UX/UI Design Lead, Associate

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX/UI Design Lead, Associate
Company: BlackRock
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: User Experience (UX) / User Interface (UI) Design
Date Posted: October 1, 2025
Experience Level: 5-10 Years
Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the user experience and interface design for critical components of the Aladdin investment and risk analytics platform, a key enterprise software offering.
• Translate complex financial data and user needs into intuitive, accessible, and visually appealing digital solutions that enhance user efficiency and task completion.
• Apply a human-centered design approach to research, ideate, and prototype user interfaces, ensuring alignment with established UX guidelines and interaction patterns.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Product Managers, Engineers, and UX Researchers, to deliver end-to-end design solutions that meet both user requirements and business objectives.
• Act as a champion for user-centered design principles within the organization, advocating for user needs and contributing to a culture of design excellence.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as an Associate Lead, indicating a need for both strong individual contribution in UX/UI design and the ability to influence design direction and mentor junior team members. The focus on enterprise financial software (Fintech) and the Aladdin platform specifically highlights the complexity and high-stakes nature of the user base and their requirements.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design process for specific tools and features within the Aladdin platform, from conceptualization to implementation, ensuring user needs and business goals are met.
• Develop comprehensive UX artifacts, including detailed wireframes, user flows, information architecture diagrams, and interactive prototypes, to effectively communicate design solutions.
• Conduct and leverage user research, stakeholder interviews, and requirements gathering to deeply understand user pain points, workflows, and functional needs.
• Ensure design consistency and adherence to BlackRock's established UX/UI guidelines, design systems, and approved interaction patterns across all product touchpoints.
• Collaborate effectively with Product Managers to define product vision and strategy, and with Engineering teams to ensure accurate and high-quality implementation of designs.
• Rapidly iterate on design concepts based on feedback from users, stakeholders, and senior design leads, driving towards polished and effective design solutions.
• Create detailed design specifications, annotations, and supporting documentation for development teams to facilitate seamless implementation and quality assurance.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of UX design processes, methodologies, and tools within the Aladdin UX Design team, promoting efficiency and scalability.
• Present design concepts and rationale clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences, including senior leadership, product teams, and development partners, effectively telling the story behind the design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize ownership and influence, suggesting the candidate will not only execute designs but also take significant responsibility for the success of the features they work on. The requirement to "detail the work" and provide "functional specs, annotations" points to a need for meticulous documentation and a strong understanding of how designs translate into functional software.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Interaction Design, Graphic Design, or a closely related field.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive application design experience, gained either within product organizations or agency environments, with a strong focus on user-centered design principles.
• Proven track record of successfully designing complex enterprise-level software applications, ideally within the financial services or B2B technology sectors.

Required Skills:

• Expert-level UX/UI Design: Demonstrated expertise in the full spectrum of UX/UI design, including user research, information architecture, wireframing, prototyping, and visual design.
• Figma Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in Figma for creating wireframes, interactive prototypes, design systems, and detailed UI assets.
• UX Artifact Development: Strong ability to produce a wide range of UX artifacts, such as wireframes, user journey maps, site maps, and detailed functional specifications.
• Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with a talent for presenting complex design concepts and rationale effectively to various audiences.
• Process & Detail Orientation: Meticulous attention to detail in design execution and documentation, including the ability to create detailed annotations and functional specifications for development teams.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven experience working collaboratively with Product Managers, Engineers, UX Researchers, and other stakeholders to deliver integrated design solutions.
• Design Consistency: Ability to understand and apply design guidelines, interaction patterns, and design systems to ensure a cohesive user experience.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the capacity to tackle complex design challenges and devise innovative, user-friendly solutions.

Preferred Skills:

• Mobile & Responsive Design: Experience designing for multiple platforms and screen sizes, ensuring a seamless experience across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
• B2B/Enterprise Software Experience: Direct experience designing for business-to-business (B2B) or complex enterprise desktop software environments.
• Financial Software / Fintech: Familiarity with the financial services industry and experience designing for fintech applications, understanding of financial workflows, and data visualization needs.
• Designing for AI: Experience or a strong interest in designing user interfaces and experiences for artificial intelligence-powered features or products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Expert-level Skills" designation for Figma and detailing work, alongside "strong skills" in collaboration and mobile/responsive design, suggests a candidate who is not only a skilled designer but also a pragmatic implementer and team player. The preferred skills like Fintech and AI point towards a specialized knowledge base that would be highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Comprehensive UX/UI Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 detailed case studies that illustrate your end-to-end design process, from problem definition and user research to ideation, prototyping, and final design solutions.
• Problem-Solving Demonstration: Clearly articulate the design challenges faced, the user needs identified, and the strategic thinking employed to arrive at the proposed solutions.
• Process & Workflow Visualization: Include examples of wireframes, user flows, information architecture maps, and interactive prototypes that demonstrate your ability to structure complex information and interactions.
• Visual Design Excellence: Present high-fidelity UI designs and mockups that exhibit a strong sense of visual hierarchy, typography, color theory, and adherence to design principles.
• Impact & Iteration: Where possible, demonstrate the impact of your designs through metrics, user feedback, or A/B testing results, and showcase how you iterated on designs based on feedback.

Process Documentation:

• Detailed Design Specifications: Be prepared to present examples of detailed design specifications, annotations, and functional requirements that you have created to guide development teams.
• Design Guidelines Adherence: Illustrate how you have worked within or contributed to existing design systems and UX guidelines, ensuring consistency across applications.
• User Research Integration: Show evidence of how user research findings were integrated into your design decisions and iterative process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "deep UX/UI thinking and sophisticated problem solving" for the portfolio, coupled with the requirement for a design exercise, indicates that BlackRock values a candidate's ability to articulate their design process and demonstrate strategic thought, not just aesthetic execution. The need for detailed specifications highlights the practical, implementation-focused aspect of this role.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Based on industry benchmarks for an Associate UX/UI Design Lead with 5-10 years of experience in a major European financial hub like Budapest, the estimated annual gross salary range is approximately €55,000 - €80,000 (HUF 21,500,000 - HUF 31,500,000). This estimate accounts for the specialized nature of financial technology (Fintech) and the enterprise-level software design expertise required.

Benefits:

• Retirement Investment: Comprehensive retirement savings plans and investment tools designed to support long-term financial security.
• Education Reimbursement: Opportunities for continued learning and professional development through tuition assistance and reimbursement programs.
• Health & Well-being: Extensive resources and programs dedicated to supporting employees' physical health and emotional well-being.
• Family Support: Programs and resources designed to assist employees with family-related needs and responsibilities.
• Flexible Time Off (FTO): A generous Flexible Time Off policy allowing employees to take time off for rest, recharge, and personal needs.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours, likely around 40 hours per week. While a hybrid model is in place, the role requires significant in-office presence (4 days/week) to foster collaboration and mentorship, which may influence the flexibility of daily scheduling.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on Hungarian market data for experienced tech professionals, adjusted for the specialized Fintech sector and the seniority implied by "Associate Lead." BlackRock is a global financial institution, so benefits are expected to be competitive and comprehensive, reflecting industry standards.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services, Investment Management, Technology. BlackRock operates at the intersection of finance and technology, providing sophisticated investment and risk management solutions through its Aladdin platform. This dual focus means the company values both deep financial acumen and cutting-edge technological innovation.

Company Size: Large Enterprise. BlackRock is one of the world's largest asset managers, with tens of thousands of employees globally. This scale implies robust processes, structured career paths, and significant resources, but also a need for individuals who can navigate large organizations effectively.

Founded: 1988. With a history spanning over three decades, BlackRock has established itself as a leader in the financial industry. This longevity suggests stability, deep market knowledge, and a culture that balances tradition with ongoing adaptation to market changes and technological advancements.

Team Structure:

• Aladdin UX Design Team: This specialized team focuses on enhancing the user experience of BlackRock's core Aladdin platform. It comprises UX designers, UI designers, and UX researchers who work in close collaboration.
• Reporting Structure: The Associate UX/UI Design Lead will likely report to a Senior Design Manager or Director within the Aladdin UX Design group. They will also work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads for specific product areas.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Expect extensive collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, QA, and potentially other design teams or business units across BlackRock to ensure integrated and effective solutions. The hybrid work model emphasizes in-person collaboration for key activities.

Methodology:

• Human-Centered Design: The team explicitly practices a human-centered approach, grounding software design in user needs and focusing on user journeys.
• Agile Development: While not explicitly stated, enterprise software development at this scale typically follows Agile or Hybrid Agile methodologies, requiring designers to work in iterative sprints and adapt to evolving requirements.
• Data-Informed Design: Decisions are likely informed by user research, analytics, and stakeholder feedback, aiming for efficient, repeatable, and impactful design outcomes.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding BlackRock's dual identity as a financial giant and a technology innovator is crucial. The Aladdin platform is central, and its UX/UI is a critical differentiator. The emphasis on in-person collaboration within a hybrid model suggests a culture that values direct interaction for problem-solving and mentorship.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is an "Associate Lead" position, indicating a mid-to-senior level of experience. It signifies a transitionary phase where an individual is expected to contribute independently at a high level while also beginning to influence design direction, mentor junior colleagues, and take ownership of significant design areas. It sits between a Senior Designer and a full Lead or Manager role.

Reporting Structure: The Associate UX/UI Design Lead will report to a senior design leader and will work collaboratively with Product Managers and Engineering Leads. This structure provides guidance and mentorship while allowing for significant autonomy in design execution and problem-solving. The hybrid work model implies regular in-person interaction with these stakeholders for strategic alignment and feedback.

Operations Impact: The UX/UI design for the Aladdin platform has a direct and significant impact on revenue generation and business operations. By making the platform more intuitive, efficient, and powerful, this role helps BlackRock's clients better manage their investments and risks, thereby strengthening client relationships and driving platform adoption and retention. Effective UX design directly contributes to the perceived value and competitive edge of BlackRock's offerings.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Progression to a full UX/UI Design Lead or Manager role, overseeing larger design initiatives or teams, and taking on more strategic product responsibilities.
• Specialization: Deepening expertise in specific areas of UX/UI design, such as interaction design for complex data visualization, enterprise design systems, or user research methodologies within financial services.
• Cross-Functional Moves: Potential opportunities to move into Product Management roles or strategic design roles within other BlackRock technology divisions, leveraging deep understanding of the Aladdin platform and user needs.
• Mentorship & Training: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, conduct design critiques, and contribute to the development of design best practices and training programs within BlackRock.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Associate Lead" title is key here, pointing to a role that bridges individual contribution with emerging leadership responsibilities. The growth opportunities reflect a structured career path within a large, established organization like BlackRock.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Modern, professional office environment designed for collaboration and productivity. As part of BlackRock's hybrid work model, the office is a central hub for teamwork, mentorship, and strategic discussions.

Office Location(s): BU3-Budapest-GTC White House, Vaci ut 47, District XIII, Budapest, Hungary. This location suggests a well-connected urban setting, likely with access to amenities and public transport, suitable for a global financial institution.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office is expected to feature a mix of open-plan areas, meeting rooms, and potentially quiet zones, facilitating both focused design work and team collaboration.
• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (Figma), hardware, and potentially specialized financial data visualization tools. The environment will support the use of prototyping and collaboration tools.
• Team Interaction: The hybrid model mandates significant in-office time (4 days/week), ensuring ample opportunities for face-to-face interaction with colleagues, design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and informal knowledge sharing.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule will be full-time, with a hybrid arrangement requiring 4 days per week in the Budapest office. This structure aims to balance flexibility with the benefits of in-person collaboration, particularly for onboarding and complex problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on the hybrid model (4 days in office) is critical. This isn't a remote-first role; it's an office-centric hybrid role designed to maximize in-person interaction, which is particularly important for design roles involving collaboration, mentorship, and complex problem-solving.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess relevant experience, skills, and alignment with the role requirements.
• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: Discussion about your background, experience, design philosophy, and suitability for the team and role. This stage will likely delve into your portfolio.
• Design Exercise & Presentation: Candidates invited to later stages will be required to complete a small UX design exercise. You will then present this exercise, along with your portfolio, to the design team. This is a critical step to evaluate your thinking process, problem-solving skills, and communication abilities.
• Stakeholder/Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, or other key stakeholders to assess collaboration skills, understanding of enterprise software development, and ability to articulate design rationale.
• Final Evaluation: Assessment of overall fit, technical skills, cultural alignment, and potential for growth within BlackRock.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, design, testing), the solutions you delivered, and the outcomes or impact.
• Highlight Your UX/UI Thinking: Emphasize the "why" behind your design decisions. Explain the user needs you addressed, the trade-offs you considered, and how your design solved the problem.
• Showcase Process Artifacts: Include examples of wireframes, user flows, information architecture, and interactive prototypes to visually demonstrate your design process.
• Demonstrate Detail and Polish: Present high-fidelity mockups that are visually compelling and well-executed. If possible, include annotated specifications or examples of how you detailed your work for developers.
• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use data, metrics, or user feedback to showcase the effectiveness of your designs. If direct metrics aren't available, discuss anticipated impact or learnings.
• Tailor to BlackRock: Research BlackRock and the Aladdin platform. If possible, subtly tailor your portfolio presentation to address themes relevant to financial services or enterprise software challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Expect the design exercise to be related to a problem within enterprise software or financial services. Focus on understanding the core user needs and business objectives.
• Focus on Process: The interviewers will likely be more interested in how you approach the problem than a perfect, polished final solution. Clearly articulate your thought process, assumptions, and the steps you would take.
• Time Management: Practice working within time constraints. Prioritize key aspects of the problem and demonstrate efficient decision-making.
• Presentation Skills: Rehearse presenting your design exercise and portfolio concisely and persuasively, focusing on clear communication and storytelling. Be prepared to answer questions about your choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a design exercise and presentation is a significant indicator of how BlackRock assesses candidates. Candidates must be prepared to demonstrate their problem-solving process live and articulate their design rationale under scrutiny.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is explicitly listed as an expert-level skill and will be the primary tool for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and design system management.
• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's capabilities, familiarity with other advanced prototyping tools might be beneficial for complex interactions or specific testing scenarios.
• Design System Tools: Experience with building, maintaining, or contributing to design systems will be highly valued.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: While not explicitly mentioned, experience with tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Amplitude to understand user behavior and track design impact would be advantageous.
• Data Visualization Tools: Familiarity with tools that can present data and insights effectively to stakeholders could be a plus, especially given the financial context.

CRM & Automation:

• Enterprise Software Familiarity: Understanding the principles of enterprise software architecture, data management, and workflow automation is crucial, even if direct CRM/automation tool experience isn't the primary focus.
• Collaboration Platforms: Proficiency in tools like Jira, Confluence, Slack, or Microsoft Teams for project management, documentation, and team communication is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is identified as a core, expert-level requirement. The broader context of enterprise software and financial data implies a need for designers who can understand complex systems and data flows, even if they don't directly use the backend tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A foundational value, emphasizing that all design decisions should be grounded in understanding and serving user needs. This drives the creation of intuitive and effective tools.
• Collaboration & Partnership: The role requires working closely with diverse teams (Product, Engineering, Research). A collaborative spirit and the ability to build strong working relationships are paramount.
• Excellence & Polish: BlackRock values high-quality output. This translates to meticulous design execution, attention to detail, and a commitment to delivering sophisticated, functional, and aesthetically pleasing solutions.
• Innovation & Adaptability: In the dynamic financial technology landscape, embracing new ideas, technologies (like AI), and adapting to evolving user needs and market trends is essential.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: While design is creative, decisions should be informed by research, analytics, and stakeholder input to ensure effectiveness and impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Designers work as integral parts of cross-functional product teams, not in silos. This means active participation in team meetings, planning sessions, and problem-solving discussions.
• Feedback Culture: An environment where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged, both giving and receiving, to refine designs and improve processes.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, learnings, and insights across the design team and with other departments to foster collective growth and consistency.
• Iterative Design: A willingness to iterate on designs based on feedback and testing, embracing an agile approach to development and design refinement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "human-centered design," "collaboration," and "excellence" points to a professional environment where design is valued as a critical function, integrated into the product development lifecycle, and supported by strong teamwork.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Enterprise Financial Software: Designing for a sophisticated platform like Aladdin involves navigating intricate workflows, vast amounts of data, and a diverse user base with highly specialized needs. Balancing depth of functionality with ease of use is a constant challenge.
• Balancing Diverse User Needs: The Aladdin platform serves a wide array of institutional wealth managers and investment professionals. Catering to the varied requirements, technical proficiencies, and workflows of these different user segments requires careful consideration and prioritization.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring alignment between design, product, and engineering teams, especially within a large organization, can be challenging. Maintaining design integrity while accommodating technical constraints and product roadmaps requires strong negotiation and communication skills.
• Rapid Iteration in a Hybrid Environment: Adapting design processes for rapid iteration and feedback within a hybrid work model, ensuring effective collaboration and quick decision-making, can present logistical hurdles.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Fintech: Gaining in-depth knowledge of financial markets, investment strategies, risk analytics, and the specific challenges faced by institutional investors.
• Advanced Design System Contribution: Opportunities to contribute to and evolve BlackRock's enterprise design system, impacting a wide range of products and user experiences.
• Mentorship and Leadership Skills: Developing leadership capabilities through mentoring junior designers and influencing design strategy for key product areas.
• Exposure to AI in Finance: Learning how AI is being integrated into financial platforms and developing UX/UI approaches for AI-driven features.
• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to professional development resources, conferences, and training programs relevant to UX/UI design and financial technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the specialized nature of working in enterprise Fintech. Overcoming these requires not just design skills but also strategic thinking, strong communication, and a willingness to continuously learn about the financial domain.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Process & Problem Solving: "Describe a complex enterprise software problem you solved. Walk us through your process from understanding the problem to delivering the solution, highlighting your UX/UI thinking and any trade-offs you made." (Focus on your portfolio case studies, emphasizing the "why" behind your decisions.)
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: "How do you collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers to ensure your designs are implemented effectively and meet business objectives? Describe a time you had to balance competing stakeholder requirements." (Prepare examples showcasing your ability to work within cross-functional teams and manage expectations.)
• User-Centricity & Research: "How do you gather and integrate user feedback into your design process, especially when dealing with complex or niche user groups like financial professionals?" (Be ready to discuss your research methodologies and how you translate insights into design.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• BlackRock & Aladdin Understanding: "What interests you about designing for BlackRock and the Aladdin platform specifically? What do you see as the biggest UX challenges or opportunities for enterprise financial software?" (Show you've researched the company and the product, and have thoughtful insights.)
• Team Dynamics: "How do you approach working in a hybrid environment, and what are your expectations for collaboration with designers, PMs, and engineers?" (Align your answer with the 4-day in-office requirement and emphasize proactive communication.)
• Design Philosophy: "What does 'human-centered design' mean to you in the context of enterprise software, and how do you ensure your designs are both functional and user-friendly?" (Articulate your core design beliefs and how they apply to this role.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Concise Storytelling: For each case study, aim for a clear narrative arc: Problem -> Your Role & Process -> Solution -> Outcome/Impact. Keep it high-level initially, ready to dive into details.
• Focus on UX/UI Thinking: Don't just show pretty pictures. Explain the reasoning behind your design choices. What user needs were you addressing? What design patterns did you employ and why?
• Demonstrate Detail: Be prepared to zoom in on specific screens, interaction details, and annotations to show your thoroughness and understanding of implementation.
• Handle Questions Gracefully: Anticipate questions about your process, challenges, and alternative solutions. Be honest about what you would do differently or what you learned.
• Showcase Figma Skills: If possible, briefly demonstrate a live prototype or a key aspect of your Figma workflow to showcase your expertise.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation emphasizes demonstrating a strategic approach to design, strong collaboration skills, and a deep understanding of the enterprise and financial context. The portfolio presentation is a key opportunity to showcase these facets.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX/UI Design Lead, Associate position:

• Submit your application through the BlackRock careers portal via the provided link.
• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 5+ years of application design experience, focusing on enterprise software, UX/UI thinking, and specific skills like Figma, wireframing, and prototyping. Quantify achievements where possible.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest UX/UI case studies that best demonstrate your problem-solving abilities, end-to-end design process, and proficiency in Figma. Ensure clear articulation of your role, process, and outcomes for each.
• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio and the potential design exercise, focusing on clear communication, storytelling, and articulating your design rationale for complex challenges.
• Research BlackRock: Understand the company's mission, values, and the significance of the Aladdin platform. Be ready to discuss your interest in financial technology and enterprise design.

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