Lead Designer UI/UX

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Designer UI/UX
Company: Userlane GmbH
Location: Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Job Type: Full Time
Category: Design Leadership & Product Design
Date Posted: October 21, 2025
Experience Level: 7+ Years (with 2+ years in leadership)
Remote Status: Remote OK (with potential for hybrid in Munich)

🚀 Role Summary

• This is a hybrid 'player-coach' role, demanding both hands-on design execution and team leadership for a growing design team.
• You will champion the product's design vision, ensuring consistency and excellence across the entire digital product portfolio.
• Responsibilities include mentoring and coaching UX and UI designers, fostering a culture of creativity, and driving the evolution of the Design System.
• The individual contributor aspect allows for deep dives into either UI design (crafting delivery-ready interfaces, component libraries) or UX design (customer needs discovery, end-to-end design process, data validation).
• This role is critical in shaping the user experience of a market-leading Digital Adoption Platform used by global enterprises.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is listed as 'Remote OK', for a 'Lead' position focused on team leadership and design vision, it's highly probable that hybrid work in Munich or a strong preference for local candidates will be a factor. This role requires significant collaboration and mentorship, which is often more effective in person, even if partially remote.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design Leadership & Vision:
  • Champion and articulate a compelling design vision that aligns with and supports Userlane's product strategy and brand identity.
  • Ensure a cohesive and high-quality design experience across all Userlane products and features.
  • Lead and inspire a team of UX and UI designers, fostering their professional growth through coaching, mentoring, and skill development.
  • Cultivate a design culture characterized by creativity, continuous experimentation, customer empathy, and a commitment to user-centricity.
  • Drive initiatives to enhance and evolve Userlane's Design System, incorporating modern AI design tooling to improve efficiency and design quality.
• Individual Contributor - UI Focus:
  • Collaborate closely with cross-functional squads to design and deliver polished, production-ready user interfaces that are intuitive, delightful, and consistent with Userlane's brand.
  • Contribute significantly to the maintenance and expansion of the Design System, including creating, documenting, and advocating for best practices for shared design components and UI guidelines.
  • Provide expert feedback and creative direction to Product Designers to elevate the overall aesthetic and user experience of the product.
• Individual Contributor - UX Focus:
  • Partner with product managers and engineers within squads to deeply understand customer needs, validate design concepts through testing, and deliver elegant, effective, and usable solutions.
  • Engage in the full product design lifecycle, from initial discovery and ideation through to detailed design, prototyping, and implementation support.
  • Leverage user research insights, data analytics, and usability testing to inform and validate design decisions, driving continuous improvement of the user experience.
  • (Bonus) Create micro-animations and illustrations to enhance storytelling and add a unique, engaging quality to the user interface.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description implies a need for strong advocacy for design principles and a proactive approach to problem-solving. The "player-coach" aspect suggests the candidate must be comfortable switching between strategic leadership and detailed design execution, requiring excellent time management and prioritization skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field would be considered a strong asset, demonstrating foundational knowledge.

Experience:

• A minimum of 7 years of comprehensive design experience, with at least 2 years specifically focused on mentoring, coaching, or managing design teams.
• Demonstrated experience in modern Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) product environments. Experience in Business-to-Business (B2B) SaaS is considered a significant advantage.
• Proven track record of successfully balancing strategic leadership responsibilities with hands-on, individual design contributions.

Required Skills:

• Design Leadership: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and inspire design teams, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment.
• UI Design Expertise: Deep understanding of visual design principles, typography, color theory, layout, and the creation of aesthetically pleasing and functional user interfaces.
• UX Design Fundamentals: Strong grasp of user-centered design methodologies, user research techniques, information architecture, interaction design, and usability principles.
• Design System Proficiency: Extensive experience in creating, maintaining, and evolving design systems, including component libraries, style guides, and best practices for their adoption.
• Figma Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and collaborative design workflows.
• Collaboration & Communication: Exceptional ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (Product Management, Engineering, Marketing) and communicate design decisions clearly and persuasively to stakeholders at all levels.
• Usability & Accessibility: Solid understanding and practical application of usability heuristics and accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) to ensure inclusive design.
• English Fluency: Fluent in spoken and written English, with confidence in presenting and articulating design rationale.

Preferred Skills:

• B2B SaaS Experience: Direct experience designing for enterprise-level B2B SaaS products, understanding their unique user needs and workflows.
• AI Design Tooling: Familiarity with or experience implementing modern AI-powered design tools to enhance productivity and quality.
• Micro-animations & Illustrations: Skills in creating engaging micro-animations or custom illustrations to enhance user experience and brand identity.
• User Research & Data Analysis: Experience conducting user interviews, surveys, usability testing, and analyzing product usage data to inform design decisions.
• Agile/Scrum Methodologies: Experience working within agile development frameworks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "expertise in either UI or UX design, with strong fundamentals in the other" is crucial. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their primary strength while demonstrating a solid understanding of the complementary discipline. The role is positioned as a leadership opportunity with a clear path for growth into a Head of Design role, suggesting a need for strategic thinking and business acumen beyond pure design execution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing a blend of leadership impact and individual design contributions.
• Evidence of leading design initiatives, mentoring designers, and influencing design strategy.
• Detailed case studies demonstrating end-to-end UI or UX design processes, from problem definition to final solution and impact.
• Examples of contributions to or leadership of Design System development, including component creation, documentation, and adoption strategies.
• Demonstrations of UI design excellence (if UI-focused) or user-centered problem-solving (if UX-focused), highlighting aesthetic appeal, usability, and effectiveness.
• Documentation of collaboration with cross-functional teams and how design decisions were influenced by user research, data, and business goals.

Process Documentation:

• The portfolio should clearly articulate the design processes followed for each project, emphasizing:
  • Discovery & Ideation: How user needs were identified, research methods employed, and initial concepts generated.
  • Design & Prototyping: The iterative design process, tool usage (e.g., Figma), and prototyping techniques for validation.
  • Testing & Validation: How designs were tested with users and stakeholders, and how feedback was incorporated.
  • Implementation & Handoff: Collaboration with engineering for seamless implementation, including detailed documentation and asset delivery.
  • Post-Launch Analysis: How the impact of design solutions was measured and plans for future iterations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to walk through their portfolio, explaining not just the final outputs but the why behind their design decisions, the challenges encountered, and the lessons learned. For the leadership aspect, be ready to discuss how you motivated teams, resolved design conflicts, and contributed to strategic product direction.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Lead Designer with 7+ years of experience, including 2+ years in leadership, in Munich, Germany, the estimated annual salary range is €75,000 - €100,000. This estimate considers the cost of living in Munich, the company's likely market position as a "market-leading Digital Adoption Platform," and the hybrid "player-coach" nature of the role.

Benefits:

• Team & Culture: Access to a high-performance culture with strong leadership and a motivated, diverse international team.
• Market Leadership: Opportunity to contribute to a global leader in the rapidly growing Digital Adoption industry.
• Growth & Development:
  • Weekly one-on-one meetings with management.
  • Personal development plans tailored to individual career aspirations.
  • Dedicated training budget for continuous learning and skill enhancement.
  • Clear opportunity for career progression into a Head of Design role as the company scales.
• Flexible Benefits Package:
  • Savings & Security: Potentially includes contributions to retirement plans or other financial security programs.
  • Health & Well-being: Comprehensive health insurance, mental health support, or wellness stipends.
  • Lifestyle & Leisure: Benefits that support employee work-life balance, such as gym memberships, travel allowances, or cultural activity stipends.

Working Hours:

• Full-time position, likely based on a standard 40-hour work week common in Germany.
• The "Remote OK" status suggests flexibility in work location, but the "player-coach" role may necessitate core working hours for team collaboration and leadership presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is a benchmark. Actual compensation will depend on the candidate's specific experience, negotiation skills, and the final scope of responsibilities defined during the interview process. The benefits package is described as "flexible," indicating a potential for customization to employee needs, which is a significant perk.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) within the Digital Adoption Platform (DAP) sector. Userlane helps organizations maximize the value of their software investments by improving user adoption and proficiency. Company Size: Userlane is a growing, likely mid-to-large sized startup or scale-up, indicated by its "market-leading" status and ambition for leadership roles. This size typically fosters a dynamic environment with opportunities for impact but also requires structured processes. Founded: Founded in 2015, Userlane has established itself as a significant player in the DAP market, suggesting a mature product and a stable, yet growth-oriented, company.

Team Structure:

• Design Team: The role implies a dedicated UX and UI design team, which the Lead Designer will manage and mentor. This team likely works in a distributed manner across various product squads.
• Reporting Structure: The Lead Designer will likely report to a Head of Product, VP of Product, or a senior executive overseeing product development. The stated growth opportunity to "Head of Design" confirms this leadership trajectory.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Design plays a pivotal role, working closely with Product Managers and Engineers within agile squads to deliver features. Collaboration also extends to Marketing, Sales, and Customer Success for brand consistency and user understanding.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using research insights and data to validate design decisions and measure impact, crucial for a SaaS product.
• Agile Development: Likely operates within agile frameworks, requiring iterative design processes and close team collaboration.
• Design System Centricity: A strong focus on a robust Design System to ensure consistency, efficiency, and quality across products.
• Customer Empathy: A core value, ensuring designs are rooted in understanding and addressing user needs.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Userlane operates in a competitive SaaS landscape where user experience is a key differentiator. The company's "market-leading" position suggests a strong product-market fit and a culture that values innovation and customer success. The international team composition (over 20 countries) points to a globally-minded and potentially diverse work environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership position within the Design function, bridging individual contribution with team management. It signifies a transition from a senior individual contributor to a "player-coach" role, with clear potential to advance into a full management or directorial position.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Designer will likely report to a senior product leader (e.g., Head of Product, VP of Product). They will directly manage and mentor a team of UX and UI designers, who may be embedded within different product squads. This structure requires strong communication skills to manage upwards, downwards, and across functional teams.

Operations Impact: The Lead Designer's impact is multifaceted:

• Product Excellence: Directly influences the usability, aesthetics, and overall user experience of Userlane's DAP, a critical factor for customer acquisition and retention.
• Team Development: Elevates the skills and effectiveness of the design team, contributing to higher quality output and a more robust design practice.
• Brand Consistency: Ensures the product's visual and interactive design aligns with and reinforces Userlane's brand identity, crucial for market perception.
• Efficiency & Scalability: Drives the evolution of the Design System and potentially adopts AI tooling, leading to more efficient design processes and scalable product development.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Progression: A defined path to become the Head of Design, indicating opportunities for strategic planning, team scaling, and broader organizational influence.
• Skill Specialization & Broadening: The "player-coach" model allows for continued hands-on skill development in either UI or UX, while also building leadership and strategic capabilities.
• Industry Expertise: Deepening knowledge within the growing Digital Adoption Platform sector, becoming an expert in a niche but high-demand market.
• Cross-functional Influence: Opportunities to influence product strategy and company direction through strong design advocacy and collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company explicitly states the potential to "develop into Head of Design as the company grows." This is a significant growth opportunity for ambitious designers looking to move into leadership and strategic roles within a scaling tech company. Candidates should prepare to articulate their vision for design leadership and how they would scale a team and its processes.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: While listed as "Remote OK," Userlane is headquartered in Munich, Germany. This suggests that while remote work is supported, there might be a preference for hybrid arrangements, especially for leadership roles. The company culture is described as "high-performance" with a "fun, engaged, motivated, and diverse team," implying a collaborative and energetic atmosphere, whether in-office or virtual.

Office Location(s): Userlane's headquarters are in Munich, Germany. The company may have other international offices, but the primary professional hub for this role is likely Munich.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on cross-functional work and a diverse, international team points to an environment that values open communication and teamwork. This applies to both in-office and remote settings, likely facilitated by robust communication tools.
• Tools & Technology: Expect access to modern design tools (Figma is a must), collaboration platforms, and potentially AI tools for design assistance, supporting efficient and high-quality work.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with designers, product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders through meetings, workshops, and informal communication channels. Regular 121s are part of the culture, fostering direct communication.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours (likely 40 hours/week).
• Flexibility is implied with the "Remote OK" status, allowing for some autonomy in structuring the workday, though core hours for team collaboration are probable. The focus on "high-performance" suggests an emphasis on results and efficient work practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: For candidates considering the "Remote OK" aspect, it's advisable to inquire about the company's specific remote work policy, expectations for in-person collaboration (e.g., quarterly meetups, team days in Munich), and any geographical limitations for remote employees.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Application Submission: Submit resume and portfolio.
2. Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications for basic qualifications and fit.
3. Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into experience, leadership approach, and alignment with the role's "player-coach" nature. Expect questions about design philosophy, team management, and problem-solving.
4. Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: This is likely a critical stage. Candidates may be asked to present their portfolio in detail, discuss specific case studies, or complete a take-home design challenge. The focus will be on design quality, process, leadership impact, and communication.
5. Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with potential peers (e.g., Product Managers, Lead Engineers) to assess collaboration skills and cross-functional impact.
6. Final Interview: Potentially with a senior executive (e.g., Head of Product, CEO) for final assessment of strategic fit and cultural alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Leadership: Clearly showcase instances where you led design initiatives, mentored designers, shaped design strategy, or influenced product direction. Use specific examples and metrics where possible.
• Showcase Process & Impact: For each case study, detail your design process, decision-making rationale, the tools used, and the measurable impact of your work on users and the business.
• Demonstrate UI/UX Balance: If your expertise is UI, show strong UX fundamentals. If your expertise is UX, demonstrate a keen eye for UI aesthetics and polish.
• Design System Contribution: Detail your involvement in Design Systems—creation, maintenance, advocacy, and how you ensure adoption.
• Communication is Key: Be prepared to articulate your design choices clearly, confidently, and concisely. Explain the "why" behind your decisions.
• Tailor to Userlane: Research Userlane's product and brand. If possible, subtly weave in how your experience aligns with their specific challenges or opportunities in the Digital Adoption space.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Core Need: Be ready for challenges that test your ability to solve user problems, design intuitive interfaces, or improve existing workflows within a SaaS context.
• Focus on Process: Even for a take-home challenge, clearly document your thought process, assumptions, and design iterations.
• Consider Leadership: If the challenge allows for strategic thinking, consider how this design decision fits into the broader product strategy and how you might guide a team through its implementation.
• Presentation: Practice presenting your work and rationale efficiently, as time is often limited in interview settings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "player-coach" dynamic means candidates must demonstrate comfort with both strategic vision and hands-on execution. Be ready to discuss how you would balance these demands and empower your team while remaining a contributor. The growth opportunity to "Head of Design" will likely be a focus in later interview stages, so candidates should have a clear vision for design leadership.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is explicitly stated as a required skill and is the cornerstone for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Expect to use it extensively for creating UI elements, user flows, and interactive prototypes.
• Design System Management Tools: While Figma is often used for this, there might be additional tools for documentation and version control (e.g., Storybook, Zeroheight, or internal platforms).
• Prototyping Tools: Figma's prototyping capabilities are primary, but familiarity with other tools like InVision or Adobe XD might be beneficial, though less critical.
• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar platforms for real-time communication and team coordination.
• Project Management: Tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for tracking tasks, sprints, and project progress, common in agile environments.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Platforms: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics to understand user behavior, track feature adoption, and identify areas for improvement.
• Data Visualization Tools: Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for creating dashboards and reports to communicate design impact and user insights to stakeholders.
• User Feedback Platforms: Tools for collecting and analyzing user feedback, such as surveys, in-app feedback widgets, or dedicated platforms.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a design tool, familiarity with CRM systems (like Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation platforms can provide context on how user data is managed and how design impacts lead generation and customer journeys.
• AI Design Tooling: The role mentions introducing "modern AI design tooling," indicating potential use of AI assistants for tasks like generating design variations, content suggestions, or automating repetitive design work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they leverage these tools to drive efficiency, improve design quality, and collaborate effectively. The mention of AI tooling suggests an openness to adopting cutting-edge technologies to enhance the design process.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Empathy: A fundamental value at Userlane, driving the design team to deeply understand user needs and pain points. This translates to advocating for the user in all design decisions.
• Excellence & Quality: A commitment to high standards in both individual design output and team leadership, ensuring polished, functional, and visually appealing products.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: A strong emphasis on working effectively across disciplines (product, engineering, marketing) and supporting team members. This is vital for the "player-coach" model.
• Creativity & Experimentation: Fostering an environment where new ideas are encouraged, and designers feel empowered to explore innovative solutions.
• Efficiency & Data-Driven Decisions: Utilizing data and analytics to inform design choices and measure impact, alongside striving for efficient design processes, potentially through Design Systems and AI tools.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Actively engaging with Product Managers and Engineers to ensure design solutions are technically feasible, strategically aligned, and meet user needs.
• Open Feedback Culture: Encouraging constructive feedback loops within the design team and with other departments to continuously improve designs and processes.
• Knowledge Sharing: Promoting the sharing of design best practices, learnings from user research, and insights from design system usage across the team and organization.
• Agile Partnership: Working closely with development teams in an agile framework, participating in sprints, stand-ups, and retrospectives to ensure smooth product delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values suggest a proactive, user-focused, and collaborative culture. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they embody these values in their day-to-day work and how they foster them within a team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Leadership and IC Work: The primary challenge is effectively managing time and energy between leading and mentoring a team and contributing hands-on design. This requires strong prioritization and delegation skills.
• Maintaining Design Cohesion: Ensuring design consistency across a growing product portfolio and potentially multiple squads while empowering individual designers requires a robust Design System and clear guidelines.
• Evolving Design Systems: Continuously updating and expanding the Design System to meet new product needs and incorporate modern UI/UX patterns can be resource-intensive.
• Integrating AI Design Tools: Successfully introducing and integrating new AI tooling requires change management, training, and careful evaluation of their actual impact on quality and efficiency.
• Remote Team Management: If the team is distributed, fostering strong team cohesion, effective communication, and a shared culture remotely presents unique challenges.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Skills: Significant opportunities to hone leadership, mentorship, and team-building skills, preparing for a full Head of Design role.
• Strategic Product Influence: Gaining deeper experience in shaping product strategy and contributing to business outcomes through design.
• Design System Mastery: Becoming an expert in building and scaling design systems within a growing SaaS company.
• Emerging Technologies: Hands-on experience with AI design tools and their application in a real-world product environment.
• Industry Specialization: Deepening expertise in the Digital Adoption Platform market and its unique design challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a "player-coach" role in a scaling tech company. Candidates should view these challenges as opportunities for significant professional growth and skill development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your philosophy on 'player-coach' roles. How do you balance hands-on design work with leading and mentoring a team?"
• "How would you champion a strong design vision that supports our product strategy and brand identity, especially with a distributed team?"
• "What are your key strategies for ensuring design coherence across a diverse product portfolio?"
• "How do you approach evolving a Design System? What are the key considerations for introducing new components or best practices?"
• "Describe a time you used data or user research to significantly influence a design decision. What was the outcome?"
• "If you were to introduce AI design tooling, what would be your phased approach, and how would you measure its success?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Userlane and the Digital Adoption Platform market?"
• "How do you foster a culture of creativity and customer empathy within a design team?"
• "Describe your experience working in a diverse, international team. How do you ensure effective collaboration?"
• "What are your thoughts on Userlane's current product design (based on your research)?"
• "How do you align design decisions with business objectives and company growth targets?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the impact (quantifiable with metrics if possible).
• Highlight Leadership Moments: Explicitly point out where you mentored, led, or influenced design strategy, even within individual contributor projects.
• Showcase UI/UX Breadth: Ensure your portfolio demonstrates competence in both UI and UX, even if you emphasize one.
• Design System Deep Dive: Be prepared to discuss your contributions to design systems in detail.
• Figma Proficiency: Be ready to navigate Figma live or discuss specific features and workflows you use.
• Conciseness and Clarity: Practice presenting your work succinctly, focusing on the most impactful aspects. Be ready for follow-up questions that probe deeper into your decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be assessing not only your design skills but also your leadership potential, strategic thinking, and ability to integrate into Userlane's culture. Prepare specific examples that showcase your ability to mentor, drive vision, and deliver results in a fast-paced SaaS environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Designer UI/UX position:

• Submit your application through the provided Lever job portal link.
• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features examples of design leadership, team mentorship, and substantial contributions to Design Systems. Tailor your case studies to highlight how you've driven both user experience quality and business impact in SaaS environments.
• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your 7+ years of design experience, specifically calling out the 2+ years of mentoring/management. Use keywords from the job description (e.g., "Design Leadership," "Figma," "Design Systems," "SaaS," "Player-Coach"). Quantify achievements where possible.
• Interview Preparation: Rehearse answers to common interview questions, focusing on demonstrating your "player-coach" capabilities, design philosophy, and leadership approach. Practice presenting your portfolio with a focus on narrative flow, impact, and strategic rationale.
• Company Research: Thoroughly research Userlane, its product, its market position, and its stated values. Understand their target audience and the challenges of Digital Adoption Platforms. Prepare thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer that demonstrate your engagement and strategic thinking.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details, especially regarding salary estimates, specific benefits, and interview processes, should be verified directly with Userlane GmbH before making application decisions.