Staff UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff UX Designer

Company: Conga

Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: August 13, 2026

Experience Level: Senior / Staff (8+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design for a functional area, driving strategic direction and user experience innovation.

• Own and evolve the "Phoenix" design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across the platform.

• Conduct and champion rigorous user research, both qualitative and quantitative, to inform product strategy and design decisions.

• Design and implement AI-powered product experiences, including agentic workflows and AI assistants.

• Mentor and elevate the skills of mid-level and senior designers within the UX team.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is explicitly for a "Staff" level UX Designer, indicating a high degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and the expectation to lead initiatives and mentor others. The emphasis on AI-powered features and the "Phoenix" design system suggests a forward-thinking product organization focused on complex enterprise solutions.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Drive the complete product design lifecycle for a designated functional area, from initial problem definition and user research through to wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design.

• Plan, execute, and analyze strategic user research, including in-depth interviews, usability testing, A/B testing, and concept validation to gather actionable insights.

• Collaborate with product management to define key performance indicators (KPIs) and develop a robust analytics strategy that directly informs and measures design effectiveness.

• Contribute significantly to the "Phoenix" design system by designing new components, advocating for its adoption, and ensuring its consistent application across the entire platform portfolio to maintain coherence at scale.

• Articulate and present design strategy, rationale, and outcomes to diverse stakeholders, including executive leadership, engineering teams, and product managers, tailoring communication to audience needs.

• Partner closely with product and engineering teams to make data-driven, customer-centric decisions that enhance core product areas and drive business value.

• Spearhead the design for innovative AI-powered product experiences, such as agentic workflows, intelligent AI assistants, and automated decision surfaces, taking strategic ownership and establishing design patterns for the broader team.

• Proactively research and pilot emerging AI tools and methodologies, synthesizing findings and sharing knowledge to foster continuous learning and innovation within the design team.

• Mentor and guide mid-level and senior designers, fostering best practices in design thinking, research, and execution to elevate the overall capability of the UX team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership, hands-on design execution, and a strong focus on research and AI integration. The emphasis on owning a "functional design area end-to-end" and "setting patterns for the broader team" underscores the senior, impactful nature of this role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong academic background in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for a Staff-level position.

Experience: 8+ years of professional experience in product design, with a proven track record in complex enterprise or SaaS UX environments.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience in end-to-end product design, covering problem framing, user research, wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design.

• Proven ability to independently plan and conduct both qualitative and quantitative user research, including user interviews, usability testing, A/B testing, and concept validation.

• Significant contributions to a design system, demonstrating expertise in component design, rollout strategy, and cross-team governance.

• Demonstrated experience designing for AI-powered features, such as agentic workflows, AI assistants, or automated decision surfaces, with strategic ownership of direction and patterns.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including mastery of component architecture, auto layout, complex prototyping, and design system contribution.

• Hands-on familiarity with AI-assisted design tools (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, v0, Bolt, or similar) to enhance design workflows.

• Experience utilizing product analytics tools such as Pendo, Google Analytics, or equivalent to derive user insights and inform design decisions.

• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to run design critiques, align senior stakeholders, write clear design briefs, and adapt communication strategies for different audiences.

• A demonstrable track record of mentoring and developing other designers, fostering their growth and elevating team capabilities. Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and prompt design as they directly relate to user-facing product experiences.

• Experience contributing to a formal design system and designing specifically for enterprise SaaS software environments.

• Understanding of API capabilities and product architecture decisions that impact UX in multi-tenant environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The distinction between required and preferred skills is crucial. The "Nice to haves" suggest areas where candidates can further differentiate themselves, particularly regarding AI/ML concepts, formal design system contributions, and technical understanding of multi-tenant architecture. The explicit mention of AI-assisted design tools indicates a company that embraces cutting-edge technology in its design processes.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing complex enterprise or SaaS UX work, demonstrating end-to-end design ownership and problem-solving capabilities.

• Evidence of strategic user research methodologies employed, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, with clear articulation of insights and their impact on design decisions.

• Examples of significant contributions to a design system, detailing component design, governance, and successful rollout across projects.

• Case studies highlighting experience in designing AI-powered features, detailing the strategic direction, user experience considerations, and resulting patterns.

• Demonstrations of Figma proficiency, including advanced techniques like component architecture, auto layout, and complex prototyping.

• Examples of how product analytics tools were used to inform design decisions and measure their effectiveness. Process Documentation:

• Portfolios should clearly document the design process, including problem framing, user research plans and findings, ideation, wireframing, prototyping iterations, and final high-fidelity designs.

• Candidates should be prepared to articulate their rationale behind design decisions, linking them back to user research, business goals, and system constraints.

• The application of the "Phoenix" design system and its impact on product consistency and scalability should be a clear theme in relevant case studies.

• Projects involving AI-powered features should detail the exploration of user needs, the design of AI interactions, and the validation of these experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on research methodology, problem framing, design system contribution, and articulation of decisions—rather than just visual output—is a critical point for portfolio preparation. This indicates a preference for strategic thinkers who can demonstrate impact beyond aesthetics.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the Staff level, 8+ years of experience, and location in Sofia, Bulgaria, a competitive salary range for a Senior/Staff UX Designer would likely fall between 80,000 BGN and 130,000 BGN annually. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in major European tech hubs, adjusted for the Bulgarian market. Factors influencing the exact figure include the candidate's specific experience, portfolio strength, and interview performance.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance package, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Opportunities for professional development, including training, conferences, and certifications relevant to UX design and AI.

• Contribution to the "Phoenix" design system, offering a chance to shape company-wide design standards.

• Hybrid work model, providing flexibility between remote work and in-office collaboration.

• Potential for stock options or performance-based bonuses, common for senior roles in growing tech companies.

• Generous paid time off (PTO) and public holiday allowance.

• Pension plan contributions.

• Access to modern office facilities in Sofia, fostering a collaborative work environment.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered through the hybrid work arrangement. This allows for effective collaboration with global teams while maintaining work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary ranges for Bulgaria are generally lower than Western Europe or North America, but for a Staff-level role at a global tech company, the compensation would be at the higher end of the local market. The benefits listed are typical for tech companies and are tailored to attract and retain senior talent in design and operations-related fields.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software (Commercial Operations Software / SaaS) - Conga specializes in unifying commercial operations, including pricing, quoting, contracting, and revenue operations, for enterprise businesses. This industry context means the UX design work is critical for streamlining complex business processes.

Company Size: Conga is a significant player in its market, with over 10,000 customers globally, including a substantial portion of the Fortune 100. This implies a well-established, enterprise-focused organization with mature processes and a global reach.

Founded: Conga was founded in 2006. This history suggests a company that has evolved with the SaaS landscape and has a solid foundation in understanding enterprise needs.

Team Structure:

• The UX team likely consists of a mix of designers at various levels, including mid-level, senior, and now a Staff UX Designer. There's a clear emphasis on mentorship, indicating a collaborative and developmental environment.

• The Staff UX Designer will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering teams on core product areas, requiring strong cross-functional collaboration skills.

• The "Phoenix" design system suggests a dedicated effort towards design consistency and efficiency, likely involving collaboration with design system champions or dedicated contributors. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is paramount, with a strong emphasis on user research (qualitative and quantitative) and product analytics to inform design.

• A systems thinking approach is encouraged, focusing on creating coherent, scalable, and maintainable design solutions, particularly through the design system.

• The company is actively integrating AI into its product offerings, suggesting an agile and innovative approach to product development and a willingness to explore new technologies.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Conga operates in a B2B enterprise software space, meaning the UX challenges are often around complexity, workflow optimization, and integrating multiple business functions. The "Phoenix" design system and the focus on AI are key indicators of their product strategy and technological direction.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Staff UX Designer role, representing a senior individual contributor position. It signifies a level of expertise where the designer is expected to lead significant product initiatives, influence design strategy, contribute to and govern design systems, and mentor other designers. It's a role focused on impact and thought leadership within the design discipline.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Staff UX Designer typically reports to a Head of Design, Director of Product Design, or a VP of Product. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads on specific product areas.

Operations Impact: The Staff UX Designer's work directly impacts the usability and efficiency of Conga's core commercial operations software. By improving user experience, they contribute to faster deal cycles, increased user adoption, enhanced customer satisfaction, and ultimately, profitable growth for Conga's enterprise clients. The design of AI-powered features will be critical in modernizing workflows and driving future business value.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Progress into a Principal UX Designer role, or potentially into management roles like UX Manager or Director of Design, leading larger teams and strategic design initiatives.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven UX, design systems, or specific enterprise software domains, becoming a recognized expert within the company and industry.

• Cross-functional Influence: Expand influence across product strategy, R&D, and business operations by leveraging design thinking and research insights.

• Mentorship Development: Hone leadership and coaching skills by actively mentoring designers, potentially leading mentorship programs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Staff level is a significant career milestone, offering autonomy and strategic influence. The growth paths emphasize both deepening technical expertise and expanding leadership capabilities, aligning with typical career progression for senior individual contributors in tech.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as Hybrid. This suggests a combination of remote work and in-office collaboration, likely utilizing Conga's office facilities in Sofia.

Office Location(s): Sofia, Bulgaria. The specific office location details would need to be confirmed, but it's implied that the office serves as a hub for collaboration and team interaction.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model necessitates strong remote collaboration tools and practices, alongside effective use of in-office time for deeper discussions, brainstorming, and team building.

• Access to modern design tools (Figma, AI-assisted design tools) and analytics platforms is expected, supporting efficient and data-informed design processes.

• The environment likely fosters cross-functional collaboration, with regular interactions between Design, Product Management, and Engineering teams to ensure alignment on product goals and user experience.

Work Schedule: Standard working hours (approximately 40 hours per week) are expected, with flexibility provided by the hybrid arrangement. This allows for effective participation in global team meetings and personal work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role requires self-discipline and excellent communication skills, especially for coordinating with teams across different time zones or work arrangements. The office in Sofia will likely be a key location for team synergy and strategic discussions.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely review your resume and portfolio for initial fit. Be prepared to articulate your experience with enterprise SaaS, design systems, research, and AI.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: Expect a session where you present your portfolio, focusing on 1-2 key projects that highlight your problem-solving skills, research methodology, design system contributions, and strategic thinking. A design challenge or case study might be presented, requiring you to think through a complex problem.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineering Leads to assess your collaboration style, understanding of technical constraints, and ability to align on product strategy.

• Leadership/Staff-Level Interview: A discussion with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Design, VP of Product) focusing on your strategic vision, mentorship capabilities, and ability to influence at a staff level.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Strategic Impact: Focus on the "why" and "how" behind your design decisions. Emphasize problem framing, research insights, and the impact of your solutions on user behavior and business outcomes.

• Showcase Design System Contribution: Clearly articulate your role in developing, applying, or governing design systems. Detail how you ensured consistency and scalability.

• Demonstrate Research Rigor: Present detailed accounts of your research process, including methodologies, participant recruitment, data analysis, and how insights directly shaped the final design.

• Articulate AI Experience: For AI-powered features, explain your approach to designing for uncertainty, user trust, and complex interaction models.

• Quantify Results: Where possible, use metrics (e.g., conversion rates, task completion times, user satisfaction scores) to demonstrate the effectiveness of your designs.

• Tailor to Conga: Research Conga's products and target audience to tailor your presentation and highlight relevant experience.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for problem-solving exercises that involve complex enterprise workflows, data integration challenges, or AI-driven user interactions.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, explaining trade-offs and rationale.

• Consider how you would approach defining KPIs and measuring success for a new feature.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "research methodology, problem framing, design system contribution, and articulation of decisions, not just visual output" is a critical takeaway for portfolio preparation. Candidates should structure their presentations to explicitly address these points.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and design system management. Proficiency in advanced features like component architecture, auto layout, and complex prototyping is expected.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Familiarity with tools like Claude Code, Cursor, v0, Bolt, or similar is required, indicating a commitment to leveraging AI in the design workflow.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools: Experience with Pendo, Google Analytics, or similar platforms is necessary for defining KPIs, building analytics strategies, and measuring design impact.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a design tool, understanding how UX integrates with CRM and automation platforms (like Conga's own suite) is beneficial for designing seamless enterprise workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of AI-assisted design tools and advanced Figma capabilities highlights Conga's focus on modern, efficient, and AI-integrated design processes. Proficiency in these areas is a key differentiator.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: Focus on delivering tangible value to enterprise clients through streamlined commercial operations and improved user experiences.

• Data-Informed: Decisions are rooted in user research, analytics, and a deep understanding of user needs and business objectives.

• Systemic Thinking: Emphasis on creating scalable, consistent, and maintainable solutions through design systems and a holistic approach to product architecture.

• Collaboration: Strong partnership between Design, Product, and Engineering to achieve shared goals and drive product innovation.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture that encourages learning, experimentation, and iteration, particularly in adopting new technologies like AI.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Close working relationships with Product Managers and Engineers to ensure design solutions are aligned with business goals and technical feasibility.

• Design Critiques: Regular design reviews and critique sessions to foster constructive feedback and elevate the quality of work across the team.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement of sharing best practices, research findings, and learnings from AI tool experimentation across the design team and wider organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize a pragmatic, results-oriented approach to design, deeply integrated with business objectives and technological advancements. The focus on systems thinking and AI integration points to a forward-looking and technically adept team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Enterprise Workflows: Designing intuitive user experiences for intricate commercial operations (pricing, contracts, revenue) that serve sophisticated enterprise clients.

• AI Integration Strategy: Leading the design of novel AI-powered features, navigating user trust, data privacy, and the evolving landscape of AI capabilities.

• Design System Evolution: Ensuring the "Phoenix" design system remains robust, scalable, and adaptable to new product initiatives and emerging design patterns.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Effectively influencing and aligning diverse stakeholders (leadership, product, engineering) on design strategy and execution, especially for a Staff-level role.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design: Deep dive into AI/ML concepts, prompt engineering, and the application of AI tools in design workflows.

• Design System Leadership: Gain expertise in design system governance, strategy, and scaling for large enterprise platforms.

• Enterprise SaaS UX: Develop a profound understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in designing for complex B2B software.

• Mentorship & Coaching: Enhance leadership and people development skills through mentoring senior and mid-level designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the nature of Conga's business and the strategic direction of the role, particularly the focus on AI and complex enterprise solutions. The growth opportunities provide clear pathways for professional advancement and skill enhancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the design for a complex enterprise feature from conception to launch. What was your process, and what was the impact?" (Focus on problem framing, research, design system use, and outcomes.)

• "How would you approach designing an AI-powered agentic workflow for contract management? What are the key user experience considerations?" (Assess AI design thinking, user trust, and strategic vision.)

• "Walk us through your contribution to a design system. How did you ensure its adoption and scalability across different product teams?" (Evaluate design system expertise and collaboration.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Conga's mission and products, particularly in the commercial operations space?" (Show genuine interest and understanding of the business.)

• "How do you approach mentoring designers? Describe a situation where you helped a colleague grow their skills." (Assess leadership and mentorship capabilities.)

• "How do you balance user needs with business objectives and technical constraints in enterprise SaaS design?" (Gauge strategic thinking and problem-solving in a complex environment.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with a high-level overview of Conga's products and the role's strategic importance. Then, present 2-3 key case studies that best showcase your end-to-end process, research rigor, design system contributions, AI experience, and mentorship.

• Narrative: Tell compelling stories about the problems you solved, the users you served, and the impact of your design solutions. Clearly articulate your rationale and decision-making process.

• Focus on Process, Not Just Pixels: Dedicate significant time to explaining your research methodology, how you framed the problem, your iterative design process, and how you measured success. Explicitly address how your work aligns with or contributes to a design system.

• AI Integration: If applicable, clearly detail your experience with AI-powered features, highlighting your strategic approach and understanding of user interaction with AI.

• Q&A Readiness: Be prepared for in-depth questions about your design choices, research findings, and how you handle disagreements or challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice is tailored to the specific requirements of a Staff UX Designer role, emphasizing strategic thinking, leadership, and a deep understanding of enterprise SaaS and AI. The portfolio presentation guidance directly addresses the stated preferences for evaluating candidates.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful enterprise SaaS or complex UX projects. Ensure these projects clearly demonstrate your end-to-end design process, research methodology, design system contributions, and any experience with AI-powered features. Prepare to articulate the problem, your solution, and the measurable impact.

• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight your 8+ years of experience, focusing on roles where you owned functional design areas, led research initiatives, contributed to design systems, and mentored junior designers. Use keywords from the job description (e.g., "enterprise SaaS," "design systems," "user research," "AI-powered features," "Figma").

• Prepare Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio walkthrough, focusing on clear communication, strategic rationale, and demonstrating your ability to influence stakeholders. Practice explaining your research findings and design decisions concisely.

• Research Conga: Familiarize yourself with Conga's product suite, its target market (commercial operations), and its stated values. Understand how your skills and experience align with the company's mission and the specific challenges of this role.

⚠️ 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.