Senior Product Designer - Onboarding & Activation

Ebury
Full-timeLondon, United Kingdom

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer - Onboarding & Activation

Company: Ebury

Location: London, England, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX)

Date Posted: 2026-08-27T08:52:34

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (assessed as Level 3 or Level 4)

Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days in office, 1 day remote)

🚀 Role Summary

  • This role focuses on the critical areas of user onboarding and activation within a fintech environment, demanding a strong blend of user-centric design and an understanding of complex regulatory and operational frameworks.

  • The position requires end-to-end ownership of design processes, from initial problem definition and discovery through to detailed design, implementation, and launch, ensuring seamless customer journeys.

  • Success in this role hinges on the ability to simplify intricate, multi-step processes such as identity verification, Know Your Business (KYB), Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, and account activation.

  • The designer will act as a key collaborator, working closely with Product, Engineering, Data, Operations, Compliance, and Risk teams to align priorities and deliver impactful solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role bridges the gap between user experience and operational/regulatory requirements, a common and critical function in regulated industries like fintech. The "Senior" title and potential for Level 4 hiring suggest a need for significant autonomy, strategic thinking, and demonstrated product judgment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Own the complete design lifecycle for customer onboarding and activation journeys, encompassing discovery, problem definition, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and final design delivery.

  • Design intuitive and efficient experiences for both customer-facing onboarding flows and internal operational workflows, ensuring a balance between user needs, business objectives, compliance mandates, and operational realities.

  • Architect solutions that effectively simplify complex processes, including but not limited to identity verification, KYB/KYC procedures, document submission, review workflows, and account activation stages.

  • Collaborate proactively with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Scientists, Operations specialists, Compliance Officers, and Risk Analysts to identify key pain points, establish project priorities, and drive meaningful product improvements.

  • Create responsive and adaptive user interfaces for web and mobile platforms, ensuring a consistent, clear, and intuitive onboarding experience across all devices and touchpoints.

  • Partner with mobile designers and engineers to develop mobile-first experiences and ensure seamless translation of onboarding workflows into native mobile application environments.

  • Develop elegant and user-friendly solutions with a high level of interaction design and visual craft, paying meticulous attention to various states, edge cases, error handling, and moments of user uncertainty.

  • Employ rapid prototyping, user testing, and iterative design methodologies, leveraging research, data analytics, and user feedback to validate concepts and enhance customer outcomes.

  • Utilize modern design tools, including AI-assisted workflows (e.g., Claude, Codex, Figma Make), to accelerate design exploration, prototype creation, assumption testing, and overall workflow optimization.

  • Propose and explore innovative approaches to design processes that expedite the transition from ambiguity to concrete solutions while upholding high standards of quality and customer experience.

  • Contribute to the development and expansion of Ebury's design system, enhancing reusable components and patterns to enable faster, more consistent experience delivery by various teams.

  • Work closely with Engineering teams throughout the implementation phase, ensuring the final product meets quality, accessibility, and polish standards at launch.

  • Foster and contribute to a strong design culture through active participation in critiques, workshops, and design reviews, elevating the team's standards through craft, collaboration, and thoughtful problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "internal operational workflows" alongside customer-facing experiences indicates a need for a designer who can understand and optimize back-office processes critical for compliance and efficiency in a financial services context. The mention of AI tools suggests a forward-thinking design team that embraces new technologies to enhance productivity.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

  • While specific degree requirements are not listed, a strong foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is typically expected for roles of this nature. Candidates are evaluated based on demonstrated skills and portfolio. Experience:

  • Relevant professional experience in UX or Product Design, with the scope and expectations assessed against either a Product Designer II (Level 3) or Senior Product Designer (Level 4) benchmark, depending on demonstrated autonomy, product judgment, and scope of responsibility. Required Skills:

  • Product Thinking & Problem Solving: Ability to deeply understand user needs, identify business opportunities, make strategic trade-offs, and leverage data and research to inform design decisions.

  • End-to-End Design Ownership: Proven experience managing the full design process from discovery and problem definition through to implementation and launch.

  • Interaction Design: Strong skills in information architecture, user flows, defining states, handling edge cases, and applying system thinking to complex digital products.

  • Prototyping & User Research: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes and conducting user research to validate design concepts and gather actionable insights.

  • Responsive & Adaptive Design: Experience designing for various screen sizes and platforms (web and mobile), understanding platform conventions and constraints.

  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively with Product, Engineering, Data, Operations, Compliance, and Risk teams.

  • Communication & Stakeholder Management: Strong organizational skills, ability to navigate ambiguity, and communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.

  • Design System Contribution: Experience contributing to or extending design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency.

Preferred Skills:

  • Fintech/Regulated Environment Experience: Experience designing complex digital experiences within fintech, financial services, SaaS, healthcare, legal technology, or other regulated industries.

  • Onboarding, KYC/KYB, Compliance & Risk Design: Specific experience designing products related to onboarding, identity verification, KYB/KYC, compliance, risk management, or other workflow-heavy domains.

  • Mobile-First Design: Experience in shaping mobile-first experiences and ensuring effective translation into native mobile environments.

  • AI-Assisted Design Workflows: Curiosity and creativity in exploring and utilizing AI tools (e.g., Claude, Codex, Figma Make) to enhance design processes.

  • Data-Informed Design: Ability to use data analytics and user research to drive design decisions and measure impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The dual leveling (Level 3/4) indicates that candidates will be assessed on their ability to operate with increasing levels of autonomy and strategic influence. A strong portfolio showcasing the simplification of complex workflows is paramount. The preference for regulated environments highlights the critical nature of compliance and risk in Ebury's operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Demonstrated Product Thinking: Showcase how you identified user needs and business goals, and translated them into effective design solutions.

  • Complex Workflow Simplification: Provide detailed case studies demonstrating your ability to simplify intricate, multi-step processes (e.g., onboarding, verification, application flows).

  • End-to-End Design Process: Illustrate your involvement across the entire design lifecycle, from initial research and problem definition to final implementation and iteration.

  • User-Centricity & Data-Informed Decisions: Include examples where user research, data analysis, or A/B testing informed your design choices and led to measurable improvements.

  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Highlight projects where you successfully partnered with Product, Engineering, Operations, and Compliance teams to achieve project goals.

  • Visual Craft & Interaction Design: Present high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes that showcase your attention to detail in UI design and interaction patterns.

Process Documentation:

  • For each portfolio piece, be prepared to articulate:
    • The problem statement and its business/user impact.

    • Your design process and the methodologies used.

    • Key decisions and trade-offs made, and the rationale behind them.

    • How you collaborated with stakeholders and incorporated feedback.

    • The outcomes and impact of your design (quantifiable metrics where possible).

    • Lessons learned and areas for future improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on complex, regulated processes, the portfolio should strongly emphasize the ability to navigate and simplify these challenges. Demonstrating how designs balance user needs with compliance, risk, and operational efficiency will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

  • Estimated Range: £60,000 - £90,000 per annum (This is an estimate based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in London with experience in fintech and complex product areas. The actual salary will depend on the candidate's experience, skill level, and assessment during the interview process, with potential for higher compensation if hired at Level 4.)

Benefits:

  • Competitive starting salary.

  • Annual discretionary bonus, rewarding performance from day one.

  • Dedicated mentorship from experienced managers invested in career growth.

  • Access to cutting-edge, tailor-made tools and systems to enhance performance.

  • Clear, accelerated career progression pathways to leadership and specialist roles.

  • Dynamic and supportive company culture emphasizing teamwork and personal growth.

  • Generous benefits package tailored to location, typically including:

    • Health care provisions.

    • Social benefits. Working Hours:

  • Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week. The hybrid model offers flexibility, with 4 days in the office and 1 day working from home.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an informed estimate. The "Competitive Starting Salary" and "Annual Discretionary Bonus" suggest a performance-driven compensation structure. The benefits highlight Ebury's investment in employee development and well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech / Financial Services

Company Size: 2000+ employees. This scale suggests a well-established organization with robust processes, dedicated departments (including Ops, Compliance, Risk), and opportunities for specialization within product design. It also implies a need for designers who can work within a structured environment while still driving innovation.

Founded: 2009. Ebury has a significant history in the fintech space, indicating maturity, established market presence, and a track record of growth.

Team Structure:

  • The Product Design team likely operates within a broader Product or Technology department.

  • This role requires close collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, Data, Operations, Compliance, and Risk teams, suggesting a matrixed or agile team structure where cross-functional pods work on specific product areas.

  • Reporting is likely to a Head of Product Design, Design Lead, or a Senior Product Manager, with direct influence on product strategy and execution. Methodology:

  • Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using research, analytics, and user feedback to inform design decisions and measure impact.

  • Agile Development: Likely working within an agile framework, involving iterative development cycles, regular feedback loops, and close collaboration with engineering.

  • User-Centricity: A core principle, ensuring that customer needs and pain points are at the forefront of design solutions.

  • Process Optimization: A key focus for this role, aiming to streamline complex workflows for both internal users and external customers.

Company Website: https://ebury.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Ebury's focus on helping businesses operate and scale globally, combined with its fintech nature, means the company culture likely values efficiency, internationalization, and robust solutions. The "2000+ Eburians across nearly 70 cities" highlights a global and diverse workforce.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-to-Senior level Product Designer, with potential to be hired at Level 3 or Level 4. This indicates a need for seasoned designers who can operate with significant autonomy, mentor junior colleagues, and influence product strategy. The responsibilities include owning complex product areas and collaborating across critical business functions.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a Design Lead, Head of Product Design, or a Senior Product Manager. They will work in close collaboration with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and stakeholders from Operations, Compliance, and Risk. This structure allows for both focused execution and broad strategic input.

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts Ebury's ability to acquire and retain customers by simplifying the critical onboarding and activation processes. Successful designs will reduce friction for new businesses, improve conversion rates, enhance regulatory compliance, and optimize operational efficiency, thereby contributing directly to revenue growth and customer satisfaction.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Specialization: Deepen expertise in fintech product design, particularly in regulated areas like onboarding, compliance, and risk management.

  • Leadership: Progress to a Senior Product Designer (Level 4) or Lead Product Designer role, taking on more strategic responsibilities and potentially managing design projects or a small team.

  • Cross-functional Influence: Develop skills in influencing product strategy and roadmaps across multiple departments.

  • Mentorship: Gain experience through Ebury's dedicated mentorship program, both as a mentee and potentially as a mentor to junior designers.

  • Skill Development: Opportunities to explore and integrate AI tools and advanced design methodologies, keeping pace with industry innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The dual leveling implies that candidates demonstrating strong product judgment, strategic thinking, and leadership potential will be considered for the higher level, offering a clear growth trajectory within the role itself.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Ebury operates a hybrid work model, with employees expected to be in the central London office 4 days per week and work from home 1 day per week. This suggests a balance between in-person collaboration and flexible working.

Office Location(s): The role is based in their central London office, described as having excellent transport links. This location is a significant advantage for accessibility and for tapping into London's rich talent pool.

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model encourages collaboration, with dedicated office days for team meetings, workshops, brainstorming sessions, and spontaneous interactions with cross-functional teams.

  • Technology & Tools: Access to modern design tools, including AI-assisted workflows, and the company's proprietary platform, which are designed to enable high performance.

  • Team Interaction: Opportunities to engage with design peers, product managers, engineers, and stakeholders from operations, compliance, and risk, fostering a holistic understanding of the product and its ecosystem.

Work Schedule: The standard work week is likely 40 hours, with the hybrid arrangement providing some flexibility in terms of where the work is performed on designated remote days. This structure supports focused individual work and collaborative team activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is becoming standard, and Ebury's implementation (4 days in office) suggests a strong emphasis on in-person collaboration for critical design and development activities.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio by the Talent Acquisition team.

  • Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the Hiring Manager (Fabienne Zigrit) to assess your experience, approach, and fit for the role and team. This will likely focus on your product thinking and understanding of complex workflows.

  • Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: A session where you present your portfolio, focusing on relevant case studies. This may be combined with a take-home design challenge or a live design exercise to assess your problem-solving skills, design craft, and ability to articulate your process. Expect to discuss how you'd approach designing for onboarding, activation, or a similar complex flow.

  • Cross-functional Team Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product, Engineering, Operations, Compliance, and Risk to evaluate your collaboration skills and understanding of business constraints.

  • Final Interview/Offer: A concluding discussion, potentially with a senior leader, to finalize the decision and extend an offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best demonstrate your experience with complex workflows, onboarding/activation, regulated environments, and end-to-end design ownership.

  • Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, the challenges faced, your solutions, and the measurable impact. Focus on why you made certain decisions.

  • Highlight Collaboration: Showcase how you partnered with cross-functional teams, especially Product, Engineering, and Operations, to achieve outcomes.

  • Emphasize Simplification: Clearly explain how your designs simplified complex processes and balanced user needs with business, regulatory, and operational requirements.

  • Showcase Craft: Present high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes that demonstrate your attention to detail in UI and interaction design.

  • Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design rationale, trade-offs, handling of ambiguity, and how you approach balancing competing priorities.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Understand the Context: If given a take-home challenge, thoroughly research Ebury, its products, and the fintech industry. Consider the regulatory landscape.

  • Focus on Process: Be ready to explain your thought process, even if you don't have a "perfect" solution. Demonstrate how you break down problems, research, and iterate.

  • Address Constraints: Show that you understand and can design within constraints (e.g., compliance, operational efficiency, technical limitations).

  • Practice Presentation: Rehearse presenting your work concisely and engagingly, ensuring you can cover key aspects within the allotted time.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only design skills but also the ability to navigate complex business realities. A strong portfolio that directly addresses the role's core requirements (onboarding, activation, regulated environments) will be a significant advantage.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly likely given industry standards and its design system capabilities). Experience with other tools like Sketch or Adobe XD may be transferable.

  • AI-Assisted Tools: Claude, Codex, Figma Make, or similar AI-powered tools for accelerating exploration, prototyping, and workflow enhancement.

  • User Research Tools: Tools for conducting user interviews, usability testing, and surveys (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback).

Analytics & Reporting:

  • Analytics Platforms: Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or similar tools for tracking user behavior, onboarding funnel progression, and activation metrics.

  • Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, or internal dashboards for understanding user data and operational performance.

CRM & Automation:

  • CRM System: While not a direct CRM role, understanding how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) integrates with user journeys and operational processes is beneficial.

  • Internal Tools: Familiarity with internal operational dashboards and workflow management tools used by Compliance, Risk, and Operations teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is almost a given for this type of role. The explicit mention of AI tools indicates a desire for candidates who are adaptable and open to leveraging new technologies to improve design efficiency and effectiveness.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of Ebury's business clients.

  • Innovation & Efficiency: Driving continuous improvement in both product features and operational processes to enable global growth.

  • Collaboration & Transparency: Working effectively across teams, sharing knowledge, and fostering an open communication environment.

  • Data-Driven Decision Making: Relying on evidence, research, and analytics to guide product development and strategic choices.

  • Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for outcomes and driving initiatives to completion.

  • Adaptability & Resilience: Thriving in a fast-paced, evolving fintech environment, especially within regulated domains.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-functional Integration: A strong emphasis on working closely with Product, Engineering, Data, Operations, Compliance, and Risk teams. This involves active participation in planning, feedback sessions, and problem-solving.

  • Design Critiques & Reviews: A culture of constructive feedback within the design team and with cross-functional partners to elevate the quality of work.

  • Iterative Development: A collaborative approach to design and development, embracing feedback loops and iterative improvements based on user testing and data.

  • Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, learnings, and insights across the team and wider organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Ebury's values likely align with the core tenets of a successful fintech company: speed, efficiency, global reach, and a strong ethical framework driven by compliance and risk management. The emphasis on collaboration is key, given the cross-functional nature of the role.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Balancing Competing Priorities: Effectively managing the needs of end-users, business goals, stringent regulatory requirements (KYC/KYB, compliance), and operational efficiency simultaneously.

  • Simplifying Complexity: Transforming intricate, multi-step processes into intuitive and seamless user experiences.

  • Navigating Ambiguity: Working in a dynamic fintech environment where requirements can evolve, and initial problem definitions may be broad.

  • Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring buy-in and effective collaboration across diverse teams with potentially different priorities and perspectives.

  • Technical & Platform Constraints: Designing within the limitations and capabilities of Ebury's existing technology stack and future roadmap.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Deep Fintech Domain Expertise: Gaining in-depth knowledge of financial services, international business transactions, and regulatory compliance specific to fintech.

  • Advanced Design Methodologies: Exploring and applying cutting-edge design techniques, including AI-assisted design, to solve complex problems.

  • Cross-functional Acumen: Developing a strong understanding of how Product, Engineering, Operations, Compliance, and Risk functions operate and contribute to business success.

  • Career Progression: Clear pathways to advance to Senior (Level 4) or Lead Designer roles, with opportunities for increased scope, impact, and leadership.

  • Mentorship: Access to experienced professionals for guidance and career development support.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in the intersection of user experience design with the rigorous demands of a regulated financial industry. Success requires not just design skill but also strategic thinking and strong stakeholder management.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you had to simplify a complex, multi-step process for users. What was your approach, what were the challenges, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on process, trade-offs, and impact).

  • "How do you balance user needs with regulatory requirements and operational constraints in your designs? Provide an example." (Assess understanding of Ebury's context).

  • "Walk us through a project where you collaborated closely with Product, Engineering, and Compliance/Risk teams. What was your role, and how did you ensure alignment?" (Evaluate collaboration and communication skills).

  • "How would you approach designing an identity verification flow for a new business customer that is both user-friendly and compliant with KYC/KYB regulations?" (Test problem-solving and domain knowledge).

  • "Describe your experience using data and user research to inform your design decisions. How do you measure the success of your designs?" (Gauge analytical and data-driven approach). Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What interests you about Ebury and our mission to help businesses grow globally?" (Show genuine interest and research).

  • "How do you contribute to a positive and productive design culture within a team?" (Assess cultural fit and collaboration style).

  • "Based on your understanding of Ebury, what do you see as the biggest design challenges for our onboarding and activation processes?" (Demonstrate strategic thinking and proactive analysis). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Structure: Begin with a high-level overview of Ebury and the role. Then, dive into your selected case studies, clearly outlining the problem, your approach, key decisions, and outcomes.

  • Focus on Relevance: Prioritize projects that showcase experience with complex workflows, onboarding, identity verification, or regulated industries.

  • Quantify Impact: Use metrics whenever possible to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced drop-off, improved efficiency).

  • Articulate Trade-offs: Be prepared to discuss difficult decisions you had to make and why. This shows critical thinking.

  • Engage and Discuss: Treat it as a conversation. Be open to questions and ready to elaborate on your process and rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare specific examples that directly address the requirements of designing for complex, regulated financial processes. The ability to articulate your thought process and demonstrate how you balance competing needs will be critical.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

  • Submit your application through the official Ebury careers portal via the provided link.

  • Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight 2-3 key projects that best align with the role's emphasis on complex workflow simplification, onboarding/activation, and regulated environments. Ensure each project clearly articulates the problem, your process, solutions, and measurable impact.

  • Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly details your experience in UX/Product Design, specifically mentioning any relevant work in fintech, financial services, or regulated industries. Use keywords from the job description such as "onboarding," "activation," "KYC/KYB," "compliance," "interaction design," and "cross-functional collaboration."

  • Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and rationale for key projects. Prepare answers to common interview questions, focusing on how you handle complexity, balance competing requirements, and collaborate with cross-functional teams. Rehearse your portfolio presentation.

  • Company Research: Thoroughly research Ebury, its mission, products, and the fintech landscape. Understand their commitment to global growth, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. 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.

Application Requirements

Candidates must have relevant professional experience in UX or Product Design with a portfolio demonstrating complex workflow simplification. Experience in fintech or regulated environments and proficiency in designing for compliance, identity verification, and risk-heavy products is highly desirable.