Private Wealth Management, Wealth Product Design, Product Designer, Associate, London
π Job Overview
Job Title: Product Designer, Associate - Private Wealth Management
Company: Goldman Sachs
Location: London, England, United Kingdom
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Product Design / Wealth Management Operations
Date Posted: February 10, 2026
Experience Level: 3+ Years (Associate)
Remote Status: On-site
π Role Summary
- This role is within the Wealth Management Design team, focused on creating intuitive and impactful digital products and service solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families.
- It requires end-to-end design contributions across digital channels, emphasizing a data-driven approach to inform design decisions and outcomes.
- The position involves close collaboration with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to solve complex problems and deliver world-class user experiences in a fast-paced environment.
- A key aspect is contributing to a culture of collaboration, exploration, and growth within the design function, while upholding high standards of creativity and innovation.
π Enhancement Note: While the title is "Product Designer," the context of "Private Wealth Management" and the emphasis on "tools and products empowering clients" strongly suggests a role that interfaces with operational aspects of wealth management. The responsibilities include contributing to "world-class digital products and service solutions," which implies designing user interfaces and workflows for financial advisors and clients, impacting operational efficiency and client service delivery. This role sits at the intersection of design and operational enablement within financial services.
π Primary Responsibilities
- End-to-End Digital Product Design: Contribute to the entire design lifecycle for digital products within Private Wealth Management, from discovery and concept development to detailed design and implementation across various digital channels.
- User Experience Strategy & Execution: Develop and refine user flows, journey maps, wireframes, and interactive prototypes, ensuring a human-centered design approach that addresses both user needs and business objectives.
- Problem Distillation & Solution Design: Translate complex financial concepts and user requirements into elegantly simple, intuitive, and visually compelling design solutions with a keen eye for detail and user experience.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Product Managers, Engineers, UX Researchers, and other key stakeholders to define problems, desired outcomes, and identify new opportunities for product enhancement and innovation.
- Data-Informed Design Decisions: Leverage user research, analytics data, and insights to inform design iterations, validate concepts, and contribute to actionable outcomes that drive product improvement and client satisfaction.
- Design System Contribution: Uphold and contribute to the evolution of design systems and best practices, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency in product development across digital platforms.
- Prototyping & Presentation: Create compelling prototypes and presentations that clearly articulate design rationale, context, priorities, and user journeys to diverse audiences, facilitating informed decision-making and buy-in.
- Accessibility Standards: Ensure all designed products adhere to web standards, best practices, and accessibility guidelines (WCAG) to serve a broad range of users.
π Enhancement Note: The description emphasizes "delivering tools and products, empowering clients and customers," which is a core function of operations enablement in financial services. The responsibilities of distilling complex problems into simple designs and collaborating with engineers and product managers directly impact how operational processes are executed and how financial advisors and clients interact with systems. The role is integral to streamlining and enhancing the operational delivery of wealth management services.
π Skills & Qualifications
Education:
- Bachelorβs degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, Cognitive Science, or a closely related field.
Experience:
- A minimum of 3 years of professional industry experience in product design, UX/UI design, or a related design field.
- Proven experience designing and contributing to successful product releases, with a portfolio showcasing this work.
Required Skills:
- Human-Centered Design Expertise: Deep understanding and proficiency across all facets of human-centered design, including user research methodologies, experience strategy, user flows, journey mapping, wireframing, information architecture, UX/UI design, and usability testing.
- Prototyping & Wireframing: Ability to create clear, compelling, and cohesive prototypes and wireframes to effectively communicate design concepts and user interactions.
- Design Tool Proficiency: Extensive experience with design and prototyping tools, specifically Figma, is required. Experience with design systems is also essential.
- Web Standards Understanding: Familiarity with web standards, capabilities, and best practices, including foundational knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
- Complex Problem Solving: Demonstrated ability to distill complex problems into elegantly simple, intuitive, and actionable design solutions.
- Collaboration & Communication: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholder groups, including product managers, engineers, and business leaders.
- Entrepreneurial Drive: A proactive, self-motivated individual with a desire to work in a commercially focused, fast-paced, and dynamic environment.
- Business & User Acumen: Ability to understand, balance, and solve for both business needs and user requirements.
- Adaptability: Proven ability to adapt to new priorities, manage multiple initiatives simultaneously, and think critically under pressure.
Preferred Skills:
- Financial Application Design: Prior experience designing complex financial applications or products within the wealth management, investment banking, or broader financial services industry is a significant plus.
- Accessibility Design: Strong understanding of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and experience implementing them in digital products.
- User Research: Experience conducting user research, usability testing, and synthesizing findings into design improvements.
- Design Systems: Experience contributing to or managing design systems.
π Enhancement Note: Given the "Associate" level and the industry focus on "complex financial applications," candidates with 3-5 years of experience are typically well-suited. The emphasis on Figma and design systems implies a need for practical, hands-on skills in a modern design workflow. The "entrepreneurial drive" and "adaptability" points suggest the company values proactive individuals who can navigate ambiguity common in fast-paced financial environments.
π Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- Demonstrated Product Releases: A robust portfolio showcasing end-to-end design contributions to at least 2-3 significant product releases, detailing your role and impact.
- Problem/Solution Framework: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem statement, your design process, the proposed solutions, and the rationale behind your design decisions.
- User-Centricity Evidence: Showcase how user research, testing, and feedback were integrated into the design process to validate hypotheses and iterate on solutions.
- Visual Design & UX Execution: Provide clear examples of high-fidelity UI designs, interactive prototypes, and user flows that demonstrate a strong understanding of visual design principles and user experience best practices.
- Metrics & Impact: Where possible, include metrics or outcomes that demonstrate the impact of your designs on user engagement, task completion, or business objectives.
Process Documentation:
- Workflow Design: Examples of designing user flows and information architecture for complex applications, illustrating how you organized information and guided users through intricate processes.
- Design Process Articulation: Ability to clearly articulate your design process, from initial discovery and ideation to detailed design and collaboration with engineering for implementation.
- Tooling & Methodology: Showcase proficiency in design tools (Figma) and familiarity with design system methodologies, demonstrating how these tools support efficient and scalable design production.
π Enhancement Note: For a Product Designer role at an Associate level in a firm like Goldman Sachs, a portfolio is crucial. It needs to go beyond just aesthetics and demonstrate a structured thought process, a deep understanding of user-centered design principles, and the ability to translate complex requirements into functional, intuitive interfaces. The emphasis on "complex financial applications" means case studies involving intricate data visualization, multi-step workflows, or regulatory compliance considerations would be highly advantageous.
π΅ Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range:
- Based on industry benchmarks for Associate Product Designers in London with 3+ years of experience in financial services, the estimated annual salary range is Β£60,000 - Β£90,000. This range accounts for the specific demands of the financial industry, the prestige of the employer, and the cost of living in London.
Benefits:
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Includes medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- Retirement Savings Plans: Generous employer-matched pension schemes and other retirement savings options.
- Performance-Based Bonuses: Annual bonus opportunities tied to individual and company performance.
- Professional Development: Access to training programs, workshops, conferences, and tuition reimbursement for relevant certifications and further education.
- Wellness Programs: Resources and initiatives focused on employee well-being, including mental health support, fitness programs, and ergonomic workspace support.
- Paid Time Off: Generous annual leave, public holidays, and sick leave policies.
- Employee Networks & Communities: Opportunities to join various affinity groups and employee networks for professional development and social engagement.
- Global Mobility: Potential opportunities for international assignments or collaborations.
Working Hours:
- Standard full-time working hours are typically 40 hours per week. However, given the fast-paced nature of investment banking and financial services, longer hours may be expected during peak periods or project deadlines. Flexibility may be offered, but the role requires commitment to meeting business needs.
π Enhancement Note: The estimated salary range is based on research from reputable salary aggregators and recruitment agencies specializing in the London tech and finance sectors, considering roles with similar experience requirements and industry focus. Benefits are typical for a major financial institution like Goldman Sachs, aiming to attract and retain top talent in a competitive market.
π― Team & Company Context
π’ Company Culture
Industry: Investment Banking, Securities, and Investment Management. Goldman Sachs operates at the forefront of global finance, providing a wide range of financial services to corporations, financial institutions, governments, and individuals. Company Size: Over 50,000 employees globally. This large, established organization offers significant resources, global reach, and diverse career opportunities, while also presenting challenges in navigating internal structures and processes. Founded: 1869. With a long history, Goldman Sachs has a deeply ingrained culture of excellence, integrity, and client focus, which permeates its operations and product development.
Team Structure:
- Wealth Management Design Team: This team is part of the broader Private Wealth Management (PWM) division, specifically focused on enhancing digital client and advisor tools.
- Reporting Structure: Designers typically report into a Design Lead or Head of Design within the PWM technology or product organization. They collaborate closely with dedicated Product Managers and Engineering teams embedded within PWM.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Expect extensive collaboration with Private Wealth Advisors (PWAs), client relationship managers, compliance, legal, and other product design teams across the firm to ensure integrated and compliant solutions.
Methodology:
- Data-Driven Design: A strong emphasis on leveraging data and insights from user behavior, market trends, and client feedback to inform design decisions and measure product success.
- Agile Development: The product design process is likely integrated into agile development sprints, requiring close partnership with engineering to deliver iteratively.
- Human-Centered Principles: While operating within a highly regulated financial environment, the design team is tasked with applying human-centered design principles to create intuitive and effective user experiences.
Company Website: https://www.goldmansachs.com/
π Enhancement Note: Goldman Sachs is known for its rigorous, high-performance culture. For a designer, this means operating in a demanding environment where precision, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of business objectives are paramount. The "Private Wealth Management" context means a focus on serving sophisticated clients and advisors, requiring designs that are not only user-friendly but also trustworthy and compliant.
π Career & Growth Analysis
Operations Career Level: Associate Product Designer. This level typically signifies a professional with solid foundational skills and a few years of experience, capable of working independently on defined tasks and contributing meaningfully to larger projects under guidance. The role is expected to grow into a Senior Product Designer position. Reporting Structure: The Associate Product Designer will report to a Design Lead or Manager within the Wealth Management Technology or Product organization. They will work as part of a product pod, collaborating closely with a Product Manager and a team of Engineers. Operations Impact: The designs created directly influence the efficiency and effectiveness of Private Wealth Advisors (PWAs) in managing client portfolios and delivering financial advice. This includes designing tools for client onboarding, portfolio analysis, trading execution, client reporting, and relationship management, all of which are critical operational functions within wealth management. Improved design leads to enhanced advisor productivity, better client satisfaction, and potentially increased AUM (Assets Under Management).
Growth Opportunities:
- Skill Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific areas such as financial data visualization, complex workflow design, client analytics interfaces, or mobile product design for wealth management.
- Leadership Development: Progression to Senior Product Designer, leading design initiatives, mentoring junior designers, and contributing to design strategy. Potential pathways into management roles or UX leadership.
- Cross-Functional Exposure: Gaining exposure to various aspects of the financial industry, including product strategy, engineering management, compliance, and business development within PWM.
- Firm-Wide Mobility: Potential to move into design roles within other divisions of Goldman Sachs, leveraging acquired skills and experience.
π Enhancement Note: The "Associate" title implies a career stage focused on skill development and contribution within a defined scope. The growth path at Goldman Sachs is typically meritocratic and performance-driven, offering clear opportunities for advancement for high performers who demonstrate strong design craft, strategic thinking, and collaboration skills.
π Work Environment
Office Type: On-site in London. This indicates a traditional office environment within a major financial hub, emphasizing in-person collaboration, team cohesion, and direct engagement with colleagues. Office Location(s): Prime London financial district. This location provides access to a vibrant business ecosystem, excellent transport links, and a professional working atmosphere. Workspace Context:
- Collaborative Spaces: The office likely features a mix of open-plan work areas, private offices, meeting rooms equipped with presentation technology, and informal collaboration zones designed to foster teamwork and idea exchange.
- Technology & Tools: Employees will have access to high-performance workstations, industry-standard design software (Figma), communication tools, and robust IT infrastructure necessary for complex financial design work.
- Team Interaction: Regular face-to-face interaction with product managers, engineers, fellow designers, and business stakeholders will be a key aspect of the daily work, facilitating rapid feedback loops and efficient problem-solving.
Work Schedule: While typical office hours apply, the environment in financial services can demand flexibility. Expect to align with team and project needs, which may occasionally require working beyond standard hours to meet critical deadlines or support global operations.
π Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in "Prime London" suggests a professional, corporate setting. For a designer, this means being part of a structured team environment where physical presence facilitates spontaneous discussions, whiteboarding sessions, and direct mentorship, which are highly valuable in design processes.
π Application & Portfolio Review Process
Interview Process:
- Initial Screening: A recruiter or HR representative will conduct an initial screening to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
- Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the hiring manager to delve deeper into your experience, design philosophy, and suitability for the specific role and team.
- Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: This is a critical stage. You will likely be asked to present your portfolio, walking through 2-3 case studies. You may also be given a design challenge (take-home or live) to assess your problem-solving skills, design process, and ability to work within constraints.
- Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with potential team members (other designers, product managers, engineers) to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and how you would integrate into the existing team dynamics.
- Final Round: Potentially a final interview with a more senior leader, focusing on strategic thinking and long-term potential.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your abilities relevant to financial product design, complex problem-solving, and end-to-end design process.
- Tell a Story: For each case study, frame it as a narrative: the problem, your approach, your specific contributions, the challenges faced, the solutions developed, and the outcomes achieved.
- Highlight Process: Clearly articulate your design process, including research methods, ideation techniques, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and iteration. Show your thinking, not just the final screens.
- Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, increased user engagement, reduced task completion time).
- Figma & Design Systems: Be prepared to discuss your experience with Figma and how you've used or contributed to design systems.
- Tailor to Goldman Sachs: Research Goldman Sachs' brand, values, and recent initiatives in wealth management to subtly align your presentation with their strategic context.
Challenge Preparation:
- Understand Constraints: If given a challenge, carefully read and understand all constraints, objectives, and deliverables.
- Define the Problem: Spend time clarifying the problem statement and identifying key user needs and business goals.
- Sketch & Iterate: Use sketching and rapid prototyping to explore different solutions quickly.
- Articulate Rationale: Be ready to explain your design choices and trade-offs clearly and concisely.
π Enhancement Note: The interview process at a firm like Goldman Sachs is typically thorough. The portfolio presentation is paramount; it's your opportunity to showcase your design thinking, problem-solving skills, and ability to execute. Be prepared for questions that test your understanding of financial products and regulatory environments.
π Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Tools:
- Figma: Essential for interface design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is a must.
- Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's capabilities, experience with tools like InVision or Axure might be beneficial for more complex interactive prototypes.
- Design Systems: Experience working with, contributing to, or building design systems. This is critical for ensuring consistency and scalability across a large organization.
Analytics & Reporting:
- Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with web and product analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to understand user behavior and inform design decisions.
- Data Visualization Tools: Experience interpreting data presented through dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to understand product performance.
CRM & Automation:
- CRM Systems (Conceptual Understanding): While not a direct user, an understanding of how CRM systems (like Salesforce) function in a client-facing context within financial services is helpful.
- Project Management Tools: Familiarity with agile project management tools such as Jira, Confluence, or Asana for tracking design tasks and collaborating with development teams.
π Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma indicates it's the primary tool. However, a strong product designer should be tool-agnostic and able to adapt, demonstrating a foundational understanding of design principles that transcend specific software. Knowledge of how design integrates with engineering workflows (e.g., Jira) is also key.
π₯ Team Culture & Values
Operations Values:
- Client Focus: A relentless dedication to understanding and serving the needs of high-net-worth clients and their advisors, ensuring all designs contribute to a superior client experience.
- Excellence & Precision: A commitment to delivering high-quality, accurate, and reliable solutions, reflecting the rigorous standards expected in financial services.
- Integrity & Trust: Upholding the highest ethical standards and ensuring that all designs are compliant, secure, and build trust with clients and stakeholders.
- Collaboration: Encouraging teamwork, open communication, and mutual support across design, product, and engineering teams to achieve shared goals.
- Innovation: Fostering a culture that embraces new ideas, challenges the status quo, and proactively seeks opportunities to improve products and processes.
Collaboration Style:
- Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are expected to be deeply integrated with product management and engineering teams, working collaboratively to define requirements, iterate on designs, and ensure successful implementation.
- Feedback-Driven: A culture that values constructive feedback, with regular design critiques and reviews to foster continuous improvement and shared ownership.
- Data-Informed Dialogue: Discussions and decision-making are grounded in data and user insights, promoting objective evaluation of design solutions.
π Enhancement Note: Goldman Sachs' valuesβlike client focus, integrity, and excellenceβare foundational and will heavily influence the design team's approach. Designers are expected to embody these values in their work, ensuring that their designs are not only functional and aesthetically pleasing but also trustworthy and aligned with the firm's reputation.
β‘ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Challenges:
- Navigating Complexity: Designing for a highly regulated industry with intricate financial products and diverse user needs (clients, advisors, internal operations) presents significant complexity.
- Balancing Innovation with Compliance: The need to innovate and improve user experience must be balanced with stringent regulatory requirements and security protocols inherent in financial services.
- Stakeholder Alignment: Achieving consensus among various stakeholders (e.g., Sales, Compliance, Legal, Technology) with potentially competing priorities can be challenging.
- Pace of Change: The financial technology landscape is evolving rapidly, requiring continuous learning and adaptation to new tools, methodologies, and user expectations.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Financial Industry Expertise: Deepen understanding of wealth management products, services, and market dynamics.
- Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to hone skills in specialized areas like complex data visualization, behavioral economics in finance, or accessibility for diverse user groups.
- Leadership & Mentorship: Potential to lead design projects, mentor junior designers, and contribute to the strategic direction of design within PWM.
- Certifications & Training: Access to internal and external training programs, workshops, and certifications relevant to product design and financial services.
π Enhancement Note: The challenges here are typical for design roles in large, established financial institutions. The growth opportunities are geared towards developing a designer into a subject matter expert within the wealth management domain, capable of strategic influence.
π‘ Interview Preparation
Strategy Questions:
- "Describe a time you had to design a complex financial product. What were the key challenges, and how did you approach them?" (Focus on your process, problem-solving, and outcomes.)
- "How do you balance user needs with business requirements and regulatory constraints in your design process?" (Highlight your ability to find optimal solutions that satisfy multiple stakeholders.)
- "Walk us through your process for designing a new feature for a wealth management platform." (Detail your steps from discovery to delivery, emphasizing collaboration and iteration.)
Company & Culture Questions:
- "What interests you about working at Goldman Sachs and specifically within Private Wealth Management?" (Research the company's mission, values, and recent PWM initiatives.)
- "How do you approach collaborating with engineers and product managers on a daily basis?" (Provide examples of successful cross-functional partnerships.)
- "Describe a situation where your design was met with significant pushback. How did you handle it?" (Demonstrate your ability to advocate for your design while remaining open to feedback.)
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, follow a clear structure: Problem -> Research -> Ideation -> Design -> Testing -> Outcome.
- Emphasize "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design decisions. Why did you choose a particular layout, interaction pattern, or visual element?
- Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, prototypes, and flow diagrams to illustrate your work.
- Highlight Your Role: Be specific about your contributions, especially if it was a team project. Use "I" when discussing your individual work and "we" when discussing team efforts.
- Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, your process, and the impact of your work.
π Enhancement Note: Be ready for questions that probe your understanding of financial services, client needs in wealth management, and your ability to operate ethically and compliantly. Demonstrating strategic thinking beyond just UI execution is key.
π Application Steps
To apply for this Product Designer position:
- Submit Your Application: Navigate to the Goldman Sachs careers portal and submit your application through the provided link.
- Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your experience in product design, human-centered design, Figma proficiency, and any relevant experience in financial services or complex applications. Quantify achievements where possible.
- Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate your portfolio to showcase 2-3 impactful projects that align with the role's requirements, particularly those demonstrating end-to-end design process, complex problem-solving, and user-centric outcomes. Ensure it's easily accessible (e.g., via a clean URL).
- Research Goldman Sachs: Familiarize yourself with Goldman Sachs' mission, values, and recent endeavors in Private Wealth Management. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.
- Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on storytelling, clarity, and articulating your design rationale and impact.
β οΈ 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.
Application Requirements
Candidates should have a bachelor's degree in a relevant field and at least 3 years of industry experience in product design. A strong understanding of human-centered design and proficiency in design tools like Figma is required.