Senior Product Designer (DevEx), VP

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer (DevEx), VP

Company: Citi

Location: Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX & Developer Enablement

Date Posted: 2026-04-15

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive product and UX initiatives within the Developer Enablement (DevEx) team, focusing on enhancing the developer experience at scale within a regulated financial environment.

• Lead the end-to-end design process for internal developer platforms, from user research and wireframing to high-fidelity prototyping and interaction design, ensuring alignment with business objectives and engineering compliance.

• Manage key stakeholders and influence product roadmaps by translating complex business visions into intuitive and effective design solutions, utilizing Figma and internal design systems.

• Focus on improving developer productivity and driving significant cost savings through the design and iteration of innovative internal tools and platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a VP level within Citi, indicating a significant level of responsibility, strategic influence, and leadership expectation within the Developer Enablement (DevEx) function. The focus on "Release on Demand" and its projected savings highlights the critical business impact of this design role.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with stakeholders and engineering teams to brainstorm, co-create, and refine ideas for internal developer platforms and tools.

• Define and meticulously document product features, translating user needs and business objectives into detailed, actionable product specifications, user stories, and acceptance criteria.

• Create comprehensive wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity designs using Figma, ensuring adherence to and contribution to Citi's established Design System.

• Validate design decisions through user research and testing methodologies, ensuring designs meet best practices and effectively address user pain points and business requirements.

• Manage the full lifecycle of product features from initial conception and requirement gathering through to launch and ongoing iteration, monitoring performance metrics to inform future improvements.

• Proactively challenge the status quo and encourage root cause analysis to ensure optimal outcomes for end-users and the broader engineering organization.

• Deliver high-quality, detailed design assets and provide clear guidance to engineering teams to ensure accurate implementation of all design specifications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of strategic product thinking and detailed design execution. The explicit mention of "Feature Lifecycle Management" and the need to "Define and Document Product Features" suggests a role that goes beyond pure UI/UX, requiring strong product management and strategic planning skills within the design domain.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for a Senior Product Designer role at this level.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of industry experience in product design, UX/UI design, or a related role, with a proven track record on complex, enterprise-scale or consumer design projects.

Required Skills:

• UX/UI Design Expertise: Comprehensive knowledge of the entire design process, including user research, information architecture, wireframing, prototyping, interaction design, and visual design.

• Figma Proficiency: Advanced skills in Figma for creating wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs, including experience with components, variants, and auto layout.

• Stakeholder Management: Ability to effectively engage with, influence, and manage expectations of diverse stakeholders across different departments and levels.

• Product Vision & Roadmap Definition: Experience in contributing to or defining product roadmaps, translating business strategy into actionable design plans.

• Systems Thinking: Aptitude for understanding complex technical concepts and system interdependencies, often with the assistance of Business Analysts, to create cohesive and effective solutions.

• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and technical details clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail, strong analytical capabilities, and robust problem-solving skills.

• Creative Flair: A strong aesthetic sense and a passion for creating visually appealing and user-friendly designs.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working with internal developer platforms or tools.

• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and JIRA.

• Experience with internal design systems and contributing to their evolution.

• Understanding of compliance and regulatory requirements in the financial services industry.

• Experience in conducting and interpreting user research and usability testing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements highlight a strong emphasis on practical design tool proficiency (Figma) and strategic thinking (systems thinking, roadmap definition), alongside essential soft skills like stakeholder management and communication. The "VP" title suggests a need for leadership potential and the ability to influence at a senior level.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing significant contributions to complex, enterprise-scale design projects, demonstrating end-to-end design ownership.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem statement, your design process (research, ideation, prototyping, testing), the solutions implemented, and quantifiable outcomes.

• Examples of wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity visual designs created using Figma.

• Demonstrations of how you have translated business requirements and user needs into effective design solutions.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase examples of how you have defined product features, written user stories, and established acceptance criteria.

• Include documentation of your user research methodologies and how findings informed design decisions.

• Provide examples of your approach to feature lifecycle management, from conception to post-launch iteration.

• Demonstrate your ability to document and adhere to design systems and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role at VP level, the portfolio is critical. It must not only display design execution skills but also strategic thinking, process adherence, and the ability to drive impact. The emphasis on enterprise-scale projects and feature lifecycle management suggests a need for demonstrated maturity in handling complex product development.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Senior Product Designer (VP level) in Belfast, United Kingdom, with 5-10 years of experience, the estimated annual base salary range is £75,000 - £100,000. This estimate considers the seniority of the role (VP), the demanding nature of DevEx within a global financial institution, and the cost of living in Belfast.

Benefits:

• Generous Annual Leave: 27 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, providing ample time for rest and rejuvenation.

• Performance Bonus: A discretionary annual performance-related bonus, recognizing individual and company achievements.

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Private Medical Care and Life Insurance for employees and potentially their families, ensuring well-being and security.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support services for personal and professional challenges.

• Retirement Planning: A competitive Pension Plan to support long-term financial security.

• Family Support: Paid Parental Leave to support new parents during a significant life event.

• Exclusive Discounts: Special discounts for employees, family, and friends on Citi products and services.

• Hybrid Working Model: Flexibility to work up to 2 days per week from home, balancing remote and in-office collaboration.

Working Hours: The role is full-time, with an estimated standard working week of 40 hours. The hybrid model offers flexibility, allowing for up to 2 days of remote work per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on publicly available data for similar roles in the UK and the VP level designation. Actual compensation will be determined by Citi based on the candidate's experience, qualifications, and internal equity. The benefits package is comprehensive and aligns with typical offerings for senior roles in large financial institutions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Banking Technology). Citi operates within a highly regulated global financial industry, demanding rigorous compliance, security, and reliability in all its technological endeavors. This context influences design processes, requiring a deep understanding of risk management and auditability.

Company Size: Citi is a global financial services corporation with a vast workforce, likely numbering in the hundreds of thousands worldwide. This scale means internal platforms and tools have a massive user base and significant potential for impact.

Founded: Citi was founded in 1812, indicating a long-standing history and deep institutional knowledge within the financial sector. This longevity suggests a stable yet evolving environment where innovation must be balanced with established practices.

Team Structure:

• Developer Enablement (DevEx): This team is part of the CTO organization and focuses on optimizing the developer experience, building internal platforms, and innovating with internal tools. The team operates with a startup-like agility within the larger bank.

• Reporting Structure: As a VP-level Senior Product Designer, you will likely report to a Director or Senior Manager within the DevEx or Product Design function, with significant autonomy in your project execution.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: This role requires extensive collaboration with product managers, business analysts, engineering teams, compliance officers, and other design professionals across the organization.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using data from user research, analytics, and testing to inform and validate design decisions.

• Agile & Iterative Development: Likely employing Agile methodologies for rapid development and continuous improvement of internal tools and platforms.

• Systems-Level Thinking: A focus on understanding how individual tools and platforms integrate into the broader developer ecosystem to achieve overarching goals.

Company Website: https://www.citi.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Citi's status as a global financial giant shapes its internal culture. While this role is within an agile, startup-like DevEx team, the overarching regulatory environment of banking will necessitate a design process that prioritizes security, compliance, and robust documentation. The "VP" title also implies a culture that values leadership and strategic contribution.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role at the Vice President (VP) level. It signifies a mid-to-senior career stage where individuals are expected to lead design initiatives, mentor junior designers, and have significant influence on product strategy and execution within their domain. The focus on Developer Enablement means you'll be shaping critical internal tools that impact thousands of engineers.

Reporting Structure: You will likely report to a Director or Senior Manager within the Developer Enablement or broader Product Design organization. You will be expected to work autonomously on your projects, collaborating closely with product managers and engineering leads.

Operations Impact: Your work will directly impact the productivity, efficiency, and satisfaction of thousands of engineers across Citi globally. By improving developer tools and platforms, you will contribute to faster code deployments, reduced development costs (estimated £10M+ savings), and the successful delivery of critical banking services.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in Developer Experience (DevEx) design, internal tooling, and platform design within a complex enterprise environment.

• Leadership Development: Progress into management roles, leading design teams, or becoming a principal/lead designer with broader strategic responsibilities.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Opportunities to move into product management, program management, or UX strategy roles within Citi, leveraging your deep understanding of developer needs and product development.

• Continuous Learning: Access to Citi's extensive learning and development resources, training programs, and opportunities to attend industry conferences to stay abreast of design and technology trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: The VP title suggests a career path that moves beyond individual contribution towards leadership, mentorship, and strategic influence. The impact of this role is substantial, directly affecting the productivity of a massive engineering workforce, which offers significant career development potential and visibility within the organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This role is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and operates under a hybrid working model. This means a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work, with up to 2 days per week allowed for working at home. The office environment is likely modern and professional, reflecting a global financial institution.

Office Location(s): The primary office location is 60 Sydenham Road, Titanic Quarter Blocks A, B, C Gateway Offices, Belfast, United Kingdom. This location is within a significant business hub.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model encourages in-office days for team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and fostering strong working relationships with colleagues.

• Tools & Technology: Access to standard professional design tools, including Figma and Citi's internal design systems, on either a Mac or PC. The IT infrastructure will be robust, supporting enterprise-level operations.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities to engage daily with cross-functional teams, including product managers, business analysts, and engineers, fostering a dynamic and collaborative design process.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time (estimated 40 hours per week). The hybrid arrangement offers flexibility in managing your work schedule, allowing for efficient task management and balancing personal and professional commitments, crucial for deep work in design and analysis.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key feature, offering a balance between structured in-office collaboration and the flexibility of remote work. This setup is common in large enterprises and is designed to optimize both team cohesion and individual productivity for roles like product design.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications and experience.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: Expect a practical exercise or a request to present a detailed case study from your portfolio that demonstrates your problem-solving skills, design process, and impact on a complex project. This will likely focus on how you'd approach a DevEx challenge.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with key stakeholders, including product managers, engineering leads, and potentially other designers, to assess your collaboration style, communication, strategic thinking, and ability to influence.

• VP-Level Interview: A final interview, possibly with senior leadership, to evaluate your strategic vision, leadership potential, and cultural fit within Citi's VP-level expectations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best showcase your experience with complex enterprise systems, developer tools, or platforms. Highlight your role and specific contributions.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your process (research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, testing, iteration), the solution, and the measurable impact (e.g., increased efficiency, reduced costs, improved user satisfaction). Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Figma & Design Systems: Explicitly demonstrate your proficiency with Figma and your experience working with or contributing to design systems.

• Showcase Systems Thinking: Present how your designs integrate into larger systems and address complex technical challenges. Explain your rationale clearly.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. For this role, focus on developer productivity and efficiency gains.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand DevEx: Research common challenges and best practices in Developer Experience design. Familiarize yourself with concepts like CI/CD, release management, and developer productivity metrics.

• Practice Problem-Solving: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach a hypothetical DevEx problem, outlining your process for discovery, ideation, and solutioning.

• Articulate Your Process: Clearly explain your design methodology, emphasizing how you gather requirements, validate assumptions, and collaborate with cross-functional teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly assess not only design skills but also strategic thinking, collaboration capabilities, and the ability to drive impact within a large, complex organization like Citi. A strong portfolio presentation is paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity visual design. Advanced proficiency is expected, including mastery of its collaboration features, components, and design system integration.

• Internal Design Systems: Proficiency in utilizing and potentially contributing to Citi's proprietary design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across all product designs.

• Collaboration Tools: Standard office productivity suites (e.g., Microsoft Office, Google Workspace) and communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams) for day-to-day operations.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a direct responsibility, understanding how to interpret data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, internal dashboards) to inform design decisions will be beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• Experience with project management and workflow tools such as JIRA, Confluence, or similar platforms for managing product features, user stories, and documentation within Agile environments.

• Understanding of how design integrates with development workflows and release pipelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned as a key tool. The emphasis on internal design systems and the need to understand analytics and project management tools indicates a role deeply embedded in a structured, technology-driven environment.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus (Developer as Customer): A strong emphasis on understanding and advocating for the needs of internal engineers, treating them as primary users of the platforms designed.

• Innovation & Agility: Embracing a startup-like mentality within the bank to experiment, iterate quickly, and deliver value efficiently.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an open environment where ideas are shared, feedback is actively given and received, and cross-functional teams work cohesively.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Relying on research, testing, and analytics to guide design choices and measure impact, ensuring that improvements are backed by evidence.

• Excellence & Quality: A commitment to delivering high-quality, robust, and user-friendly designs that meet the rigorous standards of a global financial institution.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership: Working closely as a design partner with product managers, business analysts, and engineers, ensuring a shared understanding of goals and solutions.

• Constructive Feedback: Encouraging a culture where constructive criticism is welcomed to continuously improve designs and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in design critiques, sharing learnings, and contributing to the collective knowledge base of the design team and the broader DevEx function.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize a blend of user-centricity (developers as users), agile execution, and a commitment to quality and data-informed decisions, all within the context of a large, regulated financial organization. This suggests a culture that values both innovation and meticulous execution.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Innovation with Regulation: Navigating the complexities of designing within a highly regulated financial environment while maintaining a fast-paced, innovative approach.

• Scaling Internal Platforms: Designing solutions that can scale effectively to support tens of thousands of engineers across a global organization.

• Driving Adoption: Ensuring that new tools and platform improvements are adopted and effectively utilized by the engineering community.

• Influencing Stakeholders: Gaining buy-in and alignment from diverse stakeholders with potentially competing priorities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized DevEx Knowledge: Gaining deep expertise in the unique challenges and opportunities of designing for developer enablement.

• Enterprise Design Leadership: Developing leadership skills and strategic thinking relevant to senior roles in large corporations.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Learning about various aspects of the banking and technology operations at Citi through extensive collaboration.

• Formal Training: Access to Citi's extensive corporate training programs, workshops, and potentially financial support for external certifications or courses relevant to design and product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the unique environment of a global bank's internal tech organization, requiring adaptability and strategic problem-solving. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a clear path for career advancement and skill development within a leading financial institution.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to translate a complex technical concept into a user-friendly design for a non-technical audience. How did you approach it?" (Focus on your systems thinking and communication clarity).

• "How would you approach designing a new feature for a developer platform like 'Release on Demand' to improve developer productivity? Walk us through your process." (Demonstrate your end-to-end design process and understanding of DevEx).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you specifically about working in Developer Enablement at Citi, and how do you see your role contributing to our mission?" (Showcase your research into Citi's DevEx and your alignment with their goals).

• "How do you stay updated on the latest design trends and technologies, especially in the context of enterprise software and financial services?" (Demonstrate your commitment to continuous learning).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: Frame your portfolio projects as narratives. Clearly articulate the "why" behind each project – the problem you were solving and its significance.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, prototypes, final designs) to illustrate your design process and solutions. Walk through your Figma files if possible to demonstrate your interaction design skills.

• Quantify Your Impact: For each project, present the results and metrics achieved. Focus on how your design decisions led to tangible improvements in developer productivity, efficiency, or cost savings, aligning with the role's stated impact.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Expect detailed questions about your design decisions, research methodologies, and how you handled challenges. Be prepared to defend your choices with clear rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice focuses on demonstrating a blend of strategic thinking, practical design execution, and strong communication skills, all tailored to the specific context of Developer Enablement within a large financial institution.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer (DevEx), VP position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday job portal link.

• Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume highlights experience in product design, UX/UI, stakeholder management, and complex enterprise projects. Use keywords from the job description such as "Figma," "wireframing," "prototyping," "systems thinking," and "developer enablement."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 impactful case studies that best showcase your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and quantifiable results. Focus on projects demonstrating enterprise-scale impact and your ability to translate complex requirements into intuitive designs.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, clearly articulating the problem, your process, your solutions, and the measured outcomes. Be ready to discuss your design rationale and how you collaborated with teams.

• Research Citi & DevEx: Understand Citi's mission, its role in financial services, and specifically the goals of its Developer Enablement team to articulate your interest and potential contributions effectively.

⚠️ 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.