[Elsevier Health] Senior UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer

Company: Elsevier

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Design & User Experience

Date Posted: 2026-06-08

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end UX design processes for digital healthcare solutions within the Japanese market, encompassing discovery, problem framing, UX research, UI design, usability testing, and implementation support.

• Drive user research and validation initiatives tailored to the unique Japanese context, ensuring product alignment with local user needs and business requirements.

• Collaborate extensively with Product Managers, Engineering, business stakeholders, and APAC teams to translate complex user needs and business objectives into cohesive and actionable product experiences.

• Play a pivotal role in integrating Japanese product offerings into a global platform, acting as a key communicator of market insights to regional and global teams.

• Leverage advanced UX methodologies, including Jobs-to-be-Done, to define user problems, prioritize critical challenges, and influence product and design direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Senior UX Designer," the description details significant leadership in end-to-end UX processes, stakeholder management, and influencing product strategy. This suggests a role with substantial autonomy and impact, aligning with senior-level expectations in UX operations and product development. The emphasis on bridging local Japanese needs with global platforms indicates a strategic operational component, requiring strong communication and cross-functional integration skills.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead all UX activities for Japan-specific projects, from initial discovery and problem definition through to UI design, usability testing, and implementation support for digital healthcare solutions.

• Execute tailored UX research and validation strategies for the Japanese market, including exploratory research, in-depth user interviews, concept validation, and comprehensive usability testing.

• Synthesize diverse inputs—including Japanese user needs, business context, and product constraints—into actionable insights and strategic recommendations for product development.

• Employ problem-framing techniques, such as Jobs-to-be-Done, to clearly articulate user needs, identify high-priority issues, and guide critical product and design decision-making processes.

• Foster strong collaborative relationships with Product Managers, Engineering teams, and business stakeholders to co-create solutions and achieve consensus on critical trade-offs.

• Develop implementation-ready deliverables, including detailed user flows, interactive prototypes, interaction specifications, design patterns, and polished UI designs.

• Actively contribute to the integration of Japanese-developed features and products into Elsevier's global platform, ensuring consistency and user-centricity.

• Communicate Japan-specific user insights, product validation findings, and design direction effectively to regional and global product and design teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly outline a hands-on design role with significant strategic influence. The emphasis on "end-to-end UX" and "lead UX activities" suggests a need for a candidate who can manage projects autonomously and drive initiatives from conception to implementation. The requirement to "synthesize diverse inputs" and "guide product/design decisions" highlights the operational aspect of translating research and business needs into tangible product outcomes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Specific educational requirements are not detailed, but a strong portfolio and proven experience in UX design are paramount. A degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Design, Psychology, or a related field is often preferred in such roles.

Experience: Significant experience in end-to-end UX design, with a proven track record of leading complex projects from discovery through to implementation support. Experience in the healthcare or B2B enterprise software sector is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Comprehensive end-to-end UX experience: discovery, problem framing, UX research, interaction design, UI design, prototyping, usability testing, and implementation support.

• Proven ability to work autonomously as the primary UX designer for Japan while effectively collaborating with distributed global teams.

• Expertise in problem-framing and prioritization methodologies, such as Jobs-to-be-Done, to connect user needs, business priorities, and product opportunities.

• Solid understanding of front-end development principles, product architecture, accessibility requirements, and technical constraints to ensure design feasibility.

• Deep awareness of research ethics and privacy considerations when handling sensitive user research data.

• Hands-on proficiency with Figma for design, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Native-level Japanese language proficiency (equivalent to N1) is essential for user research, stakeholder communication, and UI/content review.

• Business-level English proficiency is required for effective collaboration with APAC and global teams. Preferred Skills:

• Prior UX experience in B2B, healthcare, clinical, or enterprise product environments.

• Familiarity with platform migration projects and the associated UX challenges.

• Experience working within a distributed, cross-regional product organization.

• Ability to leverage analytics, customer feedback, and product data to inform design decisions; advanced data analysis skills are a plus.

• Knowledge of design systems and reusable UI components for efficient and consistent design application.

• Experience with AI-assisted design tools, such as Figma Make, is advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of strong technical UX skills, strategic thinking, and nuanced communication abilities. The dual language requirement is critical and highlights the operational need to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps. The preference for B2B/healthcare experience and data-driven decision-making points to a role focused on delivering measurable business value through user-centered design.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end UX design projects, demonstrating your ability to move from discovery and problem framing through to research, design, and implementation support.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your process, the solutions you designed, and the impact of your work, ideally with measurable outcomes.

• Examples of user research methodologies employed, including user interviews, concept validation, and usability testing, with insights derived from these activities.

• Designs that reflect an understanding of technical constraints, accessibility standards, and a consideration for global product integration.

• Prototypes created using Figma, illustrating complex user flows and interaction designs. Process Documentation:

• Evidence of employing structured problem-framing techniques (e.g., Jobs-to-be-Done) to define user needs and business objectives.

• Documentation of user research processes, including research plans, participant recruitment strategies, and synthesis of findings.

• Examples of iterative design processes, showing how feedback and data were incorporated to refine designs.

• Contributions to or experience with design systems, demonstrating an understanding of maintaining consistency and scalability in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Designer role, a portfolio is crucial for demonstrating practical application of skills. The emphasis on "end-to-end," "problem framing," and "synthesizing inputs" indicates that interviewers will scrutinize the candidate's process and strategic thinking, not just the final visual output. A portfolio that showcases the journey and the reasoning behind design decisions will be highly advantageous.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

For a Senior UX Designer in Tokyo, Japan, with the specified requirements (native Japanese, business English, end-to-end UX experience, Figma proficiency, and healthcare/B2B domain knowledge), the estimated annual salary range would typically fall between ¥8,000,000 and ¥13,000,000 JPY. This range is an estimate based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in major Japanese tech hubs, considering the specialized nature of the healthcare industry and the global company context.

Benefits:

• Work-Life Balance Focus: The company promotes a healthy work-life balance, emphasizing flexible working hours and supporting employees in meeting both immediate responsibilities and long-term career goals.

• Well-being Initiatives: Comprehensive programs and resources dedicated to employee well-being.

• Shared Parental Leave: Support for new parents through shared parental leave policies.

• Study Assistance: Opportunities for continued learning and professional development through study assistance programs.

• Sabbaticals: Provision for sabbatical leave, allowing employees extended breaks for personal growth or rejuvenation.

• Flexible Working Hours: Implementation of flexible time systems to allow employees to work during their most productive hours, enhancing autonomy and productivity.

• Global Benefits: Access to country-specific benefits, with a link provided for detailed information.

Working Hours:

The role is listed as Full-Time, with an implied standard work week. The company offers flexible working hours, allowing employees to adjust their start and end times to optimize productivity and personal commitments, provided core responsibilities and team collaboration needs are met. The AI-derived figure suggests a standard 40-hour work week, which can be managed flexibly.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on aggregate data from reputable Japanese job market analyses for senior UX/UI designers in Tokyo, factoring in the company's global standing and the specialized healthcare sector. The benefits package highlights a strong commitment to employee well-being and flexibility, which is attractive for senior professionals seeking a sustainable career.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Information and Analytics, specifically focused on Healthcare and Science. Elsevier is a global leader, providing high-quality information, data, and analytical tools to support research, education, and clinical practice. This industry context means the work is mission-driven, aiming to advance science and improve healthcare outcomes.

Company Size: Elsevier is part of RELX, a large global organization. This implies a stable, well-resourced environment with established processes and a global reach, but also potentially a complex organizational structure. For a UX designer, this means opportunities to work on significant products and platforms with broad impact, but also the need to navigate corporate structures and collaborate across diverse teams.

Founded: Elsevier has a long publishing heritage, dating back to the 19th century. This history provides a strong foundation in information dissemination and expertise, which is now being leveraged through digital solutions and data analytics to address complex societal challenges.

Team Structure: The role is within "Clinical Solutions Japan" and involves close collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, business stakeholders, and the APAC team. The Senior UX Designer will act as the primary UX lead for Japan, bridging local needs with global platforms. This suggests a matrixed reporting structure where the designer reports locally but collaborates extensively with a global product and design organization.

Methodology: The company leverages a combination of established publishing expertise with modern data analytics and digital technologies. For UX, this means a data-informed approach, integrating user research, analytics, customer feedback, and product data into design decisions. The emphasis on "Jobs-to-be-Done" and "problem framing" indicates a user-centered and problem-solving methodology is core to their product development process.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Elsevier's positioning as a global leader in information and analytics for healthcare and science suggests a culture that values expertise, data-driven insights, and a commitment to societal impact. The company's long history combined with its focus on innovation means designers will likely work with established knowledge bases while pushing the boundaries of digital solutions. The matrixed team structure is typical for global organizations, requiring strong communication and collaboration skills.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Senior UX Designer," indicating a mid-to-senior level within the design function. It requires not only strong individual contributor design skills but also the ability to lead projects, influence stakeholders, and mentor junior designers. The scope involves end-to-end ownership for a specific market (Japan) and significant contribution to global product strategy.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Designer will likely report to a Design Lead or Head of Product for Clinical Solutions Japan, while working closely with Product Managers and Engineering leads. Cross-functional collaboration is key, with significant interaction with APAC and global design/product teams. This structure provides exposure to leadership and diverse project types.

Operations Impact: The UX Designer's impact is critical for the success of Elsevier's digital healthcare solutions in Japan. By deeply understanding Japanese user needs and translating them into effective product experiences, the role directly influences user adoption, satisfaction, and ultimately, the business's revenue and strategic goals in a key market. The integration into global platforms means this role also helps shape the future direction of Elsevier's offerings worldwide.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to lead UX initiatives, mentor junior designers, and potentially grow into a Design Lead or Manager role within Clinical Solutions Japan or the broader global organization.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in healthcare UX, B2B enterprise design, or platform integration, becoming a subject matter expert.

• Global Exposure: Gain extensive experience working with diverse international teams, contributing to global product strategies, and understanding different market dynamics.

• Skill Enhancement: Continuous learning through exposure to advanced design tools (like AI-assisted design), data analytics, and complex product architectures.

• Cross-functional Advancement: Potential to move into Product Management or related strategic roles by leveraging a deep understanding of user needs and product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a pathway to leadership. The role's strategic importance in a key market and its contribution to global platforms offer significant growth potential. The emphasis on bridging local and global aspects provides unique experience in cross-cultural product development, a valuable asset for career progression.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as "On-site" in Tokyo, Japan, suggesting a physical office environment. This typically implies a collaborative workspace designed for team interaction, brainstorming, and focused work.

Office Location(s): The specific office is located in Mita Garden, Tokyo, Japan. This is a well-established business district, suggesting a professional and accessible work environment within the city.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on working closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and stakeholders indicates a highly collaborative workspace where team members engage in regular discussions and joint problem-solving.

• Tools and Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, and potentially other collaboration and project management software utilized by Elsevier.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for frequent interaction with local Japanese teams as well as regional (APAC) and global colleagues, fostering a diverse and dynamic work environment.

Work Schedule: Full-time employment with flexible working hours. While the core work is on-site, the flexibility allows for adjustments to daily schedules to accommodate personal needs and optimize productivity, balancing individual work with team collaboration requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in a major Tokyo business district suggests a traditional corporate environment that also embraces modern flexibility. The emphasis on collaboration is key for a UX role that needs to integrate diverse perspectives.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to delve deeper into your background, UX philosophy, and suitability for the team and company culture.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A session where you will present your portfolio, discuss specific case studies, and potentially tackle a practical design problem. This is where your process, problem-solving skills, and ability to articulate design decisions will be evaluated.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders such as Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other UX team members to assess collaboration skills and cross-functional understanding.

• Final Interview: Likely with a senior leader to discuss strategic alignment and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight End-to-End Process: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the methodologies used (research, ideation, testing), your design decisions, and the outcomes.

• Showcase Problem Framing: Demonstrate how you identified and defined user problems and business needs, using frameworks like Jobs-to-be-Done.

• Emphasize Collaboration: Detail how you worked with cross-functional teams (PMs, Engineers) and managed stakeholder feedback.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include metrics or qualitative feedback that demonstrates the impact of your designs on users and the business.

• Tailor to Japan: If possible, include examples that show sensitivity to or experience with the Japanese market or similar cultural contexts.

• Figma Proficiency: Be prepared to walk through your Figma files, demonstrating your proficiency in creating interactive prototypes and well-structured designs.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Research Elsevier, their products in the healthcare/clinical solutions space, and their target users in Japan.

• Practice Articulation: Be ready to clearly explain your design process, rationale, and trade-offs. Practice presenting your portfolio and key case studies concisely.

• Prepare for UX Strategy Questions: Anticipate questions about how you approach user research, prioritize features, handle conflicting requirements, and integrate feedback.

• Technical Nuances: Be prepared to discuss technical constraints, accessibility, and front-end development considerations.

• Language Skills: Ensure you are comfortable discussing complex UX concepts in both Japanese and English as required.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a senior role in a global company will be rigorous. Emphasis will be placed on strategic thinking, process, and the ability to operate autonomously while integrating into a larger organization. A well-prepared portfolio that tells a compelling story of problem-solving and impact is essential.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is explicitly mentioned as a required proficiency for design and prototyping. Expect to use it extensively for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is primary, experience with other prototyping tools is a plus.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Experience with tools like Figma Make is noted as a preferred skill, indicating a forward-looking approach to design efficiency.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting user interviews, usability testing, and surveys.

• Analytics Tools: While not explicitly named, proficiency in using product analytics (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to inform design decisions is a preferred skill. Understanding how to interpret data to identify user pain points and measure design impact is crucial.

• Customer Feedback Tools: Systems for collecting and analyzing customer feedback.

CRM & Automation:

• Product Management Tools: Tools like Jira, Confluence, or similar for managing product backlogs, user stories, and design documentation.

• Collaboration Platforms: Tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for day-to-day communication within the local and global teams.

• Design System Management: If Elsevier has a design system, tools or processes for accessing, contributing to, and utilizing it.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack heavily emphasizes design and collaboration tools, with Figma being the cornerstone. The inclusion of analytics and customer feedback tools, even if not explicitly required, points to a data-informed design culture. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they integrate data into their design process.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A core value is understanding and prioritizing the needs of users, particularly healthcare professionals and researchers, to deliver effective solutions.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The company values using data (user research, analytics, feedback) to inform design and product decisions, ensuring solutions are effective and impactful.

• Collaboration and Partnership: A strong emphasis on working collaboratively across teams (Product, Engineering, Business, Global) to achieve shared goals.

• Innovation and Continuous Improvement: Driving innovation in digital solutions and continuously seeking ways to improve user experiences and product effectiveness.

• Commitment to Science and Healthcare: A fundamental value is contributing to the advancement of science and the improvement of healthcare outcomes globally.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative style where UX designers work hand-in-hand with Product Managers and Engineers throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Global Mindset: Collaboration extends across regions, requiring sensitivity to different market needs and the ability to work effectively with diverse international teams.

• Feedback-Oriented: A culture that encourages constructive feedback exchange to refine designs and processes, fostering a learning environment.

• Process-Oriented: A structured approach to design and development, utilizing established methodologies like Jobs-to-be-Done to ensure clarity and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values reflect a mission-driven organization that emphasizes both scientific impact and operational excellence. The collaborative style, especially across global teams, is critical for success in this role. Candidates should demonstrate an ability to integrate into and contribute positively to these cultural norms.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Bridging Global and Local Needs: Successfully translating the unique requirements and nuances of the Japanese healthcare market into designs that can integrate with and potentially influence global product strategies.

• Navigating Complex Stakeholder Landscapes: Managing expectations and aligning priorities among diverse stakeholders with potentially differing objectives across local, regional, and global teams.

• Integrating into a Large Organization: Understanding and effectively operating within the established processes and structures of a large, global company like Elsevier.

• Keeping Pace with Technological Advancements: Continuously evolving design practices and toolsets to incorporate new technologies and methodologies in UX design, particularly in the digital healthcare space.

• Data Interpretation and Application: Effectively gathering, analyzing, and applying quantitative and qualitative data from the Japanese market to drive design decisions, especially when data sources might be fragmented or require specialized interpretation.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Healthcare UX Specialization: Deepen expertise in the specific user needs, regulatory environments, and technological challenges of the healthcare industry.

• Global Product Strategy: Gain insights into how products are developed and scaled across different international markets.

• Advanced Design Methodologies: Opportunities to explore and implement cutting-edge UX research and design techniques, including AI-assisted design.

• Cross-Cultural Communication & Collaboration: Develop enhanced skills in working with international teams, navigating cultural differences, and communicating effectively across languages.

• Leadership and Mentorship: Potential to mentor junior designers and take on leadership roles in project execution and team development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the strategic importance of the role in a global context, requiring adaptability and strong problem-solving skills. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering deep specialization and career advancement within a leading industry player.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance the specific needs of a local market with the requirements of a global product strategy. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?"

• "Walk us through your process for using Jobs-to-be-Done to frame a complex user problem. Provide an example from your experience."

• "How do you ensure your designs are not only user-friendly but also technically feasible and accessible, especially when working with engineering constraints?"

• "Describe a situation where you had to influence stakeholders with differing opinions on a design direction. What strategies did you employ?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Elsevier and our mission to advance science and healthcare?"

• "How do you approach working in a distributed, cross-cultural team environment?"

• "How do you ensure ethical considerations and data privacy are addressed in your user research?"

• "Describe your experience working with product managers and engineers. What makes for a successful partnership?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your specific role and contributions, the methodologies you used, your design process, key decisions and rationale, and the final outcomes (ideally with measurable results).

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (screenshots, prototypes, user flows) to illustrate your work. Be prepared to navigate your Figma files if asked.

• Focus on Process and Impact: Emphasize how you arrived at your solutions and why you made certain choices. Quantify the impact of your designs whenever possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, increased user satisfaction, reduced task completion time).

• Tailor to the Role: Highlight projects that demonstrate end-to-end UX, problem framing, user research specific to complex domains (like healthcare), and collaboration with technical teams.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design choices, trade-offs, and how you would handle specific scenarios relevant to Elsevier's products.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, a robust design process, and strong communication skills. Be ready to articulate how your experience aligns with Elsevier's mission and the specific demands of designing for the Japanese healthcare market within a global context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Elsevier Careers portal.

• Portfolio Curation: Ensure your portfolio prominently features end-to-end UX case studies showcasing problem framing, user research, design iteration, and implementation support, with a particular focus on complex digital products. Highlight any healthcare or B2B experience.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize keywords from the job description, such as "end-to-end UX," "problem framing," "UX research," "Figma," "Jobs-to-be-Done," and "healthcare solutions." Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, project methodologies, and how you collaborate with cross-functional teams. Prepare to discuss your experience in balancing local market needs with global product strategies. Rehearse presenting your portfolio.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Elsevier's mission, its products in the Clinical Solutions space, and its commitment to advancing science and healthcare. Understand the Japanese market context for digital health solutions.

⚠️ 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.