Staff Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer Company: The Coca-Cola Company Location: Atlanta, GA, United States Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / UX Design Date Posted: May 14, 2026 Experience Level: 7-10 Years (with 2+ years at Staff/Principal/Lead level) Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in-office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and co-create product strategy for complex, high-impact digital products, spanning enterprise, consumer, and AI-enabled experiences.
• Drive UX direction and ensure coherence, quality, and user-centricity across a global product portfolio, influencing vision and roadmap from inception.
• Champion and evolve the company's design system, establishing governance practices and integrating AI components seamlessly.
• Mentor and develop design talent, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and elevating the design practice within a globally recognized brand.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned at a senior "Staff" level, indicating a need for strategic leadership and cross-functional influence beyond individual contribution. The emphasis on "co-creating product strategy" and "designing for scale" suggests a significant impact on the overall product direction and operational efficiency of digital initiatives within a large enterprise.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate with product management and engineering partners to co-create and shape product strategy, vision, and roadmaps for assigned product areas.
• Define and drive UX direction across multiple product domains, ensuring consistency, quality, and user-centricity for diverse user types.
• Navigate ambiguity, anticipate organizational and technical challenges, and build trust through sound judgment and executive-level communication.
• Develop seamless, scalable design solutions that address complex, interconnected user needs and deliver measurable business and user outcomes.
• Establish and evolve a robust design system and its governance, ensuring scalability for a global product portfolio and incorporating AI-enabled components.
• Model exceptional craft standards and maintain a high bar for quality in all shipped experiences, setting benchmarks for the design team.
• Introduce and champion new design approaches, tools, and methodologies, including AI-assisted design, to accelerate team velocity and rigor.
• Create and maintain governance practices for design systems, accessibility, and experience standards to ensure consistent and high-quality output.
• Define and optimize how design operates within Coca-Cola, establishing rituals, frameworks, and ways of working for team effectiveness and scalability.
• Proactively identify and close gaps in design practice maturity, building systems and infrastructure to empower other designers.
• Mentor and develop design craft and experience strategy on the team, actively contributing to the growth of design at The Coca-Cola Company.
• Lead critique, feedback, and review processes to enhance work quality and develop design judgment across the organization.
• Foster a culture of experimentation, reflection, and continuous improvement, making learning a visible and valued aspect of team operations.
• Build deep, trusted relationships with senior-level product, engineering, data, and research partners.
• Secure stakeholder buy-in through compelling storytelling and a proven track record of delivering tangible outcomes.
• Represent the design organization in strategic business conversations, advocating for user-centered approaches with clarity and credibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus: driving strategic design initiatives and also building the operational infrastructure and talent development programs for the design practice itself. This indicates a need for a candidate who can both execute and elevate the team's capabilities.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Not explicitly stated, but advanced degrees or equivalent experience in Design, HCI, or related fields are often preferred for Staff-level roles.

Experience:

• 7-10 years of progressive experience in product design or UX design.
• At least 2 years operating at a Staff, Principal, or Design Lead level, demonstrating strategic influence and leadership.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio: A strong portfolio demonstrating strategic design and thought leadership on complex, high-impact digital products with measurable business and user outcomes.
• Product Strategy: Proven ability to co-own product strategy alongside product management and engineering, shaping direction from the top down.
• Design Systems: Experience contributing to or significantly evolving a design system, including governance practices and the integration of AI components.
• Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages to any audience and earn alignment from senior stakeholders.
• Mentorship & Influence: Demonstrated success in mentoring or peer-coaching designers and influencing team capability beyond individual contributions.
• User-Centered Design: Deep fluency in user-centered design principles, accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG), and interaction design across web and mobile platforms.
• Tool Proficiency: Proficiency in Figma, Claude Code, Claude Design, and other modern AI prototyping tools.
• AI Workflow Integration: Clear examples of how AI has been incorporated into personal design workflows, including evaluation of AI capabilities and demonstrated improvements in inputs/outcomes over the last 18 months.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to build deep, trusted relationships with senior stakeholders in product, engineering, data, and research.
• Outcome Orientation: Focus on delivering tangible outcomes rather than just artifacts; securing stakeholder buy-in through compelling narratives.

Preferred Skills:

• Background in complex B2B SaaS, enterprise software, CPG, retail, or e-commerce environments spanning multiple user roles, geographies, and touchpoints.
• Expertise in designing for or alongside AI-enabled and intelligent systems, including agentic or generative experiences.
• Experience operating across both consumer-facing and internal tooling product contexts.
• Familiarity with Agile methodologies and the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Claude Code" and "Claude Design" alongside "Figma" suggests a specific tooling preference or a forward-looking approach to AI integration in design workflows. Candidates should be prepared to showcase how they leverage AI tools to enhance their design process and outcomes.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Strategic Impact: Showcase case studies demonstrating how your design strategy directly influenced product direction and led to measurable business and user outcomes.
• Complexity & Scale: Present examples of designing for complex, interconnected systems, enterprise-level challenges, or global product portfolios.
• Design System Contribution: Include examples of your involvement in building, evolving, or governing a design system, highlighting its impact on consistency and efficiency.
• AI Integration: Provide specific case studies detailing how you've incorporated AI tools or designed AI-enabled features, explaining the process, challenges, and results.
• Problem Framing: Demonstrate your ability to frame complex problems, define user needs, and translate them into coherent experience strategies.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Illustrate your process for end-to-end design, from discovery and research through to iterative delivery and post-launch analysis.
• System Governance: Detail your approach to establishing and maintaining design system governance, accessibility standards, and overall experience quality.
• Collaboration Frameworks: Showcase how you've developed or utilized frameworks for effective cross-functional collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Data teams.
• Mentorship & Practice Building: Provide examples of how you've documented or systematized processes for mentoring designers, leading critiques, or improving team workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit requirement for a portfolio link on the resume, along with "required access credentials," underscores its critical importance. Candidates must ensure their portfolio is up-to-date, easily accessible, and clearly articulates their strategic thinking, process, and impact, especially concerning AI integration.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Base Pay: $202,000 - $229,000 USD per year.
• Annual Incentive: Target value of 30% of base pay, reflecting performance at target.

Benefits:

• Medical Insurance
• Financial Benefits (likely includes retirement plans, stock options, etc.)
• Relocation assistance is available for candidates open to moving to Atlanta.

Working Hours:

• Standard 40 hours per week.
• Hybrid work model requires 3 days per week in the Atlanta office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is for the United States, specifically Atlanta, GA. This range is competitive for a Staff Product Designer role in a major metropolitan area with a large, iconic company. The 30% annual incentive suggests a performance-driven compensation structure common at this level.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Beverage (Consumer Packaged Goods - CPG) with a significant digital transformation initiative. Company Size: Large Enterprise (The Coca-Cola Company is a global corporation with tens of thousands of employees). Founded: 1886, indicating a long-standing history and established brand presence.

Team Structure:

• Empowered Product Teams: Small, cross-functional teams comprising Product, Engineering, Design, and Data, with end-to-end ownership.
• Centralized Design Function: While teams are empowered, there's a clear emphasis on a "design practice" at the company level, suggesting a central design leadership and community that this role will contribute to.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: High degree of collaboration expected with Product Management, Engineering, Data Science, and Research partners at senior levels.

Methodology:

• Agile & Iterative: Implied by "empowered teams" and "discovery through delivery and iteration."
• User-Centered Design: Core to the design philosophy, emphasizing understanding how people work.
• Data-Driven Insights: Use of data and "intelligent capabilities" to shape products and decision support.
• Modern Product Development: Focus on building new capabilities, personalization, automation, and AI-assisted workflows.

Company Website: https://www.coca-colacompany.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Coca-Cola is actively investing in its digital product organization, aiming to modernize its operations and customer engagement. This Staff Product Designer role is integral to that transformation, bridging the gap between a traditional CPG giant and a forward-thinking digital product company.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Staff Product Designer - This is a senior individual contributor role, often seen as the penultimate step before Principal Designer or a management track. It requires deep expertise, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence across multiple teams and organizational levels. Reporting Structure: While the exact reporting line isn't specified, Staff Designers typically report to a Design Director, Head of Product Design, or VP of Product. They will work closely with Product Management and Engineering leads within their assigned product areas. Operations Impact: The role's impact is significant, focusing on shaping product strategy, improving user experiences for both consumers and internal teams (sales, service, operations), and driving the adoption of modern design practices and technologies like AI. This directly influences revenue, operational efficiency, and customer loyalty.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to move into Principal Designer roles, Lead Designer positions on major initiatives, or transition into management roles overseeing design teams.
• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in areas like AI-driven design, complex enterprise systems, or global product strategy.
• Practice Building: Contribute to defining and scaling the design practice, impacting how design is perceived and executed across the entire organization.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Develop strong executive communication and stakeholder management skills, becoming a key strategic partner across business units.
• Industry Exposure: Work on products that touch millions of consumers and internal users globally, gaining experience in a unique CPG-digital hybrid environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" title implies a mentorship and practice-building component, suggesting that growth opportunities will involve not just individual project success but also contributing to the development of the broader design organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, requiring 3 days per week in the Atlanta, GA headquarters. This suggests a focus on fostering a cohesive, collaborative team culture through in-person interaction. Office Location(s): Atlanta, GA, United States. The description highlights Atlanta as a growing tech hub with a relatively low cost of living compared to coastal markets. Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model is designed to build a "highly cohesive, collaborative team culture." Expect opportunities for in-person brainstorming, design critiques, and strategy sessions.
• Modern Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard tools (Figma) and emerging AI prototyping tools, supporting innovation and efficiency.
• Cross-Functional Interaction: Frequent interaction with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Scientists, and Researchers, fostering a dynamic and integrated work environment. Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week, with the expectation of hybrid presence. Flexibility might exist within the week, but in-office days are structured to maximize collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "building the highly cohesive, collaborative team culture" through the hybrid model indicates that in-office days will be prioritized for high-impact collaborative activities. Candidates should be prepared for a workplace that values both focused individual work and intensive team interaction.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: (Likely stages, typical for Staff-level design roles)

1. Recruiter Screen: Initial conversation to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
2. Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion focused on your experience, strategic thinking, leadership approach, and alignment with the role's responsibilities.
3. Portfolio Presentation & Deep Dive: A critical stage where you present case studies from your portfolio, detailing your process, strategic contributions, challenges, and outcomes. This often involves a cross-functional panel (Product, Engineering, Design).
4. Design Challenge / Whiteboarding Session: May involve solving a design problem, discussing system thinking, or articulating design strategy in real-time.
5. Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key partners (e.g., Product Leads, Engineering Leads) to assess collaboration skills and strategic alignment.
6. Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership (e.g., Head of Design, VP of Product) to finalize assessment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 impactful case studies that best demonstrate your Staff-level capabilities: strategic thinking, problem-solving complex challenges, design leadership, and measurable outcomes.
• Focus on "Why" and "How": Clearly articulate the business problem, user needs, your strategic approach, the design decisions made (and why), and the resulting impact (quantified where possible).
• Showcase AI Integration: Dedicate specific examples or sections to how you've used AI tools or designed AI-enabled features, detailing your process, learnings, and results.
• Highlight Leadership & Mentorship: Include examples where you influenced strategy, mentored junior designers, or improved team processes.
• Tell a Story: Structure your presentations as narratives, guiding the interviewers through your thought process and decision-making journey.
• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about trade-offs, stakeholder management, dealing with ambiguity, and scaling design systems.
• Technical Readiness: Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible (link on resume/application), password-protected if necessary, and loads quickly.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a challenge, quickly grasp the business goals and user context.
• Think Out Loud: Articulate your thought process, assumptions, and considerations clearly.
• Focus on Strategy: Demonstrate your ability to think strategically about the problem, not just jump to solutions.
• Consider Constraints: Acknowledge technical, business, and time constraints.
• Practice Design System Thinking: How would your solution integrate with existing systems? How would it scale?

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "Claude Code," "Claude Design," and "AI prototyping tools" means your portfolio and interview discussions must heavily feature your experience with AI in design. Be ready to discuss prompt engineering, evaluating AI outputs, and integrating AI-generated elements into user-facing products.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design and prototyping tool. Expect advanced usage, including component creation, variant management, and design system collaboration.
• AI Prototyping Tools: Explicitly mentioned are "Claude Code," "Claude Design," and other "modern (AI) prototyping tools." This is a key differentiator. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency and strategic application of these tools.
• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, other advanced prototyping tools might be utilized for specific needs.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed for designers, expect to work with and interpret data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) and BI tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to understand user behavior and measure design impact.

CRM & Automation:

• Understanding of how design impacts CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and sales/service automation workflows used by internal teams.
• Familiarity with how digital products connect into broader enterprise systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is standard, but the emphasis on "Claude Code," "Claude Design," and "AI prototyping tools" is paramount. Candidates should be prepared to discuss specific examples of how these AI tools have enhanced their design process, efficiency, and the quality of their outputs.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Growth Mindset: Embracing continuous learning, taking an expansive approach to possibilities, and seeking improvement.
• Curious: Actively seeking to understand user needs, business challenges, and new technologies.
• Empowered: Taking ownership of work, making decisions, and driving initiatives forward.
• Inclusive: Fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are valued and respected.
• Agile: Adapting quickly to change, iterating on solutions, and working efficiently.
• Purpose-Driven: Aligning work with Coca-Cola's purpose to "refresh the world and make a difference."

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Strong emphasis on seamless collaboration across Product, Engineering, Data, and Research.
• Co-Creation: Working collaboratively to shape strategy and solutions, not just executing assigned tasks.
• Constructive Feedback: Engaging in critique and feedback processes to elevate the quality of work and develop design judgment.
• Influence Through Credibility: Earning trust and alignment through sound judgment, compelling communication, and demonstrated outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated behaviors (curious, empowered, inclusive, agile) are directly applicable to how design teams are expected to operate. Candidates should be ready to demonstrate these qualities in their interview responses and portfolio examples.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scale and Complexity: Designing for a global enterprise with diverse user bases and interconnected systems presents significant complexity.
• Digital Transformation Pace: Keeping pace with rapid advancements in AI and digital technologies while ensuring cohesive integration across a legacy brand.
• Balancing User Needs vs. Business Goals: Navigating trade-offs between user-centricity and corporate objectives, often with strong stakeholder opinions.
• Driving Adoption of New Practices: Introducing and scaling new methodologies (like AI-assisted design) and ensuring buy-in across different teams and levels.
• Hybrid Work Environment: Maximizing collaboration and team cohesion within a hybrid work structure.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Expertise: Becoming a leader in applying AI tools and designing AI-enabled experiences within a major corporation.
• Strategic Product Leadership: Developing advanced skills in product strategy, roadmap influence, and executive communication.
• Design System Evolution: Contributing to the architecture and growth of a large-scale design system.
• Cross-Industry Experience: Gaining unique insights by working at the intersection of CPG, digital products, and enterprise operations.
• Mentorship & Practice Building: Developing leadership skills by shaping the design function and mentoring other designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the role's senior level and the company's strategic goals. Success will require not only strong design skills but also resilience, adaptability, and a proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous learning.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you significantly influenced product strategy. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your process, data used, stakeholder engagement, and measurable impact.)
• "How do you balance user needs with business objectives when faced with conflicting priorities?" (Showcase your customer-first judgment and ability to find win-win solutions or manage trade-offs effectively.)
• "Walk us through a complex product you designed. What was the problem, your strategic approach, the key design decisions, and the results?" (This is your portfolio deep dive – be ready to dissect your work.)
• "How have you used AI tools in your design workflow? Provide a specific example of how it improved your process or the final product." (Crucial for this role – demonstrate practical application and understanding of AI's impact.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you foster a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement within a design team?" (Relate to your mentorship and practice-building experience.)
• "How do you build trusted relationships with engineering and product management partners?" (Highlight your collaboration style and communication strategies.)
• "What does 'empowered' mean to you in a product team context?" (Connect to your proactive approach and ownership.)
• "How would you contribute to Coca-Cola's growth mindset and agile culture?" (Showcase your adaptability and learning orientation.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with the "why" – the business problem and user need. Then, detail your strategic approach, the "how" – your design process, key decisions, and rationale. Conclude with the "what" – the solution and its measurable impact.
• Quantify Results: Use data and metrics whenever possible to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced support tickets, improved task completion times).
• Highlight AI: Clearly call out where AI was used, the specific tools, your role in its application, and the benefits derived.
• Showcase Leadership: For each case study, explain your role in influencing strategy, mentoring others, or driving process improvements.
• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about every aspect of your work – your assumptions, research methods, design choices, and how you handled challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize your ability to apply AI in practical design scenarios. Be prepared to discuss the nuances of prompt engineering, the ethical considerations of AI in design, and how you evaluate AI-generated outputs for quality and user experience.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on The Coca-Cola Company's careers portal.
• Portfolio Integration: Ensure your resume prominently includes a direct link to your portfolio. Crucially, include any necessary password or access credentials directly on your resume as requested.
• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight 7-10 years of experience, specifically emphasizing your 2+ years in Staff/Lead roles. Use keywords from the job description, particularly those related to strategic design, design systems, AI integration, and cross-functional leadership. Quantify achievements wherever possible.
• Portfolio Curation: Select 3-4 of your most impactful case studies that demonstrate strategic thinking, complex problem-solving, AI integration, and measurable outcomes. Prepare to articulate your process, rationale, and results for each.
• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with The Coca-Cola Company's purpose, growth culture, and recent digital initiatives. Understand how a CPG giant is leveraging technology and design. Prepare to discuss how your skills align with their values and strategic goals.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with The Coca-Cola Company before making application decisions. The explicit request for portfolio access credentials on the resume is a critical instruction to follow.