Principal Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Product Designer

Company: AgencyBloc

Location: Cedar Falls, IA, US

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-03T19:03:17

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Remote OK (within the United States)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design, focusing on intuitive and coherent user experiences for SaaS solutions.

• Drive customer understanding by deeply integrating user needs into conceptual models, information architecture, and interaction design.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product Management, UX Research, and Technology to translate strategy into buildable and delightful product features.

• Establish and maintain design patterns and interaction guidelines to ensure product consistency and scalability within a growing design system.

• Leverage AI tools strategically to accelerate design processes while maintaining a strong customer-centric focus.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is for a Principal Product Designer, indicating a senior-level position with significant autonomy and influence over the product's user experience. The emphasis on "customer understanding," "intuitive design," and "buildable solutions" aligns with a GTM (Go-To-Market) enablement function, ensuring products are not only functional but also commercially viable and easy for end-users, specifically within the life and health insurance agency sector. The mention of AI tools suggests a forward-thinking approach to design processes.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Execute end-to-end UX design, from conceptual models and information architecture to interaction and visual design, defining how users navigate and mentally model the product.

• Translate product vision and customer understanding into coherent, buildable designs that address engineering questions proactively and minimize ambiguity.

• Define and champion "good UX and UI" standards at AgencyBloc, establishing design patterns and interaction guidelines for a unified product experience.

• Partner closely with Product Managers and UX Strategists/Researchers to engage customers at all design fidelities, incorporating feedback and usability insights continuously.

• Build low to high-fidelity prototypes to test understanding and interaction, ensuring designs are validated before development.

• Serve as the design conscience for the organization, guiding Product Managers and engineers on design decisions and advocating for the customer experience.

• Collaborate deeply with Product, UX, Technology, and Client Experience teams, contributing to product discovery and definition beyond just design execution.

• Work with Technology to inform shared components and front-end design standards, ensuring feasibility and maintainability without direct coding.

• Actively participate in Agile ceremonies (Discovery, Planning, Development), contributing as a full product team member with authority to challenge direction for the sake of customer experience.

• Communicate design decisions clearly to technical and non-technical audiences, building alignment and confidence across teams.

• Determine design readiness for development and validate that shipped products match the intended user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on design execution and strategic influence. The emphasis on "making it buildable and coherent," "answering Technology's questions before they're asked," and "determining readiness for development" points to a strong need for practical design skills that directly support the engineering and GTM pipeline, ensuring smooth product launches.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree preferred; relevant experience considered in lieu of degree.

Experience: 15+ years of experience in UX or product design within a SaaS or technology-driven environment.

Required Skills:

• Conceptual & Interaction Design Depth: Strong command of the UX design spectrum, including mental models, conceptual design, information architecture, and interaction design.

• Customer-Centered Design: Genuine curiosity about user thought processes and work habits, translating customer understanding into practical, customer-centered design decisions.

• Prototyping: Ability to build low to high-fidelity prototypes for concept validation and user testing.

• Figma Proficiency: Expertise in Figma or equivalent modern design tooling for creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes.

• Design Systems: Experience contributing to or owning a design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across products.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to build strong working relationships and influence without authority across Product, UX, Technology, and Client Experience teams.

• Communication Skills: Excellent ability to explain design decisions clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences, fostering alignment and confidence.

• Agile/Iterative Development: Experience working in agile or iterative product development environments.

Preferred Skills:

• AI-Experience Design: Experience designing product experiences that incorporate AI-enabled features and understanding AI-specific UX challenges.

• Systems Thinker: Ability to understand how individual design decisions impact the product as a whole, focusing on consistency, scalability, and design system integrity.

• Technology Collaborator: Comfort working closely with engineers and architects to discuss feasibility, component design, and design system maintenance.

• Deliberate AI User: Strategic use of AI tools for concept generation, prototype iteration, and design exploration, always prioritizing customer understanding.

• Customer Engagement: Comfortable engaging directly with customers for research, testing, and learning.

• Visual Design: Strong visual design sensibilities to complement interaction and information architecture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "15+ years" requirement for a Principal role, coupled with the emphasis on "conceptual design," "information architecture," and "interaction design," signifies a need for deep strategic thinking and foundational UX expertise, not just UI polish. The preference for AI experience and a systems-thinking approach suggests the company is investing in advanced product development methodologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase at least 3-5 comprehensive case studies detailing your process from problem definition to shipped solution, highlighting your role and impact.

• Conceptual & Interaction Design Examples: Demonstrate your ability to define mental models, information architecture, and complex user flows.

• Prototyping Examples: Include interactive prototypes (links or embedded) that illustrate user journeys and interaction design.

• Design System Contributions: If applicable, provide examples of your work on design systems, including component creation, pattern definition, or style guides.

• Problem-Solving & Iteration: Clearly articulate the problems you solved, the design decisions made, and how customer feedback or data led to iterations.

Process Documentation:

• User-Centered Workflow: Detail how you integrate customer understanding and research findings into your design process.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Illustrate how you partner with Product Management, Engineering, and Research throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Design System Governance: Explain your approach to maintaining and evolving design systems for consistency and scalability.

• AI Tool Integration: Showcase how you strategically leverage AI tools within your design workflow to enhance efficiency and exploration.

• Validation & Readiness: Describe your methods for validating designs and determining readiness for development, including user testing and stakeholder alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Principal Product Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond just visual appeal and demonstrate a deep understanding of the design process, strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and the ability to collaborate effectively. The emphasis on "end-to-end design," "interaction design," and "customer understanding" is critical. Highlighting the use of AI tools in the portfolio will be a significant differentiator.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the Principal Product Designer title, 15+ years of experience, and the SaaS industry in Iowa, a competitive salary range is estimated between $140,000 - $190,000 annually. This range accounts for the senior nature of the role, the specialized skills required (including AI experience), and the cost of living in the Cedar Falls, IA area, which is generally lower than major tech hubs but still demands competitive compensation for top talent.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Retirement Savings Plan: 401(k) with potential company match, supporting long-term financial planning.

• Paid Time Off (PTO): Generous vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays to promote work-life balance.

• Professional Development: Budget or opportunities for conferences, training, and certifications to support continuous learning in UX, AI, and product design.

• Remote Work Stipend: Potential support for home office setup and ongoing remote work expenses.

• Life and Disability Insurance: Standard employer-provided insurance policies.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, approximately 40 hours per week. While the role is remote, core collaboration hours will be established to facilitate real-time interaction with teams primarily located in the Central Time Zone (CT). Flexibility is expected, with the understanding that occasional adjustments may be needed to accommodate cross-functional team needs or critical project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for Principal Product Designers in US-based SaaS companies, adjusted for the specific location in Iowa. The inclusion of "AI-Experience Designer" and "deliberate AI user" as preferred skills suggests a premium for candidates with these capabilities. Benefits are tailored to attract and retain senior talent in a remote-first environment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software, specifically Agency Management Solutions for the Life and Health Insurance sector. AgencyBloc provides CRM, commission processing, and marketing automation tools.

Company Size: AgencyBloc is part of the larger Vertafore family, which is a significant player in the insurance technology space. Vertafore itself is a substantial organization, indicating AgencyBloc benefits from the resources of a larger company while potentially maintaining a focused, agile team culture.

Founded: AgencyBloc was founded in 2010. The company's focus on streamlining operations for insurance agencies suggests a culture centered on efficiency, customer success, and practical problem-solving.

Team Structure:

• The Principal Product Designer will likely be part of a dedicated Product and Design team.

• This team will include UX Strategists/Researchers and Product Managers, with whom the designer will collaborate closely.

• The design team will work within a broader cross-functional structure, including Technology (Engineering) and Client Experience teams.

• Reporting likely goes up through a Head of Product, Director of Design, or similar leadership role within the Product organization. Methodology:

• Customer-Centric Design: A core methodology, emphasizing deep understanding of how life and health insurance agencies operate.

• Agile Development: Iterative product development processes are standard, requiring flexibility and continuous feedback loops.

• Data-Informed Decisions: While not explicitly stated, a SaaS company of this nature typically relies on data analytics for product strategy and design validation.

• AI Integration: A growing area of focus, utilizing AI tools to enhance product features and design workflows.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding AgencyBloc's position within the insurance tech landscape is crucial. Their focus is on empowering independent agencies, which implies a need for designs that are robust, efficient, and easy to adopt for small to medium-sized businesses. The company culture is described as innovative, collaborative, and caring, suggesting a positive and supportive work environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Principal Product Designer. This is a senior leadership role within the design function, signifying a high level of expertise, autonomy, and influence. It involves not just executing design but also shaping design strategy, mentoring junior designers, and setting standards for the entire product.

Reporting Structure: The Principal Product Designer will likely report to a Director of Product, VP of Product, or a Head of Design. They will work closely with Product Managers and UX Strategists/Researchers, forming a core product triad.

Operations Impact: This role directly impacts the success of AgencyBloc's SaaS platform by ensuring its usability, desirability, and effectiveness. A strong product design function is critical for customer acquisition, retention, and overall market competitiveness. The designer's work will influence how agencies manage their business, directly contributing to their operational efficiency and growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Design Lead or Manager role, overseeing a team of designers.

• Strategic Influence: Deeper involvement in product strategy, roadmap planning, and long-term vision setting for AgencyBloc.

• Specialization: Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in AI-driven design or specific areas of insurance technology.

• Mentorship: Guiding and developing junior designers, fostering a strong design culture.

• Cross-Functional Advancement: Potential to move into Product Management or other strategic roles within AgencyBloc or Vertafore, leveraging deep product and customer understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Principal" title indicates a career path focused on deep expertise and leadership rather than purely managerial progression, though management is a possible avenue. The role offers significant opportunities to shape product direction and influence business outcomes, appealing to experienced designers looking for impact.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: AgencyBloc operates in a remote-first model, with potential for hybrid arrangements in Cedar Falls, IA, or as part of the broader Vertafore network. The primary environment for this role is remote.

Office Location(s): While headquartered in Cedar Falls, IA, the role is remote and open to candidates within the United States. This offers flexibility for candidates outside the immediate Cedar Falls area.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: Emphasis on digital collaboration tools (e.g., Figma, Slack, Zoom) to maintain connection and productivity.

• Flexible Work Schedule: While core hours are expected for collaboration, there's an implied flexibility for remote employees to manage their work environment and schedule effectively.

• Access to Tools: Expected access to industry-standard design and collaboration software, and potentially a stipend for home office setup.

• Team Interaction: Regular virtual team meetings, design critiques, and cross-functional syncs to foster a connected and collaborative atmosphere.

Work Schedule: Approximately 40 hours per week. The remote nature allows for some flexibility in structuring the workday, but active participation in team meetings and collaborative sessions, particularly during Central Time business hours, will be essential.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature is a key aspect, requiring strong self-management and communication skills. The company's commitment to fostering a collaborative environment virtually is crucial for remote employees to feel integrated and effective.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager (likely a Head of Product or Design Lead) to delve into experience, approach, and alignment with role requirements.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A deep dive into your portfolio, presenting specific case studies. This may be followed by a design exercise or a hypothetical problem-solving scenario to assess your design thinking, process, and communication skills.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product Management, Engineering, and potentially UX Research to evaluate collaboration style and technical understanding.

• Final Interview: Potentially a conversation with senior leadership to confirm cultural fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Select Case Studies: Choose 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects that showcase end-to-end design, interaction design, and problem-solving.

• Focus on Process & Impact: Clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process (including research, ideation, iteration), the solutions you developed, and the measurable impact of your work. Use data and metrics where possible.

• Highlight Collaboration: Showcase how you worked with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Research) and stakeholders.

• Demonstrate Interaction Design Depth: Go beyond static mockups. Explain how users interact with your designs and why those interactions are effective.

• Showcase AI Integration: If applicable, highlight projects where you've used AI tools or designed AI-enabled features, explaining your approach and rationale.

• Prepare for Questions: Be ready to discuss your design decisions, defend your choices, and articulate your thought process.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with AgencyBloc's product, the insurance agency management industry, and the challenges faced by life and health insurance agencies.

• Practice Problem Decomposition: Be ready to break down a complex problem into smaller, manageable parts.

• Articulate Your Approach: Clearly explain your design methodology, from discovery and ideation to validation and iteration.

• Think About AI: Consider how AI might be applied to solve the challenge, aligning with the company's interest in AI-driven features.

• Focus on Customer Value: Ensure your proposed solutions prioritize customer needs and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "Portfolio Review & Design Challenge" is critical for senior design roles. Candidates should prepare to not only present their work but also demonstrate their design thinking and problem-solving capabilities in real-time or through a practical exercise. Understanding the specific SaaS niche (insurance agencies) will be key for the challenge.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and collaboration. Proficiency is a must.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with tools like InVision, Principle, or Axure may be beneficial for specific interaction design needs.

• Design System Management Tools: Experience with platforms or methodologies for creating and maintaining design systems (e.g., Storybook, Zeroheight).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics to understand user behavior and product usage patterns.

• User Feedback Tools: Experience with platforms for collecting and analyzing user feedback (e.g., UserVoice, Canny, surveys).

CRM & Automation:

• Agency Management Software: Understanding of or experience with SaaS platforms in the insurance agency management space (CRM, commission processing, marketing automation) is highly advantageous. Familiarity with AgencyBloc's own platform or competitors would be beneficial.

• AI Tools for Design: Experience with AI-powered design assistants or generative AI tools for concept exploration, content generation, or image creation (e.g., Midjourney, ChatGPT for design prompts, AI-assisted prototyping tools).

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned, making it a non-negotiable tool. The inclusion of AI tools in the "Preferred Qualifications" and the "Tools & Technology Stack" section reinforces the company's interest in candidates who can leverage these technologies. Understanding the specific SaaS domain (insurance agency management) is also a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Obsession: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of life and health insurance agencies.

• Innovation & Curiosity: Encouraging new ideas, exploring emerging technologies (like AI), and continuously learning.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering a supportive environment where individuals work together to achieve common goals.

• Integrity & Transparency: Operating with honesty and openness in all interactions, both internal and external.

• Efficiency & Excellence: Striving for high-quality outcomes and optimizing processes for better results.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Design is viewed as an integral part of the product development team, working hand-in-hand with Product Management and Engineering from discovery through delivery.

• Open Communication: Encouraging direct and constructive feedback through regular meetings, design critiques, and asynchronous communication channels.

• Data-Informed, Human-Centered: Balancing quantitative data with qualitative user insights to make well-rounded design decisions.

• Remote-First Inclusion: Proactively ensuring all team members, regardless of location, feel included and have equal opportunities to contribute and be heard.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values of innovation, collaboration, and caring, combined with the remote-first approach, suggest a culture that values both individual contribution and collective success. The emphasis on customer obsession is paramount given their industry focus.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing AI Integration with Core UX: Effectively incorporating AI features without compromising usability, trust, or the fundamental user experience.

• Designing for a Niche Industry: Deeply understanding the specific workflows, pain points, and terminology of life and health insurance agencies.

• Maintaining Design Consistency: Ensuring a cohesive and unified user experience across a growing product suite, especially in a remote environment.

• Influencing Without Direct Authority: Guiding product direction and design standards across multiple teams and stakeholders.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Maintaining strong team cohesion and effective communication in a distributed work environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design Workshops: Opportunities to deepen expertise in using AI tools for design ideation, generation, and workflow optimization.

• Industry-Specific Training: Gaining in-depth knowledge of the insurance technology sector and agency operations.

• Design Leadership Development: Participating in programs or mentorship to hone leadership, strategy, and team-building skills.

• Conferences & Certifications: Support for attending industry events (e.g., UX, product design, AI) and pursuing relevant certifications.

• Exposure to Vertafore Ecosystem: Potential to learn from and collaborate with other teams within the larger Vertafore organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the evolving landscape of product design, particularly with AI, and the complexities of working in a specialized SaaS market. The growth opportunities are geared towards developing both technical and leadership skills relevant to a senior design role.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance a complex technical constraint with an ideal user experience. How did you navigate that?" (Assesses problem-solving, compromise, and technical collaboration.)

• "How do you approach integrating AI-enabled features into a product? Walk us through your thought process from concept to design." (Evaluates AI design thinking and customer-centricity.)

• "Describe your process for establishing or contributing to a design system. What are the key benefits and challenges?" (Tests understanding of scalability, consistency, and system thinking.)

• "How do you ensure your designs are not only aesthetically pleasing but also deeply usable and solve the right customer problems?" (Focuses on core UX principles and customer understanding.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of AgencyBloc and the insurance agency market, what do you see as the biggest UX opportunities or challenges for our product?" (Assesses domain research and strategic thinking.)

• "How do you foster collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers, especially in a remote setting?" (Evaluates teamwork and communication skills.)

• "What are your thoughts on the role of AI in product design, and how do you see it evolving?" (Gauges forward-thinking and AI adoption readiness.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, your process, the solution, and the impact. Use a clear, logical flow.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (screenshots, wireframes, prototypes) effectively. For interaction design, use embedded prototypes or screen recordings.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced task completion time, improved user satisfaction scores) to demonstrate the value of your design work.

• Explain Your "Why": Be prepared to articulate the rationale behind your design decisions. Why did you choose a particular pattern? Why did you make a specific interaction choice?

• Address AI Proactively: If you have relevant AI experience, weave it into your case studies or be ready to discuss it when prompted.

• Engage Your Audience: Make it a conversation. Ask clarifying questions and be open to feedback and discussion.

📝 Enhancement Note: The questions are designed to probe the candidate's strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, understanding of AI in design, and their capacity to collaborate effectively within a product team, especially in a remote context. The portfolio presentation strategy emphasizes demonstrating impact and process, crucial for a senior role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Comeet application link provided.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight end-to-end case studies that demonstrate your expertise in conceptual design, interaction design, and problem-solving within a SaaS context. Ensure it clearly shows your process and impact.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize your 15+ years of relevant experience, key skills such as Figma, design systems, AI-experience design, and cross-functional collaboration. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design philosophy, your approach to customer-centered design, and your experience with AI tools. Prepare to walk through your portfolio case studies with a focus on process and outcomes.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research AgencyBloc, its products, and the insurance agency management industry. Understand their mission, values, and potential UX challenges to demonstrate your genuine interest and strategic thinking.

⚠️ 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.