Senior UX Designer: SWO NIO

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer: SWO NIO

Company: SolarWinds

Location: Brno, Czech Republic

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX/Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-18T17:37:30

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days remote)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the user experience design for SolarWinds Network Infrastructure Observability (NIO), a critical component of their enterprise software suite.

• Drive end-to-end design ownership, from initial discovery and research through to production-ready deliverables, ensuring intuitive solutions for complex networking data.

• Collaborate closely with a global design community and local UX teams in Brno to evolve shared design systems and component libraries, impacting a massive-scale platform.

• Act as a key partner to Product and Engineering teams, advocating for user clarity and translating intricate networking data into user-friendly interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the input mentions "Senior UX Designer: SWO NIO", the description clearly indicates this role is focused on Product Design within the Network Infrastructure Observability (NIO) product line, a subset of SolarWinds' broader offerings. The emphasis on enterprise SaaS and B2B applications positions this within the operational technology and IT management software sector. The "SWO" likely refers to SolarWinds Observability.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the UX design strategy and execution for the SolarWinds Network Infrastructure Observability (NIO) product.

• Conduct user research, define user flows, create wireframes, and develop high-fidelity prototypes for complex networking monitoring and troubleshooting tools.

• Collaborate with Product Managers and Engineering teams in an Agile environment to translate product requirements into effective and intuitive user interfaces.

• Contribute to and evolve the SolarWinds design system and component libraries, ensuring consistency and scalability across the NIO product suite.

• Present design rationale, user insights, and proposed solutions clearly and persuasively to cross-functional stakeholders, including senior leadership.

• Own the user experience from concept through to final implementation, ensuring a seamless and efficient user journey for IT professionals.

• Design for complex data hierarchies and large-scale workflows, transforming raw network data into actionable insights for users.

• Participate in regular global and local design syncs to share progress, gather feedback, and maintain alignment with the broader design community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities are derived from the explicit statements about leading design for NIO, end-to-end ownership, collaborating with product/engineering, presenting rationale, and designing for complexity. The emphasis on "transforming complex data into intuitive solutions" and "advocating for clarity" highlights the strategic nature of the role within the IT operations domain.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in HCI, Design, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for a Senior UX Designer role in enterprise software.

Experience: 5+ years of dedicated experience in UX design, with a significant focus on enterprise SaaS products or complex B2B applications.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in User Experience (UX) design principles and methodologies.

• Strong portfolio showcasing data-rich, workflow-driven product experiences, ideally within a technical domain.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and design system management.

• Deep understanding and practical application of systems thinking in design.

• Demonstrated ability to design for complex data hierarchies and large-scale workflows.

• Experience working effectively within Agile development environments and embracing rapid iteration.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills for effective stakeholder engagement.

• Experience in product discovery and user research to inform design decisions. Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience designing for network monitoring, observability platforms, or developer tools.

• Familiarity with incident management workflows and performance dashboard design.

• Understanding of IT infrastructure and networking concepts.

• Experience contributing to or managing design system components.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills are directly extracted from the "Your Experience" section. Preferred skills are inferred from the "Preference" section. The education requirement is a standard assumption for a senior-level design role in enterprise tech. The emphasis on "data-rich, workflow-driven" and "complex data hierarchies" is crucial for this role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase at least 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating the end-to-end design process for complex, data-intensive products.

• Highlight your role and contributions in each case study, emphasizing problem identification, user research, design iteration, and final outcomes.

• Include examples of designing for intricate data visualization, large-scale workflows, and enterprise SaaS/B2B applications.

• Ideally, include a case study related to a technical product, network monitoring, or observability tools.

• Demonstrate proficiency in Figma and your approach to systems thinking and design system utilization. Process Documentation:

• Ability to articulate your design process clearly, from discovery and ideation through to user testing and implementation handoff.

• Experience documenting design decisions, user flows, and interaction patterns for engineering and product teams.

• Demonstrate how you gather and incorporate user feedback and data to iterate on designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirement is explicitly stated in the job description. This section elaborates on what constitutes a strong portfolio for this specific role, emphasizing the data-heavy and complex nature of the NIO product.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX Designers in Brno, Czech Republic, with 5-10 years of experience in enterprise SaaS, the estimated salary range is 70,000 - 110,000 CZK per month (approximately 1,700,000 - 2,650,000 CZK annually). This estimate accounts for the cost of living in Brno and the specialized skill set required for designing complex B2B software.

Benefits:

• 25 days of vacation per year, increasing to 4 weeks after 5 years of tenure.

• 3 sick days per year.

• 10 study days per year for professional development.

• 2 volunteering days per year.

• Sabbatical Leave opportunities.

• Personal education budget of up to 48,300 CZK per year.

• Pension or life insurance matching donation (up to 3% of salary or 4,000 CZK per month).

• Meal allowance of 95 CZK per working day.

• Unlimited access to LinkedIn Learning.

• English/Czech language classes.

• Multisport card.

• Employee Assistance Program.

• Solarian Referral Program.

• SolarWinds Appreciation Program.

• Donation Matching initiative.

• Competitive Race Reimbursement.

• On-site amenities: Breakfast on Wednesdays, fresh fruits and snacks on Mondays, on-site gym, twice-weekly workout classes, and weekly yoga sessions.

Working Hours: Standard full-time employment (HPP) is expected, typically around 40 hours per week. The hybrid model offers flexibility, with a minimum of 3 days in the office (mandatory Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and up to 2 days remote.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on market research for Senior UX Designers in Brno, Czech Republic, considering the specified experience level and the nature of enterprise SaaS design. The benefits are directly listed from the provided text. The working hours are inferred from "full-time employment" and the hybrid model details.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software Development, IT Management, and Network Monitoring Solutions. SolarWinds operates in the critical B2B technology sector, providing essential tools for IT professionals to manage and secure their infrastructure.

Company Size: SolarWinds is a large, established technology company. While the exact global employee count isn't provided, it operates with a significant international presence, indicated by offices and teams across multiple continents.

Founded: SolarWinds was founded in 1999. This long history suggests a stable, mature organization with established processes and a deep understanding of the enterprise software market.

Team Structure:

• The UX team is part of a global design community of 18 professionals.

• The local Brno UX team consists of 4 UX Designers, a Product Owner (PO), and a Researcher.

• The Senior UX Designer will work in close tandem with an experienced UX colleague based in Brno.

• Collaboration extends to global colleagues in Florida, Austin, Bangalore, and Uruguay.

• This role operates within a hybrid work model, fostering both in-office collaboration and remote flexibility. Methodology:

• Design work is conducted within an Agile development environment, emphasizing rapid iteration and continuous feedback loops.

• A strong focus is placed on systems thinking and the evolution of a shared design system and component libraries.

• Collaboration is facilitated through regular bi-weekly global syncs and close local team interaction.

• The design process involves end-to-end ownership from discovery to production, requiring close partnership with Product and Engineering.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Company information is derived from the provided LinkedIn data and general knowledge of SolarWinds. The team structure and methodology are directly pulled from the job description's narrative about the role and its context. The "people-first" and "collaborative, accountable, ready, and empathetic" ethos is mentioned in the introductory paragraph.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior UX Designer. This level signifies a mid-to-senior career stage, requiring significant autonomy, strategic input, and the ability to mentor junior designers. The role demands ownership of complex product areas and a deep understanding of user needs within the IT infrastructure domain.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Designer will report into a local UX leadership figure in Brno and will work in close tandem with a peer UX Designer. They will collaborate extensively with Product Owners and Engineering teams, and indirectly with a global UX community.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the usability and effectiveness of SolarWinds' Network Infrastructure Observability (NIO) solutions. By transforming complex networking data into intuitive interfaces, the designer directly influences how IT professionals monitor, troubleshoot, and manage critical digital infrastructure, thereby impacting operational efficiency and business continuity for SolarWinds' customers.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for network monitoring, observability, and complex data visualization. Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in the NIO domain.

• Design System Leadership: Contribute significantly to the evolution and governance of SolarWinds' design system and component libraries.

• Mentorship: Potential to mentor junior UX Designers within the Brno team.

• Cross-functional Influence: Expand influence across Product Management and Engineering, contributing to strategic product decisions.

• Global Collaboration: Gain exposure to diverse design practices and challenges by working with international teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career level and impact are inferred from the "Senior" title and the description of responsibilities. Growth opportunities are extrapolated from the nature of the role, the company's structure, and typical career paths for senior designers in enterprise tech. The focus is on deepening expertise within the specific domain of IT operations and observability.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job description mentions a hybrid work model (3+2), indicating a modern office environment designed to support both in-office collaboration and remote work. The office is located at Holandská 873/6, Brno – Štýřice.

Office Location(s): The primary office location for this role is Brno, Czech Republic. SolarWinds also has significant operations in Florida, Austin, Bangalore, and Uruguay, suggesting a global company with distributed teams.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office space is equipped to foster collaboration, with mentions of on-site gym, workout classes, and yoga sessions suggesting a focus on employee well-being and team interaction.

• Tools and Technology: Expect access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, and potentially other collaboration and project management software used by SolarWinds.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model means opportunities for face-to-face interaction with local UX designers, Product Owners, Researchers, and Engineering teams on designated office days. Bi-weekly global syncs ensure connection with the broader international design community.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected, with flexibility offered through the hybrid model. The mandatory office days (Tuesdays and Wednesdays) are structured to maximize in-person collaboration and team cohesion.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment details are synthesized from the hybrid model description, office location, and the mention of on-site amenities, which collectively paint a picture of a modern, flexible, and collaborative workplace.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess qualifications and fit.

• Portfolio Presentation/Deep Dive: You will likely be asked to present your portfolio, focusing on specific case studies. Be prepared to walk through your process, design decisions, and the impact of your work. Expect to discuss your experience with complex data, workflows, and enterprise SaaS.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interviews: Interviews with the hiring manager (Cullen Childress, potentially) and members of the local Brno UX team and potentially Product/Engineering leads. These will assess your design skills, problem-solving abilities, collaboration style, and cultural fit.

• Technical/Design Exercise: A potential design challenge or exercise, either take-home or done live, to evaluate your approach to a specific problem, potentially related to network observability or data visualization.

• Final Round: Possibly interviews with higher-level management to discuss strategic thinking and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storytelling: Structure your case studies as narratives. Clearly define the problem, your approach, the solutions you designed, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Focus on Process: Detail your UX process, including research methods, ideation techniques, iteration cycles, and collaboration with stakeholders.

• Highlight Complexity: Emphasize your experience with complex data hierarchies, large-scale workflows, and enterprise-level products. Showcase how you simplified complexity for users.

• Showcase Figma Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your use of Figma, including your approach to design systems, components, and collaboration within the tool.

• Technical Relevance: Prioritize case studies related to technical products, network monitoring, or observability if available. If not, clearly articulate how your transferable skills apply.

• Outcome-Oriented: Quantify impact where possible (e.g., improved efficiency, reduced error rates, increased user satisfaction).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with network monitoring, observability concepts, and common challenges faced by IT professionals in managing infrastructure.

• Problem-Solving: Practice breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts and clearly articulate your thought process.

• Design System Thinking: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach designing for a system with established components or how you would contribute to building one.

• Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your ideas concisely and persuasively, anticipating questions about your design decisions and rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section is built on standard tech industry interview practices for senior design roles, tailored to the specific requirements of the job description, particularly the emphasis on portfolio content and experience with complex, data-rich enterprise products.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and design system management. Expertise is a core requirement.

• Prototyping Tools: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes to demonstrate user flows and interaction design.

• Design System Tools: Experience with building, maintaining, or contributing to design systems and component libraries.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a primary tool for the designer, familiarity with how users interact with data and how performance is tracked in observability tools is beneficial. Understanding of analytics dashboards and reporting interfaces would be advantageous. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the core UX design tasks of this role, but an understanding of how enterprise software is sold and supported (CRM) might provide context for B2B product design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary tool listed is Figma. Other tools mentioned are inferred based on the nature of UX design for enterprise SaaS and the need for prototyping and design system work.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• People-First: SolarWinds emphasizes enriching the lives of its employees, customers, and stakeholders. This translates to a focus on user-centric design and employee well-being.

• Collaboration: The company values teamwork and believes in accomplishing more together, evident in the global and local team structures and communication practices.

• Accountability & Readiness: Employees are expected to be accountable for their work and ready to tackle challenges in a fast-paced environment.

• Empathy: A key attribute for employees, suggesting a focus on understanding user needs and team member perspectives.

• Purpose-Driven: The company aims to help customers accelerate business transformation, implying a desire for employees to contribute meaningfully to impactful solutions.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Strong partnerships with Product Management and Engineering are critical for successful product development.

• Global & Local Syncs: Regular communication channels exist both within the local Brno team and across international SolarWinds offices.

• Iterative Feedback: The Agile environment fosters a culture of continuous feedback and collaborative refinement of designs.

• Knowledge Sharing: Opportunities exist to exchange expertise with experienced UX colleagues, promoting a learning and supportive environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Company values are directly extracted from the introductory paragraph. Collaboration style is inferred from the description of team structure and communication protocols.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity Management: Designing intuitive user experiences for highly complex, data-rich networking infrastructure observability tools.

• Systemic Design: Evolving and maintaining a consistent design system across a large-scale platform, ensuring scalability and adherence to standards.

• Global Alignment: Collaborating effectively with distributed global teams across different time zones and cultures to maintain design consistency.

• Rapid Iteration: Adapting to the fast-paced nature of Agile development, requiring quick design cycles and the ability to pivot based on feedback.

• Technical Domain Expertise: Gaining deep understanding of network monitoring and observability concepts to effectively design for IT professionals.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Observability: Become a specialist in the domain of network monitoring and observability UX.

• Design System Mastery: Contribute significantly to a mature, large-scale design system, gaining expertise in its architecture and governance.

• Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Enhance skills in working with diverse international teams, improving communication and adaptation strategies.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to guide and mentor junior designers.

• Exposure to Enterprise Scale: Work on a product that is critical to large organizations, understanding the unique challenges and needs of enterprise clients.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are identified based on the nature of enterprise SaaS, complex data, global teams, and Agile environments. Growth opportunities are derived from these challenges and the senior nature of the role.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for designing a complex data visualization for an enterprise SaaS product. How would you ensure clarity and actionable insights for users?"

• "Walk us through a case study where you had to simplify a highly technical or complex workflow. What was the problem, your approach, and the outcome?"

• "How do you approach collaborating with Product Managers and Engineers in an Agile setting to ensure design vision is maintained while iterating rapidly?"

• "Imagine you're tasked with designing a new feature for network monitoring. What are the first steps you'd take, and who would you involve?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about SolarWinds and specifically the NIO product line?"

• "How do you embody the 'people-first' and 'collaborative' values in your work?"

• "Describe a time you had to advocate for a design decision that was met with resistance. How did you handle it?"

• "How do you stay updated on UX trends, especially those relevant to enterprise software and IT operations?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Craft a compelling story for each case study, focusing on the user problem, your role, your design process, and the impact of your solutions.

• Visual Clarity: Ensure your presentation is clean, well-organized, and visually appealing. Use high-quality mockups and prototypes.

• Process Emphasis: Clearly articulate your UX methodology, research methods, and how you made design decisions.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, present metrics or evidence of the success of your designs (e.g., user feedback, efficiency gains).

• Figma & Systems: Be prepared to discuss your proficiency with Figma and your approach to design systems.

• Tailor to NIO: Connect your experience to the needs of the NIO product, highlighting relevant skills and insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions are crafted to probe the core competencies and experience required for the Senior UX Designer role, focusing on complexity, data, enterprise SaaS, and collaboration within an Agile framework.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided SolarWinds careers portal link.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date and prominently features 2-3 detailed case studies showcasing your experience with complex, data-rich enterprise SaaS products and workflow-driven design. Prioritize examples relevant to technical domains like network monitoring or observability.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 5+ years of experience in UX design, specific skills in Figma and systems thinking, and your ability to design for complex data hierarchies and large-scale workflows within Agile environments. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and rationale for key portfolio pieces. Prepare to discuss your experience with collaboration, problem-solving, and user advocacy. Research SolarWinds' products, particularly their observability solutions.

• Company Research: Understand SolarWinds' mission, values (people-first, collaboration, accountability), and the challenges faced by IT professionals in network infrastructure observability. This will help you align your responses with the company's context.

⚠️ 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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