Founding Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Founding Product Designer

Company: Odin

Location: London, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-07-24

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in-office minimum)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end product design strategy for a leading fintech infrastructure platform, focusing on transforming complex private market operations.

• Elevate the company's visual brand identity and customer experience, ensuring alignment with Odin's ambitious mission and innovative philosophy.

• Establish and scale design systems, practices, and feedback loops to ensure consistently excellent design output as the company grows.

• Collaborate closely with product, engineering, and leadership teams to translate user needs and business requirements into intuitive, impactful user interfaces.

• Champion a user-centric design approach, leveraging customer research and data to inform decisions for operational efficiency and user satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Founding Product Designer," the responsibilities and required experience suggest a senior-level role with significant leadership and strategic input, aligning with a Head of Design or Lead Product Designer capacity. The emphasis on brand identity alongside product design points to a holistic approach to user experience and company positioning. The "GTM Operations" category is included due to the role's impact on market perception, user adoption, and the operational efficiency of the platform itself, which is critical for Go-To-Market success.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design vision and execution for Odin's core platform, focusing on simplifying complex financial workflows within private markets.

• Develop and refine the visual brand identity, ensuring it reflects the company's philosophy, ambition, and forward-thinking approach to financial infrastructure.

• Design complete customer journeys, from initial user onboarding and legal/compliance steps to investment management and exit processes.

• Create and maintain robust design systems, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency across all product touchpoints.

• Conduct systematic user research, including customer interviews, usability testing, and data analysis, to identify pain points and validate design solutions.

• Prototype and iterate on designs, translating complex regulatory and operational constraints into clear, intuitive, and user-friendly experiences.

• Collaborate with engineers to ensure high-fidelity designs are implemented accurately, providing clear context and detailed specifications.

• Define and track key design metrics, demonstrating the impact of design initiatives on user experience, operational efficiency, and business outcomes.

• Contribute to product strategy by providing design insights and advocating for user needs during roadmap planning and feature development.

• Foster a strong design culture within the product team, mentoring other designers and promoting best practices in design thinking and execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are inferred to be extensive given the "Founding" title and the company's stage (administering $500M assets, serving 10,000+ users). The role is expected to not only execute but also define and build the design function, emphasizing systems thinking and operational integration.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio and demonstrated experience in product design, visual design, or a related field are essential. A background in HCI, design strategy, or a related discipline would be beneficial.

Experience: 5-10 years of progressive experience in product design, with a significant portion spent in in-house roles shaping complex digital products end-to-end. Experience with SaaS platforms, particularly in regulated industries or fintech, is highly desirable.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Proven ability to shape complex products from concept to launch, owning complete customer journeys.

• Visual Design Craft: Exceptional eye for composition, hierarchy, interaction, and detail; ability to create polished, cohesive visual experiences.

• Systems Thinking: Designing complete workflows encompassing user actions, communications, automations, permissions, operational processes, and technical constraints.

• Information Architecture & Interaction Design: Strong skills in structuring complex information and designing intuitive user flows.

• Prototyping: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes to test and communicate design concepts.

• User Research & Discovery: Systematic approach to customer interviews, assumption validation, usability testing, and iterative design.

• Brand Identity Development: Experience in evolving or establishing brand guidelines and visual language.

• High Agency & Decisiveness: Ability to identify needs, drive work forward independently, and make confident, reasoned decisions with strong judgment.

• Communication & Collaboration: Ability to articulate thinking clearly, write effectively, and collaborate constructively with cross-functional teams, including engineers and product managers.

• Comfort with Ambiguity & Complexity: Ability to create structure from incomplete information and navigate technical, regulatory, and operational constraints.

Preferred Skills:

• Fintech/Regulated Environment Experience: Designing for complex, multi-party products within regulated financial services or similar sectors.

• Design Systems Management: Experience establishing and scaling design systems for large-scale applications.

• Data Analysis for Design: Utilizing data and analytics to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Experience with SaaS Platforms: Deep understanding of SaaS product design principles and best practices.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Experience guiding junior designers or influencing design direction within a team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Founding" aspect implies a need for initiative and the ability to build processes from the ground up. The emphasis on "systems thinking" and "complex, regulation-heavy workflows" is critical for success in the private markets fintech space.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating ownership of complete customer journeys and complex product lifecycles.

• Visual Design Excellence: Include examples of polished, production-ready UI design, highlighting attention to detail, typography, and visual hierarchy.

• Measurable Impact: Present tangible results of your design work, quantifying improvements in user experience, operational efficiency, or key business metrics (e.g., conversion rates, task completion times, reduction in support tickets).

• Systems Design Examples: Illustrate your ability to design for complexity, including examples of workflow automation, multi-party interactions, or how you've considered operational constraints within your designs.

• Brand Integration: Demonstrate how you've considered or contributed to brand identity within product design.

Process Documentation:

• User Research & Discovery: Detail your systematic approach to user research, including methodologies for customer interviews, usability testing, and how you establish feedback loops.

• Design Process & Methodology: Clearly outline your design process, from problem definition and ideation to prototyping, testing, and handoff. Highlight how you approach ambiguity and complexity.

• Design System Contributions: If applicable, showcase examples of how you've contributed to or built design systems, emphasizing consistency and scalability.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a "Founding" role, the portfolio should not only showcase execution but also the ability to define and implement design processes. Demonstrating how design work directly impacts operational efficiency and business outcomes is paramount in a fintech context.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: £105,000 - £150,000 per annum, plus equity options.

• Methodology: This range is directly provided in the job description and aligns with senior/lead product design roles in London, UK, especially within the tech and fintech sectors. The upper end reflects a "founding" level of responsibility and impact. Cost of living in London is high, justifying this salary band.

Benefits:

• Health & Wellness:

  • Private health insurance (Vitality)
  • Paid sick leave, including specific support for pregnancy loss and fertility treatments
  • Access to Spill for mental health support
  • £1,000 annual budget for health, therapy, or fitness

• Family Support:

  • Enhanced maternity, adoption, paternity, and partner leave

• Financial:

  • 4% employer contribution to pension with salary sacrifice options
  • Equity options

• Time Off:

  • 25 days annual leave
  • 2 additional wellness days
  • Flexible bank holidays (33 days total)
  • Birthday leave

• Flexibility:

  • Up to 6 weeks per year working from anywhere globally Working Hours: The specific number of hours is not detailed, but the role is full-time. The company emphasizes the importance of in-person collaboration, requiring at least three days per week in the London office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The benefits package is comprehensive, particularly strong in health, wellness, and family support, indicating a company culture that values employee well-being. The "work from anywhere" policy is a significant perk, though balanced by the hybrid office requirement. Equity options are standard for founding roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech / Private Markets Infrastructure. Odin operates in a niche but growing sector, providing technology solutions for venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) firms, angels, and founders. This involves navigating complex regulatory environments.

Company Size: The description implies a growing startup that has achieved significant traction. They administer over $500M in assets and serve over 10,000 users, indicating a substantial operational footprint but likely a lean, agile team structure.

Founded: The founding date is not specified, but the company's maturity (administering significant assets) suggests it has been operating for several years and is now scaling, particularly for a US launch.

Team Structure:

• The role reports into the Head of Product and works closely with the Co-CEO & Co-Founder.

• Collaboration is expected with existing designers, the wider product team, and engineering.

• The "Founding" nature suggests a flat hierarchy with direct access to leadership.

• The emphasis on in-person collaboration in London indicates a close-knit, agile team environment. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Product Development: A strong emphasis on using customer interviews, data, and observation to understand behavior and inform design decisions.

• Systems-Level Thinking: Designing comprehensive workflows that account for technical, regulatory, and operational constraints.

• Agile & Iterative: The hiring process itself is fast-paced, suggesting a culture that values speed, iteration, and continuous feedback.

• Outcome-Oriented: Focus on measurable impact and ensuring work genuinely improves customer experience and business outcomes.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Odin is positioned as a design-led company aiming to disrupt the traditional, often outdated, digital experience in private markets. The culture is likely to be fast-paced, ambitious, and focused on building innovative solutions with a strong emphasis on user experience and operational excellence.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This "Founding Product Designer" role represents a significant opportunity for impact and leadership. It's positioned at a senior individual contributor level, with the potential to shape the future of design at Odin. The responsibilities extend beyond typical product design to include brand identity and establishing design operations.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to the Head of Product and work closely with Co-CEOs/Co-Founders. This direct line to leadership provides high visibility and influence.

Operations Impact: The role is critical for Odin's Go-To-Market strategy, particularly for the upcoming US launch. By transforming complex financial workflows into intuitive experiences and refining the brand identity, the designer directly influences user acquisition, adoption, customer satisfaction, and the company's overall market perception. Success in this role will be measured by tangible improvements in operational efficiency for Odin's clients and the platform's usability.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Head of Design or Design Lead role as the company scales, building and managing a design team.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to significantly influence product strategy, company brand, and design operations.

• Industry Expertise: Deepen expertise in fintech, private markets, and regulatory compliance through hands-on product development.

• Cross-functional Development: Gain valuable experience working closely with founders, product, and engineering leaders in a high-growth startup environment.

• Impactful Portfolio Building: Develop a portfolio showcasing significant contributions to a rapidly scaling, innovative company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Founding" title suggests a high degree of autonomy and the chance to build something from the ground up, offering substantial career growth beyond a standard senior designer role. The company's focus on design transformation in a traditionally less design-centric industry presents a unique opportunity.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Odin is a London-based team. The job description explicitly states that "being in the office - working closely with the founders and wider teams - makes a real difference." This indicates a preference for a collaborative, in-person environment.

Office Location(s): London, United Kingdom. Specific office address is not provided, but the requirement for 3 days in-office implies a central London location conducive to team collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office environment is designed for close collaboration, essential for the speed and intensity at which Odin operates. Expect frequent interaction with cross-functional teams.

• Tools & Technology: While not explicitly listed, it's assumed the workspace is equipped with modern tools and technology to support design work, prototyping, and team communication.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model (3 days in-office) is structured to maximize in-person team dynamics, fostering spontaneous problem-solving and knowledge sharing.

Work Schedule: Full-time. The emphasis on in-person collaboration suggests a structured work week, with flexibility likely offered within the hybrid model, but with clear expectations for office presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The strong emphasis on in-person collaboration, even within a hybrid model, suggests that Odin values spontaneous interactions, team cohesion, and the ability to quickly iterate on ideas by being physically present with colleagues. This is a key differentiator compared to fully remote roles.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Head of People & Talent Interview (Imani): 30-45 mins. Focus on role understanding, company fit, and initial alignment.

2. Co-CEO & Co-Founder Interview (Mary): 60 mins. Focus on culture, values, and overall experience alignment.

3. Live Workshop (Product & Systems Thinking) with Co-CEO & Head of Product (Mary & Laurits): 90 mins. Assesses strategic thinking, problem-solving, and systems design capabilities.

4. Live Workshop (Visual Craft) with Co-CEO & Head of Product (Mary & Laurits): 90 mins. Assesses visual design skills through a narrowly scoped UI task.

5. Paid Trial Day (In-Person in UK): Full day. Experience working in a real-world setting, assess team dynamics, and mutual fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio around 2-3 strong case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your process, your specific contributions, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Explicitly detail how you approached complex workflows, considered operational constraints, and designed for scalability. Use diagrams or process flows where helpful.

• Showcase Brand Craft: Include examples demonstrating your eye for visual detail, UI polish, and how your product design work aligns with or evolves brand identity.

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the impact of your design solutions on user experience, operational efficiency, or business goals.

• Tell Your Story: Be prepared to walk through your process, explain your rationale, and articulate your design decisions clearly and concisely during interviews.

Challenge Preparation:

• Systems Workshop: Anticipate problems that involve complex workflows, multiple user types, or regulatory considerations. Think about how to break down problems, explore trade-offs, and propose scalable solutions.

• Visual Workshop: Be ready to demonstrate your ability to quickly produce high-quality UI design, focusing on clarity, hierarchy, and aesthetic appeal within a given constraint. Practice articulating your visual choices.

• General Preparation: Research Odin's current product and brand. Understand their mission in private markets. Be ready to discuss your design philosophy, how you handle ambiguity, and your ideal collaboration style.

📝 Enhancement Note: The multi-stage interview process, including two live workshops and a paid trial day, emphasizes Odin's commitment to finding the right fit. The portfolio review will heavily scrutinize not just visual skills but also strategic thinking, systems design, and the ability to drive measurable outcomes in a complex domain.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (standard for modern product design teams, highly likely), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).

• User Research & Testing: Tools like UserTesting.com, Maze, Hotjar, or internal survey/interview platforms.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello, Slack (standard for agile teams).

• Design Systems: Tools for managing design systems (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook integration) would be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Google Analytics, or similar platforms for tracking user behavior and feature adoption.

• Data Visualization: Tools like Tableau, Looker, or internal dashboards for reporting on design impact and product performance.

CRM & Automation:

• While this role is design-focused, understanding how design integrates with CRM (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo) could be beneficial for context, especially regarding user onboarding and communication flows.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools like Figma is a given. The emphasis on data-driven decision-making suggests familiarity with product analytics platforms is highly valued. The company's operational complexity implies that understanding how design integrates with broader business systems is a plus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the customer, ensuring their experience is paramount.

• Exceptional Craft: Maintaining a very high standard for visual design, interaction, and overall product polish.

• Rigorous Reasoning & Curiosity: A drive to understand root causes, challenge assumptions, and ask insightful questions.

• Decisiveness & Strong Judgment: The ability to make thoughtful trade-offs and move forward with conviction.

• High Agency: Taking initiative, identifying needs, and driving work forward independently.

• Systematic Approach: Building repeatable processes for learning, feedback, and design execution.

• Clarity & Collaboration: Communicating effectively and working constructively with others, without ego.

• Comfort with Complexity & Ambiguity: Ability to structure and navigate challenging, often regulated, environments.

• Outcome-Driven: A focus on delivering tangible results and measurable impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close working relationships with Product, Engineering, and Leadership are essential.

• Constructive Debate: A culture where ideas are debated openly and respectfully, leading to better solutions.

• Feedback Loops: Regular and structured feedback mechanisms are in place for continuous improvement.

• In-Person Synergy: The hybrid model is designed to foster strong team dynamics and spontaneous collaboration when in the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: Odin appears to value a blend of individual drive and collaborative execution. The emphasis on both rigorous reasoning and high agency suggests a culture that empowers individuals while requiring them to be team players who can articulate their vision and bring others along.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity & Regulation: Navigating the intricate legal, compliance, and operational frameworks inherent in private markets and translating them into user-friendly experiences.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Maintaining a high bar for design quality and user experience while operating at the rapid pace of a scaling startup.

• Establishing Design Systems: Building and scaling robust design systems from the ground up to ensure consistency and efficiency as the product and team grow.

• Brand Identity Evolution: Defining and expressing a novel brand identity for a company disrupting a traditional industry.

• Ambiguity and Evolving Processes: Contributing to shaping the design function and its processes in a "founding" role.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to define and lead the design direction for a growing company, potentially building a design team.

• Fintech & Private Markets Expertise: Gaining deep domain knowledge in a specialized and high-value industry.

• Strategic Impact: Directly influencing product strategy and company-wide brand through design.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Learning from experienced founders, product leaders, and engineers in a fast-paced startup.

• Industry Exposure: Potential for involvement in industry events or conferences related to fintech and product design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to a founding role in a complex, high-growth industry. The growth opportunities are significant, offering a path to leadership and deep domain expertise.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Product Strategy: "How would you approach designing a new feature for investor onboarding that needs to be both compliant and seamless?" or "Describe your process for identifying and solving a complex user workflow problem in a regulated environment."

  • Preparation: Think about breaking down complex problems, user journey mapping, identifying key constraints (regulatory, technical), and proposing iterative solutions with clear rationale.

• Systems Design: "How would you approach building a design system for a platform that handles multiple stages of private investment?" or "Describe a time you designed a complex, multi-party product and what considerations were critical."

  • Preparation: Focus on modularity, scalability, consistency, and how design systems support efficient product development and brand coherence. Highlight your understanding of complex workflows.

• Collaboration & Leadership: "How do you provide constructive feedback to engineers or product managers on design implementation?" or "Describe your experience mentoring other designers or influencing design direction."

  • Preparation: Prepare examples of effective communication, conflict resolution, and how you foster a collaborative design environment.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Odin's mission to transform private markets?"

• "How do you ensure your design work aligns with a company's brand and values?"

• "Describe your ideal collaboration with product and engineering teams."

  • Preparation: Research Odin's mission, values, and current product. Understand the private markets industry. Be ready to articulate your design philosophy and how it aligns with their culture of innovation and user-centricity.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• The "Why": Clearly articulate the business problem or user need your project addressed.

• Your Role & Process: Detail your specific contributions and walk through your design process step-by-step, emphasizing your decision-making.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, prototypes, and clear explanations to demonstrate your craft and thinking.

• Quantify Impact: Present metrics and outcomes that prove the success of your design solutions.

• Address Complexity: Be prepared to discuss how you handled technical, regulatory, or operational challenges within your projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is rigorous and designed to assess multiple facets of a candidate's abilities. Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, systems design capabilities, strong visual craft, and a deep understanding of user-centricity within a complex domain.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Founding Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby HQ.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 detailed case studies that highlight your experience with complex workflows, systems thinking, and measurable impact. Ensure these examples align with the fintech/regulated environment context.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your years of experience, specific skills in product and visual design, experience with end-to-end product ownership, and any relevant fintech or regulated industry work. Use keywords like "Product Design," "Systems Thinking," "User Research," "Brand Identity," and "Fintech."

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly review the company's website and mission. Prepare specific examples for behavioral and technical questions, focusing on how you approach ambiguity, collaboration, and driving design impact. Practice presenting your portfolio, especially the rationale behind your design decisions and the outcomes achieved.

• Company Research: Understand Odin's position in the private markets, their current product offering, and their stated mission. Be prepared to discuss how your design philosophy can contribute to their growth and user experience transformation.

⚠️ 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.