Product Design Manager

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Design Manager

Company: Sitemate

Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia / Sydney, Victoria, Australia

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design & Management

Date Posted: 2026-08-31

Experience Level: Mid-Senior (Estimated 5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid / Remote-Flexible

🚀 Role Summary

• This hybrid role integrates product ownership, UX/UI design, and delivery management, demanding end-to-end product lifecycle accountability.

• You will collaborate closely with engineering teams within small, high-trust units to define problems, design innovative solutions, and manage the entire delivery process.

• The position emphasizes a proactive approach to leveraging AI tools for efficiency and innovation within the product development cycle.

• Successful candidates will demonstrate strong visual design skills, a deep understanding of user-centered design principles, and the ability to manage production performance post-launch.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role's description as a "hybrid ownership role responsible for product outcomes end-to-end" and the explicit mention of combining "UX/UI design expertise with product ownership and delivery management" indicate a blended function. This is a key differentiator and candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience across all three areas. The emphasis on AI tools suggests a forward-thinking approach to product development.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the entire product lifecycle, from early concept ideation and user experience exploration through to final delivery, release, and ongoing production performance monitoring.

• Conduct customer research and validation activities to inform design decisions and ensure product-market fit.

• Develop detailed user experience (UX) flows, high-fidelity user interface (UI) designs, and information architecture (IA) diagrams.

• Define and meticulously review feature scope, including detailed acceptance criteria, to ensure clarity and alignment with product goals.

• Collaborate strategically with engineers and cross-functional peers to plan, prioritize, and execute product development sprints, ensuring high-quality output.

• Actively monitor released features, analyze usage metrics (e.g., via Mixpanel), and report on performance to identify areas for improvement.

• Proactively identify and address UX gaps, quality issues, and edge cases, and triage production support issues to ensure a seamless user experience.

• Maintain consistent communication and collaboration with product and design leadership, providing clear written updates via tools like Slack and Confluence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Day-to-Day" section provides significant detail on responsibilities. The emphasis on "Production Ownership & Monitoring" and "Support and triage are part of the job" highlights a critical aspect of this role that goes beyond typical design or product management, requiring a holistic view of the product's success post-launch.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is highly beneficial. Candidates are expected to demonstrate a robust understanding of product development principles.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in product design, UX/UI, or product management roles, with a proven track record of leading product delivery end-to-end. Experience in a SaaS environment is preferred.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated strong ownership mindset with clear accountability for product outcomes.

• Proven experience leading product delivery end-to-end, functioning effectively in a Product Owner or similar capacity.

• Proactive and proficient in experimenting with and leveraging AI tools to enhance efficiency in product development processes.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including expertise in utilizing UI libraries and established design systems.

• Solid understanding of UX/UI fundamentals, with a consistent application of a user-centered design approach.

• Experience designing complex web and/or mobile applications.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate technical and design concepts clearly.

• Demonstrated comfort with ambiguity and the ability to make pragmatic trade-offs under pressure.

• Strong visual design acumen and an unwavering attention to detail across all deliverables. Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience working with SaaS products.

• Working knowledge of HTML/CSS to better understand technical constraints and possibilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Must Have" skills directly translate into the required qualifications. The "Nice to Have" skills offer additional advantages. The requirement to be "Proactive in experimenting with AI tools" is a specific and forward-looking skill that should be highlighted by candidates.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product ownership, detailing your involvement from initial concept to post-launch performance.

• Present case studies that demonstrate your ability to define problems, design user-centered solutions, and manage their successful delivery.

• Include examples of detailed UX flows, high-fidelity UI designs, and information architecture diagrams.

• Highlight your experience in defining scope, acceptance criteria, and collaborating with engineering teams.

• Demonstrate your approach to monitoring production performance, identifying UX gaps, and triaging issues. Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of how you have documented feature scope and acceptance criteria for engineering teams.

• Illustrate your workflow for customer research and validation, and how this informed design decisions.

• Showcase your process for monitoring product usage metrics and reporting on feature performance.

• Include examples of how you have collaborated with engineering and design leadership to plan and deliver product increments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role's emphasis on end-to-end ownership and production performance suggests that a portfolio should go beyond static designs. It needs to showcase a candidate's ability to manage the entire product lifecycle, including post-launch analysis and iterative improvements. The inclusion of "AI tools" suggests that candidates might also showcase how they've integrated these into their workflow.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: AUD $60,000 - $150,000 per annum (including Superannuation), commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Benefits:

• Competitive, performance-based remuneration, reflecting high contribution and results.

• Equity options, providing ownership in the company's growth and success.

• Generous paid annual leave of 20 days, supplemented by sick, carer’s, and compassionate leave.

• Comprehensive parental leave policy: 16 weeks for primary carers and 6 weeks for secondary carers, including support for adoption and stillbirth.

• Dedicated Learning & Development budget for professional growth and skill enhancement.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offering confidential counseling and mental health support.

• Laptop and a budget for home office setup to ensure a productive remote work environment.

• Significant flexibility in work arrangements, including remote and hybrid options, with the ability to work from anywhere for several weeks annually.

• Opportunities for community and connection through weekly catered lunches, global offsites, and engaging "Life Story" sessions.

• Melbourne office perks include a micro-roasted coffee bar, convenient on-site parking & bike storage, dedicated wellness & mothers rooms, and a prime location opposite Southern Cross station.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (estimated 40 hours per week), with a strong emphasis on flexibility and autonomy, focusing on outcomes rather than strict time monitoring.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided in AUD and includes Superannuation, which is standard in Australia. The extensive list of benefits highlights Sitemate's commitment to employee well-being and professional development, particularly noting the equity options and flexible work arrangements. The "focus on outcomes, not hours" reinforces the flexible work culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Technology, specifically focused on the Construction and Built World sector. Sitemate's product, Dashpivot, digitizes processes for construction, infrastructure, and industrial companies.

Company Size: Over 150 employees, indicating a growth-stage company with established processes but still retaining agility.

Founded: 2018, suggesting a relatively young company that has achieved significant traction and growth since its inception.

Team Structure:

• Sitemate operates with small, high-trust teams, fostering close collaboration between product, design, and engineering.

• The Product Design Manager role is integrated into these teams, working alongside engineers and reporting into product/design leadership.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a core tenet, involving regular interaction with marketing, sales, and customer success teams to ensure a cohesive product strategy and customer experience. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decisions: Emphasizes using metrics and customer feedback to guide product development and improvements.

• Agile & High Velocity: Operates at a fast pace, utilizing integrated systems to eliminate manual work and enable rapid, high-quality decision-making.

• Transparency & Autonomy: Fosters an environment where key company metrics are shared openly, and individuals are empowered with autonomy to manage their work and achieve outcomes.

Company Website: https://sitemate.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Sitemate's focus on the construction industry is a unique market position. The company culture is explicitly defined by values like transparency, high velocity, hustle, diversity, and innovation. The "How We Work" section provides concrete examples of these values in practice, which is crucial for candidates to understand the operational norms.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a mid-to-senior level, requiring significant autonomy and end-to-end ownership. It's a hybrid role that blends specialized skills (UX/UI, product ownership) with broad execution capabilities, offering a unique career path for individuals who thrive in integrated roles.

Reporting Structure: The Product Design Manager will likely report to a Head of Product, Design Lead, or similar senior leadership position within the product and design functions. They will work closely with engineering leads.

Operations Impact: The Product Design Manager has a direct impact on product outcomes, influencing revenue through improved user adoption, retention, and feature adoption. Their work in defining and delivering features directly contributes to Sitemate's value proposition for its customers in the built world.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization & Leadership: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas of product design or product management, potentially leading to senior individual contributor roles or team leadership positions within product/design.

• Skill Expansion: Continuous learning and development through exposure to AI tools, advanced design systems, and the complexities of the construction tech industry.

• Strategic Influence: As the company grows, there will be opportunities to influence product strategy, contribute to company-wide operational improvements, and mentor junior team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is explicitly described as a "hybrid ownership role" that is not for specialists in a single discipline. This implies that career growth may involve deepening this hybrid expertise or potentially shifting towards a more focused product management or design leadership track as Sitemate evolves. The emphasis on "performance, not tenure" for career progression is a key cultural aspect.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Sitemate offers a hybrid work environment, with an office presence in Melbourne and Sydney, alongside flexible remote work options. The Melbourne office is described as having various perks like a coffee bar, bike storage, and wellness rooms.

Office Location(s): Melbourne, Victoria, Australia and Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The Melbourne office is conveniently located opposite Southern Cross Station.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative & Flexible: The environment supports both focused individual work and collaborative team sessions, whether in-office or remote. The company emphasizes autonomy and outcome-driven work.

• Technology-Rich: Access to essential design and collaboration tools (Figma, Jira, Slack, Confluence) is standard, with encouragement to leverage AI tools for enhanced productivity.

• Global Team Interaction: Opportunities to connect with a diverse, global team through virtual meetings, shared documentation platforms, and company-wide events.

Work Schedule: While standard full-time hours are expected, Sitemate emphasizes flexibility and autonomy, allowing individuals to manage their schedules to optimize productivity and work-life balance. The focus is on achieving objectives rather than adhering to rigid schedules.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Flexible work - remote and hybrid options, plus the ability to work from anywhere for several weeks each year" is a significant perk. The description of the Melbourne office provides tangible details for candidates considering on-site work. The emphasis on "outcomes, not hours" and "no time monitoring or unnecessary meetings" defines the operational flexibility.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a brief call with HR or a hiring manager to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: A detailed session where candidates present their portfolio, focusing on end-to-end product ownership, problem-solving, design rationale, and delivery experience. Be prepared to discuss specific case studies.

• Technical/Skills Assessment: This may involve a practical exercise or a deep dive into Figma proficiency, UX/UI principles, and how AI tools were integrated.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with peers, engineering leads, and product leadership to evaluate collaboration style, communication skills, and strategic thinking.

• Cultural Fit Assessment: Discussions centered around Sitemate's core values (transparency, high velocity, hustle, diversity, innovation) and how the candidate embodies them.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase End-to-End Ownership: Clearly articulate your role and impact across the entire product lifecycle, from discovery to post-launch.

• Highlight Problem-Solving: For each case study, detail the problem, your approach, the constraints, the solutions, and the measurable outcomes.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Illustrate how you worked with engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders. Use examples of written communication and cross-functional teamwork.

• Integrate AI Tool Usage: If applicable, showcase how you've used AI tools to drive efficiency or innovation in your design or product processes.

• Focus on Impact: Quantify results wherever possible (e.g., improvements in user engagement, conversion rates, efficiency gains).

Challenge Preparation:

• Scenario-Based Questions: Expect questions about how you would handle specific situations related to scope creep, conflicting stakeholder feedback, production issues, or prioritizing tasks in a fast-paced environment.

• Design Thinking & Process: Be ready to articulate your design process, your approach to user research, and how you balance user needs with business objectives and technical feasibility.

• Company Research: Thoroughly understand Sitemate's product (Dashpivot), its target market (construction/built world), and its company values. Prepare questions that demonstrate this understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role's hybrid nature means interviewers will probe deeply into how candidates manage the transitions between design, product scoping, delivery, and production support. A portfolio that clearly delineates these phases and the candidate's role in each will be critical. The mention of AI tools suggests that candidates should be prepared to discuss their practical application.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and design system management. Proficiency in UI libraries and design systems is a must.

• Jira: Key for project management, task tracking, sprint planning, and bug tracking within agile development cycles.

• Confluence: Used for documentation, knowledge sharing, requirements definition, and creating feature specifications.

• Slack: The primary communication platform for real-time team collaboration and quick updates.

• Mixpanel (or similar product analytics tools): Crucial for monitoring feature usage, analyzing user behavior, and measuring product performance post-launch.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Mixpanel: As listed above, for in-depth product analytics and user journey tracking.

• Internal Dashboards: Likely custom-built dashboards or BI tools for broader performance tracking, which the candidate will contribute to monitoring.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly listed as a primary tool for this role, understanding how the product interacts with CRM systems and potential automation workflows would be beneficial. Bonus Tools:

• Figma Make: Potential use for AI-powered design assistance or automation within Figma.

• Claude Code: Suggests an interest in or use of AI tools for code generation or assistance, potentially for understanding implementation details or working with developers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit listing of "Essential Tools" and "Bonus Tools" provides a clear picture of the technology stack. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with each of the "Essential Tools" and highlight any experience with the "Bonus Tools," particularly the AI-related ones, as this is a highlighted requirement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Transparency: Open sharing of company metrics, customer stories, and strategic plans. Regular all-hands meetings and "Life Story" sessions build connection.

• High Velocity: A commitment to moving fast, eliminating manual work, and enabling rapid, high-quality decision-making through integrated systems.

• Hustle / Drive: Performance-based rewards and recognition; proactive pay increases driven by results.

• Diversity & Inclusion: Strong emphasis on building diverse teams and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, with specific metrics on representation.

• Innovation: Encouragement of new ideas and the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like AI to improve product development and efficiency.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close collaboration with engineering, product, design, marketing, sales, and customer success teams is fundamental.

• Process Review & Feedback: A culture that values continuous improvement, likely involving regular feedback loops and process refinement sessions.

• Knowledge Sharing: Open sharing of ideas and learning opportunities, facilitated by communication tools and team interactions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Sitemate's culture is heavily emphasized, with specific values and practices outlined. Candidates should align their responses and examples with these values, particularly "Transparency," "High Velocity," and "Diversity," as these are presented as core principles of how Sitemate operates.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Breadth of Ownership: The primary challenge is the integrated nature of the role, demanding constant switching between design, product scoping, delivery, and production support. This is not a specialized role.

• Pace of Work: Sitemate operates at a high velocity, requiring individuals to be comfortable with rapid learning, frequent shipping, and adapting to changing priorities.

• Owning Outcomes: Responsibility extends beyond output to ensuring the success and quality of shipped features, including addressing any UX gaps or bugs that arise post-release.

• Production Support Integration: Monitoring and triaging production issues are core duties, not separate tasks, requiring a commitment to the full product lifecycle.

• Cultural Adaptation: Adherence to strong company values and operating standards may require unlearning previous organizational habits.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepened Hybrid Expertise: Opportunity to become highly proficient in the integrated Product Design Manager role, blending design, product, and delivery skills.

• AI Tool Mastery: Gain practical experience and leadership in applying AI tools to product development workflows.

• Industry Specialization: Develop deep knowledge of the construction and built world technology sector.

• Growth within Sitemate: Clear career development plans and opportunities for advancement within a rapidly growing company based on performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Challenges" section is very direct about what the role isn't and the potential difficulties. Candidates should acknowledge these challenges and frame their experience as being well-suited to navigating them. The growth opportunities are tied to both skill development and company growth.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Product Strategy & Vision: "How would you approach defining the scope for a new feature aimed at improving field data capture for construction crews?" or "Describe how you'd balance user needs for a mobile app with the need for rapid deployment in a fast-paced environment."

• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: "How do you ensure alignment between design, engineering, and product teams when working on a complex feature?" or "Describe a time you had to manage conflicting priorities between different stakeholders. How did you resolve it?"

• Problem-Solving & Process Improvement: "Walk me through a challenging UX problem you solved and the impact it had." or "How would you identify and address a decline in user engagement for a recently released feature?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• Cultural Alignment: "How do Sitemate's values of transparency, high velocity, hustle, diversity, and innovation resonate with your working style?" or "Describe a time you worked in a high-pace, outcome-driven environment. What was your approach?"

• Team Dynamics: "How do you contribute to a high-trust team environment?" or "What is your preferred method for receiving and giving constructive feedback within a design/product team?"

• Operations Impact: "How do you measure the success of a product feature beyond initial delivery?" or "Describe how you've used data to influence product decisions and demonstrate ROI."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Hybrid Roles: Clearly delineate your contributions across design, product ownership, and delivery for each case study. Use visual aids to show the flow.

• Quantify Impact: For each project, emphasize the problem, your solution, the process, and the measurable outcomes (e.g., user adoption, efficiency gains, bug reduction).

• Showcase AI Integration (if applicable): If you've used AI tools, prepare to explain how they were integrated into your workflow and the benefits they provided.

• Interactive Discussion: Be prepared for a deep dive into your decision-making process and to answer detailed questions about your work. Treat it as a collaborative problem-solving session.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation should strongly emphasize the hybrid nature of the role and the candidate's ability to manage multiple responsibilities. Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience with AI tools and demonstrate how they embody Sitemate's core values.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Design Manager position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby HQ.

• Tailor your Resume: Highlight experience in end-to-end product ownership, UX/UI design, and delivery management. Quantify achievements and explicitly mention proficiency with Figma, Jira, Slack, and any experience with product analytics tools like Mixpanel.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your capabilities across the entire product lifecycle. Prepare specific case studies that showcase problem-solving, design process, collaboration, and measured outcomes, especially highlighting any use of AI tools.

• Prepare for Case Studies: Be ready to articulate your approach to product definition, design, and delivery, and how you monitor production performance. Practice presenting your portfolio and answering behavioral questions related to Sitemate's values and the role's hybrid demands.

• Research Sitemate: Thoroughly understand Dashpivot, the company's mission in the construction tech space, and its stated cultural values. Prepare thoughtful questions about the role, team, and company strategy.

⚠️ 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.