Head of Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design

Company: Froda

Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Design Leadership / Product & Brand Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-11

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and evolve Froda's comprehensive visual identity and design principles across all brand and product touchpoints.

• Drive the end-to-end design of Froda's product and partner experiences, ensuring a cohesive, clear, and high-quality user experience.

• Translate Froda's brand strategy into a functional and scalable design system, embedding design thinking into product discovery and decision-making processes.

• Foster a culture of design excellence through coaching and collaboration, elevating the overall craft and operational efficiency of the design function.

• Utilize a strategic blend of hands-on execution and leadership to drive impactful design outcomes that support business growth and user engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Head of Design," the responsibilities and required experience suggest a senior leadership role with significant strategic and operational oversight for the design function, rather than purely individual contributor design work. The emphasis on "leading through others," "setting direction," and "enabling teams" points towards a managerial and strategic leadership position.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Brand & Visual Identity Evolution: Evolve and strengthen Froda's existing visual identity, design principles, and overall brand expression to ensure consistency, clarity, and modern appeal across all platforms and communications.

• Product & Partner Experience Design: Own the end-to-end design of Froda's product interfaces and partner experiences, ensuring intuitive navigation, seamless user journeys, and a cohesive aesthetic that drives user adoption and satisfaction.

• Design System Development & Management: Translate Froda's brand strategy into a robust and scalable design system, ensuring its effective implementation and use across all design and development efforts. This includes maintaining and updating the system as the company grows.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence: Work closely with Marketing, Product Management, Business Development, and Engineering teams to align design efforts with business goals, product strategy, and user needs, ensuring design is integrated into the core decision-making processes.

• Design Leadership & Mentorship: Set clear direction, priorities, and quality standards for the design team. Coach and support designers, as well as cross-functional partners, to elevate their craft, foster a culture of ownership, and drive continuous improvement in design workflows and outcomes.

• Hands-on Contribution & Craftsmanship: Remain hands-on where necessary to contribute to design execution while simultaneously defining and refining how design operates at Froda, ensuring a high level of craft and innovation across the team.

• User-Centricity & Business Impact: Ensure that all design efforts are user-centric and directly contribute to meaningful impact, user engagement, and business growth, translating design decisions into measurable business outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on strategic leadership (evolving identity, setting direction, coaching) and tactical execution (hands-on where needed, owning the design system). This implies a need for a candidate who can operate at both a high-level strategic capacity and a detailed, practical design level.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio and demonstrable experience in design leadership and execution are paramount. A degree in Design, Graphic Design, HCI, or a related field is often beneficial but not strictly required if equivalent experience and skills are showcased.

Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in design, with a significant portion focused on brand and digital product experiences, ideally within dynamic environments like startups, scale-ups, or agencies. Proven experience in leading design initiatives and teams is essential.

Required Skills:

• Brand Design & Visual Identity: Proven ability to evolve and maintain a strong visual identity, understand brand strategy, and translate it into cohesive design expressions.

• Product Design & UX/UI: Deep expertise in user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design principles, with a track record of creating intuitive, functional, and aesthetically pleasing digital products.

• Design Systems: Extensive experience in creating, managing, and implementing design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across multiple platforms and products.

• Strategic Thinking & Execution: Ability to combine strategic vision with hands-on execution, driving design initiatives from concept to completion and aligning them with business objectives.

• Leadership & Coaching: Demonstrated experience in leading design teams, setting direction, providing constructive feedback, and coaching designers and cross-functional partners to elevate their performance.

• Proficiency in Modern Design Tools: High proficiency in industry-standard design software, including Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and web design/prototyping tools like Webflow. Experience with AI tools relevant to design is also noted.

• Startup/Scale-up Environment Acumen: Experience and comfort thriving in fast-paced, evolving organizational structures typical of startups and scale-ups.

• Communication & Influence: Excellent English communication skills (fluent), with the ability to clearly articulate design decisions, influence stakeholders, and foster collaboration across diverse teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Swedish Language Proficiency: While not strictly required, fluency in Swedish is considered a plus, enhancing communication and cultural integration.

• Embedded Lending/Fintech Understanding: Familiarity with the fintech industry, particularly embedded lending, can provide valuable context for product and brand design decisions.

• AI Tool Integration in Design: Experience or a strong understanding of how to leverage AI tools within the design process beyond basic functionality.

• Cross-functional Team Leadership: Experience leading design initiatives that require deep collaboration and integration with product management, engineering, and marketing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 10+ years of experience, combined with the scope of responsibilities, indicates a senior leadership role. The emphasis on "creating, not just directing" suggests a preference for a hands-on leader who is comfortable with both strategic oversight and contributing to the actual design work.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Brand Identity Evolution Case Studies: Showcase examples of how you have evolved or significantly contributed to a brand's visual identity, detailing the strategy, execution, and measurable impact.

• Product Experience Design: Present end-to-end product design projects, highlighting your process from user research and ideation through to UI design, prototyping, and collaboration with development teams.

• Design System Development & Implementation: Include examples of design systems you have created or contributed to, demonstrating your understanding of component-based design, documentation, and scalability.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration Examples: Illustrate instances where your design leadership facilitated collaboration with non-design teams (e.g., Product, Marketing, Engineering), showcasing your ability to influence and align stakeholders.

• Demonstrated Hands-on Craftsmanship: Include examples of your individual design contributions, showcasing your proficiency with modern design tools and your ability to produce high-quality visual and interactive designs.

Process Documentation:

• Design Workflow Optimization: Detail how you have improved or established design workflows, including process mapping, efficiency improvements, and adoption strategies for new tools or methodologies.

• Design System Governance: Explain your approach to maintaining and evolving design systems, including processes for contribution, review, and version control.

• User Research & Feedback Integration: Document how you integrate user research, testing, and feedback into the design process to inform decisions and iterate on designs.

• Quality Assurance & Consistency Checks: Outline your methods for ensuring design quality and consistency across all touchpoints, including review processes and adherence to design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the seniority of the role and the emphasis on leading design, a portfolio demonstrating strategic thinking, leadership, and hands-on execution is crucial. The ability to articulate process and demonstrate impact through case studies will be key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Head of Design role in Stockholm with 10+ years of experience, especially in a scale-up fintech environment, the estimated annual salary range would typically fall between SEK 750,000 - 1,100,000. This can vary based on specific experience, negotiation, and the company's compensation philosophy.

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation Package: A comprehensive package designed to attract and retain top talent, reflecting the seniority and strategic importance of the role.

• Insurance Plan: Standard insurance coverage to provide security and peace of mind.

• Pension Plan: A structured pension plan to support long-term financial planning.

• Flexible Work Hours: Options to adjust working hours to better accommodate personal needs and optimize productivity, supporting a healthy work-life balance.

• Remote Work Options: While the role emphasizes in-office collaboration, flexibility for remote work is offered, allowing for hybrid arrangements.

• Fabulous Office: Access to a well-appointed office space in Stockholm with excellent views, fostering a positive and inspiring work environment.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are likely around 40 hours per week, typical for full-time roles in Sweden. However, the company offers flexibility in work hours, allowing for adjustments to accommodate personal schedules and optimize productivity, aligning with a hybrid work model.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on publicly available data for senior design leadership roles in Stockholm and similar tech/fintech companies. The provided benefits are directly from the job description, with added context relevant to operations professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech (specifically Embedded Lending Infrastructure). Froda operates in a rapidly evolving sector that is transforming traditional financial services through digital innovation. This context implies a culture that values agility, technological advancement, and a forward-thinking approach to financial solutions.

Company Size: 100+ employees. This indicates a scale-up phase – large enough to have established processes and structure but still agile and dynamic, offering significant opportunities for impact and growth. For operations professionals, this means a balance between established workflows and the need for adaptability and continuous process improvement.

Founded: 2015. Founded in 2015, Froda has a history of innovation and growth, moving from a startup to a significant player in the embedded lending space. This maturity suggests a company that has successfully navigated early-stage challenges and is now focused on scaling and expanding its reach.

Team Structure: The Head of Design will report to a senior leader (likely Head of Product, CTO, or CEO, depending on the organizational structure) and will lead a team of designers. Collaboration will be extensive with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and Business Development. The structure likely supports cross-functional project teams where design plays a central role.

Methodology: Froda emphasizes digital innovation, transforming loan processes from months to minutes. This suggests a data-driven and agile methodology, focused on efficiency, speed, and user experience. The design team's methodology will likely involve:

• Agile Design Practices: Iterative design, rapid prototyping, and close collaboration with development.

• Data-Informed Decisions: Utilizing user data and business metrics to guide design choices and measure impact.

• User-Centric Design: A strong focus on understanding and meeting the needs of small businesses and partners.

• Collaborative Design Thinking: Employing design thinking principles to solve complex problems across functions.

Company Website: https://join.froda.se

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to democratize access to financing and build lending infrastructure is a strong cultural anchor. For a Head of Design, this means creating experiences that build trust and communicate value to businesses seeking growth capital.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a senior leadership level, managing a critical function within the company. It's a "Head of" position, implying significant autonomy, strategic responsibility, and the opportunity to shape the future of Froda's design output. The scope extends beyond individual design contributions to building and leading a design function.

Reporting Structure: The Head of Design will likely report to a C-level executive or a VP-level leader (e.g., Head of Product, CTO, or CEO). This position is integral to the company's strategic decision-making, particularly concerning brand perception and product user experience.

Operations Impact: The Head of Design's impact is substantial, directly influencing Froda's brand perception, product usability, customer acquisition, and retention. By ensuring a cohesive and high-quality visual expression and user experience, this role is critical for building trust, driving adoption of Froda's lending solutions, and supporting overall business growth and market penetration across Europe.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to build and scale a design team, develop leadership skills, and potentially grow into a broader CX or Product leadership role as the company expands.

• Strategic Influence: Play a key role in shaping Froda's overall product strategy and brand direction, contributing to high-level business decisions.

• Industry Expertise Expansion: Deepen expertise in fintech, embedded lending, and scaling design functions within a high-growth European environment.

• Innovation & Ownership: Drive innovation in design practices and tools, with high ownership from day one, influencing how design operates and evolves.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant growth potential, moving from leading a specific function to potentially influencing broader organizational strategy and product direction within a growing European fintech company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job description mentions a "Fabulous office overlooking Stockholm," suggesting a modern, well-equipped, and professional office space. The company "prioritizes working in the office to maximize the positive impact of in-person collaboration," indicating a strong emphasis on a collaborative physical workspace.

Office Location(s): The office is located at Katarinavägen 9, Stockholm, 116 45, Sweden. This central Stockholm location is likely accessible via public transport and offers a vibrant working environment.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office design and company culture likely facilitate frequent in-person interactions, brainstorming sessions, and team-building activities, crucial for design alignment and innovation.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design tools (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Webflow, AI tools) and potentially advanced prototyping and collaboration software will be available to support the design team's work.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: The workspace will likely be designed to encourage interaction between design, product, engineering, and marketing teams, fostering a holistic approach to product development.

Work Schedule: While a standard 40-hour work week is implied, Froda offers flexibility in working hours and remote work options, supporting a hybrid model. This allows for a balance between in-office collaboration and personal flexibility, enabling designers to manage their time effectively while meeting project deadlines and team needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on in-office collaboration suggests that candidates should be comfortable working from the Stockholm office most of the time, with flexibility for remote days.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: Typically, a Head of Design role involves a multi-stage interview process designed to assess strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, design craft, and cultural fit.

• Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications and interest.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the direct manager (e.g., Head of Product/CTO/CEO) focusing on strategic vision, leadership philosophy, and alignment with company goals.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where the candidate presents their portfolio, detailing key projects, design process, leadership approach, and impact. This is a critical stage.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product, Engineering, and Marketing to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to influence cross-functionally.

• Design Team Meet & Greet: If applicable, an opportunity to meet potential direct reports or peers within the design team.

• Final Round/Offer: A final discussion, potentially with senior leadership, to confirm fit and extend an offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Strategic Narrative: Frame your portfolio around Froda's mission and challenges. Explain why you made certain design decisions, not just what you designed.

• Leadership Focus: Highlight instances where you led teams, mentored designers, influenced strategy, and improved design processes.

• Impact & Metrics: Quantify the business impact of your design work whenever possible (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced support tickets, improved user satisfaction scores).

• Design System Expertise: Clearly articulate your experience with design systems, including their creation, maintenance, and impact on efficiency and consistency.

• Tool Proficiency Demonstration: Be prepared to discuss your proficiency with Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Webflow, and any AI tools, possibly through live demos or detailed project walkthroughs.

• Cultural Fit: Showcase your collaborative style, problem-solving approach, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving organization.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Strategy Exercise: You might be asked to outline your approach to evolving Froda's design system or brand identity, or to critique and improve a specific user flow.

• Leadership Scenario: Prepare for questions about how you would handle team conflicts, manage underperforming designers, or drive adoption of new design processes.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Be ready to discuss how you would work with Product and Engineering to balance design vision with technical constraints and business priorities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is likely to be a significant part of the evaluation, requiring candidates to demonstrate not only their design skills but also their strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and understanding of business impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Expected to be the primary tool for UI/UX design, prototyping, and collaboration, given its industry prevalence.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Essential for brand design, asset creation, and potentially more advanced graphic design tasks (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects).

• Webflow: Mentioned as a tool, suggesting its use for website design, prototyping, or even content management/marketing site development.

• AI Tools (e.g., Claude): Expected to be used for design assistance, content generation, research synthesis, or potentially exploring AI-driven design workflows.

Analytics & Reporting: While not explicitly listed for this role, a Head of Design would typically leverage analytics tools to understand user behavior and design impact. This could include:

• Product Analytics Platforms: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics to track user interactions within the product.

• User Feedback Tools: Platforms for surveys, in-app feedback, and usability testing analysis.

• Data Visualization Tools: Potentially Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for understanding broader business metrics and design's contribution.

CRM & Automation: While not directly managed by the Head of Design, understanding how design integrates with CRM and marketing automation might be beneficial for brand consistency and user journey mapping. Experience with systems that support customer data and engagement would be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite is a strong expectation. The mention of Webflow and AI tools suggests a modern and evolving tech stack. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they leverage these tools to drive efficiency and innovation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: Based on Froda's mission and the role description, key values likely include:

• Impact & Ownership: A drive to make a tangible difference for small businesses and a strong sense of responsibility for outcomes.

• Clarity & Quality: A commitment to clear communication, high-quality execution, and consistent experiences.

• Innovation & Agility: Embracing digital solutions, adapting to market changes, and continuously improving processes and products.

• Collaboration & Feedback: Valuing teamwork, open communication, and constructive feedback to foster growth.

• Pragmatism & Efficiency: A focus on getting things done effectively and efficiently.

Collaboration Style: The culture emphasizes in-person collaboration to maximize positive impact. This suggests an open, communicative, and integrated approach where design is seen as a core partner to Product, Marketing, and Business Development. Expect a culture that encourages direct feedback, cross-functional problem-solving, and shared ownership of results.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's emphasis on "ambitious self-starters who genuinely care for each other and the work we do, all while having fun together" points to a culture that balances high performance with a positive and supportive work environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand and Product Design: Ensuring a consistent and strong brand identity across diverse product touchpoints and marketing materials can be complex.

• Scaling Design Operations: Establishing and scaling design processes, systems, and team structures to support rapid company growth.

• Driving Cross-Functional Alignment: Influencing and aligning multiple departments (Product, Engineering, Marketing, Business Development) around a unified design vision and strategy.

• Hands-on Leadership: Effectively managing time between strategic oversight, team leadership, and individual design contributions.

• Maintaining Design Quality in a Fast-Paced Environment: Upholding high standards of craft and user experience while meeting aggressive timelines.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design Leadership Expansion: Growing into a broader leadership role, potentially overseeing multiple design disciplines or expanding into Product or CX leadership.

• Fintech & Embedded Lending Expertise: Deepening knowledge of financial technology and the specific nuances of embedded lending infrastructure.

• European Market Expansion: Gaining experience in scaling design and brand presence across different European markets.

• Innovation in AI/Design Tools: Exploring and integrating cutting-edge AI and design technologies into the workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a significant opportunity to shape a company's design function from a leadership perspective, tackling challenges related to scale, strategy, and cross-functional collaboration within a dynamic industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Vision & Strategy: "How would you approach evolving Froda's visual identity and design principles over the next 1-2 years?" "What are your key priorities for the first 90 days in this role?" "Describe your philosophy on building and scaling a design system."

• Leadership & Team Building: "How do you foster a culture of high performance and continuous improvement within a design team?" "How do you coach designers to grow their craft and careers?" "Describe a time you had to influence a cross-functional team to adopt a design-led approach."

• Problem Solving & Design Thinking: "Walk us through a complex product design challenge you faced and how you solved it, emphasizing your process and the outcome." "How do you balance user needs with business objectives and technical constraints?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• Understanding Froda: "What excites you about Froda's mission and our position in the fintech market?" "How do you see design contributing to Froda's business goals?" "How would you ensure design aligns with our core values of clarity, quality, and impact?"

• Collaboration Style: "Describe your ideal working relationship with Product Management and Engineering." "How do you handle disagreements or conflicting priorities with stakeholders?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Structure your presentation around compelling narratives for 2-3 key projects that showcase your strategic thinking, leadership, and design execution.

• Process Visualization: Clearly illustrate your design process, from initial problem definition to final solution, using diagrams, wireframes, and prototypes.

• Impact Measurement: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your solution, and the measurable business impact or user outcomes. Use data and metrics wherever possible.

• Leadership Examples: Integrate specific examples of your leadership, coaching, and cross-functional collaboration within your project walkthroughs.

• Q&A Readiness: Be prepared to answer in-depth questions about your decisions, challenges, and how you would approach similar situations at Froda.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to speak extensively about your leadership philosophy, your approach to building and scaling design functions, and how you translate business objectives into impactful design solutions.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of Design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Froda's careers page.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight your 10+ years of experience in brand and product design, emphasizing leadership, strategic thinking, and hands-on execution. Select case studies that best demonstrate your ability to evolve visual identity, build design systems, and drive user experience improvements.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your experience with modern design tools (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Webflow), your leadership accomplishments, and your understanding of the fintech industry. Use keywords from the job description, such as "visual identity," "design systems," "UX/UI," and "leadership."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design philosophy, leadership approach, and how you measure design impact. Prepare to walk through your portfolio with a focus on strategic decision-making and tangible results.

• Company Research: Deeply research Froda's mission, product offerings, and recent news. Understand their target audience and the competitive landscape in embedded lending. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.

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