Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Maxa AI

Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: May 20, 2026

Experience Level: Senior (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead user-centered design initiatives and drive product vision within a world-class Product & Engineering team.

• Own the end-to-end design process, from initial discovery and concept ideation to high-fidelity, developer-ready specifications.

• Develop and maintain a robust design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and adherence to design ethos across all product offerings.

• Design intuitive client dashboards and complex data visualizations to support automated reporting and AI-driven workflows.

• Collaborate closely with engineers to ensure a seamless and consistent design-to-development pipeline.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer within a rapidly growing AI and Fintech startup. The emphasis on "driving design initiatives," "end-to-end design journey," and "design system mastery" indicates a need for a candidate who can not only execute design but also influence and shape the design strategy and process. The "0-1 product environment" mention suggests involvement in early-stage product development.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the conceptualization, design, and prototyping of user interfaces for complex financial data platforms, focusing on clarity, usability, and actionable insights.

• Meticulously build, document, and evolve the company's design system, acting as its primary guardian to ensure consistency and scalability across all product features and touchpoints.

• Conduct user research, rapid prototyping, and usability testing to validate product hypotheses and inform design decisions before engineering implementation.

• Collaborate directly with product managers and engineers to translate user needs and business requirements into intuitive and efficient user experiences.

• Design sophisticated data visualizations and interactive dashboards that effectively communicate complex financial information and AI-driven insights to CFOs and finance professionals.

• Ensure a seamless design-to-development handoff by creating clear, detailed, and developer-ready design specifications, working closely with the engineering team.

• Champion a user-first design mentality across the Product & Engineering team, advocating for user needs and best practices in all design endeavors.

• Contribute to the iterative improvement of existing product features by analyzing user feedback, performance metrics, and market trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: Responsibilities are geared towards a senior individual contributor who will be instrumental in establishing and scaling design practices within a product-led organization. The focus on design systems, end-to-end ownership, and collaboration with engineering highlights the tactical and strategic nature of the role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: No specific degree mentioned, but a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for senior roles.

Experience: 5-8 years of dedicated UX/UI design experience with a proven track record of delivering exceptional user experiences in complex product environments.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience in UX/UI design, with a portfolio demonstrating a strong understanding of user-centered design principles and best practices.

• Proven expertise in building, documenting, and maintaining comprehensive design systems for scalability and consistency.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and design system management.

• Experience working with or understanding of Tailwind CSS for efficient front-end development.

• Demonstrated ability to conduct user research, rapid prototyping, and usability testing to validate design concepts.

• Strong understanding of how to design for complex data visualizations and intuitive dashboards.

• Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate complex problems into simple, elegant design solutions.

• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment, demonstrating initiative and adaptability.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in a 0-1 product environment, contributing to the initial development and launch of new products.

• Familiarity with AI tools for rapid prototyping or design exploration.

• Experience in the Fintech or enterprise software industry, particularly with ERP data transformation or financial reporting.

• Understanding of front-end development principles and best practices to facilitate effective collaboration with engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement is clearly defined as 5-8 years, with a strong emphasis on design system mastery and Figma proficiency. The "0-1 product environment" and "AI curious" points suggest a preference for candidates with startup experience and an interest in emerging technologies. Bilingualism is a hard requirement.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product design projects, detailing your role, process, and impact.

• Include case studies demonstrating the creation and evolution of design systems, highlighting their structure, components, and benefits.

• Present examples of complex data visualizations and dashboard designs, explaining the rationale behind design choices and how they address user needs.

• Demonstrate experience with rapid prototyping and user validation, showcasing how you iterate on designs based on feedback.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to user research, from planning and execution to synthesizing findings and integrating them into the design process.

• Illustrate your methodology for building and maintaining design systems, including documentation standards and governance.

• Explain your workflow for translating product requirements into detailed design specifications and developer handoffs.

• Showcase how you approach iterative design and continuous improvement based on user feedback and performance data.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role. It should not only display design execution but also a deep understanding of process, system thinking, and collaborative workflows. The emphasis on design systems and data visualization is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the Senior level, location (Montreal, a major tech hub), and the company's focus on AI and Fintech (high-demand sectors), a competitive salary range is expected. For a Senior Product Designer in Montreal with 5-8 years of experience, a range of CAD $90,000 - $130,000 annually is a reasonable estimate. This can vary based on specific experience, negotiation, and the company's compensation philosophy.

Benefits:

• Competitive base salary aligned with seniority.

• Generous paid time off: 4 weeks of vacation in the first year, increasing to 5 weeks thereafter.

• RRSP employer contribution after 3 months of employment.

• On-site chef providing subsidized three-course lunches ($12).

• Stock options in a post-Series A high-growth AI company, offering potential for significant equity upside.

• Opportunity to contribute to defining infrastructure and security standards for enterprise AI.

Working Hours: Standard full-time, likely around 40 hours per week, with a hybrid work arrangement requiring 3 days in the Montreal office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in major Canadian tech cities, considering the company's industry and funding stage. The benefits package is comprehensive, with a strong emphasis on equity and employee perks like the on-site chef and generous vacation.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Financial Technology (Fintech), Enterprise Software. Maxa AI is revolutionizing how CFOs access and use their fragmented ERP data, transforming it into actionable insights rapidly through an agentic automation platform.

Company Size: Post-Series A, high-growth AI company. This implies a dynamic, evolving environment with a focus on scaling operations and product development. The company is likely between 50-200 employees, but this can vary.

Founded: Not specified, but the mention of "0-1 product environment" suggests it's a relatively young company, likely founded within the last 5-7 years.

Team Structure:

• The role sits within the Product & Engineering team, which is described as "world-class."

• The Senior Product Designer will report to a Product Lead or Head of Product/Design, and will work closely with engineers and potentially product managers.

Methodology:

• User-first design mentality is central to their approach.

• Emphasis on rapid prototyping and validating assumptions before committing to engineering roadmaps.

• Building and maintaining a robust design system is a core operational process.

• Leveraging AI and agentic automation (Autopilot) is a defining characteristic of their product development.

Company Website: https://maxa.ai/ (Derived from the domain).

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is likely fast-paced, innovative, and collaborative, typical of a growth-stage AI startup. The focus on solving complex financial data problems with AI suggests a high degree of technical sophistication and a drive for impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior individual contributor role. It offers the opportunity to be a foundational member of the design team, significantly influencing product direction and design standards. It's a step towards potential leadership if the candidate desires, such as a Lead Product Designer or Design Manager role as the team grows.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to the Head of Product, Lead Product Designer, or a Director of Engineering, depending on the specific organizational structure. They will work closely with a cross-functional team of engineers and product managers.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct and significant impact on the company's success by shaping the user experience of a product that aims to simplify complex financial data for CFOs. A well-designed, intuitive interface is critical for adoption and perceived value in the enterprise Fintech space. The design's success directly influences user satisfaction, efficiency gains for clients, and ultimately, revenue generation.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: As the company scales, there will be opportunities to lead design initiatives, mentor junior designers, and potentially shape the future of the design team and its processes.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven product design, complex data visualization, and enterprise-level design systems.

• Strategic Influence: Contribute to product strategy and roadmap planning through user insights and design expertise.

• Industry Impact: Be part of a company redefining how financial data is managed and utilized, gaining valuable experience in a high-growth, disruptive sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers substantial growth potential beyond individual contribution, with clear pathways to leadership and strategic influence within a rapidly scaling tech company. The emphasis on "defining standards" indicates a significant opportunity for impact.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, with a requirement to be in the Montreal office Tuesday through Thursday. This suggests a collaborative office environment designed to foster teamwork and interaction on key days.

Office Location(s): Montreal, Quebec, Canada (H3B 2B6). This is a major technology and business hub in Canada.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment likely supports collaborative work, with spaces for design workshops, brainstorming sessions, and team meetings, especially on in-office days.

• Access to state-of-the-art design tools (Figma) and potentially other technologies supporting AI and data analysis.

• Opportunities for close interaction with engineers and product managers, fostering a cohesive product development culture.

• The "on-site chef" perk suggests a company that invests in employee experience and workplace amenities.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (estimated 40 hours/week), with flexibility often expected in a startup environment, balanced by the hybrid in-office requirement. The focus is on project delivery and impact rather than strictly hours logged.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model balances the benefits of in-office collaboration with the flexibility of remote work. The location in Montreal provides access to a strong tech talent pool and a vibrant city life.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Presentation of your portfolio, focusing on relevant case studies (design systems, data viz, end-to-end projects). This may be followed by a take-home design challenge or a live design exercise.

• Technical/Team Interviews: In-depth discussions with members of the Product & Engineering team (designers, engineers, product managers) to assess design skills, problem-solving abilities, technical understanding, and collaboration style.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager (likely Head of Product or Design Lead) to cover strategic thinking, leadership potential, and overall fit with the company’s vision.

• Final Round: Potentially a meeting with a co-founder or senior leadership to discuss company vision and long-term impact.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your expertise in design systems, complex data visualization, and end-to-end product design for enterprise software or FinTech.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process you followed, key decisions made, challenges encountered, and the measurable impact or outcome.

• Highlight Design System Mastery: Dedicate a section or specific project to your experience with design systems, showing examples of components, documentation, and how you ensured consistency.

• Showcase Data Visualization: Present how you approached designing dashboards and visualizations for complex data, explaining your rationale for chart types, layout, and user interaction.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Briefly touch upon your collaboration with engineers and product managers, emphasizing how you ensured successful implementation.

• Prepare for Figma Discussion: Be ready to discuss your Figma workflows, component libraries, and advanced features you utilize.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a take-home challenge, thoroughly research Maxa AI, its product, and the competitive landscape to inform your design decisions.

• Focus on Process: Even if the final UI is polished, emphasize the thought process, user research, and iteration that led to your solution.

• Design System Thinking: Consider how your solution would integrate with or inform an existing or new design system.

• Data Visualization Approach: If the challenge involves data, think carefully about how to present it effectively and intuitively.

• Bilingualism: If the challenge involves content or communication, be prepared to demonstrate your bilingual capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly assess both design craft and strategic thinking. The portfolio is paramount, and candidates should tailor their presentation to highlight specific skills relevant to Maxa AI's product and challenges.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for UI design, prototyping, and design system management. Mastery is essential.

• Design System Frameworks: Experience with tools or methodologies for building and maintaining design systems (e.g., Storybook integration, specific component libraries).

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's prototyping capabilities, potentially supplemented by others like Principle or Protopie for advanced animations or interactions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not directly a design tool, an understanding of how user behavior is tracked and analyzed through analytics platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) is beneficial for informing design decisions and measuring impact.

CRM & Automation:

• Tailwind CSS: Understanding how designs translate to front-end code, particularly with utility-first CSS frameworks like Tailwind.

• AI Prototyping Tools: Experience with any AI-assisted design or rapid prototyping tools is a plus.

• Collaboration Tools: Jira, Confluence, Slack for team communication and project management.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned as a requirement, making it the cornerstone of the design tech stack. Familiarity with Tailwind CSS is also a key technical skill for bridging design and development.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: Placing the user at the heart of every design decision to ensure intuitive and effective solutions.

• Curiosity & Growth: A mindset of continuous learning, exploration, and a drive to understand complex problems and new technologies (especially AI).

• Collaboration & Transparency: Working closely with Product and Engineering, fostering open communication and knowledge sharing.

• Impact & Ownership: Taking initiative, owning design outcomes, and striving for tangible business and user impact.

• Efficiency & Scalability: Designing with an eye towards reusable components, robust systems, and efficient development processes.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, with designers working hand-in-hand with engineers and product managers throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Open to feedback and iterative design processes, valuing constructive critique to refine solutions.

• Emphasizes clear communication, especially given the bilingual requirement, ensuring all team members are aligned.

• A culture that encourages experimentation and learning from both successes and failures in a fast-paced startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to value innovation, user focus, and strong teamwork. The emphasis on growth and impact is characteristic of a startup environment aiming for rapid development and market disruption.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Translating intricate financial data and AI capabilities into simple, actionable user experiences for CFOs.

• 0-1 Product Environment: Building and iterating on a product from its early stages, requiring adaptability and comfort with ambiguity.

• Scaling Design Systems: Evolving a design system to accommodate new features and increasing complexity without compromising integrity.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Delivering high-quality designs rapidly in a fast-paced startup setting.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent understanding and execution of design vision across diverse teams.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into AI & Fintech: Gain specialized knowledge in designing for cutting-edge AI applications and the complex financial technology sector.

• Design System Leadership: Opportunity to define and lead the evolution of a critical design asset, impacting the entire product suite.

• Strategic Product Input: Influence product strategy and roadmap through user insights and design expertise.

• Mentorship & Team Growth: Potential to mentor junior designers and contribute to building out the design function as the company scales.

• Exposure to Enterprise Solutions: Develop expertise in designing for enterprise-level software, which has distinct requirements from consumer products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to working in a high-growth, innovative startup environment focused on complex domains. The growth opportunities are significant, offering both technical specialization and potential leadership development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Tell me about a time you significantly influenced a product's direction through your design thinking and user advocacy." (Focus on your strategic impact and ability to drive change).

• "Describe your process for building and scaling a design system. What were the biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Highlight your expertise in design systems and process).

• "How do you approach designing for complex data visualization and AI-driven insights? Walk me through an example." (Prepare a case study showcasing your ability to handle complex information).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Maxa AI and our mission to transform financial data with AI?" (Show genuine interest and research).

• "How do you align with a user-first design mentality, especially when balancing user needs with business goals and technical constraints?" (Demonstrate your design philosophy).

• "Given our hybrid work model and bilingual environment, how do you see yourself contributing to our team culture?" (Address the hybrid requirement and bilingualism).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Organize your portfolio presentation logically, perhaps starting with your most relevant project (design system or data viz) and then walking through 1-2 end-to-end case studies.

• Focus on "Why" and "How": For each project, explain the problem, your thought process, the decisions you made, and the rationale behind them. Don't just show final screens.

• Quantify Impact: If possible, provide metrics or outcomes that demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased user engagement, improved task completion rates, positive user feedback).

• Highlight Design System Expertise: Have specific slides or sections dedicated to your design system work, showing component examples, documentation, and benefits.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, technical feasibility, and alternative solutions you considered.

• Practice Your Bilingual Delivery: If presenting in English, be prepared to answer questions or discuss specific points in French if prompted, or vice-versa.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on showcasing not just design execution but also strategic thinking, process mastery, collaborative skills, and alignment with Maxa AI's specific challenges and values.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Maxa AI careers portal.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your expertise in design systems, complex data visualization, and end-to-end product design for enterprise solutions. Tailor your case studies to highlight your contributions and impact.

• Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your 5-8 years of UX/UI design experience, highlighting proficiency in Figma, design systems, and any relevant AI or Fintech experience. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on telling a compelling story for each project, explaining your process, and quantifying your impact. Be ready to discuss your design philosophy and how it aligns with Maxa AI's user-first approach.

• Research Maxa AI: Thoroughly understand Maxa AI's product, mission, and the challenges they are solving in the Fintech and AI space. This will help you tailor your answers and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.

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