UX/UI Project Leader - Investimentos - Mercado Pago

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX/UI Project Leader - Investimentos - Mercado Pago Company: Mercado Libre Location: Governador Valadares, Southeast, Brazil (Hybrid Work Arrangement) Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Product Design & User Experience (with a focus on Financial Products) Date Posted: 2026-02-10T21:35:29 Experience Level: 5-10 Years Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design for Mercado Pago's investment products, directly impacting millions of users in Latin America.
• Drive strategic improvements in user registration and investment portfolio management flows to enhance user acquisition and retention.
• Develop and manage a cross-country roadmap, leveraging insights and capabilities from various regional teams to ensure product scalability and consistency.
• Collaborate closely with technology and data teams throughout the entire product development lifecycle, from initial discovery to final delivery.
• Foster team growth and technical excellence by providing continuous feedback and elevating design standards within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the provided description focuses on UX/UI leadership for investment products, the "Investimentos" (Investments) aspect suggests a strong connection to financial operations and GTM strategies within the fintech sector. The role requires not just design expertise but also an understanding of financial product lifecycles, regulatory considerations (implicit in financial services), and how UX/UI directly influences revenue generation and customer lifetime value. The "Mercado Pago" brand further emphasizes this financial services context.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product Vision & Strategy: Define and articulate the UX/UI vision for investment products, aligning with Mercado Pago's broader financial services strategy and business objectives.
• User Journey Optimization: Design and implement optimized user journeys for critical flows, including account registration, onboarding, investment selection, portfolio management, and transaction processing, with a focus on driving conversion rates and user satisfaction.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Act as a key liaison between design, product management, engineering, data science, marketing, and legal teams to ensure cohesive product development and successful market launch.
• Roadmap Development & Execution: Build, prioritize, and manage a detailed product roadmap for UX/UI enhancements across multiple countries, considering local market nuances and strategic growth opportunities.
• Team Leadership & Development: Mentor and lead a team of UX/UI designers, providing constructive feedback, fostering skill development, and setting high standards for technical proficiency and design quality.
• Data-Driven Design Decisions: Utilize user data, analytics, and A/B testing results to inform design decisions, validate hypotheses, and continuously iterate on product experience to improve key performance indicators (KPIs) such as user engagement, retention, and transaction volume.
• Information Architecture & Design Systems: Develop and maintain robust information architecture and contribute to or leverage existing design systems to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency in product design across the investment platform.
• Stakeholder Management: Effectively communicate design strategies, project updates, and user insights to senior leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to secure buy-in and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed are inferred from the core description and common practices for a UX/UI Project Leader in a complex digital product environment, particularly within financial services. The emphasis on "attract and retain users," "roadmap that leverages capabilities and learnings from each country," and "integrated work with technology and data teams" points to a strategic role that bridges design, product, and business outcomes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience:

• 5-10 years of progressive experience in UX/UI design, with a significant portion in a leadership or technical coordination role for complex digital products.
• Proven track record of successfully managing end-to-end design projects from conception to launch and iteration.

Required Skills:

• UX/UI Expertise: Deep understanding and practical application of user-centered design principles, wireframing, prototyping, user flow mapping, and visual design.
• Digital Product Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead design initiatives for complex digital products, particularly within the fintech or financial services sector.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Proficiency in leveraging user analytics, A/B testing, and qualitative research to inform design strategies and measure impact.
• Information Architecture: Strong skills in organizing and structuring complex information to create intuitive and navigable user experiences.
• Problem Solving: Ability to translate complex business requirements and user needs into clear, actionable, and scalable design solutions.
• Technical Leadership: Experience in guiding technical aspects of design, ensuring feasibility and alignment with engineering capabilities.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with product managers, engineers, data scientists, and other stakeholders.
• Roadmap Development: Experience in creating and managing product roadmaps, prioritizing features, and aligning with strategic goals.
• Team Development & Feedback: Skill in mentoring designers, providing constructive feedback, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience specifically with investment or financial planning platforms.
• Familiarity with design systems and their implementation.
• Knowledge of Agile/Scrum methodologies.
• Experience working in a multinational or multi-country product environment.
• Fluency in Portuguese and English.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-10 Years" experience level suggests a senior individual contributor or a junior leadership role. The mention of "technical leadership in design" and "coordination" implies a hands-on approach rather than pure people management, requiring deep design expertise. The "Investimentos" context strongly suggests a preference for candidates with financial product experience.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Project Case Studies: Showcase at least 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing your involvement in the entire design lifecycle of complex digital products, ideally in fintech or investment platforms.
• Problem Definition & Solution: Clearly articulate the user or business problem addressed, your design process, the hypotheses tested, and the final solution implemented.
• UX/UI Deliverables: Include examples of wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs.
• Data & Metrics Integration: Demonstrate how you used data (analytics, user research, A/B tests) to inform design decisions and measure the impact of your solutions, quantifying results where possible (e.g., conversion rate improvements, engagement metrics).
• Scalability & Cross-Country Considerations: Highlight projects where you considered scalability, localization, or adaptation for different markets or user segments.

Process Documentation:

• User Research & Testing: Examples of user research methodologies employed, testing plans, and how findings influenced design iterations.
• Design Process Methodology: A clear outline of your typical design process, including discovery, ideation, prototyping, testing, and implementation phases.
• Collaboration Artifacts: Evidence of collaboration with engineering, product, and data teams (e.g., user stories, design specifications, integration briefs).

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Project Leader role, the portfolio is critical for demonstrating not just design output but also strategic thinking, process ownership, and the ability to drive measurable business outcomes. Emphasis should be placed on how the candidate led initiatives and influenced product direction through design.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Estimated Range: R$ 15.000 - R$ 25.000 per month (gross).
• Rationale: This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior UX/UI Project Leaders with 5-10 years of experience in Brazil, particularly in São Paulo (as Osasco is a major hub) and within the tech/fintech sector. Mercado Libre is a large, established company known for competitive compensation. Regional cost of living and demand for specialized design talent in Brazil also factor into this estimation. This range is subject to variation based on specific qualifications, interview performance, and final negotiation.

Benefits:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive health insurance, dental care, vision coverage, and potentially gym memberships or wellness programs.
• Financial: Competitive salary, potential for performance-based bonuses, employee stock purchase plans (if applicable), and retirement savings plans.
• Work-Life Balance: Hybrid work model, paid time off (vacation, holidays), and potential for flexible working hours.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for training, workshops, conferences, and access to learning resources to enhance UX/UI skills and leadership capabilities.
• Other Perks: Meal vouchers or food allowances, transportation assistance (especially for hybrid work), and employee discount programs for Mercado Libre services.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week) with a hybrid arrangement. Specific office days will be determined by the team and the hybrid policy.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary ranges for senior tech roles in Brazil, especially in major metropolitan areas like São Paulo, can be substantial. The hybrid arrangement suggests a need for on-site presence, impacting the total compensation package discussion. Benefits are crucial for attracting top talent in this competitive market.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: E-commerce, Fintech, Technology Services Company Size: Large (Mercado Libre is a multinational corporation with thousands of employees globally). Founded: 1999 Company Description: Mercado Libre is the largest e-commerce and fintech ecosystem in Latin America. It operates an online marketplace, offers payment solutions (Mercado Pago), logistics services (Mercado Envios), advertising, and credit services, aiming to democratize commerce and financial services across the region. Company Specialties: E-commerce Marketplace, Online Payments, Digital Wallets, Logistics, Fintech Solutions, Advertising, Consumer Credit.

Team Structure:

• Operations Focus: This role operates within the product development sphere, specifically focused on the user experience of Mercado Pago's investment products.
• Reporting: Likely reports to a Head of Product Design, UX Lead, or Product Director within the Mercado Pago Investments vertical.
• Collaboration: Works intimately with Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, UI Developers, Data Analysts, Backend Engineers, and potentially Marketing and Legal teams involved in financial product launches and GTM.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Approach: Mercado Libre heavily relies on data analytics, user behavior tracking, and A/B testing to inform product decisions and optimize user experiences.
• Agile Development: Product development is likely managed using Agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) to ensure iterative progress and rapid adaptation.
• User-Centric Design: A strong emphasis is placed on understanding user needs and pain points to create intuitive and valuable product experiences.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Mercado Libre's culture is often characterized by a fast-paced, innovative, and entrepreneurial spirit, driven by its mission to empower individuals and businesses in Latin America. The "Mercado Pago" division represents a significant expansion into fintech, requiring a blend of e-commerce agility with financial services rigor.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor / Project Leader. This role signifies a senior-level position responsible for leading significant product design initiatives and influencing product strategy. It's a step beyond a standard UX/UI Designer role, requiring leadership, strategic thinking, and cross-functional influence.

Reporting Structure: The role likely reports into a senior product or design leadership position within the Mercado Pago Investments division. There might be direct reports (junior designers) or it could be a lead role coordinating a team of designers and working closely with product managers.

Operations Impact: The UX/UI Project Leader has a direct impact on key business metrics for investment products:

• User Acquisition & Conversion: Streamlining registration and onboarding directly drives new customer acquisition.
• User Retention & Engagement: Intuitive portfolio management and product interaction lead to higher user retention and increased investment activity.
• Revenue Generation: By facilitating more transactions and encouraging users to manage larger portfolios, the role directly contributes to Mercado Pago's revenue streams from investment services.
• Brand Reputation: A superior user experience builds trust and strengthens Mercado Libre's brand as a reliable financial services provider.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Progression: Potential to move into a Head of Design, Director of Product, or similar senior leadership roles within Mercado Pago or other Mercado Libre divisions.
• Specialization Deepening: Opportunity to become a deep subject matter expert in financial product UX/UI, a highly sought-after skill set.
• Cross-Functional Mobility: Potential to transition into Product Management or Strategy roles, leveraging a deep understanding of user needs and product development.
• Mentorship & Team Building: Opportunities to build and scale design teams, develop talent, and establish best practices across the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is pivotal for Mercado Libre's strategy in the competitive fintech space. Growth paths are clear, moving from project leadership to broader strategic and people management responsibilities.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment. This implies a combination of remote work and in-office collaboration. Office Location(s): The primary office location mentioned is Osasco, SP (São Paulo state), a significant business and industrial hub. While the job posting mentions "Governador Valadares, MG, BR" in its derived locations, the explicit mention of "Escritório: Osasco - SP" for the hybrid work arrangement indicates the primary physical base. Candidates should clarify this potential discrepancy.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The Osasco office is likely designed to foster collaboration, with meeting rooms, common areas, and potentially hot-desking setups for hybrid workers.
• Technology-Rich Environment: Expect access to modern design tools, high-performance workstations, and robust network infrastructure necessary for handling complex digital product development.
• Cross-Functional Interaction: The workspace will facilitate regular interaction with product, engineering, data, and marketing teams, supporting the integrated development approach.

Work Schedule:

• The role is FULL_TIME, with an estimated 40 working hours per week. The hybrid model allows for flexibility, but specific in-office days will likely be structured by the team to maximize collaborative efforts.

📝 Enhancement Note: It's crucial for candidates to clarify the exact working arrangement and primary office location given the mention of both "Governador Valadares, MG, BR" and "Osasco - SP." This might indicate a distributed team with a central hub, or a potential error in the derived location data.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.
• Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion with the hiring manager focusing on leadership experience, strategic thinking, and understanding of UX/UI principles within a financial product context.
• Portfolio Presentation & Technical Deep Dive: A dedicated session where the candidate presents 1-2 key case studies from their portfolio, demonstrating their process, problem-solving skills, and impact. This will involve detailed questions on design decisions, data utilization, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Team/Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with potential peers (other designers, PMs, engineers) to assess collaboration style, communication, and technical proficiency.
• Final Round: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss strategic alignment, long-term vision, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Quantify Impact: For each case study, clearly state the problem, your role, the solution, and measurable results (e.g., "Increased user registration completion by 15%", "Reduced time-on-task for portfolio review by 20%").
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, prototypes, final UIs) to illustrate your design process and final output. Explain why certain design choices were made.
• Highlight Leadership: Emphasize instances where you led projects, mentored others, influenced product strategy, or navigated complex stakeholder situations.
• Address "Investment" Context: If possible, include projects related to finance, investments, or complex data visualization. If not, draw parallels to how you've managed complexity and user trust in other domains.
• Tailor to Mercado Libre: Research Mercado Libre's products, mission, and design language. Briefly touch upon how your approach aligns with their ecosystem.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a design challenge or a scenario-based question that tests your ability to:
  • Quickly understand a complex financial product problem.
  • Propose a user-centric solution.
  • Outline your design process and required data.
  • Discuss potential trade-offs and scalability considerations.
• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, as if presenting to a mixed audience of designers, product managers, and engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a senior role at a large tech company like Mercado Libre will be rigorous. The portfolio review is paramount, serving as the primary evidence of the candidate's capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), InVision, Axure RP, or similar industry-standard tools for wireframing, UI design, and interactive prototyping.
• User Research & Analytics: Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, Hotjar, UserTesting.com, or similar platforms for tracking user behavior, gathering insights, and conducting usability tests.
• Project Management & Collaboration: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Monday.com, or similar tools for managing tasks, workflows, and team communication.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Proficiency in interpreting data from analytics platforms to inform design decisions.
• Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) may be beneficial for understanding and presenting performance metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how design impacts CRM data and customer journeys is valuable.
• Familiarity with how design integrates with marketing automation platforms and customer journey mapping tools could be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is increasingly becoming a de facto standard for collaborative design. Given the financial context, tools that facilitate complex data visualization and secure user flows are particularly relevant.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Agility: A culture that encourages experimentation, rapid iteration, and adapting to market changes quickly, essential in the fast-paced fintech landscape.
• Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of users across Latin America, driving product development with the customer experience at its core.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Valuing insights derived from data and analytics to guide strategy and measure success, ensuring that decisions are objective and impactful.
• Collaboration & Inclusion: Fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are welcomed, and teams work together effectively across departments and geographies.
• Impact & Ownership: Empowering individuals to take ownership of their work and drive meaningful impact on the business and the lives of users.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative environment where designers work hand-in-hand with product managers, engineers, and data scientists from the initial concept phase through to deployment and iteration.
• Open Communication: Encouraging transparent and direct communication, with regular feedback loops and open discussions about design challenges and solutions.
• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that promotes sharing best practices, learnings, and design techniques across teams and projects to elevate the overall design capability within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Mercado Libre's values are deeply tied to its mission of democratizing commerce and finance. A candidate should demonstrate an alignment with these values, particularly regarding innovation, customer focus, and driving tangible impact.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Financial Products: Designing for investment products involves navigating intricate regulations, complex financial concepts, and high user stakes, requiring a high degree of precision and clarity.
• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively translating user desires into scalable, profitable financial products while adhering to strict compliance requirements.
• Cross-Country Localization & Standardization: Developing a unified user experience that is both globally consistent and locally relevant across diverse Latin American markets.
• Rapid Technological Evolution: Keeping pace with advancements in fintech, UX/UI design tools, and data analytics to maintain a competitive edge.
• Leading Through Ambiguity: Navigating evolving market demands and internal strategic shifts while maintaining design integrity and team focus.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Fintech Specialization: Deepen expertise in UX/UI for financial services, a high-demand and specialized field.
• Leadership & Management Skills: Develop advanced skills in team leadership, strategic planning, and stakeholder management.
• Data Science & Analytics Integration: Gain practical experience in leveraging advanced analytics and AI/ML insights for product design.
• Exposure to Diverse Markets: Understand and design for the unique cultural and economic nuances of various Latin American countries.
• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Opportunities to attend leading UX, product, and fintech conferences, and pursue relevant certifications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges present significant opportunities for professional growth, particularly in a rapidly evolving sector like fintech. Candidates who thrive in complex, data-rich environments will find this role rewarding.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the redesign of a complex digital product. What was the problem, your process, the challenges, and the measurable impact?"
  • Preparation: Focus on a case study that showcases end-to-end ownership, problem-solving, and quantifiable results. Highlight your leadership role in guiding the team and stakeholders.
• "How do you approach balancing user needs with business objectives and regulatory constraints in financial product design?"
  • Preparation: Discuss frameworks or methodologies you use to integrate these competing demands. Provide examples of how you've navigated trade-offs and ensured compliance without compromising user experience.
• "Imagine we want to increase user engagement with our investment portfolio management feature. What steps would you take to understand the problem and propose solutions?"
  • Preparation: Outline your discovery process: user research, data analysis, competitive analysis, hypothesis generation. Discuss how you'd involve cross-functional teams.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Mercado Libre and the Mercado Pago Investments team specifically?"
  • Preparation: Research Mercado Libre's mission, its impact on Latin America, and Mercado Pago's role in democratizing finance. Connect your personal values and career goals to their objectives.
• "How do you foster a collaborative and high-performing design team?"
  • Preparation: Discuss your approach to mentorship, feedback, team dynamics, and resolving conflicts. Share examples of how you've built or improved a design team.
• "How do you measure the success of your design initiatives, especially in terms of business impact?"
  • Preparation: Be ready to talk about specific KPIs, A/B testing, cohort analysis, and how you tie design efforts to revenue, retention, or acquisition metrics.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, follow a clear story arc: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Results.
• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design decisions, not just what you did.
• Highlight Leadership: Clearly delineate your individual contributions versus team efforts, emphasizing where you led or influenced the direction.
• Data is Key: Quantify impact wherever possible. If exact numbers aren't available, discuss the metrics you would track and why.
• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, technical constraints, and how you handled feedback or pushback.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to demonstrate not only your design craft but also your strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and understanding of the fintech landscape.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the official Mercado Libre careers portal via the provided link.
• Portfolio Customization: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best highlight your experience in leading complex digital products, ideally with a focus on financial services or data-intensive applications. Ensure they clearly demonstrate your problem-solving skills, design process, and measurable impact.
• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize leadership experience, end-to-end project management, data-driven design methodologies, and any experience relevant to fintech, investments, or cross-country product development. Use keywords found in the job description.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your portfolio case studies using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). Prepare to discuss your leadership philosophy and how you approach cross-functional collaboration. Research Mercado Libre's mission and values thoroughly.
• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Mercado Libre's ecosystem, specifically Mercado Pago's product offerings in investments and their overall strategy in Latin America. Understand their approach to innovation and customer experience.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details, especially regarding location and specific responsibilities, should be verified directly with the hiring organization during the application process. The provided "Governador Valadares, MG, BR" location derived from the data may need clarification against the stated hybrid office in "Osasco - SP."