Senior Product Designer (f/m/d)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer (f/m/d) Company: pdm solutions GmbH Location: Berlin, Germany Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / UI/UX Operations Date Posted: January 20, 2026 Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the design and implementation of intuitive UI/UX solutions for directory brands, focusing on enhancing user experience and platform functionality within an agile product development lifecycle.
• Lead the architecture, development, and governance of a scalable multi-brand design system in Figma, encompassing token architecture, atomic design components, patterns, and templates to accelerate product delivery.
• Conduct user research and QA to deeply understand user challenges, identify enhancement opportunities, and ensure design system consistency, deduplication, and adherence to accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG).
• Actively foster a healthy design culture, collaborate closely with cross-functional teams (Engineering, Product Management, Marketing), and contribute to the company's digitalization efforts through innovative design thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is framed as "Senior Product Designer" but the responsibilities strongly lean into "Design Operations" and "Design System Management," particularly with the emphasis on building and governing a multi-brand design system, token architecture, and accelerating page building. This suggests a need for candidates with a blend of strong UX/UI skills and a deep understanding of design system architecture and implementation. The "f/m/d" designation (female/male/diverse) is standard in Germany and indicates an inclusive hiring practice.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design System Architecture & Development:
  • Co-own the architecture, structure, libraries, naming conventions, publishing process, and governance of a multi-brand design system.
  • Develop Atomic Design components, including variant logic, states, and conceptual responsiveness.
  • Define and build reusable patterns and templates to significantly accelerate page building and product development.
  • Drive Quality Assurance (QA) and consolidation efforts, including deduplication, property management, token leak identification, and consistency checks.
• User Experience & Interface Design:
  • Support the team in designing user interfaces for web and app platforms, ensuring an intuitive and engaging user experience.
  • Translate user needs and business requirements into wireframes, user flows, prototypes, mockups, and high-fidelity visual designs.
  • Participate in user research activities to gain first-hand understanding of user challenges, needs, and pain points.
• Design Culture & Collaboration:
  • Actively foster and promote a healthy design culture across the company, shaping collaborative practices.
  • Communicate design vision, concepts, and solutions effectively to cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
  • Collaborate openly across functions, embracing a "we" not "me" mentality, and providing and receiving constructive feedback.
• Process & Technology Integration:
  • Drive enhancements by identifying opportunities for design system improvement and user experience optimization.
  • Ensure designs adhere to accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and best practices.
  • Contribute to the digitalization of directory brands by implementing innovative design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a significant focus on design system management and scalability, indicating that candidates with experience in building and maintaining large-scale design systems will be highly valued. The emphasis on "accelerate page building" and "patterns & templates" suggests a need for practical, efficient design solutions.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and a deep understanding of design principles is paramount. Experience: Several years of experience as a Product Designer in an agile environment, with a proven track record of contributing to and managing design systems.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Several years of experience as a Product Designer in an agile environment.
• Design Systems: Solid understanding of design systems, including style guides, token architecture, component libraries, and governance.
• Atomic Design: Proven ability to develop Atomic Design components, variant logic, and states.
• UI/UX Design: Strong conceptual and interaction design skills, with a keen eye for visual design.
• Prototyping & Wireframing: Proficiency in creating wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes.
• User Research: Experience participating in user research to understand user challenges and needs.
• Accessibility: Knowledge of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and best practices.
• Collaboration: Comfort sharing work early and often, receiving feedback, and collaborating openly across functions.
• English Fluency: Fluent in English.

Preferred Skills:

• German Language: German language proficiency is a plus, given the client base.
• Figma Proficiency: Advanced skills in Figma for design and design system development.
• Adobe Creative Suite: Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite.
• Google Workspace & Notion: Familiarity with Google Workspace and Notion for collaboration and documentation.
• Emerging Technologies: A desire to learn and stay abreast of industry trends, best practices, and emerging technologies in product design.
• Pattern & Template Design: Experience defining and building reusable patterns and templates.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize practical experience and a deep understanding of design systems and agile methodologies. The explicit mention of Figma, Google Workspace, and Notion suggests these are core tools for daily operations. The "desire to learn" and "keep abreast of industry trends" indicates a company culture that values continuous improvement and forward-thinking design.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase well-crafted, impactful work that solves real problems for real people.
• Include case studies demonstrating the process of discovering, designing, and delivering solutions.
• Highlight contributions to design system architecture, component development, and pattern creation.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of UI/UX principles, interaction design, and visual design aesthetics.
• Provide examples of how accessibility standards were considered and implemented.

Process Documentation:

• Clearly document the design process, from research and ideation to prototyping and final implementation.
• Illustrate how user research informed design decisions and led to tangible improvements.
• Detail the methodology used for design system development, including governance and maintenance.
• Showcase how designs were iterated upon based on feedback and QA.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role, particularly one that emphasizes design system work. Candidates should be prepared to detail their process for building, managing, and iterating on design systems, including their approach to atomic design, token architecture, and component libraries.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Senior Product Designer with 5-10 years of experience in Berlin, Germany, the estimated annual salary range is €65,000 - €85,000. This estimate considers the cost of living in Berlin, the company's industry (digital services/consulting), and the senior level of the position.

Benefits:

• Inclusive and Collaborative Workplace Culture: Enjoy the freedom to work independently in a setting with flat hierarchies and rapid decision-making.
• Flexible Work Options: Autonomy to shape work schedules, with options for remote work, office-based work, or on-site collaboration with partners.
• Real Creative Input: Ideas are actively evaluated and considered for development, offering significant opportunity for impact.
• Competitive Compensation: An attractive base salary paired with individualized bonuses tied to key performance indicators.
• Visa Sponsorship: Assistance with Blue Card application process for eligible candidates requiring a work permit.
• Motivated Team: Collaborate with a driven group committed to developing innovative solutions.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility in scheduling to accommodate hybrid work arrangements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on typical compensation for senior product designers in Berlin. Actual compensation will depend on the candidate's specific experience, skills, and the company's compensation structure. The benefits highlight a strong emphasis on autonomy, flexibility, and professional impact.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, Digital Services, Consulting (specifically for directory brands and SME digitalization). Company Size: The provided data does not specify company size, but the mention of a "motivated team" and "flat hierarchies" suggests a dynamic, potentially growing organization. Founded: The company was founded in 2014, indicating a mature but likely still agile and evolving business.

Team Structure:

• The design team operates within an agile environment, collaborating closely with engineering, product management, and marketing.
• Flat hierarchies suggest direct access to decision-makers and a less bureaucratic approach to project execution.
• The team emphasizes a "we" not "me" mentality, promoting collective ownership and shared success.

Methodology:

• Agile Product Development: Work is conducted within an agile framework, emphasizing iterative development and continuous feedback.
• Design System Centric: A core methodology involves building and leveraging a scalable, multi-brand design system to ensure consistency and efficiency.
• User-Centric Design: User research and empathy are integral to understanding challenges and driving design decisions.
• Data-Informed Decisions: While not explicitly stated for design, the emphasis on "key performance indicators" for bonuses suggests a data-driven approach across the organization.

Company Website: http://pdm-solutions.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on digitalization for directory brands and SMEs, combined with its founding date, suggests a company that has established expertise but is actively innovating and expanding its digital offerings. The culture appears to value autonomy, collaboration, and tangible impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer, indicating a mid-to-senior level position with significant autonomy and responsibility, particularly concerning the design system. Reporting Structure: While not explicitly detailed, the flat hierarchy suggests reporting to a Head of Design, Design Lead, or a Product Manager, with direct collaboration across engineering and product teams. Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer will have a direct impact on the efficiency and scalability of product development through the design system, as well as on user satisfaction and brand consistency across multiple digital platforms.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design System Leadership: Opportunity to deeply influence and lead the evolution of a multi-brand design system, potentially growing into a Design System Architect or Lead role.
• Cross-Functional Expertise: Develop broader skills in product strategy, agile methodologies, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Mentorship: Potential to mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth of the design team's capabilities.
• Innovation: Contribute to the digitalization strategy of various brands, driving innovation in user experience and digital product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and the responsibilities around design system ownership suggest a role with significant growth potential within design operations and system architecture, rather than just individual contribution.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company offers flexible work options, including remote, office-based, or on-site collaboration with partners. This indicates a modern, adaptable work environment. Office Location(s): The primary office is located in Berlin, Germany.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Encourages interaction and knowledge sharing across teams (Design, Engineering, Marketing).
• Tooling: Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, Google Workspace, and Notion.
• Autonomy: A culture that supports independent work and rapid decision-making.

Work Schedule: Approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility to accommodate hybrid work arrangements and personal scheduling needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role, combined with flexible scheduling, suggests a focus on results and output rather than strict adherence to office presence, which is common in modern tech and design environments.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of CV and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with role requirements.
• Portfolio Presentation: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, focusing on relevant case studies, particularly those demonstrating design system experience, problem-solving, and user-centric design.
• Technical/Skills Assessment: May involve a design challenge or discussion to evaluate Figma proficiency, design system thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
• Team/Cultural Fit Interview: Discussions with team members to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and alignment with company values.
• Final Interview: Likely with a senior leader to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and strategic contributions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Design System Impact: Showcase specific examples of building, managing, or significantly contributing to a design system. Detail the architecture, component library, and the impact on development speed and consistency.
• Problem-Solution Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process, the solutions, and the measurable outcomes or impact.
• Demonstrate Process: Show your thinking process, including user research, wireframing, prototyping, and iteration based on feedback.
• Visual Design & Interaction: Ensure high-quality visual presentation and clear articulation of interaction design decisions.
• Accessibility Focus: Include examples where accessibility was a key consideration.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a design challenge that might involve improving an existing interface, designing a new feature, or solving a specific user problem relevant to directory brands or SME digitalization.
• Practice articulating your design decisions, rationale, and trade-offs, especially concerning design system components and patterns.
• Be ready to discuss your experience with Figma and other relevant tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio that showcases design system work is paramount. Candidates should be prepared to walk through their process and demonstrate how they've built scalable and maintainable design systems.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Advanced skills required for UI/UX design, prototyping, and comprehensive design system development (token architecture, component libraries, variants).
• Google Workspace: For collaboration, documentation, and communication (e.g., Docs, Sheets, Slides).
• Notion: Likely used for project management, design documentation, and knowledge sharing.
• Adobe Creative Suite: Proficiency is required, likely for specific graphic design tasks or asset creation.

Analytics & Reporting: While not explicitly mentioned for the designer role, understanding how design impacts user behavior metrics (e.g., conversion rates, engagement) is beneficial. Familiarity with analytics tools used by product teams could be advantageous.

CRM & Automation: Not directly relevant to the core design responsibilities but understanding the context of how user data is managed may be helpful.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is clearly the central design tool for this role, especially concerning design system work. Proficiency here is non-negotiable.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Collaboration: Emphasizing a "we" not "me" approach, fostering teamwork and collective achievement.
• Innovation: Encouraging new ideas and actively evaluating them for development, contributing to digitalization efforts.
• Autonomy & Independence: Providing freedom to work independently with flat hierarchies and rapid decision-making.
• Continuous Improvement: A desire to learn, stay abreast of industry trends, and implement best practices.
• Impact-Driven: Focus on creating work that solves real problems and delivers tangible results, reflected in performance-based bonuses.

Collaboration Style:

• Open and communicative, with a willingness to share work early and often.
• Cross-functional, working closely with engineers, product managers, and marketers.
• Feedback-oriented, with a culture of receiving and providing constructive criticism.
• Process-focused, with an emphasis on building efficient systems (like design systems) to enable better collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be modern, agile, and human-centric, valuing both individual contribution and collective success. The emphasis on "real creative input" and "real problems" suggests a desire for designers who are not just executors but also strategic thinkers.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Multi-Brand Design System Management: Building and maintaining a cohesive yet flexible design system across multiple distinct brands presents a significant architectural and governance challenge.
• Balancing Consistency and Flexibility: Ensuring consistency across brands while allowing for unique brand identities and rapid product iteration.
• Driving Adoption: Encouraging widespread adoption and adherence to the design system across different teams and projects.
• Keeping Pace with Evolving Technologies: Continuously updating the design system and design practices to incorporate new technologies and industry trends.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design System Expertise: Deepen knowledge in advanced design system architecture, tokenization, and governance models.
• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Gain exposure to product strategy, agile development, and stakeholder management.
• Industry Trends: Stay at the forefront of UI/UX, interaction design, and digital product innovation.
• Mentorship: Opportunity to guide and mentor junior designers within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in the complexity of managing a multi-brand design system at scale, requiring strong strategic thinking and technical design skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your experience building and managing a design system. What was your role in its architecture, component development, and governance?"
• "How do you approach user research to understand user challenges, and how do you translate those insights into design solutions?"
• "Walk us through a complex UI/UX project you led. What were the key challenges, your design process, and the outcome?"
• "How do you ensure accessibility standards are met in your designs, and what is your experience with WCAG?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about pdm solutions GmbH and our mission to digitalize directory brands?"
• "How do you foster collaboration within a cross-functional team, especially between design and engineering?"
• "Describe a time you had to receive difficult feedback on your design. How did you handle it?"
• "How do you stay updated on the latest design trends and technologies?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically, ideally by case study, highlighting the problem, your process, solutions, and impact.
• Design System Focus: Dedicate a significant portion to showcasing your design system work – its structure, components, tokens, and benefits.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the positive impact of your designs (e.g., improved conversion, reduced development time, increased user satisfaction).
• Articulate Rationale: Be prepared to explain the 'why' behind your design decisions, especially concerning interaction patterns, visual choices, and system architecture.
• Tools & Technologies: Be ready to discuss your proficiency with Figma and other relevant tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not just their design skills but also their strategic thinking regarding scalable design solutions and their ability to foster a collaborative design culture.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on join.com.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects, with a strong emphasis on any design system work. Ensure case studies clearly articulate your process, problem-solving, and outcomes.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords such as "Product Design," "UI/UX," "Design Systems," "Figma," "Agile," "Atomic Design," and any experience with multi-brand systems. Quantify achievements where possible.
• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio, focusing on your role, design decisions, and the impact of your work, especially concerning design systems and user experience enhancements.
• Research the Company: Understand pdm solutions GmbH's mission, their work with directory brands, and their focus on digitalization. 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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