Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Coursera Sourcing

Location: Canada

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-11T22:59:39

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-8 years)

Remote Status: Remote (with potential for hybrid in specific locations, as per company policy)

🚀 Role Summary

• Product Ownership & Design Execution: This role requires a Senior Product Designer to take ownership of established features within a product area, translating complex learner and educator insights into elegant, user-centered design solutions.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: A key aspect involves close collaboration with product managers, engineers, researchers, and data scientists to guide products from initial concept through launch and iteration.

• Strategic Design Thinking: The position demands the ability to convey a strategic perspective, informed by business and market insights, and to contribute to larger strategic initiatives within the product organization.

• AI Integration in Design: A significant and growing focus is on incorporating AI tools and principles into the design process, including designing AI-driven products and understanding human-AI collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Senior Product Designer," the responsibilities and experience requirements suggest a role deeply embedded within the product development lifecycle, requiring strong UX fundamentals, strategic thinking, and a forward-looking approach to AI-enhanced design. The "Remote OK" status and specific mention of Canada as the hiring location are critical for candidates.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design Strategy & Execution: Translate research insights and high-level concepts into detailed workflows, visual designs, and interaction specifications for established product features.

• Project Ownership & Scope Definition: Deliver clarity on project direction, scope, and anticipated impact, acting as a primary design lead for assigned initiatives.

• Agile Development Contribution: Break down and sequence design work into executable deliverables, planning for iterative development and continuous improvement within an agile framework.

• Systematic & Scalable Design: Create innovative, systematic design solutions that adhere to high standards of usability and aesthetics, with a focus on efficiency, reuse, and scalability across the platform.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Actively partner with Product Management, Engineering, User Research, and Data Science teams to ensure successful product development and launch.

• Data-Informed Design Decisions: Synthesize insights from multiple sources (user research, data analytics, market trends) into cohesive design recommendations, using data to frame hypotheses, define success metrics, and establish design guardrails.

• Design System Contribution: Work within and contribute to existing design systems to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability of design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on design execution and strategic contribution. Candidates are expected to manage their projects independently, influence cross-functional teams, and contribute to the overall product strategy through design. The emphasis on "systematic design solutions" and "efficiency, reuse, and scale" points to a need for designers who think about the long-term maintainability and impact of their work.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent experience and practical application of design principles is paramount.

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

Required Skills:

• Core UX Methodologies: Demonstrated expertise in user research, synthesizing insights, defining information architecture, creating user flows, and producing detailed wireframes and interactive prototypes.

• Interaction & Visual Design: Strong capabilities in interaction design and visual design, with experience working within and contributing to established design systems.

• Responsive & Mobile-First Design: Proven ability to design user experiences that are responsive and prioritize mobile-first approaches, informed by user research and data insights.

• Design & Collaboration Tools: Proficiency in industry-standard design and collaboration tools, specifically Figma and FigJam.

• Communication & Influence: Demonstrated ability to clearly articulate design rationale, present design solutions, and effectively influence cross-functional stakeholders (PMs, Engineers, Researchers).

• AI in Design Process: Experience and willingness to incorporate AI tools (e.g., Claude Code) into the design process to accelerate prototyping, explore concepts, and iterate on ideas.

Preferred Skills:

• AI-Driven Product Design: Experience designing products that leverage AI, including prompt-based interactions and best practices for effective human-AI collaboration.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Experience coaching or mentoring less-experienced designers, sharing best practices in design thinking and craft.

• Passion for Education: A genuine interest in education, learning transformation, and Coursera's mission to make world-class learning accessible globally.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Basic Qualifications" are quite specific, emphasizing hands-on skills and tool proficiency. The "Preferred Qualifications" highlight a strategic advantage for candidates with AI product design experience and a passion for Coursera's mission, suggesting these aspects are increasingly important for the company's future direction. The mention of "Claude Code" is a specific tool example that indicates the company's embrace of AI assistance in creative workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Full Product Lifecycle Ownership: Showcase projects where you had significant ownership from initial concept and research through to launch and post-launch iteration.

• Problem/Solution Framing: Clearly articulate the user problem or business challenge, your design process, the solutions you developed, and the impact of your work.

• Process Documentation: Provide detailed examples of your design process, including user research findings, wireframes, prototypes, user flows, and final visual designs.

• Metrics & Impact Demonstration: Quantify the impact of your design solutions using relevant metrics (e.g., user engagement, conversion rates, task completion, satisfaction scores).

• Systematic Design & Reusability: Highlight instances where your designs contributed to or leveraged a design system, demonstrating an understanding of scalability and efficiency.

Process Documentation:

• User-Centered Design Workflow: Demonstrate a structured approach to user research, synthesis of insights, ideation, prototyping, and user testing.

• Agile Iteration: Illustrate how you have worked within agile development cycles, adapting designs based on feedback, data, and evolving requirements.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Provide examples of how you have documented and communicated design decisions and processes to non-design stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role, the portfolio is critical. It needs to go beyond just showcasing final deliverables to demonstrating a thoughtful, strategic, and iterative design process. The emphasis on "systematic design solutions," "efficiency, reuse, and scale," and "data to frame hypotheses" suggests that portfolios should highlight how the candidate thinks about the broader impact and maintainability of their designs, not just individual feature aesthetics.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The targeted hiring base salary range for this role in Canada is $124,000 - $155,000 CAD per year.

Explanation of Range: This range is zone-based, meaning it's adjusted for the specific location within Canada. Actual compensation will be determined by factors including the candidate's experience, education, transferable skills, business needs, and location.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health & Wellness: Includes medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with wellness programs.

• Performance-Based Incentives: Eligibility for bonus programs tied to individual and company performance.

• Equity Programs: Participation in Restricted Stock Unit (RSU) equity programs, offering long-term value.

• Global Perks: Various global benefits and perks designed to support employees' well-being and professional development.

• Retirement Savings Support: (Likely included as part of Canadian benefits, though not explicitly listed, this is standard).

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated, a full-time role typically implies a standard 40-hour work week. The company culture emphasizes intentional collaboration for key milestones, suggesting flexibility but also a need for availability during core working hours for team syncs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided specifically for Canada and is zone-based. Candidates should understand that the final offer will be tailored. The benefits package is comprehensive, reflecting a commitment to employee well-being and long-term investment through equity.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Online Education / EdTech / Skills Development Platform. Coursera operates in a rapidly evolving sector, focusing on lifelong learning and professional development, now significantly enhanced by the merger with Udemy.

Company Size: Coursera is a large, publicly traded company (B Corp), with a significant global presence. The merger with Udemy further expands its reach and employee base. This scale implies structured processes, cross-functional teams, and opportunities for impact.

Founded: Coursera was founded in 2012. The recent merger with Udemy creates a combined entity with a more comprehensive offering in the AI era.

Team Structure:

• Design & Research Teams: These teams are integral to Coursera's success, focusing on gathering learner and educator insights. They operate with a degree of independence but are tightly integrated with product and engineering.

• Cross-Functional Product Teams: Designers work in pods or squads alongside Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, and Data Scientists, fostering a collaborative environment.

• Globally Distributed: Coursera is a globally distributed team, emphasizing intentional collaboration for specific purposes (problem-solving, milestones) rather than constant in-office presence.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design: A strong emphasis on understanding learner and educator needs through research and data.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Using data analytics to inform hypotheses, define success metrics, and guide design iterations.

• Agile Development: Working in iterative cycles to deliver and refine products.

• AI Integration: Actively exploring and implementing AI tools and principles to enhance both the product and the internal design process.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Coursera positions itself as an innovative, mission-driven company focused on accessible education. The culture values "inventors, innovators, and lifelong learners" who are "customer-first builders" that "move fast, simplify ruthlessly, and iterate relentlessly." The global, distributed nature of the team means that asynchronous communication and strong documentation are likely key.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, indicating a level of autonomy, ownership, and strategic contribution expected. It's a position for an experienced individual contributor who can lead design efforts for specific product areas.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will report into a design leadership structure, likely a Design Manager or Director, and will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads within their product area.

Operations Impact: The design team's work directly impacts the core Coursera platform, influencing how millions of learners and educators interact with educational content. This role has a direct impact on user experience, learning effectiveness, and ultimately, Coursera's mission and business success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into Lead Product Designer roles, managing larger initiatives or product areas, and mentoring junior designers.

• Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific areas like AI-driven product design, platform design systems, or accessibility.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Experience in a fast-paced EdTech environment can open doors to product management or other strategic roles within the company or industry.

• Continuous Learning: Coursera actively encourages learning, providing access to its own course catalog and supporting professional development in new design and AI methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is for an experienced individual contributor with potential for growth into leadership or specialized design tracks. The emphasis on AI and the company's mission provides a unique growth trajectory within the EdTech and AI product design space.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Coursera operates as a globally distributed team, emphasizing remote work with intentional in-person collaboration for key milestones. This suggests a flexible work environment where individuals can work from their home office.

Office Location(s): While the role is based in Canada, Coursera has offices in various locations. The specific location for this role within Canada might influence hybrid expectations if any, but the primary mode appears to be remote.

Workspace Context:

• Remote-First Culture: Expectations are set for effective remote collaboration, requiring strong communication skills and self-discipline.

• Technology & Tools: Access to industry-standard design and collaboration tools (Figma, FigJam) is provided or expected.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with product, engineering, research, and data science teams, primarily through virtual channels.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time work schedule is expected, likely with flexibility around core collaboration hours to accommodate a globally distributed team. The company's emphasis on "moving fast" and "iterating relentlessly" suggests a dynamic work pace.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment is heavily geared towards remote collaboration. Candidates should be comfortable with virtual communication, asynchronous work, and proactive engagement to ensure seamless integration with their remote teams.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will review your application and resume, focusing on experience alignment and portfolio quality.

• Portfolio Review & Interview: You will likely present your portfolio to a hiring manager and/or design lead, discussing your process, decision-making, and impact on past projects. Be prepared to discuss specific case studies in detail.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially Researchers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and problem-solving abilities.

• Design Challenge/Whiteboarding: A practical exercise, potentially involving a design problem or a collaborative whiteboarding session to evaluate your design thinking and approach in real-time.

• Final Round: Interviews with senior leadership to assess strategic fit and overall alignment with company values and mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 projects that best showcase your ownership, impact, and breadth of skills, particularly those demonstrating full product lifecycle experience and ideally AI-related work.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, iteration, final solution), and the measurable outcomes. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight AI Integration: If you have AI-related design experience, make it a prominent part of your presentation, explaining how you approached the unique challenges of human-AI interaction.

• Focus on Impact: Quantify your contributions with data and metrics whenever possible. Explain why your design decisions led to positive results.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate deep dives into your process, design choices, and how you handle trade-offs and feedback.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, first spend time understanding the user, business goals, and constraints.

• Structure Your Thinking: Outline your approach before diving into solutions. Think about research, key user flows, and potential edge cases.

• Communicate Your Process: Verbalize your thought process clearly, as if you were collaborating with a Product Manager or Engineer.

• Embrace Iteration: Show willingness to explore alternatives and respond to feedback during the exercise.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only design craft but also strategic thinking, collaboration, and the ability to drive impact. A well-prepared portfolio that clearly articulates process and results, especially concerning AI, will be crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Expect to use it extensively for creating wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes.

• FigJam: Utilized for collaborative brainstorming, ideation sessions, user flow mapping, and workshop facilitation.

Collaboration & Communication:

• Slack/Microsoft Teams: For day-to-day team communication and cross-functional interactions.

• Jira/Confluence: Likely used for project management, task tracking, and documentation.

AI-Assisted Design Tools:

• Claude Code (or similar AI assistants): Mentioned specifically for speeding up prototyping, exploring concepts, and iterating on ideas. This indicates an expectation for designers to leverage AI in their workflow.

Analytics & Reporting (for understanding user behavior):

• Google Analytics / Adobe Analytics: (Assumed) for understanding user behavior and product performance.

• Tableau / Looker: (Assumed) for data visualization and reporting, which designers may use to inform their hypotheses and measure impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and FigJam is a hard requirement. The specific mention of "Claude Code" indicates Coursera's proactive adoption of AI tools to enhance design productivity, suggesting candidates should be open to or already experimenting with such technologies.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-First: A core value, emphasizing the needs and experiences of learners and educators above all else.

• Innovation & Inventiveness: Encouraging new ideas and approaches to learning and skill development, especially in the context of AI.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering a supportive environment where teams work together intentionally to solve complex problems.

• Data-Driven & Iterative: Valuing decisions informed by data and a commitment to continuous improvement through iteration.

• Mission-Driven: A strong belief in Coursera's mission to provide universal access to world-class learning.

Collaboration Style:

• Intentional Collaboration: Teams come together for specific purposes (problem-solving, key milestones) rather than constant co-location, emphasizing effective virtual collaboration.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are embedded within product teams, working closely with PMs, Engineers, and Researchers to ensure alignment and shared ownership.

• Feedback Loops: An expectation of open communication and feedback exchange to drive design quality and product effectiveness.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is a blend of mission-driven purpose, innovation, and a practical, data-informed approach to execution. The emphasis on "customer-first builders" and "simplify ruthlessly" suggests a results-oriented environment that values efficiency and user impact.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Simplifying Complexity: Translating the inherently complex nature of education and skill acquisition into intuitive and accessible user experiences.

• Scaling Design Solutions: Ensuring design solutions can scale across a vast platform serving millions of diverse users globally.

• Integrating AI Ethically & Effectively: Designing AI-driven features that are helpful, trustworthy, and enhance the learning experience without alienating users.

• Balancing Innovation with Usability: Introducing new AI capabilities while maintaining a seamless and familiar user experience for existing features.

• Working in a Distributed Environment: Maintaining strong communication, collaboration, and team cohesion across different time zones and locations.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Access to Coursera's Catalog: A unique opportunity to learn new skills and stay current with industry trends through Coursera's extensive course offerings.

• AI Design Expertise: Developing specialized skills in designing for AI, a rapidly growing and in-demand field.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Gaining deeper insights into product management, engineering, and data science through close collaboration.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and learn from experienced leaders within the design organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities to work on challenging problems at the intersection of education, technology, and AI. The growth path is tied to developing expertise in these cutting-edge areas and contributing to a mission-driven organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Process & Problem Solving: "Walk me through a challenging project from your portfolio. What was the problem, your role, your process, the trade-offs you made, and the outcome?" Be ready to discuss your approach to user research, ideation, and iteration.

• AI in Design: "How have you incorporated AI tools into your design workflow? What are your thoughts on designing for human-AI collaboration? How would you approach designing a prompt-based feature for learners?"

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders (PM, Engineering) who disagreed with your design direction. How did you handle it?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• Mission Alignment: "What excites you about Coursera's mission? How does your design philosophy align with our goal of universal access to education?"

• Remote Work: "How do you ensure effective collaboration and communication in a remote environment?"

• Learning & Growth: "How do you stay current with design trends and new technologies like AI?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Organize your portfolio into clear case studies. For each, outline: Problem, Your Role, Process, Solution, Outcome/Impact.

• Visual Storytelling: Use high-quality visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, user flows) to illustrate your process and solutions.

• Quantify Impact: Back up claims of success with data and metrics. Explain how your design led to those results.

• Be Prepared to Dive Deep: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, trade-offs, and challenges encountered. Practice articulating your rationale clearly and concisely.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will look for a strong understanding of the design process, the ability to articulate strategic thinking, effective collaboration skills, and a genuine interest in Coursera's mission and the future of AI in education. Practicing portfolio presentations and preparing for AI-specific design questions is highly recommended.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Coursera careers portal via the provided job link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight 3-4 projects that best demonstrate your ownership of the full product lifecycle, your systematic design approach, and any experience with AI-driven design or human-AI collaboration.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your 5-8 years of relevant experience, highlighting key skills in UX research, interaction design, visual design, Figma, and AI integration, using keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and project outcomes, prepare specific examples of cross-functional collaboration, and research Coursera's mission and recent developments (including the Udemy merger).

• Company Research: Understand Coursera's target audience (learners, educators, enterprises) and its position in the EdTech market, particularly its strategic direction with AI.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description provides a comprehensive overview based on the provided information and industry standards. Candidates should verify specific details regarding compensation, benefits, and the interview process directly with Coursera. The role requires strong design craft, strategic thinking, and adaptability to evolving technologies like AI.