UX Designer Robotics

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Designer Robotics

Company: Lely

Location: Maassluis, South Holland, Netherlands

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: January 28, 2026

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

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days on-site recommended)

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and shape the user experience for farmers interacting with advanced robotics and data systems, focusing on intuitive interfaces and seamless integration.

• Collaborate within a global, multidisciplinary UX team to ensure a consistent and user-friendly experience across all Lely product touchpoints, from mobile applications to on-display interfaces.

• Drive innovation by conceptualizing and prototyping novel interaction models between humans, robots, and data within the agricultural technology sector.

• Translate strategic visions into tangible design solutions, contributing to Lely's mission of sustainable, profitable, and enjoyable farming through technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "UX Designer Robotics," the core responsibilities and requirements indicate a broader Product Design and Interaction Design focus, emphasizing the holistic user experience beyond just screens. The role requires not only interface design but also conceptualizing how users interact with complex robotic systems and data flows in an agricultural context.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design intuitive and engaging user interfaces (UI) and user experiences (UX) for Lely's robotic systems and associated digital platforms, ensuring a high level of usability and adoption for dairy farmers.

• Collaborate with a global team of UX designers, researchers, developers, and product managers to define and maintain a cohesive design language and user journey across all Lely products.

• Develop innovative concepts for human-robot interaction, exploring how farmers can effectively manage, monitor, and leverage robotic systems for increased efficiency and animal welfare.

• Create compelling visualizations, wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and final design assets to communicate design ideas and solutions to stakeholders and development teams.

• Participate actively in Agile development processes, contributing to sprint planning, design reviews, and user feedback sessions to ensure design integrity and timely delivery.

• Translate complex technical functionalities and data outputs into easily understandable and actionable insights for the end-user (farmer).

• Conduct user research and usability testing, or collaborate with UX researchers, to gather insights and validate design decisions, ensuring designs meet the needs and expectations of the target audience.

• Champion a user-centric design approach throughout the product development lifecycle, advocating for the farmer's perspective in all design-related discussions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role emphasizes a holistic approach to design, moving beyond traditional screen-based UI/UX. Responsibilities include conceptualizing the broader interaction and experience between farmers, robots, and data, suggesting a need for strong conceptual thinking and the ability to translate abstract ideas into concrete design solutions.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 2-5 years of professional experience in UX/UI Design, Product Design, or Interaction Design, with a proven track record of delivering user-centered digital products.

Required Skills:

• UX/UI Design: Proficiency in designing user interfaces and user experiences for digital products, with a strong understanding of user-centered design principles.

• Conceptual & Creative Thinking: Ability to generate innovative ideas and translate them into tangible design concepts, moving fluidly between strategy, concept, and detailed execution.

• Presentation & Communication: Excellent skills in presenting design ideas, concepts, and rationale clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, including technical teams and business stakeholders.

• Prototyping & Visualization: Strong ability to create high-fidelity prototypes, wireframes, user flows, and visual designs using industry-standard tools.

• Agile Methodology: Experience working within Agile frameworks, including participation in Scrum or Kanban processes, and understanding of iterative design cycles.

• User Perspective: A deep empathy for users and the ability to think from the user's perspective, translating their needs and pain points into effective design solutions.

• Impactful Design: A passion for creating designs that make a significant positive impact on users and contribute to business objectives.

Preferred Skills:

• Data Affinity: Familiarity with data visualization, data interpretation, and how to design interfaces that effectively present complex data to users.

• Robotics/Agriculture Knowledge: An affinity or prior experience with robotics, automation, or the agricultural industry, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities within these domains.

• Design Systems: Experience in developing or working with design systems to ensure consistency and scalability across multiple products and platforms.

• Service Design: Understanding of service design principles and how to map and design end-to-end user journeys that may involve physical and digital touchpoints.

• Visualization Skills: Advanced visualization skills, from sketching to advanced interactive prototyping.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Nice to have" section in the original posting strongly suggests that candidates with a background in data, robotics, or agriculture will have a significant advantage, as will those with experience in design systems and service design, indicating a mature approach to product development at Lely.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating your process from problem definition to final solution, highlighting your role and contributions.

• Process Documentation: Clearly articulate your design process, including user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and iteration.

• System Thinking: Examples that illustrate your ability to design for interconnected systems, ensuring consistency and coherence across different product touchpoints or platforms.

• Impact & Results: Quantify the impact of your designs where possible, using metrics related to user satisfaction, efficiency gains, or adoption rates. Focus on how your designs solve real-world problems for users.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Demonstrate your ability to map out and optimize user workflows, particularly in complex environments involving technology and physical actions.

• Prototyping & Iteration: Provide evidence of your prototyping skills and how you use prototypes to test concepts and iterate on designs based on feedback.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Illustrate how you have collaborated with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders to bring designs to life, detailing communication strategies and problem-solving approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is crucial for this role, demonstrating not just aesthetic design skills but a deep understanding of the design process, system thinking, and the ability to articulate the impact of design solutions. Given the focus on robotics and data, expect portfolio reviews to scrutinize how candidates handle complex interactions and information architecture.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Starting salary of at least €4,800 gross per month, with potential to increase based on knowledge and experience.

Benefits:

• 27 vacation days per year.

• 13 additional leave days per year.

• A personal development budget to support continuous learning and skill enhancement.

• Ample growth opportunities within the company.

• Excellent employment conditions typical for a leading Dutch company.

Working Hours:

• 32-40 hours per week.

• A hybrid work arrangement is expected, with 60-100% on-site work recommended; full remote is not possible. This indicates a strong emphasis on in-person collaboration and team integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary is explicitly stated as a minimum starting point, suggesting room for negotiation based on a candidate's specific skills, experience, and the quality of their portfolio. The generous leave days and personal development budget are significant perks for operations professionals seeking work-life balance and continuous growth.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Agritech / Robotics / Sustainable Technology. Lely is at the forefront of innovation in agricultural technology, developing robotic and data-driven solutions to enhance dairy farming. This industry context implies a focus on practical, robust, and reliable solutions that directly impact a critical global sector.

Company Size: Approximately 2,500 employees worldwide. This mid-to-large size suggests a company with established processes and resources, but potentially still agile enough to foster innovation and individual impact.

Founded: 1948. With over 75 years of history, Lely has a deep understanding of the agricultural market and a strong legacy of innovation, particularly in milking systems. This long history indicates stability and a commitment to long-term development.

Team Structure:

• The UX team at Lely is dedicated and consists of 15 designers and researchers, indicating a significant investment in user experience.

• This team likely operates within a matrix structure, collaborating closely with product management, engineering (software and hardware), and domain experts in agriculture.

Methodology:

• Lely operates with a strong emphasis on innovation, sustainability, and customer focus ("Circling the cow").

• The company utilizes Agile methodologies, requiring designers to be adaptable and integrated into iterative development cycles.

• A data-driven approach is implied by the mention of "data systems," suggesting that design decisions are informed by user behavior and performance metrics.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The combination of a long-standing history in agriculture with cutting-edge robotics and data systems creates a unique environment. The UX team's size and dedicated nature suggest that design is a core component of Lely's product strategy, not an afterthought.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level UX Designer, typically requiring 2-5 years of experience. It involves taking ownership of design tasks, contributing significantly to product development, and collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams. It's a crucial step for developing specialized skills in areas like robotics and agricultural UX.

Reporting Structure: The UX Designer will be part of the dedicated UX team, likely reporting to a UX Lead or Manager. They will work closely with product managers and engineering leads on specific product initiatives. This structure allows for both specialized design mentorship and close integration with product development teams.

Operations Impact: Designers at Lely have a direct impact on the farmer's daily life and the sustainability of food production. By improving the usability and effectiveness of robotic systems, they contribute to increased animal welfare, higher production efficiency, and a more enjoyable work experience for farmers. This role offers the opportunity to influence critical aspects of modern agriculture.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in UX for robotics, data-intensive systems, and the agricultural sector, becoming a subject matter expert.

• Leadership: Progress to Senior UX Designer, Lead UX Designer, or UX Manager roles, taking on greater strategic responsibilities and mentoring junior team members.

• Cross-functional Development: Gain exposure to hardware design, AI/ML integration, and service design, broadening the scope of design expertise.

• Learning & Development: Utilize the personal development budget for courses, workshops, conferences, and certifications relevant to UX, robotics, or agriculture.

📝 Enhancement Note: Lely's commitment to innovation and its dedicated UX team suggest a fertile ground for career growth. The role offers a clear path for specialization and advancement within the exciting field of agritech UX, with opportunities to contribute to a mission-driven company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Lely operates from a modern Head Office in The Netherlands with dedicated Lely Center locations globally. The Maassluis location is likely a hub for R&D and design.

Office Location(s): The primary office is located at Cornelis van der Lelylaan 1, 3147 PB Maassluis, Netherlands. This location is part of the company's campus.

Workspace Context:

• The role involves a hybrid work arrangement, suggesting a balance between focused individual work (potentially remote) and collaborative in-office sessions. The strong recommendation for on-site presence indicates an environment that values face-to-face interaction, team brainstorming, and direct collaboration with engineers and researchers.

• The Lely Campus offers amenities like padel courts, fitness classes, a gym, and a barista, fostering a positive and engaging work environment that supports employee well-being.

• Access to advanced tools, technologies, and potentially a dedicated UX lab or testing facilities would be expected for a company of Lely's caliber in robotics and tech.

Work Schedule: Standard working hours are expected, likely aligned with Dutch business hours (e.g., 9 AM to 5 PM), with flexibility for a 32-40 hour week. The hybrid nature allows for some autonomy in structuring the work week, balancing on-site collaboration days with remote focus time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on hybrid work with a strong on-site component highlights Lely's preference for collaborative design processes. The campus amenities suggest a company culture that invests in employee experience and well-being, which is often a positive indicator for operations professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role's requirements.

• First Interview: Typically with an HR representative or hiring manager to discuss your background, motivations, and initial fit. This may include behavioral questions.

• Portfolio Presentation & Technical Interview: A key stage where you will present selected case studies from your portfolio, detailing your design process, problem-solving approach, and the impact of your work. Expect in-depth questions about your design decisions, tools, and methodologies.

• Team/Cross-functional Interviews: You may meet with other UX designers, researchers, product managers, and/or engineers to assess your collaborative style, communication skills, and ability to integrate into the team.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader or department head to confirm fit and discuss final details.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your skills in UX/UI design, conceptual thinking, and interaction design, particularly if they relate to complex systems, data visualization, or hardware interfaces.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process you followed, the challenges you encountered, your solutions, and the outcomes or learnings.

• Highlight Process: Emphasize your design methodology, your reasoning behind design decisions, and how you used user feedback to iterate.

• Showcase Interaction: If possible, include interactive prototypes or clear walk-throughs of user flows to demonstrate how users would interact with your designs.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs, even if it's qualitative feedback or hypothetical improvements.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for potential design exercises or challenges, which might involve solving a hypothetical design problem related to robotics or farmer interaction.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely.

• Be ready to discuss your experience with specific design tools and Agile methodologies.

• Research Lely's products and mission to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding of their business context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio presentation is critical. Candidates should be ready to deep-dive into their design process, justify their decisions, and demonstrate a strong understanding of user-centered design principles, especially when applied to complex technical products like robotics.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Proficiency with industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, XD), InVision, or similar for wireframing, UI design, and interactive prototyping.

• Collaboration: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Confluence, Slack, or Microsoft Teams for project management and team communication within an Agile framework.

• Visualization: Tools for creating flowcharts, diagrams, and user journey maps (e.g., Miro, Lucidchart, Whimsical).

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly a data analyst role, understanding how to interpret user analytics from tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Amplitude to inform design decisions would be beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• While direct CRM experience might not be primary, understanding how user interactions with robots and data systems feed into broader business processes or CRM data is advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the description implies a need for proficiency in modern UX/UI design software. Experience with tools that facilitate collaboration and agile workflows is also highly valued. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their preferred toolset and why.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation: A continuous drive to develop cutting-edge solutions that push the boundaries of agricultural technology.

• Sustainability: A core commitment to creating solutions that benefit the environment and ensure the long-term viability of farming.

• Customer Centricity: A deep focus on understanding and serving the needs of dairy farmers, making their lives easier and more profitable.

• Collaboration: A belief in working together across disciplines, cultures, and geographies to achieve shared goals.

• Impact: A desire to make a tangible difference in the world, contributing to the future of food production.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to work closely with engineers, researchers, product managers, and business stakeholders, requiring strong communication and interpersonal skills.

• Agile & Iterative: The team likely embraces an iterative design process, valuing feedback, continuous improvement, and adaptability.

• Global & Diverse: Working with a global team means fostering an inclusive environment that respects diverse perspectives and communication styles.

• Proactive & Autonomous: Team members are encouraged to take initiative, propose new ideas, and manage their work effectively within the collaborative framework.

📝 Enhancement Note: Lely's values of innovation, sustainability, and customer focus are central to its identity. Operations professionals should demonstrate how their approach to design and problem-solving aligns with these core principles, showcasing a proactive and collaborative mindset.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for a Niche Industry: Understanding the unique needs, workflows, and technological literacy of dairy farmers can be challenging, requiring deep user empathy and research.

• Integrating Physical and Digital: Designing seamless interactions between physical robotic hardware, on-device interfaces, and mobile/web applications requires a holistic systems-thinking approach.

• Rapid Technological Advancements: Staying abreast of evolving robotics, AI, and data technologies and translating them into user-friendly solutions.

• Global Consistency: Ensuring a consistent and effective user experience across diverse markets with varying user needs and regulatory environments.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Skill Development: Gaining deep expertise in UX for robotics, IoT, and data-driven agriculture.

• Industry Exposure: Learning about the intricacies of the dairy farming industry and its technological evolution.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Opportunities to collaborate with hardware engineers, AI specialists, and service designers.

• Professional Growth: Access to Lely's personal development budget for training, conferences, and certifications in areas like advanced UX research, interaction design, or specific industry technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are opportunities for growth. Candidates who are excited by complex problem-solving, enjoy interdisciplinary collaboration, and are eager to learn about a critical industry will thrive in this role.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a complex system with both physical and digital components. How did you approach it?" (Focus on systems thinking, user flows, and integration.)

• "How do you balance user needs with technical constraints and business goals in your design process?" (Highlight your problem-solving skills and negotiation abilities.)

• "Walk us through a project where you significantly influenced the product strategy or user experience through your design work." (Prepare a strong case study demonstrating impact.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Lely and our mission in sustainable farming?" (Research Lely's website, recent news, and products.)

• "How do you see your role contributing to Lely's values of innovation and sustainability?" (Connect your design philosophy to company values.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically, starting with the problem, your role, your process, key design decisions, challenges, solutions, and finally, the impact.

• Visuals: Use high-quality visuals, mockups, and prototypes to illustrate your work. Avoid walls of text.

• Narrative: Tell a compelling story for each case study, focusing on the "why" behind your decisions.

• Interaction: Be prepared to walk through interactive prototypes or user flows to demonstrate the user experience.

• Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design choices, trade-offs, and how you handle feedback. Be open and honest.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process in detail, demonstrating not only creative skill but also strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and a deep understanding of user-centered design principles within a complex, technical domain.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Designer Robotics position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Lely's careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate your experience with complex systems, interaction design, UI/UX for technology, and any relevant industry experience (robotics, agriculture, data visualization).

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your years of experience, key skills (UX/UI Design, Prototyping, Agile, etc.), and achievements, using keywords relevant to the job description (e.g., user experience, interaction design, robotics).

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on your design process, problem-solving approach, and the impact of your work. Prepare answers for common behavioral and technical questions.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Lely, its products, mission, and values. Understand their position in the agritech market and demonstrate genuine interest in contributing to their goals.

⚠️ 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.