Product Designer, Partnerships and Brand Experience

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer, Partnerships and Brand Experience

Company: Thumbtack

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / Go-to-Market Operations Support

Date Posted: 2026-09-09

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3-5 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote (within Canada)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is a unique blend of product design, go-to-market support, and brand system integration, focusing on accelerating partnership growth and ensuring brand consistency across Thumbtack's platform.

• Responsibilities include leading product experience initiatives, conducting user research, and translating ambitious ideas into tangible, high-craft product solutions that drive business outcomes.

• A key aspect involves leveraging advanced prototyping, motion design, and animation skills to create compelling interactive demos and motion-rich experiences for partners and internal stakeholders.

• The role also requires translating Thumbtack's evolving brand system (iconography, motion language, UI polish) into consistent, delightful product experiences, extending beyond the Partnerships team.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Product Designer," the description emphasizes a strong focus on "go-to-market design," "partnerships," and "brand experience," suggesting a hybrid role that bridges traditional product design with business development and marketing operations support. The emphasis on prototyping, motion, and interactive demos indicates a need for a designer who can quickly visualize and communicate complex partnership concepts.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the product experience design for significant partnership initiatives, directly impacting business outcomes and revenue growth.

• Conduct user research and lightweight testing to effectively scope, prioritize, and validate product initiatives within the partnerships and brand experience domain.

• Transform vague, ambitious partnership ideas into compelling business and product cases, securing necessary resources and leading execution with clearly defined success criteria.

• Champion deep learnings and insights derived from partnership initiatives as a core metric, valuing qualitative feedback alongside traditional quantitative metrics to inform smarter product decisions.

• Partner closely with Business Development, Sales, Go-to-Market Operations, Product Management, Brand, Engineering, Data, and Applied Science teams to ideate, prioritize, and deliver impactful solutions.

• Coordinate effectively within the immediate team and across various departments at Thumbtack to ensure comprehensive understanding and alignment around partnership projects and brand integration efforts.

• Drive high-impact partnership initiatives from their initial concept through to successful scaling, ensuring sustained focus by thoughtfully sunsetting or culling initiatives that do not meet defined success criteria.

• Translate Thumbtack's brand system updates, including iconography, motion language, and moments of delight, into consistent, high-craft product experiences across various surfaces, not limited to Partnerships alone.

• Create polished micro-interactions, transitions, and animations that enhance user delight and brand recognition within partner-facing and in-product experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic and execution-oriented role. The emphasis on "transforming vague, ambitious ideas into compelling business and product cases" and "driving high-impact initiatives from seed to scale" indicates a need for a designer who can operate with a degree of autonomy and take ownership of projects from inception to completion, a common expectation in fast-paced GTM or partnership-focused operations environments.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is generally expected for mid-level design roles.

Experience: 3–5 years of progressive experience in Product Design, with a proven track record in both agency and in-house environments. This experience should demonstrate a strong ability to handle complex projects from concept to launch.

Required Skills:

• Advanced Figma Prototyping: Demonstrated expertise in creating sophisticated prototypes within Figma, ranging from low-fidelity user flows to high-fidelity interactive experiences incorporating motion and complex interactions.

• Motion & Interaction Design: Proven experience in creating polished micro-interactions, transitions, and animations with a keen eye for craft, precise timing, and meticulous detail.

• Brand System Translation: Experience in translating established brand systems into cohesive product experiences, effectively utilizing motion, iconography, and overall UI polish.

• User Research & Testing: Ability to conduct user research and lightweight usability tests to inform design decisions and validate product initiatives, particularly within the context of partnerships and brand integration.

• Technical Feasibility Understanding: A solid understanding of technical constraints and feasibility, enabling effective collaboration with engineering partners to ensure designs are implementable.

• Visual Storytelling & Communication: Strong communication and visual storytelling skills essential for aligning cross-functional stakeholders, articulating design decisions, and presenting complex ideas clearly.

• Portfolio of Work: A strong, comprehensive portfolio showcasing a blend of agency and in-house product design projects, with a particular emphasis on interactive prototypes, motion design examples, and brand integration case studies.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working within a fast-paced startup environment or a dedicated partnerships/business development team.

• Familiarity with animation tools beyond Figma, such as After Effects or Lottie.

• Understanding of Go-to-Market (GTM) strategies and how design can support sales and partnership enablement.

• Experience with design system management or contribution.

• Basic understanding of business development or partnership frameworks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "agency and in-house product design experience" suggests the company values candidates who can adapt to different working styles and bring a breadth of perspective. The advanced prototyping and motion skills are critical for visualizing partnership concepts and creating engaging demos, directly supporting GTM operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Interactive Prototypes: Showcase advanced Figma prototypes demonstrating complex user flows, micro-interactions, and motion design that bring partnership concepts to life.

• Motion Design Examples: Include specific examples of UI animations, transitions, and micro-interactions that highlight craft, timing, and brand integration.

• Brand System Case Studies: Demonstrate how you've translated brand guidelines (iconography, visual language, motion) into consistent and delightful product experiences.

• Partnership/GTM Visualization: If possible, include projects that visualize user journeys or product experiences for B2B partnerships, sales enablement, or go-to-market initiatives.

• Process Documentation: Briefly outline your design process for key projects, emphasizing user research, iteration, and collaboration with engineering and business stakeholders.

Process Documentation:

• Design Process Walkthrough: Be prepared to articulate your end-to-end design process for a selected portfolio piece, detailing how you moved from problem definition to a polished solution, including research, ideation, prototyping, and testing phases.

• Collaboration & Iteration: Explain how you collaborated with cross-functional teams (e.g., Product, Engineering, Business Development, Brand) and incorporated feedback to iterate on designs.

• Impact Measurement: Discuss how you measured the success of your design solutions, especially in the context of partnership initiatives or brand experience improvements, referencing relevant metrics or qualitative feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role at this intersection of product design and GTM/partnerships, the portfolio needs to go beyond standard UI/UX. It should clearly demonstrate the ability to visualize and animate complex ideas, support business development efforts, and translate brand strategy into tangible product elements. Demonstrating impact through business metrics or partnership success will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the provided information for Ontario, Canada, the expected total cash compensation for this role is between $131,800.00 and $170,500.00 CAD annually. This range is calibrated for a mid-level Product Designer role within the specified regions.

Benefits: While specific benefits are not detailed, typical comprehensive benefits packages for full-time employees at tech companies like Thumbtack often include:

• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance

• Life and Disability Insurance

• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick Leave, Personal Days)

• Paid Holidays

• Retirement Savings Plan (e.g., RRSP matching in Canada)

• Professional Development Stipends or Opportunities

• Employee Assistance Programs

• Potential for Stock Options or Performance Bonuses (though not explicitly mentioned, common for this level)

Working Hours: The standard working hours are typically 40 hours per week. However, given the remote nature and the dynamic environment of partnerships and GTM operations, some flexibility may be expected to accommodate cross-timezone collaboration and critical project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific to Ontario and British Columbia. The description states, "Actual offered salaries will vary and will be based on various factors, such as calibrated job level, qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role." This indicates that the stated range is a guideline, and candidates should be prepared to discuss their salary expectations based on their experience and the specific requirements of the role.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Thumbtack operates in the Home Services and Local Services Marketplace industry, connecting consumers with local service professionals.

Company Size: Thumbtack is a well-established tech company, likely falling into the "Large" category based on typical tech company growth trajectories, with a significant employee base across various functions. This size implies structured processes but also opportunities for impact within specialized teams.

Founded: Thumbtack was founded in 2012. Its founding history likely emphasizes a mission to simplify homeownership and empower local businesses, a mission that continues to drive its product development and strategic growth areas like partnerships.

Team Structure:

• Design Team: Described as a "tight-knit team" comprising Product Designers, Researchers, and Content Designers. They work collaboratively with Product Managers and Engineers, emphasizing innovation, user experience, and cross-functional influence through critiques and work sessions.

• Partnerships Team: Operates like a "startup within Thumbtack," focusing on identifying and unlocking new growth opportunities through strategic collaborations. This team balances experimentation with execution, working with both mature and nascent partnerships.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: This role specifically requires close collaboration with Business Development, Sales, Go-to-Market Operations, Brand, Product, Engineering, and Data/Applied Science teams, highlighting a highly collaborative and integrated work environment.

Methodology:

• User-Centric Approach: Emphasizes research, exploration, and iteration to create well-crafted user experiences.

• Data-Informed Decisions: Values deep learnings and insights alongside traditional metrics to drive product decisions.

• Agile Execution: Balances experimentation with execution to validate new ideas and scale what works, typical for a team operating with a startup mentality.

• Brand Integration: Focuses on ensuring brand system consistency across all product touchpoints.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The "startup within Thumbtack" description for the Partnerships team suggests a dynamic, fast-paced environment with a high degree of autonomy and a focus on rapid iteration and validation, which is attractive to individuals who thrive in entrepreneurial settings. The emphasis on collaboration across many departments is crucial for a role bridging design, GTM, and brand.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level Product Designer (3-5 years of experience). It offers significant ownership and accountability for product experience and business outcomes within the Partnerships and Brand domain. The "twist" in the role, focusing more on visualization, prototyping, and motion, indicates a specialized career path within product design, leaning towards GTM enablement and brand expression.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Design team structure, likely a Design Manager or Lead, but has strong dotted-line reporting or significant collaboration with the Partnerships team leadership (e.g., Head of Partnerships, Business Development leads) and potentially Go-to-Market Operations. This dual focus is key to understanding influence and accountability.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work directly influences Thumbtack's ability to secure and scale new partnerships, which are identified as a "fastest-growing area of Thumbtack’s business" and crucial for unlocking "new growth opportunities." By creating compelling visualizations, interactive demos, and ensuring brand consistency, the designer accelerates go-to-market efforts, enhances partner confidence, and contributes to the overall value proposition of the Thumbtack platform. The role also impacts brand perception through consistent and high-craft product experiences.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization in GTM Design: Deepen expertise in designing for partnerships, business development, and sales enablement, becoming a go-to expert in visualizing and prototyping B2B solutions.

• Brand System Expertise: Grow into a lead role for brand system implementation within product, influencing how Thumbtack's visual identity and motion language evolve across the platform.

• Leadership Potential: With proven success in driving initiatives from "seed to scale," there's potential for growth into Senior Product Designer roles, team lead positions, or even specialized product strategy roles within growth teams.

• Cross-functional Skill Development: Gain extensive experience working with diverse teams (Sales, Business Development, Marketing, Engineering, Data Science), enhancing strategic influence and business acumen.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers or contribute to design critiques and process improvements within the broader design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity to blend core product design skills with a strategic focus on business growth and brand. The growth path is less about traditional feature design and more about strategic visualization, GTM support, and brand advocacy, making it an attractive option for designers looking for a more business-impact-oriented career trajectory.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is fully remote. While Thumbtack has offices, this position is specifically designated as TELECOMMUTE and is open to candidates within Canada, with a focus on Ontario and British Columbia. This indicates a commitment to distributed work and flexibility.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, Thumbtack has offices in locations like San Francisco, Salt Lake City, and potentially others. For this specific role, the primary focus is on supporting remote employees located in Ontario and British Columbia, Canada, likely due to talent availability and operational considerations.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Digital Environment: Expect a highly digital workspace facilitated by tools like Slack, Zoom, Figma, and project management software. Regular virtual syncs, design critiques, and brainstorming sessions will be essential.

• Access to Tools: High-craft design requires robust tools. Candidates should expect access to industry-standard design software, prototyping tools, and potentially specialized animation or motion design platforms.

• Cross-functional Interaction: The role demands frequent interaction with various teams. This fosters a dynamic environment where designers are exposed to different perspectives and contribute to broader business strategies, not just isolated product features.

• Focus on Polish and Craft: The emphasis on "high-craft," "motion," and "brand system" suggests a work environment that values attention to detail and a high standard of visual and interactive quality.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is 40 hours per week. As a remote role supporting partnerships and GTM, there may be an expectation for some flexibility to accommodate meetings across different time zones within Canada or with international partners, and to respond to urgent project needs that arise during critical go-to-market phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature within Canada, specifically targeting Ontario and British Columbia, provides significant flexibility. However, the collaborative nature and the need to support GTM operations suggest that responsiveness and proactive communication will be key, even in a remote setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: The interview process is likely to be multi-stage, typical for a mid-level design role at a tech company, with a strong emphasis on practical skills and strategic thinking.

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and portfolios to assess basic qualifications and fit.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Expect a dedicated session to walk through your portfolio, discussing specific projects, your design process, and your contributions. This may be followed by a design challenge (take-home or live) that assesses your prototyping, motion, and problem-solving skills, likely focused on a partnership or brand experience scenario.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, Business Development leads, and potentially members of the Brand team to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and strategic alignment.

• Hiring Manager/Team Lead Interview: A final discussion with the hiring manager to assess overall fit, career aspirations, and understanding of the role's impact.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Relevant Projects: Prioritize projects showcasing advanced Figma prototyping, motion design, brand system integration, and any experience related to B2B, partnerships, or GTM initiatives.

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

• Showcase Motion and Interactivity: Ensure your prototypes are functional and demonstrate the motion and micro-interactions you've designed. Consider embedding short video clips of animations if direct prototyping isn't feasible for all aspects.

• Explain Your Process: Be ready to discuss your decision-making process, how you incorporated user feedback, and how you collaborated with stakeholders.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics or specific outcomes to demonstrate the success of your work, especially concerning business goals or partnership enablement.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, thoroughly understand the scenario, target audience (partners, end-users), and business objectives.

• Focus on Core Skills: For this role, prepare to demonstrate advanced prototyping and motion design skills. Your solution should be polished and visually compelling.

• Articulate Strategy: Be prepared to explain the strategic rationale behind your design choices, especially how they support partnership goals or brand consistency.

• Consider Technical Feasibility: Briefly touch upon how your proposed solution could be implemented technically, demonstrating an understanding of engineering collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "visualizing new experiences, prototyping, animation, and production design — creating interactive demos and motion-rich experiences for partners" means the portfolio review and any design challenge will heavily scrutinize these specific skills. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate not just static designs but dynamic, engaging product experiences.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for all aspects of design, from wireframing and user flows to advanced prototyping, interaction design, and component-based design systems. High proficiency is a must.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is primary, familiarity with tools that enhance prototyping capabilities (e.g., advanced animation plugins, potentially dedicated motion tools) is beneficial.

• Motion Design Software: Adobe After Effects, Principle, or similar tools for creating complex animations and motion graphics that can be exported for integration or used in presentations.

• Design System Tools: Figma's component libraries and potentially other design system management platforms.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze).

• Data Visualization Tools: While not a primary design tool, an understanding of how data is presented in dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Looker) can inform design for data-heavy partnership features.

• A/B Testing Platforms: Familiarity with how A/B tests are conducted and how design variations are implemented and measured.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems (e.g., Salesforce): Understanding how partnership and customer data is managed within CRMs can provide context for designing partner-facing tools or integrations.

• Project Management Tools: Tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing design tasks, sprints, and cross-functional workflows.

• Collaboration Platforms: Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams for communication and document sharing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core requirement here is deep proficiency in Figma for advanced prototyping and motion. The mention of "Go-to-Market Operations" and "Business Development" suggests that understanding how design integrates with sales enablement tools and CRM data will be advantageous.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craftsmanship & Polish: A strong emphasis on high-quality design, attention to detail, and visually appealing, well-executed user experiences. This applies to both product interactions and brand representation.

• Impact & Outcome-Oriented: A focus on driving tangible business outcomes, particularly through partnerships and brand experience initiatives. Designs are expected to contribute measurably to growth.

• Collaboration & Transparency: A culture of open communication, regular design critiques, and close cross-functional teamwork to ensure alignment and collective problem-solving.

• User-Centricity & Data-Informed: While GTM and brand are key, the underlying principle is to serve the user (homeowners, professionals, partners) effectively, informed by research and data insights.

• Innovation & Experimentation: Particularly within the Partnerships team, there's an encouragement to explore new ideas, validate them quickly, and iterate based on learnings.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to be active participants in cross-functional teams, working closely with Product, Engineering, Business Development, Sales, and Brand. This involves regular syncs, workshops, and shared ownership.

• Feedback-Rich Environment: Design critiques are a regular practice, fostering a culture where constructive feedback is given and received to elevate the quality of work.

• Knowledge Sharing: A willingness to share learnings, best practices, and design patterns across the team and with partner teams to ensure consistency and continuous improvement.

• Proactive Communication: Essential for remote work, this involves clear, timely updates, proactive outreach to stakeholders, and effective use of communication tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values highlight a blend of creative excellence ("craftsmanship," "polish") with business pragmatism ("impact," "outcome-oriented"). For a GTM-focused design role, the ability to collaborate effectively and communicate design strategy clearly to non-design stakeholders is paramount.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Speed and Craft: The need to create high-polish, motion-rich experiences for GTM and brand integration while operating in a fast-paced, partnership-driven environment that requires rapid iteration.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent brand application and effective partnership experiences across multiple departments with potentially different priorities and perspectives.

• Visualizing the Unseen: Effectively prototyping and communicating novel partnership concepts or future brand expressions that may not have existing user behaviors to reference.

• Evolving Brand System: Keeping pace with and effectively translating updates to Thumbtack's brand system into product experiences, ensuring consistency and delight.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into GTM & Partnerships: Gain in-depth knowledge of business development strategies, partnership models, and sales enablement design.

• Advanced Motion & Animation Skills: Hone expertise in creating sophisticated animations and interactive elements that enhance user experience and brand storytelling.

• Strategic Design Influence: Develop skills in translating business objectives into design strategies and influencing product roadmaps through compelling visualizations and data.

• Cross-Disciplinary Exposure: Work closely with data scientists, applied scientists, and business strategists, broadening understanding of different analytical and operational approaches.

• Brand System Leadership: Opportunity to become a key contributor to and advocate for Thumbtack's brand system within the product ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in navigating the intersection of creative design execution, business strategy, and cross-functional collaboration. The growth opportunities are geared towards developing a specialized skill set that bridges product design with commercial success and brand stewardship.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you transformed a vague, ambitious idea into a compelling product solution. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your approach to problem definition, research, and execution.)

• "How do you ensure a consistent brand experience across different product surfaces and partnerships? Can you share an example?" (Highlight your understanding of brand systems and their application in design.)

• "Walk us through a complex prototype you built in Figma. What were the key interactions, and how did it help stakeholders understand the concept?" (Be ready to demonstrate this live or via a video walkthrough.)

• "How do you balance the need for design polish and motion craft with the urgency of go-to-market timelines?" (Showcase your understanding of trade-offs and prioritization.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Thumbtack's mission and the Partnerships team's role within it?" (Research Thumbtack's mission, values, and recent partnership news.)

• "How would you approach collaborating with Business Development and Sales teams to understand their needs for partnership enablement?" (Emphasize your communication and stakeholder management skills.)

• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid agency/in-house environment. What are the benefits and challenges?" (Demonstrate adaptability.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the impact. Use visuals and interactive elements to guide the audience.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: For motion and prototyping skills, ensure your portfolio pieces are interactive or include compelling video demonstrations. Be prepared to explain the nuances of your motion design choices (timing, easing, purpose).

• Highlight Collaboration: Discuss how you worked with engineers, PMs, and other stakeholders. Show evidence of iteration based on feedback.

• Connect to Business Goals: Whenever possible, link your design decisions and outcomes to business objectives, such as partnership growth, user engagement, or brand perception.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design choices, challenges, and alternative approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's specific requirements, expect interviewers to deeply probe your advanced Figma prototyping and motion design capabilities. Be ready to articulate the why behind your design decisions, especially how they serve business goals and brand consistency in a partnership context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best showcase your advanced Figma prototyping, motion design, and brand system integration skills. Prioritize any B2B, partnership, or GTM-related work. Ensure interactive elements are functional.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 3-5 years of experience, emphasizing your proficiency in Figma, motion design, and your ability to translate brand systems. Quantify achievements where possible, especially those related to accelerating initiatives or improving user experiences.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process and the impact of your work for your selected portfolio projects. Be ready to discuss your approach to collaboration and problem-solving.

• Research Thumbtack: Understand Thumbtack's mission, its market position, recent partnerships, and its brand identity. Familiarize yourself with the company's product and user base.

⚠️ 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.