Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Renesas Electronics (Altium)

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: July 31, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (4+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end design vision and strategy for complex, data-rich, collaborative cloud workflows within the Altium 365 platform.

• Translate customer needs and business objectives into intuitive, scalable, and high-quality user experiences across the full product lifecycle.

• Champion a user-centered mindset and advocate for customer needs, balancing technical constraints with user-friendly interfaces.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Engineering, and Research teams to define product direction and ensure design feasibility and fidelity.

• Mentor junior designers and contribute to the evolution of the design system and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Senior Product Designer," the core responsibilities and required experience (4+ years) suggest a role with significant ownership and strategic input, akin to a Lead Product Designer or Senior UX/UI Designer with a strong product focus. The emphasis on cloud platforms, data-rich workflows, and cross-functional collaboration positions this role within the broader Product Operations and GTM ecosystem, requiring a deep understanding of how design impacts user adoption and product success.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and drive the design vision and end-to-end experience for key areas of the Altium 365 cloud platform, translating ambiguous problems into clear design solutions.

• Design intuitive, scalable user experiences for complex, data-heavy, and collaborative workflows, creating wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs.

• Partner with product managers and engineering leaders to align design solutions with technical feasibility, business priorities, and product roadmap.

• Collaborate with design systems designers to apply and evolve shared components, patterns, and tokens, ensuring platform consistency and extensibility.

• Conduct or contribute to user research, usability testing, and discovery work to validate design decisions and iterate based on qualitative and quantitative feedback.

• Clearly document design rationale, flows, and specifications for seamless engineering handoff, ensuring alignment with accessibility, usability, and quality standards.

• Work closely with front-end engineers to ensure designs are implemented with high fidelity, identifying and reducing gaps between design intent and shipped experience.

• Audit shipped product experiences to ensure consistency and usability, identifying friction points and driving iterative improvements based on data and customer feedback.

• Act as a mentor and subject matter expert for designers on the team, fostering a culture of user-centered thinking and continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design leadership and hands-on execution, common in senior roles within SaaS environments. The emphasis on "data-rich, collaborative cloud workflows" and "end-to-end experience" points to a need for designers who can manage complex information architecture and user journeys, directly impacting product adoption and user efficiency, which are key metrics in GTM and product operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for senior design roles. A strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience will be highly valued.

Experience: 4+ years of progressive experience in product design, with a focus on SaaS, cloud-based platforms, or complex technical applications. Proven experience owning end-to-end design for significant features or products within a multi-team, agile environment.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in end-to-end product design, from discovery to delivery, for features or products in a multi-team environment.

• Strong systems thinking capabilities and demonstrable experience designing for complex, data-rich, and collaborative workflows.

• Advanced proficiency in design and prototyping tools, with a strong emphasis on Figma (components, variables, tokens, advanced prototyping).

• Deep understanding of interaction design principles, responsive design patterns, and modern web application architectures.

• Experience working collaboratively with front-end engineers, understanding technical constraints, and ensuring design implementation fidelity.

• Ability to translate customer needs and business goals into clear design principles and product direction.

• Experience conducting or contributing to user research, usability testing, and discovery work to validate design decisions. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with SaaS or cloud platforms, particularly collaborative or data-intensive products within the electronics design or manufacturing space.

• Strong understanding of design systems, tokens, theming, and component-driven development principles.

• Familiarity with front-end frameworks such as Vue.js and an understanding of component-driven development methodologies.

• Knowledge of accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive design practices.

• Experience simplifying and standardizing data-dense, collaborative interfaces.

• Passion for building products that empower engineering teams and scale across evolving customer needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize core UX/UI competencies but also highlight the specific demands of designing for complex SaaS platforms. The mention of Figma proficiency, design systems, and front-end collaboration is critical for candidates to showcase in their portfolios and during interviews, demonstrating their ability to contribute to a mature product development process.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end design process for at least 2-3 complex SaaS features or products, demonstrating problem definition, user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and testing.

• Highlight experience designing for data-rich and collaborative workflows, illustrating how complexity was managed and simplified for the user.

• Include case studies that detail your role in defining design strategy and driving product direction for key areas.

• Demonstrate advanced Figma usage, including component libraries, design system contributions, and complex prototyping examples.

• Present projects that involved close collaboration with product managers and front-end engineers, detailing how alignment was achieved and challenges were overcome. Process Documentation:

• For each portfolio project, clearly articulate the user problem and business objectives addressed.

• Detail the research methodologies used (e.g., user interviews, usability testing, surveys) and the insights gained.

• Explain the design decisions made, including information architecture, user flows, and interaction patterns, with rationale supported by research.

• Showcase the iterative design process, including how feedback (user, stakeholder, engineering) was incorporated.

• Provide examples of how you collaborated with engineering for implementation, including handoff documentation and post-launch iterations.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role, a portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond just showcasing polished UI. Candidates must demonstrate strategic thinking, a robust design process, and the ability to handle complexity—skills directly transferable to optimizing product adoption and user workflows, which are core to Revenue and Product Operations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Senior Product Designer in Lisbon, Portugal, with 4+ years of experience and expertise in SaaS/cloud platforms, the estimated annual salary range is typically between €45,000 and €65,000. This range can vary based on specific experience, negotiation skills, and the company's compensation philosophy.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and potential for performance-based bonuses.

• Comprehensive health insurance package, potentially including dental and vision.

• Generous paid time off (PTO), including vacation days, public holidays, and sick leave.

• Opportunities for professional development, training, and attending industry conferences.

• Access to modern design tools and technology infrastructure.

• Potential for stock options or other long-term incentives as part of the Renesas Group.

• Collaborative and innovative work environment within a global technology company.

• Support for professional growth and career advancement within Altium and Renesas.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week, typically Monday to Friday. While the role is on-site, there may be some flexibility in start and end times, subject to team coordination and business needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate for Lisbon, Portugal, based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in technology. Benefits are typical for international tech companies of this size and scope. The "PERM" employment type mentioned in the raw data suggests potential sponsorship pathways, which can be a significant benefit for international candidates.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Software, Cloud Platforms, Electronics Design Automation)

Company Size: Altium is part of the Renesas Group. Renesas Electronics is a large global corporation (over 20,000 employees), while Altium itself has a significant presence with hundreds to thousands of employees. This offers a blend of a focused, innovative product team environment within a large, established organization.

Founded: Altium was founded in 1991. Renesas Electronics was formed in 2003.

Team Structure:

• The Senior Product Designer will likely be part of the core Product team for Altium 365, reporting to a Design Lead or Head of Product Design.

• This team will include Product Managers, other Product Designers (specializing in UX, UI, systems), UX Researchers, and potentially dedicated Design System Engineers.

• Close collaboration with Software Engineering teams (front-end and back-end), Product Marketing, and Customer Success is expected. Methodology:

• Agile development methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) are standard for SaaS product development, ensuring iterative releases and continuous feedback integration.

• A strong emphasis on user-centered design principles, data-driven decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Design thinking frameworks are likely employed to tackle complex problems and foster innovation.

Company Website: https://www.altium.com/ (Altium), https://www.renesas.com/ (Renesas)

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding the dual nature of Altium within Renesas is key. Altium maintains its identity as an innovator in electronics design software, while Renesas provides the stability and resources of a global semiconductor and electronics leader. This implies a culture that values both agility and robust processes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level individual contributor role. It signifies a high degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and the ability to mentor others. The "Senior" title implies not just technical skill but also leadership potential within the design discipline.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will report to a Design Manager or Lead, and will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads. They are expected to influence product strategy and execution within their domain.

Operations Impact: The design of the Altium 365 platform directly impacts how engineering teams collaborate, design, and manufacture electronics. Successful design translates to increased user adoption, higher customer satisfaction, reduced churn, and ultimately, greater revenue and market share. The efficiency and intuitiveness of the platform are critical to its success in the competitive EDA (Electronic Design Automation) market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership: Progression to Design Lead, Group Lead, or Head of Product Design roles within Altium.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like design systems, complex data visualization, collaborative workflows, or user research.

• Cross-functional Roles: Transition into Product Management, UX Research leadership, or even strategic roles within Product Operations, leveraging design thinking and user advocacy.

• Global Opportunities: Within the broader Renesas organization, there may be opportunities to work on different product lines or in different geographical regions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations Impact" section is framed through the lens of how design contributes to business success, aligning with the broader goals of Revenue and Product Operations. Growth opportunities highlight a clear career path for experienced designers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is advertised as on-site in Lisbon, Portugal. This suggests a dedicated office space designed to foster collaboration and innovation, typical of technology companies.

Office Location(s): Lisbon, Portugal. This location offers a vibrant tech scene and a good quality of life, making it an attractive hub for talent.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect a workspace designed for team interaction, including meeting rooms, breakout areas, and open-plan seating, encouraging spontaneous discussions and co-creation.

• Tools & Technology: Access to high-performance workstations, necessary software licenses (Figma, Adobe Suite, etc.), and reliable internet connectivity will be standard.

• Team Interaction: Regular team stand-ups, design critiques, cross-functional syncs, and company-wide town halls will be part of the routine.

Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work week is expected, with a focus on results and collaboration. While on-site, there might be some flexibility in daily start/end times, but core hours will likely be established for team alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement for Lisbon is crucial. It implies a company culture that values in-person collaboration, team synergy, and a structured work environment conducive to complex problem-solving.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or Recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and salary expectations.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: Candidates will likely present a selection of their work, focusing on 2-3 key projects that demonstrate their end-to-end design process, strategic thinking, and ability to handle complex workflows. Be prepared to discuss your role, decisions, and outcomes.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: A practical exercise, potentially involving a design problem related to Altium 365, or a deep dive into a specific aspect of their platform. This might be a take-home assignment or an in-person/virtual workshop.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interviews: In-depth discussions with the Design Lead, Product Managers, and potentially Engineering Leads to assess technical skills, problem-solving abilities, collaboration style, and cultural alignment.

• Final Round: Possibly a conversation with a senior leader or executive to finalize the decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your experience with complex, data-rich, collaborative SaaS workflows. Prioritize quality over quantity.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your process, your specific contributions, the challenges faced, and the measurable outcomes or impact. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Figma Proficiency: Demonstrate advanced Figma skills, including design system usage, component libraries, variables, and complex prototyping.

• Showcase Collaboration: Detail how you partnered with Product Management and Engineering. Provide examples of how you translated technical constraints into design solutions.

• Focus on Impact: Quantify results where possible (e.g., improved user satisfaction scores, reduced task completion time, increased feature adoption).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with Altium's products, the electronics design lifecycle, and the challenges faced by engineers. Research competitors.

• Think Systems: For any design challenge, consider the broader system, user flows, data dependencies, and potential edge cases.

• Prioritize and Justify: Be prepared to explain your design choices, prioritize features, and justify trade-offs based on user needs and business goals.

• Practice Presentation: Rehearse presenting your work and solutions clearly, concisely, and confidently, anticipating questions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to thoroughly evaluate a candidate's design skills, strategic thinking, and fit within a complex SaaS product environment. Emphasis on portfolio presentation and design challenges is standard for senior roles and requires candidates to demonstrate practical application of their expertise.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (Advanced proficiency required for components, variables, tokens, prototyping).

• Collaboration: Tools like Jira, Confluence, Slack, Microsoft Teams for cross-functional communication and project management.

• Design Systems: Experience with or contribution to design systems, component libraries, and style guides.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not directly a designer's primary tool, understanding analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to interpret user behavior and inform design decisions is beneficial.

• Familiarity with data visualization tools can aid in understanding and presenting complex data within designs. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the Senior Product Designer role, but an understanding of how design impacts user journeys within CRM and marketing automation platforms could be an advantage in understanding the broader customer lifecycle.

• Familiarity with front-end frameworks (e.g., Vue.js) and component-driven development is preferred, indicating an appreciation for engineering implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly called out as a required tool, highlighting its central role in the design workflow. The preference for Vue.js knowledge signals a desire for designers who understand the technical implementation of their work, bridging the gap between design and development.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user, ensuring that design solutions solve real problems and enhance user experience.

• Collaboration: Fostering strong partnerships across product, engineering, research, and other departments to achieve shared goals and build cohesive products.

• Innovation: Encouraging creative problem-solving and pushing boundaries to develop cutting-edge solutions that redefine the electronics design process.

• Quality & Craftsmanship: A dedication to high-quality design execution, attention to detail, and creating intuitive, reliable, and aesthetically pleasing interfaces.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Utilizing data and user feedback to inform design choices, validate hypotheses, and drive continuous improvement.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Working seamlessly with Product Management to define requirements and strategy, and with Engineering to ensure faithful implementation.

• Design Critiques: Engaging in constructive feedback sessions to refine designs and elevate the quality of work across the team.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in sharing best practices, design patterns, and insights to uplift the entire product organization.

• Iterative Approach: Embracing an agile mindset where designs are refined based on ongoing feedback and data.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize a modern, user-focused, and collaborative approach to product development, which is essential for success in a competitive SaaS market. This culture supports the integration of design into the broader GTM strategy.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Balancing sophisticated functionality and data-rich interfaces with intuitive usability for professional users.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent vision and execution across multiple teams (design, product, engineering) with potentially competing priorities.

• Evolving Technology: Keeping pace with advancements in cloud technology, design tools, and user expectations in the rapidly changing electronics industry.

• Scalability: Designing solutions that are not only effective today but can scale to accommodate future growth and new product features.

• User Adoption: Driving the adoption of new features and workflows within a user base accustomed to established design patterns.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to master complex design patterns, advanced prototyping, and potentially explore new areas like motion design or UX research.

• Industry Expertise: Deepen knowledge of the electronics design and manufacturing domain, understanding the nuances of the target user base.

• Leadership Development: Mentoring junior designers, leading design initiatives, and developing strategic thinking for product roadmapping.

• Design System Contribution: Playing a key role in evolving and maintaining a robust design system that supports platform consistency and efficiency.

• Global Exposure: Working within a large, international organization (Renesas) can offer exposure to diverse markets and product strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: Addressing these challenges proactively demonstrates foresight and a strategic approach, which are highly valued in senior roles. The growth opportunities are aligned with typical career trajectories for experienced product designers.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex, data-rich workflow. How did you approach simplifying it for the user while retaining necessary functionality?" (Focus on your process, user research, and problem-solving.)

• "How do you balance user needs with technical constraints and business goals when designing a new feature?" (Highlight your collaboration with PMs and Engineers, and your decision-making rationale.)

• "Walk us through your process for designing and implementing a significant feature for a SaaS product. What was your specific role and the outcome?" (Use a case study from your portfolio.)

• "How do you ensure consistency and scalability in your designs, especially within a large platform or when working with a design system?" (Discuss your approach to design systems, pattern libraries, and documentation.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Altium and the Altium 365 platform specifically?" (Research Altium's mission, products, and recent news.)

• "How do you contribute to a user-centered culture within a product team?" (Share examples of advocating for users and driving user research.)

• "Describe your experience collaborating with front-end engineers. How do you ensure your designs are implemented accurately?" (Emphasize communication, handoff process, and feedback loops.)

• "How do you handle constructive criticism on your designs, both from peers and stakeholders?" (Showcase your openness to feedback and iterative improvement.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Organize your presentation logically, starting with the problem and ending with the impact. For each project:

  1. Context: Briefly introduce the company/product and the specific problem you were solving.
  2. Your Role: Clearly define your responsibilities and contributions.
  3. Process: Detail your research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and UI design steps. Use visuals extensively.
  4. Challenges & Solutions: Discuss any hurdles encountered and how you overcame them.
  5. Outcomes/Impact: Present the results (qualitative and quantitative) and lessons learned.

• Highlight Figma Mastery: When discussing your work, point out specific examples of your advanced Figma skills (e.g., complex component states, dynamic content, interactive prototypes).

• Emphasize Data & Collaboration: For data-rich workflows, show how you visualized data. For collaborative features, explain how you designed for multiple users and permissions.

• Be Prepared for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your decisions, alternative approaches, and how you would handle specific scenarios.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing for these types of questions and presenting a strong portfolio are critical for a Senior Product Designer. The focus on "data-rich, collaborative workflows" and "SaaS platforms" means candidates should tailor their examples to these specific requirements.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on SmartRecruiters.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 4+ years of experience in product design, specifically mentioning SaaS, cloud platforms, complex workflows, and your proficiency in Figma. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end design process for complex, data-rich, and collaborative SaaS applications. Ensure your portfolio clearly showcases your Figma skills, systems thinking, and collaboration with engineering.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Rehearse presenting your selected portfolio projects, focusing on storytelling, design rationale, and measurable impact. Be ready to discuss your process and decision-making.

• Research Renesas/Altium: Understand the company's mission, products (especially Altium 365), and the electronics design industry. Prepare thoughtful questions for the interviewers.

⚠️ 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.