Junior Product Designer (all humans)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Junior Product Designer (all humans)

Company: Erste Digital GmbH

Location: Vienna, Austria

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: June 22, 2026

Experience Level: Junior (1-3 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead end-to-end product design initiatives, from initial discovery and ideation through to iterative prototyping and final handoff for both web and mobile platforms.

• Engage in daily collaboration within a fast-paced, multidisciplinary product team, working closely with engineers, product managers, writers, and researchers to deliver high-quality user experiences for a platform used by millions.

• Translate complex user and business requirements into intuitive, delightful user journeys and interfaces, ensuring banking interactions are simple and accessible.

• Leverage a comprehensive skill set encompassing product design, AI integration, and visual design to create outstanding experiences, adhering to and contributing to the existing George Design System.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Junior Product Designer," the responsibilities imply a significant level of ownership and end-to-end involvement, suggesting the company values proactive contribution and growth from day one. The emphasis on "dign digging into real design problems" and "owning design problems end-to-end" indicates a desire for a designer who can independently drive projects forward within a supportive team structure.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the entire design lifecycle for new features and improvements on the George platform, from conceptualization and user flow mapping to high-fidelity prototyping and developer handoff.

• Conduct user research and gather requirements to deeply understand user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints, informing design decisions.

• Develop wireframes, prototypes, and mockups to effectively communicate design concepts and user flows to cross-functional stakeholders.

• Collaborate closely with product managers to define product strategy and roadmap, ensuring design alignment with business goals.

• Work hand-in-hand with engineers to ensure accurate implementation of designs, providing clear specifications and iterating based on technical feasibility and user feedback.

• Contribute to and evolve the George Design System, ensuring consistency and scalability across all George products and touchpoints.

• Champion user-centered design principles and advocate for the user throughout the product development process.

• Analyze user feedback, analytics, and performance metrics to identify areas for design improvement and optimization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description emphasizes "ownership," "end-to-end," and "digging into real design problems," indicating that this Junior Product Designer role is not merely about executing tasks but about actively shaping the product's user experience. The responsibility to "contribute to and evolve the George Design System" suggests an expectation for proactive engagement with design standards and a forward-thinking approach to UI/UX consistency.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is highly beneficial. A demonstrable understanding of design principles and user-centered methodologies is paramount.

Experience: 1-3 years of hands-on product design experience, with a robust portfolio showcasing end-to-end design projects, or equivalent project work demonstrating practical application of design skills.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in end-to-end product design, from discovery and ideation to prototyping and handoff.

• Proficiency in UX/UI design principles and best practices, with a strong understanding of user-centered design methodologies.

• Experience creating wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups.

• Familiarity with established UX patterns and their application across web and mobile platforms.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions clearly and persuasively to diverse stakeholders, including engineers, product managers, and leadership.

• Strong problem-solving abilities, with a capacity to analyze user needs and propose effective, user-friendly solutions.

• Fluent in English, both written and verbal, capable of articulating complex ideas and opinions effectively.

• A demonstrable passion for quality, usability, and simplicity in digital products.

• Ability to work effectively within an agile, multidisciplinary product team. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI in design or integrating AI-powered features into user interfaces.

• Familiarity with design systems and experience contributing to or maintaining them.

• Experience in the FinTech or digital banking sector.

• Knowledge of user research methodologies and ability to translate research findings into design improvements.

• Visual design skills and an eye for aesthetics that align with brand guidelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "values and opinions" and "personal and professional drive" suggests that beyond technical skills, the company is looking for a candidate who is opinionated, passionate about design, and willing to actively contribute to the team's culture and product direction. The "belief in a non-hierarchical culture" points towards a need for a collaborative and communicative individual.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing 2-4 significant end-to-end product design projects.

• Each project should clearly articulate the problem statement, your role and contributions, the design process followed (discovery, ideation, prototyping, testing, iteration), and the final solution.

• Demonstrations of user journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping (interactive is a plus), and final UI designs.

• Evidence of problem-solving skills and how design decisions addressed specific user or business needs.

• Showcase of your ability to work with or contribute to design systems and maintain consistency. Process Documentation:

• For each portfolio project, clearly outline the design process used, highlighting key decision points and rationale.

• Demonstrate how user feedback and testing insights were incorporated into design iterations.

• Provide examples of collaboration with engineers and product managers, showcasing how designs were translated into functional products.

• Showcase your approach to maintaining design consistency and quality across different platforms and features.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "junior" level, the portfolio is critical. It needs to demonstrate not just aesthetic capability but a solid understanding of the design process, problem-solving, and collaborative execution. The company's focus on "end-to-end" ownership means the portfolio should clearly show the candidate's ability to manage a design project from conception to completion, even if under guidance.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: EUR 3,267 - EUR 4,285 gross per month. This is based on the legal minimum wage requirement for a full-time position in Austria and the company's stated range, reflecting a junior to mid-level designer salary in Vienna.

Benefits:

• Hardware & Software: Provision of necessary tools for efficient work, including a MacBook, mobile device, and software licenses.

• Personal Well-being: Support for employee health and overall well-being.

• Career Development: Opportunities for professional growth and advancement within the company.

• Educational Support: Active support for educational needs and continuous learning.

• Competitive Salary: A performance-related salary that acknowledges professional qualifications and achievements.

• Modern Work Environment: Access to an encouraging, empathic, friendly, and professional work setting.

Working Hours: Full-time position, with an implied standard 40-hour work week, though the company's "New Work" philosophy suggests flexibility may be available.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is explicit and legally mandated in Austria for a full-time role. The "competitive and performance-related salary" suggests that exceptional candidates within the junior bracket might be closer to the upper end of the range, with performance reviews playing a key role in salary progression. The benefits list is comprehensive, highlighting a strong focus on employee support and development.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Digital Banking / FinTech. Erste Digital GmbH is a key player in modernizing banking services through technology, focusing on creating innovative digital experiences for millions of customers across Europe, primarily through the George platform.

Company Size: The description for Erste Digital GmbH, as part of Erste Group, suggests a large, established financial institution with a significant digital innovation arm. "George Labs" implies a dedicated, agile unit within this larger structure, likely fostering a startup-like environment within a stable corporate framework.

Founded: Erste Group was founded in 1819, indicating a long history and established presence in the financial sector. George Labs and its digital initiatives represent its modern, forward-looking approach.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team operates within agile, multidisciplinary product teams at George Labs.

• These teams are composed of engineers, product managers, writers, researchers, and designers, fostering close collaboration.

• The culture is described as non-hierarchical, emphasizing collaboration, transparency, safety, and trust, encouraging open communication and shared decision-making.

• Designers are expected to work closely with various departments, indicating a cross-functional and integrated approach to product development. Methodology:

• Agile development methodologies are central to the team's workflow.

• Emphasis on user-centered design, translating user and business needs into intuitive interfaces.

• A strong focus on iterative design, incorporating feedback from user research, testing, and collaboration with engineers.

• The George Design System serves as a foundational element for ensuring consistency and scalability of design across platforms.

• A proactive approach to "New Work" suggests adaptability and openness to evolving work environments and practices.

Company Website: https://www.erstedigital.com/ (Note: The provided URL was null, this is a general link for Erste Digital.)

📝 Enhancement Note: The combination of a long-standing financial institution (Erste Group) with a modern digital innovation hub (George Labs) suggests a unique work environment. Employees benefit from the stability and resources of a large corporation while experiencing the dynamism and agility of a tech-focused product development team. The "all humans" in the job title emphasizes inclusivity.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Junior Product Designer," typically indicating an entry-level to early-career professional. The responsibilities suggest a significant opportunity for growth, moving from executing defined design tasks to owning larger design challenges and potentially leading design for specific features or product areas. The company's emphasis on "personal well-being and career development" and "active support for your educational needs" points to a structured approach to employee growth.

Reporting Structure: The Junior Product Designer will report within their multidisciplinary product team, likely to a Senior Product Designer, Design Lead, or Product Manager, depending on the team's specific structure. They will collaborate closely with engineers and product managers on a daily basis.

Operations Impact: While not a traditional "operations" role, the Product Designer's impact is directly tied to the success of the George platform. By creating intuitive, delightful, and user-friendly banking experiences, they directly influence customer satisfaction, engagement, retention, and ultimately, the adoption and success of digital banking services. Their work contributes to the company's overall mission of making banking simple, intelligent, and personal.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in UX/UI design, user research, interaction design, visual design, or AI integration.

• Platform Ownership: Progress to designing more complex features or even entire product modules within the George ecosystem.

• Design System Contribution: Become a key contributor or even owner of the George Design System, setting standards for the entire platform.

• Leadership Potential: With demonstrated growth and impact, opportunities to mentor junior designers or take on lead roles on product teams may arise.

• Cross-functional Learning: Gain in-depth understanding of product management, engineering, and business strategy through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Junior" title combined with "end-to-end" responsibilities and a strong emphasis on growth and learning suggests this role is designed as a development opportunity. Candidates who show initiative and a strong learning aptitude are likely to find significant career progression paths within Erste Digital.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is on-site in Vienna, Austria. Erste Digital emphasizes a "New Work" philosophy, suggesting a modern, progressive office environment designed to foster collaboration and innovation, while likely offering flexibility in how work is conducted.

Office Location(s): Am Belvedere 1, 1100 Vienna, Austria. This location in Vienna likely offers a vibrant and accessible urban setting for employees.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office is expected to feature environments conducive to teamwork and brainstorming, aligning with the company's emphasis on cross-functional collaboration.

• Technology & Tools: Employees are provided with the necessary hardware and software, including MacBooks, mobile devices, and licenses, to ensure efficient and effective work.

• Team Interaction: The on-site nature of the role facilitates direct interaction, spontaneous discussions, and building strong working relationships with colleagues across different disciplines.

Work Schedule: This is a full-time position. While the company embraces "New Work," suggesting some level of flexibility in working hours or arrangements, the primary expectation is on-site presence, likely adhering to standard business hours with opportunities for flexible scheduling as per company policy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "New Work" philosophy is a key differentiator. While the role is on-site, it implies a culture that values work-life balance, autonomy, and adaptability, moving beyond traditional rigid office structures. This should appeal to designers looking for a supportive and progressive work environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio to assess qualifications and fit.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: An interview where you'll present selected projects from your portfolio, discussing your process, decisions, and impact. Expect questions about your problem-solving approach, collaboration style, and understanding of UX/UI principles.

• Team Collaboration Exercise: Potentially a design challenge or case study, either pre-interview or during an interview session, to assess your practical skills, thinking process, and ability to work within a team context.

• Stakeholder/Hiring Manager Interview: A final interview to discuss your motivations, career aspirations, cultural fit, and alignment with the company's values and vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end design capabilities, problem-solving skills, and passion for simplicity and usability.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the "why" behind your design decisions. Explain the challenges, your process, the trade-offs you made, and the outcomes.

• Showcase Process: Detail your research, ideation, prototyping, and testing phases. Demonstrate how you iterated based on feedback.

• Highlight Impact: Quantify results where possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time) or explain the qualitative benefits of your designs.

• Tailor to George: If possible, subtly align your portfolio presentation with the principles of the George Design System and the company's mission of making banking simple and personal.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, thoroughly understand the user and business goals before diving into solutions.

• Focus on Process: Even if you don't reach a final polished design, clearly articulate your thought process, assumptions, and next steps.

• Communicate Clearly: Be prepared to explain your approach verbally and visually, demonstrating your ability to communicate design rationale effectively.

• Embrace Iteration: Show an understanding that design is iterative and be open to feedback or alternative approaches.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to be thorough, with a strong emphasis on the portfolio. Candidates should prepare to not only present their work but also to discuss their design philosophy, problem-solving methodology, and how they collaborate within a team. The "all humans" aspect suggests a focus on inclusive design principles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar for wireframing, UI design, and interactive prototyping. Figma is commonly used in collaborative environments.

• Design System Tools: Experience working with or contributing to design systems, utilizing tools that facilitate component management and style guides.

• Collaboration Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Confluence, Slack, or Microsoft Teams for team communication, project management, and documentation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary responsibility, an understanding of how design impacts user behavior is beneficial. Familiarity with analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel) and how to interpret data to inform design decisions is a plus. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to this Product Designer role, but an awareness of how user interfaces integrate with backend systems and business processes is advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of the "George Design System" indicates that familiarity with design system principles and tools is highly valued. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with design systems and how they ensure consistency and scalability in their work. Figma is a strong candidate for the primary design tool given its prevalence in collaborative, agile environments.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Simplicity & Usability: A core value driving the design of the George platform, aiming to make complex financial matters easy to understand and manage.

• User-Centricity: All design decisions are rooted in understanding and serving the needs of the customer ("all humans").

• Collaboration & Transparency: A belief in open communication, shared ownership, and working together across disciplines to achieve common goals.

• Quality & Craftsmanship: A commitment to delivering high-quality, well-executed designs that are both functional and delightful.

• Innovation & Drive: A proactive attitude towards exploring new ideas, embracing "New Work," and going the "extra mile" for the best solutions.

• Inclusivity: A commitment to equal chances and designing for a diverse user base, as reflected in the "all humans" ethos.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are integral members of multidisciplinary product teams, working hand-in-hand with engineers, product managers, writers, and researchers.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: A culture that encourages continuous feedback, constructive critique, and iterative refinement of designs based on input from team members and users.

• Open Communication Channels: Utilizing tools and practices that facilitate seamless communication and knowledge sharing within and across teams.

• Shared Ownership: A philosophy where the success of the product is a collective effort, fostering a sense of shared responsibility among all team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's emphasis on "New Work," "non-hierarchical culture," and "all humans" points to a progressive, inclusive, and highly collaborative work environment. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their ability to thrive in such a setting, valuing teamwork, open feedback, and a shared commitment to product excellence.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Complexity and Simplicity: The inherent complexity of banking services requires designers to find elegant solutions that simplify user interactions without sacrificing essential functionality.

• Cross-Platform Consistency: Ensuring a seamless and consistent user experience across web and mobile platforms, while also respecting platform-specific conventions.

• Integrating AI Thoughtfully: Designing intuitive and valuable user experiences that leverage AI capabilities without overwhelming users or creating a "black box" effect.

• Rapid Iteration in an Agile Environment: Adapting quickly to changing requirements and feedback loops typical of agile development, while maintaining design quality.

• Designing for a Diverse User Base: Catering to the needs and expectations of millions of users with varying levels of digital literacy and financial understanding.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like interaction design, motion design, user research, or AI-driven design.

• Design System Mastery: Becoming a key contributor to the George Design System, understanding its architecture, and influencing its evolution.

• Product Strategy Involvement: Gaining exposure to product strategy and roadmap planning, contributing design insights at a higher level.

• Mentorship: Potential to be mentored by senior designers and, as experience grows, to mentor junior colleagues.

• Industry Exposure: Access to learning resources, workshops, and potentially industry events to stay abreast of the latest design trends and technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in the FinTech space but are framed as opportunities for growth. The company's stated commitment to "career development" and "educational needs" suggests a strong focus on helping employees overcome these challenges and develop professionally.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to simplify a complex feature for a user. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on problem-solving, user empathy, and design process.)

• "How do you ensure design consistency across different platforms (web and mobile)?" (Assess understanding of UX patterns, design systems, and cross-platform strategies.)

• "Walk us through a project where you had to collaborate closely with engineers and product managers. What were the challenges, and how did you navigate them?" (Evaluate collaboration, communication, and ability to work within a team.)

• "How do you incorporate user feedback and testing into your design iterations?" (Understand your approach to user-centered design and iterative development.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about designing for the banking industry, specifically for George?" (Gauge your interest in the domain and the company's mission.)

• "How do you align with our values of simplicity, user-centricity, and collaboration?" (Assess cultural fit and understanding of stated values.)

• "Describe your ideal work environment. How do you see yourself contributing to our 'New Work' philosophy?" (Understand your expectations and adaptability.)

• "What does 'designing for all humans' mean to you?" (Evaluate your perspective on inclusive design.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": Clearly articulate the problem you were trying to solve and the goals of the project.

• Show Your Process: Detail your steps, from initial research and ideation to wireframing, prototyping, and testing. Use visuals to illustrate each stage.

• Explain Your Decisions: For key design choices, explain the rationale behind them. What user needs or business goals were you addressing?

• Highlight Collaboration: Mention how you worked with others (PMs, engineers) and how their input influenced your designs.

• Quantify Impact: If possible, present metrics or qualitative feedback that demonstrate the success of your design solution.

• Be Concise and Engaging: Practice your presentation to ensure it flows well and stays within the allotted time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely be a strong test of both design craft and soft skills. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their design thinking, demonstrate problem-solving abilities, and showcase their collaborative spirit. A deep understanding of the "George" brand and its mission of simplification will be beneficial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Junior Product Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Access the application portal via the provided URL and submit your resume and any requested supporting documents.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest end-to-end product design projects that best showcase your skills in UX/UI design, problem-solving, and collaboration. Ensure each project clearly outlines the problem, your role, your process, and the outcome.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight relevant experience, skills, and achievements that align with the job description, using keywords such as "Product Design," "UX/UI," "Prototyping," "Agile," and "User-Centered Design."

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your chosen portfolio projects, focusing on storytelling, clear articulation of your design process, and demonstrating how you addressed user needs and business objectives. Be ready to discuss your insights on simplicity and user experience in banking.

• Research Erste Digital & George: Familiarize yourself with Erste Digital's mission, the George platform, and their "New Work" philosophy. Understand their commitment to simplicity and designing for "all humans."

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