UX and Product Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX and Product Design

Company: Insurance Insider

Location: Sofia, Sofia City, Bulgaria

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / User Experience

Date Posted: March 06, 2026

Experience Level: Experienced (5+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end user research initiatives, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to deeply understand customer needs and behaviors.

• Define and own product customer groups, shaping product direction through a dedicated focus on user segments.

• Translate complex customer insights into actionable design directions, user journeys, flows, wireframes, and interaction concepts.

• Collaborate with the Product Designer to refine high-fidelity designs and actively contribute to the evolution of the Figma design system.

• Partner closely with Product and Engineering teams to champion user-centered thinking throughout the product development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a senior contributor within the Product & Design department, reporting directly to the Head of Product and Design. The emphasis on "end-to-end user research" and "ownership of a product customer group" suggests a significant degree of autonomy and strategic input, requiring a candidate who can independently drive research efforts and translate findings into impactful design strategies. The hybrid nature of the role in Sofia indicates a need for on-site collaboration while offering flexibility.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead comprehensive user research programs, encompassing qualitative and quantitative methodologies such as user interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to gather deep customer insights.

• Establish and maintain a dedicated product customer group, ensuring continuous feedback loops and representation of user needs in product strategy.

• Develop detailed user journeys, customer flows, wireframes, and interaction concepts that map out user experiences and inform product development.

• Synthesize research findings into validated design directions and actionable recommendations that guide product evolution and feature development.

• Collaborate effectively with the existing Product Designer to iterate on and maintain high-fidelity designs, ensuring visual consistency and adherence to design principles.

• Actively contribute to the growth and maintenance of the Figma design system, ensuring its scalability and usability across product initiatives.

• Create interactive prototypes to facilitate user testing, stakeholder alignment, and communication of design concepts.

• Foster strong partnerships with Product Management and Engineering teams, embedding user-centered design principles into their workflows and decision-making processes.

• Clearly articulate and present research findings, design rationale, and user insights to diverse stakeholder groups, including senior leadership.

• Facilitate productive design discussions, advocating for user needs and negotiating design decisions to achieve optimal user outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic research leadership and hands-on design execution. The expectation to "own a product customer group" implies a proactive approach to user segmentation and advocacy. The collaboration with an existing Product Designer suggests a team environment where shared ownership and knowledge transfer are key.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, or a related field is often preferred for roles of this nature. Relevant practical experience can often substitute formal education.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of dedicated experience in User Experience (UX) and Product Design, with a proven track record of delivering impactful design solutions.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in planning, conducting, and synthesizing end-to-end user research, including interviews, usability testing, and surveys.

• Strong ability to structure and translate complex research findings into clear, actionable insights and design recommendations.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including component libraries, auto layout, and interactive prototyping capabilities.

• Hands-on experience with UX research and testing tools such as Maze, Hotjar, Optimal Workshop, UserTesting, or similar platforms.

• Exceptional communication, presentation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and user insights effectively.

• Confidence and experience in facilitating design discussions, negotiating design decisions, and influencing stakeholders.

• Proven experience working within agile product development teams, including familiarity with sprints and project management tools like Jira.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience contributing to or evolving a design system.

• Familiarity with broader product strategy development.

• Knowledge of the insurance industry or subscription-based content/analysis platforms.

• Experience with data analysis tools to complement qualitative research.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "5+ years" and "strong experience planning and conducting research independently" points towards a mid-to-senior level UX/Product Designer. The emphasis on specific tools like Figma and UX research platforms suggests a need for practical, hands-on skills rather than purely theoretical knowledge. Experience in agile environments is critical for seamless integration into the product development workflow.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design projects, with a strong emphasis on the user research process and its impact on design decisions.

• Demonstrations of how research insights were translated into tangible design solutions, including user journeys, flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups.

• Case studies detailing the user research methodologies employed, the challenges faced, and the outcomes achieved.

• Examples of contributions to or creation of design systems, illustrating an understanding of scalability and consistency.

Process Documentation:

• Detailed documentation of research processes, including planning, execution, and synthesis methodologies.

• Evidence of workflow design and optimization, detailing how user flows and interaction concepts were developed and refined.

• Demonstration of creating and maintaining design systems or style guides.

• Examples of iterative design processes, showing how feedback from usability testing and stakeholders was incorporated.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX/Product Design role, a robust portfolio is paramount. The emphasis on "end-to-end user research" and "translating research insights" means the portfolio should not just showcase final designs but the entire problem-solving journey, with research at its core. Quantifiable results or clear articulation of impact are highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Estimated Range: €45,000 - €70,000 per annum (gross).

• Methodology: This estimate is based on research for experienced UX/Product Designers (5+ years) in Sofia, Bulgaria, considering the hybrid work arrangement and the seniority implied by "leadership role with real impact and autonomy." Compensation for specialized tech roles in Sofia can vary significantly, but this range reflects a competitive offering for a hybrid position within a specialized media/analytics company. The exact figure will depend on the candidate's specific experience, skills, and interview performance.

Benefits:

• A leadership role offering significant impact and autonomy in shaping product direction.

• Flexible hybrid working model, providing a balance between in-office collaboration and remote work.

• Generous annual leave allowance: 25 days of paid holiday per year.

• An additional day off for your birthday.

• Dedicated opportunities for professional growth and development, supporting career advancement.

Working Hours:

• The standard full-time working hours are not explicitly stated but are assumed to be around 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time position. The hybrid arrangement suggests flexibility in daily scheduling, with core hours likely expected for team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation for the Sofia market, as no specific figures were provided. The benefits listed are directly from the job description, highlighting aspects attractive to design professionals seeking growth and work-life balance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Publishing & Media (specifically, providing insights and analysis for the insurance industry).

Company Size: The provided data does not specify company size, but "Insurance Insider" suggests a niche, potentially specialized firm. Based on the description, it appears to be an established entity with a global reach in its specialized market.

Founded: 1996, indicating a long-standing presence and deep expertise in its field.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the "Product & Design" department, reporting to the "Head of Product and Design." This suggests a structured product development function.

• Close collaboration is expected with "Product Designer" (implying another designer on the team) and "Product and Engineering" teams, indicating a cross-functional product development environment.

Methodology:

• The company's core offering is "exclusive news, deep analysis, and actionable insights," suggesting a data-driven and research-intensive approach to content creation and product development.

• The emphasis on "user-centred thinking" and "user research" in the role description points to a product development methodology that prioritizes understanding and addressing customer needs.

• Working in "agile product teams" indicates an iterative and responsive development process.

Company Website: Insurance Insider (implied from the organization name, though the URL was not provided in the raw data).

📝 Enhancement Note: Insurance Insider operates in a specialized B2B market, serving insurers, distributors, service providers, and investors. This context suggests a professional, data-informed culture where deep industry knowledge and analytical rigor are valued. The "Product & Design" department likely plays a crucial role in translating complex industry data and insights into user-friendly platforms and analytical tools.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a senior individual contributor position within the Product Design function. It offers a leadership opportunity in driving user research and design strategy for specific customer segments, with significant autonomy. It's a step beyond a standard UX/Product Designer role, requiring strategic thinking and independent ownership.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to the "Head of Product and Design." This provides a direct line of communication with senior leadership and a clear path for strategic alignment and career development within the product function.

Operations Impact: The UX and Product Designer will have a direct impact on the usability and effectiveness of Insurance Insider's analytical platforms and content delivery systems. By deeply understanding user needs, the designer will influence product direction, aiming to enhance customer engagement, satisfaction, and ultimately, the value derived from the company's insights. This directly supports the company's mission of helping clients uncover opportunities and mitigate risks.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Potential to deepen expertise in UX research methodologies, design systems, or specific product areas within the insurance analytics domain.

• Leadership: Opportunity to grow into a lead design role, mentoring junior designers or taking on ownership of larger product initiatives.

• Cross-functional Influence: The role provides a platform to become a key influencer in product strategy, working closely with Product Management and Engineering.

• Industry Knowledge: Development of specialized knowledge within the insurance industry, a valuable niche in the B2B analytics and publishing sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "leadership role with real impact and autonomy" suggests that while not a management position, it carries significant responsibility and influence. Growth opportunities are likely geared towards deepening design expertise and strategic product contribution within the company's specialized industry.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. This indicates a blend of remote work and in-office presence, suggesting a modern work environment that values flexibility while maintaining opportunities for in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s): Sofia, Bulgaria. This specifies the physical location for the hybrid component of the role.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model allows for flexibility in how and where work is performed, catering to individual preferences while ensuring team cohesion.

• Collaboration is key, with expectations to work closely with Product Designers, Product Managers, and Engineers, suggesting an environment conducive to teamwork and open communication.

• Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma and specialized UX research platforms is inherent to the role, indicating a well-equipped digital workspace.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours are implied, with flexibility offered through the hybrid arrangement. This allows professionals to manage their time effectively, balancing focused design work with collaborative sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment in Sofia is a key draw, offering a balance between personal flexibility and team interaction. This setup is standard for many tech and design roles, promoting productivity and employee well-being.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of the application, resume, and portfolio to assess fundamental qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: Candidates will likely be asked to present their portfolio, walking through 1-2 key projects that highlight their UX research and product design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Expect questions about their approach to user research, design decisions, and collaboration.

• Technical/Design Challenge: A practical exercise might be given, either take-home or during an interview, to assess design thinking, problem-solving abilities, and proficiency with design tools. This could involve analyzing a user problem, proposing solutions, or refining existing designs.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with the Head of Product and Design, other designers, Product Managers, and possibly Engineering leads. These interviews will assess cultural fit, collaboration style, communication skills, and strategic thinking.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a more senior leader to discuss vision, impact, and long-term fit within the company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process: Showcase the entire design journey, from problem definition and user research to ideation, design, and iteration. Clearly articulate why certain decisions were made, backed by research.

• Highlight Research Impact: Emphasize how user research directly informed design decisions and led to positive outcomes. Quantify impact where possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, increased user satisfaction scores).

• Showcase Figma Proficiency: Include examples of well-structured Figma files, design system contributions, and interactive prototypes.

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives, detailing the challenge, your role, your process, the solutions, and the results.

• Tailor to the Role: Select projects that best demonstrate the skills and responsibilities outlined in the job description, particularly user research leadership and translating insights into design.

Challenge Preparation:

• User-Centred Approach: Be prepared to demonstrate how you would approach a given design problem with a user-first mindset.

• Research-Driven Solutions: Think about how you would gather information and validate assumptions for any proposed solution.

• Communication Clarity: Practice articulating your thought process, design rationale, and research findings concisely and effectively.

• Agile Context: Consider how your proposed solutions would fit within an agile development framework.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a senior UX/Product Design role will heavily emphasize the portfolio and the candidate's ability to articulate their process and impact. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with user research tools and Figma in detail.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and design system management. Proficiency expected in components, auto layout, and advanced prototyping features.

• UX Research & Testing Tools: Experience with platforms such as Maze, Hotjar, Optimal Workshop, or UserTesting is required. These tools are used for usability testing, heat mapping, user feedback collection, and iterative design validation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly mentioned, familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) can be beneficial for understanding user behavior post-launch and informing future research.

CRM & Automation:

• Jira: Required for working within agile product teams, used for task management, sprint planning, and bug tracking.

• While not a direct responsibility, an understanding of how design integrates with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) or marketing automation platforms can be advantageous for a holistic product view.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core technology stack for this role revolves around design and research tools. Proficiency in Figma and at least one major UX research platform is non-negotiable. Familiarity with agile project management tools like Jira is also a must.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of the customer is paramount, driving all design and product decisions.

• Collaboration: Working effectively across teams (Product, Engineering) to achieve shared goals and foster innovation.

• Data-Driven Insights: Valuing research and data to inform decisions, ensuring that design solutions are well-supported and effective.

• Continuous Improvement: A mindset of ongoing learning, iteration, and refinement in both processes and product design.

• Mission-Driven: A dedication to the company's purpose of providing valuable insights and analysis to the insurance industry.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role requires seamless collaboration with Product Management and Engineering, implying a team-oriented approach where design is integrated early and throughout the development cycle.

• Open Communication: Facilitating discussions and presenting findings clearly suggests an environment where ideas are shared openly, and constructive feedback is encouraged.

• Iterative Design: Partnering closely with Product and Engineering supports a cycle of design, feedback, and iteration, common in agile environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to value a blend of analytical rigor, user advocacy, and collaborative execution. For a designer, this means being comfortable with data, championing the user, and working effectively within a multidisciplinary team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Translating Complex Data: Synthesizing intricate insurance industry data and analysis into intuitive user experiences can be a significant challenge.

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively advocating for user needs while aligning with the company's business objectives and technical constraints.

• Evolving Design System: Contributing to and maintaining a design system that scales with product growth and evolving needs.

• Rapid Iteration: Adapting to the fast-paced nature of agile development and incorporating feedback quickly.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Industry Expertise: Gaining specialized knowledge in the insurance sector, which can open doors to further opportunities in FinTech or specialized B2B SaaS.

• Advanced Research Skills: Opportunities to hone and expand expertise in various qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.

• Design System Contribution: Developing skills in component-based design and system thinking, a highly sought-after skill.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Enhancing abilities to influence product strategy and collaborate effectively with diverse teams.

• Professional Growth: Access to opportunities for professional development, as stated in the benefits.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a specialized B2B product design role, requiring a strategic and adaptable mindset. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a path for deep specialization and leadership within a niche but critical industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Tell me about a time you led user research from start to finish. What was the challenge, your approach, and the outcome?" (Focus on your process, research methodology, and how insights drove design).

• "How do you define and create a product customer group? What are the benefits?" (Demonstrate your understanding of user segmentation and its strategic value).

• "Describe a situation where your user research findings conflicted with stakeholder opinions. How did you navigate this?" (Highlight your negotiation, presentation, and advocacy skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Insurance Insider and our mission?" (Research the company's market position, publications, and overall impact).

• "How do you contribute to a collaborative team environment?" (Provide examples of your teamwork and communication style).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select 2-3 Strong Projects: Choose projects that best showcase your end-to-end UX research process, problem-solving abilities, and impact.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your role, the research methods used, your design process, key decisions, challenges, and the final outcomes (quantified if possible).

• Emphasize Research: Dedicate significant time to explaining your user research approach, how you synthesized findings, and how those insights directly shaped the design solutions.

• Showcase Figma Skills: Be ready to discuss your Figma workflow, design system contributions, and prototyping methods.

• Be Prepared for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design rationale, decision-making process, and how you handle feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong UX research foundation, practical design skills with Figma, and the ability to collaborate effectively within an agile team. Being able to articulate the impact of your work is crucial for a senior role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX and Product Design position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating end-to-end user research leadership, your process for translating insights into design, and your proficiency with Figma and UX research tools.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your 5+ years of UX/Product Design experience, emphasizing your skills in user research, design system contributions, and agile project work. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and research findings, preparing specific examples for common interview questions related to research, collaboration, and problem-solving.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Insurance Insider, its market position, and its mission to provide insights for the insurance industry. Understand the value proposition of their analysis and how UX can enhance it.

⚠️ 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.