Senior Product Designer, PT Tuoteryhmäjohtaminen

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer, PT Tuoteryhmäjohtaminen Company: The S Group Location: Helsinki, Finland Job Type: Full-time Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design Date Posted: November 11, 2025 Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and shape a critical product selection tool for the grocery business, focusing on enhancing the daily workflow of product management experts.
• Collaborate closely with users, product owners, development leads, and other stakeholders to define user journeys, product features, and intuitive user interfaces.
• Actively participate in SOK's extensive Design community, contributing to a collaborative environment of approximately 50 internal and 20 external designers.
• Drive innovation in product group management processes and applications, directly impacting customer experience, sales development, and efficient shelf space utilization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is specifically focused on B2B product design within the retail grocery sector, emphasizing the development of an internal tool to optimize complex business processes. The "PT Tuoteryhmäjohtaminen" translates to "Product Group Management," clearly indicating a focus on managing product assortments and category strategies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth user research to identify challenges, needs, and expectations within the grocery product selection process, aligning them with future technological possibilities.
• Translate user and business needs into functional solution concepts, developing and testing prototypes with users and stakeholders.
• Own the end-to-end user interface (UI) design, ensuring solutions are not only functional and intuitive but also visually appealing and aligned with brand standards.
• Foster close collaboration with business stakeholders, development teams, and other subject matter experts, synthesizing diverse perspectives to drive design forward.
• Design solutions that free up users' time from repetitive tasks and provide them with necessary tools and data for value-adding product selection and management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design thinking, user advocacy, and hands-on execution, requiring the candidate to navigate complex business needs and translate them into effective digital solutions. The emphasis on "freeing up user time" and "adding value" points to a strong focus on efficiency and business impact.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating practical application of design principles is paramount. Degrees in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or related fields are beneficial. Experience: Minimum of 5-10 years of proven experience in designing digital services and enhancing customer experiences, with a significant portion ideally gained in B2B environments or with expert tools. Experience in process conceptualization, prioritization, backlog management, prototyping, validation, and implementation is crucial.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design for digital products.
• Proficiency in user research methodologies, including identifying user needs and pain points.
• Skilled in rapid prototyping and iterative user testing.
• Strong visual design capabilities and attention to detail.
• Excellent collaboration and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to facilitate cross-functional discussions.
• Proven ability to manage ambiguity and drive clarity in complex projects.
• Fluency in English (written and spoken) for communication within the international design community and potentially with global stakeholders.
• Proficiency with core design and collaboration tools: Miro, Figma, and Jira.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing B2B applications or expert-level tools.
• Familiarity with the grocery retail business, particularly assortment planning and category management processes.
• Understanding of agile development methodologies and product backlog management.
• Ability to articulate design decisions clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.
• Experience in facilitating workshops and design thinking sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for B2B experience and familiarity with tools like Miro, Figma, and Jira indicates a need for a candidate who can hit the ground running within an established product development lifecycle. The "diplomatic approach" and ability to "foster good vibes" suggest a strong emphasis on teamwork and positive interpersonal skills.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a portfolio showcasing a strong track record in designing complex digital services, with a focus on user-centricity and business impact.
• Include case studies that illustrate your process from problem identification through to solution implementation and validation, highlighting your role and contributions.
• Showcase examples of user research, wireframing, prototyping, and final UI design for B2B applications or expert tools.
• Provide evidence of how your design solutions have improved user efficiency, streamlined workflows, or delivered tangible business value, ideally with quantifiable metrics.

Process Documentation:

• Your portfolio should implicitly or explicitly detail your understanding and application of the product development lifecycle: conceptualization, prioritization, backlog management, prototyping, validation, and implementation.
• Demonstrate your ability to facilitate discussions and gather input from various stakeholders (users, business, tech) at each stage of the process.
• Illustrate how you approach testing and iterating on designs based on feedback and data.

📝 Enhancement Note: A robust portfolio is explicitly requested, underscoring the critical nature of showcasing practical design skills and process. The emphasis on B2B and expert tools suggests that case studies involving complex workflows and data-driven decision-making will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry standards for a Senior Product Designer with 5-10 years of experience in Helsinki, Finland, the estimated annual salary range is €60,000 - €85,000. This estimate considers the cost of living in Helsinki, the seniority of the role, and the typical compensation for design professionals in large, established Finnish companies.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and a fair compensation package.
• Comprehensive employee benefits, including health, sports, and cultural subsidies.
• Flexible working hours and a hybrid work arrangement (approximately 3 days in the office, with flexibility).
• Employee discounts on S-Group products and services.
• Lunch benefit provided at the staff restaurant.
• Access to recreational and exercise facilities at Ässäkeskus.
• Opportunities for professional development, including access to extensive training programs and an IT community for knowledge sharing.

Working Hours: The standard workweek is 40 hours, with flexibility in scheduling and the option for hybrid work, allowing for approximately 3 days per week in the Helsinki office and the remainder remotely.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on publicly available data for senior design roles in Helsinki and the compensation benchmarks for large Finnish corporations. Benefits are detailed to highlight the comprehensive package offered by The S Group.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Retail / Consumer Goods / Technology. The S Group is Finland's largest private employer and a significant player in the daily lives of most Finns, operating a vast network of stores and services. Company Size: Large Enterprise (SOK, the central organization, employs approximately 2,300 specialists, with the broader S-Group comprising tens of thousands of employees). This scale offers stability and opportunities for impact. Founded: The S Group's origins date back to 1904, representing a long history of cooperative business in Finland. SOK, the central organization, focuses on procurement, expertise, and support services for the group.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the product development team for the grocery business's selection tool. This team likely includes a Product Owner, Development Lead, and other developers.
• You will be part of SOK's broader Design community of approximately 50 internal and 20 external designers, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing across various projects and departments.
• Reporting likely to a Design Lead or Product Development Manager within the grocery business unit.

Methodology:

• The company emphasizes a data-driven approach to product development and business decisions.
• Workflow planning and optimization are central to the role, aiming to improve the efficiency of product group management.
• Automation and efficiency practices are key objectives for the tools being developed.

Company Website: https://s-ryhma.fi/

📝 Enhancement Note: The "cooperative values" (customer focus, continuous renewal, responsibility, profitability) are core to the S-Group's identity and influence its operational culture. The blend of a large, established retail business with a growing digital and IT focus creates a unique environment for operations and design professionals.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, indicating a position of significant experience and influence. You are expected to lead design efforts for a critical tool, mentor junior designers (implicitly), and significantly contribute to strategic product decisions. The role requires not just execution but also the ability to shape product direction and user experience strategy. Reporting Structure: You will report to a manager within the product development team for the grocery sector, likely a Product Owner or Development Manager. You will also be a key member of the larger SOK Design community, providing opportunities for peer learning and collaboration with other senior designers. Operations Impact: Your work will directly impact the efficiency and effectiveness of product group managers within the grocery business. This, in turn, influences customer satisfaction, sales performance, and the optimal utilization of retail space across the S-Group's extensive network. The application is designed to improve complex business processes, making your impact tangible and significant.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in B2B product design, particularly within the retail or grocery sector.
• Leadership: Potential to move into Lead Designer roles, manage design projects, or mentor junior designers.
• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain insights into various S-Group business areas (e.g., restaurants, hotels, e-commerce) through the broader IT and design community.
• Skill Development: Opportunities to acquire technical skills in areas like web, mobile, and cloud technologies, as well as business acumen across different retail operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within a large organization, moving from a senior individual contributor role to potential leadership or specialized expertise. The emphasis on "ownership" and "impact" suggests that career progression is tied to tangible contributions to business outcomes.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The primary work location is Helsinki, at the Ässäkeskus office. This is a modern, collaborative workspace designed to foster interaction among employees. The company promotes a hybrid model, encouraging in-office presence for collaboration while allowing remote work for focused tasks. Office Location(s): Helsinki, Finland. The Ässäkeskus office is a central hub for SOK's operations and digital talent. Workspace Context:

• The workspace is designed for collaboration, with opportunities to meet colleagues several times a week.
• Access to modern design and collaboration tools (Miro, Figma, Jira) is standard.
• The role offers significant autonomy, balanced with the need for close teamwork with business, product, and development counterparts.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour workweek with flexibility in scheduling. The hybrid model allows for a balance between in-office collaboration and remote focus time, supporting efficient workflow management and personal work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model (approx. 3 days in office) is a key feature, indicating a company that values both face-to-face collaboration and the flexibility of remote work for focused design tasks. The "Ässäkeskus" office is presented as a hub with amenities, suggesting a positive employee experience.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Application and portfolio review by a recruiter to assess qualifications and alignment with the role's core requirements.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager to delve deeper into experience, design philosophy, B2B expertise, and cultural fit. Be prepared to discuss your approach to user research, problem-solving, and stakeholder collaboration.
• Design Team/Peer Interview: Interaction with future colleagues, potentially including other designers and product team members. This stage assesses your collaborative style and how you integrate into the design community.
• Optional: Skills Assessment/Case Study: You may be asked to present a portfolio case study or complete a design exercise to demonstrate your practical skills and problem-solving approach. Focus on articulating your process, decision-making, and impact.
• Final Interview/Assessment: Potentially a final interview with a senior leader or a suitability assessment (as mentioned in the job description) to evaluate your overall fit and potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 2-3 strong B2B or complex digital service case studies that best represent your skills for this role.
• Showcase Your Process: Clearly outline the problem, your role, your design process (research, ideation, prototyping, testing), your key decisions, and the outcome. Use visuals extensively.
• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, include metrics or qualitative feedback demonstrating the positive impact of your designs on users and the business.
• Highlight Collaboration: Explain how you worked with cross-functional teams (product owners, developers, business stakeholders) and managed conflicting requirements.
• Tool Proficiency: Implicitly demonstrate your use of Figma, Miro, and Jira within your case studies.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be ready to discuss how you would approach designing a tool for product group management, considering the complexities of retail assortments, pricing, and store placement.
• Prepare to articulate your problem-solving methodology, especially when faced with ambiguous requirements or conflicting stakeholder needs.
• Practice explaining your design rationale clearly and concisely, focusing on the "why" behind your design choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The mention of a "suitability assessment" (soveltuvuusarviointi) in the final stage suggests a thorough evaluation beyond just technical skills, potentially including psychometric or behavioral assessments. The emphasis on portfolio and process is critical for this role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: For UI design, prototyping, and collaborative design workflows. Proficiency is essential for creating polished interfaces and interactive prototypes.
• Miro: For collaborative brainstorming, user journey mapping, workflow visualization, and facilitating remote design sessions.
• Jira: For managing product backlogs, tracking tasks, bug reporting, and agile project management. Understanding how designs integrate into Jira workflows is key.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as required tools for the designer, a strong understanding of how analytics and reporting tools (e.g., for user behavior, sales data, system performance) inform design decisions is beneficial. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they use data to validate design choices.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly specified for this role, but an understanding of how product selection tools interact with broader business systems (potentially CRM or ERP-like systems for inventory and sales data) would be an advantage.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma, Miro, and Jira indicates a modern, collaborative design and development environment. Candidates should be comfortable using these tools daily and integrating their work within these platforms.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A deep understanding of user needs and a commitment to improving their daily work experience.
• Continuous Renewal: An eagerness to innovate and adapt processes and tools to meet evolving business requirements and technological advancements.
• Responsibility: Taking ownership of design solutions and their impact on users and the business, acting as a steward for the product.
• Profitability: Designing solutions that contribute to business success through improved efficiency, sales, and resource optimization within the grocery sector.
• Cooperative Spirit: Emphasizing collaboration, mutual support, and shared goals within the team and the broader S-Group.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, working closely with product owners, developers, business experts, and fellow designers.
• Open to feedback and iterative design processes, actively participating in discussions and workshops.
• Emphasis on clear communication and shared understanding across diverse stakeholder groups.
• A positive and constructive approach to problem-solving and teamwork.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values (customer focus, renewal, responsibility, profitability) are deeply rooted in its cooperative heritage and will shape team interactions and decision-making. The emphasis on collaboration and a "good vibe" suggests a supportive and team-oriented work environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of B2B Requirements: Navigating the intricate needs of product group managers and the multifaceted nature of grocery assortment planning.
• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Synthesizing potentially conflicting demands from business, users, and technical teams while maintaining a cohesive design vision.
• Driving Adoption: Ensuring that new features and tools are effectively adopted by users and lead to genuine workflow improvements and efficiency gains.
• Legacy Systems Integration (Potential): Designing for a modern experience while potentially needing to integrate with or account for existing enterprise systems.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Domain Knowledge: Gaining deep expertise in the retail grocery business and product management operations.
• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Engaging with a large IT and design community, learning about various technologies (web, mobile, cloud) and business domains within S-Group.
• Strategic Design Influence: Opportunity to shape the direction of a critical business tool and influence product strategy.
• Mentorship: Potential to mentor junior designers and receive mentorship from senior design leaders within SOK.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for senior B2B design roles, requiring strong problem-solving skills and the ability to manage complexity. The growth opportunities highlight the breadth of experience available within a large organization like S-Group.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed a complex B2B tool. What were the biggest challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on your process, user research, and stakeholder management.)
• "How would you approach designing a new feature for a product selection tool, assuming conflicting requests from sales and operations teams?" (Demonstrate your negotiation, prioritization, and user-advocacy skills.)
• "Walk us through your process for identifying user needs and translating them into functional design concepts for an expert user group." (Highlight your user research methodologies and ideation techniques.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about designing for the grocery retail sector, and specifically for S-Group's product management needs?" (Show your understanding of the business context and your motivation.)
• "How do you contribute to a positive and collaborative team environment?" (Reference your interpersonal skills and teamwork approach.)
• "How do you ensure your design solutions align with business objectives and drive efficiency?" (Connect your design work to tangible business outcomes.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with a high-level overview of the company and the problem you solved. Then, detail your specific role, the user research conducted, key design decisions and iterations, and finally, the outcome and impact.
• Visuals: Use clear, high-fidelity mockups, prototypes, and any relevant diagrams (user flows, journey maps) to illustrate your work.
• Storytelling: Frame your case study as a narrative, guiding the interviewer through the problem-solving journey.
• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Focus on the most critical aspects of your project and be prepared to answer questions about any part of your process.
• Tool Integration: Mention how you utilized Figma for design and prototyping, Miro for collaboration, and Jira for task management within your projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes evaluating not just design skills but also the candidate's ability to navigate complex business environments, collaborate effectively, and contribute to the company's values. A strong portfolio presentation is crucial for success.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application, including your CV and a comprehensive portfolio, by November 20, 2025, through the provided application link.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight B2B product design experience, focusing on case studies that demonstrate your process for solving complex user and business problems within a retail or expert tool context.
• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your years of experience in UX/UI design, proficiency with Figma, Miro, and Jira, and any relevant B2B or retail industry experience. Use keywords from the job description.
• Interview Preparation: Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on clearly explaining your design process, the impact of your work, and how you collaborate with cross-functional teams. Prepare answers for common design strategy and behavioral questions.
• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with The S Group's cooperative values, its role in the Finnish market, and the specific challenges of the grocery retail business. Understand how your design philosophy aligns with their mission.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions based on the provided input. All details, particularly regarding salary, benefits, and specific interview processes, should be verified directly with The S Group during the application and interview stages. The listed location derived from the input data may differ from the primary location specified within the job description.