Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Baton (A Ryder Technology Lab)

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: Full Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-07-30T22:55:02

Experience Level: Senior (5+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead end-to-end product design initiatives, from initial discovery and user research through to prototyping, rigorous testing, and successful implementation.

• Drive the design of complex, data-dense, and AI-powered interfaces crucial for operational decision-making in the logistics and transportation sectors.

• Champion and evolve a comprehensive design system, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all digital products and fostering strong adoption with engineering teams.

• Cultivate deep collaborative partnerships with product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders to translate intricate logistical challenges into intuitive, user-centric solutions, effectively communicating design rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a "Ryder Technology Lab" operating at startup speed, indicating a blend of established enterprise backing and agile innovation. The focus on "AI-powered, data-dense interfaces" and "logistics problems" suggests a need for designers adept at handling complex information architecture and user workflows within a B2B context. The hybrid model with specific office days implies a structured, but flexible, work environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the complete design lifecycle for new features and products, encompassing user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing, and final asset delivery.

• Translate complex business requirements and user needs from product managers and stakeholders into compelling and feasible design solutions, prioritizing user experience and business impact.

• Design intuitive and efficient interfaces for data-intensive applications, where users must quickly comprehend, trust, and act upon algorithmic recommendations and operational data.

• Actively contribute to the development, maintenance, and governance of the company's design system, ensuring its scalability and consistent application across the product suite.

• Collaborate closely with engineering teams to ensure accurate implementation of designs, providing clear specifications, assets, and ongoing support throughout the development process.

• Conduct user research and perform competitive analysis to identify user pain points, unmet needs, and opportunities for product innovation within the logistics and supply chain domain.

• Advocate for design best practices and user-centered design principles within cross-functional teams, fostering a shared understanding of UX importance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "AI-driven and data-heavy interfaces" and "operational decisions" points to a need for designers who can not only create visually appealing interfaces but also effectively manage complex data visualization and the presentation of algorithmic outputs. The responsibility to "translate complex logistics problems into intuitive solutions" highlights the importance of domain understanding or a strong ability to quickly grasp new industries.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 5+ years of dedicated product design experience, with a proven track record of successfully shipping impactful digital products.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in end-to-end product design, from initial research and discovery through to prototyping, testing, and implementation.

• Proven ability to design complex, information-dense products, such as operational tools, planning workflows, dashboards, or enterprise systems where speed, accuracy, and clarity are paramount.

• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with a history of working effectively day-to-day with Product and Engineering teams to shape scope, manage trade-offs, and deliver iteratively.

• A high degree of ownership and initiative; ability to proactively identify issues, propose solutions, and drive them to completion with minimal oversight.

• Proficient in systems-level thinking, capable of defining coherent end-to-end user experiences and breaking them down into manageable, iterative releases.

• High design craft and technical fluency, able to create elegant and usable interfaces for complex workflows while understanding engineering constraints, edge cases, data requirements, and performance considerations.

• Proficiency in Figma for design, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Practical curiosity and foundational understanding of emerging AI tools (e.g., LLMs, generative workflows) and their potential application in design and product development processes. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in B2B SaaS product design, particularly within operational domains like logistics or supply chain.

• Experience designing for AI-assisted products, including recommendation engines, automation features, explainability, trust mechanisms, and human-in-the-loop workflows.

• Ability to thrive in fast-moving, dynamic environments with evolving priorities, and a talent for creating clarity amidst ambiguity.

• Familiarity with user research methodologies and the ability to synthesize insights into actionable design strategies.

• Experience maintaining and evolving design systems to ensure consistency and scalability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "5+ years of product design experience" and a portfolio showing "end-to-end case studies, problem framing, exploration, decisions/tradeoffs, collaboration, and shipped outcomes" clearly indicates a need for a seasoned designer capable of strategic thinking and demonstrable impact, not just visual execution. The explicit mention of Figma and curiosity for AI tools signifies the expected technical stack and future-forward approach.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-end case studies showcasing the entire design process from problem identification to shipped solution.

• Clear articulation of problem framing, user research methodologies, and key insights derived.

• Detailed exploration of design concepts, including wireframes, user flows, and iterations, with justification for design decisions and trade-offs made.

• Evidence of cross-functional collaboration with Product and Engineering teams throughout the design process.

• Demonstration of shipped product outcomes and any quantifiable impact or learnings.

• Examples of designing for complex, information-dense, or AI-driven interfaces. Process Documentation:

• Ability to document and communicate design processes, including user research findings, design rationale, and testing results.

• Skill in articulating the systems-level thinking applied to define coherent end-to-end experiences.

• Experience in collaborating with engineers on design system implementation and maintenance, including documentation of components and guidelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "end-to-end case studies, problem framing, exploration, decisions/tradeoffs, collaboration, and shipped outcomes" is critical. Candidates should prepare to walk through their portfolio, detailing not just the final designs but the strategic thinking, user-centric research, iterative process, and collaborative efforts that led to those outcomes, particularly for complex B2B or data-driven applications.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $140,000 - $190,000 annually.

Benefits:

• Competitive Base Salary

• Cash Bonus Structure

• Annual Company Bonus

• Long Term Incentive Plan

• 401k with Matching

• Hybrid Work Schedule

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Health Coverage

• Employee Stock Purchase Program (15% discount to market value)

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are assumed, with a hybrid work model requiring 3 days in the San Francisco office (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and 2 days remote (Monday, Friday).

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is for the San Francisco, California, United States market, which is known for its high cost of living and competitive tech salaries. This range is typical for a Senior Product Designer role in a major tech hub, especially within a company offering significant enterprise backing and potential for impact. The benefits package is robust, indicating a commitment to employee well-being and long-term financial security.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, Logistics, Transportation, Supply Chain Management. Baton operates as an in-house product development group for Ryder, a major player in the transportation and logistics sector.

Company Size: Baton is part of Ryder, a Fortune 500 company with over 43,000 employees globally. Baton itself operates with a startup-like speed and culture.

Founded: Baton was acquired by Ryder in 2022. Ryder was founded in 1933. This history provides a stable enterprise foundation with a forward-looking innovation arm.

Team Structure:

• The design team is growing, and this Senior Product Designer will be a key member.

• Collaboration is expected to be tight-knit with Product Managers and Engineers, typical of a startup environment within a larger corporation.

• Cross-functional partnerships are essential for translating complex logistics problems into user-friendly solutions. Methodology:

• Focus on rapid iteration and shipping meaningful work, characteristic of a startup.

• Emphasis on data-driven design and user insights to inform product development.

• Integration of emerging technologies, particularly AI, to redefine logistics and supply chain operations.

• Design system adoption and maintenance to ensure consistency and efficiency.

Company Website: https://www.baton.io/

📝 Enhancement Note: The "startup speed, with Fortune 500 reach" tagline is key. This suggests a dynamic, agile environment where individual contributions are highly visible and impactful, leveraging the resources and stability of a large, established enterprise (Ryder). The mission to "enable supply chain on autopilot" indicates a focus on automation, efficiency, and intelligent systems.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer. This role is positioned as a key individual contributor expected to lead significant design projects and influence product direction. It requires autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to mentor or guide others implicitly through example and collaboration.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Senior Product Designer typically reports to a Design Lead, Head of Design, or potentially a Director of Product. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads on a day-to-day basis.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct and immediate impact on the day-to-day operations of freight planners, dispatchers, and operations teams for Ryder's 50,000+ customers. The designs will directly influence efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and the intelligence with which freight is planned and executed, contributing to Ryder's mission of "supply chain on autopilot."

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Design: Opportunity to shape the design practice and influence product strategy within a growing team. Potential to take on more complex projects or lead design initiatives.

• Domain Expertise: Deepen knowledge in the logistics and supply chain industry, becoming a specialist in designing for complex operational workflows and AI-driven solutions.

• Technology Advancement: Gain hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI tools and their application in product design and development, positioning one at the forefront of innovation in the field.

• Cross-functional Influence: Develop strong stakeholder management and communication skills by working across departments, contributing to broader business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a significant level of autonomy and expected contribution. Growth opportunities are likely tied to taking on more strategic design leadership roles, potentially leading feature sets or even mentoring junior designers, within a rapidly evolving tech environment. The domain expertise in logistics is a significant differentiator for long-term career growth in this niche.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model with dedicated office days. The office is described as "Collaborative, Fun, and Tech Forward" in Hayes Valley, San Francisco.

Office Location(s): Hayes Valley, San Francisco, CA. This is a well-known tech hub area.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is designed to foster collaboration and innovation, encouraging interaction between design, product, and engineering teams.

• Access to modern design tools and technologies, including Figma and an openness to exploring new AI tools, is part of the workspace.

• The hybrid model allows for focused individual work remotely on Mondays and Fridays, with collaborative sessions and team engagement on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays in the office.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with a hybrid arrangement. The physical presence in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays is structured to maximize in-person collaboration and team synergy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with specific office days suggests a structured approach to balancing remote flexibility with the benefits of in-person collaboration, essential for design sprints, workshops, and team building. The description of the office as "Tech Forward" implies a modern, dynamic workspace equipped with the tools necessary for contemporary product development.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of application materials, focusing on resume and portfolio to assess experience and alignment with role requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, detailing end-to-end case studies, problem-solving approaches, design decisions, collaborative efforts, and shipped outcomes. Expect deep dives into specific projects.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineers to assess collaboration skills, technical fluency, systems thinking, and ability to translate complex problems into solutions.

• Design Challenge/Whiteboarding: A potential exercise to assess problem-solving skills, design thinking process, and ability to articulate rationale under pressure, possibly focusing on a logistics or data-dense scenario.

• Hiring Manager/Leadership Interview: Final discussion focusing on overall fit, career aspirations, understanding of the company mission, and leadership potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase End-to-End: Highlight projects that demonstrate the full design lifecycle: problem definition, user research, ideation, iteration, testing, and final implementation.

• Focus on Process & Rationale: Clearly articulate why you made certain design decisions. Explain your thought process, the trade-offs you considered, and how user insights or business goals informed your choices.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Include examples of how you partnered with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders. Show how you incorporated feedback and navigated constraints.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics or qualitative feedback to demonstrate the impact of your designs on users and the business. Focus on "shipped outcomes."

• Address Complexity: For this role, emphasize any experience designing complex, data-dense, or AI-assisted interfaces, and explain your approach.

• Tailor to Logistics: If you have any experience or understanding of logistics, supply chain, or operational tools, ensure this is highlighted. If not, demonstrate your ability to quickly learn and adapt to new domains.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research the logistics and supply chain industry, common pain points, and key operational workflows.

• Practice Problem Framing: Be ready to break down a complex problem into smaller, manageable parts and articulate a strategic approach.

• Whiteboarding Skills: Practice sketching user flows, wireframes, and interface concepts quickly and clearly on a whiteboard or digital collaboration tool.

• AI & Data Focus: Prepare to discuss how you might approach designing for AI-driven recommendations or complex data visualizations, emphasizing user trust and clarity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "end-to-end case studies, problem framing, exploration, decisions/tradeoffs, collaboration, and shipped outcomes" is paramount. Candidates should prepare to not just show visuals but to tell a compelling story about their design journey, the challenges they overcame, and the impact they achieved, especially concerning complex operational or data-intensive products.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly required for design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is essential.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is primary, familiarity with other prototyping tools might be beneficial.

• User Research Tools: Experience with tools for user interviews, usability testing, and data analysis (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, analytics platforms).

Analytics & Reporting:

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

• Ability to interpret data to inform design decisions and measure impact. CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a design tool, understanding how CRM systems and automation workflows impact user experience in B2B contexts can be beneficial. Emerging AI Tools:

• Practical curiosity and willingness to explore and potentially utilize AI tools for design assistance, workflow automation, and generative design exploration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the core tool. The mention of "practical curiosity about emerging AI tools" suggests an openness to integrating new technologies into the design workflow, which could involve anything from AI-assisted ideation to generative design elements or even AI-powered prototyping tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: A strong focus on creating tangible, immediate impact on users and the business, leveraging Ryder's scale.

• User-Centricity: Deeply understanding and designing for the needs of freight planners, dispatchers, and operations teams, acknowledging the real-world constraints they face.

• Innovation & Agility: Embracing a startup mindset to harness emerging technologies like AI and redefine industry standards.

• Collaboration: Fostering strong partnerships across product, engineering, and business stakeholders to achieve shared goals.

• Ownership & Initiative: Empowering individuals to take proactive responsibility for identifying opportunities and driving solutions.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, with frequent interaction between design, product management, and engineering.

• Iterative design process, involving continuous feedback loops and adjustments.

• Emphasis on clear communication and transparent rationale for design decisions.

• A culture that values diverse perspectives and encourages constructive debate to arrive at the best solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The blend of "startup speed" with "Fortune 500 reach" implies a culture that is both fast-paced and results-oriented, yet grounded in the stability and ethical considerations of a large enterprise. The mission of "supply chain on autopilot" suggests a drive towards efficiency, automation, and intelligent systems, which likely permeates the team's approach to problem-solving and innovation.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Tackling the inherent complexity of logistics and supply chain operations, which involve numerous variables, edge cases, and high-stakes decision-making.

• AI Integration & Trust: Designing interfaces where users must trust and act upon AI-driven recommendations, requiring careful consideration of explainability, transparency, and human-in-the-loop controls.

• Legacy Systems & Workflows: Potentially redesigning or improving upon decades-old operational workflows and interfaces, requiring sensitivity to existing user habits while driving modernization.

• Balancing Speed and Rigor: Operating at startup speed while maintaining the quality, user focus, and technical robustness expected by an enterprise client and users relying on critical systems.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Domain Expertise: Gaining specialized knowledge in the logistics and supply chain industry, a critical sector of the economy.

• AI in Design: Developing expertise in designing for AI-powered products, a rapidly growing and highly sought-after skill set.

• Design System Leadership: Contributing to and potentially leading the evolution of a significant design system for an enterprise-level product suite.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Enhancing skills in stakeholder management, strategic product thinking, and influencing business decisions through design advocacy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenges revolve around translating complex, often data-heavy, and legacy-bound operational processes into modern, intuitive, and AI-enhanced user experiences. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering deep specialization in a high-impact industry and emerging technology.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed a complex, data-dense interface for operational users. What were the key challenges, and how did you ensure clarity and usability?" (Focus on process, user research, and specific design solutions.)

• "How would you approach designing an AI recommendation system for freight dispatchers? What are the critical considerations for user trust and adoption?" (Highlight your understanding of AI design principles and user psychology.)

• "Walk me through a project where you had to make significant design trade-offs due to technical constraints or evolving business priorities. How did you navigate that?" (Showcase your problem-solving and collaborative negotiation skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about the logistics and supply chain industry, and specifically about Ryder's mission to 'enable supply chain on autopilot'?" (Research Ryder, Baton, and the industry; connect it to your design philosophy.)

• "How do you see yourself contributing to a hybrid work environment, particularly on the designated office days?" (Emphasize collaboration, team synergy, and proactive engagement.)

• "Describe your experience working with engineering teams. How do you ensure designs are technically feasible and implemented accurately?" (Highlight your technical fluency and partnership approach.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process, your specific contributions, the challenges you faced, the decisions you made, and the final outcomes/impact.

• Highlight Collaboration: Explicitly mention how you worked with PMs, engineers, and stakeholders, and how feedback was incorporated.

• Showcase Iteration: Demonstrate that your design process was iterative, with evidence of testing and refinement.

• Emphasize "Why": Be prepared to explain the rationale behind every significant design decision.

• Quantify Results: If possible, present metrics or qualitative feedback that demonstrate the success of your shipped work.

• Address AI/Data: If you have relevant experience, ensure your portfolio clearly showcases your approach to designing for complex data or AI-driven features.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skills but also strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic, cross-functional environment. Preparing specific examples that align with the "data-dense," "AI-powered," and "logistics" aspects of the role will be crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link, ensuring your resume and portfolio are up-to-date and comprehensive.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest end-to-end case studies that best illustrate your experience with complex, data-dense, or AI-assisted product design, and clearly articulate your problem-solving process, collaboration, and shipped outcomes.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords and experiences relevant to product design, UX/UI, Figma, AI, data visualization, operational tools, and cross-functional collaboration. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on storytelling, design rationale, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your design process and specific decision-making.

• Research Baton & Ryder: Understand the company's mission, the logistics industry, and the role of technology in modern supply chains. Prepare thoughtful questions about the team, product roadmap, and design challenges.

⚠️ 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.