Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Redgate

Location: Cambridge, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Art & Design / Technology / Software Engineering

Date Posted: 2026-09-17

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (On-site expectation: Once every two weeks)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive end-to-end product design for Flyway, Redgate's database change management solution, focusing on complex technical workflows and user interfaces.

• Collaborate closely with product management, engineering, and fellow designers to embed a user-centred design perspective throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Leverage qualitative and quantitative research, including regular user testing, to inform design decisions and product evolution.

• Contribute to Redgate's shared UI component and pattern library, "Honeycomb," and mentor junior team members, enhancing the design practice.

• Design for a technical, specialized domain, directly impacting how Database Administrators (DBAs) and DevOps teams manage database risk and change.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically for a Product Designer focused on B2B technical software, particularly within the database management space. The emphasis on "user-centred design," "complex technical problems," and "DBAs, DevOps engineers and ops teams" indicates a need for a designer comfortable with sophisticated user workflows and a deep understanding of technical user needs, rather than purely consumer-facing design. The hybrid model with a light in-office expectation suggests a need for strong self-management and remote collaboration skills.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the complete design process from early exploration and prototyping through to shipped, production-ready solutions for Flyway.

• Translate complex technical challenges into intuitive workflows, interfaces, and interactions for database management tools.

• Actively participate in cross-functional agile teams, ensuring design considerations are integrated from the initial stages of product delivery.

• Conduct and synthesize findings from qualitative and quantitative user research, including regular user testing sessions, to drive product improvements.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of Redgate's design system, "Honeycomb," ensuring consistency and efficiency across products.

• Mentor and coach junior designers, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented design environment within the team.

• Engage with technical stakeholders, including DBAs and DevOps engineers, to gather insights and validate design solutions.

• Champion user-centred design principles and best practices within the Flyway product team and across the broader design department.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on role requiring ownership of the design process for a specific product, Flyway. The mention of "coaching and mentoring of junior team members" suggests an expectation for some level of leadership or senior contribution within the design team, even if not a formal management role. The focus on "shaping workflows, interfaces and interactions for a complex technical product" implies a need for strong interaction design and information architecture skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is beneficial. Equivalent practical experience will be highly valued.

Experience: 2-5 years of professional experience in product design, with a demonstrable track record in user-centred design processes.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in designing for software or complex technical B2B domains (e.g., database tools, developer tools, IT infrastructure).

• A robust portfolio showcasing a comprehensive user-centred design process, from initial research and ideation through to final shipped solutions.

• Demonstrated ability to translate ambiguous or incomplete research findings into clear, actionable design recommendations.

• Experience working effectively within cross-functional agile development teams, collaborating closely with product managers, engineers, and other designers.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Proficiency in prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) and user research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative).

• Understanding of UI component libraries and design systems, with experience contributing to or utilizing them. Preferred Skills:

• Direct experience with database management tools, SQL, or related DevOps workflows.

• Experience mentoring or coaching junior designers.

• Familiarity with Redgate's product suite or similar software development tools.

• Experience in contributing to or leading design system initiatives.

• A strong understanding of AI's role in software development and design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio demonstrating a "user-centred design process, from research through to shipped solutions" is critical. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their process, decision-making, and the impact of their designs, particularly within a technical B2B context. The "ambiguous or incomplete" research findings point to a need for a designer who can navigate uncertainty and drive forward with reasoned judgment.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a clear, end-to-end user-centred design process, detailing each stage from problem definition and user research to ideation, prototyping, testing, and final implementation.

• Include at least one detailed case study focused on a complex technical B2B product or workflow, demonstrating how user needs were identified and addressed.

• Highlight your role in cross-functional collaboration, illustrating how you partnered with product managers and engineers to deliver solutions.

• Demonstrate your ability to use both qualitative and quantitative data to inform design decisions and measure success.

• Provide examples of wireframes, prototypes, user flows, and final UI designs, with clear explanations of design rationale. Process Documentation:

• Case studies should clearly outline the problem statement, user research methods employed, design iterations, and the final outcome, including any measurable impact.

• Explain your approach to user testing and how feedback was incorporated into the design process.

• Illustrate your contribution to or utilization of design systems and component libraries, showing how consistency and scalability were maintained.

• Detail your experience working within agile methodologies, including your contribution to sprint planning, backlog refinement, and retrospectives from a design perspective.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "user-centred design process, from research through to shipped solutions" means the portfolio should not just be a collection of final designs but a narrative of how problems were solved. For this role, demonstrating an understanding of technical user workflows and the ability to simplify complex technical concepts is paramount. Case studies involving database management, developer tools, or similar complex B2B software will be highly advantageous.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £40,000 to £55,000 per annum.

Benefits:

• Private health insurance.

• Monthly wellbeing allowance.

• Generous paid time off.

• Genuine investment in learning, development, and career progression.

• Support for career growth and skill enhancement.

• Hybrid working model (Cambridge office presence required bi-weekly).

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with flexibility offered within a hybrid working model.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range of £40,000-£55,000 for a Product Designer with 2-5 years of experience in Cambridge, UK, aligns with mid-level roles in the region for specialized tech design. The hybrid expectation of "once every two weeks" is on the lower side, suggesting a strong emphasis on remote autonomy while maintaining some in-person collaboration. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a notable "wellbeing allowance" and strong emphasis on learning and development, which are attractive to professionals in design and tech.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software Development / Data Management Tools. Redgate operates within the critical space of helping data professionals manage databases safely and efficiently, a field increasingly important with AI adoption and data regulation.

Company Size: Redgate is a well-established company, likely medium to large in the tech sector, employing individuals who want to do their best work in an environment of trust, accountability, and collaboration. The mention of a "Lead Product Designer" and a team of engineers suggests a structured but collaborative product development environment.

Founded: Redgate was founded with a vision to build solutions that empower data professionals. While the exact founding date isn't provided, the company's longevity and focus on evolving technologies like AI indicate a stable yet forward-thinking organization.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will join the team behind Flyway, a specific Redgate product, working alongside a technical lead, a product manager, and five software engineers.

• There is also support from a Lead Product Designer, indicating a design leadership structure within the broader organization.

• Collaboration is expected to be close and integrated, typical of agile development teams. Methodology:

• Redgate emphasizes a user-centred design approach, integrating research and user testing directly into product evolution.

• The company operates with agile methodologies, fostering collaboration between design, product, and engineering.

• There's a stated commitment to sustainable delivery and good working practices, suggesting a focus on process efficiency and team well-being.

• Redgate is actively integrating AI, positioning themselves as an "expert-plus-agent company."

Company Website: https://www.red-gate.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Redgate's culture prioritizes trust, accountability, and collaboration. The company's focus on AI integration ("expert-plus-agent company") suggests an innovative and forward-looking environment where designers might explore how AI can augment their work and the user experience. The "Belonging at Redgate" page implies a strong commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Product Designer (2-5 years experience). It involves end-to-end design responsibilities for a specific product, including user research, prototyping, UI/UX design, and contribution to a design system. There's also an element of mentorship, suggesting potential for growth into a senior or lead designer role.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to a Lead Product Designer and work closely with a Product Manager and a Technical Lead for the Flyway product. This structure offers mentorship and clear product direction.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work directly impacts the usability and effectiveness of Flyway, a critical database change management tool. By simplifying complex technical workflows, the designer helps DBAs and DevOps teams manage risk more safely and efficiently, directly contributing to customer trust and operational stability for Redgate's clients. The company's AI strategy also implies a future where designers will influence how AI amplifies user capabilities.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in designing for complex technical domains, B2B software, and potentially AI-augmented user experiences.

• Design Leadership: Develop mentoring skills and potentially grow into a Senior Product Designer or Lead Product Designer role, with opportunities to influence design strategy and process.

• Cross-functional Impact: Gain experience in contributing to design systems ("Honeycomb") and influencing product roadmaps through user-centred insights.

• Industry Exposure: Work within a company that is a leader in database tooling and is actively embracing AI, offering exposure to cutting-edge technology and trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "clear pathways and support" for growth, along with the mention of mentoring junior members, indicates that Redgate invests in employee development. The "expert-plus-agent company" vision suggests that designers will have opportunities to explore and shape AI-driven design solutions, a significant growth area.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Redgate offers a hybrid working model, combining remote work with a requirement to be in their Cambridge office approximately twice a month. This suggests a modern, flexible work environment that values in-person collaboration for key activities while supporting remote productivity.

Office Location(s): The primary office location mentioned is Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. This is a hub for technology and research in the UK.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office presence is for specific collaborative sessions, implying that day-to-day work might be more independent, but team meetings, workshops, and design critiques will leverage the office space.

• Tools & Technology: While not explicitly detailed, designers at Redgate will have access to standard design software (Figma, Sketch, etc.), potentially a dedicated design system ("Honeycomb"), and the company's AI tools (Claude).

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with product managers, engineers, and fellow designers will occur during in-office days and through remote collaboration tools.

Work Schedule: Full-time employment with a hybrid arrangement. While the exact working hours are flexible, the expectation of approximately 40 hours per week applies. The hybrid model allows for a balance between focused individual work and team-based collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with a low in-office frequency is ideal for candidates who prefer remote flexibility but still value occasional face-to-face interaction for team building and strategic discussions. The Cambridge location places the designer within a vibrant tech ecosystem.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Review: Human-led review by Talent Partners; no AI or automated screening. Expect a prompt response within a few days.

• Initial Conversation: Likely a screening call with a Talent Partner to discuss your background, interest, and fit for the role.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A practical exercise or in-depth discussion of your portfolio. This will likely involve presenting case studies and discussing your design process with members of the design and product team. Be prepared to articulate your rationale for design decisions.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with potential colleagues (engineers, product managers, other designers) to assess collaboration style and technical understanding.

• Final Interview: Potentially a discussion with a hiring manager or senior leader to confirm overall fit and discuss career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio with clear case studies. For each case study, outline the problem, your role, the process, your contributions, the challenges, and the outcomes (quantifiable if possible).

• Process Focus: Emphasize your user-centred design methodology. Show how you use research, ideation, prototyping, and testing to arrive at solutions.

• Technical Acumen: For this role, highlight any experience with complex B2B software, developer tools, or data management. Demonstrate an understanding of technical constraints and user workflows.

• Collaboration: Illustrate how you work with cross-functional teams.

• Conciseness: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio efficiently, focusing on the most relevant projects.

Challenge Preparation:

• Problem Solving: Be ready to tackle a design problem relevant to database management or developer tools. Think about user needs, potential workflows, and technical considerations.

• Design Rationale: Clearly articulate why you made specific design choices.

• AI Integration: Consider how AI might be relevant to the problem or potential solutions, given Redgate's strategic focus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Redgate's commitment to human-led application review is a positive sign of valuing candidates. The portfolio review is crucial; candidates should select projects that best showcase their ability to handle complex technical B2B design challenges and demonstrate a robust, user-centred process. Preparing to discuss AI's role in design is also advisable.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Proficiency in industry-standard tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD is expected. These will be used for wireframing, UI design, and interactive prototyping.

• Design Systems: Experience with or contribution to design systems is highly valued, specifically mentioning "Honeycomb," Redgate's shared UI component and pattern library. Understanding how to leverage and extend design systems for consistency and efficiency is key.

• User Research Tools: Familiarity with tools for conducting qualitative and quantitative research, user interviews, and usability testing.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly stated for designers, an understanding of how to interpret product analytics and user behaviour data to inform design decisions is beneficial. This might involve working with tools used by product managers or engineers. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the designer's core tools, but an understanding of how design integrates with the broader product development and customer relationship lifecycle is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "Honeycomb" as Redgate's UI component and pattern library indicates that experience with design systems is a significant advantage. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their understanding of design system principles and their experience in contributing to or utilizing such libraries. Familiarity with AI tools, specifically "Claude" as mentioned in the company description, could also be a plus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centred Design: A core tenet, evident in the emphasis on research, testing, and translating user needs into solutions.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: The design team "cares about craft, collaboration, and quality," suggesting a commitment to high standards in design execution.

• Collaboration & Trust: Redgate fosters an environment built on trust, accountability, and collaboration, which extends to how teams work together.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Use of qualitative and quantitative research implies a reliance on data to inform design choices and measure impact.

• Efficiency & Continuous Improvement: "Sustainable delivery, good ways of working and time to improve how we build" highlights a focus on optimizing processes and team workflows.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers work embedded within product teams (Product Manager, Engineers, Technical Lead) and collaborate with a Lead Product Designer.

• Agile Environment: Expect iterative development cycles, regular feedback loops, and close communication with engineering and product.

• Knowledge Sharing: Contribution to "Honeycomb" and potential mentoring of junior members fosters a culture of shared learning and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: Redgate's emphasis on "Belonging at Redgate" and fostering an environment built on respect, fairness, and trust suggests a strong commitment to DEI and creating an inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives are valued. This is crucial for a collaborative design team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complex Technical Domain: Designing for DBAs and DevOps engineers requires a deep understanding of their technical workflows, pain points, and the inherent complexities of database management.

• Balancing User Needs with Technical Constraints: Translating sophisticated technical requirements into user-friendly interfaces while respecting system limitations.

• Ambiguity in Research: Turning incomplete or ambiguous user research into clear, actionable design solutions.

• AI Integration: Staying ahead of and effectively integrating AI into design processes and product features in line with Redgate's strategic vision.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in B2B technical product design, focusing on database management and DevOps workflows.

• Design System Contribution: Gain hands-on experience in building and maintaining a robust design system ("Honeycomb").

• Mentorship: Develop leadership and coaching skills by mentoring junior designers.

• AI in Design: Explore and apply AI tools (like Claude) to enhance design workflows and product innovation, aligning with Redgate's "expert-plus-agent" strategy.

• Career Progression: Clear pathways exist for growth into senior or lead designer roles within Redgate.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenge of designing for a "technical, specialist domain" is significant and requires a candidate who is not afraid of complexity and can demonstrate a methodical approach to understanding niche user needs. Redgate's proactive stance on AI presents a unique growth opportunity to shape the future of design in an AI-augmented environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a complex technical audience. What were the challenges, and how did you approach them?" (Focus on your process, research, and user empathy for technical users.)

• "How do you integrate user research findings into your design process, especially when the findings are ambiguous or conflicting?" (Highlight your ability to synthesize information and make reasoned design decisions.)

• "Tell us about your experience contributing to or using design systems. How do they help improve efficiency and consistency?" (Be ready to discuss 'Honeycomb' if you have relevant experience.)

• "Redgate is embracing AI. How do you see AI impacting the role of a Product Designer, and how might you leverage AI tools in your work?" (Show awareness of AI's potential in design and your willingness to experiment.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Redgate and our mission to help data professionals?" (Research Redgate's products, especially Flyway, and their market position.)

• "How do you approach collaboration within an agile, cross-functional team?" (Provide specific examples of your collaborative style.)

• "What does 'user-centred design' mean to you in the context of B2B technical software?" (Connect your understanding to Redgate's specific domain.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Flow: Present your case studies as stories, starting with the problem and ending with the impact.

• Process Visualization: Use diagrams, flowcharts, and visuals to illustrate your design process clearly.

• Highlight Key Decisions: Explain why you made certain choices, referencing research or constraints.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved task completion, reduced error rates, increased adoption).

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that showcase your ability to design for complex technical users and B2B software.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss their understanding of the database management and DevOps space, even if they don't have direct experience. Demonstrating a willingness and ability to learn this domain quickly will be key. The AI question is particularly important given Redgate's strategic direction.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 1-2 case studies demonstrating your end-to-end user-centred design process for complex technical B2B products. Highlight your research, problem-solving, and collaboration within agile teams.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to include keywords relevant to Product Design, B2B software, user research, design systems, agile methodologies, and any mention of database or DevOps tools if applicable. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, rationale, and project outcomes. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions related to collaboration, problem-solving, and handling ambiguity. Be ready to discuss Redgate's products and your interest in their AI strategy.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Redgate's product suite, particularly Flyway, and their stated values and mission. Understand their positioning as an "expert-plus-agent company" and how AI is integrated.

⚠️ 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.