Staff Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer

Company: Stepful

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-08-27

Experience Level: 8+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (On-site interview required in SoHo, NYC)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end design process for creating intuitive and best-in-class user experiences across Stepful's platform, focusing on students, instructors, and coaches.

• Lead the maturation and evolution of Stepful's design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across all product interfaces.

• Collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, Growth, and Operations teams to translate complex problems into elegant, user-centered design solutions.

• Utilize a hypothesis-driven, experimental mindset, leveraging both quantitative and qualitative data to inform design decisions and optimize user journeys.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is for a Staff-level Product Designer, indicating a need for significant autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence product direction. The "Hybrid" work arrangement, coupled with an "Onsite interview required in SoHo, NYC," suggests a company culture that values in-person collaboration for key stages of the design process and team integration, while offering flexibility for day-to-day work. The "TELECOMMUTE" location type is interpreted as the ability to work remotely within the US, but with the expectation of occasional travel or presence in the NYC office for critical meetings or team events.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design rich, intuitive, and best-in-class user experiences for students, instructors, and coaches, spanning both native and web applications.

• Autonomously define opportunities and select appropriate design methodologies based on problem complexity, including project prioritization, user research, job-to-be-done analysis, user flow mapping, wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity visual design.

• Identify opportunities and leverage quantitative and qualitative data to guide design decisions, employing a hypothesis-driven, experimental mindset to drive product improvements.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Growth Marketers, and Operations teams to address challenges, manage trade-offs, and foster team alignment and enthusiasm for design initiatives.

• Own and mature Stepful's design system, evolving patterns, components, styles, and guidelines to ensure a consistent and cohesive user experience across all products.

• Conduct user research to deeply understand underlying pain points and needs, translating these insights into actionable product strategy and design solutions.

• Champion user-centered design principles and best practices throughout the organization, influencing decisions at various levels and across multiple teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize autonomy and end-to-end ownership, typical of a Staff Product Designer role. The inclusion of "Operations" in the collaboration list suggests that the design team will work closely with operations to ensure practical implementation and user adoption of designed solutions, particularly concerning the platforms used by instructors and coaches.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and expertise in product design principles is essential.

Experience: 8+ years of professional work experience with a primary focus on product design across a variety of platforms, including mobile and web applications.

Required Skills:

• 8+ years of extensive experience in product design, with a proven track record of designing for diverse platforms (mobile, web).

• Deep understanding of the technology powering digital products and the ability to collaborate effectively with engineering teams to leverage emerging capabilities.

• Proficiency in end-to-end product design methodologies, including design thinking, design strategy, user problem definition, information architecture, and service design.

• Demonstrated experience driving user research initiatives to uncover user pain points and needs, informing strategic product decisions.

• Proven ability to build strong relationships with teammates, influence decisions at various organizational levels, and collaborate effectively across multiple teams.

• Expertise in wireframing, prototyping, user flow mapping, and creating high-quality visual designs.

• Strong product thinking skills, with the ability to identify opportunities and define appropriate methodologies for complex problems.

• Proficiency in utilizing quantitative and qualitative data to guide design decisions and a hypothesis-driven experimental mindset. Preferred Skills:

• Previous experience working in a startup environment, particularly within B2B2C or B2C EdTech/Healthcare companies.

• Experience with A/B testing and other experiment/data-driven product development organizations.

• Experience in owning and maturing a design system, including defining patterns, components, and styles.

• Familiarity with service design principles and their application in user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 8+ years of experience and the "Staff" title indicate a senior-level role, expecting a candidate who can operate with significant independence and strategic impact. The emphasis on "end-to-end versus waterfall approach" and "product thinking" highlights the need for a designer who can contribute to strategy, not just execution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing relevant work samples is mandatory for consideration.

• Demonstrate end-to-end product design projects, from initial problem definition and user research to final high-fidelity designs and outcomes.

• Include case studies that highlight your process, methodologies, and the impact of your design decisions on user experience and business objectives.

• Showcase your ability to design for multiple platforms (mobile, web) and complex user flows.

• Examples of your contribution to or ownership of a design system are highly valued. Process Documentation:

• Portfolio entries should detail the research methodologies employed, such as user interviews, surveys, or usability testing, and how findings informed design strategy.

• Illustrate the iterative design process, including wireframing, prototyping, and user testing phases, with explanations of key pivots or decisions.

• Document how data (quantitative and qualitative) was used to validate hypotheses, measure success, and drive further iterations.

• Showcase collaboration with engineering and product teams, detailing how trade-offs were managed and solutions were implemented.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit requirement for a portfolio and the inclusion of "Portfolio Review with the Hiring Manager" as a key interview stage underscore the critical importance of visual and process documentation. Candidates must be prepared to articulate their design process, decision-making, and the impact of their work.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $150,000 - $190,000 USD per year (Staff I Band)

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance package.

• Equity (ISOs) package, offering ownership in the company's growth.

• Stock options.

• [Other standard benefits such as paid time off, etc., are typically included but not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.]

Working Hours: A standard full-time work week of approximately 40 hours is assumed, with flexibility expected given the hybrid work arrangement and startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided for the Staff I level. The absence of a bonus structure means all cash compensation is base salary. The total compensation includes base salary, benefits, and equity. The range is market-dependent and subject to change. For a Staff Designer in New York City, this range is competitive but may lean towards the mid-to-senior end of the spectrum for the specified experience level.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: EdTech and Healthcare Workforce Development. Stepful operates at the intersection of education technology and healthcare, focusing on training and deploying healthcare workers.

Company Size: Growing startup, founded in 2021, with significant recent funding ($55M Series C). This implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment with opportunities for rapid growth and impact. The company has trained over 32,000 healthcare workers and partners with major health systems.

Founded: 2021. This indicates a relatively young company with a strong growth trajectory and a culture likely shaped by its founding principles and rapid scaling.

Team Structure:

• The design team is part of a broader product organization that includes Product Managers, Engineers, Growth Marketers, and Operations.

• As a Staff Designer, you will likely work closely with a dedicated Product Manager and Engineering team for specific product areas.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a core value, with designers expected to partner across departments to achieve company objectives. Methodology:

• Stepful emphasizes a "Learn quickly" value, utilizing data-driven decision-making and iterative experimentation (A/B testing, hypothesis-driven development).

• The "Care first" value highlights a student-centric approach, meaning design decisions should prioritize student success and well-being.

• "Build together" and "Own it" values promote collaboration, initiative, and accountability.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to address the healthcare worker shortage and its rapid growth trajectory are key cultural drivers. The values (Care first, Learn quickly, Build together, Own it) provide direct insight into expected behaviors and team dynamics, particularly relevant for how a designer would collaborate and contribute.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Staff Product Designer. This is a senior individual contributor role, expected to lead significant product initiatives, mentor junior designers, and influence product strategy. It sits above Senior Designer and below Lead/Principal Designer, often with a focus on a specific product domain or system-level contributions.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to a Hiring Manager, likely a Design Lead or Head of Product Design. Collaboration will be extensive with Product Managers and Engineering Leads for assigned product areas.

Operations Impact: The Staff Product Designer's work will directly impact the user experience of thousands of healthcare students, instructors, and coaches, as well as the operational efficiency and scalability of Stepful's training platform. Their contributions are crucial for student success, partner satisfaction, and the overall growth of the company, directly influencing the company's ability to achieve its mission and business goals.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Potential to deepen expertise in specific product areas (e.g., student learning experience, instructor tools, partner portals) or become a subject matter expert in design systems.

• Leadership: Opportunity to mentor junior designers, lead design sprints, and influence product strategy, potentially leading to Lead or Principal Designer roles in the future.

• Skill Development: Exposure to a fast-paced startup environment, advanced EdTech/Healthcare product challenges, and data-driven product development methodologies.

• Impact: Significant opportunity to shape a critical product during a high-growth phase, contributing directly to the company's mission and success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" title implies a trajectory towards leadership and strategic influence. The growth opportunities are tied to the company's rapid scaling and its mission-driven focus.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company has an office in SoHo, NYC, where an onsite interview is required. The "TELECOMMUTE" job type suggests a hybrid work model, allowing employees to work remotely within the US.

Office Location(s):

• Primary office located at 408 Broadway, Floor 5, New York, NY.

• The company operates across the United States, evidenced by partnerships with health systems nationwide and the remote work option. Workspace Context:

• The NYC office likely serves as a hub for in-person collaboration, team meetings, and key strategic sessions.

• The hybrid model suggests access to modern collaboration tools and a focus on asynchronous communication alongside in-person interactions.

• Expect a dynamic startup environment where cross-functional teams work closely together.

Work Schedule: While a standard 40-hour work week is typical, startup environments often require flexibility. The hybrid nature allows for remote work days, balanced with required in-office presence for specific events or collaborative sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role, coupled with the specific office location for interviews, indicates a company that values flexibility but also prioritizes in-person connection for critical team functions and onboarding.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Step 1: Screening Call with Talent Acquisition: Initial assessment of qualifications, cultural fit, and alignment with the role's basic requirements. Be prepared to briefly discuss your experience and interest in Stepful's mission.

• Step 2: Portfolio Review with the Hiring Manager: This is a critical stage. Be ready to walk through your portfolio, highlighting 2-3 key projects that best demonstrate your skills in product thinking, user research, end-to-end design, and design system contributions. Focus on the process and impact.

• Step 3: Whiteboarding Session with the Hiring Manager: Expect a design challenge or a problem-solving exercise. This could involve sketching user flows, defining a feature, or tackling a system-level design problem. Focus on your thought process, how you ask clarifying questions, and how you approach ambiguity.

• Step 4: Onsite Interview at office in SoHo, NYC: This is likely a panel interview with cross-functional team members (e.g., Product, Engineering, potentially other designers or stakeholders). It will assess your collaboration skills, ability to articulate design decisions, and overall cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your skills relevant to Stepful's mission (EdTech, Healthcare, B2B2C/B2C). Highlight projects demonstrating end-to-end ownership, user research, problem-solving, and design system contributions.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the key decisions you made, the challenges you faced, and the measurable outcomes or impact. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) implicitly.

• Showcase Process: Detail your research methods, ideation techniques, iteration cycles, and how you collaborated with stakeholders. Visuals are key, but the narrative explaining your design rationale is paramount.

• Highlight Impact: Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., "increased student engagement by X%", "reduced instructor onboarding time by Y%", "improved conversion rates by Z%"). If exact metrics aren't available, discuss anticipated impact or qualitative improvements.

• Design System Focus: If applicable, showcase your experience with designing for or contributing to design systems, emphasizing consistency, scalability, and efficiency.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Stepful's mission and user base (students, instructors, partners) should inform your approach to any design challenge.

• Clarify Assumptions: Don't be afraid to ask clarifying questions to fully understand the problem statement and constraints.

• Think Out Loud: Articulate your thought process clearly during the whiteboarding session. Explain why you're making certain design choices.

• Focus on Problem-Solving: Demonstrate a structured approach to problem-solving, even if you don't reach a perfect solution. Show how you break down complex issues.

• Consider Trade-offs: Be prepared to discuss potential trade-offs (e.g., speed vs. polish, scope vs. user experience) and how you would navigate them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is clearly outlined and includes specific stages like a portfolio review and a whiteboarding session, which are standard for design roles. The emphasis on the portfolio and the onsite interview suggests a company that values deep dives into design craft and in-person team integration.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma is the industry standard for collaborative design and prototyping; expect proficiency here. Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop) may also be relevant for specific asset creation.

• User Research: Tools like UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, or internal survey tools for qualitative and quantitative user feedback.

• Project Management & Collaboration: Tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, or Monday.com for task management and workflow tracking. Slack for communication.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web/App Analytics: Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or similar platforms to track user behavior and product performance.

• Data Visualization: Tools like Tableau, Looker, or internal dashboards for analyzing user data and presenting insights.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a designer's primary tool, understanding how designs integrate with CRM systems (like Salesforce) or marketing automation platforms (like HubSpot) can be beneficial, especially for growth-related features.

• Familiarity with how data flows from user interactions to backend systems is important for designing scalable solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools are not listed, a Staff Product Designer is expected to be proficient in industry-standard design and prototyping software (likely Figma). Proficiency with user research tools and an understanding of data analytics platforms are also crucial for a data-driven approach.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Care first: Design decisions should prioritize the success and well-being of students, instructors, and coaches. This means designing for clarity, accessibility, and support.

• Learn quickly: Embrace an iterative design process. Be open to feedback, use data to inform decisions, and be comfortable experimenting and adapting designs based on learnings.

• Build together: Collaborate actively with Product, Engineering, and Operations. Share your design thinking openly, solicit feedback, and contribute to a team environment where everyone's input is valued.

• Own it: Take initiative in identifying design opportunities, driving projects to completion, and holding yourself accountable for the quality and impact of your work.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to be integrated members of cross-functional teams, working hand-in-hand with Product Managers and Engineers from discovery through delivery.

• Data-Informed Discussions: Design discussions will be grounded in user research findings and product analytics, fostering a data-driven approach to decision-making.

• Constructive Feedback: A culture of open, constructive feedback is expected, both in giving and receiving, to continuously improve designs and processes.

• Agile & Iterative: The team likely operates in an agile or iterative manner, requiring designers to adapt to changing priorities and provide design support throughout development cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values directly translate into expectations for the design team's behavior and collaboration style, emphasizing user-centricity, continuous learning, teamwork, and accountability.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapid Growth & Ambiguity: As a fast-growing startup, Stepful may experience frequent changes in priorities, product direction, and team structure. Navigating this ambiguity with a clear design strategy is key.

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively designing for diverse user groups (students, instructors, partners) while aligning with aggressive business objectives and technical constraints.

• Scaling Design Systems: Maturing and scaling a design system across multiple product surfaces and for a growing user base requires robust planning and execution.

• Data Integration: Ensuring designs effectively leverage and present data from various sources to provide actionable insights for users and stakeholders.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• EdTech/Healthcare Domain Expertise: Deepen understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within the healthcare education sector.

• Data-Driven Product Development: Gain extensive experience in hypothesis-driven experimentation and data analysis to drive product decisions.

• Design System Leadership: Opportunity to take a leading role in shaping and evolving a critical design system.

• Mentorship & Influence: Grow into a senior leadership role, mentoring other designers and influencing product strategy at a company-wide level.

• Startup Experience: Gain invaluable experience in a high-growth startup environment, learning to operate effectively with limited resources and high impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior role in a rapidly scaling startup, offering significant opportunities for professional development and impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Strategy: "How would you approach designing a new feature for our student onboarding process, considering our 'Care first' value and the need for rapid iteration?" (Prepare to discuss user research, journey mapping, and iterative design).

• Collaboration & Influence: "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders with differing opinions on a design decision. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on communication, data-driven arguments, and relationship building).

• Problem-Solving: "Imagine our instructor platform is seeing low engagement. How would you diagnose the problem and what design solutions might you explore?" (Think about user research, data analysis, and user flow optimization).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about Stepful's mission and our impact on the healthcare workforce?" (Research Stepful's mission, values, and recent news).

• "How do you see yourself contributing to our 'Build together' value as a Staff Product Designer?" (Discuss your collaborative approach and experience working in cross-functional teams).

• "How do you measure the success of your design work, and how would you track the impact of your designs at Stepful?" (Prepare to discuss key metrics and ROI demonstration). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your presentation logically: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Impact/Results.

• Focus on Rationale: Clearly articulate why you made specific design choices at each stage.

• Showcase Iteration: Demonstrate how you iterated on designs based on feedback or data.

• Quantify Outcomes: Wherever possible, present metrics that show the positive impact of your work. If direct metrics are unavailable, discuss qualitative improvements or anticipated impact.

• Design System Emphasis: If you have relevant experience, clearly present your contributions to design systems, highlighting pattern development, component creation, and documentation.

• Be Ready for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your process, decisions, and challenges encountered during your projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice focuses on aligning answers with Stepful's values and mission, and on effectively showcasing design process and impact, which are critical for a senior design role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link (https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Stepful/529eaa18-2031-45e0-b4c7-9c2b60ae58b2).

• Customize your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your 8+ years of product design experience, focusing on achievements in mobile/web design, design systems, user research, and cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select your strongest 2-3 projects that demonstrate end-to-end design thinking, user research impact, and design system contributions. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your process, your role, and the measurable outcomes.

• Prepare for Portfolio Review: Practice walking through your selected portfolio projects with a focus on your design rationale, iterative process, and the impact of your solutions. Be ready to discuss how your work aligns with Stepful's mission and values.

• Research Stepful: Understand the company's mission, values, target users (students, instructors, healthcare partners), and recent achievements (e.g., Series C funding, TIME ranking). This will help tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details, especially regarding interview stages and specific tool requirements, should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions. The "TELECOMMUTE" location type alongside an "Onsite interview required" indicates a hybrid work model with specific in-person requirements.