Staff Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer

Company: Sonatype

Location: Colombia - Remote

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX

Date Posted: 2026-06-23

Experience Level: 5-10 Years (Mid-Senior to Staff Level)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the evolution of Sonatype's multi-product developer platform by deeply understanding complex developer workflows and user needs.

• Co-create user flows and experience direction with Product Managers and Engineers, fostering a collaborative, integrated design process.

• Develop sophisticated, coded UX prototypes using modern front-end technologies, enabling AI to generate engineering specifications and implementation requirements.

• Lead the simplification of intricate information architecture and multi-product interactions into clear, intuitive, and scalable experience patterns.

• Apply a pragmatic approach to user research, balancing the need for validation with the imperative to maintain design and development momentum.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" title, combined with the emphasis on influencing multiple product teams and shaping the future of design/engineering collaboration, suggests this role operates at a senior individual contributor level. The expectation to "co-create" with engineers and PMs, rather than work in isolation, highlights a strong emphasis on team-based product development and shared ownership of the user experience. The explicit mention of AI-driven specification generation from coded prototypes is a key differentiator for this role.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth analysis of Sonatype’s developer platform, identifying core user "jobs to be done" and mapping complex information architecture, user journeys, and permission models.

• Facilitate collaborative design sessions with Product Management and Engineering to define user flows and establish experience direction, ensuring alignment with technical constraints and product strategy.

• Design and iterate on conceptual designs and UX architectures for new features and continuous improvements, focusing on pragmatic solutions that address real user needs.

• Build functional, coded UX prototypes using HTML/CSS/JS/React, VS Code, and GitHub workflows, ensuring these prototypes accurately reflect intended product behavior.

• Structure coded prototypes to enable AI tools (like Claude Code) to directly generate engineering specifications, scope definitions, and implementation requirements from code diffs.

• Execute lightweight, practical user research, including interviews, surveys, and User Acceptance Testing (UAT), strategically deciding when to proceed with or without formal research to maintain velocity.

• Actively participate in early and frequent collaboration with stakeholders to align on constraints, scope, design direction, and technical feasibility.

• Contribute to the development and refinement of an AI-accelerated design workflow, experimenting with new tools and methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a hands-on, code-centric approach to prototyping and a deep integration with engineering and product management. The expectation to use AI for generating engineering specs from prototypes is a highly specialized requirement that indicates a forward-thinking design process. This is not a traditional wireframing or high-fidelity mock-up role; it requires fluency in translating design intent into executable code for prototyping.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong academic foundation in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, or a related field is beneficial. Equivalent practical experience will be highly valued.

Experience: Minimum of 5-10 years of significant experience in Product Design within a product-centric company, with a proven track record of influencing UX across multiple product teams. Experience with services or agency-only backgrounds may be considered less relevant.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Strategy: Proven ability to develop and execute design strategies that align with business objectives and user needs within a complex product ecosystem.

• Coded UX Prototyping: Proficiency in building functional prototypes using front-end fundamentals (HTML/CSS/JS) and modern frameworks like React. Experience with tools like Claude Code is a significant plus.

• Information Architecture (IA) & User Flows: Expertise in mapping complex systems, defining IA, and creating clear, intuitive user flows for multi-product platforms.

• Collaborative Design Methodologies: Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a co-creative partnership with Product Managers and Engineers, sharing ownership of UX outcomes.

• Lightweight User Research: Skill in conducting practical and timely user research (interviews, surveys, UAT) to inform design decisions without hindering momentum.

• Technical UX Acumen: Strong judgment and ability to simplify complex technical domains and developer workflows into coherent user experiences.

• AI-Assisted Design: A curious and experimental mindset towards incorporating AI tools (e.g., for structure, exploration, prototyping, iteration) into design workflows.

• Communication & Stakeholder Management: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and collaborate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Hybrid UX/Engineering Background: Candidates with experience that bridges both design and engineering disciplines will be highly advantageous.

• Experience with Developer Platforms: Prior experience designing for developer tools, APIs, or complex technical products is a strong plus.

• Miro Proficiency: Experience using Miro for collaborative diagramming, user flows, and IA mapping.

• Version Control Systems: Familiarity with Git and GitHub workflows for managing code-based prototypes.

• Experience with Sonatype Products: Familiarity with Nexus Repository, Maven Central, or similar software supply chain security tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "significant experience in a Product company (not just services/agency experience)" and the requirement for "coded UX prototypes" are critical differentiators. The AI mindset is also a significant requirement, indicating that this role is at the forefront of design technology adoption. The "Staff" title implies a need for strategic thinking and the ability to influence beyond immediate project scope.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Coded Prototypes: Showcase at least 1-2 strong examples of functional, coded UX prototypes that demonstrate complex interactions or workflows. These should be accessible via GitHub or a similar platform, with clear explanations.

• Process Documentation: Illustrate instances where you have mapped complex information architecture or user flows using tools like Miro, detailing the process of simplification and collaboration.

• AI Integration Examples: If possible, include examples that demonstrate how AI tools were used in your design process, particularly in areas like generating initial ideas, structuring content, or assisting with prototyping.

• Impact & Iteration: Clearly articulate the impact of your design contributions, focusing on how your work improved developer workflows, simplified complexity, or facilitated engineering collaboration. Demonstrate iterative design processes.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Provide case studies detailing how you've analyzed existing developer workflows and designed or optimized them for clarity, efficiency, and user satisfaction.

• Collaborative Design & Iteration: Showcase how you've partnered with engineering and product management to iterate on designs, manage constraints, and ensure technical feasibility, highlighting communication and feedback loops.

• Systemic Thinking: Demonstrate your ability to think about design in a systemic way, considering how different products and features within a platform interact and contribute to an overall user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily weighted towards demonstrating practical, code-based prototyping skills and a collaborative, AI-integrated design process. Traditional Figma-heavy portfolios might be less impactful here. The emphasis is on "designing in code" and enabling AI-driven outputs.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Staff Product Designer role in a fully remote position targeting Colombia, a competitive salary range would typically fall between $90,000 - $140,000 USD annually. This range accounts for the "Staff" level, specialized skills in coded prototyping and AI integration, and the global nature of remote work, while considering the cost of living and market rates for experienced designers in Latin America.

Benefits:

• Parental Leave: Comprehensive paid leave for new parents, supporting work-life balance during significant life events.

• Diversity and Inclusion Working Groups: Opportunities to participate in and contribute to initiatives that foster a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

• Flexible Working Practices: Autonomy to manage your work schedule and environment, enabling a better integration of professional and personal life.

• Health & Wellness Programs: (Assumed, common for tech companies) Access to health benefits and wellness resources to support employee well-being.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, skill enhancement, and career growth within the design and engineering fields.

• Stock Options/Equity: (Possible, common for staff-level roles in tech) Potential for equity participation, aligning individual success with company growth.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are expected, approximately 40 hours per week. However, Sonatype emphasizes flexible working practices, allowing for adaptability in scheduling to accommodate different time zones and personal needs, provided core collaboration hours are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on typical compensation for Staff Product Designers in global tech companies, adjusted for the specified remote location in Colombia. It considers the specialized skills required (coded prototyping, AI integration) and the experience level. Benefits are listed as provided in the input, with common tech industry benefits added as likely inclusions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software Supply Chain Security. Sonatype operates at the intersection of cybersecurity, developer tools, and open-source software management, a critical and rapidly evolving sector. Their focus on securing the software development lifecycle makes them a key player in enterprise IT risk management.

Company Size: Sonatype is a well-established tech company, likely falling into the 500-1000+ employee range based on its market position and the mention of serving 70% of the Fortune 100. This size often signifies a blend of mature processes and ongoing innovation, with opportunities for impact.

Founded: Founded in 2008, Sonatype has a substantial history in the open-source ecosystem, originating from Nexus Repository and Maven Central. This long tenure provides a deep understanding of developer needs and a strong foundation in software development best practices.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team likely operates within a larger Product or Engineering organization.

• Designers collaborate closely with Product Managers (PMs) and Software Engineers, forming cross-functional product teams focused on specific areas of the Sonatype platform.

• There's mention of a "UX Guild culture," suggesting a community of practice for designers to share knowledge, best practices, and foster consistency across different product teams.

• The "Staff" level indicates potential for mentorship or leadership within the design discipline, even as an individual contributor. Methodology:

• AI-Accelerated Design: A core methodology involving the use of AI tools to augment and accelerate the design process, particularly in prototyping and specification generation.

• Design in Code: A fundamental approach where design artifacts, especially prototypes, are created using actual code (HTML/CSS/JS/React).

• Co-creation: Design is not an isolated function but a collaborative effort integrated directly with engineering and product management from concept through implementation.

• Pragmatic Research: A focus on lightweight, actionable user research that balances data-informed decisions with the need for speed and iteration.

• Systems Thinking: Emphasis on understanding and designing for complex, interconnected systems rather than isolated features.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on software supply chain security and its deep roots in open-source communities (Nexus, Maven Central) provide significant context for the types of complex developer workflows this role will encounter. The emphasis on AI and "design in code" signifies a forward-thinking, technology-driven culture.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at the Staff level, indicating a senior individual contributor role. It requires not only deep expertise in product design but also the ability to influence across multiple product teams, shape design processes, and mentor others. The focus is on strategic impact and driving innovation in design methodology, particularly around coded prototyping and AI integration.

Reporting Structure: The Staff Product Designer will likely report to a Design Lead, Director of Product Design, or Head of Product. While the direct manager is not specified, the role implies a degree of autonomy and the expectation to collaborate horizontally with PMs and Engineering Leads on various product initiatives. The "UX Guild culture" suggests a peer-to-peer learning and collaboration structure among designers.

Operations Impact: The Staff Product Designer's impact will be measured by their ability to:

• Elevate UX Quality: Drive consistent, intuitive, and effective user experiences across Sonatype's developer platform.

• Accelerate Development Cycles: Enable faster iteration and implementation through high-fidelity, code-based prototypes and AI-generated specifications.

• Innovate Design Processes: Pioneer and refine new design methodologies, particularly those involving AI and coding, setting new standards for the team.

• Enhance Developer Productivity: Directly contribute to tools that help millions of developers build safer, more efficient software.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deepen AI & Code Design Expertise: Become a leading expert in AI-assisted design and code-based prototyping, a rapidly growing field.

• Influence Design Strategy: Play a key role in shaping the future of Sonatype's design practices and tooling.

• Cross-Product Platform Influence: Gain broad experience by working on various aspects of Sonatype's multi-product developer platform.

• Leadership within UX Guild: Opportunity to mentor junior designers, lead initiatives, and contribute to the design community's growth and best practices.

• Potential for Principal/Director Track: Successful performance and demonstrated leadership at the Staff level can open doors to Principal Designer roles or management positions in the future.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" designation is crucial here, denoting a level of influence and technical depth beyond a standard Senior Designer. The growth trajectory is focused on becoming a thought leader in emerging design practices and having significant platform-wide impact.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This position is Fully Remote, with no requirement to be based in a specific office. This offers maximum flexibility for the designer to choose their work location within Colombia.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, Sonatype has offices in locations such as Columbia, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; and London, UK. However, for this specific position, the candidate will work remotely from Colombia.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Remote Environment: Expect a distributed team environment where strong communication and asynchronous collaboration tools are paramount. Regular video calls, Slack, and project management platforms will be key.

• Cutting-Edge Tooling: Access to modern design and development tools, including AI assistants, coding environments (VS Code), and collaborative platforms (Miro, GitHub).

• Direct Engineering Interaction: Frequent opportunities to engage directly with engineers, fostering a close-knit working relationship that benefits design iteration and implementation.

• Focus on Innovation: The environment encourages experimentation with new workflows, tools, and methodologies, particularly those involving AI and code.

Work Schedule: While the role is full-time (approx. 40 hours/week), Sonatype's commitment to flexible working practices means designers have significant autonomy over their daily schedule. However, availability for collaborative meetings, design reviews, and team syncs during core business hours relevant to Sonatype's primary operational regions (likely North America and Europe) will be important.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature from Colombia means candidates should be comfortable with asynchronous communication and self-management. The emphasis on collaboration within a remote setting is critical. The specific mention of "Claude Code" and "VS Code" points to a tech-forward remote workspace.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications, focusing on experience with product companies, coded prototyping, and AI mindset.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Candidates will be asked to present their portfolio, highlighting specific examples of coded prototypes and collaborative design processes. A design challenge may be issued, likely focused on simplifying a complex developer workflow or creating a coded prototype for a specific feature.

• Technical/Design Deep Dive: Interviews with senior designers and engineers to assess technical proficiency in prototyping, understanding of developer workflows, and strategic UX thinking.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Discussions with Product Managers and Engineers to evaluate collaboration skills, communication style, and ability to integrate design into agile development cycles.

• Final Interview: A conversation with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Product, VP of Engineering) to assess cultural fit, leadership potential, and alignment with Sonatype's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Prioritize demonstrating your coded prototypes. Ensure they are functional, well-documented (e.g., in a GitHub repo), and clearly illustrate the problem solved and the design decisions made.

• Highlight Collaboration: For each project, explicitly describe your role and how you collaborated with PMs and Engineers. Use specific examples of shared problem-solving and iteration.

• Emphasize Process & Impact: Detail your design process, especially how you balanced research, prototyping, and engineering constraints. Quantify impact where possible (e.g., "reduced user error by X%", "streamlined workflow time").

• Showcase AI Integration: If you've used AI tools, explain how they were integrated into your workflow and what value they provided. This is a key differentiator for this role.

• Structure for Clarity: Organize your portfolio logically. For each project, clearly state the problem, your solution, your process, and the outcome.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Developer Workflows: Familiarize yourself with common challenges faced by software developers, especially in areas like dependency management, security, and build processes.

• Practice Coded Prototyping: Be ready to build a functional prototype using HTML/CSS/JS/React. Practice quick iteration and efficient coding.

• Articulate Design Decisions: Be prepared to explain the "why" behind your design choices, linking them back to user needs, technical constraints, and business goals.

• Demonstrate AI Mindset: Be ready to discuss how you would approach a design problem using AI tools, even if the challenge itself doesn't explicitly require AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily emphasizes practical skills in coded prototyping and AI integration, as well as strong collaborative abilities. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate these through their portfolio and potential design challenges.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Coded Prototyping: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React.js.

• AI Prototyping/Assistance: Claude Code (explicitly mentioned), other AI coding assistants.

• Design & Collaboration: Miro (for IA, user flows), potentially Figma or Sketch for ideation (though code is primary for prototypes).

• Development Environment: VS Code, GitHub Workflows (for version control and collaboration on code).

• Research & Validation: Tools for conducting interviews, surveys, and UAT (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform, user testing platforms).

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary focus for design, familiarity with how product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Pendo, Google Analytics) inform UX decisions is beneficial. Understanding how to instrument prototypes for future data collection could be a plus. CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation tools might integrate with or be used by developers is helpful context, though not directly used by the designer.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is heavily skewed towards front-end development and AI-assisted workflows. Proficiency in these areas is not just preferred but essential. The explicit mention of Claude Code and VS Code indicates the intended tools for prototyping.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Collaboration & Co-creation: Design is a team sport. Working closely with engineers and PMs is paramount. UX is a shared responsibility.

• Pragmatism & Velocity: Focus on delivering impactful solutions efficiently. Avoid overly academic or slow processes; know when to ship.

• Continuous Learning & Experimentation: Embrace evolving tools, processes, and AI. Be curious and willing to try new methods.

• Technical Depth & Systems Thinking: Appreciate the complexity of developer tools and design with a systemic perspective.

• User-Centricity (with Constraints): Deeply understand user needs, but design within real technical and product constraints.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teamwork: Designers are embedded within product teams, working daily alongside engineers and PMs.

• Open Feedback Loops: A culture where feedback is freely exchanged, and design decisions are debated constructively.

• Knowledge Sharing: Active participation in the UX Guild to share learnings, best practices, and foster a collective growth mindset among designers.

• Proactive Communication: Regular updates, clear articulation of design rationale, and proactive engagement to ensure alignment across distributed teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes a highly collaborative, pragmatic, and forward-thinking approach to design, deeply integrated with engineering. The "AI Mindset" and "design in code" are not just skills but cultural values that drive how work is done.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Bridging Design and Code: The primary challenge is mastering the integration of design thinking with actual code-based prototyping, especially for those transitioning from traditional design tools.

• Navigating Complex Developer Workflows: Deeply understanding and simplifying highly technical user journeys for a sophisticated developer audience.

• Leveraging AI Effectively: Experimenting with and integrating AI tools into the design process in a meaningful, efficient, and ethical way that genuinely enhances output.

• Maintaining Momentum in a Fast-Paced Environment: Balancing the need for thorough design with the company's emphasis on speed and iteration, especially in a remote setting.

• Evolving Tools and Processes: Adapting to a rapidly changing landscape of design and AI technologies.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Mastery of Coded Prototyping: Becoming an expert in building high-fidelity, functional prototypes directly in code.

• AI in Design Specialization: Developing deep expertise in leveraging AI for design ideation, prototyping, and specification generation.

• Platform-Wide UX Influence: Gaining broad experience and impact across Sonatype's entire suite of developer tools.

• Mentorship and Thought Leadership: Opportunities to guide junior designers and contribute to establishing best practices within the UX Guild.

• Industry Recognition: Potential to become a recognized expert in the emerging field of AI-assisted, code-based design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the innovative nature of the role, requiring adaptation to new technologies and methodologies. The growth opportunities are significant for those looking to pioneer new design practices.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to simplify a very complex technical workflow for developers. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on IA, user flows, and simplification within constraints.)

• "How would you approach designing a new feature for a platform like Sonatype's Nexus Repository, given the constraints of using code-based prototyping and enabling AI-generated specs?" (Assess understanding of the role's core requirements.)

• "Tell me about a project where you collaborated closely with engineers and PMs to define and iterate on a user experience. What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?" (Evaluate collaborative skills and process.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in Sonatype's mission of software supply chain security and our approach to 'design in code'?" (Gauge alignment with company values and role specifics.)

• "How do you stay updated on emerging design tools and AI technologies, and how do you experiment with them?" (Assess AI mindset and continuous learning.)

• "Describe your experience working in a fully remote, collaborative environment. What strategies do you use to ensure effective communication and alignment?" (Evaluate remote work readiness.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• The "Why": For each project, clearly articulate the problem and the user's "job to be done."

• The "How": Detail your process – how you collaborated, how you prototyped (especially with code), and how you integrated any AI tools.

• The "What": Showcase your coded prototypes with live demos or clear video walkthroughs. Explain the specific interactions and design decisions.

• The "Impact": Quantify results whenever possible. If direct metrics aren't available, discuss the anticipated or observed improvements in user efficiency or developer experience.

• AI Integration Narrative: Weave in how AI assisted your process, even if it was just for initial ideation or code snippets.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should center on demonstrating practical skills in coded prototyping, AI integration, and collaborative problem-solving within a complex technical domain. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their process and the impact of their work.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Lever link: https://jobs.lever.co/sonatype/c67941ea-231b-48d0-9ef3-4e0fe07f21dd

• Curate Your Portfolio for Code & AI: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature your strongest coded UX prototypes. Ensure these are accessible (e.g., via GitHub) and clearly explain the technical stack and design rationale. Highlight any instances of using AI in your design process.

• Optimize Your Resume: Emphasize experience in product companies, your years of experience, specific skills in front-end development for prototyping, and any experience with developer tools or complex technical domains. Use keywords such as "coded prototyping," "AI-assisted design," "developer experience," and "cross-functional collaboration."

• Prepare for a Design Challenge: Be ready to tackle a challenge that likely involves simplifying a complex workflow or creating a coded prototype. Practice articulating your design decisions and technical approach under time constraints.

• Research Sonatype's Approach: Understand Sonatype's mission, their software supply chain security focus, and their unique "design in code" and AI-driven methodology. Prepare to discuss how your skills and mindset align with these principles.

⚠️ 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.