Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Bankwest

Location: Perth, WA, Australia

Job Type: FULL_TIME, TEMPORARY

Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX)

Date Posted: 2026-05-18

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (50% office attendance)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive end-to-end product design for the Bankwest native app, focusing on everyday customer experiences and transforming digital banking.

• Lead collaborative discovery processes with product and engineering teams, utilizing research, customer insights, and behavioral data to define and prioritize problems.

• Translate complex customer needs and business objectives into intuitive, user-centered design solutions through wireframes, prototypes, and detailed user flows.

• Champion design excellence and consistency by applying and evolving the design system to enhance efficiency and cohesive user experiences across the digital ecosystem.

• Influence stakeholders and cross-functional partners through clear communication of design rationale, data-backed recommendations, and compelling storytelling.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically focused on the "Everyday Experiences" within the Bankwest native app, indicating a strategic priority for core customer functionalities and daily banking interactions. The emphasis on a "dual track rhythm" suggests an Agile environment that balances continuous discovery with ongoing delivery.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the entire product design lifecycle, from initial problem definition and discovery through to solution delivery and validation for key features within the Bankwest mobile application.

• Conduct and plan user research using appropriate qualitative and quantitative methods to gather insights that inform design decisions and validate concepts.

• Develop and iterate on design artifacts including journey maps, service design blueprints, user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes at varying fidelities.

• Facilitate collaborative workshops and co-design sessions with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to foster alignment and drive innovative solutions.

• Utilize prototyping as a primary tool for communication, decision-making, and concept validation, ensuring designs are tested and optimized based on customer feedback.

• Apply and contribute to the evolution of the Bankwest design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency in design outputs.

• Champion customer-centricity and accessibility best practices throughout the design process, advocating for user needs and inclusive design principles.

• Clearly communicate design rationale, present findings, and influence stakeholders through effective storytelling and well-structured playback sessions.

• Manage design dependencies and collaborate effectively within a cross-functional "product trio" (Product, Design, Engineering) to ensure seamless delivery.

• Maintain a strong understanding of business objectives and technical constraints, balancing user needs with delivery realities and risk-aware decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "owning the problem space" and "turning ambiguity into clarity" highlights the expectation for a senior designer to take initiative, proactively define challenges, and lead the team towards validated solutions, rather than simply executing design tasks.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong portfolio and demonstrable experience in product design, UX/UI, or related fields are paramount.

Experience: 5+ years of progressive experience across the full product design lifecycle, including research, discovery, design, and delivery.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in Lean UX methodologies and applying learnings to iterative design processes.

• Proficient in prototyping tools (specifically Figma mentioned) for concept exploration, validation, and communication.

• Strong interaction design skills with a deep understanding of native mobile patterns, platform behaviors, motion design, and micro-interactions.

• Proven ability to translate customer needs and journey insights into tangible experience improvements.

• Demonstrated capability in navigating ambiguity, evaluating trade-offs, and making evidence-based recommendations.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with a proven track record of collaborating effectively in cross-functional environments.

• Working knowledge of business and technology constraints, coupled with a risk-aware mindset.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with service design blueprints and advanced customer journey mapping techniques.

• Familiarity with accessibility standards and inclusive design principles.

• Experience in the financial services or digital banking sector.

• Understanding of Agile and Scrum methodologies, particularly in a "dual track" discovery/delivery context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "AI literacy" is a forward-looking indicator, suggesting the company is exploring or integrating AI in its design or product development processes and expects designers to be conversant with its potential applications and ethical considerations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product design case studies demonstrating ownership of the problem space, from discovery to validated delivery.

• Highlight your ability to lead collaborative discovery, synthesize research and data, and define clear problem statements.

• Present examples of translating insights into actionable design direction using tools like journey maps, user flows, wireframes, and prototypes.

• Clearly articulate your role in customer validation through usability testing and iterative optimization.

• Demonstrate strong interaction design skills with examples of native mobile patterns and micro-interactions.

• Illustrate your ability to communicate design rationale effectively and influence stakeholders.

Process Documentation:

• Case studies should detail your process for planning and conducting user research (qualitative and quantitative).

• Showcase how you use prototyping as a communication and decision-making tool, showing progression of fidelity.

• Detail your approach to translating customer needs and behavioral data into clear experience improvements across a journey.

• Provide examples of how you've navigated ambiguity, weighed trade-offs, and made evidence-based recommendations.

• Document your collaboration style and how you build effective partnerships within cross-functional teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "end-to-end product design" and "shaping problems" means portfolios should not just showcase final UI, but the strategic thinking, research methodologies, and iterative process that led to the solution, particularly for native mobile applications.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the Senior Product Designer title, 5+ years of experience, and location in Perth, WA, Australia, a competitive salary range can be estimated. For a Senior Product Designer in Perth, Australia, typical salary ranges are AUD $120,000 - $170,000 per annum, depending on specific experience, skills, and the exact nature of the fixed-term contract.

Benefits:

• Flexible working arrangements to support work-life balance.

• Access to resources for career development and professional growth.

• Annual volunteer leave for community engagement.

• A comprehensive package of work perks covering financial, lifestyle, and general wellbeing initiatives.

• Meaningful recognition programs that reward strong performance.

Working Hours: The role is full-time, typically around 38-40 hours per week, with a requirement for 50% office attendance in Perth.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designer roles in major Australian cities, adjusted for Perth's cost of living and the financial services sector. The fixed-term contract nature may also influence the compensation structure.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Banking and Financial Services. Bankwest is undergoing a significant digital transformation to become Australia's favorite digital bank, focusing on customer-centricity and intuitive experiences.

Company Size: Bankwest is part of the Commonwealth Bank Group, a large financial institution. This implies a structured environment with access to extensive resources and established processes, alongside the agility required for digital transformation initiatives.

Founded: Bankwest has a long history, founded in 1895, providing a stable foundation while embracing modern digital strategies.

Team Structure:

• The Senior Product Designer will be part of the Brand and Experience team within Customer, Marketing, and Communications.

• This team is described as a cross-functional, highly collaborative group including CX strategy, product design, experience design, and accessibility specialists.

Methodology:

• Customer-led design is a core principle, emphasizing user needs and feedback.

• A "dual track" rhythm suggests an Agile approach, balancing continuous discovery with ongoing delivery.

• Data-driven decision-making is expected, utilizing research, voice of customer insights, and behavioural data.

• Design system application and evolution are key for efficiency and consistency.

Company Website: https://www.bankwest.com.au/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as "Made by Us," reflecting a sense of ownership, collaboration, and a desire for change. The transformation towards a digital-first bank indicates a dynamic and evolving work environment where innovation is encouraged.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, indicating a mid-to-senior level position. It requires independent leadership in design problem-solving, significant experience across the product lifecycle, and the ability to influence stakeholders.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the Brand and Experience team, likely under a Head of Experience Design or similar leadership role, within the broader Customer, Marketing, and Communications division.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer will directly impact the customer experience of the Bankwest native app, a critical channel for customer interaction and service delivery. Their work will influence customer engagement, satisfaction, and the overall success of Bankwest's digital transformation goals. By designing "smarter, faster, and genuinely useful" banking experiences, they contribute to customer loyalty and business growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in native mobile design patterns, advanced prototyping, and specific areas like accessibility or AI-driven design.

• Leadership Development: Potential to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and influence design strategy within the team and broader organization.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the future of digital banking experiences by contributing to product strategy and roadmap development based on design insights.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain deeper understanding of product management, engineering constraints, and marketing strategies through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "leading discovery" and "shaping key feature experiences" suggests that growth opportunities will involve taking on more strategic design challenges and potentially leading design thinking for new product areas within the digital banking space.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role requires 50% office attendance, indicating a hybrid work model. This suggests a blend of collaborative in-office work and focused remote work. The office is located at 300 Murray Street, Perth, WA.

Office Location(s): Primarily Perth, WA, Australia, at Bankwest Place.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is expected to foster collaboration, likely with open-plan areas and meeting rooms conducive to co-design sessions and stakeholder interactions.

• Access to standard design tools and technology will be available.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with product, engineering, and other experience design professionals will be frequent, supporting a dynamic and integrated workflow.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with flexibility expected to balance remote and in-office days, adhering to the 50% office attendance requirement. Standard working hours are implied, but flexibility is a stated benefit.

📝 Enhancement Note: The 50% office attendance requirement suggests a structured hybrid model designed to balance the benefits of in-person collaboration for complex design challenges and team building with the flexibility and focus of remote work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and fit with the role requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where the candidate presents 1-2 key case studies, detailing their design process, problem-solving approach, and impact. Expect questions on their role, decisions, and how they navigated challenges.

• Design Challenge: Potentially a practical exercise or a discussion around a hypothetical design problem to assess problem-solving skills, design thinking, and communication style.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially other designers or stakeholders to evaluate collaboration style, communication, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Discussion with senior leadership to confirm strategic alignment and overall suitability for the Senior Product Designer role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase End-to-End: Prioritize case studies that demonstrate your involvement from problem definition through to tested solutions, particularly for native mobile apps.

• Highlight Your Role: Clearly articulate your specific contributions, decisions, and the rationale behind them, especially when working in a team.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics or qualitative feedback to demonstrate the impact of your designs on user behavior, satisfaction, or business outcomes.

• Process Over Polish: While polished visuals are good, focus on explaining your thought process, research methods, and iterative testing.

• Native Mobile Focus: Ensure examples clearly showcase your understanding of native mobile patterns, interaction design, and platform-specific considerations.

• Storytelling: Frame your case studies as compelling narratives that highlight the problem, your approach, the solution, and the outcome.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate Design Problems: Be ready to discuss how you would approach designing for common banking scenarios or a specific feature within a digital banking app.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate your ability to break down a problem, identify user needs, and outline a design process, rather than just jumping to solutions.

• Communicate Clearly: Practice articulating your thoughts and design rationale concisely and persuasively. The "product trio" collaboration is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on "leading discovery" and "shaping problems," interviewers will likely probe deeply into how candidates identify opportunities, frame problems, and collaborate with product and engineering to validate hypotheses before committing to detailed design.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned as the prototyping tool, essential for wireframing, prototyping, and design collaboration.

• Design System Tools: Likely involves working with or contributing to a design system managed within Figma or a related platform.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, any experience with other advanced prototyping or animation tools could be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed, familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to understand user behavior and validate design impact would be advantageous.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the designer's core function, but understanding how designs integrate into customer journeys managed by CRM or marketing automation systems can be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable. Experience with tools that facilitate user research, usability testing, and design system management will also be highly valued.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A fundamental value, ensuring all design decisions prioritize customer needs and deliver genuinely useful experiences.

• Curiosity & Bold Thinking: Encouraged to explore new ideas, question assumptions, and push boundaries in design.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on working within cross-functional teams, sharing knowledge, and building partnerships.

• Efficiency & Quality: Applying the design system and design best practices to deliver cohesive, high-quality experiences efficiently.

• Transformation & Change: Embracing the mission to become a leading digital bank, requiring adaptability and a forward-thinking mindset.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Working closely within "product trios" (Product, Design, Engineering) and broader teams including CX strategy and accessibility.

• Open Communication: Clear communication of design rationale, active listening, and providing constructive feedback.

• Co-creation: Facilitating workshops and co-design sessions to leverage collective expertise.

• Stakeholder Management: Building trust and bringing partners along through transparent communication and demonstrated value.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Made by Us" slogan suggests a culture of collective ownership and empowerment, where team members are encouraged to contribute to shaping the company's direction and culture.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: The role requires comfort with undefined problems and the ability to bring clarity through design thinking and research.

• Balancing Constraints: Effectively balancing customer needs, business objectives, and technical limitations within a large financial institution.

• Driving Cultural Change: Contributing to the transformation of a traditional bank into a leading digital player requires adaptability and influencing change through design.

• Integrating AI Responsibly: Understanding and applying AI tools ethically and effectively within the design process presents an emerging challenge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX/UI Skills: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like interaction design, motion design, and native mobile patterns.

• Design Strategy: Involvement in shaping product strategy and contributing to the overall customer experience vision.

• Leadership and Mentorship: Potential to guide junior designers and lead design initiatives.

• Industry Trends: Staying abreast of evolving digital banking trends, AI in design, and user behavior shifts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are framed as opportunities for growth, particularly in problem-solving, strategic thinking, and adapting to new technologies like AI within a mature industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the discovery process for a new feature. How did you define the problem and validate opportunities?" (Focus on your process, collaboration, and use of data/research.)

• "How do you balance competing stakeholder needs with user-centric design principles, especially when facing technical or business constraints?" (Highlight your negotiation, communication, and trade-off analysis skills.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Bankwest's mission to become Australia's favorite digital bank?" (Research their current digital offerings and transformation goals.)

• "How do you contribute to a collaborative and customer-led design culture?" (Provide examples of your teamwork and user advocacy.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline: The Problem, Your Role & Process, The Solution, and The Outcome/Impact.

• Emphasize Your Contribution: Be specific about what you did, the decisions you made, and the rationale behind them.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively to illustrate your process—sketches, wireframes, prototypes, and user flows.

• Quantify Results: If possible, present metrics or user feedback that demonstrate the success of your designs.

• Address Native Mobile Specifics: Ensure your examples highlight your understanding of native mobile design patterns and best practices.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, research methodologies, and how you handled challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize your ability to lead, collaborate, and think strategically about problem definition and solution validation, not just your visual design skills. Be ready to articulate your thinking process in detail.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link: https://cba.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/Bankwest_Careers/job/Perth-Central/Senior-Product-Designer_REQ257734

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 5+ years of experience in the full product design lifecycle, specific expertise in Lean UX, Figma prototyping, and native mobile interaction design. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that demonstrate end-to-end product design, your leadership in discovery, problem-solving, and measurable impact, with a clear focus on native mobile applications.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your chosen case studies, focusing on your role, process, design rationale, and outcomes. Be ready to articulate how you translate insights into user-centered solutions.

• Research Bankwest: Understand their digital transformation goals, current app features, and customer focus. Prepare thoughtful questions about their design culture, challenges, and future vision.

⚠️ 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.