Working Student (w/m/d) - UX Design at IONOS SE

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Working Student (w/m/d) - UX Design Company: IONOS SE Location: Karlsruhe, Germany Job Type: Full-Time Category: UX/Product Design Operations Date Posted: August 20, 2025 Experience Level: Entry-Level / Student Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

This role focuses on the practical application of user-centered design principles within a dynamic technology company, contributing to the enhancement of digital products and platforms.
The position involves a blend of hands-on design work, user research analysis, and the integration of AI-driven insights to optimize user experiences.
As a working student, you will gain valuable experience in a professional operations environment, collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality design solutions.
This opportunity is ideal for students looking to build a strong foundation in UX design, supported by continuous learning and development within the thriving cloud infrastructure and hosting sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the provided description is for a UX Design role, the request emphasizes enhancing job descriptions for Revenue Operations, Sales Operations, and GTM roles. Given this constraint, this enhancement will interpret the UX Design role through an "operations lens," focusing on process, efficiency, and data-driven improvements as they relate to product development and user experience optimization, which are critical components of a successful GTM strategy. The "operations" aspect here is about the operationalization of design principles and the processes that lead to effective user engagement and product adoption.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Conceptualize and implement user-centric design solutions for a diverse range of digital products and platforms, ensuring alignment with business objectives and user needs.
Collaborate closely with the UX Research team to translate research findings, usability test results, and user feedback into actionable design improvements and strategic enhancements.
Support the creation and iteration of prototypes and wireframes, facilitating clear communication of design concepts and interaction flows across development teams.
Maintain design consistency and ensure seamless user journeys across all digital touchpoints, adhering to established design systems and brand guidelines.
Analyze and optimize UX processes by leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, focusing on user behavior analysis, content personalization, and predictive design improvements.
Apply AI-powered tools for user analytics and design optimization, identifying trends and opportunities to enhance user engagement and product performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities have been reframed to emphasize the "operations" aspect of design, focusing on process efficiency, data-driven decision-making, and the operationalization of user feedback for continuous improvement, which are core tenets of operations roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Must be an enrolled student (m/f/d) in a Design, Computer Science, Media Informatics, or a closely related academic program. This educational background provides a foundational understanding of digital product development and user interaction principles.

Experience:

Demonstrated experience in user interface (UI) design, interaction design principles, and information architecture, ideally gained through academic projects, internships, or personal portfolios.
A strong passion for design, creativity, and a keen aesthetic sense, coupled with an ability to articulate design choices and their rationale.

Required Skills:

Proficiency in industry-standard UX design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar platforms for wireframing, prototyping, and UI design.
Foundational knowledge of UX research methodologies, including usability testing, user interviews, and feedback analysis, to inform design decisions.
Excellent team collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to articulate design concepts effectively to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
A proactive and self-directed work approach, demonstrating initiative in problem-solving and project execution within a team environment.
Strong analytical skills for evaluating user data and feedback to identify patterns and areas for design optimization.

Preferred Skills:

Familiarity with AI-powered tools and their application in UX design, such as AI-driven analytics platforms, natural language processing (NLP) for user feedback analysis, or generative AI for design ideation.
Prior exposure to UX design through internships, co-op programs, or significant personal projects, showcasing practical application of design skills.
Understanding of agile development methodologies and how UX design integrates into iterative product development cycles.
Experience with design systems and their implementation to ensure brand consistency and efficient design workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The skills and qualifications have been expanded to highlight the operational aspects of UX design, such as process integration, data-driven decision-making, and the application of AI in design workflows, aligning with the overarching operations focus.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Showcase a minimum of 2-3 comprehensive UX design projects that demonstrate a clear understanding of the design process from research to final implementation.
Projects should highlight your ability to translate user needs and business requirements into intuitive and effective digital solutions.
Include case studies that detail your problem-solving approach, design decisions, and the rationale behind them, with a focus on user-centricity.
Demonstrate proficiency in utilizing design tools and methodologies, illustrating your technical capabilities and workflow efficiency.
Quantify the impact of your designs where possible, using metrics related to user satisfaction, task completion rates, or engagement improvements.

Process Documentation:

Provide documentation for at least one project that outlines the UX design process followed, including user research methods, ideation techniques, prototyping stages, and testing procedures.
Illustrate how you incorporated user feedback and iterative improvements into your design process.
Detail the tools and technologies used throughout the project lifecycle, demonstrating your technical fluency and adaptability.
Explain how design consistency and user journey mapping were managed to ensure a cohesive user experience across different touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section has been tailored to emphasize the operational aspects of a UX portfolio, focusing on process documentation, efficiency in design workflows, and the quantifiable impact of design solutions, which are crucial for operations roles.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: As a working student position in Karlsruhe, Germany, the typical hourly wage can range from €12 to €18, depending on the student's year of study, specific skills, and the extent of responsibilities. This range is based on German labor laws for student employment and industry benchmarks for IT and design-related working student roles in the region.

Benefits:

Hybrid Working Model: Offers flexibility to balance on-site collaboration and remote work, promoting a healthy work-life integration.
Flexible Working Hours: Encourages autonomy and allows for adjustment of work schedules to accommodate academic commitments, utilizing a trust-based working time system.
Subsidized Canteen & Free Beverages: Provides access to affordable and quality food options, alongside complimentary drinks, enhancing the daily work experience and employee well-being.
Modern Office Spaces: Features well-equipped and contemporary work environments designed for productivity and collaboration, located with excellent public transport connectivity.
Employee Discounts: Offers various discounts on IONOS products and services, as well as on activities, providing tangible financial benefits to employees.
Employee Events: Organizes regular social and professional events, such as summer and winter parties, fostering team spirit and networking opportunities.
Numerous Weiterbildungs- und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten: Provides extensive opportunities for professional growth through training programs, workshops, and skill development initiatives relevant to UX design and technology.
Various Health Programs: Supports employee health and well-being through initiatives like sports and health courses.

Working Hours: The role is based on a full-time employment structure, typically involving around 40 hours per week. However, the company emphasizes flexible working hours through a trust-based system, allowing for adjustments to accommodate academic schedules and personal needs, provided core responsibilities and collaborative needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary range estimation provided based on German working student standards and location. Benefits are detailed with specific relevance to a student role and a tech-oriented company, emphasizing growth and flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: IONOS SE operates within the Cloud Infrastructure and Hosting Services sector, a critical and rapidly evolving segment of the technology industry. This sector is characterized by innovation, high demand for reliability, and a continuous drive for efficiency and scalability. As a leading European provider, IONOS plays a pivotal role in digitizing small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), offering a comprehensive suite of digital solutions.

Company Size: IONOS SE is a significant player with over six million customers across 18 markets in Europe and North America, indicating a large operational footprint and a substantial employee base. This scale suggests a well-established organizational structure with opportunities for diverse team interactions and exposure to various business processes.

Founded: IONOS has a history rooted in providing digital solutions, evolving to become a major cloud infrastructure partner. Its focus on supporting SMBs through their digital transformation journey highlights a customer-centric approach embedded in its operational philosophy. The company's growth trajectory underscores its commitment to innovation and market leadership.

Team Structure: The UX Design team likely operates within a Product Development or Engineering department, collaborating closely with Product Managers, Developers, and Marketing teams. As a working student, you would be integrated into this team, reporting to a senior UX designer or a UX lead, and working alongside other designers and researchers. Cross-functional collaboration is essential, involving regular interaction with stakeholders from various departments to ensure design solutions meet diverse business needs.

Methodology: IONOS likely employs agile methodologies for its product development lifecycle, emphasizing iterative design, continuous feedback, and rapid deployment. This includes data-driven decision-making, utilizing analytics to understand user behavior and optimize product performance. Process optimization is a key focus, with an emphasis on leveraging technology, including AI, to streamline workflows and enhance efficiency in design and development.

Company Website: https://www.ionos.de

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context has been enriched with details about its industry, scale, and operational focus, providing a clearer picture of the environment for an operations-minded candidate. The team structure and methodologies are inferred to align with typical tech company operations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents an entry-level or foundational position within the broader operational framework of product development. As a Working Student in UX Design, the focus is on learning and applying fundamental design operations, process execution, and user experience principles under guidance. It's an opportunity to build a practical understanding of how design contributes to the overall success and efficiency of digital product delivery, akin to an entry-level Operations Analyst or Coordinator role in a different domain.

Reporting Structure: The working student will typically report to a Senior UX Designer, a UX Lead, or potentially a Product Manager overseeing the design function. This reporting line ensures direct mentorship and guidance, facilitating skill development and integration into team processes. Collaboration will extend to peers within the UX/UI team and cross-functional teams, such as development and product management.

Operations Impact: The UX Design team's operations significantly impact the company's go-to-market strategy by ensuring products are intuitive, user-friendly, and meet customer needs. Effective UX design operations contribute to higher customer satisfaction, increased conversion rates, reduced support costs, and ultimately, improved revenue and market share. By analyzing user feedback and optimizing interfaces, this role directly influences product adoption and customer retention.

Growth Opportunities:

Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas of UX design, such as user research, interaction design, prototyping, or the operationalization of AI in design.
Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain insights into other operational areas like product management, software development, and marketing, broadening understanding of the business ecosystem.
Mentorship and Training: Access to experienced professionals for guidance, feedback, and formal training programs, fostering continuous learning and professional development.
Potential for Future Roles: Successful performance and demonstrated aptitude can open doors to internships, graduate roles, or specialized positions within IONOS's operations or product teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career analysis frames the student role within an operations context, highlighting its foundational nature and the operational impact of UX design on business outcomes and GTM success. Growth opportunities are detailed with an operations perspective.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: IONOS SE offers modern office spaces designed to foster collaboration and productivity. These environments are typically equipped with contemporary amenities and are structured to support both focused individual work and team-based activities. The company's embrace of a hybrid work model means that while offices are central to collaboration, there's also flexibility for remote work.

Office Location(s): The primary office location for this role is in Karlsruhe, Germany. This location is noted for its accessibility, likely featuring good public transport links, making it convenient for employees commuting from various parts of the city and surrounding areas.

Workspace Context: The workspace is designed to be conducive to creative and analytical tasks. Expect access to modern hardware and software, including industry-standard design tools and potentially AI-powered platforms. Collaboration is a key aspect, with opportunities for informal discussions, team meetings, and project-specific work sessions within the office environment. The hybrid model allows for a flexible blend of workspace utilization.

Work Schedule: The working hours are typically aligned with a full-time role (around 40 hours per week), but with a strong emphasis on flexibility through a trust-based system. This allows for adjustments to accommodate academic schedules, ensuring that the working student can effectively balance their studies with their professional responsibilities. Core working hours will likely be established to facilitate team collaboration and project coordination.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment description is enhanced to highlight aspects relevant to operations professionals, such as collaborative spaces, tool availability, and flexible scheduling that supports efficient workflow management.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: The hiring process for this working student role likely involves several stages designed to assess both technical skills and cultural fit.

Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and any submitted portfolio materials to gauge your qualifications and alignment with the role's requirements.
Technical Interview: This may include a discussion about your past projects, your understanding of UX design principles, and your familiarity with design tools. You might be asked to walk through your portfolio, explaining your design process and decision-making.
Case Study/Design Challenge: You may be asked to complete a small design task or case study, either before or during an interview, to evaluate your problem-solving abilities and design approach in a practical context.
Team/Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the hiring manager and potentially team members to assess your communication skills, team fit, and enthusiasm for the role and IONOS.
Offer: If successful, you will receive a job offer detailing the terms of employment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Structure Your Projects: Organize your portfolio clearly, with each project presented as a case study. Start with the problem statement, outline your process (research, ideation, design, testing), explain your design decisions, and showcase the final output.
Highlight Your Process: Emphasize how you approach problems and design solutions, not just the final visuals. Detail your research methods, user feedback incorporation, and iterative design steps. This demonstrates your operational thinking.
Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics that show the success of your designs (e.g., improved usability scores, increased conversion rates, positive user feedback). This is crucial for demonstrating operational impact.
Showcase Tool Proficiency: Clearly indicate the tools you used for each project (e.g., Figma for wireframing and prototyping).
Tailor to the Role: Review the job description and highlight projects or skills that are most relevant to IONOS's needs, especially any experience with AI tools or complex digital platforms.

Challenge Preparation:

Understand the Company: Research IONOS, its products, target audience, and competitors. Understand their mission and values, particularly in relation to customer experience.
Review UX Fundamentals: Refresh your knowledge of UX principles, design thinking, user-centered design, and common UX tools and techniques.
Practice Explaining Your Work: Be prepared to articulate your design process and rationale clearly and concisely. Practice presenting your portfolio projects aloud.
Prepare for AI Integration Questions: Since AI is mentioned, be ready to discuss how you see AI impacting UX design, or any experience you have with AI-powered design tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process and portfolio review tips are framed with an operations perspective, emphasizing process, quantifiable results, and clear articulation of methodologies, which are key evaluation criteria for operations roles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

UX Design & Prototyping: Figma (or similar, e.g., Sketch, Adobe XD) for wireframing, UI design, prototyping, and collaborative design. Proficiency is expected for creating user flows, mockups, and interactive prototypes.
User Research & Analysis: Tools for conducting usability testing, user interviews, and analyzing user feedback. This could include survey tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform), session recording tools (e.g., Hotjar, FullStory), or dedicated UX research platforms.
Project Management & Collaboration: Tools like Jira, Trello, Asana, or Confluence for task management, project tracking, documentation, and team communication, facilitating efficient workflow operations.

Analytics & Reporting:

Web Analytics: Google Analytics or similar platforms to understand user behavior on digital products, track key performance indicators (KPIs), and inform design iterations.
Data Visualization: Tools like Tableau or Power BI might be used to create dashboards and reports visualizing user data and design performance metrics.

CRM & Automation:

While not directly a UX tool, understanding how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation platforms influence user journeys and data collection can provide valuable context for design decisions.
AI-Powered Tools: Specific mention of AI tools for user analysis and design optimization suggests familiarity with platforms offering AI-driven insights, chatbots, GPT-based content generation, automated usability testing, or machine learning applications within the UX domain.

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools and technology stack are detailed with specific examples relevant to UX design operations, emphasizing their role in workflow efficiency, data analysis, and the integration of AI for process improvement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

User-Centricity: A core value that places the user at the center of all design and product decisions, ensuring that solutions are intuitive, efficient, and meet user needs effectively.
Collaboration: Emphasis on working closely with cross-functional teams (product management, development, marketing) to achieve shared goals, fostering a spirit of teamwork and mutual support.
Data-Driven Decision-Making: Commitment to using data and analytics to inform design choices, measure success, and drive continuous improvement in user experience and product performance.
Innovation & Continuous Improvement: A culture that encourages exploring new ideas, experimenting with new tools (like AI in design), and consistently seeking ways to optimize processes and enhance product offerings.
Efficiency and Agility: A focus on streamlined workflows, efficient execution, and adaptability to changing project requirements and market dynamics.

Collaboration Style: The team likely fosters an open and communicative collaboration style, encouraging active participation in design reviews, brainstorming sessions, and feedback exchanges. Cross-functional integration is key, with designers working closely with product managers to define requirements and with developers to ensure seamless implementation of designs. Knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning are encouraged to build collective expertise within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture and values are articulated through an operations lens, highlighting aspects like data-driven approaches, process efficiency, and cross-functional collaboration, which are critical for operational success.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Balancing Academic and Professional Commitments: Effectively managing time and responsibilities between university coursework and a demanding part-time role requires strong organizational and time-management skills.
Integrating AI into Existing Workflows: Understanding and effectively applying new AI tools to enhance UX processes can present a learning curve, requiring adaptability and a proactive approach to skill development.
Translating Abstract Concepts into Concrete Designs: Moving from user research insights and business requirements to tangible, user-friendly design solutions requires creativity, critical thinking, and meticulous execution.
Navigating a Large Organization: Understanding the internal processes, stakeholder needs, and communication channels within a large company like IONOS can be challenging for new team members.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Hands-on Experience with Industry Tools: Gain practical experience with leading UX design software (Figma) and potentially AI-driven analytics and design tools, enhancing your technical toolkit.
Mentorship from Experienced Professionals: Benefit from guidance and feedback from senior UX designers and product teams, accelerating your learning curve and professional development.
Exposure to Product Development Lifecycle: Understand how UX design integrates into the broader product development process, from ideation to launch and iteration, providing a holistic view of operations.
Industry Knowledge Acquisition: Learn about the cloud infrastructure and hosting services market, gaining insights into the operational challenges and opportunities within this sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges and growth opportunities are framed to highlight the operational aspects of learning and development within a professional setting, focusing on skill acquisition, process integration, and strategic thinking.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

On Design Process & AI Integration: "Describe a project where you used user research to inform your design decisions. How would you integrate AI tools to enhance this process or analyze the user feedback more effectively?" Preparation: Be ready to walk through a specific project, detailing your steps and highlighting where AI could offer improvements or efficiencies.
On Collaboration & Problem-Solving: "How do you approach collaboration with developers and product managers? Describe a time you had to resolve a design conflict or address challenging user feedback." Preparation: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to provide concrete examples of your teamwork and problem-solving skills.
On UX Principles & Application: "What are the key principles of user-centered design, and how have you applied them in your work? How do you ensure design consistency across different platforms?" Preparation: Articulate core UX principles and provide specific examples from your portfolio that demonstrate their application.

Company & Culture Questions:

On IONOS's User Experience: "What are your impressions of IONOS's current digital products from a UX perspective? What areas do you think could be improved?" Preparation: Research IONOS's website and products, and prepare constructive feedback based on UX best practices.
On Working in a Hybrid Environment: "How do you maintain productivity and collaboration in a hybrid work setting?" Preparation: Discuss strategies for effective communication, task management, and team engagement in a flexible work environment.
On Learning and Growth: "What are you hoping to learn and achieve in this working student role at IONOS?" Preparation: Align your learning goals with the opportunities presented in the job description and the company's focus.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Tell a Story: For each project, frame it as a narrative: the challenge, your approach, the solutions you devised, and the outcome.
Focus on Your Role: Clearly articulate your specific contributions to each project, especially if it was a team effort.
Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (screenshots, mockups, prototypes) to illustrate your design work. Explain why you made certain design choices.
Demonstrate Process and Iteration: Highlight how you incorporated feedback and iterated on your designs. This shows your adaptability and commitment to improvement.
Quantify Results: If possible, include metrics that demonstrate the impact of your design work on user behavior or business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation advice is tailored to include operational considerations, such as process articulation, data-driven decision-making, and demonstrating impact, which are critical for operations roles.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this working student UX Design position:

Submit your application through the provided link on join.com.
Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume to highlight relevant coursework, projects, and any prior experience in design or related fields. Emphasize skills mentioned in the job description, such as UX design, prototyping, and familiarity with AI tools. Use action verbs to describe your responsibilities and achievements.
Prepare Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio is up-to-date, well-organized, and showcases 2-3 strong UX design projects. Focus on demonstrating your design process, problem-solving abilities, and the rationale behind your design decisions. Include a clear explanation of your role in each project.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Briefly explain why you are interested in IONOS and this specific role, how your skills align with the requirements, and how you can contribute to the team. Mention your student status and availability.
Research IONOS: Familiarize yourself with IONOS's products, services, and target market. Understand their mission and values, and consider how your design perspective aligns with their business objectives. This research will be valuable for interview discussions.

⚠️ 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.

Working Student (w/m/d) - UX Design