Senior Product Designer, Search and Personalisation

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer, Search and Personalisation

Company: Grab

Location: Grab One North, Singapore, Singapore

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / User Experience

Date Posted: 2026-07-31

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Shape intuitive user experiences for high-traffic search, discovery, and personalization surfaces within Grab's superapp, directly impacting millions of users across Southeast Asia.

• Translate complex machine learning outputs and data-driven insights into user-friendly interactions, bridging the gap between algorithmic intelligence and user needs.

• Drive end-to-end design processes, from initial problem framing and research synthesis to rapid prototyping, final product delivery, and ongoing iteration.

• Leverage AI tools strategically within the design workflow to enhance research, ideation, prototyping, and interaction exploration, fostering innovation and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role focuses on the intersection of user experience design, data science, and machine learning, specifically within the context of search and personalization features of a large-scale consumer application. This requires a designer who can not only create compelling interfaces but also understand and translate complex algorithmic outputs into accessible user journeys. The emphasis on AI tools suggests a forward-thinking design team embracing new technologies to accelerate their design process.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the complete design lifecycle for search, discovery, or personalization features within your designated product stream, from initial problem definition through to successful product launch and post-launch optimization.

• Design user-centric experiences where content is dynamically generated by machine learning models, effectively translating algorithmic outputs into intuitive and engaging user-facing interactions.

• Utilize a blend of quantitative data, experimentation results, and qualitative user research methodologies to pinpoint user friction points and identify opportunities for product enhancement.

• Integrate and apply AI-powered tools across the design process, including but not limited to research synthesis, rapid prototyping, content ideation, and interaction design exploration, to drive efficiency and innovation.

• Foster strong collaborative relationships with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Analysts, and other stakeholders to align on objectives, validate design assumptions, and ensure the delivery of measurable product outcomes.

• Contribute to the development, maintenance, and consistent application of design system standards, ensuring a high level of quality and uniformity across Grab's high-traffic consumer-facing surfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a "problem-framing to shipped product" ownership model, common in senior design roles. The emphasis on translating ML/AI outputs into user experiences and using data/experimentation underscores the analytical and problem-solving demands of the role, particularly within a product heavily reliant on algorithmic intelligence.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for senior roles.

Experience: 4-6 years of dedicated experience in Product Design or UX Design, with a strong track record of shipping successful products.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in end-to-end product design, from conceptualization to implementation and iteration.

• Demonstrated ability to design complex, data-rich applications, ideally within domains such as e-commerce, marketplaces, B2B SaaS, or advertising technology.

• Strong interaction design and visual design capabilities, with a keen understanding of visual hierarchy, layout principles, component-based design, and designing for information-dense interfaces.

• High proficiency in Figma for design and prototyping.

• Experience with advanced prototyping tools such as ProtoPie for creating interactive and complex user flows.

• Familiarity with and ability to contribute to Design Systems, ensuring consistency and scalability.

• AI Fluency: Proactive adoption and skillful use of AI tools to accelerate research synthesis, brainstorming sessions, and prototyping efforts. Comfort in exploring and integrating emerging AI technologies into design workflows.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions with clear rationale to diverse teams, including Product Managers and Engineers. Preferred Skills:

• Experience working in a fast-paced, agile environment within a large-scale consumer tech company.

• Familiarity with A/B testing methodologies and incorporating experimental results into design decisions.

• Understanding of machine learning concepts and how they translate into user experiences.

• Experience with user research methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative approaches.

• Knowledge of accessibility standards and best practices in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "AI Fluency" requirement is a significant differentiator, indicating Grab's commitment to integrating AI into its product development and design processes. Candidates should be prepared to showcase how they've used AI tools in their portfolio or during the interview. The preference for experience in specific domains like e-commerce or marketplaces is due to the data-rich and transactional nature of those industries, which aligns well with search and personalization challenges.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 distinct projects demonstrating end-to-end product design ownership, with a clear focus on search, discovery, or personalization features.

• For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your design process, the challenges encountered, and the solutions implemented.

• Highlight specific instances where you translated complex data or algorithmic outputs into intuitive user interfaces.

• Include examples of how you used data, experimentation, or user research to inform your design decisions and measure impact.

• Demonstrate proficiency in Figma, advanced prototyping (e.g., ProtoPie), and your experience working with or contributing to design systems.

• Provide evidence of AI tool utilization in your design workflow, detailing how these tools accelerated your process or led to innovative solutions. Process Documentation:

• Clearly outline the design methodologies employed in your portfolio projects, emphasizing iterative design, user-centered approaches, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Detail how you approached problem framing and user research to define design requirements.

• Illustrate your prototyping and user testing processes, including how feedback was incorporated.

• Showcase your ability to collaborate with engineers and product managers to ensure successful implementation and alignment with business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. It's not just about aesthetics but about demonstrating strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and a deep understanding of the design process, especially in data-heavy and algorithm-driven product areas. The explicit mention of AI tools means candidates should be ready to discuss their practical application.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Senior Product Designer in Singapore with 4-6 years of experience, the estimated annual salary range is SGD 90,000 - SGD 130,000. This range is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in Singapore, considering the company's scale and the specialized nature of the position. Factors such as specific skill sets, interview performance, and exact years of experience will influence the final offer.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical Insurance coverage.

• Term Life Insurance for added financial security.

• GrabFlex: A customizable benefits package allowing employees to tailor benefits to their individual needs and aspirations.

• Generous Parental and Birthday leave to celebrate life's milestones.

• Love-all-Serve-all (LASA) volunteering leave to encourage community engagement.

• Confidential Grabber Assistance Programme (GAP) providing support for personal and family challenges.

• FlexWork arrangements, including differentiated working hours, to support work-life balance.

Working Hours: While the role is on-site, Grab offers FlexWork arrangements, which may include differentiated working hours, providing some flexibility beyond standard 9-to-5 schedules. A typical full-time workweek is approximately 40 hours, with expectations for availability during core business hours for collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary ranges for senior design roles in Singapore are competitive, reflecting the demand for skilled professionals. The provided range is an estimate; candidates should be prepared to discuss their salary expectations based on their experience and the value they bring. The benefits package at Grab appears robust, emphasizing well-being, personal milestones, and community involvement, which are attractive to experienced professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Superapp, Ride-hailing, Food Delivery, Financial Services)

Company Size: Large Enterprise (Over 10,000 employees globally)

Founded: 2012. Grab has grown from a ride-hailing service to a comprehensive superapp, demonstrating a strong culture of innovation, expansion, and adaptation to market needs.

Team Structure:

• The Search & Personalisation (SNP) team operates as an intelligence layer within Grab, focusing on understanding user intent and surfacing relevant content proactively.

• This team is likely structured with specialized pods focusing on specific areas like search algorithms, recommendation engines, personalization strategies, and user interface design.

• The Senior Product Designer will report to the Head of Design, SPA & GFB, indicating a design leadership structure that supports specialized product areas.

• Collaboration is expected across Product Management, Engineering, Data Science, Machine Learning, and other design teams. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is central, with a strong emphasis on experimentation and A/B testing to validate product hypotheses and measure impact.

• Machine learning and AI are core to the team's strategy, driving the intelligence layer for personalization and search.

• User-centered design principles are applied, translating complex technical capabilities into intuitive and valuable user experiences.

• Agile development methodologies are likely employed to facilitate rapid iteration and responsiveness to user feedback and market changes.

Company Website: https://www.grab.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Grab's culture is characterized by its purpose-driven approach ("driving Southeast Asia forward") and its core values (heart, hunger, honour, humility). The "superapp" model implies a complex ecosystem where seamless integration and personalized experiences are critical for user retention and satisfaction. The SNP team's role is vital in making this ecosystem navigable and delightful for millions.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer. This level signifies a significant level of autonomy and responsibility. The role requires not only strong execution skills but also the ability to influence product strategy, mentor junior designers, and drive complex design initiatives from conception to completion. The scope extends to shaping how users interact with core, high-traffic features.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer reports to the Head of Design, SPA & GFB. This suggests a clear reporting line within the design organization, with potential for mentorship and guidance from a design leader. Collaboration will be extensive with Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Analysts within the Search & Personalisation (SNP) product stream.

Operations Impact: The work directly influences user engagement, satisfaction, and retention across Grab's core services by making search and discovery more effective and personalized. Improved personalization and search relevance can lead to increased conversion rates for food orders, ride bookings, and financial transactions, directly impacting Grab's revenue and market position.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and potentially grow into a Design Lead or Group Design Manager role within specialized product areas.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in search, personalization, recommendation systems, and the application of AI in product design within a leading Southeast Asian tech company.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Gain extensive experience collaborating with world-class ML engineers, data scientists, and product managers, enhancing understanding of data-driven product development.

• Strategic Influence: Contribute to the strategic direction of critical product surfaces that are fundamental to Grab's business success and user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: Senior roles at companies like Grab often provide clear paths for growth, either into people management or deep technical/strategic specialization. The emphasis on "shaping experiences" and "influencing product outcomes" for high-traffic surfaces indicates significant potential for impact and career advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based at Grab's One North office in Singapore, which is a modern, technologically advanced workspace designed to foster collaboration and innovation.

Office Location(s): Grab One North, Singapore. This location is a hub for technology and innovation in Singapore, offering a dynamic work environment.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is designed to encourage collaboration, with open areas, meeting rooms, and potentially dedicated project spaces that facilitate interaction between designers, PMs, and engineers.

• Access to cutting-edge tools and technology, including high-performance workstations, design software (Figma, ProtoPie), and potentially internal AI development tools relevant to the SNP team.

• Opportunities for frequent interaction with cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of shared problem-solving and continuous feedback exchange.

Work Schedule: While the role is on-site, Grab's "FlexWork" arrangements, including differentiated working hours, suggest a degree of flexibility. Core hours will likely be expected for team collaboration, but the exact schedule can be discussed. The overall work environment is fast-paced and demanding, typical of a leading tech organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Grab's emphasis on a collaborative and innovative workspace is typical for tech giants. The "FlexWork" mention is important for candidates seeking work-life balance, though the on-site requirement means daily presence at the office is expected.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will review your application, focusing on your resume and portfolio for relevant experience and skills.

• Portfolio Presentation & Technical Interview: Expect a session where you present your portfolio, discussing 2-3 key projects in detail. This will likely involve deep dives into your design process, problem-solving approach, collaboration with stakeholders, and the impact of your work. Questions will assess your interaction design, visual design, and strategic thinking skills.

• Cross-functional Interviews: You may interview with Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Analysts from the SNP team. These interviews will assess your ability to collaborate effectively, understand technical constraints, and contribute to data-driven decision-making.

• Design Challenge/Exercise: A practical design exercise or case study might be given, either take-home or during an interview session, to evaluate your problem-solving skills, design approach, and ability to work under pressure.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final interview with the Head of Design, SPA & GFB, to assess overall fit, leadership potential, and alignment with the team's vision and Grab's culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your experience in search, personalization, data-rich environments, and ideally, your use of AI tools. Emphasize end-to-end ownership.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, key decisions, challenges, and the measurable outcomes. Use visuals effectively to guide the viewer.

• Highlight Impact: Quantify the impact of your designs whenever possible (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction scores, reduced task completion time).

• Demonstrate AI Fluency: Clearly explain how you incorporated AI tools into your workflow and the benefits derived from their use.

• Showcase Collaboration: Illustrate how you worked with PMs, engineers, and data teams, including how you handled disagreements or integrated feedback.

• Design System Contribution: If applicable, show how you've worked with or contributed to design systems.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research Grab's products, particularly its search and personalization features. Understand the challenges of a Southeast Asian superapp.

• Practice Problem Framing: Be ready to break down ambiguous problems into actionable design tasks.

• Focus on Process: For any design challenge, emphasize your thought process, how you'd gather information, and the iterative steps you'd take.

• Data-Informed Design: Practice how you'd use hypothetical data or metrics to justify design decisions.

• AI Integration: Consider how AI could be applied to solve the problem presented in a design challenge.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess not just design skills but also collaboration, strategic thinking, and adaptability to Grab's specific product and technological context. The portfolio review is a critical gate, and candidates must be prepared to articulate their process and impact with clarity and confidence, especially regarding AI integration.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for all aspects of UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is a must.

• ProtoPie: For creating high-fidelity, complex interactive prototypes that go beyond standard Figma capabilities, likely for simulating dynamic content or intricate user flows.

• Design Systems: Experience working with, contributing to, or establishing design systems for consistency and scalability.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with A/B testing platforms and interpretation of results.

• Understanding of analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Google Analytics, internal Grab tools) to derive user insights and measure product performance.

• Ability to interpret data dashboards and reports to inform design decisions. CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how user data flows and personalization engines work is crucial.

• Familiarity with tools or concepts related to user segmentation and targeted content delivery. AI & ML Tools:

• AI Fluency: Explicitly mentioned. This implies comfort using AI-powered design assistance tools (e.g., for content generation, image editing, research synthesis, brainstorming). Candidates should be prepared to discuss specific tools they've used or are aware of.

• Understanding of how ML models generate outputs that need to be translated into user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma and ProtoPie points to a need for advanced prototyping skills. The "AI Fluency" is key and suggests Grab is actively integrating AI into its design workflow, likely using a mix of off-the-shelf AI tools and potentially internal ML capabilities.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Heart, Hunger, Honour, Humility: These are Grab's core values. Candidates should understand how these translate into daily work:

  • Heart: Empathy for users and colleagues, driving user-centric design decisions.
  • Hunger: Drive to innovate, improve, and achieve ambitious goals in a fast-paced environment.
  • Honour: Integrity in design decisions, ethical considerations in personalization, and transparent communication.
  • Humility: Willingness to learn, accept feedback, and collaborate effectively with diverse teams.

• Purpose-Driven: A commitment to "driving Southeast Asia forward by economically empowering everyone." Design decisions should align with this mission.

• Data-Driven: A strong reliance on data and experimentation to guide product development and design iterations.

• User-Centricity: Deep understanding and focus on user needs, even when translating complex technical outputs.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, working closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Analysts, and other designers.

• Emphasis on open communication, constructive feedback, and shared ownership of product outcomes.

• Agile and iterative approach, comfortable with rapid prototyping, testing, and refinement cycles.

• Cross-functional teams are the norm, requiring strong interpersonal skills and the ability to articulate design rationale to non-designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding and embodying Grab's core values is critical for cultural fit. The emphasis on collaboration and data-driven decision-making aligns with the demands of a complex, high-growth tech environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating ML Complexity: Effectively translating sophisticated machine learning outputs and personalization algorithms into simple, intuitive, and delightful user experiences for a diverse user base.

• Balancing Personalization and Privacy: Designing personalization features that feel helpful without being intrusive or raising privacy concerns.

• Data Sparsity/Cold Start: Addressing challenges in personalization for new users or niche content where data is limited.

• Cross-Platform Consistency: Maintaining a cohesive and high-quality user experience across various Grab services and platforms.

• Rapid Iteration in a Large Org: Navigating the complexities of a large organization to drive design changes quickly and effectively, especially with on-site requirements.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in leveraging AI tools for design research, ideation, and prototyping.

• Complex System Design: Gain invaluable experience designing for a large-scale "superapp" ecosystem with diverse user needs and business objectives.

• Data Science & ML Collaboration: Enhance understanding of data science and machine learning principles through close collaboration with specialized teams.

• Strategic Product Influence: Opportunity to influence the direction of core product features that are critical to Grab's success.

• Mentorship: Potential to mentor junior designers and develop leadership skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to roles involving AI, personalization, and large-scale platforms. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a chance to become a highly sought-after specialist in a rapidly evolving field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Tell me about a time you designed an experience where the core content was generated by an algorithm or ML model. How did you approach translating that into a user-friendly interface?" Prepare a case study from your portfolio that directly addresses this. Focus on your process, challenges, and the outcomes.

• "How have you used AI tools in your design process? Can you walk me through a specific instance where it helped you achieve a better outcome or work more efficiently?" Be ready to discuss specific AI tools and concrete examples of their application in your workflow.

• "Describe a complex, data-rich product you designed. What were the key design challenges, and how did you use data or experimentation to inform your decisions?" Highlight your analytical skills and ability to handle density and complexity.

• "How do you balance user needs with business objectives and technical constraints, especially in a personalized environment?" Discuss your framework for decision-making and how you advocate for the user while considering broader goals. Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Grab and this specific role within the Search & Personalisation team?" Research Grab's mission, values, and recent product developments. Connect your skills and aspirations to the role and company.

• "How do you embody Grab's core values (Heart, Hunger, Honour, Humility) in your design work?" Prepare examples of how you've demonstrated these values in previous roles.

• "How do you approach collaboration with engineers and product managers, especially when there are differing opinions?" Showcase your communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills in a team context. Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Organize your presentation logically: problem, your role, process, solutions, outcomes, and learnings.

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the "so what?" for each project. Quantify results whenever possible.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively – mockups, prototypes, user flows, data charts.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your process, decision-making, and trade-offs.

• Highlight AI Integration: Explicitly point out where and how AI tools were used and the value they added.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should strongly emphasize the unique aspects of this role: designing for AI-generated content, leveraging AI tools, and working within a data-rich, personalized environment at a leading superapp. Demonstrating an understanding of Grab's values and culture will be critical.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Grab careers portal via the provided URL.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating experience in search, personalization, data-rich environments, and the use of AI tools. Clearly articulate your end-to-end design process and the impact of your work.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your 4-6 years of relevant experience, emphasizing achievements in product design, UX strategy, and collaboration with technical teams. Use keywords related to AI, personalization, and complex data environments.

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly research Grab's products, values, and the specifics of the Search & Personalisation team. Practice articulating your design process and impact, especially concerning AI tool usage and the translation of algorithmic outputs.

• Company Research: Understand Grab's mission, its position in the Southeast Asian market, and its commitment to its core values. Prepare to discuss how your design philosophy aligns with Grab's purpose-driven approach.

⚠️ 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.