The guide
Five rules behind every job description that actually works.
We analysed thousands of high-converting JDs from talent teams using RoleHive. The patterns below show up again and again.
01
Open with the work, not the company
Candidates skim. Lead with the role's mission in two sentences. Save the company boilerplate for later — by then they've already decided to keep reading.
02
Be specific about outcomes
Replace vague verbs (own, drive, manage) with measurable outcomes for the first 6–12 months. Specificity attracts the right people and filters out the wrong ones.
03
Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves
Long requirement lists shrink your candidate pool — especially among women and underrepresented groups. Limit must-haves to 4–6 items; everything else is a bonus.
04
Write in plain, inclusive language
Cut jargon, corporate-speak and gendered words (rockstar, ninja, aggressive). Read it aloud — if it sounds like a press release, rewrite it.
05
Be upfront about comp, location and process
Posting a salary band, work model and interview steps signals respect for candidate time. It also dramatically improves application quality.
— 06 —
Let AI handle the first draft — then edit for voice. Try RoleHive free.
The library
Six templates, ready to copy and edit.
Use them as a starting point. Swap in your company voice, comp band and specifics — or paste any into RoleHive and we'll tailor it for you.
Engineering
Senior Software Engineer
About the role We're hiring a Senior Software Engineer to design and ship the systems that power our product. You'll partner closely with product, design, and platform teams to take features from rough idea to production at scale. What you'll do • Lead the design and delivery of core backend services • Mentor engineers through code review, pairing, and design docs • Drive technical decisions across reliability, performance, and cost • Collaborate on roadmap planning and quarterly priorities What we're looking for • 5+ years building production software in a modern language (Go, TypeScript, Python, Rust) • Deep experience with distributed systems, APIs, and relational databases • Strong written communication — you can make complex trade-offs legible • Bias toward shipping, with a high bar for craft Nice to have • Experience with event-driven architectures • Open-source contributions or technical writing Compensation & benefits • Competitive base salary + equity • Health, dental, vision • Remote-first with quarterly team offsites
Design
Product Designer
About the role We're looking for a Product Designer to shape end-to-end experiences across our platform. You'll own design from research through ship, working directly with PMs and engineers on the problems that matter most. What you'll do • Lead design for a core product area, end to end • Run lightweight research, then translate insights into clear flows • Build and evolve our design system alongside other designers • Partner with engineers throughout implementation What we're looking for • 4+ years of product design experience on web or mobile products • A portfolio that shows craft, systems thinking, and shipped outcomes • Comfort with ambiguity and high autonomy • Strong opinions, loosely held — receptive to critique Nice to have • Experience designing for B2B or technical audiences • Prototyping skills (Figma, Framer, code) Compensation & benefits • Competitive base salary + equity • Full health coverage • Annual learning budget
Sales
Account Executive
About the role We're hiring an Account Executive to own the full sales cycle for mid-market customers. You'll be the first dedicated AE on this segment, working directly with the founders to shape playbooks. What you'll do • Own the full sales cycle from qualified opportunity to close • Run discovery, demos, and multi-stakeholder evaluations • Partner with marketing on pipeline and with CS on hand-off • Help build the playbook — pricing, ICP, motion What we're looking for • 3+ years closing B2B SaaS deals, $20k–$150k ACV • Track record of consistent quota attainment • Strong written and verbal communication • Comfort working in early-stage ambiguity Nice to have • Experience selling into HR, talent, or people-ops buyers • Familiarity with MEDDIC, Command of the Message, or similar Compensation & benefits • Base + uncapped commission (OTE clearly defined) • Equity • Health, dental, vision
Marketing
Marketing Manager
About the role We're looking for a Marketing Manager to own demand generation and content strategy. You'll work across SEO, lifecycle, and paid to build a repeatable pipeline engine. What you'll do • Own quarterly demand-gen targets and the mix to hit them • Build and run the content calendar (SEO, thought leadership, customer stories) • Partner with sales on campaigns, enablement, and ABM motions • Report on funnel performance and iterate quickly What we're looking for • 4+ years in B2B marketing, with measurable pipeline impact • Strong writer — comfortable drafting and editing for clarity • Experience with HubSpot or similar marketing stack • Analytical — can read funnel data and adjust Nice to have • Past experience as the first or second marketing hire • Familiarity with PLG motions Compensation & benefits • Competitive base + equity • Remote-first • Generous PTO
Operations
Customer Success Manager
About the role We're hiring a Customer Success Manager to own retention and growth across a portfolio of mid-market accounts. You'll be the trusted partner customers turn to for outcomes. What you'll do • Own renewal and expansion for a book of 30–50 accounts • Drive onboarding, adoption, and quarterly business reviews • Surface product feedback and partner with PM/engineering • Build playbooks for at-risk and high-potential accounts What we're looking for • 3+ years in CS or account management at a B2B SaaS company • Excellent communication and stakeholder management • Comfort with data — you can read usage and tell a story • Genuine curiosity about customer problems Nice to have • Experience with HRtech or talent products • Prior CSM at a Series A–C company Compensation & benefits • Base + variable tied to retention and expansion • Equity • Health, dental, vision
Data
Data Analyst
About the role We're looking for a Data Analyst to be the first dedicated analytics hire. You'll partner with product, growth, and ops to turn data into decisions. What you'll do • Build and maintain dashboards across product, revenue, and ops • Run deep-dive analyses to inform roadmap and pricing • Define and document core metrics • Help shape our data stack as we scale What we're looking for • 3+ years in analytics or data science at a software company • Strong SQL; comfort with one of Python or R • Experience with a modern BI tool (Looker, Metabase, Mode, Hex) • Clear communicator — can present findings to non-technical stakeholders Nice to have • Experience with dbt and a modern warehouse (Snowflake, BigQuery) • Background in experimentation Compensation & benefits • Competitive base + equity • Health, dental, vision • Learning & conference budget
Finance
Accountant
About the role We're hiring an Accountant to own day-to-day accounting and help us scale a finance function that holds up to audit. You'll partner with ops, payroll and leadership to keep our books accurate, timely and compliant. What you'll do • Own the monthly close — journal entries, reconciliations, accruals • Maintain the general ledger and chart of accounts • Prepare financial statements and management reports • Support payroll, AP, AR and expense workflows • Partner with external auditors and tax advisors What we're looking for • 3+ years in accounting at a software or high-growth company • Strong knowledge of GAAP (or IFRS, depending on region) • Comfort with a modern accounting stack (NetSuite, Xero, QuickBooks) • Detail-oriented with a strong control mindset • Clear written communication for cross-functional partners Nice to have • CPA, ACCA or equivalent qualification • Experience with multi-entity or multi-currency consolidations • SaaS revenue recognition (ASC 606 / IFRS 15) Compensation & benefits • Competitive base + equity • Full health coverage • Annual learning budget and exam support