Lead Product Designer - Commodities

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer - Commodities

Company: Kpler

Location: Athens, Attica, Greece

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: May 08, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design for Kpler’s Commodities Business Unit, ensuring consistency and evolution of user experiences across complex, data-rich products.

• Co-define and drive Kpler’s overarching Product Design vision and standards, establishing shared principles for a coherent, high-quality cross-platform experience.

• Actively contribute to the product lifecycle by delivering features and experiences from discovery through to dev-ready specifications, encompassing both web and mobile applications.

• Foster strong collaborative relationships with Product Management and Engineering teams to shape problem definitions, explore solutions, and champion a user-centered perspective.

• Develop a deep understanding of user behaviors, needs, and pain points within the commodities, finance, and trading domains to translate complex workflows into intuitive and effective design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Lead Product Designer with significant ownership over a specific business unit (Commodities). The emphasis on "data-rich products," "complex workflows," and "commodities, finance, trading domains" indicates a need for a designer experienced in B2B SaaS or enterprise tools, particularly those dealing with intricate datasets. The mention of "MarineTraffic web and mobile apps" suggests a strong focus on user experience for data visualization and analysis platforms.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the product design strategy and execution for the Commodities Business Unit, driving consistency and user experience excellence across all related digital products.

• Champion and implement Kpler's product design vision and standards, ensuring a unified and high-quality user interface and experience across web and mobile platforms.

• Conduct user research, including interviews, usability testing, and data analysis, to deeply understand user needs, behaviors, and pain points within the commodities trading ecosystem.

• Translate complex data sets and business requirements into intuitive and elegant user interfaces, wireframes, prototypes, and detailed design specifications.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers to define product roadmaps, refine feature requirements, and ensure design solutions align with business objectives and user needs.

• Partner with Engineering teams to ensure accurate implementation of designs, provide design support during development, and maintain design integrity throughout the agile development process.

• Experiment with and integrate AI tools into the design workflow to enhance efficiency, explore innovative solutions, and drive design exploration.

• Present design concepts, user research findings, and prototypes to stakeholders, articulating design decisions and gathering feedback effectively.

• Mentor and guide junior designers (if applicable, based on team structure) and contribute to the overall growth and best practices of the Product Design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities emphasize leadership in design strategy, execution, and cross-functional collaboration within a specialized domain (commodities). The role requires a hands-on approach to design, from discovery to implementation, with a strong focus on translating complex data into user-friendly interfaces. The integration of AI tools and a deep understanding of user behavior in data-intensive industries are critical.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for senior design roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 8+ years of professional experience in digital product design, with a significant portion focused on web-based SaaS platforms or enterprise-level tools. Experience in leading design initiatives or managing design projects is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in end-to-end product design, from user research and ideation to wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity UI design.

• Mastery of design and prototyping tools, with a strong preference for Figma (or similar industry-standard tools like Sketch, Adobe XD).

• Experience designing for both web and mobile applications, understanding the unique requirements and best practices for each.

• Strong understanding of user-centered design principles and methodologies.

• Demonstrated ability to translate complex data and workflows into simple, intuitive, and visually appealing user interfaces.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, capable of articulating design rationale, presenting to stakeholders, and structuring information clearly.

• A robust portfolio showcasing a strong design process, problem-solving skills, and successful product design outcomes, particularly in data-rich or enterprise environments.

• Keen interest and aptitude for learning about commodities, finance, trading, and other data-intensive domains.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in data visualization design, creating effective ways to represent complex data.

• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and working within cross-functional product teams.

• Previous management or team lead experience in a design context.

• Existing knowledge or experience within the commodities, energy, or maritime sectors.

• Experience with user research methodologies and conducting usability testing.

• Understanding of front-end development principles to facilitate better collaboration with engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements strongly emphasize practical experience and a demonstrable portfolio. The "8+ years" combined with the "Lead" title suggests a senior-level individual contributor or a potential lead role. The specific mention of Figma and the "keen interest in learning about commodities, finance, trading" are critical indicators for candidates.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating a strong grasp of the design process, covering problem definition, user research, ideation, iteration, and final design solutions.

• Case studies should highlight contributions to complex, data-rich applications or enterprise tools, showcasing the ability to simplify intricate information.

• Evidence of designing for both web and mobile platforms, with clear explanations of design decisions and their impact on user experience and business goals.

• Examples of prototyping and user testing, demonstrating how user feedback informed design iterations.

• Visuals of wireframes, user flows, and high-fidelity mockups, presented clearly and logically.

Process Documentation:

• Clearly articulate your design process for each case study, detailing the methodologies used (e.g., user-centered design, design thinking).

• For each project, explain how user needs and business requirements were identified and translated into design solutions.

• Detail the iterative nature of your design process, including how feedback was incorporated and how designs evolved.

• Provide insights into your collaboration process with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders.

• Demonstrate how you measure the success of your designs, including any relevant metrics or KPIs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio showing your design process" and the specific mention of complex, data-rich products implies that a portfolio demonstrating problem-solving and a systematic approach to design, rather than just aesthetic output, will be highly valued. Candidates should be prepared to walk through their thought process and decision-making.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Lead Product Designers with 8+ years of experience in major European tech hubs, and considering Kpler's presence in Greece, the estimated salary range for this role in Athens, Greece, would be approximately €55,000 - €85,000 per year. This range can vary based on the candidate's specific experience, qualifications, and the final negotiation.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage.

• Generous paid time off (PTO) and public holidays.

• Opportunities for professional development, training, and attending industry conferences.

• Participation in employee stock options or bonus programs (if applicable).

• Modern office environment with collaborative workspaces.

• Access to cutting-edge design tools and technologies.

• Potential for hybrid work arrangements, offering flexibility.

• Company-sponsored events and team-building activities to foster a strong company culture.

Working Hours: The role is designated as full-time, typically around 40 hours per week. While standard business hours are expected, there may be flexibility offered through a hybrid work arrangement, allowing for a balance between in-office collaboration and remote work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimations are based on general market data for Lead Product Designer roles in comparable European locations and adjusted for the Athens market. Specific benefits are inferred based on typical offerings for tech companies of Kpler's size and industry. The "hybrid" work arrangement suggests a structured approach to office days, though exact requirements are not specified.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Kpler operates in the commodities, energy, and maritime intelligence sectors, providing data and insights to clients worldwide. This is a B2B SaaS environment with a focus on data-driven decision-making.

Company Size: Kpler has grown to over 700 experts, indicating a medium-to-large scale company that is established but still agile enough to innovate and adapt. This size suggests a structured organization with defined processes but also opportunities for individual impact.

Founded: Founded in 2014, Kpler is a relatively young company that has experienced significant growth, pointing to a dynamic, innovative, and ambitious culture.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is distributed across Greece, Germany, and France, suggesting a globally distributed and collaborative team structure.

• This role reports to the Maritime Product Design Lead, indicating a hierarchical structure within the design department.

Methodology:

• Kpler's core methodology revolves around simplifying complex global trade information and providing valuable, actionable insights through user-friendly platforms.

• The company emphasizes transforming intricate data into actionable strategies, highlighting a data-driven and analytical approach.

• A focus on "cutting-edge innovation" and "impactful results" suggests a culture that values technological advancement and performance.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Kpler's culture appears to be built around data, innovation, and global collaboration. The company's rapid growth suggests a dynamic and ambitious environment. The design team's distributed nature implies a strong reliance on digital collaboration tools and clear communication protocols.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a senior or lead individual contributor level, focusing on strategic product design for a specific business unit. It requires significant autonomy, problem-solving skills, and the ability to influence product direction. The "Lead" title implies potential for future leadership roles or deeper specialization.

Reporting Structure: The position reports to the Maritime Product Design Lead, placing it within a structured design hierarchy. This provides mentorship and guidance while allowing for significant ownership of the Commodities product area.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer will have a direct impact on the usability and effectiveness of Kpler's core commodities intelligence platforms. By simplifying complex data and workflows, the designer will empower clients to make better, more informed trading decisions, directly contributing to Kpler's value proposition and client satisfaction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a formal management role overseeing a team of designers as Kpler expands.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific domains like commodities, finance, or maritime data, becoming a subject matter expert in design for these complex industries.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Expand influence across product strategy and potentially contribute to broader company design standards and initiatives.

• Skill Development: Opportunities to hone skills in emerging technologies like AI in design, advanced data visualization, and cross-platform design.

• Mentorship: Gain experience mentoring junior designers and contributing to the growth of the design team's capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Lead" designation and the focus on a specific business unit suggest a role with significant growth potential, either through deeper specialization in a complex domain or by moving into people management as Kpler continues to scale. The company's emphasis on innovation also points to opportunities to work with cutting-edge technologies.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Kpler offers a hybrid work arrangement, balancing in-office collaboration with remote flexibility. The office environment is expected to be modern, fostering collaboration and innovation.

Office Location(s): The primary location for this role is Athens, Greece. Kpler also has offices in Germany and France, supporting the distributed nature of the design team.

Workspace Context:

• The Athens office likely provides a professional and collaborative space conducive to design work and team interactions.

• Expect access to standard office amenities, potentially including spaces for brainstorming sessions and team meetings.

• Given the hybrid model, there will be an expectation of effective remote work capabilities, including reliable internet and access to necessary digital tools.

• The collaborative nature of Kpler's culture suggests an environment where designers work closely with product managers, engineers, and potentially sales and client success teams.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week) are expected. The hybrid model allows for some flexibility in structuring the work week, balancing in-office presence with remote workdays. This flexibility is crucial for deep work and focused design tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment implies a need for strong self-management and communication skills. The Athens office serves as the primary hub for this role, but collaboration with international teams is a key aspect of the work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and portfolio. Be prepared to highlight your most relevant experience, particularly in B2B SaaS or enterprise design, and your process for handling complex data.

• Design Challenge/Case Study Presentation: You will likely be asked to present your portfolio in detail, walking through 1-2 case studies that best demonstrate your design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. This may include a live presentation or a pre-recorded walkthrough. Be ready to discuss your decisions, user research, and how you collaborated with teams.

• Team Interviews: Interviews with the Product Design Lead, Product Managers, and Engineering leads to assess your technical skills, design thinking, collaborative style, and cultural fit. Expect questions about your experience with data-rich domains and your approach to user-centered design.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss strategic thinking and overall fit within Kpler's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best align with Kpler's focus on complex data, B2B SaaS, and enterprise tools. Highlight projects where you translated intricate information into user-friendly experiences.

• Show Your Process: Clearly articulate your design thinking, methodologies, and problem-solving approach for each case study. Include wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and final designs, explaining the "why" behind your decisions.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, provide metrics or qualitative feedback that demonstrate the success and impact of your designs on users and business outcomes.

• Highlight Collaboration: Showcase how you worked with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering) and how you incorporated feedback.

• Address Domain Interest: Explicitly mention your interest and any relevant learning about commodities, finance, or trading within your portfolio or cover letter.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research Kpler's products, the commodities market, and the challenges faced by users of such platforms. Familiarize yourself with key terminology.

• Practice Articulating Your Process: Be ready to explain your design process concisely and clearly, focusing on how you approach complex problems and user needs.

• Prepare for Data Visualization Questions: Think about how you would approach designing interfaces for complex data analysis and visualization.

• AI Tool Exploration: Be ready to discuss how you might leverage AI tools in your design workflow or how you've experimented with them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to be rigorous, with a strong emphasis on evaluating the candidate's design process, problem-solving abilities in complex domains, and collaborative skills. The portfolio is a critical component, and candidates should tailor it to showcase relevant experience.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned as a required skill, this will be the primary tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Prototyping Tools: Expertise in Figma's prototyping capabilities is essential; familiarity with other prototyping tools (e.g., InVision, Principle) may also be beneficial.

• Design & Collaboration Platforms: Tools for project management, communication, and asset sharing (e.g., Jira, Confluence, Slack, Miro).

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly stated as a requirement for the designer, understanding how to interpret user analytics and A/B testing results from tools like Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar platforms will be crucial for informing design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly a designer's tool, but understanding how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and workflow automation tools impact user experience and data flow within a B2B SaaS context can be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack heavily centers around design tools, with Figma being paramount. While direct experience with analytics or CRM is not a primary requirement, an understanding of how these systems operate and impact user journeys is beneficial for a designer working on enterprise SaaS products.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Make Things Happen: Demonstrates a proactive, results-oriented approach. For designers, this means taking initiative, driving projects forward, and delivering impactful solutions.

• Build Together: Emphasizes collaboration and relationship-building. Designers are expected to work harmoniously with Product, Engineering, and other stakeholders to co-create solutions.

• Here to Help: Reflects a supportive, accessible, and client-centric attitude. This translates to being a helpful team member, offering support, and designing with the end-user's needs at the forefront.

• Data-Driven Innovation: Kpler's core business relies on data, suggesting that decisions, including design choices, should be informed by data and user insights.

• Customer Satisfaction: A strong focus on client needs and delivering value is paramount, influencing design quality and user experience.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Designers are expected to be integral members of cross-functional teams, working closely with Product Managers to define problems and scope solutions, and with Engineers to ensure feasibility and high-quality implementation.

• Open Communication: Given the distributed team, clear, concise, and frequent communication via digital channels is essential.

• Feedback Culture: An environment where constructive feedback is welcomed and given, fostering continuous improvement for both individuals and the product.

• Shared Ownership: The "Build Together" value suggests a culture of shared responsibility for product success, where designers contribute strategically to problem definition and solution exploration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Kpler's values of "Make Things Happen," "Build Together," and "Here to Help" point towards a culture that is both ambitious and supportive, with a strong emphasis on teamwork and client focus. Designers will need to be proactive collaborators who can effectively communicate and integrate with diverse teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Data: Translating highly complex commodity market data and financial information into intuitive and actionable user interfaces is a significant design challenge.

• Balancing User Needs and Business Goals: Ensuring that design solutions effectively meet the needs of diverse users (traders, analysts, executives) while aligning with Kpler's business objectives and technical constraints.

• Cross-Platform Consistency: Maintaining a coherent and high-quality user experience across web and mobile applications, especially for data-intensive products.

• Adopting New Technologies: Integrating and experimenting with AI tools in the design workflow while ensuring practical application and efficiency gains.

• Distributed Team Collaboration: Effectively collaborating with product and engineering teams located across different regions and time zones.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Domain Expertise: Deepen knowledge in commodities, finance, and trading, becoming a specialized designer in these critical B2B sectors.

• AI in Design: Gain hands-on experience and develop expertise in leveraging AI tools for design research, ideation, and workflow optimization.

• Advanced Data Visualization: Develop advanced skills in designing effective and engaging data visualizations for complex datasets.

• Leadership and Mentorship: Grow into a leadership role, guiding design strategy and potentially mentoring other designers.

• Industry Trends: Stay abreast of evolving trends in SaaS design, enterprise tools, and user experience best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenges stem from the inherent complexity of the domain and the need for sophisticated data representation. Growth opportunities are directly linked to mastering this complexity and embracing new technologies.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for designing an enterprise SaaS product that handles complex, real-time data. How do you ensure user comprehension and efficiency?" (Focus on your structured approach, user research, and data visualization considerations).

• "How would you approach defining and maintaining design consistency across web and mobile applications for a data-rich platform like Kpler's?" (Discuss design systems, component libraries, and cross-platform best practices).

• "Walk us through a project where you had to deeply understand a new, complex domain to design a successful product. What was your learning strategy?" (Highlight your curiosity, research methods, and ability to translate domain knowledge into design).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Kpler and the commodities market specifically?" (Showcase your research into Kpler and your genuine interest in the domain, referencing your portfolio's relevance).

• "How do you embody Kpler's values of 'Make Things Happen,' 'Build Together,' and 'Here to Help' in your daily work as a designer?" (Align your past experiences and collaborative style with these values).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role and responsibilities, your process, the solutions you designed, and the impact of your work.

• Focus on Problem-Solving: Emphasize the challenges you faced and how your design decisions addressed them. Don't just show pretty pictures; explain the rationale.

• Showcase Your Process: Include wireframes, user flows, and iterations to demonstrate your thinking. Explain why you made certain choices.

• Quantify Impact: If possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased user engagement, reduced error rates, improved task completion times).

• Tailor to Kpler: Highlight projects that best align with Kpler's focus on data, enterprise SaaS, and complex domains.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a deep understanding of the design process, strong problem-solving skills for complex data-driven products, and excellent collaboration capabilities. The portfolio presentation is key to showcasing these attributes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.lever.co.

• Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume to highlight your 8+ years of experience in digital product design, specifically mentioning B2B SaaS, enterprise tools, and any experience with data-rich applications or complex domains. Use keywords from the job description such as "Product Design," "Figma," "User Experience," "Data Visualization," and "Commodities."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most relevant case studies that showcase your design process for complex, data-intensive products. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates the problem, your role, your process, your design solutions, and the impact of your work. Explicitly mention your interest in commodities, finance, or trading.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on explaining your design decisions, user research, and collaborative efforts. Be ready to discuss your experience with Figma and your thoughts on integrating AI into design.

• Research Kpler: Familiarize yourself with Kpler's products, mission, and company values. Understand the commodities market at a high level to demonstrate genuine interest and preparedness for domain-specific 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.