Senior Product Designer
๐ Job Overview
Job Title: Senior Product Designer
Company: Ciklum
Location: Czech Republic
Job Type: Full time
Category: Product Design / UX/UI
Date Posted: 2026-08-10T11:02:37
Experience Level: 5-10 Years
Remote Status: Hybrid
๐ Role Summary
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Drive end-to-end product design ownership, from initial discovery and user research through to final design handoff for a live project with over a million active users.
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Lead and facilitate workshops, conduct in-depth user research, and translate complex findings into actionable, data-driven design decisions.
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Create a comprehensive suite of design artifacts including user flows, personas, journey maps, wireframes, high-fidelity prototypes, and detailed interaction specifications.
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Contribute to and evolve an existing design system across both mobile and web platforms, ensuring consistency and scalability.
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Foster strong collaborative relationships with developers, product managers, and researchers to ensure seamless product development and technical feasibility.
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Confidently present and advocate for design strategies and decisions to clients and stakeholders, articulating the rationale behind each choice.
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Mentor junior designers, share expertise, and contribute to the continuous improvement of the team's design processes and methodologies.
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Participate in pre-sales activities, contributing to scoping, timeline estimations, and the development of design strategies for new opportunities.
๐ Enhancement Note: The role emphasizes a high degree of autonomy and strategic input ("You will be expected to shape it"), indicating a Senior level position where the designer is not just executing but actively defining the product's user experience direction. The mention of a "Ciklum-led team" suggests an embedded role within a client's project.
๐ Primary Responsibilities
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Spearhead the design process for assigned product tracks, encompassing user research, concept development, wireframing, prototyping, and final asset creation.
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Conduct qualitative and quantitative user research, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to identify user needs and pain points.
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Translate user insights and business requirements into intuitive and engaging user interfaces and experiences across web and mobile platforms.
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Develop and maintain detailed user personas, journey maps, and user flows to ensure a user-centric approach throughout the product lifecycle.
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Design and iterate on wireframes and high-fidelity prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts and gather early feedback.
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Collaborate closely with Product Managers to define product strategy and roadmap from a design perspective, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
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Work hand-in-hand with engineering teams to ensure design feasibility, provide clear specifications, and support the implementation process.
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Contribute to and champion the adoption of a comprehensive design system, ensuring visual and interactive consistency across all product touchpoints.
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Conduct design reviews and critiques, providing constructive feedback to peers and junior designers to elevate overall design quality.
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Stay abreast of emerging design trends, technologies, and best practices, proactively bringing innovative ideas and approaches to the team and client.
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Assist in pre-sales engagements by contributing design expertise, effort estimations, and strategic recommendations for potential client projects.
๐ Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking, hands-on design execution, leadership through mentorship, and client-facing communication, which are hallmarks of a Senior Product Designer role. The inclusion of pre-sales contributions indicates a more business-oriented aspect to the role.
๐ Skills & Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is preferred, though equivalent practical experience will be strongly considered.
Experience: 6+ years of progressive, hands-on experience in UI/UX design and product design, with a proven track record of shipping successful digital products.
Required Skills:
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Extensive experience in UI/UX design, encompassing user interface design, user experience strategy, and interaction design principles.
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Deep proficiency in Figma, including advanced capabilities in design, prototyping, component library management, and collaboration features.
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Strong foundation in user research methodologies, including planning, conducting, and synthesizing findings from user interviews, usability testing, and surveys.
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Expertise in creating detailed design artifacts such as user flows, personas, journey maps, wireframes, and high-fidelity prototypes.
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Proven ability to work with and contribute to existing design systems, understanding principles of scalability, consistency, and component governance.
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Demonstrated experience in information architecture and defining intuitive navigation structures for complex applications.
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Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design rationale and technical specifications to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
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Fluent in English, both written and spoken, for effective collaboration and client interaction.
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Experience in facilitating workshops and design thinking sessions with cross-functional teams and clients.
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Familiarity with accessibility standards (WCAG) and their practical application in design. Preferred Skills:
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Experience in designing for consumer applications, particularly within the parenting, health, or lifestyle product sectors.
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Familiarity with AI-assisted design workflows and tools to enhance efficiency and creativity.
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Basic understanding of front-end development technologies (HTML, CSS) to facilitate better collaboration with engineering teams and ensure design feasibility.
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Experience utilizing research tools such as UserTesting, Optimal Workshop, or Hotjar for in-depth user analysis.
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Experience in contributing to pre-sales processes, including scoping, proposal development, and design strategy definition.
๐ Enhancement Note: The requirement for "6+ years of hands-on UI/UX experience with a portfolio that shows real range" strongly suggests a Senior level, expecting significant autonomy and a broad spectrum of project experience. Deep Figma proficiency is a critical technical requirement.
๐ Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
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A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating 6+ years of UI/UX and product design work, showcasing a diverse range of projects across different platforms (web, mobile) and product types.
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Detailed case studies that articulate the problem, your role, the design process (discovery, research, ideation, iteration, testing), your specific contributions, and the impact of your design solutions.
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Clear examples of your ability to translate user research and data into tangible design decisions and user-centered solutions.
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Demonstrations of your proficiency in Figma, including complex prototyping, component library development, and design system contributions.
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Evidence of your collaboration with cross-functional teams (Product Managers, Developers, Researchers) and how you managed design handoffs.
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Examples of how you have improved or maintained existing design systems.
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Visuals of wireframes, user flows, journey maps, and high-fidelity prototypes, alongside explanations of the strategic thinking behind them. Process Documentation:
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Showcase examples of your process for conducting user research, synthesizing findings, and incorporating them into design iterations.
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Document your approach to facilitating design workshops and collaborative problem-solving sessions.
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Present your methods for creating and maintaining design system components and documentation.
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Illustrate your handoff process for developers, ensuring clarity and completeness of design specifications.
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Provide examples of how you test and iterate on designs based on usability testing feedback.
๐ Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio showing "real range across product types and platforms" and the need to "back every decision with solid reasoning" implies a need for structured case studies that highlight strategic thinking and measurable outcomes, not just aesthetic execution.
๐ต Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range:
Given the Senior Product Designer title, 6+ years of experience, and the location in the Czech Republic, a competitive salary range is expected. Based on market data for Prague and similar tech hubs in Central Europe for senior design roles, the estimated annual gross salary could range from CZK 1,000,000 to CZK 1,600,000. This range accounts for variations in experience depth, specific skill sets, and the impact on a high-traffic project.
Benefits:
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Flexible Working Hours: Adapt your workday to best suit your productivity and personal schedule, ensuring work-life balance.
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Home Office Option: Enjoy the flexibility to work remotely, reducing commute time and enhancing personal comfort.
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Generous Holiday Allowance: 5 weeks of paid holiday per year, providing ample opportunity for rest and rejuvenation.
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Paid Sick Days: 5 paid sick days annually to ensure you can take care of your health without financial penalty.
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Multisport Card: Access to a wide network of sports and wellness facilities across the country.
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Meal Allowance: A contribution towards your daily meals, making your workday more convenient and cost-effective.
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Comprehensive Internal Trainings: Access to a wealth of internal workshops, seminars, and training programs designed to enhance both technical and soft skills.
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Paid Certifications & Training: Opportunities for professional development through paid certifications and specialized training programs.
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International Conference Participation: Potential to attend and learn from leading industry conferences, bringing back new insights and best practices.
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Office Perks: Enjoy fresh fruit, coffee, and a weekly company breakfast in the office, fostering a welcoming and collaborative environment.
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Loyalty Bonus: Recognition and rewards for long-term commitment, with bonuses at 5, 10, 15+ years of service.
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Referral Bonus Programme: Incentives for referring qualified candidates to Ciklum.
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Engaging Corporate Events: Regular team-building activities, outdoor events, Christmas parties, health weeks, and summer gatherings to foster camaraderie and a strong company culture.
Working Hours: The job listing specifies "Flexible working hours" and "Home office option," indicating a modern and adaptable work schedule. While a standard full-time role typically implies around 40 hours per week, the flexibility allows for adaptation to project needs and personal preferences, provided core responsibilities and collaboration requirements are met.
๐ Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on publicly available data for Senior Product Designer roles in Prague, Czech Republic, considering the company's profile as a custom product engineering firm and the role's seniority. The benefits are directly extracted from the job description and presented with added context relevant to operations professionals.
๐ฏ Team & Company Context
๐ข Company Culture
Industry: Ciklum operates within the custom product engineering and IT consulting sector, supporting a wide range of multinational organizations and scaling startups across various industries. This means exposure to diverse business challenges and technological landscapes.
Company Size: With over 4,000 highly skilled professionals globally, Ciklum is a large, established tech company. For operations professionals, this size typically translates to structured processes, clear career paths, access to a broad range of tools and technologies, and opportunities for specialization within larger teams.
Founded: While the founding year isn't explicitly stated, Ciklum has a significant global presence, indicating a mature company with established methodologies and a strong market position. This history suggests stability and a proven track record in delivering complex engineering solutions.
Team Structure:
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The Senior Product Designer will join a "tight-knit, Ciklum-led team of 7-8 people" embedded within a client project. This structure implies a dedicated, focused unit working on a specific product.
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The team likely includes other designers (potentially junior designers), product managers, developers, and researchers, fostering cross-functional collaboration.
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Reporting lines within this project team will be crucial, with the Senior Designer expected to mentor junior members and collaborate closely with the Product Manager. Methodology:
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Data-Driven Design: The role emphasizes asking the "right questions," digging into "real problems," and backing decisions with "solid reasoning," highlighting a data-informed and analytical approach to design.
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User-Centricity: Conducting user research, facilitating workshops, and translating findings into design decisions are core to the methodology.
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Agile Collaboration: Daily collaboration with developers and product managers suggests an agile or iterative development process where design is integrated throughout.
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Design System Governance: Working within and contributing to an existing design system points to a focus on consistency, scalability, and efficient design practices.
Company Website: https://www.ciklum.com/
๐ Enhancement Note: The description of Ciklum as a "custom product engineering company" implies a focus on building bespoke solutions, which requires strong problem-solving skills and adaptability. The "One Team culture" and focus on "collaboration and progress" suggest an environment where cross-functional teamwork is highly valued.
๐ Career & Growth Analysis
Operations Career Level: This role is firmly positioned at the Senior level within the Product Design discipline. It requires not only advanced design execution skills but also strategic thinking, leadership potential through mentorship, and the ability to influence product direction. The expectation to "shape the vision" rather than just execute it is a key indicator of seniority.
Reporting Structure: While the designer will be part of a Ciklum-led team of 7-8 on a client project, they will likely report to a Design Lead or a Senior Product Manager within that project structure. There's also an implied reporting line back to Ciklum's internal design community for knowledge sharing and mentorship.
Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer's impact is direct and significant. They are responsible for shaping the user experience of a product with "over a million active users." This involves driving user satisfaction, engagement, and potentially conversion rates through thoughtful and effective design solutions. Their work directly influences how users interact with the product, thereby impacting its success and Ciklum's reputation with the client.
Growth Opportunities:
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Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Lead Product Designer role, managing larger design initiatives or multiple projects, and taking on more strategic client-facing responsibilities.
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Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like design systems, user research methodologies, accessibility, or emerging technologies like AI-assisted design.
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Mentorship & Training: Develop leadership and coaching skills through mentoring junior designers, and leverage Ciklum's extensive training programs for continuous professional development.
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Client Engagement: Gain experience in pre-sales, client relationship management, and shaping design strategy for new business opportunities.
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Cross-Industry Exposure: Work on diverse projects for different clients, broadening experience across various product types and market sectors.
๐ Enhancement Note: The emphasis on shaping vision, mentoring, and contributing to pre-sales indicates significant growth potential beyond individual design contribution, moving towards strategic influence and leadership within the design function.
๐ Work Environment
Office Type: Ciklum offers a hybrid work environment, with options for working from their offices in Prague, Hradec Krรกlovรฉ, and Zlรญn, or remotely. This provides flexibility in choosing a work setup that best suits individual needs and preferences.
Office Location(s): The primary office locations in the Czech Republic are Prague, Hradec Krรกlovรฉ, and Zlรญn. The hybrid model allows employees to leverage office facilities for collaboration and in-person meetings while also working from home.
Workspace Context:
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Collaborative Spaces: Offices likely feature collaborative zones designed for workshops, team meetings, and informal discussions, crucial for design teams.
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Technology Access: Employees can expect access to necessary design tools and IT infrastructure, whether working in the office or remotely. The role specifically mentions Figma proficiency.
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Team Interaction: The hybrid model facilitates regular interaction with the Ciklum-led project team, product managers, and developers, fostering a connected and productive work environment. The mention of "fresh fruit, coffee, and a weekly company breakfast" points to an office culture that values employee well-being and social connection.
Work Schedule: The "Flexible working hours" and "Home office option" indicate a modern, results-oriented work culture. While the role is full-time (implying around 40 hours per week), employees have autonomy in structuring their day to meet project deadlines and collaboration needs, balancing individual focus time with team synchronization.
๐ Enhancement Note: The hybrid and flexible nature of the work environment is a significant draw for professionals seeking work-life balance. The availability of multiple office locations in the Czech Republic provides geographic flexibility.
๐ Application & Portfolio Review Process
Interview Process:
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Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application, focusing on your resume and portfolio link. Be sure your portfolio clearly demonstrates the required experience and skills.
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Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: Expect a detailed review of your portfolio by a senior designer or design lead. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key case studies, explaining your thought process, contributions, challenges, and the impact of your designs. This stage will likely involve deep dives into your Figma proficiency and UX methodology.
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Cross-functional/Client Interview: You may meet with Product Managers, developers, or even client stakeholders. This interview will assess your collaboration style, ability to articulate design decisions, understanding of technical constraints, and how you handle feedback.
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Mentorship/Team Fit Interview: An interview focusing on your experience mentoring junior designers and your ability to integrate into a "tight-knit" team. Questions may explore your collaboration preferences and how you contribute to a positive team dynamic.
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Final Interview/Offer: A final discussion, potentially with a senior leader, to confirm fit and extend an offer.
Portfolio Review Tips:
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Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your experience with Figma, design systems, user research, and complex problem-solving for a product with a large user base. Highlight projects with demonstrable impact.
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Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your specific role and contributions, the design process you followed, key decisions made, and the outcomes/results. Quantify impact where possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced user errors).
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Showcase Process: Don't just show final screens. Include wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and research artifacts to illustrate your thought process and methodology.
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Highlight Figma Mastery: Demonstrate advanced Figma techniques, including complex prototyping, component libraries, and design system contributions.
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Accessibility Awareness: If you have experience with WCAG, showcase it with examples or mention your understanding of its principles.
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Prepare for Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio projects concisely and confidently, anticipating questions about your decision-making and collaboration.
Challenge Preparation:
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Design Exercise: You might be given a small design challenge or asked to critique an existing interface. Be prepared to apply your UX principles and problem-solving skills under time constraints.
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Scenario-Based Questions: Expect questions about how you would handle specific design challenges, client feedback, or disagreements with team members.
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Design System Thinking: Be ready to discuss your experience with design systems, how to build or evolve them, and their importance in large-scale projects.
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Client Communication: Practice articulating complex design concepts and rationale clearly and persuasively, as you'll be presenting to clients.
๐ Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "portfolio that shows real range" and the need to "back every decision with solid reasoning" suggests that interviewers will be looking for strategic thinkers, not just executors. The "Ciklum-led team" context might mean you'll be asked about your ability to lead design within a client engagement.
๐ Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Tools:
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Figma: This is the core design tool. Expect advanced usage for UI design, prototyping, component library management, and collaboration. Proficiency is non-negotiable.
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Prototyping Tools (within Figma or standalone): Essential for creating interactive mockups to test user flows and gather feedback.
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Design System Tools/Platforms: Familiarity with how design systems are structured, maintained, and implemented, likely within Figma's component features.
Analytics & Reporting:
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User Research Platforms: Tools like UserTesting, Optimal Workshop, or Hotjar are listed as desirable, indicating an expectation for data-driven design decisions informed by user behavior and feedback.
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Analytics Tools (General): While not explicitly listed, understanding how to interpret data from tools like Google Analytics or product-specific analytics dashboards is beneficial for understanding user behavior and measuring design impact.
CRM & Automation:
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Collaboration & Project Management: Tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar platforms are commonly used for task management and tracking progress with development teams.
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Communication Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for daily team communication.
๐ Enhancement Note: Figma is highlighted as a critical tool. The mention of specific research tools suggests a strong emphasis on user data informing the design process. Awareness of front-end basics (HTML/CSS) is also a plus for bridging the gap with developers.
๐ฅ Team Culture & Values
Operations Values:
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Innovation & Engineering Excellence: Ciklum's identity as a "custom product engineering company" that "engineers technology that redefines industries" suggests a core value placed on technical skill, problem-solving, and pushing boundaries.
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Collaboration & Empowerment: The "One Team culture" and emphasis on "empowering each other to achieve more" indicate a value placed on teamwork, mutual support, and shared success.
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Data-Driven Decision Making: The requirement to "back every decision with solid reasoning" and conduct "user research" points to a culture that values evidence-based approaches over assumptions.
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Continuous Improvement: The expectation to "keep improving the way the team works" and "bring new thinking to the team" highlights a value for proactive improvement and learning.
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Impact & Purpose: The focus on "engineering solutions that matter" suggests a desire to work on projects with real-world impact and meaningful outcomes.
Collaboration Style:
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Cross-Functional Integration: Daily collaboration with developers, product managers, and researchers is standard, implying a need for strong communication and a shared understanding of project goals.
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Open Feedback Culture: The role mentions taking feedback well and giving it "even better," suggesting an environment where constructive criticism is encouraged for mutual growth and product improvement.
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Knowledge Sharing: Mentoring junior designers and contributing to "new thinking" implies a culture that values sharing expertise and collective learning.
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Client-Centric Partnership: As part of a Ciklum-led team on a client project, the collaboration style will also involve working closely with client stakeholders, presenting designs, and aligning on strategic vision.
๐ Enhancement Note: The culture appears to be a blend of strong technical engineering, user-centric design principles, and a collaborative, supportive team environment, with a direct focus on client project success.
โก Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Challenges:
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Navigating Complex User Bases: Designing for a product with "over a million active users" presents challenges in catering to diverse user needs, managing feature complexity, and ensuring scalability.
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Balancing Client Vision with Best Practices: As part of a Ciklum-led team on a client project, there might be a need to balance client expectations or existing visions with your professional design recommendations and best practices.
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Evolving Design System: Contributing to and improving an existing design system requires careful planning, communication, and adherence to established standards to maintain consistency while introducing enhancements.
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Cross-Disciplinary Communication: Effectively communicating complex design decisions and rationale to non-designers (developers, product managers, clients) requires strong articulation skills and empathy.
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Staying Ahead of Trends: The fast-paced nature of UX/UI design and technology means continuously learning and adapting to new tools, methodologies, and user expectations.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
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Advanced Design Skills: Deepen expertise in areas like interaction design, prototyping complex flows, and leveraging advanced Figma features.
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Design System Mastery: Gain hands-on experience in building, scaling, and governing enterprise-level design systems.
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User Research & Strategy: Enhance skills in various research methodologies and translate insights into strategic product decisions.
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Mentorship & Leadership: Develop coaching and leadership capabilities by mentoring junior designers and potentially leading design initiatives.
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Client Engagement & Pre-Sales: Gain experience in client presentations, understanding business needs, and contributing to design strategy for new business development.
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Industry Exposure: Participate in international conferences and access paid certifications to stay current with industry advancements.
๐ Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to working on a large-scale product and within a client-embedded team, offering opportunities for significant professional growth in problem-solving, strategic thinking, and leadership.
๐ก Interview Preparation
Strategy Questions:
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"Describe a time you took ownership of a design track from discovery to handoff. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on process, ownership, and problem-solving.)
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"How do you approach user research for a product with a large, diverse user base? Can you provide an example of how research findings influenced your design decisions?" (Demonstrate user-centricity and data-driven approach.)
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"Walk me through your process of contributing to or improving an existing design system. What are the key considerations for maintaining consistency and scalability?" (Highlight design system knowledge and collaboration.)
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"Imagine you have a disagreement with a Product Manager or developer about a design decision. How would you approach resolving this conflict?" (Assess collaboration, communication, and negotiation skills.)
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"How do you ensure your designs are accessible (WCAG compliant)? Can you share an example of an accessibility consideration you implemented?" (Test knowledge of accessibility standards.) Company & Culture Questions:
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"What interests you about Ciklum and this specific project with over a million active users?" (Show genuine interest and research.)
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"How do you see yourself mentoring junior designers and contributing to the team's knowledge sharing?" (Assess leadership potential and collaborative spirit.)
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"Describe your ideal work environment and how you thrive in a hybrid or flexible setting." (Evaluate fit with the company's work model.)
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"How do you stay updated with the latest trends in design and UX?" (Gauge commitment to continuous learning.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
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Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process, your specific contributions, design rationale, and the measurable impact.
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Highlight Figma Skills: Be ready to demonstrate specific Figma techniques, especially related to components, prototyping, and collaboration.
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Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively โ wireframes, user flows, prototypes, research insights โ to illustrate your points.
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Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics (e.g., conversion rates, user satisfaction scores, task completion times) to demonstrate the success of your designs.
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Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your decision-making process, trade-offs made, and how you handled feedback or constraints.
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Emphasize Collaboration: Discuss how you worked with PMs, developers, and researchers, and how you managed design handoffs.
๐ Enhancement Note: Questions will likely probe the candidate's ability to operate autonomously, influence product direction, and collaborate effectively within a client-focused, cross-functional team, leveraging advanced design skills and tools like Figma.
๐ Application Steps
To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:
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Submit your application through the provided link on the Ciklum career portal.
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Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects that align with the requirements: 6+ years of experience, strong UI/UX and product design range, deep Figma proficiency, design system contributions, and user research insights. Highlight case studies that demonstrate problem-solving for large-scale products.
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Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize achievements and responsibilities related to UI/UX design, product discovery, prototyping, design systems, user research, and client collaboration. Use keywords from the job description (e.g., Figma, user flows, personas, design systems, WCAG).
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Prepare Your Pitch: Practice presenting 2-3 key portfolio projects concisely, focusing on your specific contributions, design rationale, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your approach to user research, design systems, and collaboration with cross-functional teams.
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Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Ciklum's work, its "One Team" culture, and its focus on custom product engineering. Understand the context of working on a project with "over a million active users."
โ ๏ธ 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
Candidates must have 6+ years of hands-on UI/UX experience with a strong portfolio and deep proficiency in Figma. A solid foundation in UX research, design systems, and the ability to present design decisions clearly to clients are essential.