Sr. Product Designer

DAT
Full-time$129k-165k/year (USD)Denver, United States

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr. Product Designer

Company: DAT Freight & Analytics

Location: Denver, CO, USA

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-06-23

Experience Level: Mid-Senior (5-8+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

  • Lead the end-to-end product design process for assigned product areas, ensuring high-quality user experiences from discovery through delivery within cross-functional squads.

  • Apply deep UX thinking and strong UI sensibility to solve complex freight industry workflows, translating them into intuitive and scalable digital solutions.

  • Drive impact through a data-informed approach, leveraging experimentation, A/B testing, and user research to iterate and refine designs.

  • Foster a collaborative design practice by mentoring peers, facilitating productive design critiques, and contributing to team rituals that elevate craft and culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer, requiring a blend of individual contribution and team influence. The emphasis on "craft-forward" and "hands-on" suggests a role that values execution and ownership, while the "go-to design voice" aspect highlights leadership potential within product teams.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Own the complete user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design for designated product areas, working within cross-functional squads.

  • Develop user flows, interaction models, and interface designs that simplify complex freight industry workflows into user-friendly and scalable experiences.

  • Champion a customer-centric approach, grounding design decisions in clear hypotheses and measurable success metrics.

  • Produce multiple design iterations for each project, maintaining a high standard of visual and interaction design craft throughout the entire lifecycle.

  • Act as a primary design resource within your product area, offering confident recommendations on best practices and guiding teammates through design challenges.

  • Ensure all designs meet stringent quality, accessibility (WCAG), and visual consistency standards, promoting inclusive design principles.

  • Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Analysts, and User Researchers to translate concepts into launched features, managing expectations and communication effectively.

  • Design, document, and support A/B tests and other experiments, framing each design as a testable hypothesis to drive continuous improvement.

  • Monitor key UX and business metrics for your product area to quantify design impact and proactively identify areas for enhancement.

  • Lead specific user research initiatives, working in tandem with User Researchers, and foster an iterative design mindset across the team.

  • Effectively communicate complex design decisions, manage stakeholder alignment across various teams, and facilitate productive design reviews and critiques.

  • Contribute to team-wide design rituals, such as design critiques, discovery readouts, and retrospectives, to enhance the collective design practice and team culture.

  • Understand the strategic goals behind design requests, connecting design decisions to business outcomes, user needs, and overarching team objectives.

  • Anticipate interdependencies with adjacent teams and initiatives, proactively communicating potential roadblocks to ensure smooth project execution.

  • Integrate AI tools thoughtfully into the design workflow to enhance execution, iteration speed, and problem-solving capabilities, modeling ethical AI usage.

  • Apply design process pragmatically as a guiding framework, exercising sound judgment to deliver high-quality work within project constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly outline a senior-level individual contributor role with significant ownership and influence. The emphasis on data-driven decision-making, experimentation, and AI integration points to a modern, forward-thinking design practice.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is implied by the experience and skill requirements.

Experience: 5-8+ years of dedicated experience in UX design, product design, or a closely analogous role is required, with a significant portion focused on complex digital products.

Required Skills:

  • A comprehensive portfolio showcasing exceptional design craft applied to intricate digital products, with clear evidence of both strong UX thinking and high-quality UI execution.

  • Expert proficiency in core UX and UI principles, including information architecture, interaction design, visual design, layout, typography, color theory, and visual hierarchy.

  • Proven experience collaborating effectively within cross-functional product teams, working alongside Product Managers, Engineers, and Researchers.

  • Demonstrated success in implementing and managing experimentation frameworks, A/B testing, or other data-informed design iteration processes.

  • Advanced command of Figma, including proficient use of organized components, contribution to shared design libraries, and meticulous maintenance of design system artifacts.

  • Demonstrated ability to mentor junior designers, providing structured, actionable feedback and setting a high standard for design craft.

  • Excellent cross-functional communication and collaboration skills, with a track record of managing stakeholder alignment across diverse teams.

  • Solid understanding and practical application of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA) and inclusive design practices. Preferred Skills:

  • Prior experience designing for B2B SaaS platforms, marketplace ecosystems, or data-intensive products.

  • Familiarity with Silicon Valley Product Group (SVPG) principles and modern product operating models, such as empowered teams, continuous discovery, and outcome-oriented ways of working.

  • Experience within complex industry domains such as freight, logistics, supply chain, or FinTech.

  • Familiarity with popular analytics or experimentation platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Optimizely).

  • Exposure to designing for critical user journeys involving trust and safety, identity management, compliance, or partner management functionalities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Bonus Skills" section provides a clear roadmap for candidates looking to differentiate themselves, particularly highlighting experience in B2B SaaS, complex domains, and modern product development methodologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Showcase a range of projects demonstrating end-to-end design ownership, from initial discovery and user research to final UI delivery and post-launch iteration.

  • Include detailed case studies that articulate the problem statement, your design process, key decisions, and the impact of your solutions, ideally with quantifiable results.

  • Present clear examples of how you've translated complex user needs and business requirements into intuitive and effective user interfaces and interaction models.

  • Demonstrate proficiency in your primary design tools (e.g., Figma), including examples of component usage, design system contributions, and prototyping capabilities.

  • Highlight your approach to accessibility and inclusive design, showcasing how these principles were integrated into your work. Process Documentation:

  • Provide examples of how you've documented user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups, demonstrating a structured approach to design communication.

  • Showcase instances where you've collaborated with engineering to ensure accurate implementation of designs, including the provision of detailed specifications or design handoffs.

  • Include evidence of how you've used data, user research findings, or A/B test results to inform and iterate on design solutions, demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are standard for a senior product designer, emphasizing a holistic approach to design and a data-driven, iterative methodology. Candidates should focus on demonstrating impact and process.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $129,000.00 - $165,000.00 annually, plus a target bonus.

Explanation: This range is provided for candidates based in Colorado, as per the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. The final salary offer will be determined by considering factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's work experience, educational background, core skills, internal equity among existing employees, and prevailing market conditions.

Benefits:

  • Comprehensive health coverage: Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance.

  • Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.

  • Generous paid time off: Flexible Vacation Time (FVT) and an additional 10 paid holidays per calendar year.

  • Family support: Parental Leave.

  • Retirement savings: 401k with immediate vesting and matching contributions, and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

  • Income protection: Short-term and Long-term disability insurance, and sick leave.

  • Financial wellness: Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).

  • Employee support: Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

  • Additional perks: Employee Referral Program, Internal Recognition programs, and Wellness Initiatives.

  • Commuter benefits: Free TriMet transit pass (specifically for the Beaverton Office, though this role is in Denver, indicating a company-wide benefit structure).

  • Professional development: Opportunity to work on impactful projects in a cutting-edge environment and make a real difference in the trucking industry.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week is the standard expectation. The hybrid work arrangement suggests flexibility in how these hours are structured, balancing in-office collaboration with remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is explicitly stated for Colorado. While not explicitly mentioned for other locations, it's reasonable to assume similar ranges or market-adjusted figures would apply. The benefits package is robust, offering a strong mix of health, financial, and work-life balance provisions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Freight & Logistics Technology / SaaS. DAT operates as a leading SaaS provider in the freight marketplace, leveraging data analytics and intelligent automation to enhance efficiency for brokers, carriers, and shippers. This industry context means working with complex, high-volume data and serving critical business functions for a foundational sector of the economy.

Company Size: Approximately 700 teammates. This size indicates a mid-sized company that likely offers a balance between established processes and opportunities for individual impact, without the bureaucracy of a very large corporation.

Founded: 1978. With nearly five decades of history, DAT has deep market credibility and extensive experience, combined with a drive for innovation as a "next-generation SaaS technology company." This blend suggests stability alongside a forward-looking approach.

Team Structure:

  • The Product Design team is part of a larger Product organization, reporting to the Director of Product Design.

  • Product Designers are embedded within cross-functional "squads" (product teams), suggesting an agile, team-oriented structure.

  • Collaboration extends across Product Management, Engineering, Data, and Research functions. Methodology:

  • Emphasis on a "customer-centric mindset," "data-driven decision-making," and "experimentation" (A/B testing).

  • Adoption of modern product operating models, potentially including concepts like "continuous discovery" and "empowered teams," as suggested by the "Bonus Skills."

  • Integration of AI into design workflows is a stated priority.

  • Pragmatic application of design process, emphasizing judgment over rigid adherence.

Company Website: www.DAT.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to value both innovation and stability, driven by data and customer needs, within a collaborative, agile product development environment. The integration of AI and modern product methodologies is a key differentiator.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as "Senior Product Designer." This implies a level of autonomy, ownership of complex projects, and the capacity to influence design direction and mentor junior team members. It's a critical individual contributor role, often a stepping stone to Principal Designer, Design Lead, or management positions.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer reports to the Director of Product Design and is embedded within cross-functional product squads. This structure allows for both strategic oversight from leadership and hands-on contribution within agile product teams.

Operations Impact: The role is directly responsible for designing experiences that help carriers, brokers, and shippers "price freight accurately, source capacity, reduce risk, and operate more efficiently." This translates to significant impact on customer business operations and DAT's overall value proposition and revenue growth.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like B2B SaaS design, data visualization, complex workflow simplification, or AI-driven design tools.

  • Leadership Development: Progress to Principal Product Designer, taking on more complex strategic challenges, or transition into a Design Lead or management role within the Product Design team.

  • Industry Expertise: Develop specialized knowledge in the freight and logistics domain, becoming a subject matter expert in this complex industry.

  • Mentorship: Continue to hone leadership and coaching skills by mentoring junior designers and contributing to the team's overall capability.

  • Process Improvement: Contribute to evolving the team's design processes, methodologies, and tool adoption.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and the emphasis on mentoring and influencing suggest clear pathways for career advancement within DAT's Product Design function. The domain expertise gained is also a valuable career asset.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment. This means a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration. The company emphasizes its "award-winning employer of choice" status and values integrity, respect, open communication, and excellence.

Office Location(s): The role is based in Denver, CO. Other DAT offices are located in Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; Springfield, MO; Toronto, ON; and Bangalore, India. This distributed structure suggests a strong remote/hybrid culture and potential for cross-office collaboration.

Workspace Context:

  • The Denver office is a location for this hybrid role, implying a physical workspace for collaboration and focused work.

  • The emphasis on "craft, curiosity, and outcomes" within the design team suggests an environment that values high-quality work, continuous learning, and results.

  • Collaboration is key, with designers embedded in cross-functional squads, facilitating close partnership with Product, Engineering, and Research.

  • The company culture is described as "collaborative and supportive," aiming to make a "real difference."

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility inherent in a hybrid model. This allows for effective management of design processes, data analysis, and collaborative sessions across different time zones or work preferences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model in Denver is central to this role's environment. The culture is described as supportive and collaborative, with a strong emphasis on achieving outcomes and continuous improvement, which is conducive to complex design work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: While not explicitly detailed, a typical product design interview process at a company like DAT would likely include:

  • Initial Screening: HR or Recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, experience alignment, and cultural fit.

  • Portfolio Review & Design Exercise: A presentation of your portfolio, often followed by a design challenge (e.g., a take-home assignment or a live design exercise) to assess your problem-solving skills, design process, and craft.

  • Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders, including Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other Designers or Researchers, to evaluate collaboration style and technical understanding.

  • Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your experience, leadership potential, and fit with the team's strategic goals, often with the Director of Product Design.

  • Final Round/Executive Interview: Potentially a conversation with a higher-level leader to confirm overall fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Curate Selectively: Choose 3-4 of your strongest projects that best represent your skills and experience relevant to this role (B2B SaaS, complex workflows, data-heavy products are a plus).

  • Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process, the challenges you faced, your solutions, and the outcomes/impact. Use visuals effectively to illustrate your points.

  • Highlight Process: Don't just show final screens; explain why you made certain decisions. Showcase your research, ideation, iteration, and collaboration methods.

  • Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics (e.g., conversion rate improvements, user satisfaction scores, task completion times) to demonstrate the effectiveness of your designs.

  • Tool Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your proficiency with Figma and any other relevant tools.

  • Accessibility Focus: Be prepared to discuss how you incorporate accessibility standards into your design process.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with DAT's products, the freight/logistics industry, and common user pain points for carriers, brokers, and shippers.

  • Practice Design Thinking: Be ready to apply a structured design thinking process (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test) to a given problem.

  • Focus on Strategy: For any design challenge, think about the underlying business goals and user needs. How does your proposed solution align with DAT's objectives?

  • Communicate Clearly: Practice articulating your thought process, design decisions, and trade-offs concisely and effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not just design execution but also strategic thinking, problem-solving methodology, and collaborative capabilities. The portfolio is the primary tool for showcasing these skills.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Figma: This is explicitly mentioned as a requirement for "Advanced proficiency," including organized components, shared libraries, and design system maintenance. It's the core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration.

  • Prototyping Tools: While Figma handles prototyping, candidates may also have experience with other dedicated prototyping tools.

  • Design Systems: Experience contributing to and maintaining design system artifacts is crucial.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • Analytics Tools (Preferred): Familiarity with platforms like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or similar tools is a bonus, indicating an ability to leverage data for design insights.

  • Experimentation Tools (Preferred): Experience with A/B testing platforms such as Optimizely is also a preferred skill.

CRM & Automation: While not directly mentioned for designers, understanding how design integrates with CRM and automation platforms within a SaaS product is beneficial for context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the central tool requirement. Proficiency here is non-negotiable. Familiarity with analytics and experimentation tools is a significant advantage, highlighting a data-driven approach to design.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Integrity: Fundamental to all operations and decision-making.

  • Mutual Respect: Fostering a positive and inclusive environment for all teammates.

  • Open Communication: Encouraging transparency and direct feedback within teams and across departments.

  • Executing with Excellence: A commitment to high standards, quality outcomes, and continuous improvement in all aspects of work.

  • Customer-Centricity: Placing the needs and success of customers (carriers, brokers, shippers) at the forefront of design and product development.

  • Data-Driven Approach: Utilizing analytics and research to inform design decisions and measure impact.

  • Efficiency: Striving for optimized workflows and scalable solutions in product design.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-functional Integration: Designers are embedded in squads, working daily with Product Managers, Engineers, and Researchers.

  • Iterative Feedback: Active participation in design crits and retrospectives, valuing constructive feedback for continuous improvement.

  • Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to team rituals and potentially mentoring peers, fostering a culture of shared learning and growth.

  • Outcome-Focused: Emphasis on achieving defined business and user outcomes through collaborative efforts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's core values (integrity, respect, communication, excellence) strongly influence the collaborative environment. The design team's culture is characterized by a blend of high craft, data-informed iteration, and proactive collaboration within agile product teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Complexity of Domain: Designing for the intricate and data-heavy freight and logistics industry requires a steep learning curve and the ability to simplify complex processes into intuitive user experiences.

  • Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing expectations and aligning design decisions across multiple stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Sales, Customers) within a growing company.

  • Data Interpretation: Translating complex data analytics and A/B test results into actionable design improvements requires strong analytical and critical thinking skills.

  • Rapid Iteration: Contributing to a fast-paced product development environment that requires continuous learning, adaptation, and efficient design iteration.

  • AI Integration: Effectively leveraging AI tools in the design process while maintaining ethical considerations and high-quality output.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Domain Expertise: Deepen understanding of the freight and logistics industry, becoming a subject matter expert in user needs and market dynamics.

  • Advanced Design Skills: Enhance skills in areas such as complex data visualization, designing for AI-driven features, or advanced interaction design patterns.

  • Product Strategy: Gain deeper insights into product strategy, continuous discovery methodologies, and outcome-based product development.

  • Leadership & Mentorship: Develop leadership capabilities through mentoring junior designers and potentially leading design initiatives.

  • Industry Trends: Stay abreast of emerging design trends, tools, and methodologies, particularly those related to SaaS, AI, and data analytics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common for senior roles in complex B2B SaaS environments. The growth opportunities are well-aligned with advancing within a product design career, offering paths for specialization, leadership, and domain mastery.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you had to design for a highly complex workflow. How did you approach understanding the user needs and translating them into an intuitive design?" (Focus on process, research, and simplification strategies).

  • "How do you incorporate data and experimentation into your design process? Walk us through an example where data led you to significantly change a design direction." (Highlight your analytical skills and iterative approach).

  • "Imagine you're tasked with designing a new feature for our freight marketplace. What would be your first steps, and how would you collaborate with Product and Engineering?" (Demonstrate your understanding of the product development lifecycle and cross-functional collaboration).

  • "How do you balance the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., Product, Engineering, Sales) when making design decisions?" (Showcase your communication, negotiation, and alignment skills). Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What interests you about DAT and the freight/logistics industry?" (Research DAT's mission, products, and recent news. Show genuine curiosity about the domain).

  • "How do you contribute to a positive and collaborative team culture?" (Align your answer with DAT's stated values of integrity, respect, and open communication).

  • "How do you stay updated on the latest design trends and best practices, especially concerning B2B SaaS or data-heavy applications?" (Show your commitment to continuous learning).

  • "Describe your experience with accessibility standards (WCAG) and how you ensure inclusive design." (Demonstrate your understanding and practical application of these principles). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Structure is Key: Have a clear narrative for each case study: Problem, Your Role, Process, Solution, Impact.

  • Visual Storytelling: Use high-quality visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, user flows) to illustrate your points. Annotate key design decisions.

  • Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the "so what?" for each project. What were the tangible results? Use metrics whenever possible.

  • Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your specific contributions, design trade-offs, and alternative solutions you considered.

  • Showcase Figma Mastery: Be prepared to discuss your component usage, design system contributions, and collaborative workflows within Figma.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of strategic thinking, practical design skills, domain curiosity, and collaborative aptitude. Candidates should be ready to articulate their process and impact clearly and concisely.


Content Guidelines (Do not include this in the output)

Operations-Specific Focus:

Tailor every section specifically to revenue operations, sales operations, and GTM roles and operations industry context

Include operations strategy, process methodology, and workflow optimization information

Emphasize process portfolio requirements, case studies, and operations efficiency approaches

Address operations team dynamics, cross-functional collaboration, and operations culture

Focus on operations career progression, skill development, and growth opportunities

Quality Standards:

Ensure no content overlap between sections - each section must contain unique information

Only include Enhancement Notes when making significant inferences about operations processes, team structure, or process requirements

Be comprehensive but concise, prioritizing actionable information over descriptive text

Strategically distribute operations-related keywords throughout all sections naturally

Provide realistic salary ranges based on location, experience level, and operations discipline

Industry Expertise:

Include specific operations tools, software, and technical requirements relevant to the role

Address operations career progression paths and leadership opportunities

Provide tactical advice for operations portfolio development and process presentation

Include operations-specific interview preparation and process challenge guidance

Emphasize process documentation and ROI case study development

Operations Strategy & Portfolio Focus:

Emphasize revenue operations methodologies and data-driven operations approaches

Include specific portfolio requirements tailored to the operations discipline and role level

Address operations automation knowledge, analytics tools, and process optimization proficiency

Focus on data analysis methods, A/B testing, and efficiency optimization approaches

Include process presentation skills and stakeholder communication requirements

Avoid:

Generic business jargon not relevant to operations roles

Placeholder text or incomplete sections

Repetitive content across different sections

Non-operations technical terminology unless relevant to the specific role

Marketing or sales language unrelated to operations strategy

Generate comprehensive, operations-focused content that serves as a valuable resource for operations professionals evaluating career opportunities and preparing for operations role applications.

Application Requirements

Requires 5-8+ years of experience in product design with a strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in UX/UI fundamentals and Figma. Candidates must have experience working in cross-functional teams and a proven ability to mentor peers and manage stakeholders.