Product Designer - Brief Management & Creative Workflows

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer - Brief Management & Creative Workflows

Company: Pencil

Location: EMEA (European Union)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / Creative Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-25

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Remote OK (Work from anywhere in home country)

🚀 Role Summary

• Own the end-to-end user experience for Pencil's Brief Management and Creative Workflows, focusing on how users and AI agents collaborate.

• Design and prototype AI-powered interactions and complex multi-step workflows for B2B SaaS products, ensuring seamless integration of generative AI capabilities.

• Drive user research, usability testing, and leverage product analytics to inform design decisions and optimize user journeys within the creative operations context.

• Contribute to and evolve Pencil's design system, creating reusable patterns that cater to both enterprise-level brands and individual creative users.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role sits at the intersection of Product Design, Creative Operations, and AI Product Development. The focus on "Brief Management & Creative Workflows" within a Generative AI SaaS product implies a need for deep understanding of user journeys, collaborative processes, and the nuances of integrating AI agents into human-led creative processes. The target user base spans from large enterprises to small businesses, necessitating a flexible and scalable design approach.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the complete design lifecycle for the Brief mode feature, from initial concept and user research through to final delivery and iteration.

• Design intuitive, agentic, and AI-assisted user interfaces and interaction models that facilitate effective collaboration between users and AI.

• Rapidly prototype design solutions using Figma and potentially AI prototyping tools, creating clear specifications for engineering and AI teams.

• Conduct thorough user research, including interviews and usability testing, to identify pain points and validate design decisions with qualitative and quantitative data (e.g., Amplitude, session replays).

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Engineering, and AI teams to ensure alignment on product strategy, technical feasibility, and timely delivery of features.

• Develop and maintain robust, reusable components within Pencil's design system to ensure consistency and scalability across diverse user segments and use cases.

• Analyze product usage data and session recordings to identify areas of friction, opportunities for optimization, and to support evidence-based design rationale.

• Translate complex workflow requirements, including permissions, statuses, and edge cases, into coherent and user-friendly design experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize end-to-end ownership and a strong reliance on data and user feedback for design validation, which are hallmarks of mature product design roles within SaaS environments. The inclusion of "agentic AI" and "creative workflows" points towards a need for designers who can think systemically about human-AI collaboration in creative processes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and design thinking is paramount. A background in Design, HCI, or a related field is beneficial.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of dedicated product design experience, with a significant portion focused on B2B SaaS products or tools that manage complex workflows.

Required Skills:

• 5+ years of product design experience on B2B SaaS or complex workflow tools.

• Proven track record of end-to-end ownership and successful delivery of shipped features, evidenced by a strong portfolio.

• Hands-on experience designing AI-powered products, including generative, conversational, or agentic interfaces.

• Expertise in designing for various states of AI interaction: suggestion, action, uncertainty, loading, and error states.

• Strong interaction design skills, with the ability to map out multi-step user flows, manage permissions, statuses, and consider edge cases.

• Proficiency in Figma for rapid prototyping and detailed design handovers.

• Experience conducting qualitative user research and usability testing.

• Ability to interpret and leverage quantitative product analytics (e.g., Amplitude) and session replay data to inform design.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with experience working closely with Product, Engineering, and AI teams. Preferred Skills:

• Fluency with AI prototyping tools.

• Basic understanding of front-end development concepts (e.g., React, component libraries) to facilitate better collaboration with engineering.

• Experience within Adtech, marketing technology, creative operations, or agency workflows.

• Familiarity with design systems and their application in large-scale SaaS products.

• Experience with A/B testing and experimental design approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "5+ years of product design experience on B2B SaaS or complex workflow tools" and a portfolio showing "end-to-end ownership of shipped features" indicates a mid-to-senior level role. The emphasis on AI-powered products and agentic interfaces is a critical differentiator, suggesting the company is at the forefront of AI integration in creative workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end ownership of at least two complex B2B SaaS features or products, detailing the problem, your design process, and measurable outcomes.

• Include case studies demonstrating experience designing AI-powered interfaces, specifically highlighting how you handled AI uncertainty, generative outputs, and agentic interactions.

• Present examples of complex workflow designs, illustrating your ability to manage multi-step processes, permissions, statuses, and edge cases within a coherent system.

• Demonstrate how you have utilized user research, usability testing, and product analytics (e.g., Amplitude) to validate and iterate on design decisions.

• Include examples of contributions to or creation of design systems, showing reusable patterns and their application across different user segments. Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to user research and discovery, including methods for identifying user needs and pain points in creative and briefing processes.

• Illustrate your prototyping workflow, from low-fidelity sketches to high-fidelity interactive prototypes in Figma, and how you prepare these for engineering handoff.

• Explain how you integrate qualitative feedback and quantitative data into your design iterations to refine user experience and drive adoption.

• Provide examples of how you have collaborated with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, AI) to bring designs from concept to successful launch.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on complex workflows and AI, a portfolio needs to go beyond just visual design. It must clearly articulate the strategic thinking, problem-solving, and user-centric methodologies applied, with a strong emphasis on demonstrable impact through data and user feedback. The "end-to-end ownership" and "shipped features" are critical indicators of practical experience.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the EMEA location (European Union), the experience level (5-10 years), and the specialized nature of designing AI-powered B2B SaaS products, a competitive salary range can be estimated. For a senior Product Designer with this profile in major European tech hubs, a typical annual salary could range from €70,000 to €110,000, depending on specific location within the EU, cost of living, and individual experience.

Benefits:

• Generous Paid Time Off: 25 days PTO plus public holidays, with a Flexible Time Off scheme for greater autonomy.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Health insurance and private medical cover.

• Professional Development: Monthly stipend for wellness, fitness, and continuous learning and development.

• Remote Work Flexibility: Option to work from anywhere within your home country.

• Enhanced Parental Leave: Supportive policies for new parents through birth, adoption, or surrogacy.

• Office Access: For employees in the UK, access to the Pencil office in The Shard, London.

• Flexible Working Hours: Accommodation for diverse working styles and personal schedules.

Working Hours: While the standard is 40 hours per week, the company offers flexible working hours, allowing for adaptability to personal schedules and time zone differences, which is crucial for a remote, globally distributed team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for experienced Product Designers in B2B SaaS within the European Union, considering the specialized skills in AI and workflow design. The benefits package is robust, emphasizing work-life balance, professional growth, and remote flexibility, which are attractive to experienced tech professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Advertising Technology (Adtech) / Software as a Service (SaaS)

Company Size: Based on typical startup growth phases and the description, Pencil likely falls into the "Small to Medium-sized Business" (SMB) category, perhaps 50-200 employees. This size often fosters a dynamic, agile, and collaborative environment where individual contributions have a significant impact.

Founded: Pencil was founded in 2017, indicating a company with established product-market fit and a focus on scaling its innovative AI-driven advertising solutions.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team likely operates within a cross-functional product development structure, working closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and AI Specialists.

• Designers are expected to collaborate closely with Product Managers on defining product strategy and roadmaps, and with Engineering on implementation details.

• The "Brief Mode" team will be a focused unit, likely comprising a Product Manager, dedicated Designer(s), and Engineers/AI specialists working on that specific product area. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasizes using product analytics and user research to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Agile Development: Implies iterative development cycles, rapid prototyping, and continuous feedback loops.

• Human-AI Collaboration: A core philosophy focused on empowering creative professionals with AI, not replacing them.

• Customer-Centricity: A focus on understanding and serving the needs of both enterprise clients and smaller creative businesses.

Company Website: https://trypencil.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to make AI the default in advertising without replacing creatives is a strong cultural indicator. This suggests a culture that values innovation, empowerment, and a human-centric approach to technology, particularly relevant for designers working with AI. The focus on serving both large brands and small businesses implies a need for adaptability and a deep understanding of diverse user needs.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer, with "5+ years of experience" and "end-to-end ownership" responsibilities. It signifies a level where individuals are expected to lead design initiatives, mentor junior designers (potentially), and significantly influence product direction within their domain. The focus on "Brief Management & Creative Workflows" suggests specialization within the broader product offering.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Senior Product Designer typically reports to a Head of Design, Design Lead, or Director of Product. They will work collaboratively within a product pod or squad structure.

Operations Impact: The work directly impacts the core functionality of Pencil's SaaS product, specifically how users initiate and manage creative projects. Success in this role will lead to increased user adoption, engagement, and retention, directly contributing to revenue growth by making the platform more effective and intuitive for creative professionals and businesses. The adoption of briefs and approvals are key performance indicators tied to business value.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven product design, generative interfaces, and creative workflows.

• Leadership: Transition into a Lead Product Designer role, managing a team or a larger product area.

• Strategic Influence: Contribute more broadly to product strategy and company-wide design initiatives.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Potential to move into Product Management or other strategic roles within the company, leveraging deep product understanding.

• Industry Expertise: Become a recognized expert in the intersection of AI, design, and advertising technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant opportunities for growth, particularly for individuals interested in the rapidly evolving field of AI-powered creative tools. The emphasis on ownership and impact suggests a path for career advancement within a growing tech company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company operates with a "Remote - work from anywhere in your home country" policy, indicating a fully distributed or primarily remote-first culture. For UK employees, there's an option to access a physical office space in The Shard, London, offering a blend of remote flexibility with occasional in-person collaboration opportunities.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote across the EU, the mention of an office in The Shard, London, indicates a UK presence and a potential hub for UK-based employees. The company's derived location is Leuven, Belgium, suggesting a European operational base.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: Expect a strong reliance on digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Figma) for communication and design work.

• Asynchronous Communication: Flexible working hours and remote distribution necessitate proficiency in asynchronous communication methods and clear documentation.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design and collaboration software, including Figma, and potentially AI-powered design tools.

• Cross-functional Interaction: Regular opportunities to engage with Product Managers, Engineers, AI Specialists, and potentially customers in a virtual setting.

Work Schedule: The company promotes flexible working hours, allowing individuals to structure their workday to best suit their productivity and personal needs, while ensuring alignment with team collaboration requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first approach with an optional physical hub for UK employees offers a hybrid model of work. This environment demands strong self-discipline, excellent communication skills, and comfort with digital collaboration tools.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and company.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Exercise: A session where candidates present their portfolio, focusing on relevant case studies (AI, B2B SaaS, workflows). This may be followed by a take-home design challenge or an in-person/virtual design exercise focused on a specific problem related to brief management or creative workflows.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially AI Specialists to assess technical skills, collaborative approach, and strategic thinking.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final conversation with the hiring manager to discuss the role in depth, career aspirations, and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Relevance: Prioritize case studies that demonstrate experience with B2B SaaS, complex workflows, AI-driven products, and end-to-end product ownership.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your design process (research, ideation, iteration, testing), your specific contributions, and the measurable impact of your work. Use data (metrics, user feedback) to support your claims.

• Highlight AI & Workflow Design: Explicitly showcase how you've designed for AI interactions (generative, agentic, error states) and complex, multi-step user journeys.

• Showcase Figma & Prototyping: Be prepared to walk through your Figma files, demonstrating your interaction design skills and prototyping capabilities.

• Address Collaboration: Explain how you worked with cross-functional teams and how you incorporated feedback from engineering, product, and users.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Problem Space: Research Pencil, its product, and the challenges in brief management and creative workflows.

• Think Systemically: Be prepared to analyze the workflow end-to-end and identify potential areas for AI intervention and user experience improvements.

• Consider AI Nuances: Think about how to design for AI uncertainty, suggestion, and user control within a creative context.

• Focus on Impact: Frame your solutions around measurable outcomes, such as increased adoption, efficiency, or user satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio presentation and design challenges suggests a rigorous evaluation process that values practical skills and problem-solving abilities. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their design process and demonstrate their experience with AI and complex workflows.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (required), potentially AI prototyping tools (preferred).

• User Research & Analytics: Amplitude (preferred), session replay tools (e.g., FullStory, Hotjar), user testing platforms.

• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Zoom, Confluence/Notion.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Proficiency in interpreting data from analytics platforms like Amplitude is crucial for data-driven design decisions. CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct requirement for the designer, understanding how CRM and marketing automation tools might interact with creative workflows could be beneficial for context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is a non-negotiable requirement. Experience with Amplitude and other product analytics tools is highly valued, underscoring the data-driven nature of the role. Familiarity with AI prototyping tools is a strong plus, aligning with the company's innovative approach.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Curiosity & Excitement for AI: Embracing AI's potential in creative fields, viewing it as an empowering tool rather than a threat.

• Agility & Iteration: A preference for rapid prototyping and user feedback over prolonged polishing of deliverables.

• Ownership & Proactivity: Taking initiative to identify and solve problems beyond one's immediate scope.

• Direct & Open Communication: Fostering an environment of candid feedback and collaborative dialogue across teams.

• Craftsmanship & Impact: Balancing high standards for design quality with a focus on delivering tangible business outcomes.

• Problem Framing & Critical Thinking: Skill in defining unclear problems and questioning assumptions to address root causes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close working relationships with Product Management, Engineering, and AI teams, fostering a shared understanding of goals and challenges.

• Feedback Culture: An environment where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged, contributing to continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of insights, best practices, and learnings across the design team and with other departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values a proactive, collaborative, and iterative culture, with a strong emphasis on using AI to empower users. Designers are expected to be curious, adaptable, and willing to take ownership, contributing to a fast-paced, innovative environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI Uncertainty: Effectively designing interfaces for AI that can produce varied or unexpected outputs, ensuring user trust and control.

• Balancing Enterprise vs. SMB Needs: Creating a design system and workflows that scale effectively for both large, complex organizations and smaller, agile teams.

• Integrating AI into Existing Workflows: Seamlessly incorporating AI agents and generative capabilities into established creative processes without disrupting user habits.

• Measuring AI Impact: Developing metrics and methods to quantify the value and effectiveness of AI-driven features within creative workflows.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Product Design Specialization: Gaining deep expertise in designing for generative AI, agentic systems, and human-AI collaboration.

• Adtech & Creative Operations Domain Knowledge: Developing a strong understanding of the advertising technology landscape and the intricacies of creative production workflows.

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to lead design initiatives, mentor junior team members, and influence product strategy as a senior member of the team.

• Industry Trends: Staying at the forefront of advancements in AI, product design, and the future of creative work.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a unique opportunity to shape the future of AI in creative industries. The challenges are significant but offer substantial learning and growth potential for ambitious designers.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed an AI-powered feature. What were the challenges, and how did you address them, especially regarding AI uncertainty or generative outputs?" (Focus on your process, problem-solving, and AI-specific considerations.)

• "Walk us through a complex workflow you designed. How did you ensure it was scalable for different user types (e.g., enterprise vs. SMB) and how did you handle edge cases and permissions?" (Highlight systems thinking, user journey mapping, and attention to detail.)

• "How would you approach designing the end-to-end experience for brief management using AI agents? What are the key considerations for user control and collaboration?" (Demonstrate your understanding of the problem space and your strategic design thinking for AI integration.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Pencil's mission to make AI the default in advertising without replacing creative people?" (Show genuine interest in the company's vision and your alignment with its values.)

• "How do you approach giving and receiving feedback, especially in a fast-paced, remote, and cross-functional environment?" (Illustrate your communication style and collaborative spirit.)

• "Describe a situation where you used data (user research or analytics) to significantly influence a design decision. How did you measure the impact?" (Emphasize your data-driven approach and ability to demonstrate ROI.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level overview of your most relevant projects (AI, B2B SaaS, workflows). For each project, clearly state the problem, your role, the solution, and the outcome.

• Deep Dive on Key Case Studies: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your skills in AI design, complex workflows, and end-to-end ownership. Walk through your process methodically, explaining your rationale at each step.

• Showcase Figma & Prototyping: Be prepared to share your Figma files and demonstrate interactive prototypes. Highlight your interaction design skills and how you consider different states and edge cases.

• Quantify Results: Wherever possible, present metrics and user feedback that demonstrate the success and impact of your designs.

• Engage and Discuss: Treat the presentation as a conversation. Be prepared to answer detailed questions about your decisions, your process, and how you collaborate with teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong understanding of AI product design principles, complex workflow management, and a data-informed, collaborative approach. Candidates must be ready to articulate their process and impact with concrete examples from their portfolio.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating experience with B2B SaaS, complex workflows, and AI-powered product design. Prioritize case studies showing end-to-end ownership and measurable impact.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 5+ years of product design experience, specifically mentioning B2B SaaS, AI interfaces, and workflow design. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare for Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on storytelling, articulating your design process, and showcasing your Figma skills and AI design considerations. Be ready to discuss your collaborative approach.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Pencil, its product, its mission, and its target audience. Understand how your design philosophy aligns with their values and goals, particularly their emphasis on empowering creatives with AI.

⚠️ 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.