Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Traba

Location: New York City, NY; San Francisco, CA

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-04-27

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This Senior Product Designer role is crucial for shaping human behaviors and transforming the industrial staffing industry through innovative AI-driven workflows.

• You will be a key contributor to building and evolving Traba's design system, ensuring scalability and consistency across platforms.

• The position demands an inventive problem-solver capable of tackling diverse design challenges through software, hardware, or creative hacks.

• Collaboration is central, requiring close work with engineering, product, and operational teams to design practical, on-the-ground solutions.

• Success in this role hinges on adaptability, humility, and the ability to structure ambiguity in a fast-paced startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The original job description presents this as a "Product Designer" role. Given the "Senior" title and the 5+ years of experience requirement, this enhancement clarifies it as a "Senior Product Designer" role to align with industry standards and candidate expectations. The emphasis on "high ownership" and "inventive problem solver" suggests a significant level of autonomy and responsibility, characteristic of senior-level positions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Rapidly prototype designs to facilitate team evaluation, user feedback, and stakeholder alignment, ensuring a data-informed design process.

• Develop and iteratively refine user experiences for both Traba's mobile and web applications, focusing on intuitive interfaces and seamless workflows.

• Drive the development, governance, and continuous evolution of Traba's design system, ensuring its scalability and adherence to best practices.

• Understand, document, and visualize complex business and worker needs to inform design strategy and product development.

• Conduct comprehensive user research, including usability testing and interviews, to validate design concepts and identify areas for improvement.

• Actively share design progress with cross-functional teams, soliciting constructive feedback to drive iterative enhancements and product excellence.

• Collaborate closely with operational teams to design practical, on-the-ground solutions that address real-world industrial labor challenges.

• Contribute to the strategic direction of product design, aligning user needs with business objectives and technological capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities have been expanded to include more specific design and operations-related activities, such as "data-informed design process," "iteratively refine user experiences," "governance and continuous evolution of Traba's design system," and "comprehensive user research, including usability testing." This provides a more detailed view of the day-to-day expectations for a Senior Product Designer in a tech-focused operational environment.

🎓 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-level product design roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be strongly considered.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in product design, with a proven track record of designing and shipping impactful features and user experiences for complex real-world problems. Experience in a startup environment is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Impeccable Craft: Demonstrated ability to create detail-oriented, technically relevant designs with a deep understanding of how nuanced interactions create intuitive interfaces.

• Systems Architect: Experience in co-authoring and building scalable design components within a design system, collaborating closely with engineering teams.

• Inventive Problem Solver: Proven resourcefulness in tackling diverse design challenges through software, hardware, or creative solutions.

• Collaborative by Nature: Demonstrated success in working effectively with cross-functional teams (product, engineering, operations) and users to explore and solve problems.

• Adaptable and Humble: Ability to excel in fast-paced startup settings, quickly structuring ambiguity and iterating without ego.

• Proficiency in Design Tools: Expertise in industry-standard design tools, particularly Figma, for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design.

• Design System Experience: Familiarity with building, maintaining, and governing design systems.

• User Research & Validation: Experience conducting user research (interviews, surveys, usability testing) to inform design decisions.

• Prototyping: Skill in rapidly prototyping designs to facilitate team evaluation and alignment.

Preferred Skills:

• Technical Understanding: Strong understanding of the software development process; coding experience (e.g., HTML, CSS, JavaScript) is a plus.

• Mobile & Web Design: Specific experience designing for both mobile and web application platforms.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with operational teams to design practical, on-the-ground solutions.

• Visual Design & UI: Strong visual design skills and a keen eye for aesthetics and usability.

• Experience in Industrial or Logistics Tech: Familiarity with the challenges and nuances of the industrial staffing or logistics sectors.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "About You" section of the original description has been re-contextualized into "Required Skills" and "Preferred Skills" to provide clearer expectations for candidates. The "5+ years of experience" has been explicitly stated as a requirement. The "technical relevance" and "software development process" aspects have been highlighted as key qualifications.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate Impact: Your portfolio must showcase products that solve real-world problems, with a clear emphasis on the impact and outcomes of your design work.

• UX & UI Complexity: Include case studies that detail your approach to solving complex UX and UI challenges, illustrating your problem-solving methodology.

• Design System Contribution: Showcase examples of your involvement in building, documenting, or evolving design systems, highlighting your contribution to component creation and governance.

• Prototyping & Iteration: Present examples of rapid prototyping and how you've used prototypes to facilitate team evaluation, gather feedback, and iterate on designs.

• User Research Integration: Illustrate how user research informed your design decisions, providing evidence of validation and usability testing.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Highlight projects where you collaborated effectively with engineering, product, and operational teams, demonstrating your ability to translate needs into practical solutions.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Visualization: Be prepared to document and visualize complex business and worker needs, showing how you translate these into actionable design requirements.

• Design Process Articulation: Clearly articulate your design process, from initial concept and research through to prototyping, iteration, and final implementation.

• Design System Governance: Demonstrate an understanding of processes for maintaining design system integrity, ensuring consistency, and managing updates.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given this is a design role focused on product development with operational integration, specific portfolio requirements have been detailed. These focus on demonstrating problem-solving, system thinking, user-centricity, and collaborative capabilities, all critical for a Senior Product Designer aiming to influence both product and operational efficiency.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $170,000 - $200,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Equity: Start-up equity package, offering a stake in the company's long-term success.

• Competitive Salary: A market-competitive base salary within the specified range.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: 100% paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees.

• Food & Kitchen: Dinner provided via Grubhub and a stocked kitchen for employees in the New York City office.

• Commuter Benefits: Assistance with transportation costs.

• Wellness: Gympass Benefit for fitness access.

• Additional Health Services: One Medical Membership, HSA via Optum, Talkspace (mental health support), HealthAdvocate, and Teledoc Health services.

Working Hours: The role is based on-site and implies a standard full-time work schedule, typically around 40 hours per week, with the expectation of an "Olympian's Work Ethic" for driving impactful change.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range and benefits have been clearly itemized. The "Olympian's Work Ethic" value has been linked to the expectation of working hours to provide context. The location-specific benefit (Grubhub/stocked kitchen in NY) has been noted.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically focusing on Industrial Staffing and AI-driven Labor Orchestration. Traba is modernizing the light industrial sector, which employs a significant portion of the global workforce.

Company Size: Traba is a growing startup, indicated by its investor backing and the need for experienced hires to shape its future. This environment typically offers high impact and rapid learning opportunities.

Founded: Traba was founded with a mission to build a world where the global supply chain operates at peak efficiency. Its founding principles are rooted in leveraging AI and autonomous workflows to revolutionize labor management.

Team Structure:

• Design Team: This role is part of a design team that works closely with engineering and product management. Emphasis is placed on collaborative design systems and shared ownership.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Expect to work intimately with operational teams to design practical, on-the-ground solutions, bridging the gap between technology and real-world application.

• Reporting: While not explicitly stated, senior designers often report to a Head of Design, Design Lead, or VP of Product. The emphasis on "high ownership" suggests a degree of autonomy.

Methodology:

• AI-Driven Workflows: The company's core technology involves developing autonomous, orchestrated multi-agent AI workflows. Designers will contribute to the interfaces and systems that support these complex operations.

• Data-Informed Design: User research and data analysis are key to validating concepts and iterating on designs, ensuring solutions are effective and user-centric.

• Agile Development: Implicit in a fast-paced startup environment is an agile approach to product development, requiring rapid prototyping and iterative design cycles.

Company Website: https://traba.work/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture section has been enriched by integrating details about Traba's mission, industry focus (light industrial staffing, AI), and startup environment. The "Olympian's Work Ethic" and "Dream Big" values are reflected in the description of the company's ambitious goals and the operational intensity expected.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, indicating a mid-to-senior level position. It requires significant autonomy, the ability to lead design initiatives, and a strong capacity to mentor or influence junior team members. The role involves high ownership and the expectation to tackle complex, ambiguous problems independently.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to a Design Lead or Head of Design. They will collaborate extensively with Product Managers, Engineers, and crucial operational teams, acting as a bridge between user needs, business goals, and system functionality.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer will have a direct impact on Traba's mission to create autonomous AI workflows for industrial staffing. Their designs will influence how businesses manage labor, how workers are connected to opportunities, and ultimately, the efficiency and scalability of the global supply chain. This role is key to translating complex AI capabilities into usable and effective products.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Design Lead or Manager role, overseeing design strategy and team development as the company scales.

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in areas like AI interface design, complex systems design, or contributing significantly to the evolution of Traba's core design system.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Develop a deep understanding of industrial operations and AI orchestration, becoming a subject matter expert at the intersection of design and operational technology.

• Strategic Influence: Contribute to product strategy and roadmap planning, leveraging design insights to guide business decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section translates the job description into a career context for an operations-minded professional. It emphasizes the impact on operational efficiency and the strategic nature of the role, aligning with typical career progression in tech companies focused on complex operational challenges.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The position requires an on-site presence five days a week in either New York City or San Francisco. This indicates a preference for a traditional office environment that fosters in-person collaboration and real-time decision-making.

Office Location(s): New York City, NY and San Francisco, CA. These are major tech hubs offering access to a vibrant professional community and excellent amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on working closely with teams and users suggests an open and collaborative workspace designed to facilitate spontaneous interactions and brainstorming.

• Tools & Technology: Expect access to industry-standard design tools (Figma) and potentially other collaborative software and hardware that supports rapid prototyping and design iteration.

• Team Interaction: Being on-site allows for direct interaction with engineers, product managers, operational staff, and potentially users, fostering a dynamic and responsive work atmosphere.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule is expected, with the understanding that the fast-paced startup environment may require flexibility and dedication, aligning with the company's "Olympian's Work Ethic" value.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section interprets the "on-site, five days per week" requirement into a description of the work environment, focusing on the implications for collaboration, access to tools, and team interaction, which are vital considerations for designers.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Application & Portfolio Review: Submitting a strong portfolio is paramount. Reviewers will assess your craft, problem-solving abilities, and experience with design systems and complex UX/UI challenges.

• Screening Call: A preliminary conversation to discuss your background, experience, and alignment with Traba's mission and culture.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a design exercise or present a detailed case study from your portfolio, focusing on your process, decision-making, and impact. This will likely involve demonstrating your approach to a specific problem relevant to Traba's operations.

• Team Interviews: Interviews with engineers, product managers, and potentially operational stakeholders to assess your collaborative skills, technical understanding, and cultural fit.

• Final Round: Discussions with leadership to evaluate strategic thinking, ownership, and overall fit for the senior role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Impact & Process: Clearly articulate the problem you solved, your design process, the tools you used, and the measurable impact of your work. Focus on "why" behind your design decisions.

• Highlight Design System Work: If you have experience building or contributing to design systems, dedicate specific sections to showcase this expertise, including how you ensure scalability and governance.

• Detail UX/UI Complexity: Present case studies that demonstrate your ability to handle intricate user flows, information architecture, and interaction design challenges.

• Emphasize Collaboration: Illustrate how you worked with cross-functional teams, including engineers and operational staff, to bring designs to life and address real-world needs.

• Focus on Traba's Context: Tailor your presentation to highlight skills and experiences most relevant to Traba's mission of building AI-driven industrial staffing solutions and its operational focus.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Traba's Business: Research Traba's AI-driven approach to industrial staffing and the challenges within the light industrial labor market.

• Prepare Case Studies: Select 2-3 strong portfolio pieces that best represent your senior-level capabilities, focusing on problem-solving, system design, and demonstrable impact.

• Articulate Your Process: Be ready to walk through your design process step-by-step, explaining your rationale, trade-offs considered, and how you incorporated feedback.

• Consider Operational Integration: Think about how your designs would integrate with real-world operational workflows and potentially AI systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides tactical advice for the application process, specifically tailored to a senior product design role in a company with a strong operational and AI focus. It emphasizes portfolio content and interview preparation strategies relevant to the role's unique demands.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for all aspects of design, including wireframing, UI design, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Prototyping Tools: Proficiency in Figma's prototyping capabilities or other related tools (e.g., InVision, Principle) for rapid iteration and user testing.

• Design System Management Tools: Experience with tools or methodologies for managing and documenting design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Amplitude to understand user behavior and product performance.

• Data Visualization Tools: Ability to interpret data from analytics platforms to inform design decisions and present findings.

CRM & Automation:

• Understanding of Workflow Automation: While not a direct tool, a strong conceptual understanding of how designs interact with automated workflows and AI systems is crucial.

• Familiarity with SaaS Platforms: Experience designing for complex Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms that manage intricate operational processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack section is focused on the tools directly relevant to a Senior Product Designer. Figma is highlighted as primary. The inclusion of "Understanding of Workflow Automation" and "SaaS Platforms" is critical given Traba's business model.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Dream Big: This value translates to ambitious product goals and a willingness to tackle large, world-changing problems, such as revolutionizing industrial staffing with AI.

• Customer Obsession: A focus on going the extra mile for both businesses and workers, ensuring high-quality products and services that solve critical industry problems.

• Growth Mindset: Embracing challenges, learning from failures, adapting quickly, and pushing forward with resilience, which is essential in a fast-paced startup environment.

• Olympian’s Work Ethic: A commitment to working harder, longer, and smarter to achieve significant goals, reflecting a high-performance culture.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative environment where designers work closely with engineering, product, and critical operational teams to ensure practical, on-the-ground solutions.

• Feedback-Driven Iteration: A culture that encourages open sharing of work, soliciting feedback, and iterating designs based on constructive input from peers and stakeholders.

• User-Centricity: Collaboration will involve direct engagement with users (businesses and workers) to understand their needs and validate design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section translates Traba's stated core values into actionable insights for a designer, explaining how they manifest in daily work and collaboration, particularly in relation to operational impact.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI & Automation: Translating complex, autonomous AI workflows into intuitive and effective user experiences for both businesses and workers.

• Bridging Digital & Operational Realities: Designing practical solutions that work seamlessly within the dynamic and often unpredictable environment of industrial operations.

• Scaling a Design System: Developing and maintaining a robust design system that supports rapid product development and consistent user experiences across evolving platforms.

• Structuring Ambiguity: Thriving in a startup environment where requirements may be fluid and novel problems require creative structuring and solutioning.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI & ML Interface Design: Gain deep expertise in designing interfaces for advanced AI and machine learning systems.

• Industrial Operations Domain Knowledge: Develop specialized knowledge of the light industrial labor market and supply chain operations.

• Design System Leadership: Opportunity to significantly influence and lead the evolution of a critical company asset – the design system.

• Product Strategy: Contribute to high-level product strategy, influencing the direction of Traba's technology and market impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section identifies potential challenges unique to designing for an AI-driven operational platform and outlines specific growth avenues relevant to a senior designer in such a context.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a complex system with significant operational constraints. How did you approach it?" (Focus on process, trade-offs, and impact)

• "How would you approach designing an interface for an AI system that orchestrates labor for industrial businesses? What are the key considerations?" (Focus on AI interaction, user trust, and operational integration)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Traba's core values (Dream Big, Customer Obsession, Growth Mindset, Olympian's Work Ethic) resonate with your personal work philosophy?" (Be prepared to give specific examples)

• "Describe your experience working in a fast-paced startup environment. How do you handle ambiguity and rapid iteration?" (Highlight adaptability, problem-solving, and resilience)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, your design process, the solutions you created, and the measurable impact.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, prototypes, and clear explanations to showcase your design skills and problem-solving approach.

• Focus on Rationale: Be prepared to defend your design decisions by explaining the underlying research, user needs, and business objectives.

• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize how you worked with cross-functional teams, especially engineers and operational stakeholders, to achieve successful outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides specific, actionable interview questions and preparation strategies tailored to the Senior Product Designer role at Traba, emphasizing their unique focus on AI, operations, and a startup culture.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects demonstrating your ability to solve complex UX/UI challenges, build design systems, and work with operational considerations. Tailor your case studies to highlight impact and detailed process.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your 5+ years of experience, emphasizing skills in Figma, design systems, user research, and cross-functional collaboration, especially with operational teams.

• Prepare Your Pitch: Practice walking through your portfolio, focusing on storytelling, design rationale, and the measurable impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your approach to designing for AI and operational workflows.

• Research Traba: Thoroughly understand Traba's mission to build autonomous AI for industrial staffing, their core values, and the challenges within the light industrial labor market. This will inform your answers and demonstrate your genuine interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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