UI Designer im Industrial Design (m/w/d)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UI Designer im Industrial Design (m/w/d)

Company: Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG

Location: Winnenden, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Industrial Design / User Interface Design

Date Posted: February 06, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is centered around the complete User Experience (UX) process, encompassing everything from initial research to the final implementation of user interfaces for Kärcher's product portfolio.

• The UI Designer will be instrumental in bridging the gap between technical requirements and user needs, collaborating closely with Product Management, Development, and other key departments to ensure seamless integration.

• A core focus will be on conceptualizing, designing, and implementing innovative graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and control panels for both professional and consumer product lines.

• This position requires the creation of design concepts, wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes, as well as the development of icons and other graphical assets to enhance product usability and aesthetics.

• The role also involves the ongoing maintenance and development of the company's icon and HMI (Human-Machine Interface) component library, ensuring a consistent and high-quality user experience across all Kärcher products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job title "UI Designer im Industrial Design (m/w/d)" and the responsibilities clearly indicate a hybrid role between UI/UX design and industrial product design, focusing on the digital interfaces integrated into physical products. The mention of "Professional- und Consumer-Bereich" suggests a broad product scope.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee the entire User Experience (UX) lifecycle, from initial user research and concept development through to final product implementation and iterative improvements.

• Translate complex technical requirements and user needs into intuitive, user-friendly graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and control panels for a diverse range of Kärcher products.

• Develop comprehensive design documentation, including detailed wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design intent to stakeholders and development teams.

• Create and maintain a robust library of icons, graphical elements, and HMI components to ensure design consistency and brand coherence across the entire Kärcher product portfolio.

• Collaborate cross-functionally with product managers, engineers, marketing teams, and other stakeholders to gather requirements, provide design expertise, and ensure successful product launches.

• Stay abreast of emerging UI/UX design trends, technologies, and best practices, proactively integrating relevant innovations into Kärcher's product design strategy.

• Conduct user testing and gather feedback to validate design solutions and identify areas for further optimization, ensuring a user-centric design approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are framed to emphasize the end-to-end ownership of the UI design process within a product development context, highlighting collaboration and the creation of a consistent design system.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Several years of professional experience in User Interface (UI) Design, with a strong preference for experience within an industrial product environment.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in design and prototyping software, with excellent command of the Adobe Creative Suite.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma for UI design, wireframing, and prototyping.

• Demonstrated experience in creating interactive prototypes, both digital and those involving haptic component integration.

• Strong ability to conceptualize and design graphical user interfaces and control panels for physical products.

• Excellent German and English language skills, both written and spoken, for effective communication.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in developing and utilizing micro-animations, ideally with Adobe After Effects.

• Familiarity with industrial design principles and how they integrate with UI design.

• Understanding of hardware integration and how software interfaces interact with physical controls.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "WOW" phrasing in the original description is translated into standard professional requirements. Specific mention of Figma and Adobe Creative Suite is retained as key technical proficiencies. The emphasis on industrial context and haptic component integration is crucial for this role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end UI/UX design projects, demonstrating a clear understanding of the design process from conception to implementation.

• Projects should highlight the ability to balance user needs with technical and business requirements, with a focus on industrial or hardware-integrated interfaces.

• Case studies should clearly articulate the problem statement, design challenges, proposed solutions, and the impact of the UI design on the user experience and product success.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate experience in documenting design processes, including user research findings, design decisions, and rationale for UI/HMI component choices.

• Showcase an understanding of how to maintain and evolve design systems, component libraries, and style guides for consistent product development.

• Provide examples of collaboration workflows with product management and development teams, illustrating how design is integrated into the broader product development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section emphasizes the need for a portfolio that reflects the specific demands of designing user interfaces for physical products, highlighting process documentation and cross-functional collaboration.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Company Pension Plan: Annual contributions to a company pension fund, with the option for employees to increase contributions.

• Financial Bonuses: Annual holiday bonus, annual Christmas bonus, anniversary bonuses, target bonuses, and other special payments.

• Generous Paid Time Off: Up to 32 days of annual leave, with additional time off on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.

• Flexible Working Hours: Gleitzeit (flexible working hours) system to accommodate personal schedules.

• Home Office Possibility: Option to work from home, providing a hybrid work arrangement.

Working Hours:

• Standard 40-hour work week, with the flexibility offered by the Gleitzeit system.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on typical German market rates for this role and experience level. Benefits are directly extracted from the provided text and detailed for clarity.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Industrial Manufacturing (Cleaning Technology)

Company Size: Large Enterprise (Kärcher is a global leader with thousands of employees worldwide).

Founded: 1935

Team Structure:

• The UI Designer will likely be part of a broader Design or Product Development department, working within multidisciplinary teams.

• Collaboration is expected with Product Management, Engineering (Hardware and Software), and potentially Marketing teams.

Methodology:

• Kärcher emphasizes a "WOW" culture, implying a focus on delivering exceptional user experiences and product innovation.

• Design processes will likely be user-centric, incorporating research, iterative design, prototyping, and testing.

• A strong emphasis on consistent design language and component libraries (HMI, icons) suggests a commitment to building scalable design systems.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Company context is derived from the provided company name and common knowledge of Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG. The "WOW" slogan is interpreted as a driver for innovation and customer satisfaction.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a mid-level, requiring demonstrable experience and the ability to work independently on assigned projects while also contributing to team goals. It’s a crucial role in bringing sophisticated user interfaces to life within industrial products.

Reporting Structure: The UI Designer will likely report to a Design Lead, Head of UX/UI, or a Product Development Manager. They will work closely with cross-functional teams but have a clear reporting line within the design or product organization.

Operations Impact: The UI Designer's work directly impacts the usability, perceived quality, and overall user satisfaction of Kärcher's products. Effective UI design can enhance efficiency for professional users, simplify operation for consumers, and contribute significantly to brand perception and product differentiation in a competitive market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like HMI design for industrial equipment, interaction design for complex systems, or advanced prototyping techniques.

• Leadership: Progress to a Senior UI Designer role, leading projects, mentoring junior designers, or heading specific design initiatives.

• Cross-functional Expansion: Move into broader UX strategy roles, product management, or even user research leadership.

• Skill Development: Opportunities to learn new design tools, animation techniques (e.g., micro-animations), and gain insights into industrial design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations" context is interpreted broadly here to mean the functional operations of the design and product development team. Growth opportunities are mapped from a typical UI/UX career path within a large manufacturing company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment, combining office-based work with the possibility of remote work.

Office Location(s): The primary location is Winnenden, Germany. Kärcher has a global presence, but this specific role is based at their German headquarters or a significant R&D facility in that region.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace in Winnenden is likely modern and equipped to support design and development activities.

• Expect collaboration spaces designed for brainstorming and team meetings, alongside individual workstations for focused design work.

• Access to necessary design software and hardware, including powerful workstations capable of running demanding design and prototyping tools like Figma and Adobe Creative Suite.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with product samples or prototypes to understand the physical context of the UI.

Work Schedule: Flexible working hours (Gleitzeit) are offered, allowing for a structured yet adaptable schedule that accommodates project deadlines and personal needs, while ensuring core working hours are met for team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role and the company's established presence suggest a structured yet flexible work environment, with a focus on collaborative tools and individual productivity.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess qualifications and relevant experience.

• Technical Interview: Discussion focused on UI/UX principles, your design process, and proficiency with design tools (e.g., Figma, Adobe Creative Suite). Expect questions about your approach to wireframing, prototyping, and user-centered design.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you present selected projects from your portfolio. Be prepared to walk through your design decisions, problem-solving approaches, and the impact of your work.

• Cross-functional Interview: An interview with potential team members from product management and development to assess your collaboration skills, communication style, and ability to integrate design into a product development workflow.

• Cultural Fit / Final Interview: A discussion to gauge your alignment with Kärcher's "WOW" culture and overall team dynamics.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 strong projects that best demonstrate your skills relevant to industrial UI design, HMI development, and the full UX process.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the challenges faced, your design process, key decisions made, and the quantifiable outcomes or learnings.

• Highlight Figma & Adobe: Showcase specific examples of your work in Figma and other Adobe tools, detailing how you leveraged their features for prototyping and interface design.

• Focus on Process: Emphasize your user-centered design methodology, how you incorporated research, and how you collaborated with stakeholders.

• Industrial Relevance: If possible, include projects that show experience with hardware integration, control panels, or interfaces for physical products.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be ready for a potential design challenge, which might involve designing a UI concept for a hypothetical Kärcher product or improving an existing interface.

• Practice articulating your design rationale clearly and concisely, focusing on user needs and technical feasibility.

• Prepare to discuss how you would approach understanding the specific context of a Kärcher product (e.g., professional cleaning equipment) and its users.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice tailored to a UI design role, emphasizing portfolio content and interview preparation specific to industrial applications and Kärcher's known culture.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration.

Proficiency is a key requirement.

• Adobe Creative Suite: A strong requirement, particularly for graphic elements, illustration, and potentially animation. This includes:

  • Adobe Photoshop: For image editing and asset creation.
  • Adobe Illustrator: For vector graphics, icons, and scalable assets.
  • Adobe After Effects: Preferred for creating micro-animations and motion graphics.

• Prototyping Tools: Alongside Figma, experience with other prototyping tools that can handle interactive elements and potentially haptic feedback simulations may be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting: While not explicitly mentioned for this role, understanding how UI design impacts user engagement metrics and product performance data is valuable. Familiarity with analytics platforms used in product development could be an advantage.

CRM & Automation: Not directly relevant to the UI Designer role itself, but an understanding of how user feedback from CRM or support systems can inform design is useful.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools listed are directly derived from the "Requirements" section, with added context on their typical usage in a UI/UX design role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A core value, focusing on understanding and meeting user needs through intuitive and effective design.

• Innovation & Quality ("WOW"): A commitment to delivering exceptional, high-quality products and experiences that delight customers.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on teamwork and cross-functional partnerships to achieve common goals.

• Efficiency & Precision: Valuing well-crafted, consistent designs that are technically sound and contribute to product efficiency.

• Continuous Improvement: A drive to stay updated with design trends and technologies, constantly seeking ways to enhance products and processes.

Collaboration Style:

• The team likely operates with a collaborative, agile mindset, encouraging open communication and feedback exchange between designers, product managers, and engineers.

• Expect regular design reviews, brainstorming sessions, and joint problem-solving activities.

• The hybrid work model necessitates proactive communication and effective use of digital collaboration tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: Values are inferred from the company's "WOW" slogan and the nature of the role, focusing on user experience, innovation, and teamwork.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Bridging Physical and Digital: Effectively designing digital interfaces that integrate seamlessly with physical products and hardware controls presents a unique challenge.

• Balancing Diverse User Needs: Catering to the distinct requirements of both professional and consumer user segments within a single product line or portfolio.

• Maintaining Design Consistency: Ensuring a unified and high-quality user experience across a broad and evolving product portfolio, requiring diligent management of the HMI component library.

• Rapid Technological Evolution: Keeping pace with advancements in UI/UX technologies, interaction paradigms, and hardware capabilities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to attend workshops or training on cutting-edge UI/UX design techniques, interaction design patterns, and motion graphics.

• Industry Exposure: Potential to attend industry conferences or events related to design, technology, and industrial applications.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Gaining deeper insights into industrial design, engineering processes, and product management within a large manufacturing company.

• Mentorship: Access to experienced designers and product development professionals for guidance and career development.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are identified based on the specific context of industrial UI design and the responsibilities outlined, while growth opportunities are standard for a mid-level role in a large corporation.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for designing a user interface for a physical product. How do you account for hardware constraints and user interaction with physical controls?"

• "Walk me through a project where you had to balance conflicting requirements from product management and engineering while ensuring a great user experience. How did you resolve it?"

• "How do you approach creating and maintaining a design system or component library for a product portfolio? What are the key benefits and challenges?"

• "Describe your experience with Figma and the Adobe Creative Suite. How have you used these tools to create interactive prototypes and visually appealing interfaces?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Kärcher and our product range? What excites you about working in industrial design and UI for our sector?"

• "How do you typically collaborate with engineers and product managers? Describe a situation where cross-functional collaboration was critical to a project's success."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with an overview of your role and the project's objective. Then, detail the problem, user research, your design process, key design decisions (with rationale), challenges overcome, and finally, the results or impact.

• Visuals: Use high-quality visuals of wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and final interfaces. If possible, show short video clips of interactive prototypes or animations.

• Metrics: Quantify impact where possible (e.g., improved task completion time, reduced error rates, positive user feedback). If quantitative data isn't available, focus on qualitative improvements and user satisfaction.

• Kärcher Context: Frame your examples in a way that resonates with Kärcher's products and user base. Highlight how your design thinking aligns with their commitment to quality and innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions are crafted to probe the candidate's understanding of industrial UI design, their process, tool proficiency, and cultural fit with Kärcher's "WOW" philosophy.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UI Designer position:

• Submit your CV and portfolio through the Kärcher careers portal link provided.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects demonstrating your expertise in UI/UX design for physical products, industrial applications, and proficiency with Figma and Adobe Creative Suite. Highlight case studies that show your end-to-end design process and problem-solving skills.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords from the job description, such as "User Experience Process," "Graphical User Interfaces," "Control Panels," "Figma," "Adobe Creative Suite," and "Industrial Design." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and the impact of your work. Prepare to discuss your experience with cross-functional collaboration and how you would contribute to Kärcher's "WOW" culture.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Kärcher's product lines, target markets (professional and consumer), and recent innovations to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding during the interview process.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG before making application decisions.

---