UX/UI Designer (Hybrid)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX/UI Designer (Hybrid) Company: InnoWave Location: Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: UX/UI Design & Product Development Date Posted: 2025-11-27T09:37:22 Experience Level: 5-10 Years Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the application of Design System Guidelines to create functional, visually consistent, and scalable interfaces across multi-brand and multi-channel digital products.
• Collaborate closely with UX, Business, and Development Teams to ensure seamless integration of design principles with modern frameworks like Outsystems, React, and Angular.
• Champion usability and accessibility standards, ensuring all interfaces meet WCAG 2.1/2.2 guidelines and contribute to advanced prototype development for flow and interaction validation.
• Maintain a high standard of visual documentation and design system integrity through the effective use of Figma, Confluence, and Design Tokens, fostering a "Single Source of Truth" for all design assets.
• Actively participate in Design Critiques, proposing innovative visual and usability improvements while exploring AI tools and automation to optimize design processes and enhance efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is for a UX/UI Designer, its emphasis on Design Systems, modern frameworks (React, Angular), CSS foundations, and integration with development teams suggests a strong alignment with the principles of Product Operations and Design Operations. The responsibilities around maintaining design system integrity, ensuring parity between design and code, and supporting development workflows are critical for efficient product delivery.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Apply and enforce Design System Guidelines to ensure functional and visually consistent interfaces across all digital products, maintaining brand and channel integrity.
• Develop and maintain multi-brand and multi-channel themes by building upon robust CSS foundations, ensuring scalability and flexibility across diverse digital contexts.
• Collaborate effectively with UX and Business Teams to deeply understand user requirements and translate them into optimal user experiences and elegant design solutions.
• Ensure exact parity between Figma designs and their implementation in modern frameworks such as Outsystems, React, and Angular, minimizing discrepancies and design debt.
• Conduct rigorous visual tests and validate conformity with WCAG 2.1/2.2 accessibility standards, ensuring inclusive design practices.
• Support the creation of advanced prototypes to effectively validate user flows, interactions, and overall user experience before development.
• Contribute to integration and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) phases, providing critical design validation and feedback to ensure product quality and adherence to specifications.
• Update and maintain visual documentation in Figma and Confluence, establishing and preserving a "Single Source of Truth" for all design assets and system guidelines.
• Participate actively in Design Critiques, offering constructive feedback and proposing visual and usability improvements to elevate the overall design quality.
• Explore and integrate AI tools and automation techniques to optimize design processes, enhance efficiency, and streamline workflows.
• Work with Design Tokens to ensure seamless parity and synchronization between design specifications in Figma and their coded implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a need for a designer who can bridge the gap between design and development, with a strong emphasis on system thinking and process. This includes not just visual design but also ensuring the maintainability and scalability of design components and themes, which are core to efficient product operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for roles with this experience level. Relevant certifications in UX/UI design or specific tools will also be considered.

Experience: Minimum of 4 years of dedicated experience in UI Design, with a significant focus on developing and managing Design Systems.

Required Skills:

• Over 4 years of progressive experience in UI Design, with a proven track record in establishing and managing Design Systems.
• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including mastery of Auto Layout, Variables, and the creation of scalable, reusable Components.
• Demonstrated experience in developing CSS foundations for multi-brand and multi-channel, scalable design systems.
• Proven experience in designing adaptable, flexible, and accessible user interfaces.
• Practical knowledge and application of WCAG 2.1/2.2 accessibility guidelines to ensure inclusive design.
• Familiarity with HTML/CSS and a solid understanding of modern JavaScript frameworks (e.g., React, Angular).
• Experience working effectively within Agile environments, such as Scrum or Kanban methodologies.
• Exceptional detail-orientation to ensure and maintain visual consistency across all design outputs.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, enabling clear articulation of design decisions to diverse audiences including designers, developers, and stakeholders.
• Interest and initiative in exploring and applying AI tools and automation to optimize design processes.
• Fluent in English (written and spoken) is a mandatory requirement for effective communication and collaboration.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with Design Tokens for maintaining design-to-code parity.
• Familiarity with prototyping tools beyond Figma for advanced interaction design.
• Experience with Outsystems or other low-code/no-code platforms.
• Understanding of CI/CD pipelines and how design assets integrate into development workflows.
• Experience in conducting usability testing and user research.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 4+ years of experience and advanced Figma skills, coupled with familiarity with modern frameworks and accessibility standards, positions this role as mid-to-senior level. The emphasis on Design Systems and cross-functional collaboration suggests that candidates with experience in Design Operations or a strong understanding of product development lifecycles will be highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated collection of past UI design projects, with a strong emphasis on Design Systems and component-based design.
• Detailed case studies showcasing the application of Figma's advanced features (Auto Layout, Variables, Components) and their impact on design efficiency and consistency.
• Demonstrations of how design system guidelines were applied to multi-brand or multi-channel themes, highlighting scalability and adaptability.
• Examples of accessible interface designs and how WCAG 2.1/2.2 guidelines were integrated into the design process.
• Visual documentation samples (e.g., from Confluence) demonstrating clear and consistent design specifications.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of contribution to or creation of design system documentation, establishing a "Single Source of Truth."
• Examples of how Design Tokens were utilized to bridge the gap between design and code.
• Case studies illustrating collaboration with development teams, showing how design requirements were translated and validated against framework implementations (React, Angular, Outsystems).
• Documentation of participation in Agile ceremonies and how design processes were integrated into Scrum or Kanban workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on Design Systems and cross-functional integration, the portfolio should not only showcase visual design skills but also the candidate's ability to document, maintain, and scale design processes and assets. Demonstrating an understanding of how design integrates with development workflows and adheres to accessibility standards will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for experienced UX/UI Designers in Lisbon, Portugal with 5-10 years of experience, the estimated annual salary range is between €35,000 and €55,000 gross per year. This range is influenced by the specific depth of experience in Design Systems, advanced Figma skills, and fluency in English.

Benefits:

• Full-time employment with a competitive salary package.
• Hybrid work model, offering flexibility between remote work and in-office collaboration.
• Opportunity to work with modern technologies and innovative projects.
• Professional development opportunities, including training and exposure to AI tools in design.
• Collaborative and inclusive work environment at a leading technology company.
• Contribution to the development of beautiful and meaningful software solutions.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week, consistent with full-time employment. The hybrid nature of the role allows for flexibility in scheduling workdays between home and the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on research of UX/UI Designer roles in Lisbon, Portugal, considering the specified experience level (5-10 years) and the hybrid work arrangement. Benefits are extrapolated from typical offerings for full-time tech roles in the region and company descriptions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / IT Services & Consulting. InnoWave operates within the dynamic technology sector, specializing in workforce solutions and likely providing a range of IT services, consulting, and software development to its clients. This implies a fast-paced environment focused on innovation and client delivery.

Company Size: While not explicitly provided, the Freshteam ATS and the nature of the role suggest a company with a significant employee base, likely falling into the 201-500 or 501-1000 employee range. This size typically allows for structured processes while maintaining agility.

Founded: Founded in 2004, InnoWave has a substantial history in the technology and workforce solutions industry, indicating stability and considerable experience in navigating market changes and client needs.

Team Structure:

• The UX/UI Design team likely operates within a broader Product Development or IT Services division, comprising specialized roles such as UX Researchers, UI Designers, and potentially Design System Engineers.
• Reporting structure will likely involve a Design Lead or Manager, who oversees the team's output and collaborates with product managers and engineering leads.
• Cross-functional collaboration is a key aspect, with designers working closely with UX teams, business analysts, developers (React, Angular, Outsystems), and project managers to deliver integrated solutions.

Methodology:

• Data-driven design decisions are encouraged, with an emphasis on user research, usability testing, and analytics to inform design improvements.
• Agile methodologies (Scrum/Kanban) are integral to the workflow, promoting iterative development, flexibility, and continuous feedback loops.
• Process optimization is a core focus, particularly in maintaining and scaling the Design System, ensuring efficiency and consistency across projects.
• Exploration of new technologies, including AI tools, to enhance design processes and outcomes is a stated company interest.

Company Website: https://innowave.tech/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's founding date (2004) and its presence on a Freshteam ATS suggest a well-established organization with a professional HR and recruitment infrastructure. Its focus on workforce solutions implies a business-to-business (B2B) orientation, where efficiency, scalability, and robust design systems are critical for client success.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-to-Senior level UX/UI Designer, requiring over 4 years of specialized experience and advanced technical/tool proficiency. The responsibilities extend beyond individual design tasks to include system-level thinking, process adherence, and cross-functional collaboration, hinting at a potential stepping stone towards Design System leadership or Product Design specialization.

Reporting Structure: The UX/UI Designer will likely report to a Design Manager or Lead within the Product Development or IT Services department. They will work closely with Product Managers, UX Researchers, and Software Engineers, forming part of a multidisciplinary product team.

Operations Impact: The designer's impact is crucial for ensuring a consistent, user-friendly, and accessible experience across InnoWave's client-facing products and internal tools. By maintaining design system integrity and efficient workflows, they directly contribute to faster development cycles, reduced design debt, and enhanced client satisfaction, thereby supporting the company's revenue generation and operational efficiency.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design System Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in Design Systems, potentially leading to a role as a Design System Lead or Architect, responsible for the evolution and governance of InnoWave's design language.
• Product Design Leadership: Progression into a Senior Product Designer role, taking ownership of broader product areas and mentoring junior designers.
• Cross-functional Skill Development: Gaining deeper insights into software development frameworks (React, Angular) and Agile processes, enhancing versatility and marketability within the tech industry.
• AI & Automation Exploration: Opportunities to lead or contribute to initiatives exploring AI tools for design optimization, potentially shaping future design workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Design Systems and collaboration with development teams suggests a path towards roles that bridge design and engineering, such as Design Operations or Technical Design roles, which are increasingly valuable in the GTM and product development spaces.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as Hybrid, meaning it combines remote work with a requirement to be present in the Lisbon office on specific days. This offers a blend of personal work flexibility and in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s): The primary office is located at Av. José Malhoa, 16º F, Nº1 – Bloco A, Edifício Europa, Lisbon, Portugal. This is a central business area, suggesting good accessibility via public transport and proximity to amenities.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is expected to be professional and collaborative, typical of a technology consulting firm, fostering interaction among multidisciplinary teams.
• Access to necessary design tools and technology, including high-performance workstations and potentially specialized software, will be provided.
• Opportunities for direct interaction with colleagues, including designers, developers, and project managers, are integral to the hybrid model, facilitating knowledge sharing and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is approximately 40 hours per week. The hybrid arrangement allows for flexibility in how these hours are split between remote and in-office work, subject to team and project needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: A hybrid model in a tech consulting firm often implies a structured approach to in-office days, likely focused on collaborative activities like workshops, design critiques, and team meetings, while remote days are for focused individual work and design system maintenance.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
• Technical Interview / Portfolio Review: A session with the hiring manager and/or senior designers to deep-dive into your portfolio. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key projects, focusing on your process, decision-making, and the impact of your work, especially concerning Design Systems and accessibility.
• Skills Assessment / Case Study: Potentially a take-home assignment or a live design challenge focusing on applying Design System guidelines to a given problem, or a practical Figma exercise involving Auto Layout and component creation.
• Team/Stakeholder Interview: Meetings with potential colleagues from UX, development, and product management to evaluate collaboration skills and communication effectiveness.
• Final Interview: A conversation with a department head or senior leader to confirm fit and discuss career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Design System Expertise: Clearly showcase your experience with Design Systems, detailing how you contributed to their creation, maintenance, or evolution.
• Demonstrate Figma Mastery: Prepare specific examples of complex components, Auto Layout usage, and variable implementation within Figma.
• Showcase Process & Problem-Solving: For each project, articulate the problem, your approach, the constraints, your design decisions, and the measurable outcomes. Focus on how you ensured visual consistency and adherence to standards.
• Emphasize Accessibility: Be ready to discuss how you incorporated WCAG guidelines into your designs and validated them.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced support tickets, faster development times).

Challenge Preparation:

• Figma Proficiency: Practice creating scalable components, using Figma variables, and applying Auto Layout under timed conditions.
• Design System Application: Be ready to analyze a hypothetical design system and apply its principles to a new UI element or screen.
• Accessibility Audit: Familiarize yourself with common accessibility issues and how to identify and rectify them in designs.
• Communication: Practice explaining your design rationale clearly and concisely, anticipating questions from both design and development perspectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Design Systems, Figma, and WCAG suggests that the interview process will heavily scrutinize the candidate's ability to work within established frameworks and ensure technical and accessibility compliance, rather than purely conceptual design.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool, with advanced capabilities in Auto Layout, Variables, and Component creation expected.
• Confluence: For documentation of design systems, guidelines, and project specifications, serving as a "Single Source of Truth."
• Prototyping Tools: While Figma offers prototyping, familiarity with advanced tools for complex interaction validation might be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not directly a designer's responsibility, an understanding of how design impacts user behavior tracked by analytics tools is valuable. Familiarity with tools used for A/B testing and user behavior analysis would be a plus.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant for this UX/UI Designer role, but awareness of how design integrates with customer-facing platforms might be a plus.

Development Frameworks & Standards:

• HTML/CSS: Foundational knowledge is required for understanding implementation.
• Modern Frameworks: Familiarity with React, Angular, and potentially Outsystems is crucial for ensuring design-to-code parity.
• WCAG 2.1/2.2: Strict adherence to accessibility guidelines is mandatory.
• Design Tokens: Essential for bridging the gap between design and code.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tech stack highlights a strong emphasis on design system tools and technologies that ensure consistency and efficiency between design outputs and implemented code. Proficiency in Figma and understanding of web development standards are paramount.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Detail-Oriented: A core value, evident in the need for visual consistency, adherence to guidelines, and validation against WCAG standards.
• Agile & Adaptable: Working within Agile environments requires flexibility, responsiveness to change, and continuous iteration.
• Collaborative: Strong emphasis on teamwork with UX, Business, and Development teams to achieve shared goals.
• User-Centric: Commitment to delivering the best possible user experience, driven by research and understanding of user needs.
• Efficient & Scalable: Focus on building and maintaining systems that are efficient to use and scale across multiple brands and channels.
• Innovative: Interest in exploring new tools and automation (e.g., AI) to improve design processes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to work seamlessly with developers, product managers, and UX researchers, actively participating in team discussions and problem-solving.
• Constructive Feedback: Openness to participating in Design Critiques, providing and receiving feedback to collectively elevate design quality.
• Knowledge Sharing: Maintaining documentation and contributing to a "Single Source of Truth" fosters an environment of shared understanding and efficient onboarding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to value practical, process-driven design that directly supports product development and client delivery. The emphasis on Design Systems and collaboration suggests a mature product development environment where design is an integral, not isolated, function.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Maintaining Design System Integrity: Ensuring consistent application of design system guidelines across diverse projects and evolving requirements can be challenging.
• Bridging Design and Development Gaps: Achieving pixel-perfect parity between Figma designs and implementations in various frameworks (React, Angular, Outsystems) requires constant vigilance and effective communication.
• Balancing Scalability and Flexibility: Designing themes and components that are both scalable for multi-brand/multi-channel use and flexible enough to accommodate unique project needs.
• Integrating Accessibility: Consistently applying and validating WCAG 2.1/2.2 standards across all design outputs requires diligence and ongoing learning.
• Adopting New Technologies: Staying abreast of and effectively integrating new tools like AI for design optimization within established workflows.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design System Training: Opportunities to become a subject matter expert in Design Systems, potentially leading to leadership roles.
• Exposure to Modern Frameworks: Deepening understanding of React, Angular, and Outsystems through practical application and collaboration with development teams.
• AI in Design Exploration: Potential to lead or contribute to pilot projects exploring AI-driven design tools and workflows.
• Cross-Functional Skill Enhancement: Developing a stronger understanding of product management, agile processes, and software development lifecycles.
• Accessibility Best Practices: Continuous learning and application of evolving accessibility standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the need for a designer who is not only skilled in visual design but also possesses strong process orientation, technical understanding, and problem-solving capabilities. The growth opportunities are geared towards specialization within design systems and expanding technical acumen.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you significantly contributed to or managed a Design System. What were the key components, challenges, and outcomes?" (Focus on your process, tools used, and impact.)
• "How do you ensure visual consistency and adherence to Design System guidelines when working on multiple projects or brands simultaneously?" (Highlight your methods for managing complexity and documentation.)
• "Walk us through a complex Figma component you designed using Auto Layout and Variables. Explain your design decisions and how it promotes reusability and scalability." (Be ready to share your screen and demo live if possible.)
• "How do you approach ensuring accessibility (WCAG 2.1/2.2) in your UI designs? Can you provide an example of a specific accessibility challenge you addressed?" (Showcase your understanding and practical application of standards.)
• "Imagine a scenario where a developer struggles to implement a Figma design accurately in React. How would you collaborate with them to find a solution?" (Focus on communication, problem-solving, and bridging the design-development gap.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about InnoWave and this specific UX/UI Designer role?" (Research InnoWave's services, projects, and values.)
• "How do you see your skills in Design Systems contributing to InnoWave's goals?" (Connect your expertise to the company's likely needs for efficient, scalable design solutions.)
• "Describe your experience working in Agile (Scrum/Kanban) environments. How do you integrate design into development sprints?" (Highlight your adaptability and collaborative approach.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 2-3 projects that best demonstrate your Design System, Figma, and accessibility skills.
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, design, testing), the solutions you implemented, and the measurable impact.
• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design decisions, especially concerning system architecture, component design, and accessibility considerations.
• Highlight Technical Parity: Show how your designs translate to code, demonstrating your understanding of HTML/CSS and modern frameworks.
• Prepare for Live Demos: Be ready to navigate your Figma files, showcase specific components, and explain your use of advanced features.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should heavily emphasize practical application of Design Systems, proficiency in Figma, adherence to accessibility standards, and effective cross-functional communication, reflecting the core requirements of the role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX/UI Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Freshteam portal.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature your experience with Design Systems, advanced Figma skills (Auto Layout, Variables, Components), and a strong understanding of WCAG 2.1/2.2 guidelines. Include case studies demonstrating your process for ensuring visual consistency and scalability across multi-brand/multi-channel themes.
• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your 4+ years of UI Design experience, specific achievements in Design Systems, proficiency with Figma, and familiarity with HTML/CSS and modern frameworks. Use keywords from the job description naturally.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making, and the impact of your work, particularly in the context of Design Systems and accessibility. Prepare to walk through your portfolio and potentially a design challenge demonstrating your Figma skills and system thinking.
• Company Research: Understand InnoWave's business, their technology focus, and their commitment to quality software development. Consider how your skills align with their mission to provide excellent workforce solutions and build meaningful software.

⚠️ 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.