UX Designer, Search Ads 360

Google
Full-time$132k-189k/year (USD)Seattle, United States

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Designer, Search Ads 360

Company: Google

Location: Seattle, Washington, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-17

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (4+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

  • Design and deliver intuitive, user-centered experiences for a critical enterprise advertising platform, Search Ads 360.

  • Translate complex, multi-step enterprise workflows and AI-driven autonomous agent functionalities into elegant conceptual models and seamless user interfaces.

  • Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering across multiple teams and time zones to strategize, align expectations, and drive product vision.

  • Leverage user insights, data analysis, and AI tools to inform design decisions and present compelling narratives to executive stakeholders, influencing product direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within Google's advertising technology division, specifically focusing on Search Ads 360, an enterprise-grade platform for performance advertising. The emphasis on "agentic AI solutions," "multi-step planning," and "automated buying" indicates a forward-looking design challenge that goes beyond traditional UX, requiring an understanding of complex system orchestration and AI-driven automation within an advertising context. The role is fundamentally about enhancing user efficiency and effectiveness in managing large-scale advertising campaigns.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Develop comprehensive user journeys, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes to effectively communicate complex design concepts and user flows.

  • Translate intricate enterprise workflows, system designs, and AI-driven autonomous agent functionalities into elegant, user-friendly conceptual models and intuitive interfaces.

  • Actively participate in and lead design reviews, providing constructive feedback and ensuring adherence to design principles and product goals.

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Product Management and Engineering, to strategize and define user-centric goals, organizing people, processes, and resources for optimal alignment.

  • Pitch and present design concepts, proposals, and progress updates to executive stakeholders, articulating design rationale and building consensus through compelling narratives rooted in user insights and data.

  • Apply user-centered design methodologies to craft industry-leading user experiences from initial concept through to final execution.

  • Evolve and contribute to the Google design language, ensuring consistency and innovation across Google's advertising products.

  • Conduct user research and analyze data to identify pain points and opportunities for design improvement within complex advertising campaign management scenarios.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus: refining core product excellence for Search Ads 360 and pioneering innovation through automation and AI. This means the candidate will not only be responsible for iterative design improvements but also for conceptualizing and designing entirely new paradigms for enterprise advertising management, leveraging agentic AI. The requirement to "organize people and process for alignment" signifies a need for strategic thinking and project management skills beyond pure design execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Graphic Design, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Experience:

  • Minimum of 4 years of professional experience in interaction design, product design, or UX design, with a proven track record of delivering user-centered digital products.

  • Experience in designing for AI-driven or conversational scenarios, demonstrating an understanding of how to integrate AI into user interfaces.

  • Experience utilizing AI tools to streamline personal design workflows, showcasing an aptitude for adopting new technologies.

  • Experience managing competing priorities across multiple engineering teams and diverse time zones, with a strong ability to collaborate and align stakeholders on project goals and expectations.

  • Demonstrated ability to analyze situations from a broader system level, with the potential and desire to lead complex product redesign initiatives. Required Skills:

  • Interaction Design: Expertise in designing intuitive and efficient user flows, wireframes, mockups, and prototypes for complex applications.

  • Product Design: Proven ability to translate user needs and business requirements into compelling product experiences.

  • UX Design Principles: Deep understanding and application of user-centered design methodologies, heuristics, and best practices.

  • Portfolio: A strong portfolio showcasing a range of design projects, demonstrating problem-solving skills, design rationale, and impact. Must include a viewable link or access instructions in the resume.

  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, and other stakeholders.

  • Presentation Skills: Excellent ability to craft compelling narratives and present design rationale, user insights, and data-driven recommendations to diverse audiences, including executive leadership.

Preferred Skills:

  • AI Design: Experience specifically designing for AI-driven features, autonomous agents, and conversational interfaces.

  • System-Level Thinking: Capacity to understand and design for complex, interconnected systems and large-scale product redesigns.

  • Data Analysis & Interpretation: Ability to leverage user data and analytics to inform design decisions and measure impact.

  • Conceptual Modeling: Skill in developing clear and effective conceptual models for complex systems and workflows.

  • Design Systems: Familiarity with or experience in contributing to or utilizing design systems for consistency and scalability.

  • Performance Advertising Domain: Familiarity with the intricacies of performance advertising platforms, campaign management, and enterprise marketing technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Preferred qualifications" are highly indicative of the role's strategic importance and future-facing direction. The emphasis on AI, system-level thinking, and leading complex redesigns suggests this isn't just a standard UX role but one that will shape the future of Google's enterprise advertising products. Candidates should prepare to discuss how they've approached AI integration or system-level challenges in their past work.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Case Studies: Detailed case studies for 2-3 significant projects that demonstrate your end-to-end design process, from problem definition and user research to final solution and impact.

  • Problem Framing: Clear articulation of the user problem or business challenge addressed in each project.

  • Design Process Documentation: Visual representation and explanation of your design process, including user flows, wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and user testing methodologies.

  • Solution Rationale: Strong explanation of the design decisions made, supported by user insights, data, and relevant UX principles.

  • Impact & Metrics: Quantifiable outcomes and impact of your design solutions, ideally with metrics related to user engagement, efficiency gains, conversion rates, or stakeholder satisfaction.

  • AI/System Integration Examples: If possible, include examples that showcase experience with complex system designs, AI-driven features, or automation workflows.

Process Documentation:

  • Workflow Design & Optimization: Showcase examples of how you've mapped, analyzed, and redesigned complex user workflows to improve efficiency and user experience.

  • System Design Conceptualization: Demonstrate your ability to create conceptual models and system diagrams that explain the architecture and interaction of complex digital products.

  • User Research & Validation: Evidence of user research methodologies (e.g., interviews, usability testing) used to validate design hypotheses and iterate on solutions.

  • Cross-functional Alignment: Examples of how you've documented and communicated design proposals, rationale, and updates to engineering, product management, and executive teams to achieve alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, a portfolio is not just a showcase but a critical tool for demonstrating strategic thinking and process mastery. Candidates must be prepared to walk through their portfolio, explaining not just what they designed but why, and how it impacted users and the business, especially in complex enterprise and AI-driven contexts. Highlighting process optimization and system-level thinking will be key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

  • US: $132,000 - $189,000 USD per year.

  • Note: This range is provided as per the job posting and represents the base salary. It does not include the target bonus or equity.

Benefits:

  • Performance Bonus: Target of 15% annual bonus, based on individual and company performance.

  • Equity: Stock grants or options, reflecting long-term commitment and company growth.

  • Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.

  • Retirement Savings: Opportunities for 401(k) or similar retirement savings plans.

  • Paid Time Off: Generous vacation, sick leave, and holiday pay.

  • Professional Development: Access to learning resources, training programs, and opportunities for skill enhancement.

  • Other Perks: May include employee assistance programs, wellness initiatives, and on-site amenities (depending on office location).

Working Hours:

  • Standard full-time hours are typically 40 hours per week.

  • While the role is on-site, Google often offers flexibility in work schedules, allowing for adjustments to accommodate project needs and personal commitments, provided core responsibilities and collaboration requirements are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a UX Designer role at a major tech company like Google, especially in a location like Seattle. The inclusion of a target bonus and equity indicates a performance-driven culture and a comprehensive total compensation package. The "40 hours per week" is a baseline, but the emphasis on collaboration across time zones suggests that flexibility might be necessary, and a focus on deliverables over strict hours is common in such roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, Software, Advertising Technology, Artificial Intelligence.

Company Size: Google is a global technology giant, employing hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide. This large scale offers immense resources, complex organizational structures, and opportunities for broad impact.

Founded: 1998. Google's long history is marked by innovation, user-centricity, and a drive to organize the world's information. This foundational ethos continues to influence its product development and company culture.

Team Structure:

  • Multi-disciplinary UX Team: You will be part of a dedicated UX team that includes interaction designers, visual designers, UX researchers, and content strategists.

  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Close partnership with Product Management and Engineering teams is fundamental to the design process. This typically involves daily stand-ups, sprint planning, and joint problem-solving sessions.

  • Reporting: The UX Designer will likely report to a UX Manager or Director, who oversees a portfolio of products or a specific product area, such as Search Ads 360.

Methodology:

  • User-Centered Design (UCD): A core philosophy at Google, emphasizing deep user understanding through research and iterative design based on user feedback.

  • Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging analytics, A/B testing, and performance metrics to inform design choices and measure success.

  • Agile Development: While not strictly Agile in all teams, Google's product development often incorporates iterative cycles, rapid prototyping, and close collaboration with engineering to deliver value incrementally.

  • AI Integration & Exploration: A significant focus on exploring and implementing AI-driven solutions to enhance product capabilities and user experiences, particularly in complex enterprise workflows.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Google's culture is known for its emphasis on innovation, data, and impact. For a UX Designer, this means being comfortable with ambiguity, driving initiatives, and backing design decisions with robust research and data. The "Focus on the user and all else will follow" mantra is paramount. The scale of Google means that even specialized roles can impact billions, but also requires navigating complex organizational structures to achieve goals.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-Senior Level UX Designer. This level typically involves taking ownership of significant product areas, mentoring junior designers, and contributing to strategic design discussions. The role requires not just execution but also the ability to influence product direction and potentially lead complex redesigns.

Reporting Structure: You will report to a UX Manager or Director. This manager will provide guidance, feedback, and support for career development, while also acting as a liaison to Product Management and Engineering leadership. Collaboration will extend across multiple engineering teams and time zones, requiring strong communication and alignment skills.

Operations Impact: The Search Ads 360 platform is a multi-billion dollar product crucial for Google's advertising business. As a UX Designer on this team, your work will directly impact the effectiveness and productivity of major agencies and enterprises. You will be instrumental in shaping how businesses manage their advertising spend, optimize campaigns, and leverage AI for performance gains, thus driving significant revenue and client success.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Specialization in AI & Enterprise UX: Deepen expertise in designing for advanced AI capabilities and complex enterprise-level software, a high-demand area.

  • Product Leadership: Progress to Senior UX Designer, Lead UX Designer, or Group UX Designer roles, taking on more strategic responsibilities and leading larger design initiatives or teams.

  • Cross-Product/Domain Exposure: Opportunities to move into other product areas within Google Ads or related advertising technologies.

  • Mentorship & Management: Develop leadership skills through mentoring junior designers, leading design critiques, and potentially moving into management roles.

  • Skill Development: Access to Google's extensive internal learning resources, workshops, conferences, and opportunities to learn from world-class designers and engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations Career Level" here refers to the designer's role within the operational framework of product development, not necessarily a Revenue Operations or Sales Operations role. The growth path is typical for a high-performing UX designer at a major tech company, with clear avenues for both individual contribution leadership and people management. The emphasis on AI and enterprise systems presents a unique specialization opportunity.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site role in Seattle, WA. This implies working from a Google office location, which are typically modern, collaborative, and amenity-rich environments.

Office Location(s): Seattle, Washington. Google has a significant presence in Seattle, offering a vibrant tech hub environment with access to numerous tech companies and resources. Specific office details would be provided upon inquiry or during the interview process.

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative Spaces: Offices are designed with a mix of open workspaces, meeting rooms, private offices, and "huddle" spaces to facilitate spontaneous collaboration and focused work.

  • Tools & Technology: Access to state-of-the-art hardware, software, and internal tools necessary for design, prototyping, and communication. This includes high-performance workstations and potentially specialized hardware for testing.

  • Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities for informal and formal interactions with design peers, product managers, engineers, and other cross-functional team members, fostering a strong sense of team and shared purpose.

Work Schedule:

  • The role is on-site, requiring regular presence in the Seattle office.

  • While a standard 40-hour work week is expected, Google often supports flexible working arrangements, allowing designers to manage their schedules effectively, provided they meet collaboration needs and project deadlines. This flexibility is crucial given the need to coordinate with teams in different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement is standard for many roles at Google, emphasizing in-person collaboration and immersion in the company's innovative work environment. The description of Google offices suggests a focus on employee well-being, productivity, and fostering a culture of innovation through physical space design.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening: HR or Recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, interest, and fit.

  • Portfolio Review & Design Exercise: A dedicated session where you will present your portfolio, discussing key projects, your design process, and rationale. This may be followed by a take-home design challenge or an on-site/virtual design exercise.

  • Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager focusing on your experience, leadership potential, and alignment with team goals.

  • Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineering leads to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to work effectively in a cross-functional team.

  • Team/Peer Interviews: Interviews with other designers or team members to evaluate cultural fit and teamwork capabilities.

  • Executive Stakeholder Interview (Potentially): For senior roles, an interview with an executive leader to discuss strategic thinking and high-level impact.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Tell a Story: Structure your portfolio around compelling narratives for each project, clearly outlining the problem, your role, your process, the challenges, the solution, and the impact.

  • Showcase Process: Don't just show final visuals; detail your thought process, research methods, iterations, and decision-making criteria.

  • Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased user adoption, improved task completion rates, reduced errors, positive feedback).

  • Highlight AI/System Experience: If you have experience with AI-driven features or complex systems, make sure these projects are prominently featured and clearly explained.

  • Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that align with enterprise software, complex workflows, and potentially advertising technology or AI.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with Google Ads, Search Ads 360, and the broader performance advertising landscape. Research current trends in AI in advertising.

  • Practice Design Exercises: Be prepared for typical UX design challenges, which might involve analyzing a problem, ideating solutions, sketching, wireframing, or discussing trade-offs.

  • Articulate Rationale: Practice explaining your design decisions clearly and concisely, focusing on user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility.

  • System Thinking: Be ready to discuss how your proposed solutions fit into a larger system or product ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process at Google is rigorous and designed to assess a candidate's skills, experience, and cultural fit across multiple dimensions. Preparing a portfolio that clearly articulates process, impact, and strategic thinking, particularly around complex systems and AI, will be crucial for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable for modern Google UX teams), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), possibly InVision or Axure for advanced prototyping.

  • User Research & Testing: Google's internal research tools, UserTesting.com, Maze, or similar platforms for usability testing and feedback collection.

  • Collaboration & Project Management: Google Workspace suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet), JIRA, Asana, or Trello for task tracking and project coordination.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • Data Analysis Tools: Google Analytics, internal Google data platforms (e.g., BigQuery), possibly SQL for data querying.

  • Visualization Tools: Tableau, Looker (Google's own BI platform), or Google Data Studio for creating dashboards and reports to communicate insights.

CRM & Automation:

  • CRM: While not directly managing a CRM, understanding how user data flows from CRMs into advertising platforms is beneficial. Google's internal advertising platforms are proprietary.

  • Automation: Familiarity with designing for automated workflows and AI-driven processes is key. This might involve understanding APIs or system integrations conceptually, even if not directly building them.

  • Integration Tools: Awareness of how different systems and data points connect within a complex enterprise software environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Google heavily relies on its own suite of tools, with Figma being a common choice for design teams. Familiarity with Google Workspace is almost a given. The ability to interpret data from tools like Google Analytics and potentially query databases (SQL) is increasingly important for UX designers to demonstrate the impact of their work. The focus on "agentic AI" implies an understanding of designing for systems that automate complex tasks.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • User Focus: "Focus on the user and all else will follow." This is the guiding principle, demanding a deep understanding of user needs and a commitment to creating valuable, intuitive experiences.

  • Innovation & Ambition: A drive to tackle challenging problems, push boundaries, and create products that have a significant impact. This includes embracing new technologies like AI and automation.

  • Data-Driven Approach: Decisions are informed by data and rigorous analysis. Designers are expected to measure the impact of their work and iterate based on evidence.

  • Collaboration & Teamwork: Strong emphasis on working effectively across diverse teams (UX, Eng, PM) and time zones to achieve shared goals.

  • Excellence & Quality: A commitment to high standards in design execution, craftsmanship, and product polish.

Collaboration Style:

  • Open & Iterative: Collaboration is typically open, with regular feedback loops and a willingness to iterate on designs based on input from various stakeholders.

  • Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are embedded within product teams, working hand-in-hand with Product Managers and Engineers throughout the development lifecycle.

  • Knowledge Sharing: A culture of sharing best practices, design patterns, and learnings across the design community through internal talks, documentation, and mentorship.

  • Data-Informed Debate: Constructive discussions and debates are encouraged, with design decisions often being refined through the lens of user data and technical feasibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: Google's core values are deeply ingrained in its culture. For a UX designer, this means being proactive, data-literate, user-obsessed, and a strong collaborator. The "operations" here refers to the way the design function operates within the broader company structure.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Complexity of Enterprise Workflows: Designing for powerful, complex enterprise software like Search Ads 360 requires balancing a vast feature set with an intuitive user experience, especially with the addition of AI-driven automation.

  • AI Integration Nuances: Effectively designing for "agentic AI" means going beyond simple AI features to orchestrating autonomous systems, which presents novel design challenges in trust, transparency, and control.

  • Cross-Team & Cross-Time Zone Coordination: Aligning design vision and execution across multiple engineering teams and geographically dispersed stakeholders requires exceptional communication and strategic planning.

  • Balancing Core Product Excellence with Innovation: The role demands maintaining and improving the existing robust platform while simultaneously pioneering future-facing AI and automation features.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Advanced AI Design: Gain hands-on experience designing for cutting-edge AI capabilities, including autonomous agents and complex predictive systems.

  • Enterprise Software Mastery: Deepen expertise in designing for large-scale, mission-critical enterprise applications that drive significant business value.

  • Leadership Skills: Opportunities to lead design initiatives, mentor junior designers, and influence product strategy, paving the way for management or principal designer roles.

  • Industry Exposure: Access to Google's internal training, industry conferences, and a vast network of experts in UX, AI, and advertising technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are significant but also represent prime opportunities for growth. Tackling these complex problems within a company like Google offers unparalleled learning experiences and career acceleration for ambitious designers.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you had to design for a complex system with many interconnected parts. How did you approach understanding and simplifying it for the user?" (Focus on system thinking, process mapping, and conceptual modeling).

  • "How would you design an interface for an autonomous agent that manages multi-step advertising campaigns? What are the key considerations for user trust and control?" (Focus on AI design, user agency, and risk management).

  • "Tell me about a challenging cross-functional project where you had to align stakeholders with differing priorities. What was your strategy for achieving consensus?" (Focus on collaboration, communication, and stakeholder management). Company & Culture Questions:

  • "How do you embody Google's 'Focus on the user' principle in your design process, especially when dealing with complex enterprise requirements?" (Focus on user-centricity, research, and data).

  • "Describe your experience working with AI tools in your design workflow. How do you see AI evolving the role of a UX designer?" (Focus on AI adoption and forward-thinking design).

  • "How do you approach measuring the impact of your design solutions, particularly in a performance advertising context?" (Focus on metrics, data analysis, and ROI). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Select Impactful Projects: Choose 2-3 projects that best showcase your skills relevant to this role: complex systems, AI/automation, enterprise UX, and strong process.

  • Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate: The Problem, Your Role & Responsibilities, The Process (Research, Ideation, Design, Testing), The Solution, and The Impact/Outcome (quantified if possible).

  • Highlight Decision-Making: Be prepared to defend your design choices, explaining the rationale behind them, and how they addressed user needs and business objectives.

  • Showcase AI/System Design: If applicable, dedicate time to explaining how you approached designing for complex systems or AI features, emphasizing the unique challenges and solutions.

  • Engage Your Audience: Be enthusiastic, articulate, and ready to answer follow-up questions. Treat it as a collaborative discussion about design challenges and solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing specific examples that highlight your experience with complex systems, AI integration, and cross-functional collaboration will be key. Practice articulating your design process and the impact of your work concisely and persuasively.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Designer position at Google:

  • Submit your application through the official Google Careers portal via the provided URL.

  • Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your years of experience, specific UX/Interaction Design skills, and any relevant experience with AI, enterprise software, or advertising technology. Use keywords from the job description.

  • Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end design process, problem-solving abilities, and quantifiable impact. Ensure the portfolio link is easily accessible and functional.

  • Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on clear storytelling, design rationale, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your approach to complex systems and AI.

  • Research Google & Search Ads 360: Understand Google's design philosophy, its advertising products, and the specific challenges and opportunities within Search Ads 360.

⚠️ 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.

Application Requirements

Requires a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience and at least 4 years of interaction or UX design experience. Candidates must provide a portfolio demonstrating their work and design rationale.