Senior Product Designer at Coursera Sourcing

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Coursera Sourcing

Location: Canada

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-11

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Remote (with in-office collaboration for key milestones)

🚀 Role Summary

Lead the design of established features within a product area, ensuring seamless user experiences across Coursera's platform.
Translate complex learner and educator insights into elegant, well-crafted design solutions that simplify user journeys.
Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, researchers, and data scientists throughout the product development lifecycle.
Drive innovation by creating systematic design solutions that enable efficiency, reuse, and scalability for a global user base.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is explicitly for a Senior Product Designer, indicating a need for proven experience in owning design projects, contributing strategically, and potentially mentoring junior designers. The remote status with intentional in-office collaboration suggests a hybrid approach for specific team events and critical project phases, requiring adaptability and strong remote communication skills.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Own the end-to-end design process for specific product features, from initial concept and user research synthesis to detailed interaction and visual design.
Develop and present a strategic perspective on design direction, informed by user insights, business objectives, and market trends.
Break down complex initiatives into manageable, iterative deliverables within an agile development framework.
Design innovative, systematic, and scalable solutions that adhere to high standards of usability and aesthetics, contributing to and leveraging existing design systems.
Foster strong partnerships with Product Management, Engineering, Research, and Data Science teams to ensure successful product definition, execution, and launch.
Synthesize insights from diverse sources, including quantitative data and qualitative research, to formulate cohesive design recommendations and define success metrics.
Proactively identify opportunities for design improvement and continuous iteration based on user feedback and performance data.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize ownership, strategic thinking, and cross-functional collaboration, which are critical for senior-level operations and product roles. The mention of "systematic design solutions" and "enabling efficiency, reuse, and scale" directly aligns with core operations principles of standardization and optimization.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in design principles, human-computer interaction, or a related field is implied by the experience requirements.

Experience: 5-8 years of professional experience as a UX or Product Designer, with a demonstrated track record of owning design work across the entire product lifecycle.

Required Skills:

Expertise in core UX methodologies, including user research, insight synthesis, information architecture, user flow mapping, wireframing, and prototyping.
Proficiency in interaction and visual design principles, with experience contributing to or maintaining design systems.
Proven ability to design responsive, mobile-first experiences, informed by robust user research and data analysis.
High-level proficiency in design and collaboration tools such as Figma and FigJam.
Demonstrated ability to clearly articulate design rationale and effectively influence cross-functional stakeholders (PMs, Engineers, Researchers).
Experience integrating AI tools (e.g., Claude Code) into the design process to accelerate prototyping, explore concepts, and iterate on ideas. Preferred Skills:
Experience designing AI-driven products, including prompt-based interactions and best practices for human-AI collaboration.
Experience in coaching or mentoring less-experienced designers on design thinking and craft.
A genuine passion for education, learning transformation, and Coursera's mission to democratize access to world-class learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 5-8 years of experience and the emphasis on owning design work and influencing stakeholders are typical for senior-level roles. The explicit mention of AI tool integration (Claude Code) and AI-driven product design points to a forward-looking approach, requiring candidates to be comfortable with emerging technologies and their application in user experience.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

A comprehensive portfolio showcasing ownership of design projects from conception through launch and iteration, demonstrating full product lifecycle engagement.
Case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process, key decisions, and measurable outcomes (e.g., improvements in usability, engagement, or conversion).
Examples of how you have translated user research and data insights into actionable design solutions.
Demonstrations of your proficiency in interaction and visual design, including contributions to or utilization of design systems.
Evidence of designing responsive and mobile-first experiences.
Examples of collaboration with cross-functional teams and how you managed stakeholder feedback and buy-in.
Showcase your experience with Figma, FigJam, and any AI-assisted design tools used. Process Documentation:
Portfolio entries should implicitly or explicitly document your approach to user research, information architecture, workflow design, and prototyping.
Demonstrate how you plan and sequence work within an agile development context, showing an understanding of iterative design processes.
Highlight how you use data and metrics to inform design hypotheses, measure success, and guide continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond just showcasing aesthetics; it must demonstrate strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and a deep understanding of the design process from a user-centered and business-impact perspective. The emphasis on "systematic design solutions" and "scale" implies a need to see how candidates design for broader applicability.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $124,000 - $155,000 CAD per year. This range is zone-based and will depend on factors such as experience, education, transferable skills, business needs, and location within Canada.

Benefits:

Comprehensive health and wellness benefits.
Eligibility for bonus programs.
Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) equity programs.
Global perks designed to support employee growth and well-being.

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated, a standard full-time work week of approximately 40 hours is generally expected. The role is remote, with intentional in-person collaboration for key milestones, suggesting flexibility in daily schedule but requiring availability for planned team events.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to Canada and is based on industry benchmarks for a Senior Product Designer role with 5-8 years of experience. The compensation structure includes base salary, variable pay (bonus), and equity (RSUs), which is common for senior tech roles. The "zone-based pay" indicates that compensation may vary slightly depending on the specific region within Canada due to cost of living differences.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Online Education / EdTech / Skills Development. Coursera operates in a rapidly evolving sector focused on democratizing access to learning and upskilling for the AI era, recently combining with Udemy to create a more comprehensive platform.

Company Size: Coursera is a significant player in the EdTech space. While the exact current combined size isn't specified, it's a large, publicly traded company (B Corp) with a global reach, implying a structured yet innovative environment.

Founded: Coursera was founded in 2012. The recent combination with Udemy further signifies its growth and strategic expansion.

Team Structure:

The Design & Research teams are integral to Coursera's success, focusing on user-centricity and data-driven decision-making.
Designers work within product areas, reporting through a design leadership structure, and collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering pods.
Cross-functional collaboration is a core tenet, with teams working together to bring products from ideation to launch and beyond. Methodology:
Emphasis on gathering and translating learner and educator insights into actionable design recommendations.
Iterative design and development within an agile framework, focusing on continuous improvement and data-informed hypotheses.
Leveraging AI tools to enhance design efficiency, explore more concepts, and innovate user experiences.

Company Website: https://www.coursera.org/

📝 Enhancement Note: Coursera's mission-driven culture (universal access to learning, B Corp status) is a significant aspect. The company's recent merger with Udemy suggests a dynamic environment focused on scaling and innovation, particularly in the AI domain. The structure likely involves agile pods where designers, PMs, and engineers work together, requiring strong collaboration skills.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, indicating a level of autonomy, strategic contribution, and potential for leadership. It sits above mid-level roles and below Principal or Staff Designer positions. The focus is on owning significant product areas and influencing direction.

Reporting Structure: Typically, Senior Product Designers report to a Design Manager or Director of Product Design. They work within cross-functional product teams, collaborating closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads.

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts the user experience of millions of learners and educators globally. By simplifying complex learning journeys and making education accessible, the designer contributes significantly to Coursera's core mission and business objectives. This includes driving engagement, completion rates, and user satisfaction, which are critical metrics for a learning platform.

Growth Opportunities:

Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in AI-driven product design, human-centered AI, and design strategy. Potential to specialize in specific product areas or user segments.
Leadership Development: Potential to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives within product areas, and contribute to the evolution of Coursera's design system and processes.
Career Progression: Possible pathways to Principal Product Designer, Staff Designer, or Design Manager roles, depending on performance, aspirations, and business needs. Exposure to a combined Coursera + Udemy platform offers unique scaling and integration challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities are framed within the context of a senior design role in a growing EdTech company. The emphasis on AI and the recent merger with Udemy present unique challenges and learning opportunities. Mentorship and leadership are key components of senior-level growth.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is primarily remote, but with an expectation of intentional in-person collaboration for key milestones and complex problem-solving. This suggests a hybrid model where remote work is the norm, supplemented by occasional team gatherings or project sprints.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote within Canada, specific office locations are not detailed, but the company has a global presence. The remote nature for this role means the primary "workspace" is the employee's home office.

Workspace Context:

A globally distributed team environment that comes together intentionally, fostering opportunities for focused collaboration and complex problem-solving.
Access to modern design and collaboration tools (Figma, FigJam, potentially AI tools) is essential for remote effectiveness.
Opportunities for interaction with diverse, cross-functional teams are key to the collaborative remote experience.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours are expected, with flexibility inherent in a remote role. However, availability for scheduled meetings, collaborative sessions, and key milestone events (which may require synchronous communication across time zones) is crucial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "globally distributed team that comes together intentionally" highlights a deliberate approach to remote work, balancing flexibility with the need for in-person synergy on critical initiatives. This requires strong self-discipline and proactive communication from remote employees.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: Review of application and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role requirements.
Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A deep dive into your portfolio, discussing specific projects, your process, decision-making, and impact. This may involve a take-home assignment or a live design exercise focused on problem-solving relevant to Coursera's platform.
Cross-functional Interviews: Discussions with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially Researchers to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and technical understanding.
Hiring Manager Interview: Focused conversation on strategic thinking, leadership potential, cultural fit, and alignment with Coursera's mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Storytelling: Structure your case studies as narratives. Clearly define the problem, your role, the constraints, your process (research, ideation, iteration), your solutions, and the measurable impact.
Process Demonstration: Emphasize how you arrived at your solutions. Showcase your research methods, wireframes, prototypes, and how you iterated based on feedback and data.
Impact Metrics: Quantify your achievements whenever possible. Highlight improvements in user satisfaction, task completion rates, engagement, or conversion.
AI Integration: If you have examples of using AI in your design process, be prepared to discuss them, including the tools used and the benefits gained.
Design System Contribution: Showcase examples of how you've worked with or contributed to design systems, demonstrating an understanding of scalability and consistency.
Tailor to Coursera: Understand Coursera's mission, target audience, and product challenges. Frame your experience and projects in a way that demonstrates how you can contribute to their specific goals.

Challenge Preparation:

Anticipate design challenges that involve simplifying complex educational workflows, enhancing user engagement, or integrating new AI features.
Practice articulating your design decisions clearly and concisely, especially when under time pressure.
Be prepared to discuss how you would approach a new problem, including initial research steps, hypothesis generation, and iterative design planning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio review for a Senior Product Designer means candidates must be ready to defend their design choices with data, user insights, and strategic reasoning. The inclusion of AI tools in the requirements suggests that interviewers may probe candidates on their experience and comfort level with AI-assisted design workflows.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Design & Prototyping: Figma (expert proficiency required).
Collaboration: FigJam (or similar collaborative whiteboarding tools).
AI Design Assistance: Claude Code (or similar AI tools for speeding up prototyping, concept exploration, and iteration).
Design Systems: Experience working within and contributing to established design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

Familiarity with product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Google Analytics, Mixpanel) to inform design decisions and measure impact.
Ability to interpret data and translate insights into design hypotheses and success metrics. CRM & Automation:
While not primary design tools, an understanding of how user data is managed within CRMs and how automation impacts user journeys can be beneficial for holistic product design.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma and FigJam are explicitly mentioned, indicating these are the core tools. The specific mention of Claude Code for AI-assisted design is a key differentiator, requiring candidates to have practical experience or a strong understanding of how to leverage such tools in their workflow.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Customer-First: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of learners and educators.
Innovation: Driving the future of education through new technologies and approaches, particularly in AI.
Simplicity & Efficiency: Simplifying complexity and iterating relentlessly on metrics that matter, ensuring scalable and user-friendly experiences.
Collaboration: Working effectively across diverse, globally distributed teams to solve complex problems and achieve shared goals.
Lifelong Learning: A culture that values continuous learning and personal growth, mirroring the company's mission.

Collaboration Style:

Intentional collaboration for complex problem-solving and key milestones, balancing remote flexibility with in-person synergy.
Cross-functional integration with Product Management, Engineering, Research, and Data Science is essential, requiring clear communication and shared ownership.
A culture of constructive feedback and iterative improvement, where design decisions are debated and refined based on diverse perspectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: Coursera's stated values of being "customer-first builders who move fast, simplify ruthlessly, and iterate relentlessly on the metrics that matter" are directly applicable to operations professionals and designers alike. The emphasis on intentional collaboration highlights a structured approach to teamwork in a remote-first environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Simplifying Complexity: Translating the intricate processes of learning and skill development into intuitive and accessible user experiences.
Scaling Globally: Designing solutions that cater to a diverse, international user base with varying needs, cultural contexts, and technical access.
AI Integration: Effectively incorporating AI features (like GenAI and prompt-based interactions) in a way that enhances learning without compromising user control or understanding.
Balancing Remote & In-Person: Navigating a work environment that is primarily remote but requires intentional in-person collaboration for key initiatives.
Platform Integration: Contributing to the design of a unified platform following the Coursera + Udemy merger, ensuring consistency and synergy.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

AI & Future of Education: Deep dive into AI-driven product design, human-centered AI, and the evolving landscape of online learning.
Design Leadership: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead feature design initiatives, and influence design strategy.
Cross-functional Expertise: Gaining deeper insights into product management, engineering processes, and data science applications within the EdTech space.
Industry Exposure: Potential to attend relevant conferences or pursue certifications related to UX, AI, or educational technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are framed around the core mission of Coursera and the complexities of the EdTech industry, particularly with the integration of AI and the recent merger. The growth opportunities align with senior-level career development in design and technology.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

"How would you approach designing a new feature to help learners discover personalized learning paths based on their career goals and current skill gaps?" (Focus on research, problem framing, iterative design, and metrics).
"Describe a time you had to simplify a complex user flow. What was the challenge, your process, and the outcome?" (Demonstrates problem-solving and process expertise).
"How do you leverage user research and data analytics to inform your design decisions, especially when dealing with ambiguity?" (Highlights data-driven approach).
"Given Coursera's mission, how would you ensure our design process is inclusive and accessible to a global audience?" (Tests understanding of diversity and inclusion in design). Company & Culture Questions:
"Why are you interested in Coursera and our mission to provide universal access to world-class learning?" (Assess passion and alignment with company values).
"How do you approach collaboration with product managers and engineers, especially in a remote or hybrid setting?" (Evaluates teamwork and communication skills).
"Describe your experience working with or contributing to design systems. What are the benefits and challenges?" (Tests understanding of scalable design practices).
"How do you stay current with emerging design trends, especially in areas like AI and its application in user experience?" (Assesses continuous learning and forward-thinking). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
Select 3-4 strong case studies: Choose projects that best showcase your senior-level capabilities, covering different aspects of the design process and demonstrating impact.
Focus on the "Why" and "How": Clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your thought process, the trade-offs you made, and the rationale behind your design decisions.
Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. If exact numbers aren't available, discuss how you would measure success.
Highlight AI Experience: If applicable, clearly present any projects or processes where you utilized AI tools or designed AI-driven features. Be ready to discuss the benefits and challenges.
Practice Your Narrative: Rehearse your presentation to ensure a smooth flow, clear articulation, and confident delivery. Be prepared for in-depth questions about your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions for a Senior Product Designer will probe strategic thinking, problem-solving methodologies, and leadership potential. The portfolio presentation is a critical component, requiring candidates to not only showcase their work but also their ability to articulate the impact and process behind it. Specific questions about AI integration are expected given the job description.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

Submit your application through Coursera's careers portal via the provided link.
Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-4 of your strongest projects that demonstrate end-to-end ownership, strategic thinking, and measurable impact. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your role, process, solutions, and outcomes.
Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience and skills that directly align with the job description, especially your years of experience, proficiency in Figma/FigJam, experience with AI tools, and any contributions to design systems or AI-driven products. Use keywords from the job description.
Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on storytelling, articulating your design process, and quantifying impact. Be ready to discuss your experience with AI in design.
Research Coursera: Understand Coursera's mission, its platform, its target audience, and recent developments (like the Udemy merger). Prepare to discuss how your skills and passion align with their goals.

⚠️ 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.

Senior Product Designer