Product Designer Interoperability – Remote-First

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer Interoperability – Remote-First

Company: Epi Company

Location: Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France; Berlin, Germany; Madrid, Spain

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX) Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-19T12:14:15

Experience Level: 5-10 years (Mid to Senior Level)

Remote Status: Fully Remote (Remote-First)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the design and delivery of world-class, interoperable payment experiences for a pan-European digital wallet (Wero).

• Translate complex, multi-party requirements from banks, merchants, PSPs, and partner schemes into intuitive and human-centered payment journeys.

• Act as a key design reference for the Interoperability domain, influencing experience principles across the organization.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including Product, Engineering, Architecture, Research, Content Design, Risk, Compliance, and Operations in a remote-first setting.

• Drive design continuity from discovery and prototyping through to pilot, integration, and rollout across multiple markets and use cases.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is situated within the rapidly evolving fintech sector, specifically focusing on payment interoperability. The "remote-first" aspect is a core cultural element, supported by regular in-person meetups. The emphasis on "interoperability" suggests a need for deep understanding of complex systems, multiple stakeholders, and regulatory environments.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conceive, design, and deliver implementable user interface flows for world-class interoperable payment experiences for consumers, merchants, and partners.

• Present and defend product design recommendations and Wero experience principles to senior stakeholders across EPI, member banks, PSPs, acquirers, merchants, and partner payment schemes.

• Serve as a design reference for Interoperability experiences, collaborating closely with UX, Product, Engineering, Architecture, Risk, Compliance, and Operations partners to ensure solutions are fast, reliable, dynamic, and empowering.

• Translate complex interoperability challenges into clear, usable interfaces, addressing areas such as routing, aliases, directories, payment statuses, settlement, reconciliation, refunds, disputes, fraud, compliance, scheme rules, and fallback states.

• Nurture mutually respectful and collaborative relationships with EPI colleagues and extended partner teams.

• Contribute to inclusive and accessible design practices (AA standard) across all solutions.

• Drive the design process from initial concept and prototyping through to specification, pilot, testing, integration within Wero, and market rollout.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a significant need for system thinking and the ability to manage complex, interconnected requirements. The role demands not only strong UI/UX craft but also the ability to influence and communicate effectively with a diverse range of technical and non-technical stakeholders, including external partners.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is often expected for this level of role. Continuous learning and a strong portfolio are paramount.

Experience: 6+ years of experience as a Product Designer in a product-led environment, with a proven track record of shaping complex digital products from concept to launch.

Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in Figma for UI design and prototyping.

• Strong background in end-to-end product design, including user research, wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity UI design.

• Demonstrated ability to translate abstract, regulatory, operational, and multi-party payment requirements into intuitive, user-centered solutions.

• Experience designing for complex payment ecosystems involving multiple stakeholders (consumers, merchants, PSPs, banks, schemes, risk, compliance, operations).

• Qualitative and quantitative research capabilities, with the ability to use insights and data to inform design decisions.

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain design decisions to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Stakeholder management skills, including experience working with senior leaders and external partners.

• Highly collaborative mindset and ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams.

• Ability to maintain clear, well-structured design artifacts and documentation.

• Commitment to inclusive and accessible design practices (AA standard).

• Fluent in English (CEFR C1 or C2). Preferred Skills:

• Experience in payment orchestration, local payment methods, account-to-account payments, wallets, acquiring, financial services, or fintech environments.

• Experience building to AA standard.

• Experience working in distributed or multi-market teams.

• Proficiency in other European languages such as French, German, Dutch.

• Experience working with systems thinking methodologies.

• Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of strong design craft, systems thinking, and stakeholder management within a regulated industry. The preference for fintech/payments experience and multilingualism suggests a desire for candidates who can quickly integrate and contribute to the specific domain.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product design projects, demonstrating your process from problem definition to final solution.

• Highlight at least one complex, multi-party system or regulated environment design challenge, detailing the complexities and your approach.

• Include examples of how you translated ambiguous or technical requirements into clear, user-centered designs.

• Demonstrate advanced Figma proficiency through prototypes, complex component systems, or design system contributions.

• Showcase your ability to iterate on designs based on user research, data, or stakeholder feedback.

• Clearly articulate your role and contributions within team projects. Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of how you document design decisions, user flows, and interaction specifications for engineering teams.

• Include case studies that illustrate your approach to user research, usability testing, and incorporating feedback into the design process.

• Showcase your ability to contribute to or maintain design systems and ensure design consistency across a product ecosystem.

• Detail how you have ensured accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG AA) are met in your designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on interoperability and complex systems, the portfolio should strongly emphasize the candidate's ability to handle ambiguity, manage multiple constraints (regulatory, technical, business), and effectively communicate intricate solutions. Projects demonstrating collaboration with diverse teams and stakeholders will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the experience level (6+ years), the remote-first nature across multiple European countries, and the specialized fintech/payments domain, a competitive salary range is expected. For a Senior Product Designer in major European tech hubs like Brussels, Paris, Berlin, or Madrid, a typical range could be €70,000 - €100,000 per year, potentially higher for exceptional candidates or specific locations with higher cost of living.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package, including salary and performance-based bonus.

• Thoughtfully designed, high-quality benefits program (specifics not detailed but typically include health, retirement, etc.).

• Generous Learning & Development budget: €5,000 training budget per year for professional development, conferences, certifications, etc.

• Remote-first culture with quarterly and annual all-staff in-person meetups to foster connection and collaboration.

• Opportunity to work from another EU country for up to 3 months per year.

• Multicultural European company environment.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility inherent in a remote-first culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on typical Senior Product Designer roles in major Western European cities, adjusted for the remote-first policy and the specialized fintech industry. The benefits package emphasizes professional growth and work-life balance, aligning with the remote-first culture and employee development focus.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Technology (Fintech), specifically focusing on payment systems and digital wallets. EPI is building a new European payment infrastructure.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of "17 major banks and the two largest European acquirers," and a "wider Design organisation of around 14 people," suggests a growing, significant organization with substantial backing. Likely a scale-up or established enterprise in the fintech space.

Founded: The European Payments Initiative (EPI) was launched with the goal of creating a unified European payment solution. The company itself, as EPI, is relatively new, focused on building out its Wero product.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will be part of the Interoperability domain's cross-functional product team.

• They will report into the Head of Experience Design.

• Within the Interoperability domain, they will work alongside Product Managers, Engineers, Architects, Risk, Compliance, and Operations specialists.

• They will also be part of a larger Design organization (approx. 14 people) which includes Product Design, Research, Content Design, and Design Operations.

• Research, Content Design, and Operations functions work transversally across teams. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Utilizing qualitative and quantitative research to inform design decisions.

• User-Centered Design: Focusing on creating intuitive, reliable, and empowering experiences for consumers, merchants, and partners.

• Systems Thinking: Designing within a complex, multi-party ecosystem with interconnected components and regulatory constraints.

• Agile/Iterative Development: Working through phases from discovery and prototyping to pilot, integration, and rollout, implying iterative refinement.

• Remote Collaboration: Leveraging digital tools (Figma, Slack, Miro, Confluence, Jira) for effective remote teamwork.

Company Website: https://careers.epicompany.eu

📝 Enhancement Note: EPI is positioned as a significant player aiming to revolutionize European payments. The culture appears to be collaborative, fast-paced, and focused on innovation within a regulated sector. The remote-first approach is central to their operational model.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Design Lead for Interoperability, indicating a senior individual contributor role with significant influence. It's a mid-to-senior level position (5-10 years experience) where the designer is expected to take ownership and lead design efforts within their domain.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to the Head of Experience Design but is embedded within the Interoperability domain's cross-functional product team. This matrix structure allows for both domain-specific focus and broader organizational integration.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work will have a direct and substantial impact on the user experience of Wero, the digital wallet of EPI. By designing seamless, secure, and intuitive payment journeys, they will shape how millions of Europeans pay and get paid, directly influencing customer adoption, trust, and the overall success of EPI's mission to change European payments. Their designs will also impact the operational efficiency and compliance adherence of the payment ecosystem.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a more senior design leadership role within EPI, managing larger domains or leading the entire design function as the company scales.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in payment interoperability, fintech design, and complex systems design.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Develop stronger strategic influence across Product, Engineering, and Business teams.

• Learning & Development: Utilize the €5,000 annual training budget for specialized courses, conferences, or certifications in areas like payment systems, advanced UX research, or design strategy.

• International Exposure: Gain experience working within a multicultural, pan-European organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a significant opportunity for a designer looking to make a substantial impact in a critical, high-growth sector. The combination of design leadership, deep domain specialization, and broad cross-functional influence provides a strong career development path.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Remote-first. While there are no permanent physical offices specified for daily work, the company organizes quarterly and annual all-staff in-person meetups to foster team cohesion and collaboration. This hybrid approach balances remote flexibility with in-person connection.

Office Location(s): The role allows remote work from Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain. Employees also have the flexibility to work from another EU country for up to 3 months per year.

Workspace Context:

• Remote-First Culture: Emphasizes autonomy, trust, and flexibility. Requires strong self-discipline and communication skills.

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the company actively promotes collaboration through digital tools and planned in-person gatherings.

• Tools & Technology: Access to a modern technology stack including Figma, Slack, Miro, Microsoft Suite, Confluence, and Jira, enabling seamless remote design and development workflows.

• Cross-functional Interaction: Frequent interaction with diverse teams (Product, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, Operations, PSPs, partner schemes) is integral to the role.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) are expected. The remote-first nature allows for flexibility in daily scheduling, provided core working hours and collaboration needs are met. Time zone alignment with colleagues in Brussels, Paris, Berlin, and Madrid will be important for effective collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first model is a defining characteristic, requiring candidates comfortable with asynchronous communication and proactive engagement. The travel for meetups is a key component for team building and strategic alignment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Recruiter Call (45 min): Initial screening to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and motivation for the role. Be prepared to discuss your interest in fintech and payment interoperability.

2. Portfolio Review + Job-Specific Skills Interview (60 min): This is a critical stage. You will present a curated selection of your portfolio, focusing on projects relevant to complex systems, regulated environments, or payment flows. Expect questions about your design process, how you handle ambiguity, your system thinking capabilities, and your Figma proficiency.

3. Culture Interview (60 min): Meet with the hiring manager (Head of Experience Design) and a cross-functional panel. This interview will assess your cultural alignment with EPI's values, your collaborative style, how you handle challenges, and your ability to work in a remote-first, multicultural environment.

4. Offer: If successful, a formal offer will be extended.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Wisely: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your ability to handle complex, multi-stakeholder, or regulated design challenges. Prioritize projects demonstrating systems thinking, translating abstract requirements, and delivering end-to-end solutions.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your role, the constraints, your design process, key decisions, challenges faced, and the outcome/impact. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Interoperability: If you have any experience with payment systems, APIs, or complex integrations, make sure to emphasize it.

• Showcase Figma Skills: Be ready to demonstrate specific Figma features or workflows that highlight your advanced capabilities.

• Address Collaboration: Explain how you worked with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders.

• Be Prepared for Ambiguity: Practice articulating how you approach design problems with incomplete information and how you drive clarity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Systems Thinking: Be ready to discuss how you approach understanding and designing for interconnected systems.

• Regulatory/Compliance: Prepare to talk about how you incorporate regulatory requirements into your designs.

• Stakeholder Management: Think about examples of how you managed differing stakeholder opinions or requirements.

• Remote Collaboration: Be ready to share how you ensure effective collaboration and communication in a remote setting.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to thoroughly assess design craft, domain understanding, and cultural fit. The portfolio review is a central component, requiring candidates to strategically present their experience in a way that directly addresses the unique demands of designing for payment interoperability.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Advanced proficiency is required.

• Slack: Primary communication platform for day-to-day team interactions and quick queries.

• Miro: Used for collaborative whiteboarding, brainstorming, user journey mapping, and ideation sessions.

• Microsoft Suite: Likely for documentation, presentations, and general office productivity.

• Confluence: For detailed documentation, knowledge base, and project specifications.

• Jira: For project management, task tracking, and workflow management, especially in relation to engineering.

Analytics & Reporting: While not explicitly listed for the designer, understanding how to interpret data from analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) and reporting dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) will be crucial for informing design decisions and measuring impact.

CRM & Automation: Not directly applicable to the designer's core toolset, but understanding how these systems interact with the user experience can be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is standard for modern, remote-first product design teams. Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable. Familiarity with collaboration and documentation tools is essential for effective remote teamwork. The emphasis is on tools that support design creation, collaboration, and project management.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• European Identity: A strong focus on building a proudly European payment system, emphasizing collaboration and shared values across the continent.

• User-Centricity: Commitment to creating intuitive, reliable, and human-centered experiences for millions of users.

• Security & Trust: Prioritizing data protection and security under European laws and regulations.

• Innovation & Transformation: Driving change in the European payments landscape.

• Collaboration: Fostering mutually respectful and collaborative relationships across internal teams and external partners.

• Inclusivity & Accessibility: Commitment to designing for all users, ensuring solutions are accessible (AA standard) and inclusive.

• Pragmatism & Speed: Balancing high-quality craft with the speed and pragmatism required in a real-world product environment.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Embedded within domain teams, working closely with Product, Engineering, Architecture, Risk, Compliance, and Operations.

• Remote-First Communication: Proactive, clear, and asynchronous communication is key, supplemented by planned synchronous meetings (virtual and in-person).

• Design as a Partner: Acting as a design lead and partner, influencing experience principles and aligning stakeholders.

• Open Feedback: Encouraging a culture where feedback is shared constructively to improve designs and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to a wider design community within EPI to share expertise and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes a mission-driven approach to transforming European payments, underpinned by strong European values, user focus, and collaboration. The remote-first aspect necessitates a culture of trust and proactive communication.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Interoperability: Designing for a multi-party ecosystem involving numerous stakeholders (banks, PSPs, merchants, schemes) with diverse technical capabilities and business needs.

• Regulatory Landscape: Navigating and adhering to complex financial regulations and compliance requirements across different European jurisdictions.

• Ambiguity: Working in a rapidly evolving product and market, often requiring design decisions with incomplete information and translating abstract requirements.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Reconciling potentially conflicting requirements and priorities from various internal and external partners.

• Scalability: Designing solutions that can scale effectively across multiple markets, use cases, and user bases.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Maintaining strong team cohesion, communication, and design quality in a fully remote environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Domain Expertise: Become a leading expert in payment interoperability and fintech design.

• Strategic Influence: Grow in your ability to influence product strategy and organizational design principles.

• Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Enhance skills in working effectively within a diverse, multicultural, pan-European team.

• Professional Development Budget: Utilize the €5,000 annual budget for courses, conferences (e.g., UX, Fintech, Payments), workshops, or certifications to expand technical and soft skills.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to learn from senior design leaders and product strategists within EPI.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant intellectual challenges inherent in a pioneering fintech initiative. Overcoming these challenges offers substantial opportunities for professional growth and skill development, particularly in complex system design and strategic influence.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a complex, multi-stakeholder ecosystem. What were the challenges, and how did you approach them?" (Focus on systems thinking, stakeholder management, and process)

• "How do you ensure your designs meet regulatory and compliance requirements while remaining user-friendly?" (Highlight your understanding of constraints and user-centered solutions)

• "Walk us through a project where you translated ambiguous business or technical requirements into clear, implementable design solutions. What was your process?" (Demonstrate your ability to drive clarity from ambiguity)

• "How do you approach designing for accessibility (e.g., WCAG AA) within a complex product?" (Showcase your commitment to inclusive design) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in EPI and the Wero project specifically?" (Research EPI's mission and the impact of Wero)

• "How do you thrive in a remote-first, multicultural environment?" (Share examples of your remote collaboration skills and cultural adaptability)

• "How do you handle constructive feedback on your designs, especially from non-designers?" (Emphasize your collaborative and open-minded approach)

• "Describe your experience working with product managers and engineers. How do you ensure alignment?" (Focus on communication and partnership) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with an overview of EPI and Wero, then present 2-3 key projects. For each project: Problem -> Your Role -> Constraints (technical, regulatory, business) -> Process (Research, Ideation, Design, Testing) -> Key Decisions & Rationale -> Outcome/Impact.

• Visuals: Use high-quality mockups, flow diagrams, and prototypes. Explain your design rationale clearly and concisely.

• Focus on Process: Emphasize how you arrived at your solutions, not just the final screens. Highlight your problem-solving approach.

• Quantify Impact: If possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion, reduced errors, improved user satisfaction).

• Engage: Be ready to answer in-depth questions about your work and engage in a collaborative discussion.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skills but also strategic thinking, system understanding, and strong communication within a complex, regulated, and remote environment. Highlighting experience with financial services or similar complex systems will be a significant advantage.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Epi Company careers page.

• Prepare a strong portfolio: Curate 2-3 projects that best showcase your experience with complex systems, regulated environments, and end-to-end product design. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates your process, decision-making, and impact.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight your 6+ years of product design experience, proficiency in Figma, experience with complex/regulated environments, and strong communication/stakeholder management skills. Use keywords from the job description.

• Research EPI: Understand the company's mission, the Wero product, and the importance of payment interoperability in Europe. Prepare to articulate why you are passionate about this specific opportunity.

• Practice your presentation: Rehearse walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and highlighting your problem-solving approach and collaborative skills. Be ready to discuss your experience in a remote-first setting.

⚠️ 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.