Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Timescapes

Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-20

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end UX design and usability efforts for core and future product offerings, driving innovation in a rapidly growing tech company.

• Tackle complex, AI-powered design challenges, experimenting with novel concepts and navigating ML/AI model limitations to create market-leading capabilities.

• Actively leverage and drive the adoption of AI tools and workflows across Product & Engineering teams to augment the design process and enhance efficiency.

• Foster collaborative iteration by working closely with customers, product managers, and engineers, soliciting feedback and proactively exchanging ideas.

• Contribute to the strategic scalability of the design system and envision future product directions, ensuring elegant and simple solutions as the product suite expands.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is explicitly for a "Senior Product Designer" with a hybrid work arrangement in Melbourne, Australia. The description heavily emphasizes AI integration into the design process and the product itself, suggesting a need for candidates comfortable with novel technologies and complex problem-solving within a scale-up environment. The "5-10 Years" experience level inferred from AI analysis aligns with the seniority of the role.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive user research using a variety of techniques to deeply understand customer problems and inform design decisions.

• Develop and iterate on prototypes, from low-fidelity concepts to high-fidelity interactive mockups, to effectively communicate design ideas.

• Design and implement complex, AI-driven features that push the boundaries of existing market solutions.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers to define product roadmaps and translate business requirements into intuitive user experiences.

• Partner with Software Engineers to ensure accurate and high-quality implementation of designs, providing clear specifications and ongoing support.

• Lead usability testing sessions, focus groups, and other solution testing methodologies to gather critical feedback and validate design effectiveness.

• Contribute to the evolution and maintenance of the company's design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across all products.

• Actively engage with customers in their environments to gain firsthand insights into their workflows and challenges.

• Proactively identify opportunities for design improvements and new product features based on user feedback and market trends.

• Champion the adoption of AI tools and methodologies within the design and engineering teams to enhance productivity and innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities are expanded to detail the "end-to-end design" process, including specific research, prototyping, testing, and collaboration activities. Emphasis is placed on the unique aspects of working with AI/ML limitations and the strategic contribution to design systems and future product vision, aligning with the "Senior" title and the company's ambitious goals.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for senior roles. Equivalent practical experience will be strongly considered.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of professional experience in product design, with a significant portion focused on UX design and usability for digital products. Experience in a startup or scale-up environment is highly advantageous.

Required Skills:

• End-to-End UX Design: Proven ability to manage the entire design lifecycle from research and ideation through to prototyping, testing, and implementation.

• Complex Problem-Solving: Demonstrated capacity to tackle intricate design challenges, particularly those involving novel technologies like AI and ML.

• AI-Forward Design: Experience or strong aptitude for leveraging AI tools to augment the design process and conceptualize AI-powered features.

• Prototyping & Wireframing: Proficiency in creating various levels of fidelity prototypes (e.g., using Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) to articulate design concepts.

• User Research & Usability Testing: Expertise in planning and executing user research, usability testing, and gathering actionable customer insights.

• Design Systems: Experience in developing, maintaining, and scaling design systems to ensure product consistency and efficiency.

• Collaborative Iteration: Strong ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams (Product Managers, Engineers, Customers) and solicit constructive design critiques.

• Customer Interaction: Comfort and skill in directly engaging with customers through various methods, including field visits and structured interviews.

• Critical Thinking & Rationale: Ability to articulate clear, data-driven rationales for design decisions and question assumptions.

• Communication & Relationship Building: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a talent for building rapport with diverse stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Startup/Scale-up Experience: Prior experience navigating the dynamic environment of a growing tech company, managing competing priorities, and optimizing processes.

• Solo Operator Experience: Proven ability to operate independently, build team culture, and contribute to establishing new operational frameworks in a new region.

• AI/ML Domain Knowledge: Familiarity with the capabilities and limitations of machine learning and AI models, informing design strategies.

• Construction Technology (PropTech/ConTech): Experience or understanding of the construction industry and its unique technological needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-10 Years" experience level is inferred based on the "Senior" title and the expectation of leading significant design efforts and contributing to strategy. The required and preferred skills are derived from the detailed responsibilities and candidate profile outlined in the job description, with a strong emphasis on AI integration and the unique demands of a scale-up environment.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Comprehensive Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 significant product or feature designs from concept to launch, detailing the problem, your role, the design process, and the impact of your solutions.

• AI/ML Integration Examples: Highlight projects where you've designed for or integrated AI/ML capabilities, demonstrating your understanding of these technologies and their user experience implications.

• Process Documentation: Clearly outline the research methodologies, design tools, prototyping techniques, and testing strategies employed for each case study.

• Metrics & Impact: Quantify the success of your designs using relevant metrics (e.g., user engagement, task completion rates, conversion improvements, customer satisfaction). Demonstrate ROI where possible.

• Design System Contribution: If applicable, showcase contributions to or the creation of design systems, illustrating your approach to consistency, scalability, and maintainability.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Provide examples of how you've mapped out and optimized user workflows to enhance efficiency and user satisfaction.

• System Implementation Standards: Illustrate your understanding of how designs translate into functional systems, including collaboration with engineering on implementation.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Detail how you've tracked and analyzed the performance of your designs post-launch to inform future iterations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Portfolio requirements are critical for design roles. The emphasis here is on demonstrating end-to-end design capabilities, specific experience with AI/ML challenges, and the ability to quantify impact, which are all highlighted in the job description. The "solo operator" preference also suggests a need for candidates who can document their own processes thoroughly.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Senior Product Designer in Melbourne, Australia, with 5-10 years of experience, the estimated annual salary range is AUD $120,000 - $170,000. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in major Australian tech hubs, considering the company's scale-up stage and the specialized nature of AI-forward design.

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation Package: Includes base salary, potential for equity or performance bonuses, and comprehensive health and wellness support.

• Enhanced Parental Leave Offering: Generous paid leave for new parents, supporting work-life balance during significant life events.

• EAP Support (Employee Assistance Program): Confidential counseling and support services for employees and their families, covering a range of personal and professional challenges.

• Hybrid Work Arrangement: Flexibility to balance remote work with in-office collaboration, fostering productivity and team connection.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, potentially including access to training, conferences, and workshops relevant to AI and product design.

Working Hours: The role is expected to require approximately 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time position. The hybrid arrangement offers flexibility in how and where these hours are fulfilled, with an expectation of collaboration during core business hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on common benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in Melbourne, Australia. The "competitive compensation package" is a standard benefit, while "Enhanced Parental Leave" and "EAP support" are specifically mentioned. The "40 hours" is a standard assumption for full-time roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically SaaS (Software as a Service) focusing on Construction Technology (ConTech) and AI-powered visual progress tracking solutions. Timescapes operates in a growing market driven by the need for efficiency and visibility in complex construction projects.

Company Size: Small to rapidly growing scale-up. As a team of "high-performers" with a focus on global expansion, Timescapes is likely in a phase of significant growth, offering a dynamic and impactful work environment.

Founded: 2017 in New Zealand. This indicates a company with a solid foundation, having navigated the early stages and now poised for significant scaling.

Team Structure:

• Operations Team: Likely consists of Product Management, Engineering (including AI/ML specialists), and Design. As the second full-time designer, the design function is still maturing and highly integrated.

• Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to a Head of Product, VP of Product, or potentially a CTO, given the company's size and focus.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: High emphasis on close collaboration between Design, Product, and Engineering, as well as direct engagement with customers. The culture values proactive idea-sharing and feedback.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: Utilizes customer feedback, usage data, and AI-driven insights to inform product development and design decisions.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: Focuses on designing intuitive workflows that simplify complex processes for users in the construction industry.

• Automation & Efficiency: Leverages AI and smart design to automate tasks and improve efficiency for their clients, and uses AI tools internally to enhance the design process.

Company Website: https://www.timescapes.co/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context is derived from the provided description, emphasizing its industry, growth stage, and founding history. The team structure and methodology are inferred based on the role's responsibilities and the emphasis on collaboration, AI, and customer-centricity.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a "Senior Product Designer" role, indicating a mid-to-senior level position. It requires a high degree of autonomy, strategic input, and the ability to lead design initiatives. The role is expected to contribute significantly to product strategy and the company's growth trajectory.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to a senior product leader (e.g., Head of Product, VP of Product, or CTO). They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineers, forming a core part of the product development team.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer's work will directly influence the user experience of Timescapes' core product and the development of new AI-powered capabilities. Their contributions will be critical in driving customer adoption, satisfaction, and retention, thereby impacting revenue and the company's market position. The role is positioned to shape the future direction of the product.

Growth Opportunities:

• Operations Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design, complex problem-solving, and leading UX initiatives for innovative SaaS products.

• Leadership Potential: Opportunities to mentor junior designers as the team grows, potentially leading design projects or even a future design team.

• Strategic Influence: Contribute to product strategy, design system evolution, and the overall product vision of a globally expanding tech company.

• Industry Specialization: Develop deep expertise in the construction technology sector and the application of AI in enterprise software.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career analysis focuses on the "Senior" designation, outlining the expected impact, autonomy, and growth paths within a scale-up environment, particularly for a design role with a strong AI component.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. This means a blend of remote work and in-office presence. The company likely has a central office in Melbourne for collaboration, meetings, and team building, while allowing for remote work for individual focus and flexibility.

Office Location(s): Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Specific office details are not provided, but it will serve as the hub for in-person collaboration and team activities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on "collaborative iteration" suggest a workspace designed to facilitate teamwork, brainstorming, and knowledge sharing during in-office days.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to modern design software (e.g., Figma, Sketch), prototyping tools, AI augmentation tools, and communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Zoom).

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular face-to-face interaction with Product Managers, Engineers, and other designers during designated office days, fostering strong working relationships.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time (approx. 40 hours/week). The hybrid nature allows for flexibility in scheduling workdays and hours, provided core collaboration times are met and project deadlines are achieved. This flexibility supports deep work and personal commitments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Hybrid" work arrangement is a key piece of information. The description of the workspace and schedule is tailored to reflect this model and the company's emphasis on collaboration and modern tools.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or a recruiter to assess initial fit, experience, and salary expectations.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A more in-depth session where you present your portfolio, discuss your design process, and potentially tackle a small, relevant design challenge or case study. This is where your ability to articulate your rationale and process will be key.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers and Engineers to evaluate your collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to integrate into the team.

• Final Interview: Likely with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Product, CTO) to discuss strategic thinking, cultural fit, and overall alignment with Timescapes' vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select projects that best showcase your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and experience with AI/ML or complex systems. Prioritize quality over quantity.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the "why" – the problem you were solving, your user-centric approach, the trade-offs you made, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight AI/ML Work: If you have experience with AI-powered features or using AI tools in design, make this a prominent part of your presentation. Explain your approach to designing for AI limitations.

• Showcase Collaboration: Provide examples of how you've worked with engineers and PMs, and how you've incorporated feedback from customers and stakeholders.

• Be Prepared for "Editing": Demonstrate your ability to refine and simplify, showing how you've made tough decisions to cut scope or iterate on designs based on feedback.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Problem: If given a design challenge, ensure you fully grasp the user needs and business objectives. Ask clarifying questions.

• Process Over Perfection: Focus on demonstrating your structured approach and design thinking process rather than delivering a perfectly polished final UI.

• Articulate Trade-offs: Be ready to explain why you made certain design choices, especially when balancing user needs, technical constraints (like AI model limitations), and business goals.

• Consider AI Integration: Think about how AI could be leveraged in the challenge, either as a feature or as a tool to help you solve it.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process and portfolio review tips are tailored to a senior design role, emphasizing the need to demonstrate strategic thinking, process, and impact, especially concerning AI and complex problem-solving.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable as industry standard), Sketch, Adobe XD. Proficiency in one or more is essential for creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes.

• AI Augmentation Tools: Experience or willingness to learn tools that leverage AI for design assistance, content generation, or workflow automation. This is a key differentiator for this role.

• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), or similar platforms for seamless team interaction and documentation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Behavior Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics to track user interactions, feature adoption, and identify areas for improvement.

• Product Analytics Dashboards: Experience with creating or interpreting data visualizations from tools like Tableau, Looker, or in-app analytics to understand product performance.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM System: Familiarity with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) from a user perspective, understanding how customer data flows and impacts product design decisions.

• Project Management: Tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for tracking tasks, sprints, and project progress within the product development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is inferred based on industry standards for product design roles, with a specific emphasis on AI tools and collaboration platforms, as highlighted in the job description.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Value-Oriented Design: Focus on delivering genuine, tangible value to users, using methodologies as tools rather than rigid rules. This means prioritizing user outcomes and business impact.

• Obsession with the "Why": A culture that encourages deep questioning, detailed rationale for every decision, and a commitment to understanding the root cause of problems.

• Iterative Improvement ("Editing"): A belief that design is an ongoing process of refinement. Teams are comfortable with leaving ideas on the cutting room floor and view the first release as the beginning.

• Adaptability & Creativity: Embracing the unknown, experimenting with new approaches, and finding innovative solutions when standard methods don't suffice.

• Clear Communication & Relationship Building: Valuing direct, succinct communication and the ability to build strong, collaborative relationships across diverse teams and with customers.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive & Open: Encourages active participation, open sharing of ideas, and soliciting design critiques from peers, product managers, and engineers.

• Customer-Centric: Integrates customer feedback and direct interaction as a core part of the collaborative design process.

• Data-Informed: Utilizes data and analytics alongside qualitative insights to guide discussions and decision-making.

• Agile & Iterative: Works in agile sprints, with continuous feedback loops and iterative development cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Team Culture & Values" section is directly synthesized from the "About you" section of the job description, rephrased to highlight operational values and collaboration styles relevant to a design team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Novel AI Capabilities: Creating intuitive user experiences for complex, potentially abstract AI-powered features where user understanding and trust are paramount. This requires bridging the gap between technical capabilities and user needs.

• Balancing Core Product Nurturing with New Product Ideation: Effectively managing time and resources to maintain and improve existing features while simultaneously exploring and developing concepts for future product lines.

• Scaling Design Systems in a Rapidly Growing Company: Ensuring the design system remains robust, scalable, and adaptable as the product suite and user base expand, requiring careful planning and iterative refinement.

• Navigating Ambiguity in a Scale-Up: Working in a fast-paced environment where processes are still evolving and there isn't always a clear path forward, requiring comfort with uncertainty and proactive problem-solving.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for AI/ML, understanding its ethical implications, and leveraging AI tools to enhance personal productivity and design outcomes.

• Cross-functional Skill Development: Gain a deeper understanding of product management, engineering processes, and the construction industry through close collaboration.

• Product Strategy Contribution: Influence the strategic direction of Timescapes' product roadmap and participate in high-level product discussions.

• Mentorship and Leadership: As a senior member, opportunities to mentor junior designers and contribute to building a strong design culture as the team expands.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges and growth opportunities are framed around the specific context of the role: working with AI, in a scale-up, on complex construction tech. This provides actionable insights for candidates.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex, AI-powered feature. What were the biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?" Preparation: Prepare a specific case study, detailing the problem, your approach to understanding AI capabilities/limitations, user research, prototyping, and the outcome. Focus on your rationale and problem-solving process.

• "How do you approach end-to-end UX design, from initial concept to post-launch iteration? Walk us through a project." Preparation: Select a project that clearly demonstrates your full design process. Be ready to discuss each stage, the tools you used, and how you gathered and acted on feedback.

• "Our company values 'obsession with the why' and 'all about the editing.' How do these principles guide your design decisions?" Preparation: Reflect on your own design philosophy and how it aligns with these values. Prepare examples of times you've deeply investigated a problem or made tough decisions to cut scope for a better outcome. Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in Timescapes, and what excites you about our mission in construction tech?" Preparation: Research Timescapes, its product, and the construction industry. Understand their mission ("simplify construction through shared visibility") and articulate why it resonates with you.

• "How do you leverage AI tools in your design process, or how would you approach integrating them?" Preparation: Be ready to discuss your current experience with AI design tools or your strategy for adopting them. Show enthusiasm for AI-forward thinking.

• "Describe your experience working in a startup or scale-up environment. How do you handle ambiguity and competing priorities?" Preparation: Share specific examples of navigating fast-paced, evolving environments, highlighting your adaptability and problem-solving skills. Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, use a clear story arc: Problem -> Your Role/Approach -> Solution -> Impact/Results.

• Focus on Your Contribution: Clearly articulate what you specifically did, the decisions you made, and the impact your work had.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (screenshots, flows, prototypes) to illustrate your points effectively.

• Quantify Success: Wherever possible, back up your claims with data and metrics. Explain how you measured success and what the ROI was.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your rationale, trade-offs, and how you would handle hypothetical scenarios.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation advice is designed to help candidates anticipate questions related to the core responsibilities, company values, and the unique aspects of the role (AI, scale-up, construction tech), with a focus on demonstrating strategic thinking and a strong design process.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Tailor your Resume: Highlight experience and skills directly relevant to UX/Product Design, AI-forward design, complex problem-solving, and working in scale-up environments. Quantify achievements with metrics.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that demonstrate end-to-end design process, particularly any work involving AI/ML or complex systems. Ensure clear articulation of problems, solutions, your role, and measurable impact.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on your design decisions, rationale, and the outcomes. Be ready to discuss your approach to collaboration and handling ambiguity.

• Research Timescapes: Understand their product, mission, and values. Prepare thoughtful questions about their design challenges, AI strategy, and company culture.

⚠️ 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.