Senior Product Designer - App Experience

ZOE
Full-time

πŸ“ Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer - App Experience

Company: ZOE

Location: United Kingdom, Estonia, Germany, Netherlands

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-08-29

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

πŸš€ Role Summary

  • Design and own end-to-end user experiences for ZOE's native mobile applications (iOS and Android), focusing on improving gut health through personalized nutrition insights.

  • Translate complex scientific and behavioral concepts into intuitive, engaging, and motivating user interfaces and interactions.

  • Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Analysts to define problems, explore solutions, and iterate based on A/B testing and user feedback.

  • Drive product strategy and execution for key app features, moving comfortably between broad exploration of ambiguous problems and focused optimization of existing journeys.

  • Maintain a high bar for design craft, ensuring visual and interaction quality, and contribute to the evolution of ZOE's Design System.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Individual Contributor, emphasizing autonomy and ownership over complex, strategic initiatives within the Core Experience team. The focus is on both innovation (exploring new directions) and optimization, with a strong emphasis on data-driven decision-making through A/B testing.

πŸ“ˆ Primary Responsibilities

  • Solution Definition & Exploration:

    • Transform loosely defined problems and hypotheses into clear, compelling product experiences that align with ZOE's scientific foundation and user needs.
    • Generate a wide range of design concepts and directions, challenging initial assumptions and exploring genuinely different solutions before converging.
    • Balance strategic "big bets" with tactical "small experiments," understanding when to conduct broad exploration versus when to implement focused improvements quickly.
    • Apply strong product judgment, informed by user research, scientific principles, and market understanding, to make sensible trade-offs and prioritize effectively.
  • Experience Creation & Craft:

    • Design high-quality, native mobile experiences for iOS and Android, demonstrating exceptional visual and interaction design skills.
    • Translate complex behavioral science and nutritional data into simple, engaging, and motivating user interfaces that encourage positive habit change.
    • Ensure data visualizations and progress indicators are easily understood, providing positive reinforcement rather than judgment.
    • Develop interactive prototypes to test concepts, answer design questions, and gather user feedback efficiently.
    • Collaborate closely with engineers throughout the implementation process to ensure design fidelity and consistency with established app patterns and the Design System.
  • Impact & Ownership:

    • Drive product development momentum by setting clear expectations with team members and stakeholders, and maintaining transparent communication.

    • Articulate complex problems and design decisions clearly to facilitate understanding and informed decision-making across the wider team.

    • Partner with UX Researchers to conduct usability testing, translating findings into actionable recommendations for product improvement.

    • Monitor post-launch performance of designed features, utilizing insights to drive continuous iteration and enhancement.

    • Elevate the team's design practice by setting high standards, sharing knowledge, and contributing to process improvements.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking, creative problem-solving, and meticulous execution, with a strong emphasis on data-informed design and cross-functional collaboration. The role expects the designer to not just create but also own the impact of their work.

πŸŽ“ Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong academic foundation in Design (e.g., Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction) or a related field is often beneficial. Equivalent practical experience will be highly valued.

Experience: Minimum of 5-10 years of professional experience in product design, with a significant focus on native mobile applications (iOS and Android) for consumer-facing products.

Required Skills:

  • End-to-End Product Design: Proven ability to take a product from an ambiguous problem statement through to a shipped, high-quality experience, demonstrating ownership and impact.

  • Native App Design: Extensive experience designing intuitive and engaging user interfaces and interactions for both iOS and Android platforms.

  • Creative Problem-Solving: Demonstrated ability to generate a wide range of distinct design concepts and solutions, not just variations on a single idea.

  • Behavioral/Habit Design: Experience designing products that aim to influence user behavior or foster habit formation.

  • User-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding user problems, flows, and behaviors, rather than merely designing screens.

  • Product Judgment: Ability to balance user needs, business objectives, scientific evidence, and design craft to make sound decisions and trade-offs.

  • Clear Communication: Exceptional ability to articulate thinking, explain complex problems and design decisions, and bring stakeholders along with the design process.

  • Prototyping: Proficiency in using prototyping tools to test ideas and answer questions effectively.

  • Design System Contribution: Experience working with and contributing to design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency.

  • Pragmatism & Ownership: A low-ego, pragmatic approach with a strong sense of ownership and a drive to see work through to completion.

  • AI Tool Proficiency: Comfort and ability to leverage AI tools where they genuinely enhance productivity or quality in the design process.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience in health tech, nutrition, or wellness industries.

  • Familiarity with scientific research methodologies and data interpretation.

  • Experience with A/B testing design and analysis.

  • Contributions to UX Research or a strong understanding of UX research methodologies.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of creative ideation, technical design skills for native platforms, and strong soft skills related to communication, collaboration, and product strategy. The explicit mention of AI tools suggests a forward-thinking approach to design workflows.

πŸ“Š Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing your process from problem discovery to shipped solution, highlighting your role and contributions.

  • Native App Focus: Prioritize examples of native iOS and Android application design, demonstrating your understanding of platform conventions and best practices.

  • Problem Exploration: Clearly articulate the ambiguous problems you tackled and demonstrate the breadth of your exploration and concept generation.

  • Design Craft & Polish: Present high-fidelity designs and prototypes that exhibit exceptional visual and interaction design quality.

  • Impact & Iteration: Include metrics or qualitative evidence of the impact your designs had, and discuss how you iterated based on data or user feedback.

  • Trade-offs & Learnings: Be prepared to discuss the challenges, trade-offs made, and what you would do differently, demonstrating critical thinking and self-awareness.

Process Documentation:

  • Problem Framing: Demonstrate how you translate business or user needs into well-defined design problems.

  • Solution Exploration: Illustrate your process for exploring multiple design directions and converging on the best solution.

  • User Research & Testing: Show how you incorporate user feedback and research (e.g., usability testing) into your design process.

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Explain how you partner with Product, Engineering, and Data teams throughout the design lifecycle.

  • Design System Integration: Showcase how you apply and contribute to design systems for consistency and scalability.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role, serving as the primary evidence of the candidate's ability to handle ambiguity, drive impact, and execute with high craft. Case studies should clearly articulate the "why" and "how" behind the design decisions, with a focus on measurable outcomes.

πŸ’΅ Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Senior Product Designer with 5-10 years of experience in the UK, Germany, Estonia, or Netherlands, a competitive salary range would typically fall between €70,000 - €110,000 per annum, depending on exact location within these countries, candidate experience, and specific market conditions. For the UK, this translates roughly to Β£60,000 - Β£95,000 per annum.

Benefits:

  • Remote-First Culture: Genuine remote-first work environment with a focus on trust, autonomy, and asynchronous communication.

  • Meaningful Work: Opportunity to contribute to a mission-driven company focused on improving public health through science and technology.

  • Growth Opportunities: Shape critical member journeys during a pivotal growth phase for the company.

  • World-Class Collaboration: Work alongside leading scientists, designers, and technologists in the field.

  • Competitive Compensation Package: Including salary, potential equity, and comprehensive benefits.

  • Health & Wellness: Support for personal health and well-being, aligning with the company's mission.

  • Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, skill enhancement, and career advancement.

Working Hours: A standard full-time work week is expected, typically around 40 hours. The remote-first and async nature of ZOE's culture allows for flexibility in daily scheduling, provided work is completed and collaboration needs are met across different time zones within the specified remote countries.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on industry benchmarks for senior product design roles in Western Europe and the UK, considering the specified remote work locations and experience level. Benefits are inferred from standard offerings for remote-first tech companies with a strong mission.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏒 Company Culture

Industry: Health Technology / Digital Health / Consumer Health Science. ZOE operates at the intersection of cutting-edge gut health science, personalized nutrition, and mobile technology, aiming to democratize access to health insights.

Company Size: ZOE is a growing company, likely in the scale-up phase, suggesting a dynamic environment with established processes but still retaining agility and innovation. The Product Design team is described as "small, multi-disciplinary," indicating a close-knit group.

Founded: ZOE was founded with a mission to make health science accessible and actionable, building on significant research and development. Its founding principles likely emphasize scientific rigor, user-centricity, and technological innovation.

Team Structure:

  • Product Design Team: A small, multi-disciplinary group comprising Product Designers, Content Designers, Motion Designers, and UX Researchers. This structure fosters collaboration and diverse skill integration.

  • Core Experience Team: The Senior Product Designer will be embedded within this team, working in close partnership with Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Analysts.

  • Reporting Structure: As a senior individual contributor, the role likely reports into a Design Lead or Head of Product Design, with significant autonomy in day-to-day work.

Methodology:

  • Scientific Approach: ZOE emphasizes a data-driven and scientific approach to product development, with a strong reliance on A/B testing to validate hypotheses and iterate on features.

  • User-Centric Design: The team is dedicated to solving user problems and creating joyful, motivating experiences.

  • Agile Development: While not explicitly stated, the nature of app development and iterative testing suggests agile methodologies are likely employed.

  • Design System: A focus on building and utilizing a Design System to ensure consistency and efficiency across the product.

Company Website: https://zoe.com/

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The company culture is shaped by its scientific foundation, remote-first ethos, and commitment to user health. The team structure encourages cross-functional collaboration, essential for a product that bridges complex science with everyday user experience.

πŸ“ˆ Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Individual Contributor (IC) role within the Product Design function. It signifies a high level of expertise, autonomy, and the ability to lead complex projects independently. Senior ICs are expected to mentor others, influence product strategy, and drive significant impact without necessarily managing people.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to a Design Manager or Head of Product, working closely within a cross-functional "Core Experience" team composed of Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Analysts. This structure emphasizes collaboration and shared ownership of product outcomes.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct and significant impact on ZOE's core product and user engagement. By designing key app surfaces and experiences, the designer influences user behavior, health outcomes, and ultimately, the company's success in achieving its mission. The emphasis on A/B testing means designs are directly tied to measurable business and user impact.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Lead Product Designer role, mentoring junior designers and taking on more strategic product direction.

  • Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas such as behavioral design, data visualization, or platform-specific design for iOS/Android.

  • Product Strategy Influence: Contribute more significantly to the overall product strategy and roadmap through design leadership and insights.

  • Cross-Functional Skill Development: Enhance skills in areas like product management, data analysis interpretation, and scientific communication through close collaboration.

  • Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor less experienced designers and contribute to the development of the design team's capabilities.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for growth within a senior individual contributor track, focusing on deepening expertise and strategic influence rather than people management, which is common in senior design roles within product-centric organizations.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: ZOE operates on a "genuinely remote-first" model. This means there is no central office requirement, and the company is structured around trust, autonomy, and asynchronous working practices.

Office Location(s): The role is remote and open to candidates residing in the United Kingdom, Estonia, Germany, and the Netherlands. This geographical spread necessitates strong asynchronous communication skills and an understanding of working across different European time zones.

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the culture fosters collaboration through digital tools, regular video calls, and a shared commitment to the company's mission. The "Core Experience" team structure encourages tight-knit collaboration within functional groups.

  • Tools & Technology: Expect access to modern design and collaboration tools necessary for remote work, including design software (e.g., Figma), prototyping tools, communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Notion), and project management software.

  • Team Interaction: While asynchronous work is primary, there will be opportunities for synchronous interaction for key discussions, brainstorming, and team alignment, managed to accommodate different time zones.

Work Schedule: The standard workweek is approximately 40 hours. The remote-first and async nature allows for flexibility in daily scheduling, enabling individuals to structure their workdays in a way that maximizes productivity and personal well-being, while ensuring availability for critical cross-time zone collaborations.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature is a defining characteristic, requiring candidates to be self-disciplined, excellent communicators in writing, and comfortable with asynchronous workflows. The specified countries indicate a focus on European time zones.

πŸ“„ Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Step 1: Intro Chat with Talent Team: An initial screening call to assess alignment with ZOE's mission, culture, and the basic requirements of the role. Be prepared to articulate your passion for health tech and gut health.

  • Step 2: Hiring Manager Interview: A more in-depth conversation focusing on your design craft, experience with native apps, problem-solving approach, and career aspirations.

This is where you'll start to showcase your thinking.

  • Step 3: The Remote Loop (2-4 Interviews): This stage involves focused interviews designed to assess:

    • Technical Expertise: Deep dive into your design skills, process, and ability to create high-quality native app experiences.
    • Behavioral Approach: Understanding how you handle ambiguity, collaborate, give and receive feedback, and drive impact.
    • Collaboration Style: Assessing your ability to work effectively within a cross-functional, remote team.
  • Step 4: Offer & Welcome: Final discussions, offer extension, and onboarding preparation.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest end-to-end consumer native app case studies that best demonstrate your ability to handle ambiguity and drive impact.

  • Tell a Story: Structure each case study to clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (exploration, ideation, iteration), the trade-offs you made, and the measurable outcomes or learnings.

  • Highlight Ambiguity & Exploration: Emphasize how you approached loosely defined problems and generated a range of solutions, not just incremental improvements.

  • Showcase Craft: Ensure your presented designs and prototypes are polished and clearly communicate your visual and interaction design skills.

  • Discuss Impact: Quantify success where possible (e.g., A/B test results, user engagement metrics) or provide strong qualitative evidence of impact. Be ready to discuss what you'd do differently.

  • Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, challenges faced, collaboration methods, and how you utilize data.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Design Thinking Simulation: Be prepared for exercises that might simulate the early stages of a design project, requiring you to frame a problem, brainstorm solutions, or critique an existing experience.

  • Process Articulation: Practice explaining your design process clearly and concisely, as if presenting to a cross-functional team.

  • Trade-off Scenarios: Consider how you would approach design decisions when faced with competing priorities (e.g., speed vs. perfection, scope vs. user needs).

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The hiring process emphasizes practical application of design skills and cross-functional collaboration. The portfolio is central, and candidates should be ready to articulate their thought process and impact in detail. The "Remote Loop" suggests multiple, focused interviews to thoroughly assess candidates.

πŸ›  Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Design & Prototyping: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma (highly probable given modern design team structures), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, and prototyping tools like InVision, ProtoPie, or native prototyping within Figma.

  • Collaboration & Documentation: Tools like Notion, Confluence, or similar platforms for documenting processes, research findings, and design specifications.

  • Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for real-time and asynchronous team communication.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • A/B Testing Platforms: Familiarity with the principles and potentially specific tools used for A/B testing (e.g., Optimizely, VWO, or in-house solutions).

  • Data Analysis Tools: While not a primary analyst, understanding how to interpret data from tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics, or Tableau would be highly beneficial for understanding user behavior and A/B test results.

CRM & Automation:

  • Not directly relevant for this design role, but an understanding of how user data flows from CRM (like Salesforce) or marketing automation platforms into product analytics might be useful context.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The tech stack will heavily feature design and collaboration tools. While direct use of analytics platforms might be limited, a strong understanding of how to leverage data and A/B test results is crucial for this role. Figma is a strong assumption for the primary design tool.

πŸ‘₯ Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Scientific Rigor: A deep commitment to evidence-based decision-making, applying scientific principles to product development and user understanding.

  • User Empathy & Impact: A core focus on understanding and solving user problems to drive meaningful improvements in health and well-being.

  • Craftsmanship & Quality: Maintaining a high standard for design execution, ensuring intuitive, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing user experiences.

  • Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an open environment where ideas are shared, feedback is constructive, and cross-functional teams work cohesively.

  • Autonomy & Ownership: Trusting individuals to take ownership of their work, make decisions, and drive projects forward with minimal oversight.

  • Pragmatism & Iteration: A focus on delivering value through iterative development, being willing to experiment, learn, and adapt based on data and feedback.

Collaboration Style:

  • Remote-First & Async: Prioritizing asynchronous communication (written updates, documentation) while utilizing synchronous meetings strategically for alignment and complex discussions.

  • Cross-Functional Integration: Close partnership with Product, Engineering, and Data teams, ensuring design is integrated throughout the product development lifecycle.

  • Constructive Feedback Culture: Encouraging open and honest feedback to collectively improve designs and processes.

  • Knowledge Sharing: Actively sharing learnings, best practices, and design insights within the team and across the organization.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The culture values individuals who are both highly skilled and collaborative, with a strong sense of purpose related to health and science. The remote-first nature demands proactive communication and a high degree of self-management.

⚑ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Designing for Ambiguity: Consistently translating loosely defined problems into clear, actionable design solutions requires strong critical thinking and ideation skills.

  • Balancing Innovation & Optimization: Effectively switching between broad exploration for new features and focused improvements for existing ones, all while meeting business and user needs.

  • Data-Driven Decision Making: Integrating A/B testing results and complex scientific data into design decisions, requiring a comfort level with data interpretation and a willingness to let evidence guide choices.

  • Remote Collaboration at Scale: Maintaining strong team cohesion, clear communication, and design consistency across multiple European time zones in a fully remote setting.

  • Translating Complex Science: Simplifying intricate scientific and behavioral concepts into easily digestible and motivating user experiences.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Deep Dive into Behavioral Science: Enhance understanding and application of behavioral economics and psychology principles in product design.

  • Advanced Native App Design: Further refine expertise in iOS and Android design patterns, platform-specific interaction models, and accessibility standards.

  • Data Interpretation & A/B Testing: Develop stronger skills in analyzing user data and understanding the nuances of A/B testing to inform design iterations.

  • Product Strategy Contribution: Gain exposure to and influence on broader product strategy discussions, moving beyond feature design to shaping the product roadmap.

  • Mentorship & Design Leadership: Opportunity to mentor junior designers, contribute to design system growth, and potentially step into leadership roles within the design function.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a senior role in a fast-paced, data-driven health tech company. Growth opportunities are geared towards deepening expertise, strategic influence, and leadership within the design discipline.

πŸ’‘ Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you turned a loosely defined problem into a successful product experience. What was your process, and what were the key trade-offs you made?" (Focus on ambiguity handling, process, and decision-making.)

  • "How do you approach designing for habit or behavior change? Can you share an example from your portfolio?" (Assess understanding of behavioral design principles.)

  • "Walk us through an A/B test you designed for. What was the hypothesis, how did you design for it, and what did you learn from the results?" (Demonstrate data-informed design and iterative thinking.)

  • "How do you balance user needs, scientific evidence, and business goals when making design decisions?" (Evaluate product judgment and prioritization skills.)

  • "Explain a complex design decision you made and how you brought your team or stakeholders along with you." (Assess communication and influence skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What interests you about ZOE's mission and our approach to gut health?" (Gauge genuine interest and alignment with company purpose.)

  • "How do you approach collaboration in a remote, asynchronous environment?" (Understand your remote work style and communication strategies.)

  • "Describe a time you received constructive feedback on your design work. How did you respond, and what did you do with it?" (Assess receptiveness to feedback and growth mindset.)

  • "How do you ensure design quality and consistency, especially when working across different platforms (iOS/Android)?" (Evaluate attention to detail and understanding of design systems.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Structure for Clarity: For each case study, clearly outline: Problem Statement, Your Role & Responsibilities, Research & Discovery, Ideation & Exploration, Design Solutions (with visuals/prototypes), Testing & Iteration, Impact & Outcomes, Learnings & Future Considerations.

  • Emphasize the "Why": Clearly articulate the user problem or business need behind each design decision.

  • Show, Don't Just Tell: Use high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes to showcase your craft.

  • Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, challenges, and the reasoning behind them.

  • Quantify Impact: If possible, present metrics that demonstrate the success of your designs. If not, use qualitative insights and user feedback.

  • Highlight Ambiguity & Trade-offs: Be prepared to discuss how you navigated uncertainty and made difficult decisions.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: Interviews will likely focus on practical application of design skills, strategic thinking, and collaborative capabilities within a remote, data-driven environment. Preparing specific examples and a well-structured portfolio presentation is key.

πŸ“Œ Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

  • Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

  • Curate your portfolio: Select 2-3 compelling case studies that best showcase your end-to-end native app design experience, ability to handle ambiguity, and drive impact. Ensure they highlight your process, craft, and learnings.

  • Tailor your resume: Emphasize keywords related to product design, native app development (iOS/Android), user experience, behavioral design, A/B testing, and cross-functional collaboration. Quantify achievements where possible.

  • Prepare your narrative: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making, and the impact of your work, drawing from your portfolio and experience. Be ready to discuss your approach to remote collaboration and ZOE's mission.

  • Research ZOE: Understand their product, scientific approach, target audience, and company mission. Consider how your skills and passion align with their goals.

⚠️ 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.


Application Requirements

The role requires a strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end consumer native app design and the ability to work through complex, ambiguous problems. You must possess strong product judgment, creative range, and experience in designing for habit or behavior change.