Principal Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Product Designer

Company: Lunar

Location: Aarhus, DK; Copenhagen, DK; Stockholm, SE

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / User Experience

Date Posted: 2026-06-02T12:59:53

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive design strategy and execution across product squads, from initial problem definition to final product delivery, integrating craft, strategy, and technology.

• Spearhead solutions for complex design challenges, ensuring user-centricity and reframing product briefs when necessary.

• Leverage AI tools for rapid prototyping and exploration, accelerating the design-to-solution lifecycle.

• Foster elevated design thinking and collaboration across the product design team through setting high standards and impactful partnerships.

• Partner with senior stakeholders in Product, Engineering, and Leadership to align design decisions with overarching business objectives and measurable outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Principal Product Designer, indicating a senior individual contributor role focused on strategic influence and design leadership rather than direct people management. The emphasis on AI tools and a hybrid work model with specific office days suggests a modern, forward-thinking design environment within a rapidly growing fintech company.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead design initiatives across multiple product squads, ensuring a cohesive and high-quality user experience from concept to launch.

• Champion a user-centric approach to product development, challenging assumptions and advocating for user needs in strategic product discussions.

• Develop and present design concepts, prototypes, and user flows, utilizing a range of design tools and methodologies, including AI-powered solutions.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineering leads to translate business requirements into intuitive and effective design solutions.

• Actively contribute to the product design team's growth by mentoring junior designers, sharing best practices, and driving design quality standards.

• Define and articulate design principles and guidelines that ensure consistency and excellence across Lunar's digital products.

• Conduct and analyze user research, usability testing, and A/B testing to inform design decisions and measure product impact.

• Contribute to the strategic roadmap of the product by identifying user pain points and proposing innovative design solutions.

• Ensure design solutions adhere to platform conventions (iOS and Android) and best practices for mobile-first experiences.

• Drive cross-functional alignment on design decisions, effectively communicating rationale and impact to diverse stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking, hands-on design execution, and team influence. The expectation to "lead the thinking on our hardest design problems" and "raise the quality of design thinking across the team" underscores the senior, impactful nature of this Principal role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional design thinking and execution is paramount. Advanced degrees in Design, HCI, or related fields may be beneficial.

Experience: 8+ years of comprehensive product design experience, encompassing the full product lifecycle from 0-to-1 product development to scaling established products.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience in visual design, interaction design, UX design, and user research methodologies.

• Proven ability to lead design strategy and shape product direction for complex digital products.

• Deep understanding of iOS and Android design conventions and mobile-first design principles.

• Proficiency in leveraging AI tools for design, prototyping, and exploration.

• Strong strategic thinking and the ability to engage credibly in high-stakes discussions with leadership.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and impact.

• Experience in problem framing and reframing product briefs to ensure user-centricity.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the fintech industry or a fast-paced startup environment.

• Familiarity with design systems and their implementation.

• Experience with modern design workflows and collaboration tools.

• A proactive approach to identifying and solving design challenges.

• Ability to mentor and guide other designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 8+ years of experience and the "Principal" title suggest a candidate who is not only skilled but also possesses strategic vision and leadership potential within the design domain. The emphasis on AI tools indicates a need for a forward-thinking designer comfortable with emerging technologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Focus on two recent, impactful projects that showcase your design process, strategic thinking, and problem-solving abilities.

• For each project, clearly articulate the specific challenge addressed, your unique approach and methodology, and the tangible outcomes achieved for users and/or the business.

• Demonstrate a deep understanding of the user, the business goals, and how your design decisions directly contributed to success.

• Showcase a blend of skills across visual design, interaction design, UX strategy, and research.

• Explicitly detail how AI tools were integrated into your workflow for design, prototyping, or exploration.

Process Documentation:

• Provide clear documentation of your design process, illustrating how you move from problem definition to a shipped product.

• Detail your approach to user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and iteration.

• Demonstrate how you incorporate feedback from stakeholders and users into your design iterations.

• Show evidence of how you connect design decisions to measurable business outcomes and KPIs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application instructions specifically request a focused portfolio with detailed project case studies, emphasizing the process and impact. The explicit mention of "No Figma link, no review" and the instruction to "Use AI for the cover letter" suggest a company that values innovative approaches and efficient communication.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

As a Principal Product Designer with 8+ years of experience in a senior role within the fintech sector in Denmark or Sweden, the estimated annual salary range is approximately DKK 600,000 - 900,000 in Denmark, or SEK 650,000 - 950,000 in Sweden. This range is based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in major Nordic cities, considering the company's growth, the role's strategic impact, and the cost of living in Aarhus, Copenhagen, and Stockholm.

Benefits:

• 4 Days in Office: A structured hybrid model fostering collaboration and team cohesion.

• State-of-the-Art Equipment: Provided with the latest computer, monitor, mouse, and keyboard to optimize productivity.

• Pension Plan: Comprehensive retirement savings support.

• Health Insurance: Coverage for medical needs.

• Enhanced Parental Leave: Generous provisions for new parents, supporting work-life balance.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with a hybrid work arrangement requiring 4 days in the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on publicly available data for senior product designer roles in Denmark and Sweden from reputable salary aggregators and industry reports. The conversion and adjustment consider the specific locations (Aarhus, Copenhagen, Stockholm) and the premium associated with a "Principal" level role in a growing fintech company.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech / Challenger Banking. Lunar operates in the rapidly evolving financial technology sector, aiming to disrupt traditional banking with innovative, AI-driven solutions. This context implies a fast-paced, agile, and technology-forward environment.

Company Size: Lunar is a licensed bank founded in 2015, with offices in Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Stockholm. While not explicitly stated, its operational scope suggests a mid-to-large-sized startup or scale-up, likely employing several hundred to over a thousand individuals.

Founded: 2015. This indicates a company with established roots but still in a growth phase, building on its initial foundation to expand its product offerings and market reach.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is central to Lunar's product development, working alongside Product Management and Engineering.

• This role is an individual contributor position, expected to influence and elevate design thinking across squads rather than manage direct reports.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Decisions are informed by user research, analytics, and measurable outcomes.

• Agile Development: The company likely operates with agile methodologies, enabling rapid iteration and deployment.

• AI Integration: AI is a core component of Lunar's strategy, influencing product development and design processes.

• User-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding and solving user problems is fundamental.

Company Website: https://jobs.lunar.app

📝 Enhancement Note: The company description highlights a mission-driven culture focused on innovation, simplicity, and user empowerment in financial services. The "challenger bank" identity suggests a culture that embraces disruption and rapid evolution, which will be attractive to candidates seeking impactful roles in dynamic environments.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Principal Product Designer. This signifies a senior individual contributor role that is instrumental in setting design direction, solving complex problems, and influencing the broader product strategy. It sits at the highest level of individual contributor design expertise before potentially moving into management or specialized principal/fellow roles.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, this role likely reports to a Head of Product Design, Design Director, or a senior Product Lead. The emphasis is on cross-squad influence and collaboration with senior leadership, rather than direct line management.

Operations Impact: The Principal Product Designer is expected to have a significant impact on Lunar's success by shaping the user experience of its core financial products, driving user adoption and retention, and contributing to strategic business goals through design excellence and innovation.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunity to influence and elevate the design practice and culture across the entire organization.

• Strategic Influence: Play a key role in shaping the product roadmap and long-term vision for Lunar's financial services.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design, mobile UX, and complex financial product design.

• Cross-Functional Impact: Gain broad exposure to business strategy, engineering challenges, and market dynamics within the fintech sector.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor and guide junior and mid-level designers, contributing to their professional development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Principal" title implies a career path focused on deep expertise and strategic impact, rather than solely linear progression into management. Growth will likely involve increasing scope of influence, tackling more complex and ambiguous problems, and contributing to the strategic direction of the company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, with a requirement of 4 days in the office per week. This suggests a preference for in-person collaboration and team building while offering some flexibility.

Office Location(s): Offices are located in Aarhus (Hack Kampmanns Pl. 10, 8000), Copenhagen (Bredgade 43, 1260), Denmark, and Stockholm (Malmskillnadsgatan 44a, 111 57), Sweden. Candidates applying for these locations will be expected to adhere to the hybrid schedule.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The 4-day in-office policy is designed to foster strong team dynamics, spontaneous ideation, and effective collaboration.

• Modern Tools & Technology: Candidates will have access to state-of-the-art equipment, including the latest computers, monitors, and peripherals, to support their work.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: The workspace facilitates regular interaction with Product Managers, Engineers, and other design team members, promoting a holistic approach to product development.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with an estimated 40 hours per week, including the 4 mandated office days. This schedule balances focused work with collaborative opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with specific office days indicates a company that values both focused individual work and the synergy of in-person collaboration, a common trend in modern design and tech environments.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application & Portfolio Submission: Initial review will focus on the resume and the specifically requested portfolio content, emphasizing case studies with clear challenges, approaches, and outcomes.

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter or hiring manager to assess overall fit, experience alignment, and understanding of the role.

• Design Challenge/Case Study Presentation: Candidates will likely be asked to present their portfolio projects in detail, discussing their design process, decision-making, and impact. This may involve a live presentation or a pre-recorded walkthrough.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with senior designers, product managers, engineering leads, and potentially leadership to assess design thinking, strategic capabilities, collaboration skills, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: A concluding discussion, potentially with a senior leader, to confirm alignment and address any final questions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storytelling: Frame each project as a narrative – introduce the problem, detail your journey (your role, process, decisions), and clearly state the resolution and its impact.

• Focus on Process & Rationale: Don't just show final screens. Explain why you made certain decisions, referencing user research, data, or strategic goals.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics (e.g., conversion rates, user satisfaction scores, task completion times, business revenue impact) to demonstrate the value of your design work.

• AI Integration: Explicitly call out how and why you used AI tools in your workflow, highlighting any efficiency gains or novel approaches.

• Conciseness: Stick to the requested two projects. Ensure each is well-articulated and directly addresses the prompt. Avoid generic statements; be specific.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Lunar's Business: Research Lunar's products, target audience, and competitive landscape to frame your design thinking within their business context.

• Articulate Design Principles: Be ready to discuss your core design principles and how they guide your work, especially concerning mobile UX and AI integration.

• Prepare for "Why": For every decision and tool used, be ready to explain the "why" – what problem it solved, what benefit it provided.

• Collaboration Scenarios: Think about how you would collaborate with product and engineering teams, and how you would handle disagreements or conflicting priorities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process emphasizes practical demonstration of skills through a portfolio and case studies, with specific instructions on AI usage and portfolio content. This suggests a pragmatic and results-oriented hiring approach.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (though not explicitly stated as required, it's a standard; however, the prompt says "No Figma link, no review," implying they may use other tools or prefer process documentation over direct links), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• AI Design Tools: Candidates are expected to be proficient in and actively using AI tools for design, prototyping, and exploration. Specific tools may vary but could include generative AI platforms for ideation, asset creation, or rapid prototyping.

• Prototyping Tools: InVision, ProtoPie, Principle, or similar for creating interactive prototypes.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics for tracking user behavior and product performance.

• User Feedback Platforms: Tools for collecting and analyzing user feedback, such as UserTesting.com, Hotjar, or survey tools.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a designer's primary tool, familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms can provide context for user journeys and data flow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific mention of AI tools is critical. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with AI in design workflows, including specific platforms or techniques they employ. While Figma is a common tool, the application instruction suggests focusing on the process and outcomes rather than just linking a Figma file.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation: A drive to push boundaries and explore new technologies, especially AI, to redefine financial services.

• Simplicity: A commitment to making complex financial matters easy to understand and manage for users.

• User-Centricity: A deep focus on understanding and solving user problems, ensuring products are intuitive and valuable.

• Speed & Agility: The ability to move quickly, iterate rapidly, and adapt to market changes in the fast-paced fintech environment.

• Ownership: Taking responsibility for outcomes and driving initiatives to completion.

• Collaboration: Working effectively across teams to achieve shared goals.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Design is deeply integrated with Product and Engineering, fostering a collaborative environment where ideas are shared and debated openly.

• Data-Informed: Decisions are supported by data and user insights, but also by strong design intuition and strategic thinking.

• Constructive Feedback: An environment where feedback is given and received constructively to improve products and processes.

• Experimentation: A willingness to try new approaches, tools (like AI), and methodologies to find the most effective solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes innovation, user focus, and speed, which are typical of successful fintech startups. The Principal Product Designer is expected to embody and champion these values through their work and interactions.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Innovation with Stability: Integrating cutting-edge AI technologies while maintaining the reliability and security expected of a financial institution.

• Navigating Ambiguity: Operating in a fast-paced, evolving fintech landscape requires adaptability and the ability to define solutions for complex, often ill-defined problems.

• Scaling Design Practices: As Lunar grows, ensuring design quality and consistency across an expanding product suite and team.

• Driving AI Adoption: Effectively integrating and advocating for AI-driven design processes within a team that may have varying levels of familiarity or comfort with these new tools.

• Cross-Cultural Design: Designing for a diverse Nordic user base with potentially nuanced cultural preferences.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design: Leading the charge in exploring and implementing advanced AI tools and workflows for product design.

• Fintech UX Expertise: Deepening knowledge in designing for complex financial services, regulatory environments, and user trust.

• Strategic Product Development: Gaining exposure to high-level product strategy and business decision-making.

• Design Leadership: Developing skills in influencing design direction and mentoring other designers without formal management responsibilities.

• Industry Conferences & Workshops: Opportunities to attend relevant events and training to stay abreast of design trends and technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a growing fintech company leveraging new technologies. The growth opportunities are geared towards deepening expertise in specialized areas and expanding strategic influence.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the design direction for a complex product or feature from conception to launch. What was your process, and what was the outcome?"

• "How would you approach reframing a product brief that you felt didn't adequately address user needs or business goals?"

• "Walk us through how you've used AI tools in your design process. What specific problems did they help solve, and what were the benefits?"

• "How do you ensure your design decisions align with overarching business objectives and measurable outcomes, especially in a fintech context?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about Lunar's mission and its approach to financial services?"

• "How do you see your role as a Principal Product Designer contributing to Lunar's culture and design maturity?"

• "Describe a situation where you had to collaborate with engineering or product teams who had different priorities. How did you navigate that?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, start with the context (company, problem), your specific role and contributions, the process you followed (research, ideation, prototyping, testing), key decisions and rationale, and finally, the results and impact (quantified where possible).

• Highlight AI Integration: Clearly mark and explain where and how AI tools were used, the value they added, and any challenges encountered.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, trade-offs made, user research methodologies, and how you measured success.

• Showcase Strategic Thinking: Emphasize how your design work contributed to business goals, not just aesthetic appeal.

• Conciseness and Precision: Stick to the core story of each project. Avoid overwhelming the audience with too much detail, but be prepared to elaborate on any aspect.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, hands-on design expertise, a strong understanding of user needs, and proficiency with modern tools, particularly AI. The emphasis on portfolio case studies means thorough preparation of these examples is crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Product Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Navigate to the Lunar jobs portal and submit your application through the provided link.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select two recent, impactful projects that best showcase your design process, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills. For each, clearly articulate the challenge, your approach (detailing AI tool usage), and the resulting impact (for users and business). Ensure it's precise and convincing.

• Craft Your Cover Letter (with AI): Utilize AI tools to help draft your cover letter, reflecting the company's innovative approach. Focus on why you are a strong fit for Lunar and this specific Principal role.

• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight your 8+ years of experience, specific skills in visual, interaction, UX, and research, and any experience with AI tools, mobile conventions, and fintech. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare for a Portfolio Presentation: Be ready to walk through your selected projects during the interview process, clearly explaining your design rationale, the impact of your work, and your collaborative approach.

⚠️ 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.