Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: HousingAnywhere Group

Location: Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-06-25

Experience Level: 7+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design strategy and execution for HousingAnywhere's core Listing & Finding experience, focusing on user certainty and trust in international student rentals.

• Drive product discovery and iteration through a deep understanding of user needs, leveraging qualitative research, behavioral data, and experimentation.

• Serve as an equal partner to Product, Engineering, Data Science, and Research teams, influencing product strategy and decision-making.

• Champion high-quality design craft, contributing to design principles, design systems, and the overall product development methodology.

• Actively explore and integrate AI technologies into product development workflows, from ideation to automation and design-to-code.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer with significant ownership over a critical user journey within a marketplace context. The emphasis on AI integration suggests a forward-thinking design team that embraces technological advancements to enhance product development and user experience.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Shape the long-term vision and strategic roadmap for the search and discovery experience within the HousingAnywhere marketplace.

• Lead end-to-end design projects, from initial discovery and problem framing through to launch, iteration, and continuous improvement.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Scientists, and Researchers to define problems, challenge assumptions, and validate solutions.

• Utilize qualitative user research, behavioral analytics, and A/B testing to inform design decisions and measure the impact of implemented features.

• Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and success metrics for the Listing & Finding experience, and track progress against these goals.

• Elevate the overall quality of design within the team through constructive critiques, collaborative design sessions, and a commitment to excellent craft.

• Contribute to the evolution of the company's design principles, design system, and best practices for product development.

• Actively participate in the exploration and application of AI tools and techniques to enhance product experiences, automation, and design-to-code workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic vision, hands-on design execution, and cross-functional leadership. The expectation to "own" the experience implies significant autonomy and accountability for driving user satisfaction and business outcomes in the search and discovery domain.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for senior roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: A minimum of 7+ years of professional experience in designing complex, digital products, with a strong emphasis on user-centered design principles and methodologies.

Required Skills:

• Product Thinking & Problem Framing: Ability to deeply understand user needs, business objectives, and market dynamics to define and frame complex design problems effectively.

• Interaction & Visual Design Craft: Exceptional skills in creating intuitive, engaging, and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces and interaction models.

• User Research & Validation: Proficiency in planning and conducting qualitative user research (interviews, usability testing) and leveraging behavioral data to validate hypotheses and inform design decisions.

• Experimentation & Data Analysis: Confidence in working with metrics, designing A/B tests, and interpreting data to measure design impact and drive iterative improvements.

• Marketplace & Discovery Experience: Proven experience designing for marketplaces, search functionalities, or discovery-oriented products where connecting users with relevant options is critical.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively as an equal partner with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Scientists, and Researchers.

• Design Systems & Tools: Familiarity with using and contributing to design systems, and proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite).

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI-assisted product development tools and workflows.

• Familiarity with design-to-code processes and collaboration with engineering teams on implementation.

• Experience in the student housing or broader real estate rental market.

• Knowledge of front-end development principles (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to better collaborate with engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 7+ years of experience, coupled with specific skills in marketplaces and data-driven decision-making, positions this as a senior-level role. The emphasis on product thinking and problem framing suggests the company values designers who can contribute strategically beyond just UI execution.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase 3-5 significant projects that demonstrate your end-to-end product design process, from initial problem discovery to launched solutions.

• Clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your role and responsibilities, the design process you followed, and the rationale behind your decisions.

• Highlight your contributions to user research, ideation, prototyping, UX/UI design, and iteration based on data and user feedback.

• Include examples of how you have used data, experimentation, or A/B testing to inform design choices and measure impact.

• Present case studies that specifically address complex digital products, ideally within marketplace, search, or discovery contexts.

• Demonstrate your understanding of design systems and how you've applied or contributed to them. Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of how you have documented design processes, user flows, and system interactions to ensure clarity and collaboration.

• Showcase instances where you've contributed to or maintained design principles and guidelines that ensure consistency and quality.

• Detail your approach to leading design discovery phases, including methodologies for identifying user needs and business opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role, as it will be used to assess not only design craft but also strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and the application of a rigorous, data-informed design process. The emphasis on "why" behind design decisions is paramount.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The provided salary range is €69,600 – €83,500 gross per year, based on 40 hours per week and including Holiday Allowance.

Benefits:

• Unlimited Paid Holidays: A flexible approach to time off, emphasizing trust and personal responsibility.

• Remote Work Flexibility: Ability to work remotely from another country (outside the Netherlands) for up to 2 months per year, offering significant work-life balance and global mobility.

• Personal Development Budget: €1,000 per year allocated for professional growth, training, conferences, or certifications relevant to design and product development.

• Commuting Coverage: Full reimbursement for commuting expenses.

• Ergonomic Workspace: Provision of a personal laptop and ergonomic equipment to ensure a comfortable and productive work setup.

• Health & Wellness: Discounted gym membership through GoVital or OneFit.

• Language Learning: Budget for Dutch and/or English classes to support integration and communication.

• Pension Scheme: A variable pension scheme to support long-term financial planning.

• Professional Development: Access to team-building events and regular social gatherings, fostering a strong team culture.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are 40 hours per week, with flexibility and a hybrid working policy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The compensation and benefits package is competitive, particularly highlighting the significant remote work flexibility and personal development budget, which are attractive perks for senior design professionals looking for autonomy and continuous learning opportunities.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Online Travel & Accommodation / Marketplace. HousingAnywhere Group operates as a leading European student rental platform, connecting students with housing providers.

Company Size: HousingAnywhere Group is a significant player in the European market, operating multiple brands (HousingAnywhere, Kamernet, Studapart) and employing a diverse international team. The exact employee count isn't specified but implied to be substantial given their market position.

Founded: The company has established a presence over several years, with brands like HousingAnywhere having been operational for a considerable time, indicating a mature but still growing organization.

Team Structure:

• The Design Team is integral to product development, with designers working closely alongside Product Managers, Engineers, Data Scientists, and Researchers.

• Designers are empowered to influence team strategy and make product decisions, indicating a flat or collaborative hierarchy within product teams.

• The role of Senior Product Designer suggests a mentorship opportunity within the team, contributing to raising the overall quality bar. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Strong emphasis on using qualitative research, behavioral data, and experimentation to guide product development, rather than relying solely on opinions.

• Agile Development: Implied by the fast-paced environment and iterative approach to product improvement.

• AI Integration: Actively embracing and integrating AI across the product development lifecycle, from discovery and ideation to prototyping and automation.

• Design-to-Code Workflows: Investing in processes that streamline the handover and implementation of designs.

Company Website: [HousingAnywhere Group Website - URL not provided, but domain is housinganywhere.com]

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to be ambitious, data-driven, and innovation-focused, with a strong emphasis on design's strategic role. The core values (Ownership, We are enablers, We are changemakers, and We are connectors) suggest a proactive and collaborative work environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer. This level signifies a mid-to-senior career stage, requiring significant autonomy, strategic input, and the ability to lead complex design initiatives. The role is expected to mentor and influence other designers and product stakeholders.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to a Head of Design, Design Lead, or Product Lead, and will work as an equal partner within a cross-functional product team.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct and significant impact on the core user journey of finding a home, which is fundamental to the company's marketplace success. By improving the search and discovery experience, the designer will directly influence user acquisition, retention, and overall platform trust and revenue.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Design: Potential to grow into a Design Lead or Principal Designer