Service Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Service Designer

Company: Catawiki

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Service Design / Product Design (Fulfilment Vertical)

Date Posted: February 18, 2026

Experience Level: 7+ years total, with 4+ years in Service Design

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and optimize the end-to-end post-purchase customer experience, encompassing payments, shipping, and customer support within the Fulfilment Vertical.

• Focus on the broader service ecosystem, including internal workflows, operational tools, and the interactions with third-party logistics partners, in addition to direct user experience flows.

• Develop and maintain comprehensive customer experience maps and service blueprints to serve as a single source of truth for cross-functional teams, detailing both "happy paths" and "unhappy paths."

• Translate complex operational processes, policies, and constraints into clear, intuitive customer-facing and internal-facing experiences, ensuring a cohesive journey.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role bridges service design and product design, emphasizing the "how" behind the customer journey beyond just digital interfaces. The focus on the "Fulfilment Vertical" and "post-purchase experience" indicates a critical operational area for an e-commerce marketplace, requiring deep understanding of logistics, payments, and customer support interdependencies. The requirement for hands-on product design suggests a need for practical application of design principles, not just strategic conceptualization.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design and continuous evolution of the end-to-end post-purchase journey, ensuring seamless integration of payments, shipping logistics, and customer support interactions.

• Champion service design methodology, meticulously mapping customer journeys, identifying critical touchpoints, and connecting them with internal operational workflows, system functionalities, and company policies.

• Create and maintain detailed service blueprints and experience maps that visualize the entire service ecosystem, serving as a foundational artifact for strategic alignment across diverse teams.

• Articulate complex operational and logistical frameworks into user-friendly and efficient experiences for both customers and internal stakeholders, simplifying intricate processes.

• Analyze and understand the symbiotic relationship between internal operational tools, established policies, established workflows, and customer service protocols, and their direct impact on the overall product experience.

• Foster strong collaborative partnerships with Product Managers, Product Designers, and operational leads in Customer Service and Shipping to collaboratively define problems, pinpoint areas of friction, proactively prevent issues, and enhance existing resolution pathways.

• Ensure a unified and consistent customer experience by aligning user-facing design elements, communication strategies, customer support protocols, and backend operational processes.

• Act as a vocal advocate for a customer-centric approach, ensuring all design decisions are firmly rooted in validated customer needs and measurable business outcomes, particularly within the post-purchase lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic operational role focused on optimizing a critical customer lifecycle stage for an e-commerce platform. The emphasis on "single source of truth," "friction identification," and "operational realities" points to a need for strong analytical and process-thinking skills, essential for driving efficiency and customer satisfaction in a complex fulfillment environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a background in Design (e.g., Interaction Design, Graphic Design, Service Design), Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is highly advantageous.

Experience: 7+ years of professional experience in Product Design, with a minimum of 4 years specifically dedicated to hands-on Service Design.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in designing complex, end-to-end services, particularly within e-commerce, online marketplaces, logistics, or other operations-intensive industries.

• Demonstrated ability to map intricate customer journeys, including both "happy paths" and "unhappy paths," and to design effective recovery and resolution flows.

• Strong practical experience collaborating closely and effectively with operations teams and customer support departments to understand and improve service delivery.

• Proficiency in performing hands-on product and interaction design, capable of conceptualizing and executing design solutions beyond theoretical service mapping.

• Skill in translating organizational policies, operational constraints, and complex workflows into clear, actionable, and intuitive customer experiences.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with a proven ability to align diverse stakeholders (e.g., Product, Engineering, Operations, CS) around shared design artifacts and strategic objectives.

• Experience leveraging user research and quantitative/qualitative data to inform, validate, and iterate on design decisions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with user research methodologies, including usability testing, user interviews, and journey mapping workshops.

• Familiarity with design systems and their application in ensuring consistency across service touchpoints.

• Understanding of key e-commerce operational metrics and their impact on customer satisfaction and business performance.

• Experience with agile development methodologies and working within product development cycles.

• Familiarity with specific e-commerce platforms or logistics management systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for significant hands-on service design experience, coupled with product design capabilities, indicates a need for a versatile designer who can both strategize at a service level and execute at an interaction design level. The emphasis on e-commerce, marketplaces, and logistics strongly suggests that candidates with experience in high-volume transaction environments and complex operational flows will be highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase at least 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating end-to-end service design projects, with a strong focus on the post-purchase experience, payments, or shipping logistics.

• Clearly articulate the problem space, your role and responsibilities, the design process employed (including research, mapping, ideation, prototyping, and testing), and the final design solutions.

• Highlight specific examples of service blueprints or experience maps created, illustrating how customer journeys were connected to internal operations, policies, and workflows.

• Demonstrate your ability to identify and address friction points and design improvements that balance customer needs with operational efficiency and business outcomes.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of creating and utilizing service blueprints or detailed experience maps as a "single source of truth" for cross-functional teams.

• Examples of how you translated complex policies, operational constraints, or technical limitations into clear and user-friendly experiences.

• Documentation of how research and data were integrated into the design process to inform decisions and measure impact.

• Case studies that illustrate collaboration with operations, customer support, or logistics partners to refine service delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role. Candidates must be prepared to demonstrate not just visual design skills but a deep understanding of service ecosystems, operational realities, and the ability to map complex interdependencies. Case studies should explicitly show how service design thinking led to tangible improvements in customer experience and operational efficiency.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Service Designer with 7+ years of experience in Lisbon, Portugal, the estimated annual salary range is typically between €45,000 and €70,000. This range can vary based on the candidate's specific experience, the depth of their service design and product design expertise, and the company's compensation philosophy.

Benefits:

• Catavoucher: A €100 Catavoucher upon joining the company.

• Birthday Voucher: A €50 Catavoucher to celebrate your birthday.

• "Pursue Your Passion" Day: An extra paid day off annually to dedicate to personal interests.

• Additional Leave: Extra days off for significant work anniversaries and important life events.

• Learning & Development: Access to initiatives, clear development plans, and mentorship programs.

• Hybrid Work Model: Flexibility combining office and remote work.

• Health & Wellness: (Likely, though not explicitly detailed) Standard benefits such as health insurance, retirement contributions, etc., may be available.

Working Hours: While not explicitly defined, a standard full-time role typically involves around 40 hours per week. The hybrid work arrangement allows for flexibility, with a minimum of two days per week expected in the Lisbon office.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on market data for experienced Product/Service Designers in Lisbon, Portugal, considering the specified experience level and the nature of the role within a scale-up environment. Benefits listed are directly from the job description, with an assumption for standard health and wellness benefits common in the region.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Catawiki operates in the online marketplace and e-commerce sector, specializing in the auction of unique and special objects. This places it at the intersection of technology, retail, and the collectibles market.

Company Size: Catawiki is a growing, diverse, and sustainable scale-up with over 800 employees (Catawikians) representing more than 60 nationalities. This indicates a dynamic environment with opportunities for broad impact.

Founded: Founded with a mission to become the world's most popular destination for special objects, Catawiki has grown significantly, having sold over 25 million unique items. The company emphasizes its journey as a scale-up, suggesting a culture that values innovation, agility, and rapid growth.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the Fulfilment Vertical, indicating a dedicated focus on the operational aspects of the marketplace post-sale.

• Collaboration is expected to be cross-functional, involving close partnerships with Product Managers, Product Designers, Customer Service Operations, and Shipping Operations.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: The role requires using research and data to inform and validate design decisions, indicating a methodical and analytical approach.

• Customer-Centricity: A core value is being passionate about the mission and customers, driving a focus on user needs and outcomes in all design work.

• Process Optimization: The core of the role involves designing and optimizing end-to-end experiences, focusing on workflows, policies, and operational realities to improve efficiency and customer trust.

• Agile & Iterative: As a scale-up, it's likely that iterative design processes and agile methodologies are employed to adapt to change and drive impact.

Company Website: https://www.catawiki.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Catawiki's culture appears to be built around passion for unique objects, customer focus, and a dynamic, growth-oriented environment. The "Fulfilment Vertical" role suggests a significant operational focus, requiring designers to deeply understand and improve the complex processes that underpin an online marketplace.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Service Designer or a Design Lead within a specialized operational vertical. It requires a substantial amount of experience (7+ years) and specific expertise in service design (4+ years), indicating a mid-to-senior level position with significant autonomy and influence over critical operational processes. The dual responsibility of service design and hands-on product design suggests it's a highly impactful individual contributor role.

Reporting Structure: The Service Designer will likely report to a Head of Design, a Director of Product, or a Lead within the Fulfilment Vertical. They will work closely with Product Managers and other designers, fostering a collaborative environment rather than a strict hierarchical reporting line for day-to-day tasks.

Operations Impact: The Service Designer's impact is directly tied to optimizing the post-purchase experience, which is crucial for customer retention, trust, and operational efficiency in an e-commerce marketplace. By improving payment, shipping, and customer support processes, this role directly influences buyer and seller satisfaction, reduces operational costs, and contributes to Catawiki's mission of becoming the leading destination for special objects.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise within the Fulfilment Vertical or expand into other operational areas of the marketplace.

• Leadership: Transition into a Design Lead or Managerial role, overseeing a team of designers or contributing to the strategic direction of the design function.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Leverage design expertise to move into Product Management, Operations Strategy, or CX Strategy roles within Catawiki.

• Skill Development: Continuous learning through mentorship programs, clear development plans, and exposure to complex operational challenges.

• Impactful Projects: Work on large-scale, global projects that have a direct and visible impact on millions of customers and the company's bottom line.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential for designers interested in operational excellence within a thriving e-commerce environment. The combination of strategic service design and hands-on product design prepares individuals for leadership roles in user-centric operational improvements.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Catawiki operates vibrant, collaborative offices designed to inspire. The specific setup in Lisbon would likely reflect this, with modern amenities and spaces conducive to both focused work and team collaboration.

Office Location(s): The role is based in Lisbon, Portugal. The specific office address would need to be confirmed, but it's likely situated in a well-connected area.

Workspace Context:

• Hybrid Setup: The standard work model is hybrid, requiring a minimum of two days per week in the Lisbon office. This balances the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work.

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices are designed to foster collaboration, suggesting open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and informal gathering spots.

• Tools & Technology: Access to relevant design software, collaboration tools, and potentially internal operational systems will be provided.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities to engage with colleagues from various departments and disciplines, fostering a rich learning and networking environment.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule (approximately 40 hours/week) is expected, with the hybrid model offering flexibility in how and where these hours are worked, with the stipulated office presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model and collaborative office design indicate an environment that values both individual focus and team synergy. For a Service Designer, this means opportunities for both deep work on complex service maps and lively ideation sessions with cross-functional teams.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your CV and Cover Letter, assessing overall fit and experience.

2. Hiring Manager/Team Interview: An in-depth discussion focusing on your experience, approach to service design, product design skills, and understanding of operational complexities. Be prepared to discuss specific examples from your portfolio.

3. Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: This is a critical stage. You will likely be asked to present 1-2 detailed case studies from your portfolio, explaining your process, decisions, and impact. A practical design exercise related to a post-purchase scenario might also be included.

4. Cross-functional Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Operations leads, or Customer Support representatives to assess collaboration skills and understanding of business needs.

5. Final Interview: Potentially with a more senior leader to discuss cultural fit, strategic alignment, and long-term vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select case studies that directly align with the job description's emphasis on end-to-end service design, post-purchase experience, payments, shipping, and operational integration.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role and specific contributions, the design process (methodologies used, research, ideation), key challenges, design solutions, and measurable outcomes or impact.

• Showcase Process Artifacts: Include examples of service blueprints, customer journey maps (happy/unhappy paths), user flows, wireframes, mockups, and any data or research findings that informed your decisions.

• Highlight Operational Understanding: Explicitly call out how you considered internal workflows, policies, and operational constraints in your designs.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your decision-making, how you handled trade-offs, how you collaborated with non-designers, and what you learned from the project.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, thoroughly understand the business context of Catawiki and the Fulfilment Vertical.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a structured approach to problem-solving, outlining your steps from understanding the brief to delivering a solution.

• Service Design Thinking: Apply service design principles to map out the customer and internal journeys, identify pain points, and propose solutions that address both user needs and operational realities.

• Hands-on Skills: Be ready to quickly sketch, wireframe, or create a simple prototype to communicate your ideas effectively.

• Communication: Clearly articulate your thought process, assumptions, and proposed solutions, and be open to feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily emphasizes portfolio demonstration and practical application of service design principles within an operational context. Candidates should prepare to showcase their ability to connect customer-facing experiences with backend processes and to articulate the impact of their design decisions.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), InVision, Axure RP (or similar for interactive prototyping).

• Service Design Tools: Miro, Mural, Lucidchart, Smaply (or analogous tools for mapping, blueprinting, and workshop facilitation).

• User Research Platforms: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Hotjar, Google Analytics (for understanding user behavior and feedback).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics (for understanding user behavior on the platform).

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, Looker (for analyzing operational data and customer feedback trends).

• CRM/Customer Support Tools: Zendesk, Salesforce Service Cloud, Intercom (understanding how customer support interactions are managed).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce (likely, for managing customer data and sales pipelines, though less direct for this role, understanding its integration is key).

• Workflow Automation: Zapier, Make (Integromat), potentially internal tools for automating operational tasks.

• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello (for managing design tasks and collaborating with development teams).

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in common design and prototyping tools is expected. Crucially, experience with dedicated service design and collaboration tools like Miro or Mural for mapping and blueprinting is essential. Familiarity with analytics platforms and CRM/customer support systems will be highly beneficial for understanding the operational data and user feedback loops.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Taking Ownership and Driving Impact: This translates to proactively identifying issues in the post-purchase journey and taking responsibility for designing and implementing solutions that yield tangible results.

• Being Open to Change and Feedback: Embracing iterative design processes, actively seeking and incorporating feedback from stakeholders (including operations teams and customers), and adapting designs as needed.

• Being Passionate About Our Mission and Our Customers: Demonstrating a genuine interest in Catawiki's unique marketplace and a deep commitment to understanding and improving the experience for both buyers and sellers, particularly in the critical post-sale phase.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Valuing evidence-based design, using research and analytics to inform choices and measure the effectiveness of implemented solutions.

• Collaboration and Transparency: Working effectively across teams, sharing insights, and ensuring that design artifacts like service blueprints are accessible and understood by all relevant stakeholders.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: A collaborative approach is essential, working closely with Product Managers, Product Designers, Customer Support, and Shipping Operations to ensure a holistic and integrated post-purchase experience.

• Facilitation and Alignment: The role requires facilitating workshops and discussions to align diverse perspectives, build consensus, and drive shared understanding of complex service ecosystems.

• Proactive Communication: Maintaining open lines of communication, providing regular updates on design progress, and proactively seeking input from stakeholders.

• Empathy and Active Listening: Effectively listening to the needs and challenges of both customers and internal teams to design solutions that are both effective and empathetic.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values are directly applicable to the Service Designer role, emphasizing ownership, customer focus, and adaptability. The collaboration style needs to be proactive and facilitative, bridging the gap between customer needs and operational realities.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of the Service Ecosystem: Navigating and designing for a multi-faceted post-purchase journey involving payments, shipping, customs, returns, and customer support, often with multiple third-party integrations.

• Balancing Customer Needs with Operational Constraints: Finding design solutions that delight customers while remaining feasible and cost-effective within Catawiki's operational framework and policies.

• Aligning Diverse Stakeholders: Gaining buy-in and ensuring consistent execution of designs across different departments (Product, Engineering, Operations, CS, Legal) with potentially competing priorities.

• Measuring Impact in a Complex Journey: Defining and tracking key metrics to demonstrate the value of service design improvements across a long and intricate customer lifecycle.

• Hands-on vs. Strategic Balance: Effectively managing time between strategic service design mapping and hands-on product/interaction design execution.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into E-commerce Operations: Gaining extensive knowledge of the intricacies of online marketplace fulfillment, logistics, and payment processing.

• Advanced Service Design Techniques: Refining skills in service blueprinting, experience mapping, and stakeholder facilitation within a large-scale operational context.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Developing a strong understanding of how Product Management, Engineering, and Customer Operations functions contribute to the overall service delivery.

• Mentorship and Career Progression: Leveraging Catawiki's structured development plans and mentorship programs to advance career goals within design or operations.

• Global Impact: Contributing to a platform that serves millions of users globally, offering experience in designing for diverse markets and user segments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior roles in operations-heavy e-commerce environments. The growth opportunities are significant, offering a chance to develop deep expertise in a critical business function and advance within a growing company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed a complex end-to-end service, mapping both happy and unhappy paths. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your methodology, artifact creation, and measured impact).

• "How do you balance customer-centric design with operational constraints and business objectives? Can you provide an example?" (Highlight your ability to find pragmatic solutions and articulate trade-offs).

• "Walk me through a service blueprint you created. How did it help align stakeholders and drive improvements in a specific operational area?" (Be ready to explain its purpose, content, and the actions it inspired).

• "How do you approach identifying friction points in a customer journey? What tools or methods do you use, and how do you prioritize them?" (Demonstrate your analytical and problem-solving skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Catawiki's mission and the unique objects it auctions?" (Show genuine curiosity and alignment with the company's passion).

• "How do you see your role as a Service Designer contributing to Catawiki's growth and customer trust, particularly in the Fulfilment Vertical?" (Connect your skills to the company's strategic goals).

• "Our values are 'Taking ownership and driving impact,' 'Being open to change and feedback,' and 'Being passionate about our mission and our customers.' How do you embody these values in your work?" (Provide specific behavioral examples).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: For each case study, use a clear narrative arc: Problem, Your Role, Process (Research, Ideation, Design, Testing), Solution(s), and Impact/Results.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Visually present your artifacts (maps, blueprints, wireframes, etc.). Explain your rationale behind each element and decision.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., reduction in support tickets, improved conversion rates, increased customer satisfaction scores).

• Highlight Collaboration: Discuss how you involved stakeholders, managed feedback, and achieved buy-in.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare for detailed questions about specific design choices, the tools you used, and challenges you overcame.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a holistic understanding of service design within an operational context, backed by concrete examples from your portfolio. Be ready to articulate your process, your impact, and your alignment with Catawiki's culture and values.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Service Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Tailor your CV and Cover Letter: Highlight your experience in service design, product design, e-commerce/marketplaces, and operational environments. Explicitly mention your ability to map complex journeys and collaborate with operations teams.

• Prepare your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date, showcases relevant case studies (end-to-end service design, post-purchase experience, payments, shipping), and clearly articulates your process and impact. Make sure it's easily accessible (e.g., via a link in your CV or cover letter).

• Research Catawiki: Familiarize yourself with their marketplace, the types of items they auction, their mission, and their company values. Understand their focus on the "Fulfilment Vertical."

• Practice your Presentation: Rehearse presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on clear storytelling, demonstrating your design process, and articulating the value you bring. Be prepared to discuss your approach to operational challenges and cross-functional collaboration.

⚠️ 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.