Product Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Design Manager

Company: Epicor Software Corporation

Location: Hyderabad, India & Bengaluru, India

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design Management / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-05-19

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (6-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor a team of product designers, fostering individual growth and ensuring high-quality design output for enterprise B2B SaaS products.

• Drive strategic alignment between design initiatives, product priorities, and engineering roadmaps, influencing scope, sequence, and trade-offs.

• Champion AI fluency within the design team, integrating AI tools into workflows and establishing new quality criteria for AI-assisted design.

• Cultivate a high-functioning, psychologically safe team environment through deliberate hiring, onboarding, and performance management practices.

• Connect design team impact to broader organizational strategy, articulating business value beyond design metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is titled "Product Design Manager," its emphasis on strategic alignment with product and engineering, driving AI integration, and connecting design to business outcomes positions it closely with GTM Operations and strategic product operations functions. The focus on managing design output quality and team performance also aligns with operational excellence principles.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Manage and develop a team of product designers, setting clear expectations, conducting regular 1:1s, providing constructive feedback, and creating individualized growth plans.

• Own and ensure the quality of design output from the team, leading design critiques, and ensuring timely delivery of high-standard work.

• Drive problem-solving within the team's portfolio, assisting designers in framing problems, navigating ambiguity, and making sound trade-offs under realistic constraints.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering leadership to align design investments with product priorities and strategic objectives.

• Build and maintain a high-performing team by excelling in hiring, onboarding, fostering psychological safety, and holding individuals accountable to high performance standards.

• Champion the adoption and contribution to design systems within the team, ensuring the broader system is strengthened through shared patterns and learnings.

• Model the team's values and operating principles in leadership, communication, and decision-making, especially in challenging scenarios.

• Clearly articulate the business impact of the team's work, translating design achievements into tangible business outcomes and strategic value.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong operational component, focusing on team performance, process adherence (design system adoption, critique standards), and strategic alignment, which are core to GTM and Product Operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: No specific degree mentioned, but a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for this level.

Experience: 6–10 years of product design experience, with a minimum of 2 years in a people management role leading designers within enterprise or B2B SaaS environments.

Required Skills:

• Strong design craft and excellent judgment, with the ability to recognize and coach toward great design outcomes.

• Proven experience in building and maintaining high-performing teams: hiring, onboarding, talent development, and performance management.

• Ability to balance people leadership with product delivery, ensuring both team growth and timely shipping of quality work.

• Demonstrated AI fluency, including integrating AI into team practices, coaching on AI tool usage, and maintaining craft standards.

• Clear, strategic communication skills for stakeholder alignment, leadership reporting, and advocating for design investment with business rationale.

• Familiarity with design systems and experience driving adoption without creating rigidity.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience developing AI fluency programs or practices within a design team, including new tools, quality criteria, and hiring expectations.

• Understanding of AI infrastructure (e.g., agent-driven workflows, MCP-style protocols, context-aware systems) and its design implications.

• A point of view on the evolving role of design management in the age of AI, including coaching and craft evaluation.

• Pragmatic, fail-fast disposition, fostering an environment for experimentation and learning from failures.

• Experience in enterprise domains such as manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, or retail operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "AI fluency" and "design management" in the context of AI integration suggests a need for candidates who can operationalize new technologies and adapt management practices, a key skill in fast-evolving GTM and product environments.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase of previous team's design output, highlighting quality, impact, and adherence to design systems.

• Examples of problem-solving methodologies applied to complex enterprise B2B SaaS challenges.

• Evidence of strategic collaboration with Product Management and Engineering leadership, demonstrating influence on product roadmaps.

• Case studies detailing team growth, performance improvements, and the development of individual designers.

Process Documentation:

• Documented strategies for design critique and quality assurance within a team setting.

• Frameworks for onboarding new designers and integrating them into existing team processes and culture.

• Methodologies for driving design system adoption and contribution across a team.

• Examples of how the candidate has translated organizational strategy into actionable design team objectives.

• Processes for managing performance, providing feedback, and fostering career development for designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not just their own design skills, but their ability to operationalize design processes, manage team workflows, and ensure consistent quality and strategic alignment within their team's output.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Product Design Managers with 6-10 years of experience in enterprise B2B SaaS roles in India (specifically Hyderabad and Bengaluru), a competitive salary range is estimated between ₹25,00,000 to ₹45,00,000 per annum. This range can vary based on specific experience, negotiation, and the exact location within India.

Benefits:

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

• Opportunities for internal mobility, mentorship, and continuing education.

• Free LinkedIn Learning licenses for all employees.

• Mentoring Program to boost personal development.

• Education Support programs to balance the cost of education.

• Inclusive, global workplace fostering innovation and partnership.

• Work-life balance policies built on mutual trust and support.

• Comprehensive support for international relocations and permanent residency processes.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week. Given the hybrid work arrangement, flexibility may be offered within typical business hours to accommodate team collaboration and individual needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on aggregated data from reputable salary aggregators for similar roles in India, adjusted for the specified experience level and industry. The benefits package is directly extracted from the provided job description, highlighting Epicor's commitment to employee development and well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Enterprise Software (ERP, Manufacturing, Distribution, Supply Chain, Retail Operations). Epicor powers essential industries that keep the world moving.

Company Size: 5,000+ talented professionals globally. This size indicates a well-established organization with structured processes, but also opportunities for impact and cross-functional collaboration.

Founded: Epicor has a long history, with its origins tracing back to 1972, evolving into a significant player in the enterprise software market. This history suggests a stable, experienced company with a deep understanding of its core industries.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is likely part of a larger Product Development organization.

• This role involves managing designers across one or more product areas, implying a distributed or specialized team structure.

• Close partnership with Product Management and Engineering leadership is a key aspect, suggesting a highly collaborative, cross-functional environment.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is implied through the need to connect design impact to business terms and ROI.

• Emphasis on AI-native practices as an expectation.

• Structured and transparent career growth paths are a stated company value.

• Management is treated as a craft, suggesting a focus on continuous improvement, skill development, and best practices in leadership.

Company Website: Epicor Software Corporation

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on essential industries and its stated commitment to AI and platform modernization indicate a forward-thinking organization where operational efficiency and strategic execution are paramount. The size suggests established operational frameworks.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior management role, leading a team of individual contributors and influencing product strategy. It sits at the intersection of product development and GTM operations, requiring strategic thinking, people leadership, and a deep understanding of how design contributes to business success.

Reporting Structure: The Product Design Manager reports into a higher-level design or product leadership role. They will partner closely with Product Management and Engineering leadership, indicating a matrixed reporting and collaboration structure.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is significant, directly influencing the quality, usability, and strategic alignment of enterprise software products used by thousands of businesses daily. By ensuring design excellence and strategic integration, the manager contributes to customer satisfaction, adoption rates, and ultimately, revenue growth for Epicor and its clients. The focus on AI integration also positions the team at the forefront of technological advancements, driving competitive advantage.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to move into Director-level roles, overseeing larger design teams or multiple product areas.

• Strategic Product Leadership: Transition into roles with broader product strategy ownership or GTM leadership.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design, design systems, or specific enterprise domains.

• Operational Excellence: Develop skills in optimizing design team operations, process improvement, and cross-functional workflow efficiency.

• Mentorship & Coaching: Further develop coaching skills and potentially mentor other managers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI, enterprise domains, and structured career growth suggests a deliberate investment in talent development, offering clear paths for ambitious operations and design leaders.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. This indicates a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration. The company emphasizes psychological safety and high-functioning teams, suggesting that in-office time will be purposeful for collaboration, team building, and critical decision-making.

Office Location(s): Hyderabad, India and Bengaluru, India. These are major tech hubs, offering access to a strong talent pool and vibrant professional communities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative environment: The role requires close partnership with Product Management and Engineering, necessitating effective communication and teamwork.

• Access to operations tools and technology: While not explicitly detailed, it's expected that designers and managers will have access to industry-standard design software, collaboration tools, and potentially project management systems.

• Team interaction opportunities: The hybrid model suggests planned in-office days for team meetings, design critiques, and strategic planning sessions, fostering strong team cohesion.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule (likely 40 hours/week) is expected, with flexibility often afforded in hybrid environments to balance personal needs with team and project demands. The focus on outcomes over strict hours is typical for management roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid arrangement in major Indian tech hubs points to a modern work environment that balances flexibility with the need for in-person collaboration, crucial for effective design management and team cohesion.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Recruiter screen with Sumanth Godha to assess overall fit, experience, and alignment with the role's core requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion with the direct manager, focusing on people management philosophy, design leadership approach, and experience with enterprise/B2B SaaS.

• Design/Product Leadership Interview: Conversation with senior design or product leaders to assess strategic thinking, collaboration skills, and alignment with company values.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Meetings with potential direct reports (designers) and cross-functional peers (Product Managers, Engineering Leads) to evaluate team dynamics, collaboration style, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Presentation: A critical stage where candidates present their past work, specifically highlighting team management, design quality, strategic impact, and AI integration examples.

• Final Round: Potentially a discussion with higher-level executives to finalize the decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Leadership: Showcase how you led and developed teams, not just individual contributions. Highlight team achievements and your role in enabling them.

• Quality & Strategy: Present case studies that demonstrate strong design craft, problem-solving, and how your team's work aligned with business objectives and product strategy.

• AI Integration: Be prepared to discuss your experience and approach to integrating AI into design workflows, including challenges, learnings, and impact on quality/efficiency.

• Metrics & Impact: Quantify the impact of your team's work using relevant metrics (e.g., user satisfaction, adoption rates, efficiency gains, business outcomes).

• Collaboration & Communication: Illustrate how you partnered with Product Management and Engineering, and how you communicated design vision and progress to leadership.

• Design Systems: Explain your approach to adopting and contributing to design systems to ensure consistency and scalability.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be ready to discuss hypothetical scenarios: "How would you handle a conflict between design and engineering on feature prioritization?" or "How would you coach a designer struggling with AI-generated output?"

• Prepare to articulate your philosophy on AI in design and how you would foster AI fluency within your team.

• Think about how you would measure the success of your design team and their contribution to the business.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI, team development, and strategic alignment means candidates should prepare to articulate a forward-thinking approach to design leadership that integrates operational rigor with innovative practices.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD) - proficiency expected for reviewing and guiding work.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello - for workflow management and cross-functional communication.

• Prototyping Tools: InVision, ProtoPie, Figma's prototyping features - for creating and reviewing interactive designs.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics - for understanding user behavior and product performance.

• BI Tools: Tableau, Power BI, Looker - for creating dashboards and reporting on design and product metrics.

• User Feedback Platforms: SurveyMonkey, Typeform, UserTesting.com - for gathering qualitative insights.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics - understanding how design impacts user experience within CRM is beneficial.

• Design System Management: Zeroheight, Storybook - for managing and documenting design systems.

• AI Tools: Candidates should be familiar with emerging AI tools for design ideation, content generation, and workflow acceleration.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the specific stack isn't provided, a strong understanding of industry-standard design tools, project management software, and analytics platforms is crucial. The explicit mention of AI tools highlights the need for candidates to be current with emerging technologies in the design space.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Proactive: Taking initiative, anticipating needs, and driving solutions before issues arise.

• Proud: Taking ownership of work, delivering high quality, and representing Epicor's commitment to essential industries.

• Partners: Collaborating effectively with internal teams (Product, Engineering) and external customers, fostering strong relationships.

• Data-Driven: Utilizing data and insights to inform design decisions, measure impact, and drive continuous improvement.

• Efficiency & Optimization: Striving for streamlined processes, effective resource allocation, and impactful design outcomes.

• AI-Native: Embracing AI as a standard tool and practice to enhance creativity, efficiency, and innovation in design.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Seamless collaboration with Product Management and Engineering is essential, ensuring design is integrated early and continuously in the product development lifecycle.

• Constructive Feedback Culture: Encouraging open dialogue, design critiques, and a willingness to give and receive feedback to elevate the quality of work.

• Knowledge Sharing: Promoting an environment where designers share learnings, best practices, and insights, particularly around AI tools and design systems.

• Experimentation: Fostering a culture where trying new tools, processes, and approaches is encouraged, with a focus on extracting learnings from both successes and failures.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's core values (Proactive, Proud, Partners) combined with the emphasis on AI and management as a craft suggest a culture that values both operational excellence and innovative thinking, with a strong focus on collaborative execution.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapidly Evolving AI Landscape: Staying ahead of AI advancements and integrating them effectively into design workflows and team practices, while maintaining design craft and quality.

• Balancing Team Growth with Delivery: Ensuring individual designer development and well-being are prioritized alongside aggressive product release schedules and quality expectations.

• Driving Design System Adoption: Championing the use of design systems across a team and influencing broader organizational adoption without stifling creativity.

• Translating Technical Complexity: Effectively communicating complex enterprise software functionalities and AI infrastructure concepts into user-centric designs for diverse B2B users.

• Managing in a Hybrid Environment: Fostering team cohesion, collaboration, and a strong sense of culture across distributed and in-office team members.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design Specialization: Opportunities to become a recognized expert in AI-driven design methodologies and tools within the organization.

• Leadership Development Programs: Structured training and mentorship focused on advanced management skills, strategic leadership, and operational efficiency.

• Industry Conferences & Workshops: Potential to attend leading design, product, and AI conferences to stay abreast of industry trends and best practices.

• Cross-Functional Experience: Gaining deeper insights into product management, engineering, and GTM operations through close collaboration.

• Mentorship: Access to senior leaders within Epicor for guidance on career progression and strategic development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in fast-paced tech environments, particularly with the integration of AI. Epicor's stated commitment to growth and structured development suggests robust support for employees looking to overcome these challenges and advance their careers.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you foster AI fluency within your design team, and what are the key quality criteria you'd establish for AI-assisted design?" (Focus on practical implementation, not just theory.)

• "Describe a time you had to align design priorities with product and engineering roadmaps that had conflicting objectives. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Highlight your strategic negotiation and collaboration skills.)

• "How do you balance the need for individual designer growth and development with the pressure to deliver high-quality products on tight deadlines?" (Showcase your people management philosophy and operational balance.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Epicor's focus on essential industries and AI, how do you see design leadership contributing to the company's strategic goals?" (Demonstrate research and strategic thinking.)

• "How do you embody Epicor's values of Proactive, Proud, and Partners in your leadership style?" (Connect your approach to stated company values.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your presentation logically, starting with the strategic context, your role as a manager, the team's process, key challenges, your solutions, and quantifiable results.

• Team-Centric Examples: For each case study, clearly articulate the team's objective, your leadership approach, how you empowered the team, and their collective achievements.

• AI Integration Narrative: Dedicate a section or weave throughout your case studies examples of how AI was integrated, the benefits realized, and lessons learned.

• Quantify Everything Possible: Use metrics to demonstrate the impact of your team's work on user experience, product adoption, efficiency, and business outcomes.

• Showcase Management Craft: Be prepared to discuss your management philosophy, how you develop talent, handle performance issues, and foster a positive team environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing specific examples that address AI integration, team management in a hybrid setting, and strategic alignment with business goals will be crucial for success in this interview process.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday job portal link.

• Customize your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your 6-10 years of product design experience, specifically emphasizing your 2+ years in people management within enterprise or B2B SaaS environments. Quantify achievements related to team performance, design quality, and strategic impact.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a portfolio that showcases your leadership in managing design teams, examples of high-quality enterprise B2B SaaS designs, your approach to design systems, and, crucially, your experience and strategies for integrating AI into design workflows. Include case studies detailing team growth and impact.

• Research Epicor: Familiarize yourself with Epicor's products, target industries (manufacturing, distribution, supply chain, retail), and company values (Proactive, Proud, Partners). Understand their strategic direction, particularly regarding AI and platform modernization.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on clearly articulating your leadership approach, team's achievements, AI integration strategies, and business impact. Be ready to answer strategy and behavioral questions.

⚠️ 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.

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