Principal Product Designer- United States

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Product Designer

Company: Very LLC

Location: United States (Remote)

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: June 19, 2026

Experience Level: Senior (10+ years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• This is a senior individual contributor role focused on design craft and strategic impact, not management track.

• Responsible for leading the end-to-end design process for projects, from initial concept through to successful product launch.

• Drives the development of design standards, processes, and tooling to elevate the entire design team's capabilities, particularly in an AI-enabled environment.

• Collaborates with sales and delivery teams to shape project scope, client engagement, and overall GTM strategy from a design perspective.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the core role is Product Design, the emphasis on shaping pre-sales, scoping engagements, and defining team processes positions this role as having significant GTM (Go-To-Market) operational influence. This is a strategic role that impacts how Very sells and delivers design solutions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Shape Engagements: Partner with sales teams during pre-sales and scoping phases, acting as a key point of contact for clients and delivery teams to define project objectives and design strategies.

• End-to-End Design Execution: Lead the full design lifecycle, including UX/UI design, interactive prototyping, user research, data visualization, and design system development for client projects.

• Process & Standards Development: Define, implement, and maintain design processes, craft standards, and best practices for the entire design team, ensuring consistency and quality across all projects.

• Tooling & AI Integration: Build and advocate for tools and workflows that enhance design team efficiency and effectiveness, specifically exploring and defining the strategic integration of AI in the design practice.

• Mentorship & Craft Elevation: Mentor junior and mid-level designers, fostering skill development and elevating the overall design craft and output of the team.

• Client & Stakeholder Facilitation: Conduct discovery workshops, alignment sessions, and facilitate feedback loops with clients, users, and engineering partners to ensure successful product outcomes.

• Design Quality Assurance: Ensure rigorous design QA processes are in place and executed effectively before product launches.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on design execution and strategic operational leadership. The emphasis on "shaping the work before it starts" and "setting the bar for everyone else" indicates a significant GTM operational component, influencing how Very engages with clients and scopes projects.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Not explicitly specified, but a strong portfolio and extensive experience are paramount.

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years in a design lead role, typically indicating around 10+ years of overall design experience.

• Proven track record of successfully launching real products (zero-to-one and incremental improvements).

• Demonstrated experience in mentoring designers and elevating team craft.

• Experience defining and building design systems. Required Skills:

• UX/UI Design: Expertise in creating intuitive and visually appealing user interfaces and experiences.

• Interactive Prototyping: Ability to create functional prototypes to test and communicate design concepts.

• User Research: Proficiency in conducting user research to inform design decisions and validate solutions.

• Data Visualization: Skill in presenting complex data in a clear, actionable, and visually compelling manner.

• Design Systems: Deep understanding and experience in creating, managing, and scaling design systems.

• Client Engagement & Pre-Sales: Ability to partner with sales, engage clients, and contribute to project scoping.

• Communication & Articulation: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex design thinking clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Mentorship: Proven ability to guide and develop other designers.

• Self-Direction & Ownership: Strong capability for independent work, project scoping, and managing outcomes.

• Comfort with Ambiguity: Ability to navigate and drive clarity in uncertain or evolving project landscapes.

• AI Integration Point of View: A well-defined perspective on the role and application of AI within design practices.

Preferred Skills:

• IoT and connected-product design experience.

• Experience designing for data-heavy or analytical products.

• Experience designing agentic or AI-driven products.

• Familiarity with React, HTML, and CSS (training is offered).

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Nice to Have" skills strongly suggest the company's focus on modern technology stacks and AI-driven product development, which are key areas for GTM and product operations alignment. The emphasis on "designing for systems that act, not just respond" points to advanced AI product design considerations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio is mandatory, showcasing a range of work that demonstrates breadth and depth of design capabilities.

• Be prepared to present two projects in-depth, detailing the audit process, project goals, collaboration methods, achieved outcomes, and reflections on what could be improved.

• The focus is on the underlying thinking and process, rather than just polished final aesthetics.

• Ability to present and discuss work live, in real-time, without extensive preparation, demonstrating deep knowledge of your contributions and decisions. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrated experience in defining and documenting design processes and craft standards.

• Ability to build tooling and workflows to support and enhance these processes, potentially incorporating AI.

• Experience in conducting discovery workshops and alignment sessions, which are core process-driven activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is crucial for a Principal Product Designer. The emphasis on "thinking" over "packaging" and the requirement to discuss work live without prep indicates a need for candidates to showcase their operational design thinking, problem-solving methodologies, and ability to articulate their process rigorously, akin to how operations professionals demonstrate process optimization.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• USD $160,000 - $170,000 per year, commensurate with experience. Variable Compensation:

• Up to 20% of base salary. Benefits:

• 401k match

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance

• $200/month cell/internet stipend

• $600/year home office equipment stipend

• Paid parental leave (95th percentile in the U.S.)

• Continuing education stipend ($2,500/year after one year)

• Loaned MacBook Pro and other necessary equipment Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours (assumed 40 hours per week), with flexibility expected given the remote nature and client-facing responsibilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range falls within the typical compensation for Principal-level individual contributor roles in the US tech industry. The benefits package is comprehensive, with specific stipends for remote work and professional development that are attractive to senior-level talent. The note about the role being based in Canada but requiring US work authorization is a critical point of clarification that needs to be addressed by candidates.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology Consulting / Product Development (specializing in commercial, industrial, and consumer products leveraging connected devices and AI).

Company Size: Not explicitly stated, but the description implies a growing, distributed technology firm that has achieved significant recognition (Great Place to Work, Parity.org).

Founded: Not explicitly stated, but the company has a history of winning workplace awards and working with established brands.

Team Structure:

• The role reports to the Director of Design.

• This is an individual contributor role, emphasizing craft and influence rather than direct management.

• The design team operates collaboratively, with expectations for mentorship and shared ownership of craft standards.

• Close collaboration with sales, engineering, and client teams is fundamental. Methodology:

• Problem-Solving Focus: Very positions itself as a firm of expert problem-solvers creating efficient, scalable solutions.

• Client-Centric Approach: "Help them win" is a core ethos, driving a focus on client success and business impact.

• "Grind" Culture: Embraces hard work and dedication to refining craft and delivering results.

• AI Integration Strategy: A thoughtful, deliberate approach to AI, focusing on expanding patterns and creating fluid design-code workflows, rather than adopting it indiscriminately. Human judgment remains central.

• Remote & Collaborative: A "tight-knit culture that thrives in both remote and in-person settings."

Company Website: http://www.verytechnology.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Very appears to be a high-performance, results-oriented consultancy that values deep craft, strategic thinking, and client success. The deliberate approach to AI and the emphasis on the "grind" suggest a culture that challenges its employees while providing strong support and recognition.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Principal Individual Contributor (Senior-most design role, focused on craft, influence, and setting standards).

Reporting Structure: Reports to the Director of Design, with significant cross-functional interaction across sales, engineering, and client teams.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on sales success through pre-sales contributions and scoping. It also influences operational efficiency and quality by defining standards, processes, and tooling for the design team. The ultimate impact is on client product success and Very's reputation.

Growth Opportunities:

• Craft Mastery: Deepen expertise in cutting-edge design methodologies, including AI-driven design, and establish oneself as a thought leader within the firm.

• Strategic Influence: Shape the direction of design at Very, influencing client engagements, sales strategies, and internal processes.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Develop leadership skills through mentoring and guiding other designers, potentially leading to future opportunities in design leadership or specialized technical consulting.

• Continuous Learning: Access to a continuing education stipend ($2,500/year after one year) to pursue professional development, certifications, or advanced training.

• Exposure to Diverse Projects: Work with high-profile clients and a variety of challenging projects, providing broad experience in different industries and product types.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth for a designer who wants to exert influence beyond individual projects. The combination of hands-on craft, strategic input into GTM, and team enablement provides a unique development path.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote (USA). The company emphasizes a distributed model that fosters collaboration.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the company has a presence in the US and potentially other locations. The compensation note mentions the role is based in Canada, but requires US work authorization—this is a crucial detail needing candidate verification.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration Tools: Expect to utilize a suite of digital collaboration tools for communication, design sharing, and project management.

• Structured Autonomy: While remote, the role demands high self-direction and ownership, with clear expectations for process and outcomes.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Regular engagement with sales, engineering, and client stakeholders, requiring effective remote communication strategies.

• Technology Provision: The company provides a MacBook Pro and other necessary equipment, supporting a productive remote workspace.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours are expected, but the remote nature may offer some flexibility. The client-facing and project-driven demands will necessitate adaptability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote environment requires strong self-discipline and proactive communication. The company's efforts to foster a "tight-knit culture" remotely suggest structured opportunities for team interaction and connection.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Portfolio Submission: A portfolio is a mandatory part of the application.

• Breadth & Depth Review: Initial review will assess the range and quality of work (breadth), followed by deep dives into 1-2 selected projects.

• Live Presentation & Discussion: Expect to present and discuss portfolio projects in real-time without extensive prior preparation, demonstrating deep understanding and ownership.

• Focus on Fundamentals: The interview will emphasize core design skills, communication, and facilitation abilities, with limited reliance on AI tools during the interview itself.

• Cross-Functional Panels: Potential for interviews with design leadership, engineering, and possibly sales or client representatives to assess fit across different functions.

• Cultural Fit Assessment: Evaluation of alignment with Very's core values, such as client obsession, quality-driven approach, and ownership mindset.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that showcase both breadth (variety of problem types, industries) and depth (complex challenges, significant impact).

• Tell a Story: For deep dives, structure your presentation around the problem, your process, the collaboration, the solution, and the measurable outcomes. Clearly articulate your specific contributions and decision-making rationale.

• Highlight Thinking: Emphasize your thought process, design rationale, and how you navigated challenges. The "why" behind your decisions is critical.

• Demonstrate Process: Show evidence of your approach to discovery, research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the business impact of your design work.

• Prepare for Live Discussion: Be ready to articulate your work fluently, answer detailed questions on the fly, and discuss trade-offs and alternative solutions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate Design Challenges: Be prepared for exercises that might involve evaluating a problematic user flow, proposing solutions for a complex data visualization, or outlining a strategy for a new feature.

• Focus on Process, Not Just Solution: Demonstrate your problem-solving methodology, how you'd gather information, and how you'd collaborate to arrive at a solution.

• Communication Practice: Rehearse articulating your ideas concisely and persuasively, as if presenting to a client or a cross-functional team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The rigorous portfolio review and live presentation requirement are key differentiators for this role. Candidates must be able to demonstrate not just design skill, but also operational design thinking, client management acumen, and the ability to lead through influence.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar.

• Prototyping Tools: Experience with tools like InVision, ProtoPie, or Axure for interactive prototypes.

• User Research Platforms: Familiarity with tools for surveys, interviews, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Qualtrics).

• Design System Management: Experience with tools or platforms for managing design systems (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook).

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a primary requirement for the designer, understanding how to interpret and leverage data from analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) for design decisions is beneficial.

• Experience with data visualization tools for presenting findings and outcomes. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the design role's core functions, but awareness of how design integrates with sales CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms can be advantageous for understanding the broader business context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "designing for data-heavy or analytical products" and "data visualization" suggests that proficiency in tools that handle and present complex information effectively will be highly valued. The mention of AI integration implies potential use of AI-assisted design tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Client Obsessed: Prioritizing client success and business impact in all design decisions and collaborations.

• Clear Communicator: Fostering open, effective communication across all levels and disciplines, particularly with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Quality-Driven: Maintaining high standards for design execution, reliability, and craftsmanship.

• Ownership Mindset: Taking full responsibility for solutions, from conception through to real-world implementation and outcomes.

• Problem Solver: Thriving in complex environments and actively seeking innovative solutions, even with evolving requirements.

• Craftsmanship & Continuous Improvement: A dedication to refining design skills and processes, embracing the "grind" to achieve excellence.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Seamless collaboration with sales for pre-sales and scoping, and with engineering for seamless implementation.

• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: A culture where senior designers actively mentor and lift the craft of their colleagues.

• Process-Oriented: Emphasis on defining and adhering to robust design processes and standards to ensure consistency and quality.

• AI-Informed, Human-Led: Collaborative approach to integrating AI tools, ensuring they augment rather than replace human judgment and creativity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values are deeply intertwined with operational excellence—client success, quality, ownership, and problem-solving are all critical components of effective GTM and product operations. The emphasis on communication and collaboration underscores the importance of seamless cross-functional teamwork.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Working with undefined problems and evolving business requirements requires strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Balancing Craft and Scale: Setting high craft standards while ensuring scalability and efficiency across multiple projects and designers.

• Defining AI's Role: Strategically integrating AI into design workflows in a way that genuinely enhances craft and efficiency without compromising human judgment.

• Client Management in Pre-Sales: Effectively translating client needs and business goals into actionable design strategies during the early stages of engagement.

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

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Techniques: Deep dive into AI-assisted design, advanced prototyping, and complex data visualization.

• Strategic Design Leadership: Develop skills in shaping client engagements, influencing sales, and defining team-wide operational processes.

• Mentorship Development: Hone leadership and coaching abilities by guiding and developing other designers.

• Industry Exposure: Work with leading brands and diverse technologies, gaining broad market experience.

• Continuing Education: Access to a $2,500 annual stipend for professional development, certifications, or advanced training.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight opportunities for growth in strategic thinking, operational process definition, and the application of emerging technologies like AI within a design context.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Be prepared to discuss how you would approach scoping a new client engagement from a design perspective, outlining your process for understanding business needs and defining project deliverables.

• Articulate your philosophy on AI in design: where you see its value, how you'd integrate it into workflows, and how you’d ensure human judgment remains central.

• Describe how you would establish and maintain design craft standards for a distributed team, and what processes you’d put in place to ensure adherence. Company & Culture Questions:

• Research Very's client list and recent projects to understand their market and the types of challenges they solve.

• Prepare to discuss how your personal definition of "doing hard things well" aligns with Very's culture.

• How would you contribute to a "tight-knit culture" in a fully remote environment? Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Structure your deep-dive presentations with a clear beginning (problem/goal), middle (process/collaboration/decisions), and end (outcome/impact/learnings).

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively, but be ready to talk through every decision and trade-off.

• Quantify Impact: Have metrics ready to demonstrate the business value of your projects (e.g., increased conversion, reduced errors, improved user satisfaction).

• Own Your Work: Be prepared to answer detailed questions about your specific contributions, even if it was a team project.

• Practice Live Delivery: Rehearse your presentation to ensure a smooth, confident delivery within a given timeframe, focusing on clarity and conciseness.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to rigorously assess a candidate's strategic thinking, operational design capabilities, and ability to lead through expertise. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate GTM operational thinking in their responses.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Product Designer position:

• Submit your resume and portfolio through the provided application link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence GTM processes (e.g., pre-sales, scoping). Ensure your deep-dive projects showcase your end-to-end design process and impact.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your experience in design leadership, launching products, mentoring, and any experience with AI integration or defining operational processes. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio projects live, focusing on your thought process, decision-making, and ability to articulate complex ideas clearly and concisely. Prepare to discuss your approach to AI in design and team enablement.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Very LLC, its clients, its stated values, and its approach to technology and AI. Understand how your skills and experience align with their mission and culture.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. The note regarding the role being based in Canada but requiring US work authorization is a critical detail that requires direct verification with the hiring organization. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.