Digital Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Digital Product Designer

Company: Virgin Atlantic

Location: Crawley, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full time

Category: Digital Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-09-08T12:57:36

Experience Level: Mid-level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the design, development, and performance of Virgin Atlantic's digital product portfolio through a user-centered and brand-aligned approach.

• Contribute to the overall digital product vision and quarterly agile delivery cycles, ensuring seamless user experiences across all digital touchpoints.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Digital Development & Delivery and the broader Creative team, to innovate and elevate design standards.

• Champion both the brand identity and user needs, translating business objectives into intuitive and engaging digital solutions.

• Implement accessible design principles, adhering to WCAG2.2AA standards by default, to ensure inclusivity for all users.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within the Digital Design team, indicating a focus on the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) of digital products. The emphasis on "product roadmap," "quarterly planning cycles," and "agile delivery" suggests a need for operations-minded thinking in terms of project management, efficiency, and iterative development within a product lifecycle. The requirement to "develop and embed new processes" further underscores an operations-centric responsibility for process improvement and standardization within the design function.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Deliver on the Virgin Atlantic digital roadmap through strategic design execution, working collaboratively with Digital Development & Delivery teams within a matrixed structure.

• Conceptualize and design innovative solutions to user problems by applying design thinking methodologies and best practices.

• Play an influential role in shaping the brand identity and visual design, ensuring the seamless implementation of the brand narrative across all digital platforms.

• Lead initiatives to enhance the user experience of Virgin Atlantic's digital products, acting as a user and brand advocate within scrum teams and with stakeholders.

• Design interactions that prioritize usability, creating frictionless, pleasurable, and unique customer experiences.

• Ensure all designs are accessible by default, strictly adhering to WCAG2.2AA guidelines.

• Support the wider design team in refining and establishing best-in-class digital design practices across Virgin Atlantic.

• Partner with Product Owners to ensure products are conceived and designed effectively from the outset.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic product design and operational execution. Key phrases like "deliver the Virgin Atlantic digital roadmap," "quarterly planning cycles of agile delivery," and "develop and embed new processes" point to the need for structured thinking, project management, and process optimization skills, which are core to operations roles. The emphasis on collaboration with "Digital Development & Delivery" and "Product Owners" also signifies a need for strong cross-functional operational alignment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in design principles, human-computer interaction, or a related field is implied through the experience requirements.

Experience: Solid experience in digital product design, with a proven track record in UX/UI work demonstrated through a comprehensive portfolio.

Required Skills:

• Proficiency in design tools, with a primary focus on Figma.

• Strong understanding of mobile and responsive design principles for various devices and screen sizes.

• Demonstrated experience in conducting user research and usability testing to inform design decisions and validate concepts.

• Familiarity with design systems and their practical application across diverse digital touchpoints to ensure consistency and scalability.

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including developers, product managers, and other designers.

• Strong problem-solving skills, underpinned by a robust user-centered design approach.

• Hands-on experience with AI tools and a keen curiosity about their potential applications in design.

• Experience in delivering accessible design solutions, with adherence to WCAG2.2AA standards. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with prototyping tools beyond Figma for more complex user flow simulations.

• Knowledge of agile development methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) and experience working within these frameworks.

• Understanding of front-end development principles (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate better collaboration with developers.

• Experience in the travel or airline industry, bringing domain-specific knowledge to digital product design.

• A proactive approach to process improvement and a willingness to contribute to the evolution of design practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Figma," "design systems," "user research," "usability testing," and "WCAG2.2AA" are critical technical skills. The mention of "collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams" and "user-centered design approach" points to the interpersonal and strategic thinking required, similar to operations roles that bridge gaps between departments. The "AI tools" and "develop and embed new processes" requirements suggest a forward-thinking individual who can leverage technology and optimize workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 diverse digital product design projects, highlighting the end-to-end design process from concept to final delivery.

• Clearly articulate your role and contributions within each project, focusing on problem identification, user needs, and design solutions.

• Demonstrate proficiency in Figma, with examples of complex wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity visual designs.

• Include case studies that detail your user research methodologies, usability testing findings, and how these insights influenced design iterations.

• Present examples of how you've applied design systems or contributed to their development and maintenance for consistency.

• Quantify impact where possible, using metrics related to user engagement, task completion rates, or conversion improvements driven by your designs. Process Documentation:

• Provide evidence of your process for conducting user research and usability testing, including methodologies, participant recruitment, and analysis of findings.

• Illustrate your approach to translating user needs and business requirements into actionable design specifications and user flows.

• Showcase examples of how you have collaborated with development teams to ensure accurate and efficient implementation of designs.

• Document your understanding and application of accessibility standards (WCAG2.2AA) within your design process.

• Include examples of how you have contributed to or utilized design systems to ensure brand consistency and design efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements for a "strong portfolio showcasing UX/UI work" and the need to "demonstrate the end-to-end design process" are crucial for this role. For operations professionals, this translates to showcasing a portfolio of process improvements, system implementations, or data analysis projects that demonstrate a structured approach, problem-solving capabilities, and measurable impact. The emphasis on "user research," "usability testing," and "design systems" mirrors the operational need for understanding user/stakeholder needs, validating solutions, and maintaining consistency in processes and tools.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The stated salary is "Competitive." Based on industry benchmarks for a Digital Product Designer with 2-5 years of experience in the Crawley, UK area, a realistic annual salary range would be between £45,000 and £65,000. This estimation considers the cost of living in West Sussex, the specific skills required (Figma proficiency, UX/UI expertise, AI tools), and the reputation of Virgin Atlantic as a major employer.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary package.

• Permanent contract offering job security and long-term commitment.

• Hybrid working model, allowing for a balance between remote work and in-office collaboration (3 days at VHQ, Crawley).

• Generous holiday allowance (specifics to be confirmed, but typically generous for a full-time role at a major airline).

• Pension scheme with company contributions.

• Opportunities for professional development and training, including exposure to AI tools and design practices.

• Employee benefits package, likely including flight discounts and travel perks associated with Virgin Atlantic.

• Access to a supportive and inclusive work environment with a strong focus on employee well-being.

Working Hours: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week, typically Monday to Friday. While core hours are standard, the hybrid nature may offer some flexibility in scheduling, provided project deadlines and team collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Competitive" salary is typical for roles at established companies. For operations professionals, understanding salary benchmarks is crucial. The hybrid model (3 days in office) is a significant benefit, balancing operational needs for in-person collaboration with the flexibility sought by many professionals. The mention of "AI tools" in the context of professional development is a key differentiator, suggesting opportunities for upskilling in emerging technologies relevant to operations.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Travel & Aviation. Virgin Atlantic operates within a highly competitive and dynamic global travel industry, characterized by rapid technological adoption, evolving customer expectations, and a focus on customer experience. This context means that digital innovation is paramount for maintaining market share and brand loyalty.

Company Size: Virgin Atlantic is a large, well-established international airline, part of the Virgin Group. This implies a structured organizational environment with established processes, but also a culture that encourages innovation and a "challenger" mindset, as reflected in their slogan.

Founded: Virgin Atlantic was founded in 1984. Its history is marked by a spirit of challenging industry norms and prioritizing customer service and employee experience. This legacy influences its current culture, aiming to be a "loved travel company" through innovation and a strong brand identity.

Team Structure:

• The Digital Product Designer will be part of the in-house Digital Design team, which is a multi-disciplined group.

• This team collaborates closely with the "Digital Development & Delivery team" and the broader "Creative Team."

• The role operates within "scrum teams," indicating an agile development environment.

• Collaboration will extend to "Product Owners" and "wider business stakeholders," highlighting a cross-functional operational approach. Methodology:

• Design thinking is a core methodology for conceptualizing new products and solutions.

• Agile delivery cycles (quarterly planning) dictate the pace of development.

• User-centered design principles guide all product development efforts.

• Collaboration within scrum teams ensures iterative development and feedback loops.

• Emphasis on accessible design, adhering to WCAG2.2AA, is a foundational process requirement.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Virgin Atlantic's culture as a "challenger" in the travel industry suggests an environment where innovative digital solutions are valued. For operations roles, this means processes and systems must be adaptable and efficient to support rapid innovation. The "multi-disciplined design team" and collaboration with "Digital Development & Delivery" point to a need for strong cross-functional communication and process alignment, which are hallmarks of effective GTM and RevOps.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a mid-level (2-5 years of experience) within the Digital Product Design function. It requires hands-on execution, contributing to strategic product roadmaps, and influencing design practices. In an operations context, this level typically involves taking ownership of specific processes, analyzing their effectiveness, and implementing improvements, often with guidance from more senior operations leads.

Reporting Structure: The Digital Product Designer reports into the Digital Design team, likely under a Design Lead or Manager. They will work within agile scrum teams, collaborating closely with Product Owners, Developers, and other designers. This structure emphasizes a collaborative, project-based operational model rather than a rigid hierarchy.

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts the customer experience through digital products, which is a critical driver of customer acquisition, retention, and revenue in the travel industry. By improving digital product performance, usability, and accessibility, this role contributes to increased customer satisfaction, higher conversion rates, and operational efficiency in customer interactions. This is analogous to how RevOps or Sales Ops roles directly influence pipeline velocity, conversion rates, and customer lifetime value.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of UX/UI, such as interaction design, user research, or design systems, potentially leading to Senior Digital Product Designer roles.

• Leadership: Progress into Lead Designer or Design Manager positions, overseeing teams and setting design strategy, akin to Operations Leadership roles.

• Process Improvement: Take on projects focused on evolving and optimizing design processes, potentially leading to a role with a stronger operational or process management focus within the digital product domain.

• AI Integration: Become a subject matter expert in leveraging AI tools for design, a valuable skill in both design and operations for automation and efficiency gains.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Develop a broad understanding of product development and business operations, opening doors to roles in Product Management or GTM Strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities described for a Digital Product Designer closely mirror career progression in operations. Moving from execution to strategy, process optimization, and leadership are common trajectories in RevOps, Sales Ops, and Marketing Ops. The emphasis on "process improvement" and "AI integration" directly aligns with the core objectives of operations functions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based on a hybrid model, requiring 3 days per week at Virgin Atlantic's VHQ in Crawley. This suggests a modern office environment designed for collaboration, with dedicated workspaces for design teams.

Office Location(s): Virgin Atlantic Headquarters (VHQ) in Crawley, West Sussex, United Kingdom. This location provides a central hub for employees in the region.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model is designed to foster collaboration, allowing for in-person brainstorming sessions, design critiques, and team alignment crucial for agile workflows.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, and potentially other collaborative platforms, will be essential. The company's commitment to "AI tools" suggests investment in modern technological resources.

• Team Interaction: Regular interaction with designers, developers, product owners, and other stakeholders will be integral to the role, facilitating knowledge sharing and efficient problem-solving.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours are 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday. The hybrid arrangement allows for flexibility, enabling employees to manage their work-life balance while ensuring consistent presence for critical team activities and meetings. This structure is common in operations roles that require both focused independent work and collaborative sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment with 3 days in the office is a key aspect for operations professionals. It signifies a deliberate balance between the need for in-person collaboration (crucial for process alignment, strategic planning, and team cohesion) and the flexibility that many professionals value. The mention of VHQ in Crawley suggests a well-equipped office space, likely with the necessary technological infrastructure to support design and development workflows.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess qualifications and experience against the role requirements. Be prepared to articulate your design process and key achievements.

• First Interview: Likely a discussion with the hiring manager or a senior member of the design team. Focus on your UX/UI skills, design thinking, and experience with tools like Figma.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a take-home design exercise or present a case study from your portfolio. This assesses your problem-solving approach, design execution, and ability to articulate your rationale. For operations roles, this might be a process analysis or a proposed solution to a business challenge.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a wider team or department head. This stage often assesses cultural fit, strategic thinking, and how you align with Virgin Atlantic's values and operational approach.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your UX/UI skills, problem-solving capabilities, and impact. Tailor the selection to highlight relevant experience if possible (e.g., travel industry, complex digital products).

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your process, the solutions you designed, and the outcomes. Use visuals effectively to illustrate your journey.

• Highlight Process: Emphasize your methodology – how you conducted research, tested hypotheses, iterated on designs, and collaborated with teams. This mirrors the importance of process documentation in operations.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, increased user satisfaction scores). This is critical for operations roles where ROI is key.

• Showcase Figma Proficiency: Be ready to walk through your Figma files, explaining your design system usage, component creation, and prototyping capabilities.

• Address Accessibility: Explicitly mention and demonstrate how you incorporated WCAG2.2AA standards into your designs.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: If given a design challenge, thoroughly understand the problem statement and constraints.

• User-Centricity: Approach any challenge with a user-centered mindset, identifying key user needs and pain points.

• Process Articulation: Be prepared to explain your design process step-by-step, even for a hypothetical scenario.

• Feasibility: Consider the practical implementation aspects, demonstrating an understanding of how your designs would translate into a working product, similar to how operations professionals consider implementation feasibility.

• Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your work concisely and clearly, being ready to answer questions about your decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview and portfolio review process for a Digital Product Designer shares many parallels with operations roles. The emphasis on a "portfolio showcasing UX/UI work," "quantifying impact," and "articulating your process" is directly analogous to operations professionals needing to present case studies of process improvements, system implementations, and their ROI. The "design challenge" is akin to operations case studies or problem-solving exercises.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for wireframing, UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is explicitly required.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is primary, familiarity with other prototyping tools might be beneficial for advanced simulations or specific project needs.

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Lookback).

• Collaboration Tools: Platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence for team communication and project management.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Understanding of tools like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics to track user behavior and product performance.

• Data Visualization Tools: Familiarity with tools that can help present design impact data, such as Tableau or Power BI, though not explicitly stated, is beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly used by designers, an understanding of how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms influence customer journeys can provide valuable context for digital product design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "Figma" as the primary tool is critical. For operations roles, this section would detail CRM systems (Salesforce, HubSpot), marketing automation platforms (Marketo, Pardot), data warehousing tools (Snowflake), BI tools (Tableau, Power BI), and project management software (Jira, Asana). The emphasis on "AI tools" suggests a forward-thinking approach to technology adoption, which is a growing area in operations for automation and advanced analytics.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of the user in every design decision. This translates to operations by focusing on internal customer needs and process efficiency.

• Innovation & Entrepreneurship: A drive to challenge the status quo, find new solutions, and embrace new technologies (like AI), aligning with Virgin's brand ethos. In operations, this means continuously seeking better ways to do things.

• Collaboration: A strong belief in working together across teams (design, development, product) to achieve shared goals and deliver exceptional products. This is foundational to GTM and RevOps.

• Excellence & Quality: A commitment to high standards in design execution, brand representation, and user experience, including a dedication to accessibility. Operations professionals strive for high-quality, reliable processes.

• Inclusivity: A core value of being an equal opportunity employer and creating an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive, ensuring designs are accessible to all.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close working relationships with Digital Development & Delivery and Product Owners are essential, requiring clear communication and shared understanding of project goals.

• Agile & Iterative: A culture that embraces agile methodologies, with regular feedback loops through scrum teams and sprint reviews.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement to share learnings and push design standards across the broader Creative and Digital teams, fostering a continuous improvement mindset.

• Brand Stewardship: A collective responsibility to uphold and enhance Virgin Atlantic's brand identity through all digital touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "User-Centricity," "Innovation," "Collaboration," and "Excellence" are values that resonate strongly with operations professionals. For RevOps/Sales Ops, these translate to customer advocacy, process innovation, cross-functional alignment, and driving measurable results. The "inclusive environment" and "accessibility" focus also aligns with operational goals of creating equitable and robust systems for all users.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively translating complex business objectives and technical constraints into user-friendly digital experiences. This mirrors the challenge in operations of aligning complex business requirements with system capabilities and process limitations.

• Keeping Pace with Technology: Continuously learning and integrating new design tools, methodologies, and emerging technologies like AI into the design workflow. Operations professionals face similar challenges with evolving technology stacks and data analytics techniques.

• Maintaining Brand Consistency: Ensuring the Virgin Atlantic brand is flawlessly implemented across a growing portfolio of digital products, requiring robust design systems and diligent application. Operations must maintain consistency in processes and data integrity across various touchpoints.

• Driving Adoption of New Processes: Contributing to the development and embedding of new digital design practices across the organization, requiring strong change management and stakeholder buy-in. This is a direct parallel to implementing new operational workflows or systems.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design: Dedicated opportunities to explore and implement AI tools in the design process, enhancing efficiency and creativity.

• Advanced UX/UI Techniques: Access to training and workshops on cutting-edge UX/UI methodologies, interaction design, and accessibility best practices.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Opportunities to work closely with development, product management, and marketing teams, broadening understanding of the end-to-end product lifecycle and operational workflows.

• Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from senior designers or leaders within the Virgin Atlantic Creative and Digital teams.

• Industry Conferences: Support for attending relevant design and technology conferences to stay abreast of industry trends and network.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges and growth opportunities for a Digital Product Designer are highly relevant to operations. "Balancing user needs with business goals" and "keeping pace with technology" are daily operational concerns. The "learning and development opportunities," especially in "AI" and "cross-functional exposure," are key areas for growth in modern operations roles.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance conflicting user needs and business objectives. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your problem-solving process, stakeholder management, and design rationale.)

• "How do you incorporate user research and usability testing into your design process, especially within an agile framework?" (Highlight your methodologies, how you gather insights, and how you translate them into actionable design changes.)

• "Walk me through a project where you significantly improved a digital product's user experience. What was the problem, your solution, and the measurable impact?" (Prepare a detailed case study from your portfolio, emphasizing metrics and your specific contributions.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Virgin Atlantic and this Digital Product Designer role specifically?" (Research Virgin Atlantic's brand, values, and recent digital initiatives. Connect your skills and aspirations to their mission.)

• "How do you approach collaboration within a cross-functional team, particularly with developers and product owners?" (Provide examples of your collaborative style and how you ensure effective communication and alignment.)

• "How do you ensure your designs are accessible and meet standards like WCAG2.2AA?" (Demonstrate your understanding of accessibility principles and your commitment to inclusive design.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio presentation logically, typically following a problem-solution-outcome structure for each case study.

• Visuals: Use high-quality visuals (mockups, prototypes, user flows) to illustrate your design decisions and process.

• Storytelling: Narrate your design journey, explaining the 'why' behind your choices and the challenges you overcame.

• Metrics: Clearly present any quantifiable results or impact your designs achieved.

• Tool Proficiency: Be prepared to discuss your use of Figma and other design tools in detail.

• Conciseness: Aim for a clear, focused presentation that respects the interviewers' time. Practice timing your presentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice for a Digital Product Designer directly maps to operations roles. "Strategy Questions" focus on problem-solving, process, and impact, just like in operations interviews. "Company & Culture Questions" require understanding the business context and operational values. The "Portfolio Presentation Strategy" is a critical parallel to operations professionals needing to present case studies of process optimization, system implementation, and ROI.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Digital Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Oracle Cloud portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your most relevant UX/UI experience, Figma proficiency, and any experience with AI tools or process development. Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible and showcases projects that demonstrate a strong design process and measurable impact.

• Resume Optimization: Integrate keywords from the job description such as "Digital Product Design," "UX/UI," "Figma," "user research," "accessible design," and "WCAG2.2AA." Quantify achievements with metrics where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, key project contributions, and how you approach collaboration and problem-solving. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Virgin Atlantic's brand, values, digital presence, and recent news. Understand their vision to be the "most loved travel company" and how digital products contribute to this. Consider their operational context in the airline industry.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with Virgin Atlantic before making application decisions.