Principal Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Product Designer

Company: Epicor Software Corporation

Location: Herndon, Virginia, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX) Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-10

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This Principal Product Designer role focuses on defining and driving design strategy for complex enterprise software products, directly impacting customer outcomes and business objectives within manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, and retail operations.

• You will be instrumental in establishing organizational standards for interaction design, systems thinking, and design system governance, ensuring scalability and consistency across multiple product areas.

• The position requires influencing product direction, roadmaps, and executive decision-making through customer-centered design thinking and deep business insight, without direct people management.

• A key aspect of this role involves defining how AI tools and emerging technologies are integrated into design processes, establishing standards for AI-assisted workflows and responsible innovation to elevate design quality at scale.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is for a Product Designer, its emphasis on enterprise software, operational impact, design systems, and influencing executive decisions positions it closely aligned with GTM and operational excellence principles. The focus on AI-enabled design and defining organizational standards also touches upon aspects of operationalizing design processes, making it relevant for candidates with a strategic operations mindset.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and champion design strategy across multiple product portfolios, ensuring alignment between feature-level experiences, platform vision, customer outcomes, and overarching business objectives.

• Establish and govern organizational standards for interaction design, systems thinking, and design quality, creating scalable frameworks that enhance consistency and efficiency across diverse product teams.

• Lead complex, ambiguous, and high-impact design initiatives from initial discovery through to successful execution, effectively aligning stakeholders and meticulously measuring outcomes.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Engineering, and executive leadership teams to influence product roadmaps, investment priorities, and architectural decisions by leveraging customer-centered design thinking and strategic business insights.

• Champion a culture of design excellence by setting high quality expectations, mentoring through influence, facilitating constructive critique, and modeling best practices across the entire design and product organization.

• Define and integrate AI tools, agent-based workflows, and emerging technologies into design processes, establishing clear standards for AI-assisted work and promoting responsible innovation within the design practice.

• Communicate complex design visions and demonstrable business value to senior leadership, effectively building alignment around strategic opportunities and quantifiable business outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic and leadership-oriented approach to design, emphasizing the ability to influence, standardize, and operationalize design practices within a large enterprise. This aligns with the need for robust process development and governance often found in senior operations roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating advanced design expertise and strategic thinking is essential. Relevant fields of study could include Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or related disciplines.

Experience: 10+ years of experience in product design, with a significant emphasis on designing complex enterprise software or B2B SaaS products. This experience must be complemented by a portfolio that clearly demonstrates strategic impact and systems-level thinking in previous roles.

Required Skills:

• Proven ability to establish and articulate a clear design vision, influencing cross-functional stakeholders and driving strategic alignment across multiple product areas without direct management authority.

• Expertise in designing complex enterprise experiences, including workflow-heavy applications, data-rich interfaces, role-based systems, and platform-scale ecosystems.

• Deep knowledge of design systems, encompassing component architecture, design tokens, governance models, and scalable operational frameworks for consistent implementation.

• Strong understanding of AI-enabled design practices, with the capability to define effective workflows, influence adoption, and guide quality standards across design teams.

• Exceptional communication, storytelling, and executive presentation skills, with a proven track record of connecting design investments directly to measurable business outcomes.

• Demonstrated ability to elevate design craft and quality through effective mentorship, robust standards-setting, collaborative practices, and leading by example. Preferred Skills:

• Experience leading organization-wide transformation of design practices, particularly within AI-enabled environments.

• Hands-on experience with agent-assisted development, rapid prototyping methodologies, or emerging approaches such as "vibe coding."

• A solid understanding of AI infrastructure, agent orchestration, context management, and designing experiences where AI agents actively support or act on behalf of users.

• Experience within industries such as manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, retail operations, or other operationally complex enterprise sectors.

• A well-articulated and thoughtful perspective on the future of design craft, creativity, and the role of human judgment in an increasingly AI-driven world.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on enterprise software, complex systems, design systems, and AI integration suggests a need for candidates who can not only design but also operationalize design processes and standards at scale, a key competency in GTM and RevOps. The "preferred skills" further highlight a forward-thinking approach to integrating advanced technologies into operational workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing at least 10 years of product design experience, with a strong emphasis on enterprise software or B2B SaaS.

• Demonstrate strategic impact through case studies that illustrate how design decisions influenced product direction, customer outcomes, and business objectives.

• Include examples of systems-level thinking, illustrating the ability to design for scalability, consistency, and platform-wide coherence.

• Showcase expertise in designing complex, workflow-heavy, and data-rich enterprise applications.

• Present evidence of deep knowledge and practical application of design systems, including component architecture, governance, and operational frameworks.

• Feature case studies that highlight the integration and strategic application of AI in design processes or product experiences.

• Quantify the business value and ROI achieved through design initiatives, demonstrating a clear link between design efforts and measurable business outcomes. Process Documentation:

• Illustrate experience in defining and establishing organizational standards for interaction design, systems thinking, and design quality.

• Document your approach to leading complex design initiatives from discovery through execution, including stakeholder alignment and outcome measurement.

• Showcase methodologies for integrating AI tools and agent-based workflows into design processes, including standards for AI-assisted work.

• Provide examples of how you have mentored designers, facilitated critique, and modeled best practices to elevate design craft across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section emphasizes the need for a portfolio that acts as a "process portfolio," demonstrating not just finished designs but the strategic thinking, system design, and operationalization of design principles. This is highly relevant for operations professionals who must articulate their process improvements and system implementations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Principal Product Designer roles in the Herndon, Virginia area with 10+ years of experience, and considering the enterprise SaaS focus, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between $150,000 - $200,000 annually. This estimate is subject to variations based on specific skills, experience, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Health and Wellness: Comprehensive health and wellness benefits designed to support overall well-being, likely including medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Internal Mobility: Robust opportunities for mentorship, continuing education, and focused career goal setting, with a stated goal of 25% of positions filled internally, indicating strong career progression pathways.

• Career Development: Access to free LinkedIn Learning licenses for all employees, supplemented by a dedicated Mentoring Program to foster personal and professional development.

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

• Inclusive Workplace: The opportunity to collaborate with a diverse global team in an inclusive environment that actively fosters innovation and celebrates partnership.

• Work-Life Balance: Policies built on mutual trust and support, encouraging employees to take time off to rest, recharge, and reconnect, promoting a healthy balance.

• Global Mobility Support: Comprehensive support for international relocations and permanent residency processes, catering to a global workforce.

Working Hours: The role is classified as Full-time, typically implying a standard 40-hour work week. The "Hybrid" work arrangement suggests flexibility, allowing for a balance between in-office collaboration and remote work, which can support focused design work and deep analysis.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on aggregated data from industry salary surveys and job boards for Principal Product Designer roles in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, taking into account the enterprise software sector and the specified experience level. The benefits package is detailed as provided by the company, highlighting key areas of support for employees.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Epicor operates within the enterprise software industry, specifically focusing on ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) solutions for manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, and retail operations. This means the company's products are critical to the core functioning of businesses in these sectors, requiring robust, reliable, and efficient software.

Company Size: Epicor employs approximately 5,000 professionals globally. This size indicates a well-established organization with a significant market presence, offering both the stability of a larger company and opportunities for impactful individual contributions within specific teams. For operations professionals, this size suggests established processes but also room for optimization and innovation.

Founded: While the founding date isn't explicitly stated, Epicor has a long history in the ERP space, evolving over decades to meet modern business demands. This longevity implies a deep understanding of customer needs and a commitment to long-term product development and customer success.

Team Structure:

• The design team, while not explicitly detailed in size, operates within a larger organization of 5,000 employees. This Principal role is positioned as a design expert influencing strategy and standards, suggesting a senior individual contributor role within a product design department that likely includes other designers, UX researchers, and potentially design operations specialists.

• The reporting structure for this Principal role is not direct people management, indicating a senior individual contributor (IC) track focused on strategic design leadership and influence rather than team oversight.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone, with close partnerships expected with Product Management, Engineering, and executive leadership. This collaborative approach is vital for aligning design efforts with business goals and technical feasibility. Methodology:

• Data Analysis and Insights: The role requires a customer-centered approach, implying that design decisions are informed by customer feedback, user research, and potentially product usage data to drive insights.

• Workflow Planning and Optimization: A core responsibility involves defining and improving design processes, especially concerning AI integration and design system governance, aiming for efficiency and scalability.

• Automation and Efficiency: The emphasis on AI-enabled design and streamlining design workflows points towards a strong focus on automation and efficiency within the design practice itself.

Company Website: epicor.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on operational industries like manufacturing and supply chain means their software plays a critical role in real-world business processes. A Principal Product Designer here would need to understand these operational complexities, making the role's requirements resonate with candidates who appreciate the impact of well-designed operational tools.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a "Principal" level, signifying a senior individual contributor (IC) role. It represents a high level of expertise and strategic influence within the design discipline, equivalent to a senior architect or lead engineer in technical roles. The focus is on thought leadership, setting standards, and driving major initiatives without direct management of people. This level is crucial for operationalizing complex design strategies and elevating the overall quality and impact of design across the organization.

Reporting Structure: While not managing a team directly, the Principal Product Designer will report into a design leadership role (e.g., Director or VP of Design/Product). They will work closely with and influence peers in Product Management and Engineering, as well as engage directly with executive leadership, including VPs and potentially C-suite executives. This structure allows for broad influence across the product organization.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant and directly tied to business outcomes. By defining design strategy, establishing organizational standards, and guiding the integration of AI, the Principal Product Designer influences the usability, efficiency, and market competitiveness of Epicor's enterprise software. This, in turn, affects customer adoption, retention, operational efficiency for Epicor's clients, and ultimately, revenue generation. The role is about driving business impact through design excellence and strategic foresight.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership & Specialization: The primary growth path is deepening expertise as a Principal Designer, becoming a go-to authority on strategic design challenges, AI in design, and design systems. This could lead to Principal-level roles in specialized areas or broader strategic design initiatives.

• Strategic Influence & Mentorship: Opportunities exist to mentor other designers, influence product vision at the highest levels, and contribute to the evolution of design practices company-wide, potentially leading to leadership roles in design operations or strategy.

• Industry Thought Leadership: By defining standards for AI-enabled design and contributing to the future of enterprise software design, the role offers a platform to become a recognized thought leader, potentially through speaking engagements, publications, or industry contributions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Principal" title and emphasis on strategic influence without direct management align with advanced individual contributor paths often seen in operations, where deep expertise and the ability to drive change through knowledge and collaboration are paramount.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as "Hybrid," indicating a blend of remote work and in-office presence. This suggests a modern work environment that balances the benefits of flexible remote work with the advantages of in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s): The primary advertised location is Herndon, Virginia. This location likely offers a central hub for team meetings, strategic planning sessions, and collaborative work. The company may have other office locations, but this is the designated base for this role.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model supports collaboration through scheduled in-office days, likely for team syncs, design reviews, and cross-functional workshops, fostering a connected team environment.

• While specific tools are detailed in a later section, the workspace context implies access to standard enterprise software, design tools, and communication platforms necessary for sophisticated product design and collaboration.

• Opportunities for interaction with design, product, and engineering teams will occur both virtually and in person, facilitating knowledge sharing and the rapid iteration of ideas.

Work Schedule: As a Full-time role, standard working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week. The hybrid arrangement provides flexibility in how and where these hours are spent, allowing for increased focus on deep work and strategic planning, which are essential for a Principal-level role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment is standard for many tech and enterprise software companies, requiring individuals to be self-directed and effective in both remote and in-office settings. This mirrors the operational need for adaptability and efficient time management.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely review applications and portfolios, focusing on alignment with the 10+ years of enterprise experience and strategic design leadership requirements. Be prepared to articulate your career trajectory and key achievements.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A significant part of the process will involve a deep dive into your portfolio. Expect to present 1-2 key case studies that demonstrate your strategic thinking, systems design capabilities, experience with complex enterprise applications, and impact on business outcomes. This may include a specific design challenge or a presentation of how you would approach a hypothetical problem relevant to Epicor's products.

• Stakeholder Interviews: You will likely meet with peers in Product Management and Engineering, as well as design leadership. These interviews will assess your collaboration style, technical understanding, ability to influence, and how you integrate design into broader product development processes.

• Executive Presentation: Given the "Principal" level, a final interview may involve presenting your design strategy and vision to senior leadership (e.g., VP of Product, CTO), assessing your executive communication skills and strategic alignment with the company's direction.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, your role, the strategic design decisions you made, the process you followed, and the measurable outcomes achieved (e.g., improved efficiency, increased adoption, reduced errors). Quantify results whenever possible.

• Showcase Systems Thinking: Highlight projects where you designed for scalability, consistency, and platform-level coherence. Explain your approach to design systems, component architecture, and governance.

• Demonstrate Enterprise Expertise: Select projects that reflect experience with complex workflows, data-heavy interfaces, and enterprise-grade user experiences.

• Integrate AI Strategy: If applicable, present how you've incorporated AI into design processes or product features, detailing your approach and the resulting benefits.

• Tell a Story: Structure your presentations to tell a compelling narrative about the problem, your solution, and the impact. Tailor your presentation to the specific needs and context of Epicor's business.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Epicor's Business: Research Epicor's products, target industries (manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, retail), and customer base. Understand the operational challenges these businesses face.

• AI and Design Systems: Be prepared to discuss your philosophy and practical experience with AI in design and robust design system implementation and governance.

• Strategic Thinking: Practice articulating your strategic approach to design problems, aligning design with business goals, and influencing stakeholders.

• Communication: Rehearse your presentation skills, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and the ability to convey complex ideas to both design and non-design audiences, including executives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes strategic thinking, demonstrable impact, and the ability to operate at an executive level, mirroring the expectations for senior operational roles that require cross-functional influence and strategic planning.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), and potentially Axure RP for complex prototyping.

• Design Systems Tools: Experience with tools and platforms used for managing and distributing design systems (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook, internal design system platforms).

• Collaboration & Communication: Expertise in tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and project management software (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello) for seamless team collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Pendo for understanding user behavior and product adoption.

• Data Visualization: Experience with tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for creating dashboards and reports to communicate design's impact and user insights to stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a direct CRM role, understanding how enterprise software integrates with or complements CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, Dynamics 365) is beneficial for context.

• Workflow Automation: Experience with or understanding of workflow automation principles within enterprise software, and how design can optimize these. Familiarity with AI-driven automation tools and their design implications is crucial.

• Integration Tools: Awareness of how different enterprise systems connect and the role of well-designed interfaces in facilitating seamless integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tool stack emphasizes design and collaboration tools, but the mention of CRM, analytics, and workflow automation highlights the operational context of enterprise software. A candidate with an understanding of how design impacts broader business operations and data flows will be well-positioned.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Proactive, Proud, Partners: This core value suggests a culture where employees are encouraged to take initiative, take pride in their work, and act as true partners to customers and colleagues. For operations, this means anticipating needs, delivering high-quality solutions, and fostering strong collaborative relationships.

• Data-Driven Approach: The role's emphasis on customer insights and business outcomes implies a strong reliance on data to inform decisions and measure success. Operations professionals are expected to leverage data to identify inefficiencies and drive improvements.

• Efficiency and Scalability: As a provider of enterprise software, Epicor values solutions that are efficient and scalable. This translates to design processes that are streamlined and capable of supporting a growing product portfolio and customer base.

• Continuous Improvement: The focus on AI integration and evolving design practices suggests a culture that embraces learning and adaptation, encouraging employees to stay ahead of industry trends and continuously refine their skills and processes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The company emphasizes collaboration across departments (Design, Product, Engineering) to ensure alignment and shared goals. Operations professionals here would need to be adept at working with diverse teams.

• Mentorship and Knowledge Sharing: The emphasis on mentorship and learning suggests an open culture where knowledge is shared, and team members support each other's growth. This applies to sharing best practices in design, process, and technology.

• Customer Focus: A deep understanding of customer needs and business challenges is paramount. Collaboration is often driven by a shared objective to deliver exceptional value and solutions to Epicor's customers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The cultural values and collaboration style align with a high-performing operations environment that values proactivity, partnership, data-informed decision-making, and continuous improvement.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complex Enterprise Workflows: The primary challenge lies in designing intuitive and efficient user experiences for complex, often highly customized, enterprise workflows within manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain industries. This requires deep domain understanding.

• Integrating AI Responsibly and Effectively: Defining standards and practical workflows for AI-enabled design and product features, ensuring responsible innovation and genuine user value, presents a significant and evolving challenge.

• Influencing Without Authority: Driving organizational change, setting new standards, and influencing executive-level decisions requires exceptional communication, strategic thinking, and relationship-building skills without direct reporting lines.

• Maintaining Design Quality at Scale: Ensuring consistency and high quality across a broad product portfolio with multiple teams and evolving technologies is an ongoing operational challenge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI and Emerging Technologies: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design tools, agent-based workflows, and the future of human-AI collaboration in enterprise software.

• Domain Expertise: Gain profound knowledge of manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, and retail operations, enabling more impactful design solutions.

• Design Strategy & Leadership: Develop advanced skills in strategic planning, organizational design, and influencing executive stakeholders, crucial for career progression at the Principal level.

• Mentorship and Community: Benefit from and contribute to a strong mentorship program and collaborate with a diverse global team, fostering continuous learning and professional growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical of senior roles in complex enterprise environments, requiring strong problem-solving, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive operational improvements through design and technology.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you defined a design strategy for a complex enterprise product. What was your process, who did you involve, and what was the business outcome?" - Prepare a case study that highlights your strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and ability to link design to business objectives.

• "How would you approach establishing design system governance across multiple product teams, especially concerning the integration of AI-generated components or workflows?" - Focus on your understanding of scalable design systems, governance models, and your proactive approach to AI integration.

• "Imagine you need to convince executive leadership to invest in a significant redesign of a core enterprise workflow. How would you build your case and what metrics would you use to demonstrate ROI?" - Practice articulating business value, using data, and tailoring your message for an executive audience. Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Epicor's mission to power manufacturing, distribution, and supply chain operations?" - Research Epicor's products and target industries. Show genuine interest in the impact of their software on real-world operations.

• "How do you see AI impacting the future of enterprise software design, and what is your role in shaping that future?" - Articulate your vision for AI in design and how you plan to contribute to Epicor's AI strategy.

• "Describe your experience mentoring designers or elevating design quality within a team. What methods have you found most effective?" - Prepare examples that showcase your leadership through influence and your commitment to fostering a high-performing design culture. Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level overview of your experience and then dive into 1-2 detailed case studies. For each, clearly state the problem, your role, the process, key decisions, and quantifiable results.

• Emphasize Strategic and Systems Thinking: Clearly articulate why you made certain design decisions and how they contributed to the overall strategy and system coherence, not just the UI specifics.

• Showcase Enterprise Complexity: Highlight projects that demonstrate your ability to handle intricate workflows, large datasets, and complex user needs common in enterprise software.

• Integrate AI and Design Systems: If applicable, weave in your experience with AI in design and your approach to building and governing design systems as integral parts of your process.

• Be Prepared for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, alternative solutions considered, and how you handle design trade-offs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation focuses on demonstrating strategic thinking, operational impact, and the ability to influence at a senior level. This mirrors the requirements for many GTM and RevOps leadership roles, emphasizing a results-oriented and strategic mindset.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Epicor Software careers portal.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 1-2 of your most impactful enterprise software design projects that best showcase your strategic thinking, systems design capabilities, and demonstrable business outcomes. Ensure these examples highlight your experience with complex workflows and, if possible, AI integration.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 10+ years of experience in enterprise/B2B SaaS product design, your leadership in establishing design standards, and your ability to influence product strategy and executive stakeholders. Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your chosen portfolio case studies, focusing on clear storytelling, strategic rationale, and measurable results. Be ready to articulate your vision for AI in design and your approach to design systems.

• Research Epicor: Understand Epicor's products, target industries (manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, retail), and their core values ("Proactive, Proud, Partners"). This will help you align your application and interview responses with the company's specific context and operational focus.

⚠️ 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.