UX Team Lead

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Team Lead

Company: Swedbank

Location: Tallinn, Estonia; Riga, Latvia; Vilnius, Lithuania

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience (UX) Leadership / Product Design Management

Date Posted: March 04, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the definition and execution of the User Experience (UX) vision, directly aligning with Swedbank's digital distribution and overarching business strategy.

• Translate complex business objectives, such as sales targets, service efficiency, Net Promoter Score (NPS), and digital adoption rates, into actionable experience principles and robust design guidelines.

• Establish and uphold stringent UX quality standards, implementing review mechanisms and rigorously measuring the impact of design initiatives on critical performance metrics like funnel conversion, operational efficiency, and overall customer satisfaction.

• Ensure a seamless and consistent user experience across all digital platforms, including the Internet Bank, Mobile App, and other digital touchpoints, to enhance customer journey mapping and engagement.

• Champion customer-centric decision-making at all leadership levels, advocating for user needs and insights to drive product development and strategic planning.

• Oversee compliance with all relevant accessibility standards, regulatory requirements, and other critical compliance mandates to ensure inclusive and legally sound digital products.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing, multidisciplinary UX team, fostering an environment of continuous learning and professional growth.

• Drive the establishment of a strong design culture rooted in data-driven insights, rigorous experimentation, and a clear focus on measurable business impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "UX Team Lead," the responsibilities heavily imply a strategic leadership role focused on driving business outcomes through exceptional user experience. The emphasis on translating business goals into experience principles, measuring impact on funnel performance and operational efficiency, and advocating for customer-centricity at leadership levels suggests a senior position requiring significant strategic influence, not just team management. This role is crucial for optimizing the digital customer journey and directly contributing to Swedbank's competitive advantage.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Strategic UX Vision & Execution: Define, own, and communicate the overarching UX vision, ensuring its alignment with Swedbank's digital distribution strategy and broader business objectives, including sales, service efficiency, NPS, and digital adoption.

• Experience Principle Development: Translate business goals into clear, actionable experience principles and comprehensive design guidelines that inform all digital product development.

• Quality Standards & Impact Measurement: Establish and enforce UX quality standards, implement effective review mechanisms, and meticulously measure the impact of design initiatives on key business metrics, including funnel performance, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction.

• Cross-Platform Consistency: Ensure a unified and consistent user experience across all digital touchpoints, such as the Internet Bank, Mobile App, and other digital channels, to enhance user navigation and brand perception.

• Customer Advocacy: Act as a primary advocate for customer-centric decision-making at all leadership levels, integrating user feedback and research insights into strategic planning and product prioritization.

• Compliance & Accessibility: Guarantee that all digital products and experiences adhere to accessibility standards, regulatory requirements, and other legal mandates.

• Team Leadership & Development: Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary UX team, setting clear performance goals, individual development plans, and fostering a collaborative and innovative team environment.

• Design Culture Cultivation: Build and nurture a strong design culture based on data analysis, experimentation, and demonstrable business impact, promoting best practices in user-centered design.

• Resource Management: Effectively manage resource allocation for UX initiatives across various digital projects and product development cycles.

• Technical & Product Alignment: Ensure design feasibility by collaborating closely with technical architecture teams and actively participate in product discovery, prioritization, and agile team support with clear design direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a senior leadership role that bridges product strategy, design execution, and team management. The emphasis on measuring business impact (funnel performance, operational efficiency) and aligning UX with strategic goals positions this as a critical function for revenue generation and customer retention within Swedbank's digital offerings.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, or a related field.

Experience:

• 5-10 years of progressive experience in product design, interaction design, and UX leadership.

• Proven track record of defining and executing UX strategies that drive business outcomes.

• Experience managing and mentoring multidisciplinary design teams.

Required Skills:

• Product Design & Interaction Design: Deep expertise in user-centered design principles, wireframing, prototyping, and user interface design.

• UX Research Methodologies: Proficient in various research techniques (e.g., user interviews, usability testing, surveys) to gather and synthesize user insights.

• Design Systems Governance: Strong understanding of creating, maintaining, and scaling design systems for consistent product experiences.

• Storytelling & Presentation Skills: Ability to articulate design concepts, strategies, and user insights effectively to diverse stakeholders, including senior leadership.

• Strategic & Detail Thinking: A balanced approach to seeing the big picture and understanding long-term impacts while also diving into specific design details.

• Analytical & Creative Thinking: Proficiency in analyzing complex situations, identifying patterns, and applying creative problem-solving techniques.

• Data Analysis & Experimentation: Experience in using data to inform design decisions, measure impact, and drive iterative improvements through experimentation.

• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity with agile development processes and ability to support agile teams with design direction.

• English Fluency: Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

• Accessibility Compliance: Knowledge of WCAG guidelines and best practices for creating accessible digital experiences.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the financial services industry.

• Proficiency in advanced analytics and A/B testing tools.

• Experience with design system management at scale.

• Knowledge of regulatory requirements specific to the banking sector.

• Familiarity with cross-functional team leadership in a matrixed organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office software, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint" is unusual for a senior UX role and may indicate a need for strong reporting and analytical presentation skills directly within these tools, or it could be a legacy requirement. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how they leverage these tools for analysis and communication beyond basic document creation.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• UX Strategy & Vision: Demonstrations of how you've defined and implemented UX visions that align with business objectives and drive measurable results. This should include examples of translating business goals into experience principles.

• Impact Measurement & Optimization: Case studies showcasing your ability to measure the impact of design initiatives on key metrics such as funnel performance, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Highlight specific data points and ROI.

• Cross-Platform Design Consistency: Examples of ensuring a cohesive user experience across multiple digital touchpoints (e.g., web, mobile app). Showcase your approach to maintaining brand and functional consistency.

• User-Centric Problem Solving: Detailed case studies illustrating how you've identified user needs through research and translated them into effective design solutions that solve complex problems.

• Design System Management: Examples of your involvement in creating, governing, or scaling design systems, demonstrating an understanding of their importance for efficiency and consistency.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Evidence of designing and optimizing UX workflows, from research and ideation through to implementation and iteration. Showcase methodologies used for process improvement.

• Agile Collaboration & Integration: Examples of how you've integrated UX processes within agile development cycles, supporting cross-functional teams with clear design direction and validation criteria.

• Performance Analysis & Reporting: Demonstrate your ability to analyze UX performance data, create insightful reports, and present findings to stakeholders, using tools like Excel or PowerPoint for data visualization and storytelling.

• Compliance & Accessibility Integration: Showcase how you ensure design processes incorporate accessibility standards and regulatory compliance from the outset.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role of this seniority, the portfolio should not just showcase final designs but also the strategic thinking, process, and data-driven rationale behind them. Emphasis should be placed on demonstrating leadership in defining and implementing UX strategies, managing teams, and directly impacting business outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Latvia: 4,150–6,250 € gross per month

• Lithuania: 5,250–7,850 € gross per month

• Estonia: 4,500–6,700 € gross per month

Benefits:

• Share-based Reward Program: Participation in the "Eken" program.

• Company Pension Plan: Contribution to your retirement savings.

• Employee Offers: Preferential terms for Swedbank banking products.

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive health coverage.

• Flexible Working Conditions: Opportunities for flexible work arrangements, where suitable for the role, promoting work-life balance.

• Continuous Development: Access to resources and opportunities for personal and professional growth through self-leadership and ongoing learning.

• Meaningful Work: Opportunity to contribute to work that positively impacts the workplace, customers, and society.

• Collaborative Culture: An open and team-oriented environment that encourages cross-functional teamwork and networking.

Working Hours:

• Standard 40-hour work week, with potential for flexible working conditions as appropriate for the role and team needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary ranges provided are specific to the country of employment within the Baltic region. Candidates should note the variations and understand that their offer will be based on the location where they are officially employed. The estimated experience level of 5-10 years aligns with these salary brackets for a leadership role in the financial sector in these regions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Banking and Financial Services

Company Size: Large Enterprise (often 10,000+ employees, Swedbank has significantly more)

Founded: 1920 (Swedbank)

Team Structure:

• UX Team: A multidisciplinary UX team, likely comprising UX designers, interaction designers, UX researchers, and potentially content strategists or UI designers.

• Reporting Structure: The UX Team Lead will report to a senior leader within digital product, IT, or a dedicated UX/Design department, likely a Head of Digital, Chief Product Officer, or similar.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role necessitates close collaboration with product managers, agile development teams (developers, QA), business analysts, marketing, legal, compliance, and other stakeholders across the bank to ensure a unified digital strategy and execution.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using data analytics, user research, and experimentation to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Agile & Lean Principles: Integration of UX processes within agile development frameworks to ensure rapid iteration and continuous improvement.

• Customer-Centricity: A core philosophy of placing the customer at the center of all product development and strategic decisions.

• Process Optimization: Continuous focus on improving internal processes, design workflows, and team efficiency.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Swedbank's long history and presence across the Baltics indicate a stable, large organization with established processes. The UX Team Lead will need to navigate a complex, regulated environment while fostering innovation and a modern design culture. The "Eken" share program suggests a strong employee ownership culture.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Leadership / Management

This role represents a significant step into leadership within the UX domain. It's a strategic position that requires not only deep expertise in design but also the ability to manage people, influence stakeholders, and directly contribute to business strategy and financial performance through user experience.

Reporting Structure:

The UX Team Lead will likely report to a senior executive (e.g., Head of Digital, Chief Product Officer, VP of Customer Experience) and will be responsible for managing a team of UX professionals. This structure offers visibility to senior leadership and the opportunity to influence high-level strategy.

Operations Impact:

The impact of this role is substantial. By defining the UX vision and ensuring consistent, high-quality experiences, the UX Team Lead directly influences:

• Revenue Growth: Through improved conversion rates, higher digital adoption, and increased customer lifetime value.

• Operational Efficiency: By creating intuitive self-service options and reducing customer support inquiries through better digital design.

• Customer Satisfaction & Loyalty: By delivering seamless, user-friendly, and valuable digital experiences that foster trust and engagement.

• Brand Reputation: By ensuring a modern, reliable, and customer-focused digital presence.

Growth Opportunities:

• Advancement to Director/Head of UX: Progression to oversee larger UX functions, manage multiple teams, and have an even greater strategic impact on the bank's digital transformation.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like design systems at scale, UX research leadership, or product strategy.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Opportunities to move into broader product management or digital strategy roles.

• Mentorship & Coaching: Develop strong leadership skills through mentoring team members and contributing to the growth of UX talent within Swedbank.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is positioned as a key driver of digital transformation within a traditional financial institution. Success here can lead to significant career advancement, either within Swedbank or in similar leadership roles in other large organizations.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, balancing office-based collaboration with remote flexibility.

Office Location(s):

• Vilnius, Lithuania (Konstitucijos pr. 20a)

• Tallinn, Estonia (Liivalaia 8)

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model is designed to foster collaboration. Expect opportunities for in-person team meetings, workshops, and brainstorming sessions at the office.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to standard design and productivity software, likely including design tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch), prototyping tools, research platforms, and collaboration suites. Proficiency in Microsoft Office is specifically mentioned.

• Team Interaction: Regular interaction with the UX team, product managers, agile squads, and other stakeholders, both virtually and in person.

Work Schedule:

• Primarily a 40-hour work week, with the expectation of flexibility to meet project deadlines and team needs. The hybrid arrangement allows for a balance between structured office time and remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role requires strong self-management and communication skills. Candidates should be comfortable working autonomously and proactively engaging with colleagues across different locations and work modes.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: HR or Talent Acquisition will review applications based on qualifications and experience.

2. Hiring Manager Interview: Conversation with the hiring manager (Igoris Ryklys) to assess fit, experience, and understanding of UX strategy and leadership. This is where initial portfolio discussion might occur.

3. Portfolio Presentation & Case Study: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, focusing on key projects that demonstrate strategic thinking, leadership, problem-solving, and impact measurement. Expect to discuss a specific case study in depth.

4. Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with potential team members and key cross-functional stakeholders (e.g., Product Managers, Engineering Leads) to evaluate collaboration style, communication skills, and technical understanding.

5. Final Interview: Potentially with a senior executive to discuss strategic vision and overall fit within the organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Strategic Narrative: Frame your portfolio around strategic impact. For each project, clearly articulate the business problem, your role, the UX strategy employed, the process followed, the outcome, and the measurable impact (quantify wherever possible).

• Leadership Examples: Showcase instances where you've led teams, mentored designers, influenced stakeholders, or driven strategic UX initiatives.

• Data & Metrics: Emphasize how you use data (user research, analytics, A/B tests) to inform decisions and measure success. Provide specific metrics and ROI where available.

• Process & Methodology: Detail your approach to UX research, design, collaboration, and how you ensure quality and consistency, especially within an agile and regulated environment.

• Tailor to Swedbank: Research Swedbank's digital products and understand their business context. Highlight projects that demonstrate relevant experience or transferable skills.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic UX Challenge: Be prepared for a hypothetical scenario where you need to define a UX strategy for a new digital banking feature or address a specific customer pain point. Focus on your approach to problem definition, research, ideation, and measurement.

• Team Management Scenario: You may be asked to describe how you would handle team conflicts, performance issues, or foster a collaborative design culture.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Prepare to discuss how you would work with product managers, engineers, and business stakeholders to achieve shared goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not just design skills but also strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and the ability to drive business value through UX. A strong portfolio presentation that clearly articulates impact and strategic rationale will be critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Likely candidates for tools include Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Axure RP. Figma is increasingly becoming an industry standard for collaborative design.

• UX Research Platforms: Tools such as UserTesting.com, Optimal Workshop, Maze, or internal survey tools for conducting user research and usability testing.

• Design Systems: Experience with tools for managing design systems (e.g., Storybook, Zeroheight) and implementing them within development workflows.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello for workflow management and team collaboration.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or similar platforms for tracking website and app user behavior and performance.

• Business Intelligence (BI) Tools: Tableau, Power BI, or Swedbank's internal BI solutions for deep data analysis and reporting.

• A/B Testing Tools: Optimizely, VWO, or internal experimentation platforms to test design variations and measure impact.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not directly managed by UX, understanding how CRM data (e.g., from Salesforce, or a banking-specific CRM) informs customer journeys is beneficial.

• Workflow Automation: Familiarity with how design can integrate with or be supported by automated processes within the banking ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, a strong candidate will have experience with industry-standard UX design and research tools. The emphasis on data analysis and reporting suggests a need for proficiency in analytics platforms and potentially BI tools. The explicit mention of Microsoft Office indicates its importance for reporting and communication.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A deep commitment to understanding and serving customer needs in all digital interactions.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Reliance on data and evidence to guide strategy, design choices, and performance evaluation.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering an environment where cross-functional teams work together effectively to achieve common goals.

• Continuous Improvement & Innovation: A drive to constantly learn, adapt, and innovate to enhance user experiences and business outcomes.

• Accountability & Ownership: Taking responsibility for outcomes and driving initiatives to successful completion.

• Integrity & Trust: Upholding high ethical standards and building trust with customers and colleagues, especially critical in the financial sector.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Emphasis on working closely with product, engineering, marketing, legal, and compliance to ensure holistic product development.

• Open Communication: Encouraging direct and transparent communication across teams and levels.

• Feedback Culture: Valuing constructive feedback as a means for growth and process improvement.

• Agile Mindset: Adapting to changing requirements and collaborating dynamically within agile sprints.

📝 Enhancement Note: Swedbank, as a large financial institution, will likely value a culture that balances innovation with stability, compliance, and a strong ethical framework. The UX team's role is to inject customer-centricity and design thinking into this established environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating a Regulated Environment: Balancing innovative UX design with strict financial regulations, compliance requirements, and security protocols.

• Driving Change in a Large Organization: Influencing decision-making and fostering adoption of new design thinking and processes within a large, established bank.

• Ensuring Cross-Platform Consistency at Scale: Maintaining a unified and high-quality user experience across numerous digital touchpoints and product iterations.

• Measuring ROI of UX Initiatives: Clearly articulating and quantifying the business value and return on investment of UX efforts to senior leadership.

• Managing Hybrid Teams: Effectively leading and fostering collaboration among a multidisciplinary team spread across different locations and working modes.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Development: Gaining experience in high-level strategic planning and executive communication.

• Financial Services UX Expertise: Deepening knowledge of user behavior, regulations, and best practices within the banking and fintech industries.

• Design Systems at Scale: Opportunity to refine and expand expertise in building and managing comprehensive design systems for large enterprises.

• Mentorship Programs: Access to senior leaders for mentorship and guidance on career progression.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Potential for participation in leading UX and financial technology conferences and specialized training programs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for leadership roles in established, regulated industries. Successfully navigating these will provide significant growth and valuable experience for future career steps.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you define and communicate a UX vision for a digital banking platform that aligns with ambitious business growth targets?" (Focus on translating business goals into experience principles and demonstrating strategic alignment.)

• "Describe a time you had to advocate for a customer-centric solution that faced resistance from business stakeholders. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Highlight your persuasive skills, data-driven argumentation, and ability to influence.)

• "Imagine our mobile app's conversion rate for a key feature has dropped by 15%. What steps would you take to diagnose the problem and propose solutions?" (Demonstrate your analytical process, research methodologies, and problem-solving approach.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Swedbank's digital offerings, and where do you see opportunities for UX to make a significant impact?" (Show you've researched their products and understand their market position.)

• "How would you foster a strong, data-driven design culture within a multidisciplinary UX team at Swedbank?" (Discuss your leadership style, team-building strategies, and approach to knowledge sharing.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically: Introduction (your role, project goals), Problem Statement, User Research/Insights, Design Process & Solutions, Outcomes & Impact (quantified), Key Learnings.

• Storytelling: Weave a compelling narrative for each project. Explain the 'why' behind your decisions.

• Visuals: Use high-quality visuals of your designs, wireframes, prototypes, and research findings.

• Metrics Focus: Dedicate a section to showcasing the quantifiable impact of your work. Use charts and graphs where appropriate.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Focus on 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best represent your strategic leadership and problem-solving abilities for this role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare specific examples that demonstrate leadership, strategic thinking, data-driven decision-making, and successful collaboration. Tailor your portfolio presentation to highlight how your skills and experience directly address Swedbank's needs in the financial services sector.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Team Lead position:

• Submit your application through the Swedbank careers portal via the provided link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight leadership experience, strategic UX vision, impact measurement (funnel performance, operational efficiency), and cross-functional collaboration within complex organizations. Showcase specific case studies that demonstrate your ability to translate business goals into user-centered design solutions.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your years of experience, leadership responsibilities, key skills (especially strategic thinking, data analysis, and team development), and quantifiable achievements. Use keywords from the job description naturally.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your experience using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions. Prepare to present your portfolio with a focus on strategic impact and leadership. Research Swedbank's digital products and recent news.

• Company Research: Understand Swedbank's position in the Baltic financial market, their digital strategy, and their stated values. Consider how your leadership style and UX philosophy align with their culture.

⚠️ 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.