Product / UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product / UI Designer

Company: Fintel

Location: London, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME, TEMPORARY

Category: Product Design / UI/UX Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-18T13:40:28

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the creation and implementation of a unified, scalable design system across a multi-brand platform, encompassing both marketing websites and product interfaces.

• Spearhead the design of user experiences for Defaqto Unity, a consolidated adviser platform, ensuring seamless transitions from marketing touchpoints to logged-in product environments.

• Translate complex business requirements and technical constraints into clear, usable, and modular design patterns, with a focus on component-based thinking and Atomic Design principles.

• Develop and document design tokens, component libraries, interaction patterns, and page templates structured for potential AI-driven assembly and maintenance.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a crucial contributor to a significant digital transformation initiative following multiple acquisitions. The emphasis on a unified design system, scalability across brands, and AI-ready outputs indicates a strategic and forward-thinking operational focus within the design function. The "Temporary" employment type suggests a project-based engagement, likely tied to the completion of this transformation.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Establish and evolve a comprehensive, scalable design system that governs Defaqto.com, Defaqto Unity, and associated sub-brand websites, ensuring brand consistency and user experience coherence.

• Design end-to-end user journeys, from initial marketing engagement through to complex adviser workflows (fact-finding, recommendation, submission, review) and consumer discovery paths.

• Define and document design tokens (color, typography, spacing, layout, iconography) and a robust component library (navigation, forms, data display, CTAs, states) to ensure consistency and efficiency.

• Develop clear, unambiguous interaction patterns for key workflows and user states, ensuring usability and adherence to established system guidelines.

• Create modular page templates and layout systems adaptable for both marketing content presentation and data-intensive product interfaces, with a strong emphasis on clarity and usability over visual embellishment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities highlight a deep dive into system design and architecture, moving beyond individual feature design. The need to define what "flexes" versus what "remains consistent" across brands is a key strategic challenge. The explicit mention of AI-driven assembly indicates a requirement for highly structured and predictable design outputs.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in UX, UI, Product Design, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 5-10 years of experience in UI/UX and Product Design, with a strong track record in designing and delivering scalable design systems, preferably in complex, post-acquisition environments.

Required Skills:

• Expert proficiency in UI design, interaction design, and component-based thinking, with a strong understanding of design system principles and scalable UI architecture.

• Proven experience designing for both marketing websites and software products, demonstrating an ability to bridge these often disparate environments.

• Strong documentation skills, with the ability to create structured, precise, and scalable outputs for design system components and guidelines.

• Collaborative approach, with demonstrated ability to work effectively across product, marketing, and technology teams to achieve shared objectives.

• Familiarity with multi-brand environments and complex digital ecosystems, understanding the nuances of maintaining consistency while allowing for brand differentiation. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in B2B, SaaS, or platform-based product design environments is highly desirable.

• Awareness of emerging AI design considerations and how to structure design outputs for potential AI integration.

• Experience contributing to or leading large-scale digital transformation projects, particularly those involving consolidation or integration of acquired entities.

• Familiarity with Atomic Design methodologies and their practical application in building robust design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-10 Years" experience level suggests a need for a senior-level individual capable of independent work and strategic decision-making. The emphasis on documentation and structured outputs points to a need for a pragmatic, detail-oriented designer who can operationalize design principles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a portfolio showcasing the end-to-end process of designing and implementing scalable design systems, including examples of design tokens, component libraries, and usage guidelines.

• Include case studies that highlight experience in transforming complex, multi-brand digital ecosystems or post-acquisition environments into unified user experiences.

• Present examples of designing for both marketing-facing websites and complex software products, illustrating how user journeys were unified across these platforms.

• Showcase projects with a clear focus on scalability, efficiency, and structured design outputs that could support automation or AI-driven processes. Process Documentation:

• Provide evidence of structured documentation for design systems, including style guides, component specifications, and interaction pattern definitions.

• Illustrate how design processes were adapted or implemented to manage complexity in multi-brand or consolidated digital environments.

• Detail methodologies used for translating user needs and business requirements into scalable and maintainable design components and workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on design systems and transformation, the portfolio is critical. It needs to demonstrate not just aesthetic skill but a deep understanding of system architecture, documentation rigor, and the ability to manage complexity at scale. The AI component suggests a need to showcase how designs are structured for machine interpretation.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the "Fixed Term - Full Time" nature, the contract rate for a senior Product/UI Designer with 5-10 years of experience in London, UK, can range significantly. Based on industry benchmarks for similar roles and locations, a competitive rate would likely fall between £350 - £600 per day (or an equivalent pro-rata annual salary of £72,800 - £124,800), depending on the specific skills, experience, and the duration of the fixed term.

Benefits:

• As a fixed-term contract role, benefits may differ from permanent positions. Typically, this could include:

• Competitive daily rate or pro-rata salary.

• Potential for paid time off accrued based on days worked.

• Access to company collaboration tools and resources.

• Opportunity to contribute to a significant digital transformation project with high visibility.

• Potential for extension or future opportunities based on performance and project needs.

Working Hours: The role is specified as Full-Time, typically implying around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered for UK remote or hybrid work. Adherence to core working hours for team collaboration will be expected, with specific details to be discussed.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on typical contract rates for senior UX/UI/Product Designers in London, considering the "Fixed Term - Full Time" employment type. The range reflects variations in experience, portfolio strength, and the urgency/scope of the project. Benefits for contract roles are often less comprehensive than for permanent positions, with compensation primarily reflected in the daily/annual rate.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services Technology, specifically focusing on adviser technology and insights. Fintel operates within a complex regulatory and data-intensive sector, requiring precision and reliability in its digital offerings.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of "multiple acquisitions" and a "multi-brand platform" suggests a growing organization that has scaled through M&A, likely falling into the mid-to-large enterprise category (e.g., 250-1000+ employees). This implies a structured, professional environment with established processes, but also the potential for agility and rapid change, especially during transformation phases.

Founded: Fintel was founded in 2000 (Defaqto was acquired by Fintel in 2017, and Fintel itself has a history tracing back to 2000). This long history within the financial services sector indicates a company with deep market knowledge and established client relationships, now undergoing strategic modernization.

Team Structure:

• The role reports to the Head of Marketing & Planning, suggesting a strong connection between product design, marketing strategy, and overarching business objectives.

• The design team likely operates within a matrixed structure, collaborating closely with Product Management, Engineering (Frontend Development), and Marketing stakeholders to deliver cohesive digital experiences.

• Expect cross-functional alignment meetings, design reviews, and collaborative workshops to ensure the design system is adopted and implemented effectively across different product and marketing initiatives. Methodology:

• Data-driven design: Emphasis on clarity, usability, and a "single source of truth" for data implies a focus on evidence-based design decisions.

• Component-based development: The preference for Atomic Design and a component library points to a structured, modular approach to building digital products and experiences.

• Agile/Iterative development: Given the transformation context, it's likely the teams operate under an agile framework, allowing for iterative design and development cycles.

• AI Integration: A forward-looking approach to incorporating AI into design assembly and maintenance will be a key operational methodology.

Company Website: https://wearefintel.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Fintel's position in the financial services technology market is key. The "Marketing & Planning" reporting line for a Product/UI Designer is somewhat unusual and suggests this role might bridge the gap between customer-facing marketing platforms and the core product experience, with a strong emphasis on unified branding and user journey orchestration.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product/UI Designer role, specifically focused on a strategic project. The individual is expected to be a subject matter expert in design systems, UI/UX architecture, and component-based design. They will be responsible for defining foundational elements that will impact multiple products and brands long-term.

Reporting Structure: Reporting to the Head of Marketing & Planning places this role at a strategic interface. While the Head of Marketing & Planning oversees the broader marketing and strategic direction, the designer will be expected to lead the design system's development and implementation, collaborating closely with product and engineering leads.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is significant: it aims to unify disparate digital experiences, reduce complexity, improve user efficiency, and lay the groundwork for future AI-driven capabilities. This directly influences customer acquisition (marketing sites) and customer retention/satisfaction (product platform), thereby impacting revenue and operational efficiency through a more scalable and maintainable digital infrastructure.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in design systems, atomic design, and AI-driven design methodologies. Gain experience in large-scale digital transformation projects and multi-brand strategy.

• Leadership Potential: Opportunity to establish the foundational design infrastructure for Fintel's future digital presence, potentially leading to future design leadership roles in system architecture or platform design.

• Project Impact: Contribute to a high-profile project that will redefine Fintel's digital footprint, offering tangible achievements for future career progression and a strong portfolio addition.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Fixed Term" nature of the role means direct career progression within Fintel might be limited to contract extensions or future opportunities. However, the experience gained in this strategic, transformation-focused role is highly valuable for advancing a career in design systems, product design leadership, or digital transformation.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role offers flexibility with UK remote or hybrid options. While not essential, the company ideally wants the designer to be able to work onsite in their London office "from time to time" for crucial collaboration and stakeholder engagement. This indicates a hybrid work model is the preferred long-term state, with remote work being a strong possibility for the contract duration.

Office Location(s): The primary office location mentioned is London, specifically "Farringdon." This implies access to a central London workspace for any required in-person collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect a dynamic environment that requires close collaboration with marketing, product management, and engineering teams. The London office would likely offer shared workspaces, meeting rooms, and informal collaboration zones.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools and collaboration platforms will be provided. The focus on a design system implies robust digital asset management and version control systems will be in place.

• Team Interaction: While remote work is supported, opportunities for face-to-face interaction in London are valued for building relationships and fostering a cohesive team spirit. Virtual collaboration tools will be essential for day-to-day operations.

Work Schedule: Full-time (approx. 40 hours/week). Flexibility is offered for remote work, but core hours for team meetings and collaborative sessions will need to be adhered to. The pace is described as "working at pace in a short-term, impact-driven contract."

📝 Enhancement Note: The "from time to time" clause for London office visits suggests a pragmatic approach to hybrid work for this contract. Candidates should be comfortable with a mix of remote autonomy and occasional in-person collaboration, prioritizing effective communication regardless of location.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of CV and portfolio to assess suitability for the senior design system role and experience with transformation projects.

• Portfolio Deep Dive: An in-depth session with a hiring manager or design lead to review specific case studies, focusing on design system development, multi-brand challenges, and the process behind structured documentation.

• Skills Assessment/Workshop: A practical exercise or workshop focusing on translating complex requirements into design system components or addressing a specific UI challenge, potentially involving collaboration with other team members.

• Stakeholder Interview: Meeting with key stakeholders (e.g., Head of Marketing & Planning, Product Leads) to assess cultural fit, communication style, and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Systemic Thinking: Showcase projects where you’ve built or significantly contributed to design systems. Emphasize the 'why' behind your decisions, the constraints you worked within, and the resulting scalability and efficiency.

• Demonstrate Multi-Brand Experience: If possible, include examples of how you've managed design consistency and flexibility across different brands or product lines.

• Showcase Documentation: Include examples of how you document design tokens, components, and interaction patterns. Clarity, precision, and completeness are key.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics or qualitative feedback to demonstrate the impact of your design system work (e.g., reduced development time, improved consistency, enhanced user satisfaction).

• Address AI Readiness: If you have examples of designing for modularity or structured outputs that could aid automation, highlight these specifically.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design System Audit: Be prepared to analyze an existing system (or a hypothetical one) and suggest improvements for scalability, documentation, or AI integration.

• Component Design: Expect to design a new component or pattern based on a given requirement, focusing on its reusability and adherence to system principles.

• Journey Mapping/Wireframing: Be ready to map out or wireframe a user journey, specifically considering how it would translate into the proposed design system and its components.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize the candidate's ability to think systematically and document their work rigorously. The portfolio is not just a showcase of visual design but a demonstration of strategic thinking, process, and the ability to build for scale and future technologies like AI.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable given industry standards for design systems), Sketch, Adobe XD. Proficiency in one or more is essential.

• Design System Management: Tools like Zeroheight, Storybook (for documentation and developer handoff), or similar platforms used for managing design system assets and guidelines.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello. Familiarity with how design integrates into agile development workflows.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to understand user behavior on marketing sites.

• Understanding of product analytics tools (e.g., Pendo, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to inform product design decisions. CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how marketing websites integrate with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) for lead generation and user tracking is beneficial.

• Awareness of CMS platforms (e.g., Contentful, Sitecore, headless CMS) for marketing website ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is almost a de facto standard for design system work. The emphasis on structured documentation and developer handoff means familiarity with tools like Zeroheight or Storybook is highly advantageous. The ability to integrate design processes with agile development tools like Jira is critical.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Clarity & Usability: A core value will be prioritizing clear, intuitive design that makes complex financial information accessible and actionable for users.

• Scalability & Efficiency: The design system must be built for longevity and growth, emphasizing modularity and reusability to drive efficiency across development and marketing efforts.

• Collaboration & Integration: A strong emphasis on working together across departments (Product, Marketing, Engineering) to ensure a cohesive and unified digital experience.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Leveraging user data and analytics to inform design choices and measure the impact of design system implementation.

• Future-Forward Thinking: Embracing new technologies and methodologies, such as AI integration, to build a robust and adaptable digital future.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Expect a highly collaborative environment where designers work hand-in-hand with product managers, developers, and marketing strategists. Regular sync-ups and joint problem-solving sessions will be common.

• Constructive Feedback Culture: A willingness to give and receive candid feedback on designs and system components to ensure continuous improvement and adherence to best practices.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, design patterns, and insights across teams to foster a collective understanding and consistent application of the design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's transformation phase implies a culture that values adaptability, pragmatism, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. The emphasis on a "single source of truth" and "clarity over decoration" suggests a professional, results-oriented environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Unifying Disparate Systems: Integrating multiple acquired brands and platforms into a single, cohesive design system and user experience is a complex undertaking that requires strategic thinking and meticulous execution.

• Balancing Consistency with Brand Flexibility: Defining a design system that is robust enough for scalability while allowing individual brands to maintain their unique identities and value propositions.

• Designing for AI Integration: Ensuring design outputs are structured and granular enough to be interpreted and utilized by AI for content generation and page assembly presents a novel challenge.

• Pace and Project Scope: Working at "pace" in a "short-term, impact-driven contract" demands high productivity, efficient decision-making, and the ability to deliver significant results within a defined timeframe.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design System Mastery: Gain unparalleled experience in architecting and implementing a large-scale, multi-brand design system from the ground up.

• Digital Transformation Exposure: Be at the forefront of a significant digital transformation initiative, understanding the strategic and operational complexities involved.

• Emerging Technology Integration: Develop practical experience in designing for AI-driven automation and future digital experiences.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Hone skills in stakeholder management and influencing across diverse teams (product, marketing, engineering) in a corporate setting.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is ideal for a designer who thrives on complex challenges and is eager to build foundational elements for a company's digital future. The learning opportunities are substantial, particularly in the areas of design systems, digital transformation, and the practical application of AI in design.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach creating a unified design system for a company that has grown through multiple acquisitions, each with its own established digital presence?" (Focus on process, stakeholder management, and phased rollout.)

• "Describe your methodology for defining design tokens and component libraries that are both scalable and adaptable across different brands and user contexts." (Emphasize documentation, governance, and flexibility.)

• "Given the goal of AI-driven assembly, what specific considerations would you build into your design system to ensure components and layouts are easily interpretable by machines?" (Highlight structured data, clear naming conventions, and modularity.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you see your role contributing to Fintel's broader digital transformation goals?" (Connect your design system work to business objectives like efficiency, scalability, and user experience.)

• "Describe a time you had to align design vision with stakeholders who had differing priorities. How did you navigate that situation?" (Focus on communication, negotiation, and finding common ground.)

• "What is your understanding of Fintel's position in the financial services technology market, and how would you ensure the design system reflects that?" (Show research and an understanding of the industry context.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, the solutions you designed, and the measurable impact.

• Emphasize Systemic Design: When presenting design system work, walk through the architecture, the key components, the documentation process, and how it enables scalability and efficiency.

• Showcase Documentation Rigor: Dedicate time to showing examples of well-documented components, design tokens, and usage guidelines. Explain the value of this documentation.

• Discuss AI Considerations: If applicable, explain how your designs were structured to facilitate future automation or AI integration. Be ready to discuss hypothetical scenarios.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be looking for a strategic thinker with a deep understanding of design systems, excellent documentation skills, and the ability to apply these principles in a complex, evolving business environment. Be prepared to articulate your process and defend your design decisions with logic and evidence.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

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

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature design system projects, multi-brand experiences, and examples of structured documentation. Ensure your most relevant work is easily accessible and clearly explained.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to highlight experience in design systems, UI/UX architecture, B2B/SaaS design, and digital transformation initiatives. Use keywords from the job description naturally.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, especially how you build and maintain scalable systems. Prepare to discuss specific case studies from your portfolio and answer strategic questions about design system implementation and AI readiness.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Fintel, Defaqto, and their market position. Understand their current digital offerings and the strategic rationale behind their transformation. This will enable you to tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.

---