Senior Product Designer at Forerunner

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Forerunner

Location: United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-05

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Remote (United States)

🚀 Role Summary

Lead complex, cross-functional product design initiatives from problem definition to final execution, ensuring successful Go-To-Market (GTM) alignment.
Drive user research, systems thinking, and the creation of scalable design systems to simplify intricate workflows for government and regulated industries.
Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering to define measurable outcomes and translate fragmented data into actionable product strategies.
Own the end-to-end design process across web and mobile platforms, balancing speed with deep quality considerations for high-stakes applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the primary role is Senior Product Designer, the description strongly implies a critical GTM Operations component. The emphasis on defining measurable outcomes, translating fragmented data into actions, collaborating with PM/Eng for GTM alignment, and the context of regulated industries handling critical infrastructure all point to a need for design to directly support revenue generation and operational efficiency. Therefore, the "Category" has been expanded to include "GTM Operations" to reflect this strategic integration.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Partner with Product Management and Engineering to meticulously clarify complex problems, define project scope, and establish measurable success metrics that align with business objectives and GTM strategies.
Spearhead user discovery processes, including in-depth interviews, task analyses, and field/contextual research, synthesizing insights into robust product strategies.
Proactively identify and anticipate edge cases, technical constraints, and operational realities, adapting designs and strategies as new information emerges and priorities evolve.
Design comprehensive end-to-end user flows for both web and mobile applications, transitioning seamlessly between low-fidelity concepts and high-fidelity, polished interfaces.
Rapidly prototype solutions using tools like Figma and Claude Code, validate designs through user testing, and iterate effectively, sometimes managing multiple competing design directions concurrently.
Drive design implementation with engineering teams, conduct rigorous final design reviews, and actively contribute to unblocking technical challenges to ensure timely and high-quality product launches.
Contribute significantly to the development and evolution of the company's design system (Figma + component library), building scalable, accessible patterns while judiciously deciding when to create new patterns versus reuse existing ones.
Document design rationale, decisions, and system specifications to facilitate team understanding and accelerate future development efforts, especially amidst shifting priorities.
Cultivate trusted relationships with Product, Engineering, and Customer Success teams, facilitating alignment in ambiguous situations and guiding the team toward effective decision-making.
Communicate design concepts, product stories, and strategic rationale clearly and compellingly through various channels, from informal Slack messages to formal presentation reviews.
Share feedback generously and collaboratively, actively contributing to enhancing the design craft and quality standards across all product teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities have been expanded to emphasize the GTM implications of design leadership, particularly in defining success metrics, aligning with business objectives, and facilitating cross-functional decision-making that impacts product adoption and revenue.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: Typically 5–8 years of progressive experience in product design, with demonstrated success in leading complex projects from inception to launch.

Required Skills:

Proven experience leading end-to-end product design projects, encompassing early discovery, problem framing, solution definition, and successful launch execution.
Demonstrated ability to influence product direction and strategy through compelling design thinking and user-centered approaches.
Strong portfolio showcasing systems thinking, expertise in crafting crisp user experiences, and a clear capacity to simplify complex workflows.
Deep proficiency in user research methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, and the ability to translate findings into actionable design insights.
Advanced command of design and prototyping tools, specifically Figma and Claude Code, with experience in building and evolving comprehensive design systems.
Exceptional ability to prototype at multiple fidelities to effectively communicate design ideas and technical specifications.
Superior communication and storytelling skills, adept at articulating product vision and design rationale to diverse stakeholders and cross-functional partners.
Demonstrated comfort and effectiveness in ambiguous environments with shifting priorities; ability to make sound decisions with incomplete information.
Resourcefulness in navigating situations with limited dedicated support (e.g., UX writing, specialized researchers), making strategic decisions about depth versus scope.
Collaborative and humble approach to teamwork, with a track record of elevating teammates and contributing positively to design culture. Preferred Skills:
Experience in civic tech, climate tools, or other high-stakes, data-heavy domains.
Familiarity with accessibility standards (WCAG) and experience designing inclusive digital products.
Understanding of Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies and how design directly supports product adoption and revenue goals.
Experience working in early-stage, fast-paced startup environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level has been clarified based on the typical industry standard for "Senior" roles and the stated "5-8 years" range. Preferred skills have been added to highlight the strategic advantage of understanding GTM operations and the company's specific industry focus.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

A comprehensive portfolio that clearly demonstrates systems thinking, showcasing how you approach interconnected design challenges and build scalable solutions.
Crisp UX examples that highlight your ability to create intuitive and efficient user journeys, particularly within complex operational contexts.
Evidence of simplifying complex workflows, providing case studies that detail the problem, your approach, and the measurable impact of your design solutions.
Documentation of your process for defining problems, conducting research, iterating on designs, and collaborating with engineering to ensure successful implementation.
Examples of contributions to or creation of design systems, illustrating your understanding of pattern reusability, scalability, and accessibility. Process Documentation:
Detailed case studies that outline your approach to user discovery, including how you frame problems, conduct research (interviews, task analysis, field studies), and synthesize insights.
Examples of your design process from ideation through to high-fidelity prototyping and user validation, emphasizing iterative improvements based on feedback.
Documentation illustrating how you collaborate with Product and Engineering, including your methods for communicating design rationale, driving decisions, and ensuring implementation fidelity.
Evidence of how you've contributed to or leveraged design systems, including examples of new pattern creation or thoughtful reuse of existing components.

📝 Enhancement Note: Portfolio requirements have been tailored to emphasize the "systems thinking" and "simplifying complex workflows" aspects mentioned in the job description, crucial for demonstrating an operations-oriented design approach.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $160,000 – $190,000 USD per year. This range is determined by factors such as an individual's skills, experience, qualifications, and the specific career level for which they are hired.

Benefits:

Competitive compensation package.
Comprehensive health, vision, and dental insurance coverage.
Commuter benefits to support transportation needs.
Quarterly wellness reimbursement program to support individual health and well-being initiatives.
Schedule flexibility to support work-life balance.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week (standard full-time). The company offers schedule flexibility, requiring accountability in return for this autonomy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range has been explicitly stated as provided in the job description. The benefits and working hours have been detailed to provide a clearer picture of the total compensation and work-life balance offered.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software (specifically focused on government and regulated industries), Civic Tech, Climate Tech. Forerunner operates at the intersection of critical infrastructure management and community resilience, addressing the unique operational challenges faced by public and private agencies.

Company Size: Early Stage (implied by "early stage company," "small team," "building the plane while flying it"). This means a dynamic environment with significant opportunity for impact and direct contribution.

Founded: Specific founding date not provided, but described as "early stage." The company's mission is central to its culture, driving urgency and a commitment to solving complex, seemingly intractable problems.

Team Structure:

The design team is an integral part of a small, interdisciplinary team, implying close collaboration and shared responsibility.
Designers are expected to work closely with Product Management and Engineering, indicating a collaborative, product-focused structure.
Customer Success is also mentioned as a partner, suggesting a feedback loop that informs design and product development from a user-centric perspective. Methodology:
Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on using fragmented data to make decisions and actions that reduce liability and surface revenue.
User-Centricity: Deep engagement with partners and customers in the field to understand real-world problems and inform design.
Iterative Development: Embracing ambiguity, shifting priorities, and making decisions with incomplete information, characteristic of agile and lean methodologies.
Design System Utilization: Building and maintaining a scalable design system to ensure consistency, efficiency, and accessibility across products.

Company Website: https://withforerunner.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture section has been enriched with insights from the job description, highlighting the mission-driven nature, the impact of working in an early-stage environment, and the collaborative, user-focused methodology that defines Forerunner's operations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor. This role is positioned as a key player responsible for driving significant aspects of product development. A Senior Designer at Forerunner is expected to not only execute but also to define problems, influence strategy, and mentor others. The scope includes owning complex, cross-functional work from discovery through shipping.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Senior Product Designer in an early-stage company often reports to a Head of Product, Design Lead, or CTO. The emphasis on close partnership with PM and Eng suggests a flat or matrixed reporting structure where collaboration is paramount.

Operations Impact: The design work directly impacts the company's ability to "reduce liability, surface revenue, and prevent small problems from becoming emergencies" for its clients. By building trust through great design and enabling agencies to manage assets, enforce codes, and track grants effectively, the Senior Product Designer plays a crucial role in the success and adoption of Forerunner's software, thereby contributing directly to revenue generation and operational efficiency for their customers.

Growth Opportunities:

Leadership in Design: Opportunity to shape the design vision and processes for an early-stage company, potentially leading to a Design Lead or Head of Design role as the company scales.
Domain Expertise: Deepen expertise in high-stakes, data-heavy domains like civic tech and climate resilience, becoming a recognized specialist.
Cross-functional Influence: Develop strong strategic partnerships across Product, Engineering, and Customer Success, enhancing influence and decision-making capabilities.
Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and contribute to building a strong design culture.
System Ownership: Play a key role in scaling and evolving the company's design system, a critical component for efficient product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section has been tailored to highlight the strategic importance of the Senior Product Designer role within the company's operational framework and its direct contribution to revenue and customer success, along with potential career progression paths.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Remote-first with small physical offices in San Francisco and Portland, ME. This hybrid model allows for flexibility while offering options for in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s): Primarily remote within the United States. Physical hubs are available in San Francisco, CA, and Portland, ME, for those who prefer or can utilize them.

Workspace Context:

Collaborative & Interdisciplinary: The environment fosters close collaboration between designers, product managers, engineers, and customer success teams, encouraging a shared understanding of user needs and business goals.
Tooling & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma and Claude Code, with a focus on building and leveraging a robust design system.
Direct User Interaction: Regular engagement with clients and partners in the field is encouraged, providing direct exposure to real-world operational challenges and opportunities to gather authentic user feedback.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week with significant schedule flexibility. The emphasis is on accountability and delivering results rather than strict adherence to a 9-to-5 schedule, allowing operations professionals to manage their time effectively around critical data analysis and workflow optimization tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment description has been refined to emphasize the operational advantages of a remote-first setup with flexible hours for analysis and collaboration, and the direct user interaction that informs operational design decisions.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio to assess alignment with the role's requirements and Forerunner's mission.
Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: Candidates will likely be asked to present a selection of their work, focusing on complex projects that demonstrate systems thinking, user research, and the ability to simplify intricate workflows. A specific design challenge related to the company's domain may be given to assess problem-solving skills and design process.
Cross-functional Interviews: Discussions with Product Management and Engineering leads to evaluate collaboration style, communication clarity, and ability to work effectively in an ambiguous, fast-paced environment.
Cultural Fit & Values Alignment: Conversations to assess alignment with Forerunner's core values, mission, and collaborative approach.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Show, Don't Just Tell: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the challenges you faced, and the measurable impact of your design.
Highlight Systems Thinking: Include examples where you designed for scalability, consistency, and interconnectedness, demonstrating how your solutions fit into a larger system.
Simplify Complexity: Showcase projects where you successfully distilled complex requirements or data into intuitive and user-friendly interfaces.
Demonstrate Impact: Quantify results wherever possible (e.g., increased user engagement, reduced error rates, improved efficiency for operations). For this role, tie design outcomes to potential revenue impact or liability reduction for clients.
Process Transparency: Clearly document your research, ideation, iteration, and collaboration phases. Show your thought process, not just the final polished screens.
Tailor to Forerunner: Emphasize projects that align with Forerunner's mission (civic tech, climate, regulated industries) or demonstrate comfort with data-heavy domains.

Challenge Preparation:

Understand the Domain: Research Forerunner's mission, target users (government agencies, regulated industries), and the types of problems they solve (asset management, code enforcement, grants tracking).
Focus on Process: Be prepared to walk through your problem-solving methodology, emphasizing how you would approach discovery, define requirements, and iterate towards a solution.
Embrace Ambiguity: Practice framing questions, making assumptions, and articulating trade-offs when faced with incomplete information.
Communicate Clearly: Prepare to present your ideas concisely and persuasively, anticipating questions about feasibility, impact, and user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice for portfolio preparation and interview challenges, specifically tailored to the requirements of a Senior Product Designer role at a company like Forerunner, emphasizing the need to demonstrate operational impact and systems thinking.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Figma: Core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative design system development. Proficiency in creating complex components, interactive prototypes, and design specifications is expected.
Claude Code: Mentioned as a tool for rapid prototyping, suggesting its use for generating code snippets or interactive prototypes that can be quickly tested and iterated upon. Understanding its integration with design workflows is key.

Analytics & Reporting:

While not explicitly listed, a Senior Product Designer is expected to understand and utilize analytics to inform design decisions. This could involve familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or internal dashboards to track user behavior, measure feature adoption, and assess the impact of design changes on key operational metrics.
Experience with data visualization tools or understanding how to interpret data presented in dashboards is beneficial for understanding user behavior and GTM performance. CRM & Automation:
While direct CRM/automation tool usage might not be a primary design responsibility, understanding how products integrate with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) or automate workflows is beneficial for designing seamless user experiences within broader business processes. Familiarity with API concepts or integration points can be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools section is populated based on explicit mentions and inferred needs for a Senior Product Designer role, with an emphasis on how these tools support operational efficiency and GTM objectives.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Mission-Driven Urgency: A strong commitment to solving complex problems that impact communities and critical infrastructure, driving a sense of purpose and urgency in daily work.
High Craftsmanship & Detail: A dedication to design excellence, sweating the details in flows, interactions, and storytelling to build trust and ensure clarity, especially in high-stakes applications.
Collaboration & Support: A culture where team members actively support one another, share feedback generously, and work collaboratively to elevate the quality bar across teams.
Embracing Ambiguity & Resourcefulness: A willingness to tackle challenges with incomplete information, adapt to shifting priorities, and find creative solutions with available resources.
User Focus & Empathy: A deep-seated commitment to understanding the real-world problems faced by users, often involving direct engagement in the field.

Collaboration Style:

Interdisciplinary Partnership: Close, trusted relationships with Product Management, Engineering, and Customer Success are fundamental. Design is integrated early and throughout the product development lifecycle.
Facilitative Leadership: Designers are expected to help facilitate alignment, drive decisions, and communicate clearly, acting as key influencers within cross-functional teams.
Open Feedback Culture: A constructive environment where feedback is actively sought, given, and received to foster continuous improvement and learning.
Shared Ownership: As an early-stage company, there's a sense of shared responsibility for product success and company growth, encouraging proactive contribution and problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture and values section is fleshed out to reflect the specific ethos described in the job posting, highlighting how these values translate into daily operations and collaborative practices for design professionals.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Navigating Ambiguity: The inherent nature of an early-stage company means priorities can shift, and information may be incomplete. Adapting design strategies and decision-making processes in such an environment is a key challenge.
Defining New Playbooks: There is no established playbook; designers must be comfortable defining new processes, systems, and standards as the company grows and evolves.
Balancing Speed and Quality: The need to move quickly to capture market opportunities must be balanced with maintaining a high bar for design quality, accessibility, and user trust, especially in regulated domains.
Translating Complex Data: Effectively translating fragmented data and complex operational realities into intuitive and actionable software experiences for users in government and regulated industries.
Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent understanding and alignment across Product, Engineering, and Customer Success on design vision, priorities, and implementation details.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Leadership Development: The opportunity to shape design strategy and processes, potentially leading to future leadership roles within the company or industry.
Domain Specialization: Gaining deep expertise in high-impact sectors like civic tech and climate resilience, becoming a subject matter expert.
Advanced Design Systems: Contributing to and scaling a design system in a growing organization, learning best practices for component management and governance.
Strategic Product Influence: Directly influencing product direction and business outcomes through impactful design solutions, enhancing strategic thinking and business acumen.
Mentorship and Team Building: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and contribute to building a strong, collaborative design culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges and growth opportunities are framed to reflect the specific context of an early-stage, mission-driven company in a complex industry, offering a clear view of the professional development landscape.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

"Describe a time you led a complex product design project from initial discovery through to launch. What were the key challenges, and how did you measure success?" (Focus on your process, problem-solving, and impact demonstration).
"How do you approach designing for users in regulated industries or critical infrastructure management? What specific considerations do you prioritize?" (Highlight your understanding of user needs, constraints, and the high-stakes nature of the domain).
"Explain your process for collaborating with Product Managers and Engineers, especially when there's ambiguity or shifting priorities. How do you ensure alignment and drive decisions?" (Emphasize communication, facilitation, and decision-making skills).
"Walk us through your experience with design systems. When have you built new patterns, and when have you reused existing ones? What's your philosophy on design system governance?" (Showcase your understanding of scalability and efficiency). Company & Culture Questions:
"What interests you about Forerunner's mission to serve government and regulated industries? How does your design philosophy align with this mission?" (Demonstrate genuine interest and value alignment).
"How do you handle situations where you have to make design decisions with incomplete information or when priorities change mid-sprint?" (Provide examples of your adaptability and decision-making under pressure).
"Describe your experience working in an early-stage startup environment. What do you enjoy most and find most challenging about it?" (Show your comfort with ambiguity and scrappiness).
"How do you contribute to a positive and productive design culture within a team?" (Highlight your collaborative and supportive approach). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly define the problem, your specific role and contributions, the design process, key decisions made, and the measurable outcomes.
Highlight Systems Thinking: Explicitly point out how your designs are scalable, consistent, and part of a larger ecosystem. Use diagrams or flowcharts if helpful.
Showcase Simplification: Present case studies where you took complex requirements or data and made them user-friendly. Detail the steps you took to achieve this simplicity.
Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. Connect these metrics to business objectives like revenue, efficiency, or reduced liability.
Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your tool choices (Figma, Claude Code), your research methodologies, and your iteration process. Be prepared to discuss trade-offs and rationale.
Tailor to Forerunner: Select projects that best reflect your ability to handle data-heavy domains, complex workflows, and a user-centric approach relevant to civic tech or similar sectors.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation advice is tailored to the specific demands of a Senior Product Designer role in a company like Forerunner, focusing on demonstrating strategic thinking, process, and impact in a complex domain.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.
Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best showcase your systems thinking, ability to simplify complex workflows, and experience with user research. Ensure each project clearly outlines the problem, your role, your process, and measurable outcomes. Tailor your selection to highlight experience relevant to Forerunner's mission (civic tech, regulated industries, data-heavy domains).
Optimize Your Resume: Highlight your 5-8+ years of experience, emphasizing leadership in end-to-end design processes, cross-functional collaboration, and experience with tools like Figma and Claude Code. Use keywords from the job description such as "systems thinking," "user research," "product strategy," and "design systems."
Prepare Your Presentation: Rehearse walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on clear storytelling and demonstrating your thought process. Be ready to articulate your rationale for design decisions and discuss how your work drives business objectives and user value. Practice answering common interview questions related to ambiguity, collaboration, and design strategy.
Research Forerunner: Thoroughly understand Forerunner's mission, products, and target audience. Familiarize yourself with their website and any available case studies or press. Be prepared to articulate why you are a good fit for their specific culture and operational 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.

Senior Product Designer