Senior Product Designer (Contract)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer (Contract)

Company: Splash Financial

Location: Remote - United States Only

Job Type: Contract (1099 Independent Contractor)

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-02T21:17:15

Experience Level: 6-8+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote (US-Based)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the design of critical product experiences for personal loan and HELOC products, driving innovation and user satisfaction within the FinTech space.

• Independently own design workstreams from initial problem framing through high-fidelity Figma deliverables, ensuring seamless collaboration with Product and Engineering teams.

• Leverage user research, behavioral data, and AI-assisted design tools to create elegant, simple, and compliant financial solutions.

• Contribute to and build upon an existing design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and accessibility across all product touchpoints, with a particular focus on regulated financial products.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a 1099 independent contractor position, emphasizing self-management and direct delivery of design work. The focus on AI-powered experiences and regulated financial products highlights a specialized need for designers comfortable with emerging technologies and compliance constraints.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product Design Ownership: Lead the end-to-end design process for assigned product workstreams, encompassing information architecture, user flows, interaction patterns, and high-fidelity Figma deliverables.

• User-Centric Research: Conduct and synthesize lightweight user research, including usability sessions, customer interviews, and analysis of behavioral data and NPS feedback, to inform and validate design decisions.

• Design System Contribution: Actively work within and contribute to the company's established design system, identifying gaps and developing new, scalable, accessible, and consistent patterns.

• Rapid Iteration: Iterate quickly on designs based on feedback from stakeholders, Product, Engineering, and leadership, moving efficiently from concept to prototype and high-fidelity reviews.

• AI-Powered Experience Design: Design and contribute to product experiences that incorporate AI features, such as personalized recommendations, intelligent form assistance, and conversational flows, ensuring clarity around AI outputs and error states to maintain user trust.

• AI Tool Integration: Utilize AI-assisted design tools (e.g., Figma AI, generative design exploration) to accelerate personal design workflows, concept generation, and prototyping speed.

• Compliance and Trust: Design for trust, clarity, and compliance within the context of regulated financial products, ensuring all designs meet industry standards and user expectations for security and reliability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of traditional UX/UI design practices with a strong focus on modern AI integration and a deep understanding of the nuances of regulated financial products. The ability to "own design workstreams" implies a need for a proactive and independent designer.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a background in Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, UX/UI Design, or a related field is highly beneficial.

Experience: 6–8+ years of professional product design experience, with a proven track record in UX and UI design across both web and mobile platforms.

Required Skills:

• Expert proficiency in Figma, including component-driven design, advanced prototyping, and experience working with or contributing to design systems.

• Demonstrated mastery of the full UX design process: discovery, problem framing, information architecture, user flows, wireframing, and high-fidelity mockups.

• Proven ability to conduct and synthesize lightweight user research, such as usability testing, customer interviews, and survey analysis, to drive design decisions.

• Experience designing AI-powered product features or integrating ML/AI outputs into product designs, with a focus on managing edge cases, error states, and user trust.

• Active and demonstrated use of AI-assisted design tools (e.g., Figma AI, generative design exploration) to enhance personal workflow efficiency.

• Strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end UX and UI design work across web and mobile applications.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the FinTech industry, specifically in consumer lending or broader financial services.

• Familiarity with accessibility standards such as WCAG and inclusive design principles.

• Experience designing for both web platforms and native mobile applications (iOS and Android).

• Prior experience as a contractor or freelancer, demonstrating a proven ability to onboard quickly, self-manage projects, and deliver high-quality results independently.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "expert Figma skills" and "active use of AI-assisted design tools" indicates a need for a candidate who is not only proficient but also forward-thinking and technically adept with current design technologies. The preference for contractor experience highlights the need for immediate impact and self-sufficiency.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 comprehensive case studies demonstrating your involvement in the full product development lifecycle, from initial problem framing and user research to final high-fidelity designs and post-launch iterations.

• Figma Proficiency: Include examples that clearly highlight your Figma expertise, such as complex component libraries, interactive prototypes, and design system contributions.

• AI Integration Examples: Present at least one case study that specifically details your experience designing AI-powered features or integrating AI outputs into user interfaces, explaining your approach to user trust and clarity.

• Regulated Product Experience: If possible, feature projects that involved designing for regulated industries (e.g., FinTech, healthcare) to demonstrate an understanding of compliance and user trust within such environments.

• Metrics and Impact: For each case study, articulate the problem, your process, your solution, and—crucially—the measurable impact of your design decisions, backed by data or user feedback where available.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Clearly outline the user flows, information architecture, and interaction patterns you designed for key features within your portfolio.

• Research Synthesis: Demonstrate your ability to conduct and synthesize user research, showing how qualitative and quantitative data informed your design iterations and validated your solutions.

• Design System Contribution: If applicable, showcase examples of how you contributed to or utilized design systems, emphasizing consistency, scalability, and accessibility.

• AI Workflow Acceleration: Briefly describe how you used AI design tools to improve your personal design process, including examples of generated concepts or accelerated prototyping.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily geared towards demonstrating practical application of design skills, particularly in areas of AI integration, regulated environments, and the ability to leverage Figma and AI tools for efficiency. Quantifiable results are highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $80 – $100 per hour, commensurate with experience and location.

Benefits:

• Flexible Work Arrangement: Fully remote work freedom, offering a significant degree of autonomy and work-life balance.

• Competitive Compensation: Hourly rate reflecting the senior level and specialized skills required for this contract role.

• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO): Access to flexible PTO in addition to 9 company holidays.

• Equity: Opportunity to share in the company's start-up success, providing a stake in the company's growth.

• Comprehensive Insurance: Access to competitive and affordable health insurance benefits.

• Paid Parental Leave: Support for new parents with paid leave for both caregivers.

• Modern Equipment: Provision of essential modern equipment to facilitate effective work.

• Productivity Tools: Fully paid subscription to Claude (AI assistant) to enhance work efficiency.

• Retirement Savings: 401(k) plan available for future financial planning.

• Team Engagement: Quarterly meet-ups (in-person & virtual) to foster connection and collaboration.

• Company Swag: Branded merchandise to showcase team spirit.

Working Hours: This is a contract role, typically expected to align with a standard full-time workload of approximately 40 hours per week. Flexibility in scheduling is implied due to the remote nature, but consistent availability for collaboration and timely delivery is crucial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is clearly defined for this 1099 contract role. The benefits package is quite comprehensive for a contract position, suggesting Splash Financial values its contractors and aims to provide a well-rounded experience, including access to AI tools and equity.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: FinTech / Financial Services (specifically focusing on debt refinancing and lending technologies).

Company Size: While not explicitly stated in the raw data, the funding amount ($135M+) and mention of operating "like a startup" suggest a company that is likely mid-stage, potentially between 100-500 employees, experiencing growth and scaling its operations.

Founded: 2013, indicating a company with established market presence and a history of innovation, moving beyond its initial startup phase but retaining a startup mentality.

Team Structure:

• Remote-First: The company operates on a remote-first model, fostering a distributed workforce, with the exception of a specific collections team working in-person. This structure requires strong communication and collaboration tools.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role explicitly requires close partnership with Product and Engineering teams, indicating a highly collaborative environment where designers are integrated into the product development lifecycle.

• Agile and Nimble: Described as operating "like a startup — fast-paced, nimble, and full of heart," suggesting an environment that values quick decision-making, adaptability, and a passionate approach to problem-solving.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on reading data and customer feedback to pressure-test design assumptions, indicating a commitment to evidence-based product development.

• Iterative Development: The role requires rapid iteration based on stakeholder and data feedback, aligning with agile methodologies.

• AI Integration: A proactive approach to designing and leveraging AI-powered experiences and AI-assisted design tools.

Company Website: Splash Financial (Implied: splashfinancial.com, based on domain_derived)

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is characterized by innovation, a fast-paced environment, and a strong emphasis on remote work and cross-functional collaboration. The "startup mentality" suggests a dynamic workplace where individuals are empowered to make an impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, focusing on contract work. While not a permanent position, it offers a significant opportunity for experienced designers to apply their expertise on impactful projects within the FinTech sector. The "Senior" title implies a level of autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to mentor or guide less experienced designers implicitly.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will work closely and collaboratively with Product Managers and Engineering teams. While not a direct report in a permanent sense, the designer will likely receive project direction and feedback from Product leadership, and work daily with Engineering leads.

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts the user experience of critical financial products (personal loans, HELOCs), influencing customer acquisition, retention, and satisfaction. By designing elegant and efficient solutions, the designer contributes to Splash Financial's mission of empowering individuals financially and achieving business objectives like loan volume and refinancing success. The focus on AI also positions the designer at the forefront of technological innovation within the company.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization in FinTech and AI: Deepen expertise in designing for regulated financial services and cutting-edge AI-driven product experiences, highly valuable skills in the current market.

• Portfolio Expansion: Gain significant experience on high-impact projects, adding substantial weight to your professional portfolio and showcasing your ability to deliver within a fast-paced, remote, and contract environment.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Hone collaboration and communication skills by working closely with Product and Engineering, potentially leading design initiatives within specific workstreams.

• Potential for Extension: The possibility of contract extension offers a pathway to continued engagement and deeper involvement with the company's product roadmap.

📝 Enhancement Note: While a contract role, this position offers significant opportunities for skill development and portfolio enhancement, particularly in specialized areas like FinTech and AI design. The "Senior" designation suggests a high degree of autonomy and influence.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Splash Financial operates as a "remote-first" company. This means the primary work environment is digital and distributed, with a strong reliance on online collaboration tools and communication platforms.

Office Location(s): The role is fully remote within the United States. This allows for flexibility in where the contractor is based within the US. The company also has an in-person location for its collections team in Arizona, but this is not relevant to the Senior Product Designer role.

Workspace Context:

• Digital Collaboration Hub: Expect to work extensively within digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, video conferencing) to maintain connectivity and teamwork across distances.

• Design Tool Ecosystem: The workspace will heavily feature design tools like Figma, potentially supplemented by AI design assistants (like Claude, mentioned in benefits), and project management software.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: The environment fosters frequent interaction with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers or stakeholders, requiring clear and concise communication in a virtual setting.

Work Schedule: The role is for a 1099 independent contractor, typically implying a commitment of around 40 hours per week. While remote work offers flexibility, the need to collaborate with US-based teams and meet project deadlines means maintaining a professional work schedule and availability during core business hours is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature of Splash Financial necessitates a highly self-disciplined and digitally adept designer. The workspace is defined by online collaboration and specialized design software, with a focus on clear communication and timely delivery.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a brief call with a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications, experience alignment, and understanding of the contract nature of the role.

• Portfolio Review & Deep Dive: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, focusing on relevant case studies that showcase their process, problem-solving skills, UI/UX expertise, and experience with AI and regulated products. Expect detailed questions about design decisions, rationale, and impact.

• Design Challenge (Potential): A small, focused design exercise or take-home assignment may be given to assess practical skills, problem-framing abilities, and speed of execution. This might involve iterating on a given problem or concept.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineering leads to assess collaboration style, communication effectiveness, and ability to integrate into their existing workflows.

• Final Interview/Offer: A final discussion, potentially with leadership, to confirm fit and discuss contract terms, rate, and expectations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest case studies that best align with the job description. Prioritize projects demonstrating FinTech experience, AI integration, complex problem-solving, and end-to-end design processes.

• Highlight Your Process: Clearly articulate your approach to each project: problem framing, user research synthesis, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, high-fidelity design, and iteration based on feedback. Use visuals to support each stage.

• Showcase Figma & AI Skills: Demonstrate your advanced Figma capabilities, including component usage, prototyping, and design system contributions. Specifically call out how you've used AI tools to accelerate your workflow or design AI-powered features.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data, metrics, or specific user feedback to demonstrate the positive impact of your design solutions. Explain how your designs contributed to business goals or improved user experience metrics.

• Address Regulated Context: If you have experience with regulated industries, explicitly discuss the unique challenges and considerations you addressed in your designs, such as compliance, trust, and clarity.

• Practice Your Narrative: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio concisely and engagingly, answering questions about your decisions and rationale with confidence.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with common user pain points and design patterns in personal lending, HELOCs, and general FinTech applications.

• Think AI-First: Consider how AI can genuinely enhance user experiences in financial products, focusing on personalization, assistance, and clear communication of AI outputs and limitations.

• Focus on Clarity and Trust: For any design challenge, prioritize clear communication, user trust, and adherence to potential regulatory considerations.

• Iterate Quickly: Be prepared to demonstrate an iterative approach, showing how you would quickly explore different solutions and gather feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical application and portfolio demonstration, with a specific need to showcase experience with AI, regulated products, and advanced Figma skills. Preparation should focus on telling a compelling story with each case study.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is the core design tool. Expect to use it extensively for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, component creation, and collaboration. Mastery of its advanced features, including component libraries, auto layout, and prototyping capabilities, is essential.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Explicitly mentioned is the expectation to use tools like Figma AI or other generative design exploration tools to accelerate workflow, concept generation, and rapid prototyping.

• Design Systems: Experience working within and contributing to design systems is required. This implies familiarity with structured design elements, style guides, and pattern libraries.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Research Platforms/Tools: While not explicitly named, expect to utilize tools for conducting usability testing, interviews, and analyzing qualitative feedback (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Dovetail).

• Data Analysis Tools (Indirect): While the designer isn't expected to be a data analyst, they must be able to understand and interpret behavioral data and user feedback from sources like NPS surveys or analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• Project Management Software: Likely used for task tracking and workflow management (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello).

• Communication Platforms: Essential for remote collaboration, including Slack for real-time messaging and video conferencing tools (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet) for meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is heavily centered around Figma and AI-driven design tools. Proficiency in these areas, along with an understanding of how to leverage data and research tools, is critical for success in this role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Own It: Take full accountability for design workstreams, from conception to delivery, ensuring commitments are met with high quality. This means proactively identifying and solving problems without constant oversight.

• Raise the Bar: Move quickly, innovate, and push through design and technical barriers, constantly seeking to improve user experiences and product outcomes. This involves challenging the status quo and proposing novel solutions.

• Say the Hard Thing: Communicate honestly and respectfully, providing constructive feedback and raising concerns to improve designs, processes, and team dynamics. This fosters transparency and problem-solving.

• Elevate Each Other: Collaborate effectively with Product and Engineering, sharing knowledge, providing support, and contributing to a team environment where everyone can succeed. This emphasizes a supportive and growth-oriented culture.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teamwork: The designer will be an integral part of cross-functional teams, working closely with Product Managers to define problems and solutions, and with Engineers to ensure feasible and high-quality implementation.

• Feedback-Driven: A culture of iterative feedback is expected, with designers actively seeking and incorporating input from various stakeholders to refine designs.

• Human-Centric Approach: Despite the fast-paced and technology-driven nature of FinTech and AI, the company emphasizes being "human" and values connection, as seen in their Slack channels. This suggests an approach that balances efficiency with empathy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values are deeply integrated into its operational ethos, promoting accountability, innovation, open communication, and mutual support. This translates into a collaborative and results-oriented work environment where designers are expected to be proactive and team-oriented.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Regulated Environments: Designing within the constraints of financial regulations requires a keen eye for compliance, clarity, and user trust, which can be more complex than designing for less regulated industries.

• Integrating AI Seamlessly: Effectively incorporating AI features into user experiences requires careful consideration of user expectations, potential biases, uncertainty, and clear communication of AI outputs and limitations to maintain trust.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: The "fast-paced, nimble" environment demands rapid iteration and delivery, posing a challenge to maintain high design quality and thorough user validation.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Ensuring effective communication, alignment, and seamless collaboration with distributed Product and Engineering teams requires proactive effort and strong digital communication skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• FinTech Specialization: Gain deep experience in the nuances of consumer lending and financial services design, a highly sought-after specialization.

• AI Design Expertise: Develop practical skills in designing for AI-powered products and leveraging AI design tools, positioning yourself at the forefront of design innovation.

• Agile and Remote Work Mastery: Hone your ability to thrive in a fast-paced, remote, and agile work environment, enhancing your adaptability and self-management skills.

• Portfolio Enhancement: Build a robust portfolio with impactful case studies that showcase your ability to solve complex problems and drive business outcomes in a competitive industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities to tackle cutting-edge challenges in AI and FinTech design, with a strong emphasis on practical application and professional growth through hands-on experience.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex financial product. What were the biggest challenges, and how did you ensure user trust and compliance?" (Focus on regulated product experience, problem-framing, and user trust.)

• "Walk us through a project where you incorporated AI into a product experience. What was your process for designing around AI outputs, uncertainty, or error states?" (Highlight your AI design methodology, user-centricity, and ability to manage AI complexities.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Splash Financial's mission to empower people through financial products?" (Demonstrate your alignment with the company's purpose and values.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers in a remote environment?" (Address your communication style, teamwork approach, and experience with distributed teams.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: For each case study, craft a compelling narrative that clearly outlines the problem, your role, your process, your key design decisions, and the impactful outcome.

• Visual Clarity: Use high-quality visuals of your designs, prototypes, and user flows. Ensure your Figma expertise is evident in the presentation of your work.

• Focus on AI and FinTech: Strategically highlight projects that demonstrate your experience with AI-powered features and/or regulated financial products. Explicitly discuss the unique challenges and solutions.

• Quantify Success: Present metrics, data points, or user feedback that showcase the tangible results of your design work. Explain how your design contributed to business objectives.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Practice presenting your portfolio efficiently, hitting the key highlights and being prepared for deeper dives based on interviewer interest.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating practical skills in AI and FinTech design, your ability to navigate regulated environments, and your collaborative approach within a remote setting, all while aligning with Splash Financial's core values.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer (Contract) position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature 3-5 strong case studies that highlight your expertise in UX/UI design, Figma proficiency, experience with AI-powered features, and any relevant FinTech or regulated product design background. Ensure each case study clearly articulates the problem, your process, your solution, and the measurable impact.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize your 6-8+ years of experience, your advanced Figma skills, your experience with AI design tools, your user research capabilities, and your ability to work independently as a contractor. Use keywords from the job description like "FinTech," "AI-powered design," "regulated products," "Figma," and "user research."

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio with a focus on clear storytelling, explaining your design decisions, and articulating the business impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your experience with AI tools and regulated environments.

• Research Splash Financial: Understand the company's mission, values, and product offerings. Familiarize yourself with their approach to debt refinancing and their remote-first culture. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.