Product Designer, AI

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer, AI

Company: Toast

Location: Dublin, Ireland

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / AI Product Development

Date Posted: 2026-05-14

Experience Level: Mid-level (3+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end design process for innovative AI-powered product experiences within the Commerce R&D organization, specifically focusing on the Vision AI team.

• Translate complex restaurant operational challenges and raw data signals into seamless, intuitive, and impactful product solutions that enhance efficiency and decision-making.

• Champion a human-centered approach to AI design, ensuring transparency, trust, and actionability for restaurant owners and staff.

• Collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, and Research peers to define and execute AI capabilities within Point of Sale and other restaurant management applications.

• Develop high-fidelity artifacts that meticulously account for ambiguity, edge cases, and evolving AI system behavior, while leveraging and contributing to the Toast design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is highly specialized, focusing on the intersection of Product Design and Artificial Intelligence within the hospitality technology sector. The emphasis on AI-first design, translating complex operational problems into user-friendly interfaces, and the need for a "Founder's Mentality" suggest a role that requires significant autonomy, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of user needs in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. The "Vision AI" team suggests a focus on visual data processing or machine learning applications impacting restaurant operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own and lead the complete design lifecycle for AI-driven product features, from initial discovery and concept ideation through to high-fidelity execution and implementation.

• Conduct thorough customer research, workflow analysis, and examine usage data to inform design decisions and create impactful solutions for restaurant operations.

• Design intuitive and reliable workflows that are optimized for the demanding, time-sensitive realities of restaurant environments.

• Partner strategically with Product Managers, Engineers, and Researchers to integrate Vision AI capabilities into the product, balancing user needs, technical feasibility, and model behavior.

• Produce polished, high-fidelity design artifacts, including detailed mockups, prototypes, and user flows, that address potential ambiguities and edge cases.

• Actively contribute to and maintain the Toast design system to ensure consistency, scalability, and quality across AI-powered experiences.

• Effectively communicate design concepts, tradeoffs, and product direction through prototypes, compelling storytelling, and systems thinking to gain cross-functional alignment.

• Advocate for human-centered AI principles, designing experiences that build customer confidence, clearly communicate system status, and make automation transparent and actionable.

• Participate in design critiques, collaborate with peers, and provide mentorship to elevate the team's design capabilities and integrate emerging AI tools and methods into practice.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on end-to-end ownership and autonomy, from user research to final execution. The need to design for "fast, reliable, and easy to trust" environments in "high-pressure, time-sensitive" settings points to a critical requirement for robust, user-centric design solutions in a demanding operational context. The explicit mention of balancing "technical feasibility, model behavior, and user needs" indicates a complex challenge requiring sophisticated design thinking.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is implied through the experience requirements and the nature of product design work.

Experience: A minimum of 3 years of progressive experience in product design, demonstrating a clear track record of taking ownership of broader product outcomes and strategy beyond task execution.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to leverage data and insights (business metrics, user research) to substantiate design decisions and drive measurable impact.

• High bar for design excellence, evidenced by a portfolio showcasing a disciplined process that accounts for fine details, edge cases, and complex real-world constraints.

• Innately collaborative and skilled in stakeholder management, with a style that inspires others and builds dependability for cross-functional influence.

• Exceptional ability to untangle ambiguity and break down complex workflows into intuitive, end-to-end user journeys.

• Comfort and proficiency in designing for emerging technology areas where the technology is evolving, translating ambiguity into clear, usable experiences.

• Strong AI-first design approach for rapid conceptual prototyping, coupled with robust visual design skills for polishing intuitive end-to-end journeys across multiple surfaces and contexts.

• Experience in creating high-fidelity artifacts, prototypes, and design system contributions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the SaaS, hospitality technology, or restaurant operations industries.

• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and their application in product design.

• Expertise in using specific design and prototyping tools commonly used in AI product development.

• Experience contributing to or managing design systems.

• A "Founder's Mentality" – demonstrated initiative, ownership, and a relentless commitment to customer success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of strategic thinking, detailed execution, strong collaboration, and adaptability in ambiguous, evolving technical spaces. The portfolio is highlighted as critical evidence of a disciplined process and the ability to handle complexity. The "AI-first design approach" with "conceptual prototypes" alongside "strong visual design skills" indicates a need for versatility in design methodologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio is mandatory and must demonstrate a disciplined, end-to-end design process.

• Showcase case studies that detail the problem, your process, design decisions, and the impact of your work, particularly in complex or ambiguous environments.

• Highlight your ability to translate raw signals, operational complexity, and user pain points into seamless and intuitive product experiences.

• Include examples of high-fidelity designs, interactive prototypes, and contributions to design systems, demonstrating attention to fine details and edge cases.

Process Documentation:

• Case studies should clearly outline the workflow analysis undertaken to understand restaurant operations and pain points.

• Demonstrate how user research and data insights were integrated into the design process to shape AI-powered solutions.

• Illustrate the iterative design process, including the use of prototypes and feedback loops to refine AI experience designs.

• Show examples of how system thinking was applied to account for evolving AI capabilities and potential ambiguities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are central to this role, demanding concrete evidence of a structured design process, problem-solving skills, and the ability to deliver polished, user-centric solutions, especially in the context of AI and complex operational environments. The emphasis on "process" and "impact" suggests a need for candidates to articulate their methodology and showcase measurable results.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Product Designer with 3+ years of experience in Dublin, Ireland, a competitive salary range would typically fall between €55,000 and €85,000 per annum. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for mid-level product design roles in major European tech hubs, considering the specialized nature of AI product design and Toast's position as a growing technology company.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package.

• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits to support a healthy lifestyle.

• Flexible benefits options to meet individual and changing needs.

• Access to resources and tools to empower professional growth and development.

• Opportunities for professional development, including learning new AI tools and methods.

• Potential for stock options or equity, common in growth-stage technology companies.

Working Hours: The role is designated as full-time, with an expected commitment of approximately 40 hours per week. The hybrid work arrangement allows for flexibility, with two days per week required in the Dublin office.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary figures are estimates for the Dublin market and may vary based on the candidate's specific experience, skills, and the final negotiation. The listed benefits reflect industry standards for tech companies and the specific mentions in the job description. The hybrid model indicates a structured approach to work, balancing in-office collaboration with remote flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically focused on the hospitality sector, providing comprehensive software solutions (SaaS) for restaurants and local businesses. Toast is a leader in this space, powering critical operations from Point of Sale to customer engagement and employee management.

Company Size: Toast is a large, established technology company. While the exact current employee count isn't specified here, it's implied to be a significant organization with global reach and numerous teams, suggesting a structured environment with opportunities for impact.

Founded: Toast was founded in 2012. This history indicates a company that has matured significantly, likely with established processes and a strong market presence, while still maintaining a culture of innovation and growth, particularly in emerging areas like AI.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the Commerce R&D organization, specifically the Vision AI team.

• This team operates with a strong cross-functional model, requiring close partnership with Product Management, Engineering, and Research peers.

• The design team likely has its own leadership and structure, with opportunities for mentorship and collaboration among designers.

Methodology:

• AI-First Design: The team embraces using AI tools and methods to build faster, more independently, and with higher quality.

• Human-Centered Approach: A core value is to design AI experiences that are transparent, trustworthy, and actionable for users.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Design decisions are substantiated by customer research, workflow analysis, and business metrics.

• Agile Development: Implicitly, the fast-paced nature and cross-functional collaboration suggest an agile or iterative development process.

• Design System Utilization: A focus on leveraging and contributing to the Toast design system ensures consistency and scalability.

Company Website: https://careers.toasttab.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Toast presents itself as an innovative company deeply embedded in the hospitality industry, using technology to empower businesses. The culture emphasizes a "hungry to build and learn" mentality, with a strong focus on leveraging AI and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. The hybrid model is a key aspect of their operational structure.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a mid-level Product Designer position (3+ years of experience), with significant responsibility for end-to-end ownership of AI-powered product features. It requires moving beyond task execution to owning broader product outcomes and strategy within a specialized domain.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will report into a design leadership role within the Commerce R&D organization, likely a Design Manager or Director. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads for the Vision AI team.

Operations Impact: The designer's work directly impacts the operational efficiency, decision-making capabilities, and growth potential of restaurant businesses. By creating intuitive AI-powered tools, they help Toasters operate more effectively, reduce errors, and improve customer experiences, thereby contributing directly to Toast's value proposition and revenue.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI Product Design, Human-Centered AI, and designing for complex operational workflows.

• Leadership Potential: Grow into senior or lead design roles, mentoring junior designers and influencing product strategy at a higher level.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Develop a strong understanding of AI/ML technologies, product management, and engineering processes within a fast-growing tech company.

• Industry Impact: Contribute to the evolution of technology in the hospitality sector, shaping the future of restaurant operations.

• Design System Contribution: Take on more significant responsibilities within the design system, potentially leading initiatives for new components or guidelines related to AI features.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for growth within a specialized and high-demand area of product design. The emphasis on AI, ownership, and cross-functional collaboration provides significant opportunities for skill development and career advancement within Toast or the broader tech industry.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is hybrid, requiring two days per week in the Dublin office. This suggests a modern office environment designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and team connection.

Office Location(s): The primary office location for this role is in Dublin, Ireland. Specific details about the office amenities or accessibility are not provided but can be assumed to align with typical tech company office standards in a major European city.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office likely features meeting rooms, collaborative zones, and potentially dedicated areas for design critiques and brainstorming sessions, supporting the hybrid work model.

• Tools & Technology: Access to standard office technology, high-speed internet, and potentially specialized hardware or software for design and AI development. A robust design system is a key technological asset.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model encourages in-person interaction for key collaborative activities, team building, and knowledge sharing, while also supporting focused work remotely.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours are approximately 40 per week, with the flexibility offered by the hybrid model. This structure aims to support work-life balance while ensuring necessary in-office collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a defining feature of the work environment, indicating a company that values both in-person collaboration and employee flexibility. The Dublin office serves as a hub for team connection and strategic alignment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will likely assess your resume and portfolio for core qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Expect a session where you present your portfolio, discussing specific case studies in detail, focusing on your process, decisions, and impact. A design challenge, potentially focused on an AI-related problem or workflow optimization, may be assigned.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially Researchers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to work within a cross-functional team.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final discussion with the hiring manager to assess cultural fit, leadership potential, and alignment with the team's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure is Key: Organize your portfolio with clear case studies. For each, define the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, iteration, final design), the challenges faced, and the outcomes/impact.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, user flows) to illustrate your work. Explain your decision-making process for each design choice.

• Focus on AI & Complexity: Highlight projects where you've tackled complex problems, dealt with ambiguity, or designed for emerging technologies like AI. Emphasize your human-centered approach to AI.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased efficiency, improved user satisfaction, reduced error rates).

• Demonstrate Process: Show your iterative process, including how you incorporated feedback and handled edge cases. This is crucial for demonstrating a disciplined approach.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with restaurant operations, common pain points, and how AI could potentially address them.

• Think Systemically: Consider how AI features integrate into larger workflows and systems.

• User-Centricity: Always ground your solutions in user needs and the specific context of restaurant staff.

• Clarity and Communication: Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, as if presenting to a mixed audience of designers, engineers, and product managers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical application, critical thinking, and collaborative abilities. A strong, well-articulated portfolio is paramount, and candidates should be prepared to defend their design decisions and demonstrate their process for tackling complex, AI-driven challenges in a real-world operational context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), InVision, ProtoPie, or similar industry-standard tools for creating high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes.

• AI/ML Concepts: While not a tool itself, a strong understanding of AI/ML principles and how they translate into user experiences is critical.

• Design Systems: Experience with or ability to contribute to established design systems (e.g., using component libraries, style guides).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: Familiarity with tools used to analyze user behavior, operational data, and business metrics (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics, Tableau, Looker) to inform design decisions.

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting and analyzing user research (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Dovetail).

CRM & Automation:

• Internal Toast Systems: While not explicitly mentioned, familiarity with CRM and automation concepts is beneficial for understanding the broader ecosystem of business software. The role focuses on the design of these systems, not necessarily their administration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools is essential. The ability to interpret data from analytics and user research platforms is crucial for a data-informed design approach. A foundational understanding of AI concepts and how they manifest in user interfaces is a key requirement for this specialized role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Hungry to Build and Learn: A proactive, growth-oriented mindset is encouraged, embracing new tools (like AI) to improve work quality and speed.

• Customer Success: A relentless commitment to helping restaurant owners and staff succeed through technology.

• Data-Driven: Decisions are grounded in data, research, and measurable outcomes.

• Collaboration and Transparency: Open communication, sharing work early and often, and building trust across teams.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A commitment to creating an equitable and inclusive environment where everyone thrives.

• Founder's Mentality: Taking ownership, driving initiatives, and acting with entrepreneurial spirit.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Seamless collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Research is fundamental to success, requiring strong communication and negotiation skills.

• Design Critiques: An active participation in design critiques to provide and receive constructive feedback, fostering continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that encourages sharing best practices, learnings from AI tools, and insights from user research across the team.

• Systems Thinking: Collaborative problem-solving that considers the broader impact of design decisions on the entire product ecosystem and user journey.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture at Toast emphasizes innovation, customer focus, and collaborative problem-solving, particularly in the context of leveraging AI. Candidates who demonstrate initiative, a willingness to learn, and a strong collaborative spirit will find a supportive environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Ambiguity in AI: Navigating the evolving nature of AI technology and translating complex, sometimes unpredictable, model behavior into clear, trustworthy user experiences.

• Balancing Technical Constraints with User Needs: Effectively integrating advanced AI capabilities while ensuring the product remains intuitive, reliable, and performant in high-stakes restaurant environments.

• Cross-Functional Alignment on AI Vision: Gaining consensus and alignment among diverse stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Research, Business) on the direction and implementation of AI features.

• Rapid Iteration and Learning: Keeping pace with advancements in AI and the fast-moving hospitality tech market, requiring continuous learning and adaptation.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Becoming an expert in designing AI-powered products, a highly sought-after skill set.

• Industry Exposure: Gaining deep insights into the operational challenges and technological needs of the restaurant industry.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to learn from experienced designers, product managers, and engineers within a leading tech company.

• Design System Contribution: Playing a key role in evolving and expanding a robust design system, potentially leading initiatives.

• Access to AI Tools & Training: Utilizing and learning from cutting-edge AI tools and methodologies integrated into the company's workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant opportunities for professional growth, particularly by tackling the complex challenges inherent in designing AI products. The company's commitment to learning and development, combined with the specialized nature of the work, makes this a compelling position for ambitious designers.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a product where the underlying technology was still evolving. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on handling ambiguity, user-centricity, and iterative design).

• "How would you approach designing an AI feature that aims to predict customer demand for a restaurant, considering potential inaccuracies and how to communicate them to the user?" (Assess AI-first thinking, user trust, and data interpretation).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What aspects of Toast's mission and culture, particularly regarding AI and innovation, resonate with you?" (Show research into company values and alignment).

• "How do you approach collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers, especially when there are differing opinions on design direction or technical feasibility?" (Assess stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each case study, frame it as a narrative: the problem, the journey, the solution, and the impact.

• Highlight Your Process: Clearly articulate how you arrived at your design decisions, emphasizing research, iteration, and data. For AI projects, explain your approach to understanding model behavior and user interaction with it.

• Showcase AI & Ambiguity: Prioritize projects that demonstrate your ability to design for complex, evolving technologies like AI. Explain how you ensured transparency and trust.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about your design choices, the trade-offs you made, and the metrics you used to measure success.

• Connect to Toast: Whenever possible, draw parallels between your experience and Toast's mission, industry, and AI focus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on showcasing a blend of strategic design thinking, practical execution, and strong collaborative abilities, particularly within the context of AI and complex operational environments. Demonstrating a clear, iterative process and the ability to quantify impact will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer, AI position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Toast careers page.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date and prominently features projects that highlight your experience with AI-driven products, complex workflow analysis, and human-centered design in ambiguous technical environments. Tailor your case studies to emphasize the skills most relevant to this role.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your 3+ years of product design experience, emphasizing achievements in end-to-end design ownership, stakeholder management, and leveraging data for design decisions. Integrate keywords related to AI, user research, prototyping, and workflow optimization.

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly review the "Interview Preparation" section of this enhanced job description. Practice articulating your design process, preparing specific examples for strategy and collaboration questions, and rehearsing your portfolio presentation.

• Company Research: Deeply research Toast, its mission, its products (especially concerning AI), and its company culture. Understand the challenges faced by restaurants and how Toast's technology, and specifically AI, aims to solve them. Familiarize yourself with their hybrid work model and values.

⚠️ 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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