Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Bison Transport

Location: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Job Type: Full time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-22

Experience Level: 3-5 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and execute intuitive, functional, and scalable products that align with user needs and business goals within the logistics and transportation sector.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Product Managers, System Analysts, and Developers, to translate requirements into detailed design specifications and technical stories.

• Drive continuous value for customers and carriers by improving overall business performance through user-centered design solutions.

• Conduct user research and usability testing to identify opportunities, validate design concepts, and iteratively enhance the user experience.

• Contribute to and maintain the company's design system, ensuring accessibility standards and a consistent user experience across all digital products.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a product operating model focused on delivering solutions for customer and business problems in the logistics and transportation industry. The emphasis on "technical stories" and collaboration with "System Analysts" suggests a need for a designer who can bridge the gap between user needs, business requirements, and technical feasibility, moving beyond purely visual design to encompass functional and system-level considerations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design process, including the creation of personas, journey maps, requirements documents, and detailed technical and design specifications.

• Translate high-level business requirements and product roadmaps into actionable design solutions that are observable, feasible, and technically sound.

• Collaborate with Product Managers and Systems Analysts to define and refine product requirements, ensuring design readiness for development sprints.

• Partner with development teams to evaluate technical constraints and participate in technical feasibility assessments during the product discovery phase.

• Plan and execute user research initiatives and usability testing sessions to gather insights, validate design hypotheses, and iterate on designs.

• Maintain and evolve the company's design system, ensuring adherence to accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and promoting a unified user experience across all platforms.

• Document design decisions, user flows, and technical stories clearly, providing comprehensive guidelines for developers to ensure accurate implementation.

• Utilize user feedback, product analytics, and industry best practices to drive continuous product enhancement and process optimization.

• Stay abreast of emerging design trends, tools, and technologies within the logistics and transportation tech landscape to foster innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on the entire product lifecycle, from discovery and research to detailed specification and ongoing iteration. The requirement to "flesh out technical stories" indicates a need for a designer who can actively contribute to backlog refinement and work closely with engineering on technical implementation details, rather than just handing off static designs.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field; equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 3-5 years of professional experience in product design or product management, with a preference for candidates who have experience in technical product development within the logistics, transportation, or a similar complex industry.

Required Skills:

• Proven ability to lead the design process, including user research, persona development, journey mapping, and creating detailed design specifications.

• Strong understanding of product design principles, including functionality, usability, user-centricity, and visual design best practices.

• Demonstrated experience in translating complex business requirements into effective, user-centered design solutions.

• Experience collaborating closely with software development teams, understanding the impact of front-end and back-end technologies on design.

• Proficiency in conducting user research and usability testing to inform design decisions and validate solutions.

• Analytical and data-driven mindset, capable of using insights from research and analytics to improve product design.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and technical requirements to diverse stakeholders.

• Familiarity with design systems, accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG), and maintaining design consistency. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) for creating interactive mockups and user flows.

• Knowledge of agile development methodologies and experience working within cross-functional product teams.

• Exposure to product management principles and the product discovery process.

• Experience within the logistics or transportation industry, understanding its unique user needs and operational challenges.

• Familiarity with data analysis tools and techniques to interpret product performance metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of 3-5 years, combined with the need for technical understanding and collaboration on "technical stories," suggests this role is for a mid-level designer who can operate with a degree of autonomy and contribute significantly to the technical aspects of product development, not just the visual layer. The preference for industry experience is a strong indicator of how the company values domain-specific knowledge.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a strong portfolio showcasing a track record of delivering user-centered designs that solve real problems and drive business value.

• Include case studies detailing the design process from problem identification through to solution implementation and iteration, highlighting your role and contributions.

• Showcase examples of user research, usability testing, and how you incorporated feedback to refine designs.

• Present examples of your work with design systems, demonstrating an understanding of scalability, consistency, and accessibility.

• Include examples of how you translated complex requirements into clear, actionable design specifications for development teams. Process Documentation:

• Provide documentation or examples of how you have contributed to or maintained design systems, including style guides, component libraries, and accessibility guidelines.

• Showcase instances where you have documented design decisions, user flows, and technical stories to facilitate developer understanding and implementation.

• Demonstrate how you have used user feedback and data analytics to inform design iterations and process improvements.

• Include examples of your participation in or leadership of user research and usability testing processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on translating requirements into "technical stories" and collaborating with developers, a portfolio that clearly articulates the process behind design decisions, including technical considerations and user research validation, will be crucial. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how their designs are technically feasible and how they've documented them for development teams.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Product Designer with 3-5 years of experience in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the estimated annual salary range is CAD $70,000 - $95,000. This range accounts for the hybrid work model, the company's industry focus (logistics/transportation), and the emphasis on technical collaboration.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive coaching and training programs to support professional development and career progression.

• Access to an engaging Wellness Program designed to promote employee health and well-being.

• Opportunities to participate in extracurricular sports teams, fostering team spirit and work-life balance.

• Meaningful and impactful work within an essential service provider, contributing to critical business operations.

• Potential for participation in company-sponsored professional development, conferences, or certifications related to design and technology.

Working Hours: Standard full-time work hours are approximately 40 hours per week. The hybrid work arrangement offers flexibility in terms of work location, balancing in-office collaboration with remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on publicly available data for Product Designer roles in Winnipeg, Canada, considering experience level (3-5 years), sector (technology/logistics), and hybrid work arrangements. Benefits listed are directly from the provided text, with added context relevant to operations professionals seeking development and work-life balance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Logistics and Transportation. Bison Transport is a significant player with over 50 years of experience, indicating a stable and established business environment. This industry is characterized by complex operational needs, a strong focus on efficiency, and a growing adoption of technology to optimize supply chains.

Company Size: Bison Transport operates as a large enterprise, evidenced by its extensive operations and potential for structured career paths. For operations professionals, this typically means access to robust resources, established processes, and opportunities for specialization.

Founded: Celebrating over 50 years in business provides a strong foundation of industry expertise and stability. This longevity suggests a culture that values established practices while also adapting to modern technological advancements.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design role operates within empowered product teams that follow an outcome-oriented model, suggesting a cross-functional structure with Product Managers, System Analysts, and Developers.

• The reporting structure likely involves a Design Lead or Head of Product/Technology, with direct collaboration across product development disciplines.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a core element, with designers expected to work closely with technical and product management counterparts to deliver integrated solutions. Methodology:

• A strong emphasis on user-centered design, data-driven decision-making, and continuous improvement through user research and analytics.

• The product operating model suggests an agile or iterative approach to product development, focused on delivering value incrementally.

• Collaboration is key, with an expectation for designers to actively participate in technical discussions and contribute to the refinement of technical stories.

Company Website: https://careers.bisontransport.com/ca/en

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's long history and position in the logistics sector suggest a culture that values reliability and efficiency, but also innovation to stay competitive. For a Product Designer, this means understanding the practical constraints and operational realities of the transportation industry, and how design can solve tangible problems for both carriers and customers.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Product Designer, requiring 3-5 years of experience. It offers significant responsibility in shaping product direction and user experience, bridging user needs with technical execution. This level is crucial for driving design initiatives and contributing to product strategy.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will likely report to a Design Manager, Head of Product, or a Senior Product Lead. They will work collaboratively within cross-functional product teams, reporting on progress and design decisions to team leads and stakeholders.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work directly impacts operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and carrier productivity by creating intuitive and effective digital tools. By improving user experience and functionality, they contribute to reduced training times, fewer errors, and increased adoption of technology, ultimately driving business performance and cost savings in a complex logistics environment.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Develop deep expertise in UX/UI design for logistics and transportation technology, becoming a go-to expert within the company.

• Leadership: Potential to grow into a Senior Product Designer role, mentor junior designers, or lead design initiatives for specific product lines.

• Skill Development: Opportunities to expand into areas like product management, user research specialization, or accessibility consulting through company-provided training and project exposure.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Gain a strong understanding of business operations and technical development, opening doors to roles in product management or business analysis.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "outcome-oriented product operating model" implies that career growth will be tied to demonstrable impact and contributions to product success metrics. Designers who can effectively articulate the ROI of their design decisions will be well-positioned for advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid position based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This indicates a blend of remote work flexibility and in-office collaboration.

Office Location(s): Winnipeg, Manitoba. Specific office details are not provided, but it's implied there is a physical office space for hybrid work.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model allows for flexible work arrangements, balancing focused individual work at home with collaborative sessions and team building in the office.

• In-office time is likely dedicated to collaborative design activities, brainstorming sessions, stakeholder meetings, and team integration.

• The company culture encourages a supportive team environment with coaching and training, suggesting a collaborative and growth-oriented workspace.

• Access to company resources, design systems, and potentially development tools will be available, whether working remotely or in the office.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time work schedule, approximately 40 hours per week. The hybrid arrangement allows for some flexibility in structuring the work week, but core hours for team collaboration are expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of this role is a key factor for work-life balance. Candidates should consider how they best thrive in such an environment and be prepared to discuss their strategies for effective collaboration and productivity in both remote and in-office settings.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter review of applications and resumes, focusing on relevant experience and skills.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager to assess experience, technical understanding, and cultural fit, potentially including a review of your portfolio.

• Design/Technical Challenge: A take-home assignment or live exercise to evaluate your design thinking, problem-solving abilities, and technical specification skills. This may involve designing a feature, improving an existing flow, or documenting technical stories.

• Cross-Functional Team Interview: Meeting with Product Managers, System Analysts, and Developers to assess collaboration skills, communication style, and ability to work within their product operating model.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and final alignment with the company's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Process: Clearly articulate your design process for each project, emphasizing problem identification, research, ideation, iteration, and validation.

• Highlight Collaboration: Include examples of how you collaborated with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders. Specifically, demonstrate how you translated requirements into technical stories or specifications.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the impact of your designs on user behavior, business goals, or operational efficiency.

• Technical Acumen: Include a project where you had to consider technical constraints or work closely with engineers on feasibility. Explain your thought process in balancing design with technical realities.

• Design System Contribution: If you have experience with design systems, showcase your contributions and understanding of their importance for consistency and scalability.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Thoroughly research Bison Transport, its services, and the logistics industry to inform your approach to any design challenges.

• Focus on User Needs & Business Goals: Ensure your proposed solutions address both user pain points and business objectives, as well as technical feasibility.

• Document Clearly: Practice documenting your design decisions, user flows, and any technical considerations in a clear, concise, and organized manner, mimicking the "technical stories" aspect of the role.

• Be Prepared to Present: Practice presenting your work concisely, articulating your rationale and key decisions under time pressure.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "technical stories" and collaboration with "System Analysts" means candidates should prepare to showcase not just polished UI but also the underlying logic, user flows, and how they would document these for technical implementation. Portfolio projects that demonstrate this bridge between design and development will be highly valued.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Proficiency in industry-standard design tools such as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD is expected for creating wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups.

• User Research & Testing: Experience with tools for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, SurveyMonkey) is likely required.

• Design System Management: Familiarity with tools or processes for building and maintaining design systems to ensure consistency and scalability.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Experience with product analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to understand user behavior and product performance.

• Data Visualization: Ability to interpret data and potentially create dashboards or reports using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or internal reporting systems to communicate insights.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a primary focus for a Product Designer, an understanding of how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and automation platforms impact user workflows and data management would be beneficial.

• Experience with project management and collaboration tools like Jira, Confluence, or Asana is highly probable for working within agile teams and documenting technical stories.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job description doesn't explicitly list tools, common industry practices for Product Designers in tech companies involve a suite of design, research, and collaboration tools. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their proficiency with the most popular tools in these categories.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and solving user needs, ensuring that products are intuitive, functional, and valuable.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on working effectively within cross-functional teams, fostering open communication and shared ownership of product outcomes.

• Data-Driven Decision-Making: Utilizing user research, analytics, and feedback to inform design choices and measure the impact of design solutions.

• Continuous Improvement: A proactive approach to seeking out opportunities for innovation, refinement, and process optimization in both product design and development.

• Efficiency & Scalability: Designing solutions that are not only user-friendly but also technically sound, scalable, and contribute to overall business efficiency in the logistics sector.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to be active participants in product teams, working closely with Product Managers, System Analysts, and Developers throughout the product lifecycle.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: A culture that encourages regular feedback exchange, design reviews, and collaborative problem-solving to refine solutions.

• Knowledge Sharing: Practices that promote the sharing of design insights, best practices, and learnings across the team and organization.

• Agile Mindset: Embracing flexibility and adaptability in response to evolving requirements and feedback, often within an agile development framework.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's emphasis on an "outcome-oriented product operating model" suggests that the team values measurable results and collaborative problem-solving to achieve those outcomes. Designers who can demonstrate how their work contributes directly to business objectives will align well with this culture.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Bridging Design and Technical Execution: Effectively translating complex user needs and business requirements into detailed, technically feasible designs and "technical stories" for developers.

• Balancing User Needs with Business/Technical Constraints: Navigating the inherent trade-offs between ideal user experiences, development timelines, and technical limitations within the logistics industry.

• Maintaining Consistency Across Evolving Products: Ensuring a cohesive and scalable user experience as the product suite grows and evolves, while managing and updating the design system.

• Adopting to Industry-Specific Nuances: Understanding the unique operational complexities, user behaviors, and technical landscape of the logistics and transportation sector.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX/UI Skills: Deepen expertise in areas like interaction design, information architecture, and advanced prototyping techniques.

• Product Management Fundamentals: Gain exposure to product strategy, roadmap planning, and market analysis through collaboration with Product Managers.

• Technical Acumen: Enhance understanding of front-end and back-end development principles, API integrations, and system architecture to improve design-development collaboration.

• Industry Specialization: Become an expert in designing for logistics and transportation, a niche with high demand and potential for significant impact.

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and contribute to strategic product decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role's emphasis on "technical stories" and collaboration with "System Analysts" presents a unique challenge and opportunity to develop a strong understanding of software engineering processes, which can be a significant differentiator for designers in the long term.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to translate a complex business requirement into a user-centered design with detailed technical specifications. How did you ensure it was technically feasible and met user needs?" (Focus on process, collaboration with developers, and documentation.)

• "How do you approach user research and usability testing to validate design concepts, especially when dealing with technical constraints or a specific industry like logistics?" (Highlight your user-centric methodology and data-driven approach.)

• "Walk me through your experience with design systems. How do you contribute to, maintain, and ensure adherence to them, especially in a hybrid work environment?" (Focus on consistency, scalability, and accessibility standards.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about product design within the logistics and transportation industry, and specifically at Bison Transport?" (Research Bison's mission, values, and recent news.)

• "How do you approach collaboration within a cross-functional product team, particularly with System Analysts and Developers? Can you give an example of how you've contributed to 'technical stories'?" (Emphasize your teamwork and communication skills.)

• "How do you measure the success of your designs, and how have you used data and user feedback to drive product improvements?" (Prepare case studies with quantifiable results.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Process, Not Just Pixels: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, testing), the constraints you faced (technical, business), and the final solution.

• Highlight Technical Collaboration: Specifically point out instances where you worked closely with developers or system analysts, and how you documented your designs for implementation (e.g., detailed specs, user flows, annotations).

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, present metrics that demonstrate the positive impact of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced error rates, increased user satisfaction scores).

• Tailor to the Role: Select projects that best demonstrate your ability to design for complex systems, solve practical problems, and work within a structured product development environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss their understanding of the "product operating model" and how they contribute to "technical stories." Demonstrating an ability to think critically about technical feasibility and document designs for engineering will be a significant advantage.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

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

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience that aligns with product design, user research, technical collaboration, and any exposure to logistics or transportation. Use keywords from the job description such as "Product Design," "User Research," "Technical Stories," and "Design Systems."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-4 of your strongest projects that showcase your end-to-end design process, your ability to collaborate with technical teams, and your understanding of user-centered design principles. Ensure each project clearly outlines the problem, your role, the solution, and the impact. Be ready to specifically discuss how you've documented designs for developers.

• Prepare for the Interview: Research Bison Transport's business, its role in the logistics industry, and its company culture. Prepare to discuss your design philosophy, your experience working in cross-functional teams, and how you approach translating requirements into actionable design specifications.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse presenting your portfolio projects, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and your ability to articulate your design rationale and technical considerations. Be ready to answer behavioral and situational 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.