Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Commonwealth Bank

Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / Employee Experience Operations

Date Posted: 2026-05-28T00:00:00

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (50% Office Attendance)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end design of internal products, platforms, and services, with a strong focus on enhancing employee and leader experiences within the People Enablement Design Chapter.

• Apply human-centred design methodologies, systems thinking, and user research to solve complex people, process, and technology challenges at scale across HR and employee lifecycle initiatives.

• Collaborate closely within an agile, cross-functional product team, partnering with Product Managers, Engineers, HR stakeholders, and Business SMEs to deliver intuitive and impactful experiences.

• Drive innovation by exploring emerging technologies, including AI, to thoughtfully improve practical and human-centred employee interactions.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Product Designer," the description heavily emphasizes designing for internal processes, HR initiatives, and employee experiences. This indicates a strong overlap with Revenue Operations and GTM strategy support, as efficient internal processes directly impact productivity, employee satisfaction, and ultimately, business outcomes. The role requires a deep understanding of how technology and design can streamline operations and improve the employee journey, which is a core function within operations support.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead discovery efforts to identify user needs, pain points, and opportunities through research, workshops, and co-design sessions.

• Translate research insights into actionable concepts, user flows, service blueprints, and prototypes to validate assumptions and gain stakeholder buy-in.

• Develop high-fidelity UX/UI designs, wireframes, and prototypes that adhere to the company's design system and deliver intuitive, scalable, and feasible solutions.

• Apply systems thinking and human-centred design principles to conceptualize and shape experiences across intricate digital and operational ecosystems.

• Design and iteratively improve employee and leader experiences within internal services, systems, workflows, and processes, directly impacting operational efficiency.

• Foster close collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, Content Designers, Accessibility Specialists, HR stakeholders, and Legal/Risk partners throughout the agile development lifecycle.

• Champion customer and employee-centricity by advocating for best-in-class, inclusive, and accessible experiences throughout the design and delivery phases.

• Contribute to product strategy and roadmap development by grounding decisions in customer insights, behavioral data, experimentation, and a test-and-learn approach.

• Facilitate and actively participate in design critiques, workshops, and agile ceremonies, providing and receiving constructive feedback to enhance outcomes.

• Contribute to the evolution of design systems, patterns, and operational workflows to improve consistency, scalability, and overall efficiency.

• Measure and validate the impact of launched solutions using qualitative and quantitative data, driving iterative improvements.

• Explore and integrate emerging technologies, such as AI, to enhance employee experiences in practical and human-centred ways, potentially optimizing operational workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong focus on process improvement and operational efficiency through design. Responsibilities like "Design and improve employee and leader experiences across internal services, systems, workflows and processes" and "Apply systems thinking and human-centred design methodologies to shape experiences across complex digital and operational ecosystems" are directly relevant to operations professionals seeking roles that impact business processes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, or a related field is typically expected for a Senior Product Designer role, especially within a large financial institution.

Experience: 5-10 years of proven experience designing digital products, services, or platforms end-to-end within cross-functional product teams.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience designing digital products, services, or platforms end-to-end within cross-functional product teams.

• Demonstrated ability to lead discovery and delivery activities with customers, stakeholders, product, and engineering teams.

• Deep understanding of human-centred design methodologies and practical application in fast-paced agile environments.

• Strong interaction and visual design skills, characterized by high craft and meticulous attention to detail.

• Experience designing for complex systems, enterprise environments, internal tools, or service ecosystems, moving beyond isolated features.

• Excellent facilitation, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence across various organizational levels.

• Proficiency in modern design tools such as Figma, with a solid understanding of front-end concepts, including components and design systems.

• Comfort navigating ambiguity, effectively balancing user needs, technical constraints, and business priorities.

• Experience with metrics-driven product development, experimentation, and iterative delivery processes.

• A practical, adaptable mindset enabling work across varied and evolving priorities.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing within HR, employee experience, internal tooling, people and culture, enterprise services, or other complex operational environments.

• Experience within Financial Services or other regulated industries.

• Exposure to AI-powered, conversational, or adaptive user experiences.

• Passion for mentoring others and uplifting design craft and capability across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "complex systems, enterprise environments, internal tools or service ecosystems" and "designing for internal products, platforms and services" strongly suggests that candidates with experience in optimizing operational workflows or internal productivity tools will be highly valued. The "Nice to have" section further reinforces this by mentioning HR, employee experience, and internal tooling.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product design thinking, demonstrating ownership from initial concept through to delivery and iteration.

• Highlight collaborative processes, including how you worked with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, HR, etc.) to achieve design goals.

• Present strong visual design craft and attention to detail in your work samples.

• Include case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the solutions you designed, and the measurable impact or outcomes achieved.

Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of how you've documented user flows, service blueprints, or system interactions to communicate complex processes.

• Illustrate your ability to translate research insights and user needs into actionable design specifications and prototypes.

• Showcase how you've applied human-centred design methodologies and iterative design processes in your projects, including user testing and feedback incorporation.

• Demonstrate experience contributing to or maintaining design systems and patterns for consistency and scalability across multiple products or services.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, a portfolio that highlights process optimization, efficiency gains through design, and the creation of scalable internal systems is crucial. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how their design decisions contributed to improved operational workflows, better employee productivity, or streamlined HR processes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Senior Product Designer in Sydney with 5-10 years of experience in a major financial institution, the estimated salary range is AUD $150,000 - $200,000 per annum. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in the Australian market, considering the financial services sector and the hybrid work model.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health and wellness programs, including medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Generous paid time off (annual leave, sick leave, and public holidays).

• Superannuation contributions above the statutory requirement.

• Opportunities for professional development, training, and conference attendance.

• Employee assistance programs providing confidential counselling and support.

• Access to CommBank's extensive employee benefits and discounts.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses and recognition programs.

• Flexible hybrid work arrangements promoting work-life balance.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexibility to accommodate hybrid work arrangements. The role requires approximately 50% office attendance in Sydney.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is an estimate based on industry standards for a Senior Product Designer in Sydney, Australia, with the specified experience level and working in the financial services sector. Actual compensation may vary based on individual qualifications, performance, and the company's specific compensation structure.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services. Commonwealth Bank is one of Australia's largest and most reputable financial institutions, offering a wide range of banking and financial services. This industry context implies a focus on security, compliance, and robust user experience for both customers and employees.

Company Size: Large enterprise (likely 10,000+ employees). This size indicates a complex organizational structure, numerous internal systems, and a significant impact potential for design initiatives that improve employee efficiency and satisfaction.

Founded: 1911. With over a century of history, CommBank has a deep-rooted presence and a culture that often balances tradition with innovation, especially as it invests heavily in technology and digital transformation.

Team Structure:

• The Senior Product Designer will be part of the People Enablement Design Chapter, a specialized group focused on internal employee and leader experiences.

• This chapter likely comprises other designers, potentially service designers, researchers, and content designers, working collaboratively.

• The role involves close partnership with Product Managers, Engineers, and various HR and Business Subject Matter Experts (SMEs).

Methodology:

• Agile development environment is central to the team's workflow, emphasizing iterative design and delivery.

• Human-centred design and systems thinking are core methodologies for understanding and shaping complex employee experiences.

• A strong emphasis on data-driven decision-making, utilizing customer insights, behavioral data, and experimentation.

• Continuous improvement and a test-and-learn mindset are encouraged for refining solutions post-launch.

Company Website: https://www.commbank.com.au/

📝 Enhancement Note: The "People Enablement Design Chapter" framing suggests a mature approach to internal operations support through design, aligning with how modern GTM and RevOps organizations prioritize employee productivity and experience. The financial services industry context implies a need for design solutions that are not only user-friendly but also secure and compliant.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor. This role is positioned as a senior-level individual contributor, expected to lead design initiatives, mentor junior designers, and influence design strategy within the People Enablement domain. The focus is on deep expertise in product design and its application to complex internal operations.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will report into a Design Lead or Head of Design within the People Enablement Design Chapter. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering leads on specific product teams, and collaborate with a wide array of HR and business stakeholders.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, as it directly influences the efficiency, productivity, and satisfaction of Commonwealth Bank's employees and leaders. By improving internal tools, services, and processes, the role contributes to smoother HR operations, better employee onboarding, more effective performance management, and overall operational excellence across the organization. This, in turn, can positively affect employee retention, engagement, and ultimately, business performance.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for HR tech, employee experience platforms, or complex enterprise systems.

• Leadership: Transition into a Design Lead or Managerial role within the People Enablement Chapter or a broader design function, focusing on team leadership and strategic direction.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Expand influence across different business units or product domains within CommBank, applying design thinking to a wider range of operational challenges.

• Mentorship: Formally mentor junior designers, contributing to the growth of design talent within the organization.

• Innovation: Lead initiatives exploring emerging technologies like AI to drive innovation in employee experience and operational efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities clearly indicate a path for individuals to move into leadership roles or specialize further within operations-focused design, which is highly relevant for long-term career planning in the operations field.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model with a requirement for approximately 50% office attendance. This suggests a modern office environment that facilitates collaboration and in-person interaction, balanced with the flexibility of remote work.

Office Location(s): Sydney, NSW, Australia (specifically, CBP North, 1 Harbour Street). This location is a central business district hub, offering accessibility and a professional working environment.

Workspace Context:

• The office space is designed to support collaboration, likely featuring open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and dedicated spaces for focused work.

• Employees will have access to modern design tools and technology, including Figma and other relevant software, supporting efficient workflow and design execution.

• The environment encourages interaction with a diverse range of colleagues, including product managers, engineers, HR stakeholders, and fellow designers, fostering a dynamic and collaborative atmosphere.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with inherent flexibility due to the hybrid arrangement. This allows for effective management of design projects, participation in agile ceremonies, and balancing personal commitments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model and collaborative office environment are typical for organizations that value both focused individual work and team synergy, common in operations teams that manage complex projects and require cross-functional input.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your resume and portfolio to assess suitability for the role.

• Design Challenge/Case Study Presentation: You may be asked to present a case study from your portfolio or complete a design challenge, focusing on your process, problem-solving skills, and how you'd approach a specific internal employee experience problem. This often involves demonstrating your ability to think systemically and consider operational constraints.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and HR stakeholders to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to integrate design into agile workflows.

• Senior/Chapter Lead Interview: A discussion with a senior member of the design team, likely focusing on strategic thinking, leadership potential, and alignment with the design chapter's methodology and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process: Clearly articulate your design process, from discovery and research to ideation, prototyping, and validation. Emphasize how you navigated complexities and stakeholder input.

• Highlight Operational Impact: For this role, showcase projects that demonstrate an understanding of internal systems, operational workflows, or employee productivity improvements. Quantify impact where possible (e.g., "reduced task completion time by X%", "improved user satisfaction scores by Y%").

• Showcase Systems Thinking: Include examples where you designed for complex systems or interconnected services, rather than isolated features. Demonstrate how your designs fit into a larger ecosystem.

• Craft and Collaboration: Present polished UX/UI designs and clearly explain your collaborative efforts with cross-functional teams.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects related to internal tools, HR tech, or employee experience if you have them.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Be prepared to discuss challenges related to employee experience, internal tools, HR processes, or large enterprise systems.

• Structure Your Response: Use a clear framework (e.g., problem, analysis, proposed solution, rationale, potential impact, measurement).

• Emphasize Collaboration: Discuss how you would engage with stakeholders (Product, Engineering, HR, Legal, Risk) to gather requirements, iterate, and gain buy-in.

• Consider Constraints: Acknowledge technical limitations, business goals, and compliance requirements relevant to a financial institution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "internal employee experience," "operational workflows," and "complex systems" in the interview and portfolio review sections is key for operations-minded candidates. Demonstrating an understanding of how design impacts operational efficiency and employee productivity will be critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and collaboration. Proficiency in creating and utilizing components within design systems is expected.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is primary, familiarity with other prototyping tools (e.g., InVision, Sketch) might be beneficial.

• Design Systems: Practical experience working with, contributing to, or extending existing design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

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

• Analytics Platforms: While not a primary design tool, understanding how to interpret data from platforms like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or internal BI tools to inform design decisions.

• A/B Testing Tools: Awareness of how A/B testing is used to validate design hypotheses and measure impact.

CRM & Automation:

• HRIS/HRM Systems: Familiarity with the types of systems employees interact with (e.g., Workday, SAP SuccessFactors) is advantageous, though not a direct design tool.

• Project Management Tools: Proficiency with Agile project management tools like Jira and Confluence for team collaboration, sprint planning, and documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is design-focused, understanding the operational context and the tools used in an enterprise environment (like Jira, Confluence, and potentially HRIS) is crucial for effective collaboration and design integration. The mention of AI also points towards an interest in future-proofing designs with emerging technologies.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer & Employee Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of both external customers and internal employees, ensuring experiences are intuitive and valuable.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Strong emphasis on working effectively with cross-functional teams, fostering open communication and shared ownership of outcomes.

• Excellence & Craft: A dedication to high-quality design execution, attention to detail, and continuous improvement in design craft and methodology.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Valuing insights from data, research, and experimentation to inform design choices and measure impact.

• Innovation & Adaptability: Embracing new technologies and approaches, such as AI, and maintaining a flexible mindset to navigate evolving priorities and challenges.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Actively engaging with Product Managers, Engineers, HR specialists, and other stakeholders throughout the design and development lifecycle.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Participating in regular design critiques, user testing, and agile ceremonies to foster a culture of constructive feedback and continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to a collaborative environment where best practices, learnings, and design patterns are shared openly within the chapter and across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values align with a high-performing operations environment where collaboration, data-driven insights, and a focus on continuous improvement are paramount. The emphasis on employee-centricity directly supports internal operational efficiency.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complexity: Designing for a large, established financial institution involves navigating complex systems, diverse stakeholder needs, and stringent regulatory requirements.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing expectations and integrating feedback from various groups (e.g., HR, Legal, Risk, IT, business units) while advocating for user-centric solutions.

• Driving Adoption of New Designs: Ensuring that new or improved internal tools and processes are effectively adopted by employees across a large organization.

• Integrating Emerging Technologies: Thoughtfully incorporating new technologies like AI into existing workflows without disrupting user experience or creating new operational burdens.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Methodologies: Opportunities to deepen expertise in service design, systems thinking, and strategic design for enterprise-level challenges.

• Industry Trends: Staying abreast of advancements in HR technology, employee experience design, and the application of AI in the workplace.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gaining deeper understanding of HR operations, business processes, and technology infrastructure within a financial services context.

• Mentorship & Leadership Training: Potential to receive mentorship from senior design leaders or participate in leadership development programs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly related to operational environments: complexity, stakeholder management, adoption, and technology integration. The growth opportunities offer paths for specialization in operations-adjacent fields or leadership in design for operational improvement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed an internal tool or process that significantly improved efficiency or employee experience. What was your process, and what was the measurable impact?" (Focus on process, systems thinking, and ROI).

• "How would you approach designing a new feature for our employee onboarding system, considering the needs of new hires, HR administrators, and IT support?" (Focus on user segmentation, cross-functional collaboration, and end-to-end journey mapping).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about designing for employee enablement at Commonwealth Bank, and how do your skills align with our focus on human-centred design and operational excellence?" (Research CommBank's values, recent initiatives, and connect your experience to their goals).

• "How do you ensure inclusivity and accessibility in your design work, especially for internal enterprise tools?" (Discuss your understanding of diverse user needs and accessibility standards).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process you followed, the key decisions you made, the solutions you designed, and the resulting impact (quantified if possible).

• Emphasize Collaboration: Detail how you worked with Product Managers, Engineers, HR, and other stakeholders. Use examples of how you navigated differing opinions or constraints.

• Showcase Your Process: Walk through your research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and user testing phases. Explain why you made certain choices.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: If applicable, demonstrate how your designs fit into a larger ecosystem or integrate with existing operational processes.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about your design decisions, technical considerations, and how you measured success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation questions are heavily geared towards understanding a candidate's ability to impact operational efficiency and internal processes through design. Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience with enterprise systems, stakeholder management within complex organizations, and measurable outcomes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-supportive design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link, ensuring your resume and a direct link to your portfolio are included.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate end-to-end product design, a strong understanding of user needs (especially internal employees/leaders), and measurable impact on efficiency or user experience within complex systems. Prioritize case studies involving internal tools, HR processes, or enterprise environments.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your experience with human-centred design, agile methodologies, stakeholder engagement, and systems thinking. Use keywords from the job description such as "employee experience," "internal tools," "operational ecosystems," and "process design."

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on your design process, collaborative efforts, and the operational impact of your work. Prepare to answer strategy questions related to improving internal processes and employee productivity.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Commonwealth Bank's values, its focus on digital transformation, and its commitment to employee experience. Understand the context of the financial services industry and its implications for design and operations.

⚠️ 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.