Senior Product Designer- Costa Rica

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Very LLC

Location: Costa Rica

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-02

Experience Level: Senior (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the full product design lifecycle, from initial client engagement and problem definition through to product launch and quality assurance, with a focus on driving tangible business outcomes.

• Drive product strategy and execution by working collaboratively with clients and engineering teams, navigating ambiguity to deliver scalable and efficient technology solutions.

• Integrate emerging technologies, including AI, into design workflows to enhance creativity, improve efficiency, and develop innovative product features that align with client objectives.

• Own the end-to-end design process, encompassing UX/UI, interactive prototyping, user research, data visualization, and design systems development, ensuring craft is in service of launched products.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is explicitly for a Product Designer, the emphasis on driving business outcomes, collaborating with clients to solve undefined problems, sifting through unknowns, contributing to strategy, and delivering launched products positions it within the broader GTM (Go-To-Market) operations sphere. The success of a product directly impacts go-to-market strategies and revenue generation, making design operations a critical component of the GTM function. This enhancement re-frames certain aspects of the role to resonate with operations professionals.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead client engagements from the initial discovery phase, running workshops and alignment sessions to clarify complex problems and define strategic product direction.

• Execute comprehensive UX and UI design, creating interactive prototypes, conducting user research, and developing data visualizations to inform design decisions and client understanding.

• Develop and maintain robust design systems, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency across product iterations and client projects.

• Partner closely with engineering teams throughout the development lifecycle, facilitating feedback, ensuring design intent is maintained, and overseeing design QA for launched products.

• Proactively identify and integrate AI tools and methodologies into the design process, exploring their application for pattern expansion, tool development, and fluid design-to-code workflows.

• Manage design projects with a high degree of self-direction and ownership, scoping work, assessing impact, and effectively communicating with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on process ownership, client collaboration, and a results-oriented approach, which are core tenets of operations roles. The mention of "driving toward outcomes even when the brief is ambiguous and the target keeps moving" directly speaks to the agile and adaptive nature required in operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Not specified, but a strong portfolio demonstrating practical application of design principles is paramount.

Experience: Minimum of 5-7 years of relevant design experience with a proven track record of successfully launching real products, encompassing both zero-to-one initiatives and incremental improvements.

Required Skills:

• Client Obsessed: A deep commitment to client success, measuring technical and design choices by their business impact and ensuring solutions are aligned with commercial objectives.

• Clear Communicator: Exceptional ability to articulate design thinking, collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders (technical and non-technical), and lead discussions with confidence.

• Self-direction and Ownership: Demonstrated capacity to independently scope and manage design work, understand its broader impact, and proactively manage project timelines and deliverables.

• Comfort with Ambiguity: Ability to thrive and deliver effectively in environments with evolving requirements, unclear briefs, and shifting project goals at both the design and business strategy layers.

• Design Systems Thinking: Core competency in developing, implementing, and leveraging design systems for efficiency, consistency, and scalability across multiple projects.

• AI Integration: Proven experience or strong eagerness to integrate AI tools and methodologies into design workflows, understanding their potential to augment craft and efficiency.

• Problem Solver: Aptitude for dissecting complex challenges, identifying root causes, and devising innovative, practical solutions that address client needs and business goals.

Preferred Skills:

• IoT and Connected Product Experience: Familiarity with the unique design challenges and opportunities within the Internet of Things and connected product ecosystems.

• Front-End Development Fundamentals: Basic understanding or experience with React, HTML, and CSS, facilitating closer collaboration with engineering and a deeper comprehension of implementation constraints.

• Data-Heavy/Analytical Product Design: Experience designing interfaces for products that handle complex data, with a focus on making information clear, actionable, and user-friendly.

• Agentic/AI-Driven Product Design: Experience designing for systems that exhibit agency or intelligence, understanding how to create intuitive interactions with products that act proactively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Required Skills" section has been reframed to align with operations competencies such as client focus, communication, ownership, problem-solving, and adaptability. The "Technical Capabilities" from the original description have been integrated into the "Required Skills" and "Preferred Skills" sections for better clarity and keyword optimization for operations roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Launched Products: Showcase a portfolio that prominently features products that have been successfully launched and are in active use, rather than solely design concepts or artifacts.

• End-to-End Process: Demonstrate experience across the entire product design lifecycle, from initial client discovery and strategy definition to detailed UX/UI design, prototyping, user testing, and final QA.

• Problem-Solving Case Studies: Include detailed case studies that highlight how you navigated ambiguity, tackled complex client problems, and drove specific business outcomes through design.

• Design Systems in Practice: Provide examples of how you've applied design systems thinking to create scalable, consistent, and efficient design solutions.

• AI Integration Examples: Showcase any instances where AI tools or methodologies were incorporated into your workflow and the impact they had on efficiency or design quality.

Process Documentation:

• Discovery & Strategy: Evidence of leading discovery workshops, facilitating client alignment sessions, and contributing to product strategy based on user needs and business goals.

• Workflow Optimization: Examples of how your design process has streamlined collaboration with engineering, improved iteration cycles, or led to more efficient product development.

• Metrics & Impact: Demonstrate how you measure the success of your designs, linking them to business KPIs, user adoption rates, or client satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is crucial for operations roles. The emphasis on "launched products," "end-to-end process," "problem-solving case studies," and "metrics & impact" directly aligns with the expectations for operations professionals who must demonstrate tangible results and process efficiency.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $40 - $50 per hour (USD) for LATAM region.

Benefits:

• Full-time Independent Contractor: Engaged as a full-time 1099 contractor, offering flexibility and autonomy.

• Remote Work Flexibility: Fully remote position, allowing for work from any location within Costa Rica.

• Meaningful Work: Opportunity to engage in challenging projects with significant client impact and contribute to the development of innovative technology solutions.

• Growth Environment: A culture that encourages skill development by pushing boundaries and learning from complex challenges.

• Collaborative Culture: Access to a team that values hard work, shared wins, and doing difficult things well.

Working Hours: Full-time workload expected, approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility in schedule to accommodate project demands and client needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is specific to the LATAM region as indicated. Benefits are framed around the contractor status and the company's value proposition, highlighting flexibility and challenging work, which are often attractive to operations professionals seeking autonomy.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, Consulting, Product Development, AI Integration. Very LLC specializes in creating efficient, scalable solutions for commercial, industrial, and consumer products, moving them from pilot to production rapidly. They work with clients leveraging connected devices and AI.

Company Size: Not explicitly stated, but the description implies a well-established firm with a significant client roster (Vizio, Peloton, Clear, iHeart Radio, Fellowes) and a collaborative culture that has won workplace awards. This suggests a medium to large-sized organization.

Founded: Not specified, but the company has a history of winning workplace awards and has been recognized by Parity.org.

Team Structure:

• The design team operates closely with clients and engineering, suggesting a cross-functional, project-based structure.

• Senior designers are expected to run the full arc of product design, indicating a high degree of autonomy and leadership within their domain.

• The company culture emphasizes collaboration, shared problem-solving, and a "grind" mentality where hard work and delivering results are prized. Methodology:

• Outcome-Driven: Focus is on shipping launched products and delivering business-critical outcomes rather than creating polished artifacts.

• Agile & Adaptive: Comfortable working with ambiguity, evolving briefs, and moving targets.

• Data-Informed: Utilizes user research and data visualization to inform design decisions.

• AI Exploration: Actively exploring and integrating AI into design and development workflows, balancing new technology with human judgment.

Company Website: http://www.verytechnology.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as one that thrives on "the grind" and solving hard problems, which often appeals to operations professionals who are driven by efficiency and tangible results. The emphasis on client success and delivering in challenging circumstances is a hallmark of strong operational execution.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer. This role represents a senior individual contributor position within the design function, with significant autonomy and client-facing responsibilities. It requires a blend of deep craft expertise and strategic thinking, akin to a Senior Operations Analyst or Lead Operations Specialist who drives projects and influences strategy.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly detailed, a Senior Product Designer typically reports to a Design Lead, Head of Design, or potentially a Product Director. In a client-facing consulting environment like Very, they would also work very closely with Project Managers and Client Leads.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is direct and substantial. By designing products that launch efficiently and effectively, the Senior Product Designer directly contributes to Very's ability to deliver client outcomes, drive revenue, and maintain its reputation for solving complex problems. Their work underpins the client's ability to leverage connected devices and AI for business impact, thus influencing GTM success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Design: Potential to lead design efforts on larger, more complex client projects, mentor junior designers, and shape design processes.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like AI-driven product design, data visualization, or IoT, becoming a subject matter expert.

• Consulting Acumen: Develop stronger client management, strategic thinking, and business development skills through client-facing engagements.

• Process Improvement: Contribute to refining Very's design and development methodologies, particularly in areas like AI integration and agile delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section translates the design role's growth into an operations context, highlighting how skills like client management, strategic thinking, and process improvement are transferable and valuable for career progression within operations-focused environments.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. The company operates as a "fully distributed technology firm."

Office Location(s): While the role requires residency in Costa Rica, the work itself is remote. Very LLC also has a presence in other locations globally, but this specific role is remote within Costa Rica.

Workspace Context:

• Independent Workstation: Candidates must have their own computer/device, design software, and reliable internet access to perform their duties effectively.

• Collaborative Digital Environment: While remote, the company emphasizes a "tight-knit culture" and "shoulder to shoulder" collaboration, suggesting robust use of digital collaboration tools for communication and teamwork.

• Client Interaction: The role involves significant direct interaction with clients, requiring a professional home office setup conducive to client calls and virtual workshops.

Work Schedule: A full-time workload is expected, aligning with the contractor engagement. While remote, the nature of client work and project deadlines may necessitate flexible hours, but the commitment is to a full-time capacity (approx. 40 hours/week).

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature of the work is a key aspect, appealing to many operations professionals. The requirement for personal equipment and reliable internet highlights the self-sufficiency expected in such roles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely includes a review of your resume and portfolio, focusing on launched products and relevant experience.

• Portfolio Presentation: Expect to present your work, detailing your process, problem-solving approach, and the business impact of your designs. Be prepared to discuss how you handle ambiguity and client collaboration.

• Skills Assessment: Interviews will likely probe your communication skills, self-direction, comfort with ambiguity, and experience with design systems and AI.

• Client Scenario Discussions: You may be presented with hypothetical client problems to assess your strategic thinking and design approach.

• Cultural Fit: Evaluation of your alignment with Very's values of hard work, ownership, and client obsession.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Launched Products: Prioritize projects that are live and have demonstrable impact. Quantify success with metrics where possible (e.g., user adoption, efficiency gains, client satisfaction).

• Tell the Story of Ambiguity: Clearly articulate the initial problem, the unknowns, your process for navigating them (discovery, research, iteration), and the final solution.

• Highlight Client Collaboration: Showcase instances where you worked closely with clients, managed expectations, and influenced product strategy.

• Demonstrate Design Systems Thinking: Explain how you've used or built design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency.

• Showcase AI Integration: If applicable, detail how you've used AI tools to enhance your workflow or create innovative features.

• Prepare for Technical Depth: Be ready to discuss UX/UI principles, prototyping tools, user research methodologies, and data visualization techniques.

Challenge Preparation:

• Case Study Practice: Prepare 2-3 detailed case studies that cover different types of projects (e.g., zero-to-one, incremental improvement, complex data product).

• Communication Practice: Rehearse articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, especially when explaining complex design decisions or strategic rationale.

• AI Integration Examples: Be ready to discuss your perspective on AI in design and how you're incorporating it.

📝 Enhancement Note: The advice here is tailored to operations candidates by emphasizing the "business impact," "process," "metrics," and "client collaboration" aspects of portfolio presentation and interview preparation.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools is expected. While specific tools aren't listed, common ones include:

  • Figma
  • Sketch
  • Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, XD)
  • Prototyping tools (e.g., InVision, ProtoPie, Framer)

• AI Design Tools: Experience with or openness to exploring AI-assisted design tools for pattern generation, content creation, or workflow automation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting user interviews, usability testing, and surveys.

• Data Visualization Tools: Experience creating clear and impactful data visualizations within product interfaces.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a design tool, understanding how design integrates with product roadmaps and development pipelines is key. Familiarity with project management tools like Jira or Asana might be beneficial for collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on tools reflects the operational aspect of design – how tools enable efficiency and effective output. Highlighting AI tools is particularly relevant given the company's stated interest.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Client Obsessed: The primary driver is client success, translating directly to understanding business needs, delivering value, and ensuring client satisfaction through high-quality product outcomes.

• Clear Communication: Fostering open, honest, and effective communication across client and internal teams, ensuring alignment and transparency in all aspects of the design and development process.

• Quality-Driven: A commitment to excellence in craft, reliability, and the overall quality of shipped products, ensuring they meet high standards and perform effectively in real-world conditions.

• Ownership Mindset: Taking personal responsibility for project success, from initial concept to final delivery, demonstrating accountability and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

• Problem Solver: A core value centered on embracing complexity, finding innovative solutions, and thriving in environments where challenges are constant and requirements evolve.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Seamless collaboration between design, engineering, and client teams, working "shoulder to shoulder" to achieve shared goals.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Encouraging continuous feedback from clients and users to refine designs and ensure product-market fit.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that likely supports sharing best practices, learnings, and innovative approaches, especially concerning new technologies like AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: These values directly align with the core principles of effective operations management: client focus, clear communication, quality assurance, accountability, and problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Consistently working with undefined problems and shifting client requirements requires strong adaptability, strategic thinking, and resilience.

• Client Management: Balancing client expectations, scope creep, and delivering high-impact solutions within project constraints.

• AI Integration Strategy: Determining the optimal and ethical use of AI in design workflows without compromising craft or human judgment.

• Launching Real Products: The pressure to not just create beautiful artifacts but to deliver functional, scalable products that meet business objectives and launch on time.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to hone expertise in specialized areas like AI-driven design, complex data visualization, or IoT product design.

• Client-Facing Consulting: Developing strong business acumen, strategic advisory skills, and client relationship management capabilities.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Potential to mentor junior designers and take on leadership roles for significant client projects.

• Exposure to Diverse Industries: Working with a variety of clients across commercial, industrial, and consumer sectors provides broad industry exposure.

📝 Enhancement Note: Framing challenges and growth in an operations context helps candidates understand how their skills will be tested and developed, emphasizing problem-solving, strategic contribution, and continuous learning, all vital in operations.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to take a client's ambiguous problem and turn it into a clear product strategy and design. What was your process?" (Focus on discovery, client engagement, and strategic contribution.)

• "How do you balance client demands with technical feasibility and design best practices? Provide an example." (Highlight communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.)

• "Walk us through a complex product you designed from zero to launch. What were the biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Emphasize end-to-end ownership, process, and results.)

• "How have you integrated AI tools into your design workflow? What benefits did it provide, and what were the limitations?" (Showcase proactive adoption of new technologies and critical thinking.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why Very? What attracts you to our 'grind' culture and focus on delivering launched products?" (Demonstrate research and alignment with company values.)

• "How do you ensure the quality and reliability of your designs once they are launched?" (Focus on QA, post-launch monitoring, and ownership.)

• "Describe your experience working in a fully remote, distributed team environment." (Highlight collaboration tools and communication strategies.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically, starting with the business problem, detailing your process (discovery, research, ideation, design, testing), showcasing the solution, and concluding with the outcomes and learnings.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., user adoption rates, conversion improvements, efficiency gains, client satisfaction scores).

• Highlight Ambiguity Navigation: Clearly articulate how you approached and resolved uncertainty in your projects.

• Demonstrate AI Use: If you have AI integration examples, make them a distinct part of your presentation.

• Be Ready for Design QA: Discuss your approach to ensuring design quality and consistency post-launch.

📝 Enhancement Note: The preparation advice focuses on articulating process, demonstrating impact through metrics, and showcasing problem-solving skills, which are critical for operations roles.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on the JazzHR platform.

• Portfolio Customization: Carefully curate your portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate successful product launches, experience with ambiguity, and client collaboration. Ensure case studies clearly articulate problem, process, solution, and measurable outcomes.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 5-7+ years of experience, focusing on achievements related to product launch, strategic contribution, and client success. Integrate keywords such as "UX/UI Design," "Product Strategy," "Design Systems," "AI Integration," and "Client Management."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving methodologies, and how you measure success. Prepare to discuss your experience with AI in design and your approach to client-facing engagements.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Very LLC's mission, client examples, and stated values. Understand their focus on "the grind" and delivering tangible results to tailor your responses and demonstrate cultural fit.

⚠️ 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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