Principal Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Product Designer

Company: Epicor Software Corporation

Location: Bracknell, United Kingdom / Peterborough, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-04-15T00:00:00

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This Principal Product Designer role focuses on shaping the design vision and interaction architecture for complex enterprise operational software, particularly within manufacturing execution, warehouse fulfillment, and supply chain orchestration.

• The position requires a strategic leader who can operate semi-autonomously, influencing product strategy, setting design patterns, and ensuring cross-product consistency.

• A key aspect of the role involves partnering with Product and Engineering leadership as a strategic equal to influence roadmap direction and investment priorities.

• The Principal Product Designer will be responsible for driving design quality and consistency, mentoring other designers, and connecting design direction to the broader platform strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is explicitly for a "Principal" level, indicating significant autonomy, strategic influence, and leadership responsibilities beyond standard Senior Designer roles. The emphasis on "systems of workflows," "cross-product consistency," and "complex operational software" suggests a focus on B2B enterprise applications with intricate user journeys and business processes, not consumer-facing products.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the design vision and interaction architecture for designated product areas, establishing direction, defining reusable patterns, and ensuring coherence across features, releases, and development teams.

• Lead the end-to-end design process, from identifying and framing ambiguous problems to delivering shipped outcomes and measuring their success through data and user feedback.

• Solve complex, cross-functional product challenges by applying strategic foresight, anticipating second-order effects of design decisions, and planning accordingly.

• Collaborate with Product Management and Engineering leadership as a strategic peer, influencing roadmap prioritization, investment decisions, and architectural trade-offs.

• Uphold and elevate design quality and consistency within the product area through rigorous critique, feedback sessions, and direct design contributions.

• Facilitate design collaboration across multiple teams, ensuring alignment with the global design system and seamless integration with adjacent product surfaces.

• Mentor and develop senior and mid-level designers, guiding their problem-framing approaches and enhancing their execution craft.

• Bridge the gap between business objectives and design strategy, translating high-level goals into actionable design direction and advocating for design-led decision-making at the organizational level.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize strategic ownership and leadership. "Own the design vision," "Lead end-to-end design," and "Partner with Product and Engineering leadership as a strategic equal" all point to a role that requires proactive initiative and significant influence, not just execution. The mention of "ambiguous problem spaces" and "second-order effects" highlights the need for advanced problem-solving and strategic thinking.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While specific educational requirements are not detailed, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for principal-level roles in this domain.

Experience: 8+ years of dedicated product design experience, with a strong emphasis on enterprise or B2B SaaS environments.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated experience owning the design direction for a significant product area, including setting vision, navigating trade-offs, and aligning stakeholders around a clear design point of view.

• Mastery of complex enterprise interaction design principles, including designing for systems of workflows, data-dense operational interfaces, role-based user experiences, and cross-product pattern consistency.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, coupled with a deep understanding of design system architecture, including tokenization, governance, and scalability across different frameworks.

• Strong AI fluency that extends beyond tool usage, encompassing an understanding of AI architectures, agents, protocols, and context-aware systems to design for AI-native products.

• Strategic communication skills, with a proven ability to influence cross-functional direction, present effectively to senior leadership, and articulate design rationale that withstands organizational scrutiny.

Preferred Skills:

• Hands-on experience with "vibe coding" or agent-assisted development, enabling the creation of functional prototypes and validation of concepts directly in code.

• In-depth knowledge of AI infrastructure relevant to product design, such as MCP protocols, agent orchestration, tool-use patterns, and context management, to design experiences for AI agents acting on behalf of users.

• A developed philosophical perspective on the impact of AI on the design discipline, including insights on taste, craft, originality, and the irreplaceable role of human judgment in a generative future.

• A pragmatic and experimental approach to design, characterized by a "ship to learn" mentality, rapid iteration, and the ability to extract signal from failures.

• Prior experience designing for industries such as manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, or retail operations, or in similarly complex, operationally critical domains.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "8+ years" combined with "Principal" level implies a need for deep, specialized experience. The emphasis on AI fluency is particularly strong, requiring not just tool usage but an understanding of AI architecture and its impact on the design discipline, including philosophical considerations. "Vibe coding" and AI infrastructure knowledge are highlighted as differentiators.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing strategic thinking, systems-level design craft, and measurable impact from shipped products in enterprise or B2B SaaS contexts.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem space, the design process undertaken, the strategic rationale behind key decisions, and the resulting business or user outcomes.

• Examples demonstrating ownership of design direction for a product area, including how vision was set, trade-offs were managed, and stakeholders were aligned.

• Evidence of mastery in complex interaction design, particularly in workflow systems, data-rich interfaces, or role-based user experiences.

Process Documentation:

• Detailed case studies that outline the full design lifecycle, from initial research and problem definition through to iteration, delivery, and post-launch analysis.

• Documentation of how design decisions were informed by user research, data analytics, and business objectives.

• Examples of how design has been integrated with engineering and product management processes to ensure efficient collaboration and successful product launches.

• Artifacts showcasing the application of design principles to complex, multi-feature product areas and the establishment of consistent interaction patterns.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is expected to be highly strategic and demonstrate leadership. It needs to go beyond showcasing individual screens or features and instead focus on the candidate's ability to define direction, manage complex systems, influence stakeholders, and deliver measurable impact in an enterprise SaaS environment. The emphasis on AI and advanced design systems is critical.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Principal Product Designer with 8+ years of experience in the UK, particularly in tech hubs like Bracknell, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between £80,000 and £110,000 per annum. This estimate considers the seniority of the role, the specialized skills required (especially AI and complex enterprise design), and regional market benchmarks for Principal-level design positions in established B2B SaaS companies.

Benefits:

• Health and Wellness: Comprehensive health and wellness benefits designed to support overall well-being.

• Internal Mobility: Opportunities for mentorship, continuing education, and focused career goal setting, with a strong internal mobility program (25% of positions filled internally).

• Career Development: Access to free LinkedIn Learning licenses and a dedicated Mentoring Program for personal development.

• Education Support: Geographically specific programs to help balance the cost of continued learning and personal development.

• Inclusive Workplace: Collaboration within a diverse, global team that fosters innovation and partnership.

• Work-Life Balance: Policies built on mutual trust and support, encouraging time off to rest and recharge.

• Global Mobility Support: Comprehensive assistance for international relocations and permanent residency processes.

Working Hours: Full-time role, typically around 40 hours per week, with a hybrid work arrangement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on typical compensation for Principal Product Designers in the UK tech sector, considering the specified experience level and the advanced skill set required. The benefits package is detailed and comprehensive, reflecting a commitment to employee growth and well-being, which is common for established enterprise software companies.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Enterprise Software (specifically for manufacturing execution, warehouse fulfillment, supply chain orchestration, and retail management). Epicor focuses on industries where software is integral to daily operations, aiming to make complex operational software feel intelligent and inevitable.

Company Size: Approximately 5,000 employees globally. This indicates a substantial organization with established processes but likely still retaining some agility. For operations professionals, this size suggests opportunities for structured career paths, cross-functional collaboration with diverse teams, and access to robust resources.

Founded: The founding date is not explicitly provided, but Epicor has a long history in the ERP and business software space, suggesting a company with deep domain expertise and a stable market presence.

Team Structure:

• The design team likely operates within a Product Development or Technology division. As a Principal Designer, you would be a senior member, potentially leading a sub-team or a significant product area.

• Reporting structure would likely involve a Director or VP of Design/Product, with direct collaboration with Product Management leads and Engineering Directors/Managers.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: Emphasis on using data (user analytics, performance metrics from shipped products) to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: Core to the role is designing and optimizing complex operational workflows within enterprise software.

• Automation & Efficiency: Designing for systems that leverage AI and automation to enhance user efficiency and product intelligence is a key focus.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on "industries where the software is the operation" highlights the critical nature of their products. The "5,000 employees" size suggests a mature organization with established design practices, but also room for individual impact, especially at the principal level. The emphasis on AI and cognitive ERP points towards a forward-thinking approach within the enterprise software domain.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at the "Principal" level, signifying a senior individual contributor with significant autonomy and strategic influence. It's a role that shapes product direction, sets standards, and mentors others, bridging the gap between tactical execution and strategic business objectives. It represents a high level of expertise and leadership within the design discipline.

Reporting Structure: The Principal Product Designer will likely report to a Director or VP of Design, Product, or User Experience. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads for their designated product area, acting as a peer and strategic partner.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is direct and significant, influencing the usability, efficiency, and intelligence of critical operational software used by businesses. By shaping product strategy through design, the Principal Designer contributes directly to customer success, operational efficiency for Epicor's clients, and ultimately, the company's revenue and market position in the competitive enterprise software landscape. The focus on AI-native products and cognitive ERP signifies a drive towards future-proofing solutions and delivering advanced value.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in complex enterprise design, AI-driven product development, and design system architecture. Potential to specialize further in AI product strategy or lead larger product portfolios.

• Industry Specialization: Gaining deep domain knowledge in manufacturing, supply chain, or retail operations, becoming a recognized expert in designing for these critical industries.

• Leadership Development: Transitioning into design management roles, leading larger teams, or taking on broader strategic leadership responsibilities within the product organization. The mentorship aspect of the role also provides leadership experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Principal" title implies a career path that emphasizes deep expertise and strategic contribution rather than pure people management, though leadership and mentorship are key components. The growth opportunities are geared towards becoming a subject matter expert and a strategic leader within the product design domain, with a strong focus on emerging technologies like AI.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work arrangement, meaning there will be a need to work from one of the specified office locations (Bracknell or Peterborough, UK) for a portion of the week, alongside remote work. This offers a blend of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility.

Office Location(s):

• Bracknell, United Kingdom: Located in Berkshire, a significant business hub.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model necessitates effective collaboration tools and practices to ensure seamless communication and teamwork between remote and in-office team members. Expect a dynamic environment where designers, product managers, and engineers work closely together.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools (Figma is explicitly mentioned), design system resources, and potentially advanced prototyping tools. The company's focus on AI suggests an environment where designers will engage with AI-powered tools and workflows.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for in-person design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and strategic planning meetings with colleagues, alongside virtual collaborations for day-to-day tasks and reviews.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours/week) are expected, with the flexibility afforded by the hybrid model. The nature of enterprise software design may sometimes require adapting schedules to meet project deadlines or critical stakeholder interactions, but the company emphasizes work-life balance and mutual trust.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature is a key aspect. For operations professionals, understanding how to effectively collaborate in a hybrid setting, leverage available tools, and manage one's time between office and remote work is crucial. The company's emphasis on "mutual trust and support" suggests a culture that values employee autonomy within the hybrid framework.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

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

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A session where you present your portfolio, focusing on strategic thinking, systems-level craft, and impact. Expect to discuss your process, decision-making, and how you've handled complex enterprise design challenges.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Management and Engineering leaders to assess collaboration style, strategic alignment, and technical understanding. You'll likely discuss how you partner with these functions.

• Design Leadership Interview: A deeper dive into your design philosophy, leadership capabilities, mentorship approach, and vision for the future of design, particularly concerning AI.

• Potential for a Design Challenge: While not explicitly stated, a principal-level role might involve a take-home assignment or a live design exercise focused on a complex problem, assessing your strategic approach and problem-solving skills.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Strategy & Impact: For a Principal role, your portfolio must emphasize strategic thinking, not just execution. Showcase how your design decisions drove business outcomes, improved core workflows, or solved complex enterprise challenges.

• Systems Thinking: Highlight your ability to design at a systems level. Include examples of how you've maintained consistency across product areas, contributed to or led design systems, and considered the broader platform.

• AI & Future Focus: If you have experience with AI in design, showcase it prominently. Explain your approach to designing AI-native products or integrating AI into existing workflows. Articulate your perspective on AI's impact on design.

• Stakeholder Management: Demonstrate how you've successfully influenced and aligned stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Business) around your design vision and rationale.

• Problem Framing: Show how you approach ambiguous problems. Detail your process for defining the problem, conducting research, and iterating towards a solution.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with Epicor's industry focus (manufacturing, supply chain, retail operations) and the types of challenges faced by businesses using operational software.

• Strategic Approach: Be prepared to articulate your strategic thinking process. How do you identify opportunities, define priorities, and align design with business goals?

• AI Integration: Consider how AI could be applied to common operational software challenges. Think about agent capabilities, data utilization, and user trust in AI-driven systems.

• Communication: Practice articulating complex ideas clearly and concisely, especially when presenting design rationale or responding to challenging questions from senior stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a Principal role is rigorous and heavily focused on strategic contribution, leadership, and advanced problem-solving. The portfolio is the primary tool for demonstrating these capabilities, so its curation and presentation are paramount. Special attention should be paid to showcasing AI-related design thinking.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned and a core requirement for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Mastery is expected, including advanced features like component architecture and variant usage.

• Design Systems: Deep fluency required, not just as a user but in understanding token architecture, governance, and scalability across different frameworks. Candidates may be expected to contribute to or lead the evolution of the design system.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, experience with advanced prototyping tools or methods for creating functional prototypes (e.g., "vibe coding," agent-assisted development) is a differentiator.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Experience with CRM systems (like Salesforce, though not mentioned) and workflow automation tools might be indirectly relevant for understanding the operational context of enterprise software, but not a primary focus for the design role itself. The focus here is on designing for operational software.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core tools are Figma and a strong understanding of design systems. The emphasis on AI and advanced prototyping suggests a need for designers who are forward-thinking and can leverage cutting-edge tools and methodologies. "Vibe coding" and agent-assisted development are highlighted as advanced capabilities suggesting a forward-looking tech stack.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Proactive, Proud, Partners: This slogan suggests a culture that values initiative, takes ownership of work, and emphasizes strong collaborative relationships both internally and with clients.

• Data-Driven Approach: The emphasis on "making complex operational software feel intelligent and inevitable" implies a reliance on data and insights to drive design decisions and product evolution.

• Efficiency and Intelligence: A core value is making operational software efficient and intelligent, likely through smart workflows, AI integration, and intuitive design.

• Continuous Learning and Improvement: The company emphasizes training, mentorship, and career development, indicating a culture that supports growth and skill enhancement.

• Collaboration and Inclusion: Fostering an inclusive, global workplace that celebrates partnership is a stated value.

Collaboration Style:

• Strategic Partnership: Designers are expected to act as strategic equals with Product and Engineering, influencing roadmaps and architectural decisions.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Strong emphasis on working closely with Product Management and Engineering teams throughout the entire product lifecycle.

• Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing: A culture that encourages senior members to mentor junior colleagues and share expertise, fostering a learning environment.

• Experimental and Iterative: The mention of "ship to learn" and "fail fast" suggests a willingness to experiment and iterate quickly, embracing a dynamic approach to product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated values of "Proactive, Proud, Partners" and the emphasis on AI and cognitive ERP suggest a culture that is both results-oriented and forward-thinking, with a strong focus on collaboration and continuous improvement in the complex enterprise software domain.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Tackling ambiguous, complex problem spaces within enterprise operational software, requiring deep system thinking and user empathy.

• AI Integration Strategy: Navigating the evolving landscape of AI in design, understanding its architectural implications, and designing for AI-native products and agent-based systems effectively. This includes managing user trust and control in AI-driven interactions.

• Cross-Product Consistency: Ensuring a cohesive user experience and consistent design patterns across a broad portfolio of interconnected enterprise applications.

• Balancing Craft and Strategy: As a Principal, balancing deep, high-quality craft with strategic product roadmap influence and organizational decision-making.

• Elevating Design Standards: Continuously raising the bar for design quality and strategic impact within the team and organization, especially in a domain that traditionally has been more focused on functionality than user experience.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepening AI Design Expertise: Opportunities to become a leader in designing for AI-native enterprise products, exploring advanced concepts like agent orchestration and context-aware systems.

• Domain Specialization: Gaining extensive knowledge in manufacturing, supply chain, or retail operations, becoming a go-to expert for design in these critical sectors.

• Leadership and Mentorship: Developing leadership skills through mentoring senior designers and potentially influencing broader design strategy and team development.

• Industry Engagement: Potential to attend industry conferences, contribute to design system advancements, and stay at the forefront of enterprise UX trends.

• Experimental Design Practices: Opportunities to explore and implement cutting-edge design methodologies, including AI-assisted workflows and rapid prototyping in code.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are rooted in the complexity of enterprise SaaS, the rapid advancement of AI, and the leadership expectations of a Principal role. Growth opportunities are focused on skill mastery, domain expertise, and strategic leadership within the design function.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you owned the design vision for a complex product area. How did you set direction, align stakeholders, and measure success?" (Focus on strategic ownership, stakeholder management, and impact metrics).

• "How do you approach designing for ambiguous problems? Walk us through your process from initial uncertainty to a shipped solution, highlighting your strategic foresight." (Emphasize problem framing, research, iteration, and anticipating second-order effects).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What is your perspective on the future of design in enterprise software, particularly with the rise of AI? How do you see taste, craft, and originality evolving?" (Showcase your philosophical perspective and forward-thinking approach).

• "How do you ensure design quality and consistency across multiple features and teams, especially in a hybrid work environment?" (Discuss your methods for critique, governance, and collaboration).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your presentation around key projects, clearly articulating the business problem, your strategic design approach, the solutions you designed, and the measurable outcomes.

• Showcase Systems Thinking: For each project, explain how your design fits into a larger system, how it connects to other products, and how it contributes to the overall user experience and business goals.

• Demonstrate AI Fluency: If possible, include a project that showcases your thinking around AI in product design, explaining your rationale and any unique challenges or solutions.

• Articulate Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss the trade-offs you made during the design process and why. This demonstrates strategic decision-making.

• Engage with the Interviewers: Treat it as a collaborative discussion. Be open to questions and feedback, and use them to further elaborate on your points.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, advanced problem-solving, leadership capabilities, and a deep understanding of both enterprise design complexity and emerging AI technologies. The portfolio is the primary vehicle for showcasing these attributes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Product Designer position:

• Submit your application directly through the Epicor Software Corporation careers portal via the provided link.

• Customize your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your 8+ years of experience in enterprise/B2B SaaS product design, emphasizing strategic leadership, systems-level craft, and impact. Use keywords like "interaction architecture," "design systems," "AI fluency," and "stakeholder management."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest case studies that best demonstrate your strategic thinking, ability to own design direction, complex interaction design skills, and measurable impact. Prioritize examples from enterprise or B2B SaaS, and if applicable, showcase your experience with AI in design or complex systems.

• Prepare Your Portfolio Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio concisely and effectively. Focus on the strategic context, your problem-solving process, the rationale behind your design decisions, and the outcomes achieved. Be ready to discuss your approach to AI and complex systems.

• Research Epicor: Understand Epicor's business, their target industries (manufacturing, supply chain, retail), and their product offerings. Familiarize yourself with their stated company values and how your approach aligns with them.

⚠️ 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.