Senior Product Designer - 5 Days Onsite Naperville

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer - 5 Days Onsite Naperville

Company: TEKsystems

Location: Naperville, Illinois, United States

Job Type: Temporary/Contract

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2025-09-11

Experience Level: Senior (7+ Years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic direction and execution of UI design for complex financial products, with a strong emphasis on data visualization and intuitive dashboard interfaces.

• Drive the creation and enhancement of responsive web and mobile user interfaces, ensuring alignment with user needs, business objectives, and regulatory compliance within the financial services sector.

• Develop and maintain robust design systems to ensure consistency and scalability across digital platforms, directly impacting user experience and brand integrity.

• Collaborate closely with executive leadership, product management, engineering, and other cross-functional teams to translate complex data sets and business requirements into user-centric design solutions.

• Mentor junior designers, fostering a culture of design excellence and ensuring the delivery of high-fidelity, visually compelling, and user-friendly digital products.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the core responsibilities lean heavily into UI design (75%), the role also requires a significant UX research component (25%). The emphasis on financial services, data visualization, and complex data sets suggests the need for a designer who can not only create aesthetically pleasing interfaces but also effectively translate intricate information into comprehensible and actionable user experiences. The "contract to hire" nature and the "first hire" mention for scaling a team indicate a strategic role with potential for significant impact and future leadership.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead UI design strategy for financial products and digital platforms in close partnership with executive leadership, product managers, and engineering teams.

• Design clear, responsive, and user-friendly web and mobile interfaces that effectively address user needs, business objectives, and stringent regulatory requirements within the financial services industry.

• Architect, build, and maintain comprehensive design systems to ensure visual consistency, scalability, and efficient design handoffs across all digital products.

• Leverage user research, usability testing, and data analytics to iteratively improve designs, gather insights, and validate design decisions with stakeholders.

• Provide mentorship and guidance to other designers, fostering professional growth and upholding the highest standards of design quality and craft.

• Create detailed wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts and user flows to internal teams and external stakeholders.

• Ensure all designs align with established brand standards and guidelines, delivering a cohesive and seamless user experience across the entire digital ecosystem.

• Champion best practices in accessibility, usability, and visual design principles to elevate the overall quality and impact of digital products.

• Collaborate closely with front-end developers to ensure accurate and efficient implementation of designs, facilitating a smooth design-to-code handoff process.

• Engage with stakeholders to gather feedback, understand evolving user needs, and adapt designs to meet market trends and strategic business goals.

• Present design concepts and strategic recommendations to executive leadership, clearly articulating design decisions and their alignment with organizational objectives and user-centric principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design leadership and hands-on execution. The emphasis on "partnership with leadership," "mentoring designers," and "creating a new design system" points to a senior individual contributor role with potential for team building. The specific mention of "financial services client," "data visualization," and "complex data sets" means candidates must demonstrate proficiency in handling intricate information architecture and presenting it clearly.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: A Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for a senior-level design role. Equivalent practical experience and a strong portfolio can often substitute for a formal degree.

Experience: A minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience in product design, with a significant focus on UI design and UX research, specifically within complex, data-driven environments. Experience in the financial services sector (banking, wealth management, asset management) is highly preferred.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in User Interface (UI) design, with a strong emphasis on visual craft, typography, color theory, and layout principles for complex applications.

• Demonstrated experience in User Experience (UX) research methodologies, including user interviews, usability testing, and data analysis to inform design decisions.

• Proficiency in creating high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes using industry-standard design tools such as Figma.

• Strong understanding and practical application of design systems, component libraries, and style guides.

• Experience designing for both web and mobile responsive interfaces, ensuring cross-platform consistency and optimal user experience.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with a proven ability to present and articulate design concepts effectively to diverse stakeholders, including executive leadership.

• Experience mentoring other designers, providing constructive feedback, and fostering design best practices.

• Familiarity with front-end development principles (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate effective design-to-code handoffs.

• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, agile environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Specific experience in data visualization, designing dashboards, and working with complex data sets, particularly within financial services.

• Experience in financial services sectors such as banking, wealth management, or asset management.

• Expertise in building and scaling large-scale design systems.

• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and working within cross-functional product teams.

• A strong understanding of business and regulatory requirements pertinent to financial technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "75% visual/UI, 25% UX research" split is crucial. Candidates must showcase a strong visual design portfolio that includes complex data visualizations. While financial expertise is preferred, the ability to handle complex data in any domain, coupled with strong visual design skills, will be highly valued. The mention of mentoring and the potential to scale a team suggests that leadership potential and communication skills are paramount.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a minimum of 7 years of product design experience, with a strong emphasis on UI design and data visualization.

• Specific case studies demonstrating the design of complex, data-rich user interfaces, ideally for financial platforms, dashboards, or analytical tools.

• Examples of responsive web and mobile designs, highlighting attention to detail in visual craft and user experience flow.

• Demonstrations of design system development or significant contributions to existing design systems, including component libraries and style guides.

• Evidence of UX research methodologies applied to inform design decisions, detailing problem statements, research processes, and resulting design improvements.

• Examples of collaboration with product, engineering, and executive teams, illustrating successful project delivery and stakeholder management.

Process Documentation:

• Case studies should detail the end-to-end design process, from initial ideation and research through to high-fidelity design and developer handoff.

• Applicants should be prepared to discuss their approach to user-centered design, iterative development, and incorporating feedback into the design process.

• Documentation of how design decisions were made, linking them to user needs, business goals, and technical constraints is highly valued.

• Examples of how design systems were utilized or created to ensure consistency and efficiency in product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is the most critical component. It must explicitly highlight experience with "data visualization" and "complex data sets." Candidates should prepare to walk through their case studies, explaining their thought process, design choices, and the impact of their work, especially in the context of financial data. The "design challenge" mentioned implies a need to practice presenting design solutions concisely and effectively.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The specified pay range is $60.00 - $90.00 per hour. This translates to an estimated annual salary of $124,800 - $187,200 for a full-time, year-round position, assuming standard 40 hours per week.

Benefits: As a temporary role, eligibility for benefits may vary based on classification and tenure. However, potential benefits include:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance

• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital coverage

• 401(k) Retirement Plan (with pre-tax and Roth options)

• Voluntary Life Insurance and AD&D for employee and dependents

• Short-term and Long-term Disability insurance

• Health Spending Account (HSA)

• Transportation benefits

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Paid Time Off (PTO), Vacation, or Sick Leave

Working Hours: The position is advertised as requiring 5 days a week onsite, implying a standard full-time work schedule of approximately 40 hours per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role with 7+ years of experience in a major metropolitan area like Naperville, IL, the hourly rate of $60-$90 is competitive. This range reflects the specialized skills required, particularly in data visualization and financial services design. The benefits listed are typical for contract positions, with the understanding that full-time equivalents may become available upon conversion to hire.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: The role is with a client in the Financial Services sector, specifically dealing with institutional and individual investors. TEKsystems, the staffing agency, operates broadly across technology services. This means the work environment will likely be within a large, established financial institution with a focus on data security, regulatory compliance, and client-centric solutions.

Company Size: TEKsystems is part of Allegis Group and employs 80,000+ people globally, working with over 6,000 clients. The specific client's size is not detailed, but the mention of "executive leadership" and potential to "scale a lean design team" suggests a significant organization or a rapidly growing division within a larger entity. This size implies a structure with defined processes but also opportunities for impact.

Founded: TEKsystems was founded in 1983. The founding date of the specific financial services client is not provided, but the industry itself is long-established, suggesting a company with a history and potentially a mix of legacy systems and modern digital initiatives.

Team Structure:

• The Senior Product Designer will likely be part of a product team that includes Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers.

• They will report to a design lead or product lead within the client organization.

Methodology:

• The role emphasizes a user-centered design approach, supported by research and testing.

• Agile methodologies are implied through the mention of working in agile teams.

• Design system development and maintenance are core operational processes.

• Data visualization expertise suggests a data-driven decision-making culture.

Company Website: https://careers.teksystems.com/us/en

📝 Enhancement Note: The financial services environment often means a more formal and structured work culture compared to tech startups. Emphasis on professionalism, data integrity, and compliance will be high. The opportunity to build a design system from a "lean design team" is a significant draw for senior designers looking to establish foundational design practices.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, indicating a position of significant responsibility and influence. It requires a high degree of autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to mentor others. The role is positioned as an individual contributor but with clear potential for leadership, especially in building out a design function.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will report to a design lead or Product Manager within the client organization. They will also work closely with and present to executive leadership, product management, and engineering teams, indicating broad visibility across the organization.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer will have a direct impact on the usability, aesthetic appeal, and effectiveness of critical financial tools. By improving data visualization and user interfaces, they will enhance user engagement, drive adoption of digital platforms, and contribute to the client's overall business objectives, such as client retention, operational efficiency, and potentially revenue growth through better user experiences. The ability to create a new design system also represents a foundational impact on future product development.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Potential: As the first hire with potential to scale a team, there’s a clear opportunity to grow into a Design Lead or Manager role.

• System Ownership: Leading the creation and implementation of a new design system offers significant ownership and a chance to shape long-term design strategy.

• Domain Expertise: Deepening expertise in financial services design, data visualization, and complex financial data sets can open doors to specialized roles within the industry.

• Skill Development: The role provides exposure to executive-level strategy and cross-functional collaboration, enhancing communication and business acumen.

• Conversion to Full-Time: The "contract to hire" nature offers a pathway to a permanent position with potentially expanded benefits and career development opportunities within the client organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth trajectory for this role is strong, particularly for individuals interested in building and leading design initiatives. The combination of strategic input, hands-on design work, and potential for team leadership makes it an attractive senior-level position.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is strictly 5 days a week onsite in Naperville, IL. This suggests a traditional office environment within a corporate setting, likely equipped with standard office amenities and collaborative spaces.

Office Location(s): Naperville, Illinois. This location is a suburb of Chicago, offering a professional business environment with access to talent and amenities.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace will likely be designed to foster collaboration, with meeting rooms, breakout areas, and potentially open-plan workspaces.

• As a financial services client, expect a professional atmosphere with a focus on productivity and adherence to corporate standards.

• Access to necessary design tools, software, and potentially specialized hardware (e.g., high-resolution monitors) will be provided.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with product managers, developers, and other key stakeholders will be frequent, facilitating a dynamic and integrated work process.

Work Schedule: A standard 5-day, 40-hour work week is implied. While the role focuses on design execution, the fast-paced financial environment may sometimes require flexibility to meet project deadlines or critical business needs. However, the description does not explicitly mention overtime or unusual hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5 Days Onsite" requirement is a key factor. Candidates must be willing and able to work full-time in the Naperville location. The environment is likely professional and structured, common in financial services, which can be a positive for those who thrive in organized settings.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a brief call with TEKsystems recruiter to assess basic qualifications, salary expectations, and interest in the role.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: A more in-depth discussion with the hiring manager or key team members to evaluate experience, design philosophy, and cultural fit. This may include a review of the portfolio.

• Design Challenge: Candidates will be given a design challenge, likely related to data visualization or a complex UI problem, to assess their problem-solving skills, design process, and execution. This will be a critical part of the evaluation.

• Final Interview: A presentation of the design challenge solution to stakeholders, potentially including executive leadership, to gauge communication skills, strategic thinking, and ability to articulate design rationale.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Data Visualization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features case studies showcasing your ability to design effective data visualizations for complex datasets. Clearly explain the context, challenges, and your design solutions.

• Demonstrate UI Craft: Highlight your visual design skills, including typography, color, layout, and attention to detail. Showcase high-fidelity mockups and prototypes.

• Showcase Design Systems: Include examples of design systems you've worked on or contributed to, explaining your role and the impact.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your process (research, ideation, iteration), your solution, and the outcomes or impact. Quantify results where possible.

• Prepare for Presentation: Be ready to present your portfolio and design challenge solutions eloquently, articulating your thought process and rationale for design decisions. Practice explaining how your designs meet business and user needs.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research common UI patterns and challenges in financial services and data visualization.

• Practice Problem-Solving: Anticipate complex data scenarios and practice breaking them down into user-centric design problems.

• Time Management: Be prepared to work within a given timeframe for the design challenge and practice presenting your solution concisely.

• Focus on Rationale: For the design challenge, emphasize why you made certain design choices, linking them back to user needs and business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "3 Step interview process" and the inclusion of a "Design Challenge" are key indicators. Candidates must be prepared to demonstrate their skills practically. The portfolio review will be rigorous, focusing on the specific requirements of data visualization and complex data.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned as a required skill. Proficiency in Figma for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration is essential.

• Design Systems Tools: Familiarity with tools used for managing design systems (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook, or Figma's component features) will be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly stated, experience with analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel) to understand user behavior and inform design decisions would be advantageous.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the core design role, but understanding how design inputs integrate into CRM or marketing automation platforms could be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the critical tool for this role. Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience with Figma, including its collaborative features and its role in design system management.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A strong commitment to understanding and meeting the needs of users, particularly in the context of financial decision-making.

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasizing the use of data, research, and analytics to inform and validate design decisions, especially concerning complex data sets.

• Collaboration: A value placed on working effectively with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and executive leadership.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: A dedication to high-fidelity visual design and a meticulous approach to user experience, ensuring polished and professional outputs.

• Mentorship & Growth: A culture that supports knowledge sharing, skill development, and the professional growth of team members.

• Efficiency & Scalability: A focus on creating design solutions that are not only effective but also scalable and maintainable, particularly through the use of design systems.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role demands active collaboration with product managers to define requirements and with engineers to ensure feasibility and accurate implementation.

• Stakeholder Management: Regularly presenting to and gathering feedback from executive leadership and other stakeholders is a key aspect of the collaborative process.

• Design Critiques: A willingness to participate in and provide constructive feedback during design reviews and critiques is expected.

• Agile Teamwork: Working within an agile framework means close, iterative collaboration with development teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on collaboration with executive leadership and the potential for mentorship suggest a culture that values both strategic input and hands-on contribution, with an expectation of professionalism and clear communication.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Complex Data: The primary challenge will be designing intuitive and effective user interfaces for complex, data-rich financial information, ensuring clarity and usability for diverse user segments.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Navigating and aligning the needs of various stakeholders, including executive leadership, product teams, engineering, and end-users, will require strong communication and negotiation skills.

• Building a Design System: As the role involves creating a new design system, challenges will include establishing foundational principles, gaining buy-in, and ensuring its adoption and maintenance across products.

• Regulatory Compliance: Designing within the financial services sector requires understanding and adhering to strict regulatory requirements, which can add complexity to the design process.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Managing multiple projects and deadlines in a potentially demanding financial services environment will require strong organizational and time management skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Expertise in Financial Tech Design: Gaining deep experience in designing for financial services and complex data visualization can lead to specialization in a high-demand niche.

• Design System Leadership: Opportunity to lead the creation and evolution of a design system, establishing best practices and influencing product strategy.

• Executive Exposure: Direct interaction with executive leadership provides invaluable experience in strategic communication and understanding business drivers.

• Mentorship Role: Developing leadership skills through mentoring junior designers and potentially shaping a future design team.

• Agile Methodologies: Further honing skills in agile development environments and cross-functional team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities for a designer looking to make a tangible impact by building foundational design practices and specializing in a critical industry. The challenges are directly tied to the growth opportunities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Data Visualization Strategy: "How would you approach designing a dashboard for complex financial data that needs to cater to both novice and expert users? What key metrics would you prioritize, and how would you visualize them for clarity?" (Prepare to discuss your process, common data viz patterns, and user segmentation.)

• Design System Philosophy: "What are the core principles of a successful design system, and how would you approach building one from scratch for a financial services product? What are the key components, and how do you ensure adoption?" (Focus on scalability, documentation, and collaboration.)

• Stakeholder Alignment: "Describe a time you had to influence executive leadership or a non-design stakeholder to adopt your design recommendations. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Use the STAR method and highlight communication and persuasion skills.)

• Problem-Solving Approach: "Walk us through a challenging UI problem you solved in a previous role, ideally involving complex data. What was your process, what alternatives did you consider, and what was the impact?" (Be ready to detail your thought process, iterations, and quantifiable results.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about designing for the financial services industry, specifically with complex data sets?" (Showcase your research into the industry and your enthusiasm for the challenge.)

• "How do you approach mentoring junior designers or sharing your expertise within a team?" (Highlight your collaborative and supportive nature.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Flow: Structure your portfolio presentation like a story for each case study: problem, your role, process, solution, and outcome/impact.

• Visual Clarity: Ensure your visuals are clean, high-resolution, and clearly convey the intended user experience. Highlight key UI elements and data visualizations.

• Concise Explanations: Be prepared to speak articulately but concisely about your design decisions, user research findings, and the rationale behind your choices. Avoid jargon where possible, or explain it clearly.

• Focus on Impact: Emphasize the results of your work. Quantify improvements in usability, engagement, or business metrics whenever possible.

• Design Challenge Preparation: Practice presenting your design challenge solution within a specified time limit, focusing on clarity, strategic thinking, and user-centricity. Be ready to answer questions about your process and choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to test not just design skills but also strategic thinking, communication, and the ability to handle complex problems. Candidates should prepare thoroughly for the design challenge and be ready to articulate their value proposition clearly.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application directly via the TEKsystems careers portal using the provided link.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature at least two to three strong case studies that specifically showcase your experience with data visualization, complex data sets, and UI design for financial or analytical platforms. Ensure these case studies detail your process from problem definition through to solution and impact.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords such as "Product Design," "UI Design," "UX Research," "Data Visualization," "Figma," "Design Systems," "Financial Services," and "Mentorship." Quantify achievements where possible (e.g., "Improved user task completion by X%" or "Contributed to a new design system used across Y products").

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, especially for complex data problems, and be ready to discuss your experience with Figma and design systems. Prepare your presentation for the design challenge, focusing on clarity, rationale, and impact.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with TEKsystems and the general landscape of financial services technology. Understand the importance of data integrity, user trust, and regulatory compliance in this sector.

⚠️ 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.