Role design and job descriptions for B2C SaaS: clear roles in teams of five
In a lean consumer SaaS team, one person covers three jobs and two people claim the same one. Clear role notes cut overlap, show gaps and make hiring and appraisals less personal.
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Share your requirementsWhy role design and job descriptions matters in B2C SaaS
Small teams grow roles by habit. The first designer also did research and branding, the first analyst also ran experiments, and the first support agent also wrote help articles. When new people join, they ask who owns what and get different answers. Credit and blame slip between roles, and good people feel unseen.
A role note for each position says what the person owns, what they share and what they hand on. Titles follow duties, with a clear level for each. This does not need many pages: a short description, three or four main outcomes and the skills needed. It becomes the base for hiring, onboarding and the first review.
How to set it up
1. List real duties per person
Ask each person to list what they do in a normal month. Collect with their manager, and mark overlaps and orphaned tasks.
2. Name owners
For each task or decision, choose one owner. Mark who is consulted and who is informed. Keep the chart short.
3. Write the role notes
One page per role: purpose, outcomes, decisions owned, key skills and a typical week. Use plain words. See role design.
4. Set levels
Define two to four levels per role family and what changes from one to the next. Link them to growth and pay discussions.
5. Test with the team
Ask each person whether the note matches their work. Adjust and publish. Use the same notes in job posts and onboarding.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. These take an afternoon and use your own records.
- Ask two colleagues who owns a recent decision and compare the answers.
- List tasks that no one claims.
- Count roles that cover more than three distinct jobs.
- See whether a candidate could understand the role from your job post.
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach role design and job descriptions in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
One page is enough. If it takes more, the role may be too broad. Keep outcomes and decisions clear and leave out daily tasks that change often.
A simple level structure helps with growth and fair pay even in a team of ten. Keep to two or three levels at first and add more as the team grows.
Write the roles as they are today, name a plan for splitting them and say when you will review. People accept busy roles more readily when they know the plan.