Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Copia Automation

Location: New York City, New York, United States

Job Type: Full Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-06-23

Experience Level: Senior (5-8 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end product design process for complex technical workflows within the industrial automation space.

• Translate intricate user needs and technical challenges into intuitive and effective user experiences, catering to a diverse range of technical proficiencies.

• Own and define design processes, demonstrating high agency and a proactive approach to problem-solving and solution definition.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Engineering, and Customer Success, to deliver impactful product solutions.

• Contribute to the evolution of internal design practices and methodologies, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer, indicating a need for significant autonomy and ownership over design processes and outcomes. The emphasis on "high-agency" and "owner of your process" suggests that candidates will be expected to lead initiatives and define their own approach to problem-solving, rather than being directed on specific tasks. The hybrid nature of the role, with an office-based component in NYC, is crucial for candidates to consider.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the definition of problem statements, target user archetypes, and design objectives for new product features and enhancements.

• Conduct user research, including discovery and validation, to deeply understand user needs, pain points, and workflows within industrial systems.

• Develop wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity visual designs using industry-standard tools like Figma.

• Facilitate design critiques and present work effectively to stakeholders across Product, Engineering, and executive leadership.

• Integrate feedback from internal Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and external users to iterate on designs and ensure alignment with business goals and user needs.

• Champion user-centered design principles and best practices across product development teams.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a robust design system to ensure consistency and scalability across the product.

• Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure accurate implementation of designs and to identify opportunities for design improvements.

• Explore and experiment with emerging technologies, such as AI tooling, to enhance user experience and product capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design thinking and hands-on execution. The role requires not only the creation of design artifacts but also the intellectual heavy lifting of defining problems and understanding complex technical domains. The emphasis on "bringing highly complex workflow to a new industry" and "creating solutions that work for users at very different levels of technical experience" points to a significant challenge in simplifying complexity for a broad audience.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating a deep understanding of design principles and user-centered methodologies is paramount. A Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is often beneficial but not strictly required if practical experience and portfolio strength are exceptional.

Experience: 5-8 years of hands-on Product Design experience, with a proven track record of successfully delivering complex digital products.

Required Skills:

• 5-8 years of hands-on Product Design experience.

• Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools, such as Figma.

• Demonstrated ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear, user-friendly designs.

• Strong understanding of the full design process, from discovery and research to delivery and iteration.

• Experience in defining problem statements and user archetypes.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with Product Management and Engineering.

• Adaptability and resourcefulness in a fast-paced startup environment.

• Low ego, with a strong receptiveness to feedback and iterative design adjustments.

• Ability to work comfortably with ambiguity and define solutions within evolving requirements. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with data-dense, technical products.

• Background in industrial automation, manufacturing systems, or OT/IT convergence.

• Familiarity with Git workflows, code review practices, and DevOps culture.

• Experience experimenting with emerging technologies, including AI tooling.

• Understanding of industrial systems, factories, warehouses, and critical infrastructure management.

• Experience in user research methodologies and synthesis.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of 5-8 years positions this as a senior individual contributor role, implying a need for seasoned professionals who can operate with a high degree of independence. The "nice to have" skills are particularly relevant given Copia Automation's focus on OT backup and code management for industrial systems, suggesting that domain knowledge will be a significant advantage and could accelerate a candidate's impact.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated selection of 3-5 impactful design projects showcasing a comprehensive understanding of the design process from problem definition to final delivery.

• Each project should clearly articulate the problem statement, the user research conducted, the design process followed, key design decisions, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Demonstrations of how complex technical challenges were addressed and simplified for diverse user groups.

• Examples of problem-solving in ambiguous environments and balancing breadth of solution with deliverability.

• Visualizations of user flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups, with clear explanations of design rationale. Process Documentation:

• Evidence of defining and refining design processes within a team or project context.

• Examples of how user feedback and SME input were integrated into iterative design cycles.

• Demonstrations of collaboration with engineering teams to ensure design fidelity and feasibility.

• Documentation of contributions to design systems or style guides, showcasing an understanding of scalable design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role, the portfolio is critical. It needs to go beyond just showcasing polished UI and delve into the candidate's strategic thinking, problem-solving methodology, and ability to navigate complexity. The emphasis on "process owner" means candidates should be prepared to discuss how they approached each project, not just what they designed. Demonstrating an understanding of industrial systems and technical products will be a significant differentiator.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $165,000 - $175,000 per year.

This range reflects the seniority of the role (Senior Product Designer), the high cost of living in New York City, and the specialized technical domain of industrial automation software. The compensation is competitive for experienced designers in the tech industry, particularly those with experience in complex B2B or technical SaaS products.

Benefits:

• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO): Offers flexibility and promotes work-life balance.

• Employer-subsidized healthcare through Aetna: Comprehensive medical coverage with employer contribution.

• Commuter benefits: Assistance with transportation costs for commuting to the NYC office.

• In-office lunches: Provided meals to enhance the on-site work experience and foster team interaction.

• Generous equity packages: Significant stock options for full-time, permanent employees, aligning individual success with company growth.

Working Hours: While the standard workday is typically 40 hours, the company culture and the nature of startup roles can sometimes involve periods of extended work to meet project deadlines. The unlimited PTO and hybrid model aim to provide flexibility in managing work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific and competitive for a senior role in a high-cost-of-living area like New York City. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a notable emphasis on equity, which is a strong incentive for employees in growth-stage startups. The mention of unlimited PTO should be viewed with the understanding that it requires proactive management by the employee to ensure adequate rest while meeting business demands.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software (specifically OT Backup & Code Management for Industrial Systems). Copia Automation operates in a critical but often underserved niche within the industrial technology sector, providing essential software solutions for managing the code that powers physical infrastructure. This positions them as a key player in Industry 4.0 and digital transformation initiatives.

Company Size: 50+ person team, growing 2x year-over-year. This indicates a dynamic, growth-stage startup environment where roles are evolving, and there's significant opportunity for impact and contribution. The team size suggests a structure where cross-functional collaboration is essential but still manageable.

Founded: The company was founded with the mission to provide robust solutions for OT backup and code management, addressing a critical gap in industrial cybersecurity and operational efficiency. This focus on foundational industrial infrastructure suggests a company built on solving deep, meaningful problems.

Team Structure:

• The design team, while not explicitly sized, is expanding, implying a growing importance and investment in design.

• The Senior Product Designer will work closely with Product Management and Engineering, indicating a collaborative, product-led development approach.

• The hybrid work model suggests a blend of focused individual work and in-person collaboration, fostering team cohesion and idea exchange. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on user research, SME feedback, and gathering insights to inform design decisions.

• Agile Development: The need to balance solution breadth with "deliverability and velocity" points to an agile or lean methodology where rapid iteration and timely delivery are key.

• Problem-Centric Approach: A core tenet is translating complex conversations into clear problems to solve, suggesting a focus on understanding the 'why' before the 'what'.

Company Website: copia.io

📝 Enhancement Note: Copia Automation is positioned in a highly technical and critical sector. The company culture likely values deep technical understanding, problem-solving, and practical application. The growth trajectory suggests a fast-paced environment where adaptability and a proactive mindset are highly valued. The focus on OT systems means users often have very specific, high-stakes operational needs, requiring designers to develop a strong understanding of these domains.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer. This level signifies a professional who is expected to operate with significant autonomy, lead design initiatives, mentor junior designers (if applicable), and contribute strategically to product direction. They are key individual contributors who can independently drive complex design challenges from conception to completion.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the design team, working closely with Product Management and Engineering leads. While direct reporting lines are not specified, the emphasis on collaboration suggests a matrixed or project-based reporting structure within the core product development functions.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer will have a direct impact on the usability, efficiency, and adoption of Copia's OT backup and code management software. By simplifying complex workflows and enhancing user experience for critical industrial systems, their work directly contributes to operational stability, security, and customer satisfaction, which are key drivers of revenue and market position in the industrial software space.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Design: Potential to grow into a Design Lead or Manager role as the design team expands, taking on more strategic oversight and team management responsibilities.

• Domain Expertise: Deepen specialization in industrial automation, OT/IT convergence, and complex technical product design, becoming a go-to expert within the company and industry.

• Product Strategy Influence: Contribute more significantly to product strategy discussions, leveraging design insights to shape the product roadmap and identify new market opportunities.

• Mentorship: Guide and mentor less experienced designers, fostering a strong design culture within the organization.

• Cross-Functional Development: Gain broader experience in product management and engineering processes, enhancing overall product development acumen.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a clear path for growth, either into management or deeper technical/strategic specialization. The company's rapid growth provides a fertile ground for individuals to expand their responsibilities and influence quickly. The unique industry focus offers a chance to become a highly specialized and valuable asset.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model out of their New York City HQ. This means a combination of remote work and in-office days is expected, blending the flexibility of remote work with the benefits of in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s): New York City Headquarters. Specific details about the office space itself (e.g., open plan, dedicated desks) are not provided, but being in NYC suggests a vibrant urban work environment.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on cross-functional collaboration suggest an environment where designers will frequently interact with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders, both virtually and in person.

• Tools and Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (e.g., Figma) and potentially other collaboration tools. The company's focus on industrial systems might also mean exposure to specialized technical environments or simulation tools.

• Team Interaction: In-office days are likely designed to facilitate brainstorming, design reviews, and team-building activities, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie and shared purpose.

Work Schedule: While a standard 40-hour workweek is implied, the startup environment and the nature of product development may require flexibility. The "unlimited PTO" policy suggests a focus on results and autonomy rather than strict adherence to hours, provided work is completed effectively and deadlines are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key characteristic. Candidates should be prepared to spend a portion of their week in the NYC office. This setup is designed to balance the benefits of remote work (focus, flexibility) with the advantages of in-person interaction (collaboration, team building). The specific details of office layout and amenities would be best clarified during the interview process.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A dedicated session where you will present 1-3 key projects from your portfolio, discussing your process, rationale, and impact. Expect in-depth questions about your design decisions, problem-solving approach, and collaboration style.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with members of the Product Management and Engineering teams to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to work within a product development lifecycle.

• Design Challenge (Potential): You may be asked to complete a small design exercise or work through a hypothetical problem to assess your design thinking and problem-solving capabilities in real-time.

• Hiring Manager/Team Lead Interview: A final discussion to assess cultural fit, career aspirations, and overall alignment with the team and company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your ability to handle complex, technical problems and your end-to-end design process. Showcase variety if possible.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the key decisions you made, and the quantifiable results or impact. Focus on the "why" behind your design choices.

• Highlight Ambiguity and Complexity: Specifically address how you navigated uncertainty and simplified complex workflows for diverse user skill levels.

• Showcase Collaboration: Include examples of how you worked with engineers, product managers, and users to achieve successful outcomes.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design rationale, trade-offs, and learnings from each project.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with Copia Automation's product, the industrial automation industry, and the challenges of OT/IT convergence.

• Focus on Process: For any hypothetical challenge, emphasize your structured approach to problem-solving, user research, ideation, and iteration.

• Articulate Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss the compromises you might make and the reasoning behind them, especially concerning balancing breadth, depth, and velocity.

• Communicate Clearly: Practice articulating your thoughts and design decisions concisely and persuasively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to be thorough, focusing heavily on portfolio quality and the candidate's ability to articulate their design process and strategic thinking. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not just design execution but also their capacity for problem definition and ownership in a complex technical domain.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity visual design. Proficiency is essential.

• Collaboration Platforms: Tools like Slack, Google Workspace, or similar for day-to-day communication and team collaboration.

• Project Management Software: Potentially Jira, Asana, or Trello for tracking design tasks and project progress.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly mentioned for designers, an understanding of how product analytics (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel) are used to inform design decisions would be beneficial. Designers may need to access or interpret data related to feature usage and user behavior. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the designer's primary toolset, but awareness of the company's CRM (if applicable) and automation workflows might provide context for user segmentation or integration points. Emerging Technologies:

• Interest or experience with AI tooling for design assistance or user experience enhancement is a "nice to have" and indicates a forward-thinking approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is a stated requirement. Candidates should be comfortable demonstrating their proficiency in Figma and its advanced features. While other tools are not explicitly listed, a general familiarity with common collaboration and project management software used in tech startups is assumed. The mention of AI tooling suggests an openness to leveraging new technologies in the design process.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Ownership & Agency: Candidates are expected to "own their process" and demonstrate high agency, taking initiative and driving outcomes independently.

• Resourcefulness & Adaptability: Thriving in a startup environment requires being resourceful, adaptable, and execution-driven, especially when facing ambiguity.

• Collaboration & Low Ego: Eagerness to collaborate cross-functionally and receptiveness to feedback are critical. A low-ego approach facilitates constructive critique and iterative improvement.

• Problem-Solving Focus: A core value is translating complex conversations into clear problems to solve, emphasizing analytical thinking and strategic problem definition.

• Impact-Driven: The company is focused on solving meaningful problems and changing how everything gets built, suggesting a culture that values tangible impact and contribution to the company's mission.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Close working relationships with Product Management and Engineering are essential, requiring open communication and shared understanding of goals.

• Iterative Design: The design process is iterative, involving continuous gathering of feedback from internal SMEs and external users, and agile adjustments to plans based on new information.

• Knowledge Sharing: Presenting work on "small and large stages within the company" fosters knowledge sharing and alignment across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes autonomy, collaboration, and a pragmatic approach to problem-solving in a fast-paced environment. Candidates who are comfortable with ambiguity, enjoy working in a growing team, and are driven by impact will likely find this environment appealing.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Simplifying Extreme Complexity: Designing intuitive solutions for highly technical and complex industrial workflows that must serve users with vastly different levels of technical expertise.

• Balancing Breadth and Velocity: Effectively managing the scope of design solutions to ensure both comprehensive functionality and timely delivery in a fast-paced development cycle.

• Designing Through Ambiguity: Establishing clear design directions and user experiences when project requirements or technical landscapes are still evolving.

• Domain Specificity: Quickly acquiring and applying knowledge of industrial systems, OT/IT convergence, and specific user workflows in manufacturing, logistics, and energy sectors.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Domain Expertise: Becoming a subject matter expert in the critical field of OT backup and code management for industrial infrastructure.

• Product Strategy Contribution: Gaining significant influence on product strategy and roadmap development through user-centered insights and design leadership.

• Mentorship and Leadership: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and potentially grow into leadership roles as the design team scales.

• Exposure to Emerging Tech: Experimenting with and integrating cutting-edge technologies like AI into product design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are specific to the company's niche and the nature of a growing tech startup. They offer significant opportunities for professional growth, particularly for designers who enjoy tackling complex problems and want to develop expertise in a specialized, high-impact industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a highly technical audience with varying levels of expertise. What was your approach, and what were the outcomes?" (Focus on problem definition, user segmentation, and iterative design.)

• "How do you balance the need for comprehensive feature sets with the demands of rapid product delivery in a startup environment?" (Prepare to discuss trade-offs, MVP definition, and agile design processes.)

• "Walk us through a project where you had to navigate significant ambiguity. How did you define the problem and move forward with design?" (Highlight your process for discovery, hypothesis testing, and stakeholder alignment.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Copia Automation's mission and the industrial automation space?" (Research the company's impact on critical infrastructure and Industry 4.0.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with engineering and product management teams, especially when there are differing opinions on design direction?" (Emphasize your low-ego, collaborative approach and ability to articulate design rationale.)

• "How do you measure the success of your designs, and what metrics do you typically look at?" (Discuss user feedback, adoption rates, task completion times, and impact on business goals.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: For each project, clearly present: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Impact/Results.

• Focus on Rationale: Be ready to defend your design decisions, explaining why you chose a particular path and what alternatives you considered.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively to illustrate your design process and final solutions. Interactive prototypes can be very impactful.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the value and success of your designs.

• Be Authentic: Let your passion for design and problem-solving shine through.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong grasp of the design process, strategic thinking, and the ability to operate autonomously in a complex technical domain. Candidates should anticipate questions that probe their experience with ambiguity, technical products, and cross-functional collaboration.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.lever.co.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 5-8 years of product design experience, specific accomplishments in designing complex technical products, and proficiency with tools like Figma. Use keywords from the job description such as "user research," "prototyping," "cross-functional collaboration," and "technical product design."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your most relevant projects that showcase your ability to tackle complex problems, your end-to-end design process, and your impact. Ensure each project clearly articulates the problem, your role, your process, and the outcomes. Be prepared to discuss how you handled ambiguity and simplified complex workflows.

• Prepare for Portfolio Presentation: Practice walking through your selected projects, focusing on your design rationale, collaboration strategies, and how you measured success. Be ready to answer in-depth questions about your decision-making process.

• Research Copia Automation: Understand their product, mission, and the industrial automation industry. This will help you articulate your interest and tailor your responses to their specific context.

⚠️ 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.