your workflow, be ready to discuss how it helped you achieve better results or work more efficiently.

• Tailor to Rakuten: Research Rakuten's current offerings and brand. Understand their Cash Back model and how the Vertical Squad's work fits into their broader strategy.

Challenge Preparation:

• Problem Framing: Practice defining ambiguous problems and breaking them down into actionable design tasks.

• Systems Thinking Exercises: Consider how different user journeys or product features connect and influence each other.

• Communication Clarity: Prepare to articulate complex design concepts simply and persuasively, anticipating questions from both design and non-design stakeholders.

• Rakuten's Business Model: Be ready to discuss how design can directly support business objectives like member acquisition, engagement, and partner revenue.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "translating operational complexity" and "systems thinking" means your portfolio should explicitly showcase projects where you've dealt with intricate business rules or integrated disparate systems. Be prepared to discuss how your design decisions supported GTM efforts, such as user adoption of new features or partner integrations. The company's explicit request for authentic, personal content over AI-generated responses in interviews is a key cultural signal.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design and prototyping tool. Proficiency is essential for creating wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, interactive prototypes, and collaborating within design systems.

• Claude Code (or similar AI coding tools): Explicitly mentioned as a preferred tool, suggesting the team uses AI for rapid prototyping, potentially for generating code snippets, or assisting in development workflows. Understanding how to leverage these tools for efficiency is key.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While specific tools aren't listed for this role, expect to work with data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to understand user behavior, track feature adoption, and measure the impact of design changes.

• Data visualization tools may be used for reporting on key metrics to stakeholders. CRM & Automation:

• Rakuten Rewards likely uses a CRM system for member management and marketing automation tools for communication. While not a direct responsibility of the designer, understanding how product design interfaces with these systems is beneficial for a holistic GTM view. Other Potential Tools:

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with tools like InVision, Principle, or Adobe XD might be advantageous.

• User Research Platforms: Tools for usability testing, surveys, or session recording (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Hotjar).

• Project Management Tools: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for sprint planning and task management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "Claude Code" alongside Figma is a significant indicator of the team's embrace of AI in the design process, potentially for rapid prototyping or even basic front-end development assistance. This requires a candidate who is not only a skilled designer but also an early adopter and experimenter with new technologies that can streamline GTM execution.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Always improve, Always Advance (Kaizen): A commitment to continuous improvement in all aspects of work, from design execution to team processes and efficiency.

• Passionately Professional: A dedication to high standards, uncompromising quality, and a drive to excel in one's craft and professional responsibilities.

• Hypothesize - Practice - Validate (Shikumika): An iterative, data-informed approach to problem-solving, encouraging experimentation and learning from results. This aligns perfectly with operations' focus on testing and optimizing.

• Maximize Customer Satisfaction: A core tenet that emphasizes user-centricity, ensuring that all efforts – including design and operational execution – are focused on delivering exceptional value and delight to Rakuten members.

• Speed!! Speed!! Speed!!: A strong emphasis on agility, taking initiative, setting clear goals, and executing with urgency, reflecting a fast-paced GTM environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The Vertical Squad model fosters tight collaboration between design, product, research, UX writing, and engineering, aiming for cohesive product development.

• Design Critiques & Feedback: An active design culture where constructive feedback is shared and utilized to elevate the quality of work across all squads.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement to share learnings, best practices, and insights to benefit the broader design team and potentially other operational teams.

• AI-Augmented Workflows: A culture that embraces and experiments with AI tools to enhance creativity, efficiency, and strategic thinking, potentially leading to new collaborative methods.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Five Principles for Success" are deeply embedded in Rakuten's culture and directly relate to operations. "Kaizen," "Shikumika," and "Speed!!" are particularly relevant, highlighting a drive for continuous operational improvement, iterative validation of GTM strategies, and swift execution. The emphasis on "Passionately Professional" and "Maximize Customer Satisfaction" underscores the need for high standards in both product design and the customer experience it enables.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Operational Complexity: Effectively designing for diverse and potentially complex backend operations (gift cards, dining partnerships, in-store integrations) while maintaining a simple, rewarding user experience. This requires a strong ability to understand and abstract business logic.

• Balancing Innovation with Consistency: Developing new Cash Back surfaces that feel fresh and exciting while ensuring they integrate seamlessly with Rakuten's core shopping experience and established design patterns.

• Influencing Cross-Functional Partners: Effectively communicating design vision and rationale to Product Managers, Engineers, and business stakeholders to gain buy-in and drive alignment, especially when navigating differing priorities.

• Evolving AI Landscape: Staying abreast of rapid advancements in AI tools and effectively integrating them into design workflows to enhance productivity and creativity without compromising quality or user experience.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Leadership: Opportunities to hone skills in strategic design thinking, team leadership, and mentoring within a growing design organization.

• E-commerce & Loyalty Program Expertise: Deepen knowledge of consumer-scale e-commerce platforms, loyalty programs, and partnership integrations within a leading Cash Back provider.

• AI in Design & Operations: Gain hands-on experience and develop expertise in leveraging AI tools for design, research synthesis, and potentially streamlining operational aspects of product development.

• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Enhance skills in working effectively with diverse teams, understanding different perspectives, and contributing to a unified product vision that supports GTM objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in bridging the gap between complex operational realities and a seamless user experience. For operations professionals, this translates to understanding how design decisions impact GTM execution, partner onboarding, and customer support. The growth opportunities highlight paths for leadership and specialization that are highly relevant to advancing within the operations or product domains.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a complex system with significant operational constraints. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on problem framing, user advocacy, and measurable results.)

• "How do you define and communicate a design vision for a new product area, especially when it needs to integrate with an existing ecosystem?" (Highlight your ability to strategize, align stakeholders, and articulate a clear path forward.)

• "Walk us through a project where you used AI tools in your design process. What were the benefits, and what did you learn?" (Be specific about the tools, the problem solved, and the impact on efficiency or creativity.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Rakuten's 'Five Principles for Success' resonate with your own work philosophy, particularly 'Hypothesize - Practice - Validate' and 'Speed!! Speed!! Speed!!'?" (Connect these principles to your experience in iterative design and agile execution.)

• "How do you contribute to fostering a positive and high-craft design culture within a team?" (Discuss your experience with critiques, mentorship, and sharing best practices.)

• "Our team is expanding beyond core e-commerce into areas like gift cards and dining. How would you ensure a cohesive and rewarding experience across these new surfaces?" (Focus on systems thinking, user empathy, and integration strategies.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with a high-level overview of Rakuten Rewards and the Vertical Squad's mission. Then, dive into 2-3 projects, dedicating approximately 10-15 minutes per project.

• Storytelling: Frame each project as a narrative: the problem, your role, the process, key decisions, challenges, solutions, and most importantly, the impact (metrics, user feedback, business outcomes).

• Visuals: Use clear, concise visuals that highlight key design elements and user flows. Be prepared to zoom in on specific details or interactions.

• Process Emphasis: Clearly articulate why you made certain design choices, referencing research, user feedback, or business goals.

• AI Integration: If applicable, weave in how AI tools aided your process or outcomes.

• Authenticity: As Rakuten requested, be genuine. Let your passion for design and problem-solving shine through. Avoid overly polished, AI-generated responses.

📝 Enhancement Note: When discussing your portfolio, explicitly connect your design decisions to operational efficiency or GTM success. For instance, if a design simplified a complex partner onboarding process, highlight that. Be prepared to discuss how your designs support Rakuten's "Speed!!" principle by enabling faster user adoption or quicker partner integrations.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position at Rakuten Rewards:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Rakuten Rewards careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature projects that demonstrate experience with complex systems, end-to-end product design, and measurable impact. Prioritize examples that showcase your ability to translate operational complexity into user-friendly interfaces.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords such as "Product Design," "Systems Thinking," "Figma," "User Research," "Interaction Design," and any experience with e-commerce or consumer-scale products. Quantify your achievements with metrics wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and the impact of your work. Prepare to discuss your experience with AI tools and how you contribute to design culture and collaboration. Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on storytelling and authenticity.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Rakuten Rewards, its business model (especially the Cash Back program), its "Five Principles for Success," and the strategic importance of the Vertical Squad's work in expanding member value. Understand their market position and competitors.

⚠️ 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.