Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Sama

Location: Netherlands (Remote)

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-09-14

Experience Level: 3-5 Years Professional Experience

Remote Status: Fully Remote (Europe)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead end-to-end product design for key features, from initial discovery and user research through to final delivery and implementation, ensuring a seamless user experience.

• Develop and maintain a robust design system to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency across all digital product touchpoints.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineers to translate user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints into innovative and elegant design solutions.

• Design compelling marketing and sales collateral, including landing pages, ads, campaign assets, sales decks, and one-pagers, to ensure brand cohesion and visual storytelling across the entire customer journey.

• Contribute to the growth of a fast-paced startup by bringing an entrepreneurial mindset, a bias for action, and a high degree of autonomy to tackle new challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a part-time/contract position with a retainer and project-based compensation structure, indicating a need for a self-starter who can manage their workload and deliver on defined project scopes within the SaaS B2B product space. The emphasis on both product design and marketing/sales design suggests a versatile designer capable of contributing to both user-facing product experiences and external brand representation.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product Design Ownership: Take full ownership of the design lifecycle for designated product areas, including user research, ideation, wireframing, user flow mapping, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototyping.

• Design System Development: Actively contribute to the creation, maintenance, and evolution of Sama's design system, ensuring component reusability, design consistency, and scalability across the platform.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Partner effectively with Product Management to understand requirements and user needs, and with Engineering to ensure designs are technically feasible and accurately implemented.

• User-Centric Design: Conduct user research and usability testing sessions to gather insights, validate design decisions, and iteratively improve the user experience based on feedback.

• Marketing & Sales Collateral Creation: Design visually appealing and on-brand marketing materials such as landing pages, digital advertisements, campaign visuals, and sales enablement collateral to support go-to-market strategies.

• Brand Consistency: Ensure a unified brand experience across the digital product, website, and all sales and marketing communications, working closely with relevant teams to maintain visual integrity.

• Visual Storytelling: Collaborate with the marketing team to refine and elevate the company's visual narrative, translating complex concepts into clear and engaging visual assets.

• Startup Environment Adaptability: Thrive in a dynamic startup environment, demonstrating flexibility, a proactive approach, and the ability to work effectively with limited existing structure and processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The dual focus on product design and marketing/sales design implies that candidates will need to demonstrate proficiency in both user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design for digital products, as well as graphic design principles for marketing collateral. The emphasis on "limited structure and processes" suggests the need for a candidate who can establish and refine design workflows independently.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio and demonstrated experience in product and marketing design are paramount. Equivalent practical experience will be highly valued.

Experience: 3-5 years of professional experience in product design, with a significant portion ideally within a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) environment and/or a startup setting. Experience in marketing design, branding, or motion graphics is also a key requirement.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Proven ability to manage the full product design lifecycle, from concept to launch, for web and/or mobile applications.

• User-Centered Design Principles: Deep understanding and application of UX research methodologies, user flows, wireframing, and usability testing.

• Prototyping & Mockups: High proficiency in creating detailed wireframes, user flows, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes.

• Design Tool Proficiency: Expert-level command of Figma, or equivalent industry-standard design and prototyping tools (e.g., Sketch, Adobe XD).

• Design System Comprehension: Solid understanding of design system principles, component-driven design, and their application for scalability and consistency.

• Marketing & Branding Acumen: Experience in designing marketing materials, understanding brand guidelines, and creating cohesive visual assets.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, and Marketing teams in a collaborative setting.

• Startup Experience: Prior experience working within a startup environment, demonstrating adaptability and an entrepreneurial mindset.

Preferred Skills:

• Motion Graphics: Experience with motion graphics design to enhance user engagement and visual storytelling.

• Advanced Prototyping: Skill in creating complex, interactive prototypes that simulate real-world user interactions.

• Visual Design Aesthetics: A strong, refined visual design sensibility evident in portfolio work.

• SaaS Product Experience: In-depth experience designing for B2B SaaS platforms.

• Agile/Lean Methodologies: Familiarity with agile development processes and lean design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "3-5 years" experience level, combined with the "startup experience" requirement and the need for both product and marketing design skills, suggests they are looking for a designer who is not only skilled but also adaptable and capable of contributing broadly in a less structured environment. The emphasis on Figma is a strong indicator of their primary toolset.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Comprehensive Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies that illustrate your end-to-end product design process for SaaS applications. Each case study should highlight a specific user problem, your design approach, key decisions, and the resulting impact.

• User-Centered Design Demonstration: Clearly articulate how user research and testing informed your design decisions, providing examples of user personas, journey maps, and usability test findings.

• System Thinking: Include examples demonstrating your understanding and application of design systems, component libraries, and design tokens, showcasing how you ensure consistency and scalability.

• Visual Design Excellence: Present a strong visual aesthetic across your portfolio, featuring high-fidelity mockups and polished UI elements for both product and marketing assets.

• Marketing & Sales Collateral Examples: Include specific examples of marketing-related design work, such as landing page designs, ad creatives, or sales presentation slides, to demonstrate versatility.

Process Documentation:

• Problem Definition & Discovery: Showcase how you define project scope, identify user needs through research, and translate business goals into actionable design requirements.

• Design Iteration & Prototyping: Provide evidence of your iterative design process, including wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes, and how you use them for feedback and refinement.

• Collaboration & Handoff: Demonstrate your process for collaborating with cross-functional teams (PMs, Engineers) and your methods for design handoff to ensure smooth implementation.

• Design System Contribution: If applicable, illustrate your process for contributing to or maintaining a design system, including component design and documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "contract basis" and "project-based compensation," the portfolio will be a critical tool for assessing a candidate's ability to deliver tangible results and work independently. The emphasis on both product and marketing design means the portfolio should reflect a balanced skill set.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Retainer: $1,500 per month. This suggests a commitment to a baseline level of availability and engagement.

• Project-Based Compensation: Additional compensation will be provided based on the scope, complexity, and involvement required for specific projects. This is a variable component that will depend on the nature of the design tasks assigned.

Benefits:

• Remote Work: Fully remote position, allowing for flexibility in work location within Europe.

• Professional Coaching Access: Access to Sama's core offering – professional coaching via their app, supporting personal and professional development.

• Regular Training and Development: Opportunities for continuous learning and skill enhancement through provided training programs.

• Growth Opportunities: Potential for career advancement and increased project scope as the company and its ambitious team grow.

Working Hours: The role is described as part-time/contract. While specific hours are not defined, the $1,500 monthly retainer suggests an expectation of consistent availability for core tasks and responsiveness, potentially aligning with a 40-hour work month or distributed across the month based on project needs. Given the remote nature and contract status, flexibility is likely.

📝 Enhancement Note: The compensation structure is a hybrid model: a fixed monthly retainer provides a baseline income and commitment, while project-based fees allow for fair compensation for specific deliverables. This structure is common for contract design roles and necessitates strong project management and scope definition by the contractor. The salary estimate of $1,500/month for a retainer is on the lower end for experienced designers in Western Europe, but the additional project-based compensation could significantly increase total earnings. This structure is common for contract roles where core availability is secured via retainer.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / B2B SaaS / Professional Development & Coaching. Sama operates at the intersection of HR Tech and EdTech, providing a digital platform for employee development and coaching.

Company Size: Based on LinkedIn data, Sama is likely a growing startup, potentially ranging from 51-200 employees. This implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment with opportunities for direct impact.

Founded: The company was founded in 2018, indicating it's a relatively young but established startup that has moved beyond the initial seed stage and is likely focused on scaling its platform and user base.

Team Structure:

• Product & Design Team: The Product Designer will likely be part of a lean Product team, collaborating directly with Product Managers and Engineers. The team is expected to be cross-functional and agile.

• Reporting Structure: As a contractor, the designer will likely report to a Product Lead or Head of Product, with direct task assignments and oversight from Product Managers.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: A key aspect will be close collaboration with Product Managers for feature definition, Engineers for implementation, and Marketing/Sales for brand alignment and collateral creation.

Methodology:

• Agile Product Development: Likely employs agile methodologies for product development, emphasizing iterative design, rapid prototyping, and continuous feedback loops.

• Data-Driven Design: Decisions are expected to be informed by user research, usability testing, and product analytics to optimize user experience and business outcomes.

• Lean Operations: Given the startup context and emphasis on "limited structure and processes," the team likely embraces lean principles for efficiency and rapid iteration.

Company Website: https://www.sama.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to "elevate the corporate environment" and "build the future of work" suggests a culture focused on innovation, employee well-being, and professional growth. The startup environment implies a need for proactive, self-motivated individuals who can thrive in ambiguity and contribute to shaping processes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents an experienced individual contributor level, specifically within the Product Design discipline, with a focus on both UX/UI for a SaaS platform and graphic design for marketing/sales collateral. It's a role that requires autonomy and a strong portfolio.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will report to a Product Manager or Head of Product. They will work closely with engineers and potentially collaborate with marketing and sales teams, requiring strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact will be directly tied to the usability, engagement, and adoption of the Sama platform. By creating intuitive user experiences and compelling marketing materials, they will contribute to user satisfaction, customer acquisition, and overall business growth. Their work will shape how users perceive and interact with Sama.

Growth Opportunities:

• Increased Project Scope & Responsibility: As the company grows and the designer proves their value, there's potential for them to take on larger, more complex product areas and marketing initiatives.

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas of product design (e.g., user research, design systems) or expand into related fields like UX strategy or brand management.

• Potential for Full-Time Transition: Depending on company growth and needs, successful contractors may be considered for full-time positions.

• Skill Development: Access to training and professional coaching offers avenues for continuous learning and skill enhancement, directly contributing to career progression.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a contract role, the emphasis on growth opportunities and the company's ambitious nature suggests that successful candidates could find a path for continued engagement and development, potentially leading to more senior or specialized roles as Sama scales.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position. The company operates without a central physical office for this role, allowing candidates to work from anywhere within Europe.

Office Location(s): The role is open to candidates across Europe, with specific mention of the Netherlands. This broad geographic scope suggests a distributed team culture and a reliance on digital collaboration tools.

Workspace Context:

• Digital Collaboration: The primary workspace will be digital, utilizing tools for communication (e.g., Slack, Teams), project management (e.g., Jira, Asana), and design collaboration (e.g., Figma, Miro).

• Flexibility & Autonomy: The remote, contract nature of the role offers significant flexibility in terms of working hours and location, provided project deadlines and core availability are met.

• Team Interaction: While remote, there will be regular opportunities for interaction with team members through virtual meetings, design critiques, and collaborative design sessions.

Work Schedule: This is a contractor role, likely part-time, with a monthly retainer. The exact working hours will be flexible and project-dependent, but an expectation of responsiveness and consistent progress on assigned tasks is implied. The company may suggest core hours for team synchronization, but overall flexibility is a key benefit.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "remote, and we are open to candidates across Europe" specification, combined with the Netherlands as a primary location mention, indicates a need for candidates comfortable with asynchronous communication and remote collaboration tools. The "limited structure and processes" environment means candidates should be adept at self-management and proactive in communication.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, focusing on your resume and portfolio, to assess experience and skill alignment.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: A dedicated session to walk through your portfolio. Expect to discuss your design process, key decisions, problem-solving approaches, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to elaborate on specific case studies.

• Skills Assessment/Challenge: Potentially a short design exercise or a more in-depth case study challenge related to Sama's product or marketing needs. This will assess your design thinking, problem-solving abilities, and proficiency with design tools.

• Cross-functional Team Interview: An opportunity to meet with Product Managers and/or Engineers to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit within the team.

• Final Interview: Likely with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Product) to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and confirm contract terms.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest, most relevant projects that showcase both product design (SaaS focus) and marketing/sales design capabilities.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, the challenges faced, your solutions, and the measurable outcomes or impact. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Process: Emphasize your thought process, research methodologies, and iterative design approach. Show how you arrived at your final solutions.

• Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your use of Figma and other relevant design tools. If a design challenge is given, use Figma efficiently.

• Address Brand Consistency: Be prepared to discuss how you ensure brand consistency across different platforms and collateral types.

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

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Sama's Product: Thoroughly research Sama.io, its target audience, and its value proposition. Understand the problems it aims to solve for businesses and employees.

• Focus on User-Centricity & Business Goals: Frame your solutions around user needs while also considering business objectives and the company's mission.

• Be Prepared for Ambiguity: Given the startup environment, expect challenges that may have limited upfront information. Demonstrate your ability to ask clarifying questions and make reasoned assumptions.

• Communicate Your Thinking: Clearly articulate your thought process, design decisions, and rationale. Even if your solution isn't perfect, demonstrating strong problem-solving skills is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to heavily weigh the portfolio and the candidate's ability to articulate their design process and impact. Given the contractor nature, demonstrating immediate value and the ability to work autonomously will be crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is the explicitly stated primary design and prototyping tool. Proficiency is essential for creating wireframes, mockups, interactive prototypes, and design system components.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is primary, experience with other prototyping tools may be beneficial for understanding different approaches.

• User Research & Testing Platforms: Familiarity with tools used for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools: Understanding how to interpret data from tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or Pendo to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• A/B Testing Tools: Experience with A/B testing frameworks to validate design hypotheses.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot): While not a primary design tool, understanding how design impacts CRM processes or how marketing collateral integrates with CRM efforts can be valuable.

• Marketing Automation Platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo): Familiarity with how digital marketing assets are deployed and tracked.

• Presentation Software: Proficiency in tools like Google Slides or PowerPoint for creating sales decks and one-pagers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma is paramount. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate advanced skills in Figma, including its collaboration features and component capabilities. Understanding how design integrates with analytics and marketing platforms will highlight a candidate's strategic thinking beyond pure UI design.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Entrepreneurial Mindset: A core value is thinking like an owner, taking initiative, and being accountable for outcomes. Operations professionals here are expected to be proactive problem-solvers.

• Bias for Action: A strong preference for doing rather than just planning. This translates to a fast-paced environment where execution is prioritized.

• Curiosity & Continuous Learning: The team values individuals who are eager to learn, ask questions, and explore new possibilities, especially in the evolving landscape of work technology.

• Openness & Trust: Transparency, honesty, and reliability are key to fostering a collaborative and productive remote environment.

• Detail Orientation: A meticulous approach to work ensures high-quality outputs and reduces errors, crucial for design and operational efficiency.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect to work closely with diverse teams, requiring clear communication, active listening, and a willingness to understand different perspectives.

• Agile & Iterative: Collaboration likely follows agile principles, with regular check-ins, feedback loops, and iterative improvements based on team input and user data.

• Remote-First Communication: Emphasis on asynchronous communication where possible, supplemented by synchronous virtual meetings for deeper discussions and decision-making. Clear documentation and status updates are vital.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values described (entrepreneurial, bias for action, curiosity, detail-oriented) are typical of successful startup cultures. For a designer, this means being adaptable, proactive in seeking feedback, and comfortable with rapid iteration and potentially less defined workflows.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Working in a startup with potentially limited structure requires comfort with ambiguity, the ability to define one's own processes, and proactive problem-solving.

• Balancing Product & Marketing Demands: Effectively managing design responsibilities across both the core product and external-facing marketing/sales collateral, ensuring quality and brand consistency for both.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Maintaining strong communication, collaboration, and team cohesion in a fully remote, contract-based setting.

• Rapid Iteration & Delivery: Meeting tight deadlines and iterating quickly based on feedback and changing business priorities inherent in a fast-growing startup.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Exposure to Diverse Design Disciplines: Gaining experience in both UX/UI for SaaS and graphic design for marketing/sales provides a broad skill set.

• Impact on Product Strategy: Opportunity to influence product direction and user experience through direct design contributions.

• Professional Coaching Access: Direct benefit from the company's core offering, providing personalized development support.

• Industry Trends: Staying abreast of advancements in design tools, methodologies, and the future of work, supported by company training.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical of startup environments and contract roles. The growth opportunities are significant, particularly the chance to shape design processes and directly impact a growing product and brand, alongside personal development through coaching and training.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a product with limited existing structure or processes. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your ability to establish workflows and drive clarity.)

• "How do you balance the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., Product, Engineering, Marketing, Sales) when designing a feature or asset?" (Highlight your communication and negotiation skills.)

• "Walk us through a complex product design challenge you faced. What was your problem-solving methodology, and what did you learn?" (Prepare a detailed case study demonstrating your process and analytical thinking.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Sama's mission and the future of work?" (Research Sama's mission and articulate your passion.)

• "How do you stay motivated and productive in a remote, contract role with a bias for action?" (Showcase your self-discipline, time management, and proactive approach.)

• "How do you ensure brand consistency across a digital product and marketing materials?" (Discuss your understanding of brand guidelines and visual storytelling.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the 'Why': Clearly state the problem you were solving for each project.

• Showcase Your Process: Walk through your research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and testing stages. Explain your rationale for key decisions.

• Highlight Collaboration: Mention how you worked with PMs, engineers, or other stakeholders.

• Present Visuals Effectively: Use high-quality mockups and prototypes. If possible, demonstrate interactive elements.

• Quantify Impact: Share any metrics or user feedback that demonstrate the success of your designs.

• Address Marketing/Sales Work: Clearly distinguish and present your marketing/sales design examples, explaining their purpose and intended audience.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expect interviewers to probe deeply into your design process and your ability to work autonomously in a startup environment. Be ready to demonstrate how your skills align with both product and marketing design needs.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best represent your product design (SaaS) and marketing/sales design skills. Ensure case studies are detailed and visually compelling.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 3-5 years of professional experience, specifically mentioning SaaS, startup environments, and proficiency in Figma. Emphasize achievements and quantifiable results.

• Prepare Your Portfolio Walkthrough: Practice presenting your chosen case studies, focusing on your process, decision-making, and impact. Be ready to discuss your approach to design systems and brand consistency.

• Research Sama: Thoroughly investigate Sama.io, its mission, target audience, and current product. Understand its value proposition and the challenges it aims to solve.

⚠️ 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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