Senior / Staff Product Designer - Lending & Credit

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior / Staff Product Designer - Lending & Credit Company: Ebury Location: Madrid, Spain Job Type: Full-time Category: Product Design / Fintech Operations Date Posted: 2025-10-22 Experience Level: Senior / Staff (6+ years) Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days in office, 1 day remote)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end product design experience for Ebury's Lending & Credit platforms, driving innovation from concept to launch.
• Translate complex financial services requirements into intuitive, user-centered digital solutions that balance customer needs, business goals, and regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate extensively with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Engineering, Data Science, Operations, and Compliance, to define product strategy and ensure seamless execution.
• Drive design culture and best practices within the organization, contributing to the evolution of Ebury's design system and raising the overall quality bar.
• Utilize a data-driven approach, leveraging user research, prototyping, and testing to iterate and refine designs for maximum impact and user satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a critical growth area for Ebury (Lending & Credit) and requires a seasoned designer capable of strategic influence and hands-on execution. The emphasis on "systems thinking" and balancing "clarity, compliance, and business impact" indicates a need for a designer comfortable with complex enterprise-level products, particularly within the regulated financial services sector. The hybrid model suggests a need for strong remote collaboration skills alongside in-office presence.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own and champion the complete user experience lifecycle for key lending and credit workflows, from initial problem definition and strategic prioritization to detailed design execution and successful product launch.
• Partner closely with Business stakeholders, Product Managers, Engineering Leads, Data Scientists, and Operations/Compliance teams to transform strategic objectives into tangible, actionable design specifications and user journeys.
• Apply a user-first, systems-thinking methodology to simplify intricate and ambiguous financial systems, ensuring a harmonious balance between customer needs, overarching business objectives, and technical feasibility.
• Facilitate productive workshops and cross-functional discussions to foster alignment and consensus among diverse stakeholders around a unified product vision and design direction.
• Develop elegant, intuitive, and highly usable solutions for complex financial tasks, ensuring consistency, clarity, and a superior interaction design by actively contributing to, and extending, Ebury's established design system.
• Employ a robust research and data-informed iterative design process, actively engaging in prototyping, user testing, and continuous refinement based on validated user insights and performance metrics.
• Actively contribute to shaping the long-term product vision and fostering a high-performance design culture through constructive critiques, collaborative workshops, and insightful reviews, consistently elevating design quality across the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly outline a senior-level role demanding not just execution but also strategic input and leadership. The emphasis on "turning strategy into actionable design" and "identifying high-impact problems" suggests that the designer will be involved in the strategic planning phases, not just the visual execution. The requirement to "facilitate workshops and discussions" highlights the need for strong communication and facilitation skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is implied through the experience and portfolio requirements. Experience: 6+ years of progressive professional experience in UX Design or Product Design, with a demonstrated history of delivering impactful digital products.

Required Skills:

• Exceptional Craft & Product Intuition: Proven ability to translate complex requirements into intuitive, user-centered designs, showcasing mastery in layout, typography, visual hierarchy, motion design, and interaction design.
• Financial Services / Fintech Expertise: Significant experience designing for financial services, fintech environments, or complex enterprise software, with a proven track record of simplifying data-heavy and compliance-driven workflows.
• Strategic Impact & Influence: Demonstrated experience as an influential designer who consistently delivers strategic, high-impact work that drives business outcomes.
• Balanced Design Perspective: A strong, well-articulated design point of view, coupled with a deep understanding of how to effectively balance customer needs with critical business objectives and regulatory constraints.
• Leadership & Collaboration: Proven leadership capabilities and the ability to collaborate effectively across Design, Product Management, and Engineering disciplines to achieve shared goals.
• Agility & Ambiguity Navigation: Strong organizational skills, with a demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, manage multiple competing priorities in a fast-paced environment, and communicate clearly across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Systems Thinking: The capacity to understand and design for complex, interconnected systems, considering the broader implications of design decisions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience contributing to or managing design systems.
• Proficiency in advanced prototyping tools or methodologies.
• Experience with user research methodologies and data analysis for design iteration.
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and cross-functional team workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 6+ years of experience, coupled with the "Senior / Staff" title and emphasis on leadership, influence, and strategic contribution, suggests this role is for a highly experienced individual contributor or a potential lead. The specific mention of financial services and enterprise software is crucial, indicating a need for domain-specific understanding of complex regulated environments.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio is mandatory, showcasing exceptional design craft, product intuition, and a deep understanding of user-centered design principles.
• The portfolio must demonstrate expertise in complex workflow design, particularly within financial services or enterprise software contexts, highlighting how intricate data and regulatory requirements were simplified into intuitive user experiences.
• Include case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your design process, the solutions you developed, and the measurable impact (e.g., user satisfaction, efficiency gains, business outcomes) of your work.
• Showcase your ability to contribute to or extend design systems, demonstrating consistency and scalability in your design approach.
• Examples of balancing customer needs with business goals and technical constraints should be prominently featured.

Process Documentation:

• Portfolio case studies should detail the end-to-end design process, from discovery and research through ideation, prototyping, testing, and final implementation.
• Demonstrate how user research and data analysis informed design decisions and iterations.
• Highlight collaborative processes with Product, Engineering, and other stakeholders.
• Showcase your approach to problem-solving within complex systems and ambiguous environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior/Staff level designer, the portfolio is not just a showcase of aesthetics but a deep dive into strategic thinking, problem-solving methodology, and quantifiable impact. The emphasis on "complex, data-heavy workflows" and "balancing clarity, compliance, and business impact" means case studies need to explicitly address these challenges and demonstrate successful navigation.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior/Staff Product Designers in major European tech hubs like Madrid, with 6+ years of experience in Fintech, a competitive salary range would typically fall between €60,000 - €90,000 annually. This range can vary based on specific skills, the exact level of seniority (Senior vs. Staff), and the candidate's negotiation.

Benefits:

• Competitive Starting Salary: A strong base salary benchmarked against industry standards.
• Annual Discretionary Bonus: Performance-based bonus rewarding individual and company success.
• Dedicated Mentorship: Direct guidance and support from experienced managers invested in professional development.
• Cutting-Edge Technology: Access to state-of-the-art tools and systems to enhance productivity and design capabilities.
• Clear, Accelerated Career Progression: Defined pathways for advancement into leadership or specialized roles within Ebury.
• Dynamic & Supportive Culture: A collaborative work environment that prioritizes teamwork and personal growth.
• Generous Benefits Package: Comprehensive benefits tailored to the Madrid location, typically including health insurance and other social benefits.
• Central Madrid Office: Access to a well-located office with excellent transportation links.

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated, a standard full-time role in Spain typically involves around 40 hours per week. The hybrid arrangement offers flexibility, allowing for 1 day of remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided benefits are standard for a mid-to-large size tech company. The salary range is an estimate based on typical compensation for this level of experience and specialization in Madrid's tech market, considering the Fintech industry's competitive nature. A discretionary bonus suggests performance linkage.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Global Fintech, specializing in international financial solutions for businesses. Ebury operates in a highly regulated and dynamic sector, requiring agility, compliance, and a deep understanding of financial markets. Company Size: Over 1,700 professionals across 40+ offices and 29+ markets worldwide. This indicates a mature, global organization with established processes but also a significant growth trajectory and potential for innovation. Founded: 2009. This provides a decade-plus of experience, suggesting stability and a proven business model, while still being considered a relatively young and agile fintech compared to traditional banks.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team likely operates within a Product department, working in close alignment with Product Management and Engineering.
• The Lending & Credit team is a specialized unit, implying close collaboration with business stakeholders, compliance officers, and operations teams directly involved in loan origination, servicing, and risk management.
• Cross-functional collaboration is a key theme, with designers expected to work seamlessly across Product, Engineering, Data, Operations, and Compliance.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using research and data to inform design decisions and iterate on solutions.
• Systems Thinking: A core approach to understanding and designing complex, interconnected financial products and workflows.
• User-Centricity: A commitment to understanding and meeting customer needs as the primary driver for design.
• Agile Collaboration: Working within a fast-paced, iterative environment, likely employing agile methodologies for product development.

Company Website: https://ebury.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Ebury's positioning as a global fintech with rapid growth suggests a culture that values innovation, international collaboration, and adaptability. The company's emphasis on its people, including employee networks (Women's Network, LGBTQIA+ Network, Veterans Network) and a commitment to inclusion, points towards a supportive and diverse work environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as Senior / Staff Product Designer.

• Senior: Typically involves leading significant features or modules, mentoring junior designers, and having a strong influence on product direction.
• Staff: Represents a higher level of individual contribution, often involving leadership on complex, ambiguous, or strategic initiatives, influencing across multiple teams, and setting technical or design standards. The role at Ebury appears to blend these, with significant ownership and influence expected.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report into a Design leadership role (e.g., Head of Product Design or Design Manager) and will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads within the Lending & Credit domain. The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration means interactions will extend across various departments.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct and significant impact on Ebury's revenue-generating capabilities through the Lending & Credit products. By creating intuitive, efficient, and compliant user experiences, the designer will enable smoother customer onboarding, loan application processes, and account management, directly contributing to increased adoption, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency within these critical business lines.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Pathways: Opportunities to grow into a Lead Designer role, manage a team, or become a recognized specialist (Staff/Principal) in a specific domain like Lending & Credit.
• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in financial services design, complex enterprise systems, and user research methodologies.
• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain in-depth understanding of product strategy, engineering processes, compliance requirements, and operational workflows within a global fintech.
• Mentorship & Learning: Benefit from dedicated mentorship and access to cutting-edge technology and potentially industry events or training to expand design skills and knowledge.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior / Staff" designation implies a significant level of autonomy and strategic input. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they have influenced product strategy, mentored others, and navigated complex organizational dynamics to drive design outcomes. The growth opportunities highlight a structured approach to career development within Ebury.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Ebury operates a hybrid work model, with a strong emphasis on in-office collaboration (4 days per week). This suggests a dynamic office environment designed for teamwork, brainstorming, and cross-functional interaction. Office Location(s): The role is based in the Ebury Madrid office, described as "central" with "excellent transport links," implying a convenient and accessible location for employees.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office likely features open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and breakout spaces conducive to teamwork and spontaneous discussions, essential for the hybrid model.
• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design tools, collaboration software, and potentially dedicated hardware for prototyping and user testing will be available to facilitate efficient design work.
• Team Interaction: The hybrid model facilitates regular face-to-face interaction with colleagues from Product, Engineering, Design, and other departments, fostering strong working relationships and a cohesive team dynamic.

Work Schedule: The standard Spanish work week (approximately 40 hours) applies, with the flexibility of one remote day per week. This structure allows for focused individual work while maintaining strong team integration through regular office presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is significant. Candidates should assess their comfort level with commuting 4 days a week and their ability to be productive and collaborative in an office setting after potentially working remotely. The "central Madrid office" is a strong selling point for many professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess qualifications and experience.
• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A dedicated session where you present your portfolio, walking through 1-2 key case studies. Expect deep dives into your design process, problem-solving approach, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to discuss how you handled complexity, ambiguity, and stakeholder alignment.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with members of the Product, Engineering, and potentially Operations/Compliance teams. These will assess your collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to work effectively within a cross-functional team.
• Hiring Manager/Senior Leadership Interview: A final discussion with the Design lead or hiring manager to assess strategic thinking, cultural fit, and overall suitability for the Senior/Staff role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Quantify your achievements whenever possible. Use metrics related to user satisfaction, conversion rates, efficiency gains, or revenue impact.
• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies with a clear narrative: the problem, your role and process, the challenges faced, your solutions, and the outcomes.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (mockups, user flows, prototypes) to illustrate your design thinking and solutions.
• Highlight Complexity: Emphasize how you tackled complex financial systems, data-heavy workflows, and regulatory constraints.
• Demonstrate Collaboration: Explain how you worked with stakeholders, incorporated feedback, and achieved alignment.
• Tailor to Ebury: Research Ebury's products and target audience. If possible, highlight relevant experience or make thoughtful observations about their existing user experience.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a design exercise, which could involve a take-home challenge or an in-interview whiteboarding session.
• The challenge will likely focus on a complex problem within the lending or credit domain, requiring you to demonstrate your problem-solving, systems thinking, and design skills under time constraints.
• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and justifying your design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on portfolio presentation and case studies suggests that Ebury values a transparent and process-oriented approach to design. Candidates should select portfolio pieces that best showcase their ability to handle complex financial products and demonstrate strategic influence.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), and prototyping tools like InVision or Principle is expected. Figma is increasingly becoming the standard for collaborative design.
• Design Systems: Experience with contributing to, utilizing, or building design systems is highly valuable, indicating a need for understanding component-based design and ensuring consistency.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary design tool, familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) and data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) is beneficial for understanding user behavior and informing design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• Experience with CRM systems (like Salesforce, though Ebury might use others) and understanding how design integrates with sales and operational workflows can be an advantage.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific tools are not listed, but standard industry tools for product design are implied. Figma is a strong contender for collaborative design. Experience with design systems is highlighted as a key skill.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Disruption: As a fintech, Ebury likely values a forward-thinking mindset, a willingness to challenge the status quo, and a drive to revolutionize financial services.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: The emphasis on cross-functional teams and a "supportive culture" indicates that collaboration is paramount.
• Customer Focus: A dedication to understanding and serving the needs of their business clients through tailored financial solutions.
• Integrity & Compliance: Crucial in the financial services sector, implying a strong adherence to regulations and ethical practices.
• Agility & Adaptability: The ability to respond quickly to market changes and evolving client needs in a fast-paced environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are expected to be integral members of cross-functional teams, working closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and other business units.
• Open Communication: A culture that encourages open dialogue, feedback exchange, and proactive problem-solving.
• Data-Informed Discussions: Debates and decisions are likely grounded in user research, data analysis, and performance metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: Ebury's stated commitment to inclusion and its active employee networks suggest a culture that values diversity and psychological safety, which is crucial for fostering innovation and collaboration.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Complexity and Simplicity: Designing intuitive user experiences for highly complex and regulated financial products like lending and credit.
• Navigating Ambiguity: Working within a fast-paced, evolving fintech environment where requirements and priorities can shift.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Effectively managing and aligning the diverse needs and expectations of multiple departments (Product, Engineering, Operations, Compliance, Business).
• Driving Design Culture: Influencing and raising the design bar across the organization, especially in a hybrid environment.
• Global Consistency vs. Local Needs: Potentially balancing a global design system with specific market or product line requirements.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Domain Expertise: Become an expert in the nuances of international lending and credit products within the fintech space.
• Advanced Design Leadership: Develop skills in strategic product vision, design team mentorship, and influencing organizational processes.
• Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge: Gain significant insights into the operational, legal, and technical aspects of financial services technology.
• Industry Exposure: Opportunities to engage with FinTech trends, potentially through conferences, webinars, or internal knowledge-sharing sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are common for senior roles in regulated industries. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a path for deep specialization and leadership within a growing fintech company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to simplify a highly complex financial product or workflow for end-users. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on systems thinking, user needs, and impact.)
• "How do you approach balancing conflicting priorities between different stakeholders (e.g., Product, Engineering, Compliance, Sales) in a design process?" (Highlight collaboration, negotiation, and prioritization skills.)
• "Walk us through your process for contributing to or evolving a design system. How do you ensure its adoption and maintain consistency across products?" (Demonstrate understanding of scalable design and collaboration.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Ebury and specifically our Lending & Credit products?" (Research Ebury's mission, values, and market position.)
• "How do you contribute to fostering a positive and productive design culture within a team, especially in a hybrid work environment?" (Discuss your approach to feedback, mentorship, and collaboration.)
• "How do you measure the success of your design work, and how do you tie it back to business objectives?" (Prepare examples of quantifiable results and KPIs.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Flow: Structure your presentation around the story of each case study. Clearly define the problem, your role, your design process, the challenges, your solutions, and the measurable outcomes.
• Visuals are Key: Use high-fidelity mockups, user flows, prototypes, and relevant data visualizations to illustrate your points effectively.
• Highlight Key Decisions: Be ready to deep-dive into specific design decisions and justify them based on user research, data, or strategic goals.
• Showcase Collaboration: Explain how you worked with Product, Engineering, and other stakeholders, and how their input influenced your designs.
• Address Complexity: Explicitly discuss how you handled the complexities inherent in financial services design – data density, regulatory requirements, and balancing competing needs.
• Practice Timing: Rehearse your presentation to ensure it fits within the allotted time, leaving ample room for Q&A.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, a deep understanding of the design process, and the ability to articulate the impact of design decisions, particularly within the context of complex financial products.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior / Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Ebury careers website linked in the job posting.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 6+ years of relevant experience, emphasizing your work in UX/Product Design, financial services/fintech, and any leadership or strategic contributions. Use keywords from the job description such as "user-centered design," "systems thinking," "design systems," and "stakeholder alignment."
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 1-2 strong case studies that best showcase your expertise in complex workflow design, your problem-solving methodology, and the measurable impact of your work, particularly within financial services or enterprise software. Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your ability to balance customer needs with business goals and regulatory compliance.
• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your chosen case studies, focusing on storytelling, clear articulation of your process, and quantifiable results. Be ready to discuss your design decisions and how you navigated challenges.
• Research Ebury: Understand Ebury's mission, values, and its position in the fintech market. Familiarize yourself with their current product offerings, especially in Lending & Credit, to inform your interview 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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