Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Raft

Location: London, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-08-13

Experience Level: Mid-Senior (5-10 years implied)

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days/week in-office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Shape product strategy and vision through customer-centered design, influencing what and why Raft builds.

• Own the end-to-end design process, from discovery and ideation through execution and iteration in an AI-native platform context.

• Conduct deep user research and product exploration to uncover complex user needs and inform elegant, intuitive enterprise solutions.

• Collaborate strategically with Product and Engineering teams, acting as a design partner from concept to delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Senior Product Designer," the description emphasizes "strategic partners," "influencing product direction," and "owning complex problem spaces." This indicates a role that goes beyond traditional UI/UX execution, requiring a strong strategic mindset and the ability to drive product decisions through design. The "5-10 years" implied experience level aligns with this strategic focus.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Influence product strategy and vision by translating user insights and market opportunities into compelling design directions for Raft's enterprise AI platform.

• Lead the full product design lifecycle, including user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, high-fidelity UI design, and user testing for complex B2B SaaS solutions.

• Conduct deep customer discovery and user research, engaging directly with enterprise clients to understand their mental models, pain points, and unmet needs within supply chain operations.

• Explore and research product landscapes, user behaviors, and competitive offerings to identify patterns, opportunities, and actionable design insights.

• Craft exceptional, intuitive, and visually appealing user experiences, with meticulous attention to interaction design, motion, copy, and overall detail for enterprise-grade software.

• Leverage qualitative and quantitative data, including product usage analytics, to evaluate user experience effectiveness and prioritize impactful design improvements.

• Act as a design leader within cross-functional squads, inspiring teammates and stakeholders with a strong design perspective and a passion for creating simple, delightful, and efficient enterprise user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are framed around "shaping product direction," "owning end-to-end design," and "understanding customers deeply," highlighting a proactive and strategic role. The emphasis on "AI-native workflows" and "enterprise users" within the "supply chain sector" provides specific context for the design challenges.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in User Experience Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is preferred.

Experience: Significant experience designing digital products, with a strong preference for B2B SaaS or enterprise software environments. Demonstrated experience in a startup setting, comfortable operating in ambiguity and adapting to evolving work processes.

Required Skills:

• Deep expertise in end-to-end product design thinking for complex systems, as evidenced by a compelling portfolio.

• Proven ability to conduct user research and apply customer-centered design methodologies to uncover user needs and validate solutions.

• Strong passion for UI and interaction design, with a comprehensive understanding of design principles, typography, color theory, and visual hierarchy.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design decisions, rationale, and insights to cross-functional teams and stakeholders.

• Experience operating as a design leader within product squads, contributing to raising the quality bar through craft, critique, and collaborative problem-solving.

• Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, InVision).

• Ability to leverage qualitative and quantitative data to inform design decisions and measure impact. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI-native product design or designing for complex data-driven platforms.

• Familiarity with supply chain or logistics industry workflows and challenges.

• Experience with motion design and animation principles to enhance user experiences.

• A proactive approach to identifying and solving problems, rather than waiting for requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "startup experience," "comfort operating in ambiguity," and "design leader within squads" suggests a need for a candidate who is not only skilled but also possesses a strong sense of ownership and proactive problem-solving capabilities, typical of senior roles in fast-growing tech companies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A compelling portfolio that clearly demonstrates end-to-end product design thinking and execution for complex systems, ideally within B2B SaaS or enterprise software.

• Case studies should showcase your process, from initial problem definition and user research to ideation, prototyping, detailed UI/UX design, and iteration based on feedback or data.

• Evidence of your ability to understand and design for intricate workflows and data-heavy interfaces, reflecting the complexities of enterprise software.

• Examples of how you have influenced product strategy and vision through design, not just executed given requirements.

• Demonstrations of your interaction design skills, including motion, micro-interactions, and intuitive navigation. Process Documentation:

• Showcase your approach to user research and discovery, detailing methodologies used and how insights were translated into design decisions.

• Detail your ideation and exploration processes, including how you generated multiple solutions and converged on a final direction.

• Illustrate your prototyping and user testing methods, emphasizing how you gathered feedback and iterated on designs.

• Provide examples of how you collaborated with Product Managers and Engineers throughout the design process, ensuring seamless handoffs and alignment.

• Highlight instances where you used data (qualitative or quantitative) to validate design choices or identify areas for improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role, especially in an enterprise SaaS context, a portfolio must go beyond just visual mockups. It needs to articulate the "why" behind design decisions, demonstrate strategic thinking, and showcase the ability to handle complexity and ambiguity, aligning with Raft's emphasis on design as a strategic partner.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the Senior Product Designer title, the London location, and the hybrid work model, a competitive salary range for this role in London would typically fall between £70,000 and £100,000 per annum. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for experienced product designers in UK tech companies, considering factors like company funding, industry (AI/Supply Chain SaaS), and the senior level of the position.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and equity options.

• Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision) tailored for UK employees.

• Generous paid time off (PTO) and public holidays, with potential for increased days based on tenure.

• Opportunities for professional development, including conference attendance, training courses, and access to learning resources.

• Hybrid work model with 3 days in the London office, fostering collaboration and team cohesion.

• Potential for flexible working hours within the core workday.

• Pension scheme contributions as per UK statutory requirements.

• Regular team social events and offsites to build camaraderie and foster a strong company culture.

Working Hours: A standard full-time workweek of approximately 40 hours, with flexibility offered around core working hours to accommodate effective collaboration and personal needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimations are based on general market research for Senior Product Designers in London. Specific compensation details should be confirmed directly with Raft. The benefits listed are typical for a well-funded tech startup in the UK.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (AI Platform) within the Supply Chain and Logistics sector. Raft is modernizing a traditionally manual and fragmented industry through advanced AI and automation.

Company Size: Raft has raised $45M, indicating a growth stage company that is likely past the very early startup phase but still agile and scaling rapidly. This size often means a structured environment with established processes but still retains a startup's fast-paced, impactful ethos.

Founded: Founded with a mission to transform supply chain operations, Raft leverages technology to address inefficiencies. The company's history is characterized by building credibility with global leaders and developing a next-generation agentic platform.

Team Structure:

• Raft likely operates with cross-functional "squads" or "pods," where Product Designers work closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially Data Scientists.

• The design team is positioned as a "first-class discipline," suggesting strong leadership support and integration into the core product development process.

• Designers are expected to be strategic partners, not just executors, implying a collaborative hierarchy where ideas and influence are valued across roles. Methodology:

• Raft emphasizes a customer-centered approach, with designers engaging directly with users to uncover needs and pain points.

• Data-driven decision-making is a key aspect, with designers expected to use qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate and improve products.

• The company fosters an environment of autonomy, where individuals are trusted to identify problems, build solutions, and own outcomes end-to-end.

• Agile development methodologies are likely employed, given the fast-paced nature of a scaling tech company building an AI platform.

Company Website: https://www.raft.ai/

📝 Enhancement Note: Raft's focus on "AI for supply chain" and their "agentic platform" positions them at the cutting edge of enterprise AI. The company culture described emphasizes speed, impact, autonomy, and a high bar for quality, which is crucial for a Senior Product Designer to thrive.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is designated as "Senior Product Designer," indicating a mid-to-late career stage. It requires significant experience and the ability to operate independently, mentor junior designers (implicitly), and influence product strategy. The expectation is for the designer to be a strategic partner rather than an executor.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Senior Product Designer typically reports to a Head of Design, Design Lead, or Director of Product. They will work within cross-functional product squads, collaborating closely with Product Managers and Engineering leads.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer's impact is direct and significant. They will shape the user experience of Raft's core AI platform, influencing customer adoption, satisfaction, and retention. By designing intuitive and effective workflows, they directly contribute to the platform's success in transforming supply chain operations, which in turn drives revenue and market share for Raft.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunity to grow into a Lead Designer or Design Manager role, mentoring a team and setting design direction for larger product areas.

• Product Strategy: Deeper involvement in product strategy, roadmap planning, and defining new product initiatives based on design insights and market analysis.

• Specialization: Potential to specialize in specific areas of the AI platform or user research methodologies, becoming a subject matter expert.

• Cross-functional Advancement: Develop strong cross-functional leadership skills, potentially moving into Product Management or related strategic roles within the company.

• Industry Expertise: Deepen expertise in AI, supply chain technology, and enterprise SaaS design, becoming a recognized professional in these fields.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is positioned as a significant growth opportunity, not just a job. The emphasis on "influencing product direction" and "owning complex problem spaces" points towards a path of increasing strategic responsibility and leadership within the design function and the broader product organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Raft operates a hybrid work model, requiring 3 days per week in their London office. This suggests a modern, collaborative office space designed to facilitate team interaction, brainstorming, and focused work.

Office Location(s): London, United Kingdom. Specific details about the office location within London would be provided during the interview process, but it is expected to be in a central, accessible area typical for tech companies.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on partnership indicate a workspace that encourages team collaboration, spontaneous discussions, and knowledge sharing, especially during in-office days.

• Tools & Technology: As a tech company, the office will be equipped with modern technology to support design and development workflows, likely including high-speed internet, collaboration tools, and potentially advanced display setups for presentations.

• Team Interaction: The 3-day in-office requirement is designed to maximize opportunities for designers to interact with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders, fostering alignment and a shared understanding of product goals.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour workweek is expected, with flexibility around core hours. The hybrid model allows for a balance between structured in-office collaboration and remote work, catering to the need for focused design time and efficient process management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect of the work environment, balancing the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work. This is crucial for fostering team cohesion and effective design processes in a fast-paced startup.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

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

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A deep dive into your portfolio, discussing your process, impact, and strategic thinking. This may be followed by a take-home design challenge or an in-person/virtual whiteboarding session to assess problem-solving skills and design methodology.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineering leads to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to work effectively within a product team.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final discussion with the hiring manager (likely Head of Design or similar) to assess leadership potential, strategic alignment, and overall fit with the team and company vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storytelling: Structure your case studies as narratives. Clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the challenges encountered, your design solutions, and the impact of your work (quantified where possible).

• Process Over Pixels: While visual polish is important, focus on demonstrating your design thinking and process. Explain the "why" behind your decisions.

• Complexity & Scale: Highlight projects that demonstrate your ability to handle complex systems, large datasets, and enterprise-level user needs. Showcase how you tackled ambiguity.

• Impact & Results: Wherever possible, quantify the impact of your designs. Use metrics related to user engagement, conversion rates, efficiency gains, or customer satisfaction.

• Tailor to Raft: Understand Raft's mission (AI for supply chain) and tailor your presentation to highlight relevant experience and your approach to solving similar problems.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: If given a take-home challenge, thoroughly understand the problem statement, target users, and objectives.

• Think Aloud: For whiteboarding sessions, articulate your thought process clearly. Explain your assumptions, explore different approaches, and justify your decisions.

• Focus on Strategy: Demonstrate strategic thinking by considering business goals, technical constraints, and user needs holistically.

• Embrace Ambiguity: Expect scenarios where you'll need to make informed assumptions. Show how you would approach such situations.

• Collaboration: Be open to feedback and dialogue during the challenge. Show you can incorporate input constructively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process and portfolio review are designed to assess not just design craft but also strategic thinking, problem-solving ability, and collaboration skills. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process deeply and demonstrate how they drive product outcomes.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable for collaborative SaaS design), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), InVision, Principle, or similar for prototyping and animation.

• User Research & Analysis: Tools for user interviews, usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback), survey platforms (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform), and potentially Miro or Mural for collaborative whiteboarding and affinity mapping.

• Project Management & Collaboration: Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar for task tracking and workflow management; Slack for real-time communication.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Pendo to track user behavior, feature adoption, and engagement metrics.

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, or internal dashboards for analyzing usage data and presenting insights to stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a designer's tool, understanding how CRM (e.g., Salesforce) and automation platforms (e.g., Marketo, HubSpot) integrate with or impact the user experience of enterprise software can be beneficial. Raft's platform itself is an automation/intelligence engine.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the core tools will be design-centric (Figma, prototyping tools), understanding how designers leverage analytics platforms to inform their work and how their designs integrate into broader business systems (like CRMs or operational dashboards) is crucial for an enterprise SaaS role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: The primary value is making a tangible impact on customers and the industry, measured by results rather than activity.

• Autonomy & Ownership: High trust in individuals to identify problems, take initiative, and own their work from start to finish without micromanagement.

• Customer-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and solving real customer problems through direct engagement and empathy.

• Excellence & High Bar: A dedication to high-quality craft and outcomes, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in AI and supply chain technology.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Valuing strong partnerships between design, product, and engineering to build the best possible solutions.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are embedded within product squads, working daily with Product Managers and Engineers to ensure seamless product development and alignment.

• Design Critiques & Feedback: A culture of constructive feedback and critique is essential for raising design quality and fostering learning.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of insights, best practices, and learnings across the design team and with other departments.

• Proactive Communication: Open and transparent communication is key, especially within the hybrid model, to keep everyone aligned and informed.

📝 Enhancement Note: Raft's stated values of "impact," "autonomy," and "customer-centricity" directly shape the expected behavior and working style of team members, including designers. The emphasis on a "high bar" and "partnership" indicates a demanding yet rewarding environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Tackling the inherent complexity of enterprise supply chain operations, which involves numerous stakeholders, fragmented systems, and large volumes of data.

• AI-Native Workflows: Innovating in the emerging space of AI-native user experiences, which often requires designing for probabilistic outcomes and agentic behavior rather than deterministic interfaces.

• Balancing Ambiguity and Structure: Operating in a fast-paced startup environment where processes are evolving while still needing to deliver high-quality, reliable designs for enterprise clients.

• Influencing Strategy: Effectively translating design insights into strategic product decisions and gaining buy-in from cross-functional stakeholders.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI & ML Design: Gaining hands-on experience designing with cutting-edge AI and machine learning technologies.

• Supply Chain Domain Expertise: Developing a deep understanding of the intricacies and challenges within the global supply chain industry.

• Strategic Product Influence: Growing skills in product strategy, roadmap definition, and influencing business outcomes through design.

• Leadership Skills: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and potentially grow into management roles.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Access to industry events, workshops, and potential certifications related to UX, AI, or supply chain technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to Raft's specific domain (supply chain, AI) and its stage of growth (startup). The growth opportunities highlight how tackling these challenges can lead to significant professional development and career advancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you significantly influenced product strategy through design. What was the outcome?" (Focus on your process, data used, and impact.)

• "How would you approach designing an AI-native workflow for supply chain exception management? What are the key considerations?" (Demonstrate understanding of AI design principles and supply chain pain points.)

• "Walk me through a complex B2B SaaS product you designed. What were the biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Highlight your problem-solving skills and end-to-end process.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about Raft's mission to transform supply chain with AI?" (Show genuine interest and research.)

• "How do you typically collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers? Describe a successful collaboration and any challenges you've faced." (Assess your teamwork and communication style.)

• "How do you ensure your designs are customer-centered, especially when dealing with complex enterprise needs?" (Explain your research and validation methods.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": Begin each case study by clearly defining the problem and the business/user goals.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, user flows) to illustrate your design process and solutions.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, present metrics that demonstrate the success of your designs. If exact numbers aren't available, discuss the qualitative impact and rationale.

• Highlight Your Role: Be clear about your specific contributions, especially in team projects.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, trade-offs, and alternative approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, a deep understanding of the design process, and the ability to articulate impact. Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience in B2B SaaS and their approach to designing for complex, data-driven, and AI-powered products.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 case studies that best showcase your experience in end-to-end product design for complex B2B SaaS or enterprise software, with a focus on user research, interaction design, and measurable impact.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords such as "Product Design," "B2B SaaS," "Enterprise Software," "User Research," "UI/UX," "Product Strategy," and experience with "AI" or "complex systems." Quantify achievements where possible.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Raft's mission, product, and recent news. Understand their focus on AI for supply chain and their customer-centered approach. This will help you articulate your interest and align your answers with their values.

• Prepare for Design Discussion: Be ready to articulate your design process, rationale behind decisions, and the impact of your work during portfolio reviews and potential design challenges. Practice explaining complex projects concisely.

⚠️ 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.