Senior Product Designer, OpsUnity <Freelance>

CookUnity
Full-time

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer, OpsUnity <Freelance>

Company: CookUnity

Location: Argentina (Remote)

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Product Design / Operations Technology

Date Posted: 2026-08-27

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

Remote Status: Remote Solely

🚀 Role Summary

  • Own the end-to-end design of the OpsUnity platform, CookUnity's internal operating system for planning, execution, and accountability in its operations.

  • Develop a consistent and coherent design language across a growing ecosystem of products (Designer, Planner, Labor and Task Trackers, Dashboards) built by multiple teams.

  • Design user interfaces for high-tempo, high-stakes operational environments (kitchen and fulfillment floors) where speed, accuracy, and adoption are paramount.

  • Translate complex, data-heavy operational workflows into intuitive and legible user experiences that minimize errors and maximize efficiency for operators.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is distinct from a typical B2C or B2B product designer role. The focus is on designing for internal operational users (e.g., shift leaders, pickers, planners) in a fast-paced, physical environment. Success is measured by tool adoption and error reduction, not just aesthetic appeal. The "OpsUnity" designation strongly suggests a focus on operations technology and internal tooling.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Platform-wide Design Cohesion: Drive consistency in look, behavior, and feel across the OpsUnity platform by establishing and implementing shared design patterns, components, and standards.

  • Operational UX Design: Craft user-centered designs for complex operational workflows, including resource planning, capacity and bottleneck visualization, and labor/task tracking, ensuring clarity under pressure.

  • Floor-Level Interface Design: Create intuitive and efficient interfaces for mobile/tablet use in physical work environments, prioritizing speed and error prevention for kitchen and fulfillment staff.

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with engineering, product management, and operations leadership to gather requirements, define briefs, align on solutions, and ensure designs meet real-world operational needs.

  • User-Centric Validation: Ground design decisions in operational context, direct user observation, and platform data to validate design effectiveness and ensure successful adoption in production environments.

  • AI-Assisted Design Acceleration: Leverage AI-assisted workflows for rapid prototyping, variant generation, and testing to increase design velocity and cover a broader scope of the OpsUnity platform.

  • Design System Development: Contribute to the early shaping of the OpsUnity platform by defining and advocating for a cohesive design language and reusable components.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "designing for the floor" and "complex operational UX" indicates a need for a designer who can handle intricate data visualization, workflow management, and mobile-first design principles within a demanding operational context. The "Freelance" nature suggests a need for autonomy and the ability to drive initiatives with minimal direct supervision.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong portfolio demonstrating relevant experience is paramount. A degree in Design, HCI, or a related field is often preferred in such roles.

Experience: 4+ years of progressive experience in UX/UI or product design, with a proven focus on complex, data-heavy, or workflow-driven products.

Required Skills:

  • UX/UI & Product Design: Demonstrated expertise in user experience and user interface design principles.

  • Complex Workflow Design: Proven ability to design for intricate, data-dense operational or enterprise workflows where clarity and error prevention are critical.

  • Information Architecture & Interaction Design: Strong skills in structuring information and designing intuitive user interactions for complex systems.

  • Design Tool Proficiency: Mastery of industry-standard design tools, with specific mention of Figma.

  • AI-Assisted Design: Experience and comfort with AI-assisted workflows, including generative prototyping, and familiarity with tools like Claude or v0.

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to effectively partner with engineering, product, and operations teams to achieve shared goals.

  • User Research & Observation: Aptitude for understanding on-the-ground operational needs through direct observation and communication.

  • Design System Contribution: Capacity to help establish and maintain a consistent design language and component library.

Preferred Skills:

  • Mobile/Tablet Design: Experience designing for mobile or tablet interfaces used in physical work environments.

  • Front-End Development Familiarity: Basic understanding of front-end development practices (HTML/CSS/JavaScript) to facilitate collaboration with engineers.

  • B2B/Enterprise/Ops Tooling Experience: Prior experience designing for operational, enterprise, internal-platform, logistics, supply chain, or similar contexts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "4+ years" requirement combined with "Senior" in the title suggests that candidates should be able to operate independently, mentor others (if applicable), and have a strong strategic perspective on design's role in operations. The mention of specific AI tools indicates a forward-thinking approach to design tooling.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Case Studies of Complex Workflows: Showcase at least 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating your process for designing solutions for complex operational, enterprise, or data-heavy internal tools.

  • Focus on Error Prevention & Efficiency: Highlight specific examples within your portfolio where your design decisions directly led to reduced errors, increased speed, or improved adoption rates in operational settings.

  • Information Architecture Examples: Include examples of how you've structured dense information and complex workflows to make them legible and actionable for users under pressure.

  • Design System Contribution (if applicable): If you have experience contributing to or establishing design systems for internal tools, this would be highly valuable.

Process Documentation:

  • User Observation & Research: Detail how you gather insights from operational users, including methods for observation, interviews, and translating qualitative feedback into design requirements.

  • Iterative Design & Prototyping: Illustrate your process for creating wireframes, interactive prototypes (using tools like Figma), and leveraging AI for rapid iteration and testing.

  • Cross-Functional Alignment: Explain how you collaborate with engineering and product teams, including how you present design solutions, gather feedback, and ensure technical feasibility.

  • Measuring Design Impact: Demonstrate how you track and measure the success of your designs, focusing on operational metrics like adoption rates, task completion time, and error reduction.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, a portfolio that emphasizes practical application, problem-solving in operational contexts, and measurable impact on efficiency and accuracy will be far more compelling than one focused solely on B2C aesthetics. The ability to demonstrate how AI tools were integrated into the design process is also crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: As a freelance role paid in USD per hour, the range can vary significantly based on experience, demand, and the specific scope of work. For a Senior Product Designer with 4+ years of experience specializing in operational UX, a competitive hourly rate in Argentina (for remote USD payment) would typically range from $30 to $60+ USD per hour. This estimation is based on industry benchmarks for freelance product design roles with specialized skill sets (e.g., complex UX, AI integration) and the cost of living for remote workers in Argentina, adjusted for USD compensation.

Benefits:

  • Competitive Hourly Rate: Paid in USD, providing currency stability.

  • Remote Work Flexibility: Design your own schedule and work from anywhere in Argentina.

  • Impactful Project: Opportunity to shape a critical internal platform (OpsUnity) that directly impacts operational efficiency.

  • Freelance Autonomy: Freedom to manage your workload and contribute to a growing company.

Working Hours: This is a freelance position, implying flexibility. However, the role requires collaboration with teams that may operate on standard business hours. An estimated 40 hours per week is typical for full-time freelance engagements, but the exact commitment will depend on project needs and agreement. Effective collaboration across time zones might require some overlap.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimation considers that CookUnity is a well-funded startup operating in a global market, and payments are in USD. Freelance rates are generally higher than salaried equivalents to account for benefits, taxes, and lack of job security. The specific rate will depend on the negotiation and the duration of the freelance contract.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Food & Beverage, E-commerce, Technology (Marketplace Platform). CookUnity operates at the intersection of food delivery and tech, focusing on empowering chefs.

Company Size: The provided data does not specify company size, but the mention of delivering 50 million meals annually and expanding beyond delivery suggests a significant, growing operation, likely in the mid-to-large size range for tech startups.

Founded: 2018. CookUnity is a relatively young but rapidly scaling company, indicating a dynamic and evolving work environment.

Team Structure:

  • OpsUnity Platform Teams: The role involves working with multiple teams building different components of the OpsUnity platform. This implies a federated or distributed product development model.

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Close partnerships with Engineering, Product Management, and Operations Leadership are explicitly stated.

  • Direct Operator Interaction: The designer will need to engage directly with end-users on the kitchen and fulfillment floor.

Methodology:

  • Data-Driven Design: Designs are to be grounded in operational context, user observation, and platform data.

  • Agile/Iterative Development: Implied by the need to work across multiple teams and leverage AI for rapid prototyping and iteration.

  • Cohesive Platform Development: A key objective is to bring design consistency to a platform built by distributed teams.

Company Website: careers.cookunity.com

📝 Enhancement Note: CookUnity's mission "empower Chefs to nourish the world" suggests a passion-driven culture. The "OpsUnity" platform is critical to this mission by enabling efficient operations. As a growing startup, expect a fast-paced, potentially ambiguous, but high-impact environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer focused on a critical internal operational platform. It requires a high degree of autonomy, strategic thinking regarding user experience within operational constraints, and the ability to influence design direction across multiple teams. This is not an entry-level or junior role; it demands proven experience and a proactive approach.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, as a freelance Senior Product Designer, you would likely report to a Product Lead, Design Lead, or Head of Product/Operations for the OpsUnity platform. You will collaborate extensively with various engineering and product managers across different OpsUnity product teams.

Operations Impact: The OpsUnity platform is described as the "operating system" for CookUnity's operations. Therefore, the design of this platform has a direct and significant impact on the company's ability to plan, execute, and scale its core business, which is delivering millions of meals. Successful design will translate to increased operational efficiency, reduced costs through error prevention, and improved employee productivity on the front lines.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Specialization in Operations Tech: Deepen expertise in designing for complex operational environments, supply chain logistics, and internal enterprise tooling.

  • Platform Design Leadership: Influence the overall design direction and establish design standards for a critical, growing internal platform.

  • AI Integration Expertise: Further develop skills in leveraging AI tools for design acceleration and innovation.

  • Potential for Future Engagements: Successful freelance work can lead to longer-term contracts or even full-time opportunities if the company's needs evolve and a strong working relationship is established.

📝 Enhancement Note: This freelance role offers a chance to make a substantial impact on a core operational system of a growing company. The growth opportunities lie in deepening specialized design skills and potentially influencing the strategic direction of internal tooling.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, offering the flexibility to work from anywhere within Argentina.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, CookUnity has offices in various locations, including the US. However, this specific freelance role is designated for candidates in Argentina, implying a focus on talent within that region for remote work.

Workspace Context:

  • Remote Autonomy: You will be expected to manage your own workspace and schedule effectively.

  • Digital Collaboration Tools: The work will heavily rely on digital collaboration platforms (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Figma, project management tools) to connect with distributed teams.

  • Operations Floor Exposure: While remote, understanding the physical operational environment is key. This may involve remote observation sessions, video calls with floor staff, or reviewing operational data and workflows.

Work Schedule: As a freelance contractor, the work schedule is flexible, but adherence to deadlines and availability for critical meetings and collaboration sessions with cross-functional teams (likely in various time zones) will be essential. An estimated 40 hours per week is a common expectation for full-time freelance roles, but this should be clarified with the hiring manager.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature requires strong self-discipline, proactive communication, and the ability to build rapport and influence design decisions without physical proximity. Understanding the nuances of the operational floor environment, even remotely, is a critical aspect of this role.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Application & Screening: Submit your resume and portfolio. The hiring team will review for relevant experience in complex UX/UI design, operational contexts, and tool proficiency.

  • Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Expect a deep dive into your portfolio, focusing on your process, problem-solving skills, and how you've handled complex operational UX challenges. A practical design exercise or case study may be assigned to assess your skills in action.

  • Cross-Functional Interviews: You'll likely meet with Product Managers, Engineers, and Operations Leads involved with the OpsUnity platform to assess your collaboration style, understanding of operational needs, and ability to communicate design effectively.

  • Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership to evaluate overall fit, strategic thinking, and alignment with CookUnity's mission and culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Prioritize Ops-Focused Case Studies: Showcase projects where you designed for internal tools, enterprise applications, logistics, or complex workflows. Highlight the specific operational challenges you addressed.

  • Detail Your Process: Clearly articulate your design process, from user research and problem definition to ideation, prototyping, testing, and implementation, emphasizing how you incorporated operator feedback and operational constraints.

  • Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. Focus on improvements in efficiency, error reduction, adoption rates, or task completion times.

  • Showcase AI Integration: If you used AI tools (like Claude, v0, or generative prototyping), explain how they were integrated into your workflow and the benefits they provided.

  • Design System Thinking: If applicable, demonstrate your understanding of creating consistent and scalable design systems.

  • Clarity and Conciseness: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, easy to navigate, and clearly communicates your skills and achievements.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Understand the OpsUnity Context: Research CookUnity's business model and the operational challenges of a food delivery marketplace. Imagine the daily tasks and pressures faced by kitchen staff, pickers, and planners.

  • Focus on Efficiency & Error Prevention: Any design challenge will likely emphasize these aspects. Think about how to make complex information clear, actions unambiguous, and workflows streamlined.

  • Mobile/Tablet Considerations: Be prepared to design for smaller screens and touch interactions, considering the physical environment of the floor.

  • AI Application: Consider how AI could be leveraged in your proposed solution, not just for design creation but potentially within the user experience itself.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "operational UX" and "design for the floor" means your portfolio and interview responses should clearly demonstrate an understanding of user needs in high-pressure, task-oriented environments, not just aesthetic design principles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Figma: Explicitly mentioned as a required proficiency for UX/UI and product design. This will be your primary tool for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design.

  • AI-Assisted Workflows: Proficiency with AI tools for design, including generative prototyping and specific mentions of Claude and v0, is expected. This suggests a need for designers who can integrate AI into their rapid iteration and exploration processes.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • While not explicitly listed, expect to work with data from operational dashboards and analytics platforms to inform design decisions and measure impact. Familiarity with tools that provide operational KPIs would be beneficial. CRM & Automation:

  • Not directly applicable to the design role, but understanding how OpsUnity integrates with or supports other business systems (e.g., WMS, ERP, logistics platforms) could be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and AI-assisted workflows highlights key technical requirements. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with these tools and how they leverage them to enhance design productivity and innovation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Efficiency & Accuracy: Core to the operations of any food delivery service. Designs must prioritize speed and minimize errors for floor staff.

  • User-Centricity (for Operators): While CookUnity's external mission is customer-focused, the OpsUnity platform's success hinges on being user-centric for its internal operational users. This means empathy for their roles and environments.

  • Data-Driven Decision Making: The company relies on data to understand performance and inform strategy. Designs should be grounded in evidence and measurable outcomes.

  • Innovation & Adaptability: As a startup in a dynamic industry, CookUnity likely values continuous improvement and the adoption of new technologies (like AI) to stay competitive.

  • Collaboration & Teamwork: Essential for a platform built by multiple teams and requiring input from diverse functions.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-Functional Partnership: Expect to work closely with engineering, product, and operations teams, requiring strong communication and the ability to bridge different perspectives.

  • Direct Feedback Loops: The role involves direct interaction with operators, suggesting a culture that values feedback from the front lines.

  • Proactive Contribution: As a senior freelance designer, you are expected to proactively identify design opportunities and drive initiatives, rather than waiting for assignments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture likely balances the fast-paced, mission-driven nature of a startup with the practical, results-oriented demands of operational efficiency. Understanding and aligning with these values will be crucial for success.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Design Consistency Across Teams: Ensuring a cohesive user experience across multiple products developed by different teams requires strong advocacy, clear guidelines, and excellent collaboration.

  • Designing for High-Pressure Environments: Creating interfaces that are intuitive and error-proof for users who are physically active, under time pressure, and potentially using devices in less-than-ideal conditions.

  • Translating Complex Data: Simplifying dense operational data and workflows into easily digestible and actionable interfaces.

  • Balancing Speed and Quality: The freelance nature and the need to move quickly while ensuring high-quality, adoptable designs.

  • Remote Collaboration: Effectively influencing design direction and fostering adoption without being physically present with the teams or users.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Deep Dive into Operations Tech: Gain specialized knowledge in designing for logistics, supply chain, and internal operational platforms.

  • AI in Design Mastery: Enhance skills in leveraging advanced AI tools for design workflows.

  • Platform Design Strategy: Contribute to the foundational design principles of a critical internal system, influencing its long-term trajectory.

  • Cross-Functional Acumen: Develop stronger collaboration skills with diverse stakeholders in product, engineering, and operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a unique opportunity to tackle challenging UX problems in a critical operational domain, leveraging cutting-edge AI tools. The growth comes from specialized skill development and contributing to the strategic direction of a core company platform.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you designed a complex workflow for an operational or enterprise environment. What were the key challenges, your process, and the outcome?" (Focus on IA, error prevention, user context.)

  • "How would you approach establishing a consistent design language across multiple products built by different teams, especially when you're a freelance contributor?" (Focus on design systems, collaboration, influence.)

  • "Imagine a scenario where operators on the kitchen floor are resistant to adopting a new tracking tool. How would you diagnose the problem and design a solution that encourages adoption?" (Focus on user empathy, iterative design, practical UX.)

  • "How do you leverage AI tools in your design process? Can you provide an example of how AI helped you solve a specific design problem or accelerate your workflow?" (Focus on practical application of Claude, v0, generative prototyping.) Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What interests you about CookUnity's mission and how does designing for operations contribute to it?" (Connect your skills to the company's broader goals.)

  • "How do you ensure your designs are grounded in the reality of the end-users, especially when working remotely and designing for a physical environment?" (Focus on remote research methods, empathy, data usage.)

  • "Describe your experience working with engineering and product teams. How do you handle disagreements or differing priorities?" (Focus on collaboration, communication, compromise.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level overview of CookUnity and the OpsUnity platform. Then, dive into 2-3 key case studies that best represent your skills in operational UX, complex workflows, and AI integration.

  • Emphasize Process & Problem-Solving: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process, the specific challenges you faced (especially operational ones), your solutions, and the measurable outcomes.

  • Highlight AI Integration: Dedicate specific points within your case studies or a separate section to showcase how you used AI tools and the impact they had.

  • Demonstrate Operational Empathy: Use language that reflects an understanding of the operators' environment, pressures, and needs.

  • Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design decisions, your rationale, and how you validated your solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely assess not only your design skills but also your ability to operate autonomously, collaborate effectively in a remote setting, and deeply understand the unique needs of operational users in a fast-paced environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations design position:

  • Submit your application through the provided link on careers.cookunity.com.

  • Curate Your Portfolio for Operations: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature case studies demonstrating your experience with complex workflows, operational environments, and AI-assisted design. Emphasize projects where you solved problems related to efficiency, error reduction, and user adoption in non-consumer-facing applications.

  • Optimize Your Resume: Highlight keywords such as "UX/UI Design," "Product Design," "Operations Technology," "Figma," "AI-assisted Design," "Information Architecture," "Interaction Design," and any relevant experience in logistics, supply chain, or enterprise tooling. Quantify achievements with specific metrics where possible.

  • Prepare Your Presentation: Be ready to walk through your portfolio case studies, articulating your design process, problem-solving approach, and the impact of your work, with a specific focus on how your designs served operational users. Practice explaining your use of AI tools.

  • Research CookUnity: Understand their mission, business model, and the critical role of operations. Familiarize yourself with the potential challenges of designing for a food delivery marketplace's internal systems.

⚠️ 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.

Application Requirements

Candidates must have 4+ years of experience in UX/UI or product design, specifically with complex or data-heavy platforms. Proficiency in design tools like Figma and experience with AI-assisted workflows are required.