Senior Product Designer, Merchant Experience

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer, Merchant Experience

Company: Koalafi

Location: Arlington, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: April 09, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end redesign of Koalafi's merchant portal, a critical B2B web application for retailers.

• Drive user-centered design strategies, translating user needs and business objectives into intuitive and efficient user experiences for financial product management.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Engineering, and Leadership to deliver high-impact design solutions within a fast-paced, agile development environment.

• Contribute to and evolve the company's Design System using Figma, ensuring consistency, scalability, and a polished user interface across all merchant-facing platforms.

• Utilize data analysis and user feedback to iterate on designs, optimize user flows, and measure the success of design initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically focused on the "Merchant Experience," indicating a B2B product design specialization within the fintech sector. The emphasis on redesigning a "merchant portal" suggests a need for expertise in complex web applications, user flows for business users, and potentially financial data visualization and management. The requirement for on-site presence in Virginia reinforces the need for candidates within commuting distance.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the comprehensive redesign of the Koalafi merchant portal, focusing on enhancing the user experience for retailers managing applications, customer activity, and partnership growth.

• Conduct in-depth user research, including interviews and synthesis, to deeply understand merchant pain points and opportunities for improvement in financial product management.

• Translate research findings and product requirements into wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity visual designs using Figma.

• Partner with Product Managers and Engineering teams throughout the product development lifecycle, from ideation and concept validation to final implementation and post-launch iteration.

• Develop and maintain key components and patterns within the Koalafi Design System, ensuring adherence to brand guidelines, accessibility standards, and responsive design principles.

• Champion a data-driven design approach by defining success metrics, analyzing product usage data, and gathering user feedback to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Present design concepts, research findings, and project outcomes effectively to cross-functional teams and executive leadership.

• Contribute to a culture of design excellence by sharing best practices, providing constructive feedback, and mentoring junior designers if applicable.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a senior-level role requiring leadership in a significant redesign initiative. The emphasis on research, design system contribution, and data-driven iteration points to a need for holistic product design ownership. The collaboration with PMs and developers underscores the importance of strong communication and cross-functional partnership skills within an agile framework.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

Required Skills:

• Expert-level proficiency in Figma, including advanced features such as components, auto-layout, grids, slots, variables, and interactive prototyping.

• Demonstrated experience in leading end-to-end design processes, from user research and ideation through to high-fidelity design and implementation support for web applications.

• Strong understanding of responsive design principles and modern web interaction patterns for B2B platforms.

• Proven ability to conduct user research (interviews, surveys, synthesis) and translate insights into actionable design solutions for financial products.

• Experience in contributing to or managing a shared design system, with a meticulous eye for detail regarding UI consistency, spacing, and hierarchy.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and findings to diverse stakeholders, including leadership.

• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently in a fast-paced environment, demonstrating strong organizational skills and attention to detail.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the fintech industry or working with financial products.

• Experience designing for both B2B and B2C (or B2B2C) environments.

• Familiarity with accessibility (WCAG) and inclusive design principles.

• Experience integrating AI tools into the design workflow to enhance research, ideation, or production efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "expert-level Figma skills" is a strong indicator of the tool's centrality to the design workflow. The emphasis on B2B portals and financial products suggests that experience in these areas will be highly valued. The preference for AI tool integration highlights a forward-thinking approach to design operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated selection of 3-5 complex web application or B2B portal design projects that showcase your end-to-end design process.

• Detailed case studies demonstrating your role, the problem you solved, your design process (research, ideation, iteration), and the impact of your solutions.

• Visual examples of wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs.

• Evidence of your contribution to or management of a design system, including examples of reusable components and style guides.

Process Documentation:

• For each portfolio project, clearly articulate the user research methodologies employed and how insights informed design decisions.

• Document the iterative design process, including user testing, feedback incorporation, and design system application.

• Showcase how you collaborated with product managers and engineers to ensure successful implementation of designs.

• Illustrate how you used data and analytics to measure design performance and drive continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role, especially one involving a significant redesign, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to demonstrate not just visual design skills but also strategic thinking, user research capabilities, and the ability to drive measurable outcomes for B2B applications. A strong emphasis on process documentation within case studies will be critical.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

• 20 days of Paid Time Off (PTO)

• 11 paid holidays

• 401(k) retirement plan with company matching

• Student Loan & Tuition Reimbursement program

• Commuter assistance

• Parental leave (maternal + paternal)

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time role, typically 40 hours per week. While a consistent on-site presence is required, the company may offer some flexibility in daily start/end times, subject to team and business needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on the role's seniority, location (Virginia), industry (Fintech), and the specific skills required. Benefits are directly pulled from the provided data and are presented to highlight aspects valuable to operations professionals seeking a stable and supportive work environment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech, Financial Services, Lease-to-Own Financing. Koalafi operates in a dynamic sector focused on expanding access to credit and flexible payment solutions for consumers, while providing valuable tools and services to retail partners.

Company Size: The provided data does not specify the exact company size, but mentions "200+ Koalafi teammates." This suggests a mid-sized company, likely past the startup phase but still agile enough for significant product initiatives. This size often means opportunities for direct impact and cross-functional visibility for senior roles.

Founded: The founding date is not provided, but the company's mission to transform financing experiences implies a history of innovation and adaptation in the financial services landscape.

Team Structure:

• The design team is described as "small and growing," with the Senior Product Designer reporting to the Director of Product Design.

• This structure implies a hands-on leadership opportunity for the Senior Designer, with direct influence on design strategy and team development.

Methodology:

• The company emphasizes a "ground-up redesign" for the merchant portal, suggesting a commitment to user-centered design principles and iterative development.

• Data analysis and user feedback are key drivers for design decisions and improvements.

• Agile development methodologies are likely employed, requiring close collaboration and rapid iteration between design, product, and engineering.

Company Website: koalafi.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The "small and growing" design team context is crucial for a Senior Designer. It suggests a need for someone who can not only execute but also help shape the design function's processes and standards. The company's mission in fintech provides a backdrop for understanding the user needs and business drivers.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer, indicating a level of expertise and autonomy beyond entry or mid-level positions. It involves leading significant design initiatives, mentoring, and contributing to strategic product decisions. The "merchant experience" focus is a specialized track within product design.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer reports to the Director of Product Design. This provides a clear line of management and mentorship, with opportunities to learn from a design leader. The role also requires close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineering leads.

Operations Impact: As a Senior Product Designer leading the merchant portal redesign, the impact will be direct and significant. Improved merchant experience leads to higher adoption, better partner satisfaction, increased sales for retailers, and ultimately, greater revenue and market share for Koalafi. The role directly influences the operational efficiency and success of Koalafi's retail partners.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to take ownership of a high-visibility project, potentially leading to opportunities to lead other major design initiatives or manage future design hires as the team grows.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in B2B product design, fintech UX, and complex web application design, becoming a go-to expert in merchant experience.

• Design System Expansion: Play a key role in evolving and scaling the Koalafi Design System, building expertise in design system architecture and governance.

• Skill Enhancement: Exposure to AI-powered design tools and fintech-specific user challenges will foster continuous learning and skill development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities are framed around leadership, specialization, and skill enhancement, which are critical for a senior-level operations professional. The direct impact on business outcomes and partner success is a key draw for ambitious designers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role requires regular in-person attendance at one of Koalafi's two office locations in Virginia (Richmond or Arlington). This indicates a hybrid or predominantly on-site work environment designed to foster collaboration and team cohesion.

Office Location(s):

• Arlington, Virginia

• Richmond, Virginia

Workspace Context:

• The "small and growing" design team suggests a collaborative and potentially intimate working environment where designers work closely together.

• Being on-site facilitates direct interaction with Product Managers, Engineers, and other cross-functional stakeholders, enabling rapid feedback loops and effective problem-solving.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time, approximately 40 hours per week. While on-site presence is key, there might be some flexibility in daily hours to accommodate personal needs, provided business objectives and team collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement is a critical factor for candidates. The description emphasizes the benefits of this environment for collaboration and efficiency, which is important for operations roles that thrive on direct communication and teamwork.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and portfolios to assess basic qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, focusing on 1-2 key projects that demonstrate their expertise in B2B web application design, Figma skills, and user research. A design challenge may be assigned, requiring candidates to solve a specific problem related to the merchant portal or a similar context.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers to assess technical skills, collaboration style, problem-solving approach, and cultural fit.

• Leadership Interview: A final interview with the Director of Product Design or other senior leadership to discuss strategic thinking, leadership potential, and overall fit with the company's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tailor to the Role: Highlight projects that most closely align with B2B web applications, merchant portals, or complex user interfaces. Emphasize your role in the redesign and end-to-end process.

• Showcase Figma Mastery: Be prepared to discuss your advanced Figma techniques (components, auto-layout, variables, prototyping) and how they contribute to efficiency and consistency.

• Quantify Impact: For each project, clearly articulate user needs, your design solutions, and the measurable outcomes (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, increased user satisfaction). Use data and metrics whenever possible.

• Design System Contribution: If you've worked on a design system, be ready to present its structure, your contributions, and how it benefited the product and development teams.

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as compelling narratives, explaining the "why" behind your design decisions and how you navigated challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Merchant Portal: Research Koalafi's existing merchant portal (if publicly available) or similar B2B financial platforms to understand common workflows and pain points.

• Focus on Process: If given a design challenge, focus on demonstrating your structured approach to problem-solving, user research, ideation, and iteration, rather than just the final visual output.

• Articulate Trade-offs: Be prepared to discuss design decisions and the trade-offs you considered, especially in the context of business goals and technical constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a Senior Product Designer role typically involves a significant portfolio review and potentially a design challenge. Preparing to articulate the "why" behind design decisions and quantify impact will be crucial for demonstrating senior-level strategic thinking.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for UI design, prototyping, component creation, and design system management. Expert-level proficiency is a must.

• User Research Tools: Potentially tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, or similar platforms for conducting remote user interviews and usability testing.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities will be central, potentially supplemented by other tools if needed for advanced interactions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools: Experience with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics, or similar platforms to track user behavior, measure feature adoption, and analyze the success of design initiatives.

• Data Visualization Tools: Familiarity with tools that can help interpret and present data insights to stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

• Project Management Tools: Slack, Confluence, and Jira are explicitly mentioned for team synchronization and workflow management.

• CRM Systems: While not directly designing the CRM, understanding how the merchant portal interacts with or complements a CRM system (e.g., Salesforce) could be beneficial for context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is highlighted as the primary design tool, indicating a deep dive into its capabilities will be essential. Familiarity with product analytics tools is critical for a data-driven design approach in this role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Focus on What's Most Important: Prioritizing design efforts on initiatives that deliver the greatest value to merchants and the business.

• Clear Expectations & Delivery: A commitment to setting clear design goals and consistently delivering high-quality work on time.

• Embrace Challenges: A willingness to tackle complex problems within the fintech space and push boundaries to achieve full potential.

• Continuous Improvement ("How can this be better?"): A proactive mindset towards identifying opportunities for design and process enhancements.

• Fast Collaboration ("Move fast together"): An emphasis on efficient teamwork and rapid iteration, especially between design, product, and engineering.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to work closely with Product Managers and Engineers, fostering a collaborative environment where design is integrated early and throughout the development process.

• Iterative Feedback: A culture that encourages open feedback and constructive critique on designs to ensure continuous improvement and alignment.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging team members to share insights, best practices, and learnings, particularly within the design and product development spheres.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values and collaboration style emphasize agility, a proactive problem-solving approach, and strong cross-functional partnerships, which are hallmarks of effective operations and product development teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Redesigning a Complex B2B Portal: The primary challenge will be to overhaul a critical merchant-facing platform while ensuring minimal disruption to existing operations and meeting diverse user needs.

• Balancing Speed and Craft: In a fast-paced development environment, maintaining high design quality and user experience standards while meeting aggressive timelines will be a constant challenge.

• Fintech Specifics: Designing for financial products requires a deep understanding of regulatory considerations, security, user trust, and complex financial workflows, which can be challenging to navigate.

• Evolving Design Tools: Keeping pace with the rapid advancements in design tools, particularly AI-powered features in Figma, and integrating them effectively into the workflow.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Fintech Expertise: Gaining specialized knowledge in financial technology, consumer finance, and merchant operations.

• Advanced Design System Work: Contributing to the growth and maturity of a design system, learning about governance, scalability, and best practices for system maintenance.

• Leadership and Mentorship: Taking a lead role in a major design initiative, potentially mentoring junior designers, and influencing design strategy within the company.

• AI in Design: Exploring and implementing AI tools within the design workflow to enhance efficiency and creativity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are framed around the complexities of the role and industry, while the growth opportunities focus on developing specialized skills and leadership capabilities relevant to senior operations and design professionals.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex B2B web application you redesigned. What were the key challenges, your process, and the quantifiable impact of your design solutions?" (Focus on demonstrating end-to-end ownership, problem-solving, and measurable results).

• "How do you approach user research for a B2B audience, especially within the fintech space? Can you walk us through a time your research directly influenced a significant design decision?" (Highlight your user empathy, research methodologies, and ability to translate insights into action).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in Koalafi and our mission to transform financing experiences?" (Research Koalafi's mission, values, and recent news. Connect your passion for design to their business goals).

• "How do you align with our values of 'Focus on What's Most Important,' 'Embrace Challenges,' and 'Move Fast Together'?" (Prepare specific examples from your experience that demonstrate these values in action).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with a high-level overview of Koalafi and the merchant portal's purpose. Then, dive into 1-2 of your most relevant projects. For each, clearly state the problem, your role, the scope, your process (research, ideation, design, testing), key decisions and trade-offs, and the final outcomes/impact.

• Figma Showcase: Be prepared to share your Figma file or specific screens to demonstrate your proficiency with components, auto-layout, prototyping, and any AI features you've utilized. Explain how these features improved your workflow or the final product.

• Data & Metrics: Wherever possible, present quantitative data (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced error rates, time savings for users) and qualitative feedback to validate your design's success.

• Conciseness & Clarity: Practice your presentation to ensure it's engaging, easy to follow, and within the allotted time. Focus on the "why" behind your decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, process rigor, and the ability to articulate design decisions with data and user insights, especially for a senior-level role in a complex industry.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest B2B web application or complex portal design projects that best showcase your end-to-end process, Figma expertise, and impact. Tailor your case studies to highlight your experience with user research, design systems, and driving measurable results.

• Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your 5+ years of relevant experience, expert-level Figma skills, and any experience in fintech or B2B/B2B2C design. Use keywords from the job description like "UX/UI," "Product Design," "Figma," "B2B Portals," "Design Systems," and "User Research."

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on articulating your design process, rationale, and the quantifiable impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your approach to user research and how you've used Figma's advanced features.

• Research Koalafi: Understand Koalafi's mission, their products, their target users (merchants), and their company values. Be prepared to articulate why you are a good fit for their culture and how your skills can contribute to their goals.

⚠️ 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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