Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Zilch

Location: London, Victoria, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / User Experience

Date Posted: 2026-06-25

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in-office, 2 days remote)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the entire product design lifecycle, from in-depth user research and ideation through to implementation oversight and post-launch UX measurement for consumer-facing financial technology products.

• Mentor and elevate the design team by leading critique sessions, fostering a culture of design excellence, and ensuring consistency and a high standard of output across all design initiatives.

• Drive the development and maintenance of a scalable design system, ensuring it effectively supports product and business objectives while promoting cohesive and intuitive user experiences.

• Champion user-centric design principles, translating complex product challenges into elegant, user-friendly solutions with meticulous attention to detail and a strong visual design execution.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and other Designers to define product strategy, prioritize roadmaps, and deliver exceptional, impactful user experiences that align with Zilch's vision.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is for a Senior Product Designer at Zilch, a payment tech company. The description emphasizes end-to-end ownership, mentorship, and design system management, indicating a need for experienced professionals who can not only execute but also lead and influence design quality within a fast-paced fintech environment. The hybrid work model suggests a need for strong communication and collaboration skills.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the full design process, from initial collaborative research, conceptualization, and user testing to detailed journey specifications and close collaboration with developers, culminating in UX performance measurement of launched products.

• Coach and mentor fellow designers, facilitating design critique sessions to enhance collective output and maintain a high standard of design quality and holistic user experience.

• Ensure design consistency across various product features and initiatives, actively strengthening the team's overall design bar and output quality.

• Design comprehensive customer journeys, develop interactive prototypes, conduct user testing, and rigorously measure the success of potential product launches against defined metrics.

• Define, deliver, and iterate on products that are not only enjoyable to use but also exhibit a high degree of craft, attention to detail, and aesthetic quality.

• Actively manage and improve the scalable design system in collaboration with cross-functional teams, ensuring it meets evolving product and business goals.

• Conduct comprehensive user research using a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods to gain deep insights into user behavior, needs, and pain points.

• Identify key success metrics for products and rigorously measure their performance from both a customer satisfaction and business impact perspective.

• Work in close partnership with the Head of Product Design and Product Managers to align on strategic goals, project priorities, design direction, and to incorporate feedback effectively.

• Document and maintain design pattern libraries and style guides, ensuring they are kept up-to-date as the product and design system evolve.

• Review the performance of released features, identify key learnings, and proactively suggest improvements and future product directions based on data and user feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on full-cycle ownership, mentorship, design system contribution, and data-driven decision-making, which are critical for senior roles in product design, especially within a growing fintech company. The inclusion of "UX measurement" and "measure their success" points to a need for analytical skills beyond pure design execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, or a related field is typically expected for senior roles in this domain. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 5-10 years of demonstrated experience in product design, with a significant focus on consumer-facing digital products, ideally within the fintech or payment technology sector. Proven experience working within cross-functional teams is essential.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated experience in end-to-end product design for consumer-facing products, from research to implementation.

• Proven ability to work effectively within cross-functional teams, including Product Managers, Engineers, and other Designers.

• Strong visual design and UI execution skills with a meticulous eye for detail.

• Proficiency in designing customer journeys, creating interactive prototypes, and conducting user testing.

• Experience in developing and maintaining scalable design systems, including pattern libraries and style guides.

• Strong user research capabilities, utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods.

• Ability to analyze product experiments and measure the success of launched products against defined metrics.

• Excellent storytelling and communication skills, capable of articulating design decisions and vision to stakeholders.

• Strategic thinking about product and design at all levels, with the ability to communicate decisions clearly and confidently. Preferred Skills:

• Experience specifically within the fintech or payment technology industry.

• Familiarity with AI tools and experimentation with new ways of working to optimize the design process.

• Experience in coaching and mentoring junior designers.

• Understanding of how design contributes to achieving business goals.

• Experience with analytics platforms for tracking product performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize a blend of strong design craft, strategic thinking, research acumen, and collaborative abilities. The preference for AI tool experience and fintech background suggests a forward-thinking company looking for adaptable and industry-aware candidates.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design projects for consumer-facing applications, demonstrating ownership from concept to launch.

• Case studies that detail the problem, your design process, user research methodologies, iterative design decisions, and the measurable impact of your solutions.

• Examples of complex user journey mapping and how you've simplified intricate user flows.

• Prototypes demonstrating user interactions and user testing insights that informed design iterations.

• Evidence of collaboration with engineering and product teams, highlighting your role in the implementation phase. Process Documentation:

• Portfolio entries should clearly outline your approach to user research, including methodologies used (e.g., interviews, surveys, usability testing).

• Demonstrate your process for ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and visual design, including tools used.

• Showcase how you measure design success, including defining key metrics and analyzing results post-launch.

• Include examples of how you've contributed to or maintained design systems, pattern libraries, and style guides.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is crucial for this role, as it will be the primary means of assessing design expertise, process, and impact. Applicants should focus on showcasing their ability to solve complex problems with data-informed, user-centered solutions and demonstrate their collaborative approach and understanding of business objectives.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Senior Product Designer in London with 5-10 years of experience, the estimated salary range is typically between £70,000 and £100,000 per annum. This range can vary based on specific skills, interview performance, and the company's compensation philosophy.

Benefits:

• Pension scheme

• Death in Service scheme

• Income Protection

• Permanent employees enjoy access to our Share Options Scheme

• 5% cashback on in-app purchases

• £200 allowance for Work From Home Setup

• Private Medical Insurance (including GP consultations, prescribed medication, in-patient/day-patient/out-patient care, mental health support, optical, dental, audiological cover, physiotherapy, advanced cancer cover, menopause support)

• Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme (unlimited mental health sessions, 24/7 remote GP & physiotherapy, 24/7 helpline for emotional & practical support)

• Savings & discounts on everyday shopping

• 1:1 personalized well-being consultations

• Gym membership discounts

• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, and shared parental leave policies

• Support for Professional Qualifications and Memberships

• Access to a Learning Suite for e-courses and Internal Training Programmes

• FCA & Regulatory training

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week. The hybrid model offers flexibility, with specific in-office days (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday) and remote days (Tuesday, Friday).

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in London, considering the provided experience level. Zilch offers a very comprehensive benefits package, with a strong emphasis on health and wellbeing, financial security, and family support, which is a significant differentiator.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Payment Technology / Fintech. Zilch operates in a rapidly evolving sector, focused on providing innovative payment solutions that combine debit, credit, and savings features, aiming to empower consumers.

Company Size: Zilch has achieved "double unicorn status," indicating a valuation of over $2 billion, and has taken on more than 5 million customers. This suggests a rapidly scaling company, likely employing several hundred to over a thousand employees, with a dynamic and growth-oriented culture.

Founded: 2018. This indicates a relatively young but fast-growing company that has achieved significant market traction and expansion in a short period.

Team Structure:

• The design team likely operates within a matrix structure, with designers reporting to a Head of Product Design, while also being embedded within cross-functional product teams (Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers).

• Collaboration is key, with designers expected to work closely with Product Managers to align on goals and priorities, and with Engineers for seamless implementation.

• The Senior Product Designer is expected to mentor other designers, implying a team of varying experience levels and a focus on skill development within the design department. Methodology:

• Zilch emphasizes a customer-centric approach, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative user research to understand and meet user needs.

• The design process is iterative, involving concept development, prototyping, user testing, and continuous measurement of product performance.

• A strong focus on building and maintaining a scalable design system ensures consistency and efficiency across the product suite.

• The company embraces innovation, encouraging experimentation with new tools, including AI, to optimize workflows and enhance design outcomes.

Company Website: https://www.zilch.com/uk

📝 Enhancement Note: Zilch's rapid growth and fintech focus suggest a fast-paced, innovative, and customer-centric environment. The emphasis on mentorship and design systems indicates a commitment to design quality and team development.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, indicating a professional with substantial experience (5-10 years) who is expected to take significant ownership, lead design initiatives, and influence product strategy. They are beyond individual contributor level and are expected to mentor others and contribute to the overall design practice.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will report to the Head of Product Design and work closely with Product Managers within cross-functional product teams. This structure allows for both strategic oversight and hands-on product development.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the user experience of Zilch's consumer-facing products, which are central to customer acquisition, retention, and satisfaction in the competitive fintech market. High-quality design directly influences user engagement, conversion rates, and overall brand perception, thereby contributing significantly to business growth and revenue.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to grow into a Design Lead or Managerial role, taking on more strategic responsibility and team leadership.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of product design, such as UX strategy, interaction design, or design systems, within the fintech domain.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Gain broader experience in product strategy, business operations, and market analysis by working closely with Product Management and business stakeholders.

• Mentorship: Develop coaching and mentoring skills through guiding junior designers, contributing to their professional growth and the team's overall capability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Senior Product Designer role offers a clear path for career advancement within product design and leadership, with opportunities to shape a rapidly growing fintech product and contribute to its strategic direction.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Zilch offers a hybrid working model. Employees are expected to be in the office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and can work remotely on Tuesdays and Fridays. This suggests a modern office environment designed for collaboration, supplemented by the flexibility of remote work.

Office Location(s): The primary office location is London, Victoria, United Kingdom. This central London location offers good accessibility for many employees.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is likely designed to foster collaboration, with spaces for team meetings, design critiques, and brainstorming sessions.

• The hybrid model balances in-person interaction and team cohesion with individual focus and flexibility.

• Access to necessary design tools, software, and potentially dedicated spaces for creative work is expected.

• Opportunities for informal interaction and knowledge sharing with colleagues across different disciplines.

Work Schedule: The hybrid model provides a structured yet flexible work schedule. While core office days are set, the remote days allow for personal time management, accommodating focused work or personal appointments. Standard working hours are expected, with potential for flexibility depending on project needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a significant aspect of the work environment, indicating a company that values work-life balance and flexibility while still prioritizing in-person collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Submission: Submit resume and a link to your portfolio.

• Portfolio Review: Initial screening will involve a thorough review of your portfolio to assess design craft, process, and impact.

• Hiring Manager/Recruiter Screen: A preliminary call to discuss your experience, motivations, and suitability for the role.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a take-home design challenge or present a case study from your portfolio, focusing on problem-solving, design process, and rationale.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other Designers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and alignment with the team.

• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership (e.g., Head of Product Design) to evaluate strategic thinking, leadership potential, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate with Care: Select 3-4 of your strongest projects that best represent your end-to-end product design capabilities for consumer-facing applications.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your specific role, the design process you followed, key decisions made (and why), and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Showcase Process: Detail your research methods, ideation techniques, prototyping tools, and user testing approaches. Demonstrate how user insights informed your design.

• Highlight Collaboration: If possible, show how you worked with Product Managers and Engineers, and how you contributed to or leveraged a design system.

• Visual Polish: Ensure your portfolio is visually appealing, well-organized, and easy to navigate.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, pay close attention to the brief, target audience, and business objectives.

• Focus on Process: Even if you don't complete every step, clearly articulate your intended process and rationale. Prioritize user research and problem definition.

• Think Strategically: Demonstrate how your design solutions align with business goals and user needs.

• Be Prepared to Present: Practice presenting your work concisely and confidently, anticipating questions about your decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to evaluate a candidate's design skills, strategic thinking, collaborative abilities, and cultural fit. A strong, well-articulated portfolio is paramount, and candidates should be prepared to discuss their process and impact in detail.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, industry standard), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).

• Prototyping & User Testing: InVision, Marvel, Maze, UserTesting.com.

• Design Systems: Figma (for component libraries), Zeroheight, or similar documentation platforms.

• Collaboration: Slack, Jira, Confluence.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics.

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Looker (for understanding data insights).

CRM & Automation: While not primary design tools, familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms can be beneficial for understanding customer journeys and business context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in industry-standard design tools like Figma is essential. Familiarity with user research platforms, design system documentation, and product analytics tools will be advantageous for understanding product performance and user behavior.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the user, ensuring every design decision prioritizes the customer experience.

• Innovation & Experimentation: Encouraging exploration of new technologies, methodologies, and AI tools to push creative boundaries and optimize processes.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an environment where open communication, feedback, and cross-functional teamwork are valued and practiced daily.

• Craftsmanship & Attention to Detail: A dedication to producing high-quality, polished work with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring a superior user experience.

• Impact & Ownership: Taking full responsibility for design outcomes and focusing on delivering measurable business and user impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are embedded within product teams, working hand-in-hand with Product Managers and Engineers throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Constructive Critique: A culture of design critique sessions where feedback is given and received constructively to elevate the quality of collective output.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, learnings, and insights across the design team and with other departments.

• Iterative Improvement: Embracing an iterative approach to design and processes, with a willingness to experiment, learn from failures, and continuously refine solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Zilch's culture appears to prioritize user focus, innovation, and strong collaborative teamwork, with an emphasis on delivering high-quality, impactful design solutions.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Innovation with Scalability: Developing cutting-edge features while ensuring the design system and user experience remain consistent and scalable across a growing user base and product suite.

• Navigating Fintech Complexity: Designing intuitive and trustworthy experiences for financial products, which often involve complex regulations and user concerns around security and data privacy.

• Mentoring and Elevating Design: Successfully coaching and mentoring other designers to improve their skills and contribute to a higher quality of design output across the team.

• Measuring Design Impact: Clearly defining and quantifying the impact of design decisions on key business metrics in a competitive fintech landscape.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like interaction design, UX strategy, information architecture, and leading complex design projects.

• Fintech Industry Insights: Gaining in-depth knowledge of payment technology, financial regulations, and consumer financial behavior.

• Leadership and Mentorship: Developing leadership capabilities through mentoring junior designers and potentially leading design initiatives.

• Adoption of New Technologies: Staying at the forefront of design trends and tools, including AI applications in the design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents opportunities to tackle complex challenges within the fintech space and develop leadership skills, supported by a company that invests in learning and development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you took ownership of a feature from initial concept to post-launch measurement. What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on end-to-end process, problem-solving, and impact.)

• "How would you approach designing a new feature for our payment platform that aims to increase user engagement? Walk us through your process." (Demonstrate user research, ideation, prototyping, and metric definition.)

• "How do you ensure design consistency and quality across multiple product streams, especially when mentoring other designers?" (Highlight your approach to design systems, critiques, and mentorship.)

• "Tell us about a time you had to advocate for a design decision that was not initially popular with stakeholders. How did you build consensus?" (Showcase storytelling, communication, and stakeholder management skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Zilch and our mission in the payment tech space?" (Research Zilch's product, values, and market position.)

• "How do you see your role as a Senior Product Designer contributing to Zilch's business goals?" (Connect design impact to revenue, customer acquisition, and retention.)

• "Describe your ideal design team culture. How would you contribute to fostering that environment at Zilch?" (Reflect on collaboration, feedback, and mentorship.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each project, use a clear narrative: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Impact.

• Focus on Rationale: Be ready to explain why you made specific design choices, referencing user research, usability testing, or business objectives.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, present quantitative results (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced task completion time, improved user satisfaction scores).

• Showcase Collaboration: Mention how you worked with Product Managers and Engineers, and any contributions to design systems.

• Be Concise: Practice presenting your key projects within a set timeframe, focusing on the most impactful aspects.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a holistic understanding of the design process, strategic thinking, strong communication skills, and a clear connection between design work and business outcomes.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application via the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight 2-3 of your strongest consumer-facing product design projects that showcase end-to-end ownership, user research, and measurable impact.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly details your experience in product design, UX/UI, user research, design systems, and cross-functional collaboration, using keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, key decisions, and the impact of your work using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), especially for potential behavioral questions.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Zilch's product, mission, target audience, and recent news to demonstrate genuine interest and align your responses with their values and 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.

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