Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Sime Darby (Hastings Deering)

Location: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Job Type: Full time (12-month fixed-term contract)

Category: Digital Product Design, User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI)

Date Posted: 2026-08-28

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design initiatives, from initial discovery and user research through to final prototyping and delivery of digital solutions.

• Champion user-centered design principles and design thinking methodologies across business-critical operational and customer-focused digital programs.

• Collaborate extensively with business stakeholders, product owners, and development teams to transform complex challenges into intuitive and impactful digital experiences.

• Drive the creation of engaging UX and UI designs for digital products and platforms, ensuring alignment with both customer needs and strategic business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a 12-month fixed-term contract, indicating a project-based focus or a need for specific expertise for a defined period. The emphasis on "business-critical initiatives" and "measurable outcomes" suggests a high-impact role where design directly contributes to operational efficiency and business performance, aligning with typical GTM and operations support functions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design intuitive and engaging User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) solutions across a range of digital products and platforms.

• Lead discovery activities, including in-depth customer needs analysis, requirement definition, and solution shaping, to ensure designs are rooted in user insights.

• Facilitate stakeholder workshops, collaborative design sessions, and ideation activities to foster alignment and gather diverse perspectives.

• Create rapid prototypes and compelling concepts utilizing modern AI-assisted design tools to visualize and test design directions effectively.

• Conduct rigorous user research, validation activities, and usability testing to inform and iterate on design decisions, ensuring user feedback is integrated into the process.

• Develop comprehensive customer journeys, user flows, wireframes, and other essential design artefacts to map out user interactions and system logic.

• Contribute to, and actively maintain, design systems to ensure consistency, accessibility, and adherence to best practices across all digital touchpoints.

• Partner closely with business stakeholders, product owners, developers, and delivery teams throughout the entire design lifecycle, ensuring seamless integration and communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly outline a senior-level role requiring ownership of the design process. The mention of "business-critical initiatives," "operational and customer-focused digital programs," and "measurable outcomes" highlights the strategic importance of this design function in supporting broader business objectives, including GTM and operational efficiency.

கல் Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating practical application of design principles is paramount. Relevant fields of study could include Graphic Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Interaction Design, or related disciplines.

Experience: Minimum of five years of progressive experience in delivering UX/UI design solutions for digital products and platforms, with a proven track record of managing the end-to-end design process.

Required Skills:

• Minimum five years’ experience delivering UX/UI design solutions for digital products and platforms.

• Strong foundational knowledge and practical application across customer experience (CX), service design, user experience (UX), and user interface (UI) design principles.

• Proven ability to conduct and apply insights from both qualitative and quantitative user research to inform design strategies.

• Demonstrated experience in facilitating workshops, discovery sessions, and stakeholder engagement activities to drive consensus and gather requirements.

• Advanced proficiency with modern design and prototyping tools, specifically Figma, and experience with AI-assisted design platforms.

• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to effectively engage and present to stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

• Experience working within Agile delivery environments and collaborating effectively within cross-functional product teams.

• A demonstrable passion for creating exceptional user experiences that drive meaningful business outcomes and operational improvements. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with service design methodologies and mapping customer journeys for complex service ecosystems.

• Familiarity with accessibility standards and best practices (e.g., WCAG).

• Experience in contributing to or managing design systems within large organizations.

• Knowledge of front-end development principles to facilitate better collaboration with engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "measurable outcomes" and focus on "operational and customer-focused digital programs" suggests that candidates with experience in designing for operational efficiency, internal tools, or customer-facing platforms that drive business value will be highly regarded. The emphasis on AI-assisted tools indicates a forward-looking approach to design processes.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate end-to-end design process ownership for at least 2-3 significant digital product initiatives, showcasing your journey from problem definition to solution delivery.

• Include case studies that clearly articulate the problem statement, your design process, the tools and methodologies used (especially Figma and AI-assisted tools), and the measurable impact of your design solutions.

• Showcase examples of user research findings, customer journeys, user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity prototypes, detailing the rationale behind key design decisions.

• Highlight your contribution to or management of design systems, illustrating how you ensure consistency, scalability, and accessibility across digital products. Process Documentation:

• Provide evidence of your approach to discovery and research, including how you gather user insights and translate them into actionable design requirements.

• Illustrate your methods for collaborative design and stakeholder engagement, such as workshop outputs or consensus-building strategies.

• Detail your experience with prototyping and user testing, explaining how you iterate on designs based on feedback and validation to achieve optimal user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role, as it will be the primary means of evaluating a candidate's ability to manage the full design lifecycle and deliver impactful results. Emphasis should be placed on showcasing the process and outcomes, not just the final visuals. The mention of "measurable outcomes" means demonstrating how designs improved efficiency, reduced errors, or increased user adoption is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the Senior Product Designer title, 5-10 years of experience, and the Brisbane location, a competitive salary range for a 12-month fixed-term contract in Australia is estimated between AUD $120,000 - $160,000 per annum (pro-rata). This range is based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in major Australian cities, taking into account the fixed-term nature and the specific responsibilities outlined.

Benefits:

• Flexibility & Work-Life Balance: Flexible working hours and hybrid office/work-from-home arrangements to support personal well-being.

• Career Development: Continuous learning and development opportunities, including attendance at relevant conferences and industry events.

• Health & Wellbeing Support: Employee Assistance Program, free health checks, and discounted private health insurance.

• Financial Benefits: Rewarding salary package with yearly reviews, salary continuance insurance, protection insurance, paid parental leave, and discounts at major retailers.

• Innovation & Improvement: Opportunities to drive continuous improvement and embrace technological advancements.

Working Hours: A standard full-time work week, likely 38-40 hours, with flexibility offered through hybrid arrangements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on typical remuneration for senior-level contract positions in the Australian market for design roles of this nature. The benefits package is comprehensive, reflecting a commitment to employee well-being and professional growth, which is attractive for contract roles as well.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Industrial and Motors sectors, with a specific entity being Hastings Deering, a major supplier of Cat equipment. Sime Darby's broader operations span 17 countries. This context implies a need for digital solutions that support complex industrial operations, supply chains, and customer service for heavy machinery.

Company Size: Sime Darby is a large, diversified organization with a strong footprint in the Asia Pacific region. Hastings Deering, as part of Sime Industrial, likely operates with a significant number of employees, suggesting a structured environment with established processes but also opportunities for impact.

Founded: While the founding date of Sime Darby is not provided, its long-standing presence and multi-country operations indicate a mature, stable organization with a deep understanding of its markets.

Team Structure:

• The role reports to the Digital Design Lead within the Product & Digital Experience team. This indicates a dedicated team focused on digital transformation and user-centric design.

• The team likely comprises product managers, designers, researchers, and potentially UX writers, working in close collaboration with business stakeholders and development teams.

• Expect a cross-functional operating model, where designers are embedded within or work closely with product squads or project teams to deliver specific initiatives. Methodology:

• The company emphasizes "digital experiences that create value for our customers, support our operations, and drive business performance," suggesting a data-driven approach to design, focusing on measurable outcomes.

• Agile delivery environments are mentioned, indicating iterative development and a focus on continuous improvement and rapid feedback loops.

• The role's focus on "design thinking" and "user-centred digital solutions" points to a structured approach to problem-solving and innovation.

Company Website: https://www.simedarby.com/ and https://www.hastingsdeering.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The industrial context is crucial. Designs will likely need to accommodate complex workflows, heavy machinery operations, and potentially diverse user groups (e.g., field technicians, logistics managers, customers). This means prioritizing clarity, efficiency, and robustness in design solutions over purely aesthetic appeal.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, signifying a level of expertise and autonomy. The individual is expected to lead design efforts, mentor others implicitly, and influence design strategy for specific projects. It's a critical individual contributor role focused on execution and strategic design thinking within defined project scopes.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer reports to the Digital Design Lead. This provides a clear line of reporting for guidance, feedback, and career development within the design function. Collaboration will extend to Product Owners, business stakeholders, and development teams.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is framed around "delivering digital experiences that create value for our customers, support our operations, and drive business performance." Specifically, the Senior Product Designer will contribute to "business-critical initiatives" and "operational and customer-focused digital programs," aiming for "measurable outcomes." This means designs are expected to directly improve operational efficiency, enhance customer satisfaction, and contribute to the company's bottom line.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of UX/UI design, service design, or user research within the industrial sector.

• Leadership: Potential to move into a Lead Designer role or take on more significant project leadership responsibilities within the Product & Digital Experience team.

• Skill Expansion: Gain exposure to new technologies and methodologies, particularly AI-assisted design tools and advanced prototyping techniques.

• Industry Exposure: Develop a strong understanding of the industrial and heavy machinery sectors, which can be a valuable niche expertise.

• Networking: Build a professional network within Sime Darby's global operations and potentially within the Cat dealer network.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a 12-month contract, the immediate growth opportunity is focused on project success and skill application. However, for a high-performing individual, there may be potential for extension or opportunities within the broader Sime Darby network, especially given the emphasis on continuous learning and growth.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid, combining office-based work with remote work-from-home arrangements. This suggests a modern approach to workplace flexibility.

Office Location(s): The primary office location is 99 Melbourne St, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. This is likely a well-equipped office space designed to facilitate collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on stakeholder workshops suggest an environment that values in-person collaboration for ideation and problem-solving, balanced with the flexibility of remote work for focused individual tasks.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design and prototyping tools, including Figma and AI-assisted design platforms, will be standard. The company's commitment to technological advancement implies a well-resourced digital environment.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with the Digital Design Lead, product owners, developers, and other business stakeholders, fostering a dynamic and communicative work atmosphere.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (likely 38-40 per week) with flexibility. The hybrid arrangement allows for a degree of autonomy in managing one's schedule, particularly concerning when to work from home versus the office, facilitating focused design work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key feature. Candidates should be comfortable working autonomously and proactively communicating their progress, while also being adept at leveraging in-office time for high-impact collaborative sessions.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of your resume and portfolio by the Talent Acquisition Partner (Megan Reidy). Be prepared to articulate your experience and highlight relevant case studies.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the Digital Design Lead focusing on your experience, design philosophy, approach to problem-solving, and how you've handled complex design challenges. They will assess your fit for the role and team.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A session dedicated to walking through your portfolio, discussing specific projects, and potentially presenting a design exercise or case study. This is where you'll demonstrate your process, critical thinking, and ability to articulate design decisions.

• Stakeholder/Team Interview: Potentially an interview with product owners, developers, or other key stakeholders to assess collaboration skills, communication style, and ability to work within an Agile team.

• Final Interview/Offer: Discussion about the contract terms, benefits, and final confirmation.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best showcase your end-to-end design process, particularly those involving complex problem-solving or driving measurable outcomes.

• Focus on Process: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your role, the research and discovery methods used, key design decisions and their rationale, iterations, and the final outcome/impact. Use visuals effectively but ensure they support the narrative.

• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize how you worked with stakeholders, product owners, and developers. Showcase examples of workshop facilitation or collaborative problem-solving.

• Demonstrate Tool Proficiency: Explicitly mention and show examples of your work using Figma and any AI-assisted design tools.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics or qualitative feedback that demonstrates the success of your designs (e.g., improved task completion rates, reduced error rates, increased user satisfaction).

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a design challenge that might involve a hypothetical problem related to industrial operations or customer service within the Sime Darby/Hastings Deering context.

• Focus on articulating your thought process: how you'd approach understanding the problem, who you'd talk to, what research you'd conduct, and how you'd develop potential solutions.

• Practice presenting your design thinking and rationale concisely and clearly.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company emphasizes "measurable outcomes" and "business performance." Therefore, your portfolio and interview responses should consistently link your design work to tangible business benefits and operational improvements.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency is explicitly required for UX/UI design, prototyping, and potentially collaboration within design systems.

• AI-assisted Design Platforms: Experience with tools that leverage AI for design tasks, such as generating design options, automating repetitive tasks, or providing design suggestions.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's capabilities, familiarity with dedicated prototyping tools might be beneficial for complex interactive prototypes.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a requirement, understanding how to interpret user analytics (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) and performance metrics is crucial for informing design decisions and measuring impact.

• Familiarity with tools used for usability testing and feedback collection. CRM & Automation:

• While not directly designing CRM systems, understanding their role in customer interactions and business operations will be beneficial. Experience designing user interfaces for internal operational tools or customer-facing applications that might integrate with CRM data is valuable.

• Familiarity with workflow design and automation concepts, as digital solutions often aim to streamline processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is a non-negotiable requirement. The mention of AI-assisted tools indicates the company is investing in modern design technologies, so candidates should be open to exploring and utilizing these.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding and meeting customer needs to drive value and loyalty.

• Operational Excellence: Commitment to efficiency, quality, and continuous improvement in all processes and digital solutions.

• Innovation & Improvement: Embracing technological advancements and new methodologies to stay ahead and enhance performance.

• Collaboration: Working effectively across diverse teams and functions to achieve shared goals.

• Integrity & Governance: Upholding high standards of corporate governance and ethical conduct.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to work closely with product owners, business stakeholders, and development teams, acting as a bridge between user needs and technical implementation.

• Agile Methodology: Collaboration will likely follow Agile principles, involving iterative development, regular feedback loops, and adaptive planning.

• Workshop-Driven: A culture that values collaborative sessions for ideation, problem-solving, and consensus-building.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values, particularly "Operational Excellence" and "Innovation & Improvement," directly align with the goals of a Senior Product Designer focused on creating efficient and effective digital solutions. Candidates should demonstrate how their design work contributes to these values.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Managing competing priorities and requirements from various business stakeholders and product owners while maintaining a user-centered approach.

• Designing for Industrial Complexity: Creating intuitive digital experiences for potentially complex industrial environments and user groups with specific technical needs.

• Measuring Design Impact: Quantifying the success of design interventions in terms of operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, or business performance, especially within a fixed-term contract.

• Navigating Legacy Systems: Potentially integrating new digital solutions with existing or legacy operational systems, requiring careful consideration of technical constraints and user workflows.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Industrial Design: Gaining specialized knowledge in designing for the industrial and heavy machinery sectors.

• AI-Powered Design Exploration: Becoming proficient in leveraging AI tools to enhance design workflows and outcomes.

• Cross-functional Project Exposure: Working on a variety of business-critical initiatives, offering broad exposure to different operational areas.

• Networking within a Global Organization: Building connections within Sime Darby's extensive network.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior roles in large, complex organizations. Candidates who can demonstrate resilience, strategic thinking, and a proactive approach to problem-solving will be well-suited. The growth opportunities are significant for a contract role, offering specialized industry experience and advanced tool mastery.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the end-to-end design process for a complex digital product. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on your process, stakeholder management, and problem-solving skills.)

• "How do you ensure your designs are user-centered while also meeting business objectives and technical constraints?" (Highlight your ability to balance user needs with business realities.)

• "Tell me about a project where you used user research to significantly influence a design decision. What was the outcome?" (Demonstrate your research methodology and its impact.)

• "How would you approach designing a digital tool for field technicians maintaining heavy machinery?" (Assess your ability to think through user needs in a specific operational context.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Sime Darby/Hastings Deering and this specific role?" (Show your research and genuine interest in the company and industry.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with product owners and development teams in an Agile environment?" (Emphasize your teamwork and communication skills.)

• "How do you stay updated with the latest design trends and technologies, particularly AI in design?" (Show your commitment to continuous learning.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with a brief overview of your career and design philosophy. For each case study, clearly state the problem, your role, the solution, and the impact.

• Narrative: Tell a compelling story for each project, guiding the interviewer through your thought process and decision-making.

• Visuals: Use high-quality visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes) to illustrate your points, but ensure they complement your verbal explanation.

• Metrics: Be ready to discuss any quantifiable results or business impact your designs have achieved. If metrics aren't available, discuss qualitative feedback and anticipated outcomes.

• Q&A: Be prepared to answer detailed questions about your process, challenges, and decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: When discussing your portfolio, explicitly link your design work to "measurable outcomes," "operational efficiency," and "customer value," as these are key themes in the job description. Demonstrating how your designs support business performance will be highly impactful.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight your experience in end-to-end UX/UI design, user research, Figma proficiency, AI-assisted tool usage, and experience in Agile environments. Focus on case studies that demonstrate measurable outcomes and operational impact.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly lists your years of experience, key skills (UX, UI, Service Design, Research, Figma), and specific achievements relevant to digital product development. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving approach, and ability to collaborate. Be ready to discuss your portfolio projects in detail and prepare for potential design challenges.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Sime Darby's business, Hastings Deering's operations, and the industrial sector. Understand their commitment to digital transformation and innovation.

⚠️ 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.