Sr Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr. Product Designer Company: TalentHackers Location: Madrid, Spain Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / Design Systems Date Posted: May 17, 2026 Experience Level: Senior (5+ years) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the foundational design and development of a new product's design system from inception, establishing core visual and functional principles.
• Drive the creation of reusable, component-based design elements, ensuring scalability and consistency across various product verticals.
• Foster a collaborative environment, working directly with frontend developers to translate design assets into production-ready components.
• Champion best practices in design tooling, documentation, and implementation for a robust and maintainable design system.
• Focus on crafting a seamless user experience through meticulous attention to states, edge cases, and accessibility within the design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically focused on building a design system from the ground up for a new digital product. The emphasis is on foundational work, component-based design, and direct collaboration with engineering, positioning it as a strategic, hands-on opportunity for a senior designer with strong systems thinking and implementation experience.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design System Foundation: Architect and define the core components of the product's design system, including base elements, states, usage guidelines, and comprehensive documentation.
• Component Development: Create and meticulously maintain variables, tokens, variants, and properties within Figma to support a flexible and robust component library.
• State Management: Design components to account for all necessary states (e.g., default, hover, focus, disabled, loading, empty, error, filled) ensuring a complete user experience.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work in direct partnership with frontend developers from the initial sprint, ensuring a unified source of truth between design (Figma) and code (e.g., Storybook).
• Documentation & Knowledge Sharing: Develop clear and comprehensive documentation for components, catering to design, development, product management, and QA teams.
• Scalability & Maintainability: Ensure the visual system is designed for scalability, consistency, and ease of maintenance, supporting future product growth and evolution.
• Real-World Application: Design with a deep understanding of real-world use cases, edge cases, accessibility standards, and the practical behavior of a live product.
• Technical Understanding: Possess a foundational understanding of technical concepts such as tokens, props, and component states to facilitate effective collaboration with engineering.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities heavily emphasize a "component-first" approach rather than screen-based design, and highlight the critical need for direct, non-intermediated collaboration with frontend developers. This indicates a move towards a more integrated design-to-code workflow.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent knowledge and practical application in digital product design is essential. Experience: Over 5 years of experience in digital product design, with a significant portion dedicated to building and maintaining production-ready design systems.

Required Skills:

• Design System Development: Proven experience in creating or actively contributing to design systems that are in production use.
• Figma Proficiency: Advanced mastery of Figma, including deep expertise in variables, auto-layout, components, variants, and properties.
• Token-Based Design: Experience working with design variables linked to semantic tokens, rather than solely relying on isolated visual styles.
• File Structuring: Ability to organize Figma files in a clear, scalable, and easily understandable manner for team members.
• Systemic Thinking: A strong capacity for systemic thinking, focusing on components, states, rules, and overall scalability.
• Edge Case Design: Adeptness at designing for real-world scenarios, including edge cases and non-ideal conditions.
• Direct Engineering Collaboration: Proven ability to work directly with development teams without intermediaries.
• Technical Acumen: Basic understanding of technical concepts such as design tokens, props, and component states.
• Production Experience: Prior experience working on a digital product with a live, in-production design system.

Preferred Skills:

• Storybook Familiarity: Experience using Storybook for component documentation and development.
• Token Standards: Knowledge of W3C DTCG (Design Token Community Group) and Style Dictionary.
• Code-Prototyping: Experience with code-based prototyping tools like Framer or Origami.
• Enterprise Design Systems: Familiarity with established enterprise design systems (e.g., Polaris, Atlassian, Carbon, Material) or similar internal systems.
• Complex Product Domains: Experience designing for financial, regulated, or otherwise highly complex products.
• Multi-Audience Documentation: Experience documenting components for audiences beyond design (e.g., developers, PMs, QA).
• AI Prototyping Tools: Interest in AI-assisted tools for rapid prototyping.
• Accessibility & Efficiency: A keen sense for accessibility, visual consistency, and operational efficiency between design and development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "variables linked to tokens" and "systemic thinking oriented to components, states, rules, and scalability" signifies a need for a designer who thinks programmatically and understands the underlying architecture of a design system, not just its visual output.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Design System Case Study: A dedicated section showcasing a design system you've built or significantly contributed to, detailing its structure, component library, and implementation process.
• Component Granularity: Examples demonstrating your ability to design components at a granular level, including their various states and interactive behaviors.
• Figma File Structure: Evidence of well-organized and scalable Figma files, highlighting your approach to component management, variants, and properties.
• Collaboration Artifacts: If possible, include examples or descriptions of how you've documented components or collaborated with developers on implementation.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Showcase your ability to design end-to-end workflows for component creation, documentation, and integration into development pipelines.
• System Implementation: Provide insights into your process for implementing design tokens and managing variables within design tools like Figma.
• Performance Analysis: Demonstrate how you've measured or ensured the consistency, scalability, and adoption of design system elements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to explicitly demonstrate the candidate's ability to build a design system, not just contribute to one. This means showcasing the foundational work, the decision-making behind component structure, and the technical considerations that bridge design and development.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Senior Product Designer with 5+ years of experience, specializing in Design Systems, in Madrid, Spain, the estimated annual salary range is €50,000 - €70,000. This range can vary based on the candidate's specific experience, demonstrated impact, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• High Autonomy and Decision-Making Power: Significant freedom to shape the design system and influence product development.
• No Design Legacy: Opportunity to build a clean, modern design system without the constraints of existing technical debt.
• Direct Collaboration with Frontend: Close partnership with the engineering team, fostering efficient design-to-code implementation.
• Transversal Impact on Product Team: Influence on how the entire product team works and designs.
• Opportunity to Build a Complete Visual System from Scratch: A unique chance to establish the core visual identity and functional framework of a new product.
• Competitive Salary: As indicated above, reflecting the senior nature of the role and specialized skill set.
• Health and Wellness: Comprehensive health insurance and wellness programs.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, workshops, and conference attendance.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with a hybrid work arrangement offering flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on general market data for senior design roles in major European tech hubs like Madrid, adjusted for the specialized nature of design systems work. Actual compensation will be determined by the company's specific compensation strategy, the candidate's qualifications, and the final agreed-upon scope of responsibilities.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Software Development. TalentHackers is building a new digital product from the ground up, indicating a focus on innovation and modern development practices. Company Size: The description suggests a growing team, likely in the startup or scale-up phase, which implies a dynamic and agile work environment where individual contributions have a significant impact. Founded: The company is in the "construction phase of a digital product from scratch," suggesting it's a relatively new venture or a new product initiative within an existing organization, implying a culture of building and defining processes.

Team Structure:

• Design System Focus: The core of this role involves building a design system, suggesting a dedicated design effort that will likely grow.
• Close Engineering Partnership: The emphasis on working "in dupla with frontend" indicates a highly integrated product team structure where design and development are tightly coupled.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: While the primary collaboration is with frontend, the need for documentation for Design, Development, Product, and QA suggests broader team interaction.

Methodology:

• Component-Driven Development: The product development methodology is heavily oriented towards building reusable components rather than fixed screens.
• Single Source of Truth: A strong emphasis on maintaining consistency through a unified source of truth across design tools (Figma), code components (Storybook), and internal documentation.
• Iterative Design & Development: Building from scratch implies an iterative approach, with continuous refinement of the design system and product features.

Company Website: https://ats.talenthackers.net

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stage suggests a culture that values proactive individuals who can establish best practices and take ownership. The direct collaboration with engineering points to a modern, agile development culture.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, specifically focused on the strategic and foundational aspect of building a design system. The "Sr." designation implies leadership in design thinking, technical execution, and mentoring potential within the design discipline. Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Senior Product Designer focused on a design system would typically report to a Head of Design, Design Lead, or potentially a Head of Product. The direct collaboration with frontend means daily interaction with engineering leads or managers. Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, as the design system will be the bedrock for the entire product's visual and functional consistency. It directly influences the efficiency of both design and development teams, the scalability of the product, and the overall user experience.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design System Leadership: Opportunity to grow into a Design System Lead or Manager role as the product and team scale, defining the long-term vision and strategy.
• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in design tokens, component architecture, and front-end integration, becoming a subject matter expert.
• Mentorship: Guide and mentor junior designers or developers on design system principles and best practices.
• Product Strategy Influence: Contribute to broader product strategy discussions due to the foundational nature of the design system.
• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Enhance collaboration and communication skills by working closely with product managers and QA.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity for deep specialization in design systems, which is a high-demand skill. Growth potential lies in establishing leadership within this niche and influencing the product's technical and design direction.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as Hybrid, indicating a mix of remote and in-office work. This suggests a modern workspace that accommodates flexible working arrangements. Office Location(s): Madrid, Spain. This implies access to a vibrant tech scene and a potentially collaborative office environment for in-person work.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office is likely designed to facilitate collaboration, especially for the direct work between design and frontend teams.
• Tooling & Technology: Expect access to industry-standard design tools (Figma) and development environments (Storybook), with potential for investment in new tools to support the design system.
• Team Interaction: The hybrid model will require intentional efforts to foster team connection, with opportunities for focused work and collaborative sessions when in the office.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) with flexibility inherent in a hybrid model, allowing for effective management of design processes and deep work sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role means candidates should be comfortable with both independent remote work and in-office collaboration, understanding the need for intentional communication and teamwork in such an environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio for relevant experience in design systems and Figma proficiency.
• Portfolio Deep Dive: An in-depth discussion about your design system projects, focusing on your process, decision-making, and technical considerations. Expect to walk through specific examples.
• Technical/Collaboration Interview: A session, potentially with a frontend developer, to assess your understanding of technical concepts (tokens, props) and your ability to collaborate effectively. This might involve a small design challenge or discussion of implementation scenarios.
• Cultural Fit Interview: Discussion with hiring managers or team leads to assess alignment with the company's values and working style.
• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss overall product vision and your long-term impact.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Show, Don't Just Tell: For your design system case study, clearly articulate the problem, your approach, the solutions (components, tokens, variables), and the outcomes.
• Figma File Walkthrough: Be prepared to share and navigate your Figma files, demonstrating your organization, component structure, and use of advanced features like variables and auto-layout.
• Focus on Implementation: Highlight how your design decisions translate into functional code. If you have examples of collaboration with developers, showcase them.
• Address Edge Cases & Accessibility: Explicitly demonstrate how you've considered and designed for various states, edge cases, and accessibility standards.
• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize experiences directly related to building design systems from scratch, component-based design, and direct developer collaboration.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design System Audit/Proposal: You might be asked to critique an existing design system (or a hypothetical one) or propose solutions for improving component consistency.
• Component Design Exercise: A task to design a new component or adapt an existing one, considering states, variants, and token integration.
• Collaboration Scenario: Discuss how you would handle a disagreement with a developer regarding component implementation or a request for a new component.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize your practical experience with design systems and your ability to bridge the gap between design and code. A well-curated portfolio that specifically addresses these points is crucial for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool, requiring advanced proficiency in variables, auto-layout, components, variants, and properties for design system development.
• Storybook: Expected familiarity for component documentation, development, and visualization within the design system.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly mentioned for the designer, understanding how design system usage is tracked or how design impacts product analytics may be beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to this design role, but understanding how design impacts user flows within a CRM or other business applications could be a plus.

Other Potential Tools:

• Prototyping Tools: Framer, Origami, or similar for advanced prototyping.
• Design Token Tools: W3C DTCG, Style Dictionary, or similar for managing design tokens.
• Documentation Platforms: Internal wikis or specialized design system documentation sites.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma, particularly its advanced features for system design, is non-negotiable. Familiarity with Storybook is highly advantageous, indicating a strong understanding of the developer workflow and component implementation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Building from Scratch: A value placed on foundational work, innovation, and establishing new processes and systems.
• Collaboration & Partnership: Strong emphasis on direct, integrated collaboration between design and development, fostering a "one team" mentality.
• Systemic Approach: A commitment to building scalable, consistent, and maintainable systems through component-based design and clear documentation.
• User-Centricity & Quality: A drive to create a robust, accessible, and high-quality user experience, paying attention to details like edge cases and states.
• Ownership & Autonomy: Empowering individuals to take ownership of their work and make impactful decisions.

Collaboration Style:

• Direct & Transparent: Open communication and immediate feedback loops between designers and frontend developers.
• Process-Oriented: A structured approach to design and development, emphasizing documentation and a single source of truth.
• Iterative & Agile: Willingness to adapt and refine based on feedback and evolving product needs.
• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that encourages sharing best practices and learnings across disciplines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to value individuals who are proactive builders, comfortable with ambiguity in a startup environment, and skilled at fostering strong cross-functional relationships.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing Foundational Elements: Building a design system from the ground up requires significant foresight to anticipate future needs and ensure scalability.
• Bridging Design & Development Gaps: Ensuring seamless translation of design into code and maintaining alignment between Figma and Storybook can be complex.
• Defining Scope and Prioritization: Deciding which components to build first and managing requests from various stakeholders.
• Driving Adoption: Encouraging and supporting the adoption of the design system across the product team.
• Balancing Innovation with Consistency: Introducing new design patterns while maintaining the integrity and consistency of the system.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design System Specialization: Deepen expertise in advanced design system architecture, tokenization strategies, and governance models.
• Frontend Technologies: Gain a deeper understanding of frontend frameworks and component libraries through direct collaboration.
• Product Strategy: Influence the product's direction by contributing to foundational design decisions.
• Mentorship: Develop leadership and mentorship skills by guiding junior team members or contributing to design best practices.
• Industry Best Practices: Stay abreast of evolving trends in design systems, accessibility, and component-driven development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is the inherent complexity of building a robust design system from scratch. Growth opportunities are directly tied to mastering this domain and its influence on product development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• How would you approach building a design system from scratch for a new product? What are your first steps?
• Describe your process for defining and documenting a new component, including its states and variants.
• How do you ensure consistency and scalability in a design system as the product evolves?
• What is your strategy for collaborating with frontend developers to ensure accurate implementation of design system components?
• How do you balance the need for design consistency with the desire for product innovation and unique features?

Company & Culture Questions:

• What interests you most about TalentHackers and this specific opportunity to build a design system?
• How do you approach working in a hybrid environment and collaborating with remote and in-office team members?
• Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders to adopt a new design process or system.
• What are your expectations regarding autonomy and decision-making power in a role like this?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each design system project, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process (research, ideation, design, implementation collaboration), the solutions (components, tokens, documentation), and the impact/outcomes.
• Highlight Figma Mastery: Be ready to demonstrate your advanced Figma skills, particularly variables, auto-layout, and component properties. Show how you structure your files for scalability.
• Showcase Component Granularity: Present examples of well-defined components, including their various states, variants, and interaction patterns.
• Explain Token Strategy: Clearly articulate your approach to semantic tokens and how they drive consistency across the system.
• Demonstrate Collaboration: If possible, include examples of how you've worked with developers, shared design specifications, or contributed to code documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to discuss the "why" behind your design decisions, particularly concerning component structure, token implementation, and developer collaboration. Your portfolio should be a testament to your ability to build and maintain a production-ready design system.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the TalentHackers careers portal.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features your design system experience. If you have a dedicated case study on a system you built or significantly contributed to, make it the centerpiece. Highlight your Figma proficiency and component-based design approach.
• Tailor Your Resume: Emphasize keywords related to Design Systems, Figma, component-based design, tokens, variables, accessibility, and cross-functional collaboration. Quantify your achievements where possible (e.g., "Reduced UI development time by X% through the implementation of a new design system").
• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio, focusing on your process, decision-making, and the impact of your design system work. Be ready to discuss technical aspects and developer collaboration.
• Research TalentHackers: Understand their mission, the product they are building, and their stage of development. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.