Senior Product Designer - Sell Online

SumUp
Full-time•Berlin, Germany
Apply Now

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer - Sell Online

Company: SumUp

Location: Berlin, Germany

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations (Design Focus)

Date Posted: October 29, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (Office-first setup in Berlin)

🚀 Role Summary

  • Spearhead end-to-end product design for SumUp's crucial "Sell Online" products, including Bookings and Online Store functionalities, ensuring a cohesive and high-quality user experience.

  • Drive the visual craft and user-centered design approach across multiple product squads, collaborating closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and fellow Designers to translate complex requirements into intuitive and visually compelling interfaces.

  • Significantly contribute to the evolution and scalability of SumUp's design system, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and a unified brand aesthetic across a growing portfolio of fintech solutions for small businesses.

  • Leverage qualitative research and user data to inform strategic design decisions, validate solutions, and champion a user-centric mindset throughout the product development lifecycle, directly impacting merchant success.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is "Product Designer," its focus on end-to-end ownership, cross-functional collaboration with product management and engineering, and impact on merchant growth aligns closely with GTM operations principles, particularly in ensuring the product itself is designed for seamless adoption and revenue generation. The "Sell Online" aspect specifically targets the operational capabilities of small businesses.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Lead the complete design lifecycle for Bookings and Online Store products, from initial concept generation and user flow mapping to the creation of polished, high-fidelity UI designs ready for development.

  • Develop and refine visually compelling interfaces, including custom iconography and illustrations, to elevate the quality and maintain consistency across SumUp's product portfolio.

  • Manage design responsibilities across multiple product squads simultaneously, fostering strong collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, and other designers to maintain alignment between design vision and development execution.

  • Actively contribute to the expansion and enhancement of SumUp's design system, ensuring its scalability and consistent application across new and existing product features.

  • Utilize qualitative user research methodologies and quantitative user data to inform design choices, validate proposed solutions, and ensure all shipped features are user-centric and effective for small business owners.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "manage multiple workstreams and stakeholders across different product areas at the same time" highlights a critical operations-like skill in resource and project management within a complex GTM environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, or a related field is often preferred for Senior roles. Candidates demonstrating equivalent practical experience will be strongly considered.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in product design, with a proven track record of end-to-end design ownership in a professional setting.

Required Skills:

  • A strong, demonstrable portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design expertise, including wireframes, user flows, and high-fidelity UI, with a clear emphasis on visual craft, typography, and layout principles.

  • Proven experience designing customer-facing products for both web and mobile platforms, ideally within e-commerce, online bookings, or similar consumer-facing fintech contexts.

  • Demonstrated ability to work with, contribute to, and scale design systems effectively across complex product portfolios.

  • Proficiency in managing multiple concurrent workstreams and effectively engaging with diverse stakeholders across various product domains.

  • A highly collaborative and curious mindset, with excellent listening skills, adaptability, and the ability to navigate ambiguity while maintaining project momentum and delivering results. Preferred Skills:

  • Experience with qualitative research techniques and user data analysis to drive design insights.

  • Familiarity with A/B testing methodologies to validate design hypotheses.

  • Proficiency in prototyping tools for creating interactive user experiences.

  • Experience working within an Agile development environment.

  • Understanding of Go-to-Market (GTM) strategies and how design contributes to product adoption and merchant success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "visual craft, typography, and layout" combined with "end-to-end product design" and "design systems at scale" points to a need for a designer who can not only create beautiful interfaces but also ensure they are functional, consistent, and maintainable – key operational considerations for a growing product suite.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • A comprehensive portfolio that clearly illustrates end-to-end product design processes, from initial problem definition and user research to final UI implementation and iteration.

  • Case studies demonstrating a strong understanding of user-centered design principles, with clear articulation of design decisions, trade-offs, and their impact on user experience and business goals.

  • Examples showcasing contributions to or the creation of design systems, highlighting how consistency, scalability, and efficiency were achieved.

  • Demonstrations of visual design proficiency, including examples of high-fidelity UI, typography, layout, iconography, and illustration that meet a high standard of craft.

  • Evidence of experience managing multiple design projects or workstreams concurrently, with a focus on stakeholder communication and cross-functional collaboration. Process Documentation:

  • Showcase of how user research and data are integrated into the design process to inform decisions and validate solutions.

  • Examples of creating detailed user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes to communicate design intent and gather feedback.

  • Demonstrations of how design quality and consistency are maintained through design system contributions and adherence to best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior Product Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. It serves as the primary evidence of the candidate's ability to execute complex design projects, manage multiple priorities, and contribute to scalable design infrastructure – all critical operational aspects of product development.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on SumUp's typical compensation for Senior Product Designers in Berlin, Germany, and considering the role's responsibilities and the company's size (over 3,000 employees), a competitive salary range is estimated between €75,000 - €95,000 annually. This range is dependent on the candidate's specific experience, skills, and interview performance.

Benefits:

  • Virtual Stock Option Programme: Opportunity to own a stake in SumUp's future success.

  • Annual L&D Budget: €2000 for individual professional development, including conferences and further education.

  • Corporate Pension Scheme: SumUp matches up to 20% of employee contributions.

  • Generous Time Off: 28 days of paid leave annually, plus public holidays and special leave days.

  • Urban Sports Club Subsidy: Access to a wide range of sports and fitness facilities.

  • Kita Placement Assistance: Support with finding childcare.

  • Subsidised Office Lunches: Convenient and cost-effective meal options.

  • Break4me Sabbatical: A 1-month paid sabbatical after 3 years of service.

  • Referral Bonus: Rewards for successfully referring new talent to SumUp.

Working Hours: The role likely adheres to standard full-time working hours, with an estimated 40 hours per week. Given the "office-first setup," a degree of flexibility within the standard workday is expected, allowing for effective collaboration across different time zones and product squads.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in major European tech hubs like Berlin, considering SumUp's established presence in the fintech sector and its competitive benefits package. The "office-first setup" suggests a hybrid model where in-office presence is expected, likely for collaborative design sessions and team integration.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech, Financial Services, Software Development. SumUp operates within the dynamic and rapidly evolving fintech landscape, providing essential digital tools for small businesses to manage payments, finance, and customer relationships, thereby playing a critical role in enabling entrepreneurship.

Company Size: Over 3,000 employees. This indicates a mature, well-established organization with structured processes, dedicated departments, and significant resources for product development and global expansion. For operations professionals, this means opportunities for specialization, working within defined frameworks, and potential for career advancement within a large entity.

Founded: SumUp was founded with the mission to empower small businesses, and its growth to over 3,000 employees across 37 markets highlights a strong, scalable business model and a commitment to global reach. This history implies a culture that values innovation, adaptability, and a deep understanding of merchant needs.

Team Structure:

  • The Sell Online team is a cross-functional design team embedded within multiple product squads, indicating a decentralized yet cohesive structure where designers work closely with Product Managers and Engineers.

  • Reporting likely involves a Design Lead or Head of Design, with Senior Designers taking ownership of specific product areas and contributing to broader design strategy.

  • Collaboration is inherently cross-functional, requiring strong partnerships with product management, engineering, marketing, and potentially user research teams to ensure cohesive product development and Go-to-Market strategies. Methodology:

  • Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using qualitative research and user data to inform design decisions and validate solutions.

  • Agile Development: Implied by the cross-functional squad structure and the need for close collaboration with engineers, suggesting iterative design and development cycles.

  • Design System Centricity: Active contribution to and utilization of a design system to ensure scalability, consistency, and efficiency in design and development.

Company Website: https://sumup.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The description of SumUp's mission and global reach suggests a company culture that is ambitious, customer-centric, and values diversity. The "office-first setup" in Berlin indicates a preference for in-person collaboration, which can foster stronger team cohesion and more dynamic design sprints.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer. This level signifies a high degree of autonomy, ownership, and strategic contribution. Senior designers are expected to not only execute complex design tasks but also to influence product strategy, mentor junior designers, and drive best practices within the design team and across product squads. Their impact is measured by the quality of the user experience, the efficiency of the design process, and ultimately, the success of the "Sell Online" products in empowering merchants.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into a Design Lead or Head of Design within the "Sell Online" product area, while working closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads within their respective squads. This matrixed reporting structure is common in agile environments and requires strong communication and collaboration skills.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer's work directly impacts the operational capabilities of millions of small businesses. By creating intuitive online stores, efficient booking systems, and seamless customer management tools, the designer empowers merchants to streamline their operations, increase sales, and grow their businesses. This role is critical in translating SumUp's mission into tangible, user-friendly tools that drive merchant revenue and satisfaction.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Lead Product Designer role, managing a team of designers, or specializing in a specific product domain within SumUp.

  • Strategic Influence: Opportunities to influence product roadmaps, contribute to company-wide design strategy, and take on more complex, high-impact design challenges.

  • Skill Development: Access to a €2000 annual L&D budget for professional growth, including attending industry conferences, taking courses, and developing expertise in areas like user research, advanced UI/UX, or product strategy.

  • Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and contribute to the overall growth and development of the design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "owning end-to-end design" and "managing multiple workstreams" for a Senior role highlights the operational aspects of design management, requiring strategic thinking and execution capabilities beyond pure creative output.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: SumUp operates with an "office-first setup" in Berlin. This suggests a hybrid work model where employees are expected to be in the office regularly to foster collaboration, team cohesion, and a strong company culture. The environment is likely modern, dynamic, and designed to support cross-functional teamwork.

Office Location(s): The role is based in Berlin, Germany. SumUp's Berlin office is a central hub for many of its global operations, offering a vibrant workspace that reflects the company's international and innovative spirit.

Workspace Context:

  • The workspace is designed to facilitate collaboration, with opportunities for spontaneous interactions, design critiques, and joint problem-solving sessions with colleagues from product management, engineering, and other design disciplines.

  • Access to necessary design tools, software, and potentially dedicated spaces for user research or brainstorming sessions will be provided.

  • The environment encourages a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing, with opportunities to engage with a diverse international team.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time work schedule (estimated 40 hours/week) is expected, with flexibility to accommodate collaboration across different time zones and product development sprints. The office-first approach implies a need for consistent presence during core working hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "office-first setup" indicates a preference for in-person collaboration, which is crucial for complex design work and team synergy. This environment is designed to facilitate the rapid iteration and feedback loops essential in product development.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

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

  • Portfolio Review: Initial screening will focus on your portfolio's demonstration of end-to-end design process, visual craft, and relevant experience.

  • Hiring Manager/Recruiter Screen: A conversation to assess overall fit, experience, and understanding of the role's requirements.

  • Design Challenge/Case Study: Typically, a take-home assignment or an in-interview exercise to evaluate your problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to apply design principles to a specific problem relevant to SumUp's products.

  • Interviews with Design Team & Cross-functional Partners: Discussions with fellow designers, Product Managers, and Engineers to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and technical proficiency.

  • Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss strategic alignment and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate end-to-end design ownership, visual craft, and experience with design systems or similar complex product challenges.

  • Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, iteration, final solution), the challenges encountered, and the measurable impact of your design. Use visuals effectively to support your narrative.

  • Highlight Visual Craft: Ensure high-fidelity mockups, typography, iconography, and overall UI polish are showcased clearly.

  • Showcase Process: Detail your user flows, wireframes, and how you used research and data to inform your decisions.

  • Design System Contribution: If applicable, clearly outline your involvement with design systems, showing how you maintained consistency and scalability.

  • Tailor to SumUp: If possible, subtly align your project examples with SumUp's focus on small businesses, fintech, or e-commerce.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Understand the Context: Thoroughly research SumUp, its products (especially "Sell Online"), its target audience (small businesses), and its competitors.

  • Focus on Process: For any design challenge, emphasize your thought process, how you approach problem-solving, and how you would use user-centered methods to arrive at a solution, rather than just presenting a polished final UI.

  • Consider Constraints: Be prepared to discuss trade-offs, feasibility, and how you would balance design quality with development timelines and business objectives.

  • Practice Articulation: Be ready to clearly and concisely present your work and rationale, anticipating questions about your decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "visual craft" and "end-to-end design" in the requirements suggests the portfolio review will be rigorous, looking for both aesthetic quality and a solid understanding of the entire product development lifecycle from a design perspective.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Design & Prototyping: Figma is the industry standard and highly likely to be SumUp's primary tool for UI design, wireframing, and prototyping.

  • Design Systems: Proficiency in contributing to and utilizing design systems is crucial. This involves understanding component-based design and maintaining consistency.

  • User Research Tools: Experience with tools for conducting user interviews, usability testing, and analyzing qualitative feedback (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback).

  • Data Analysis Tools: Familiarity with tools that provide user behavior data and analytics (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to inform design decisions.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • While not directly a designer's tool, understanding how to interpret data from analytics platforms is key to informing design strategy and measuring impact. CRM & Automation:

  • Not directly used by designers, but an understanding of how design impacts CRM and automation workflows for merchants could be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the de facto standard for modern product design teams, especially in fast-paced tech companies like SumUp. A Senior designer is expected to be an expert user, capable of leveraging its full potential for collaboration and design system management.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • Empower Small Businesses: A core value that drives product development, ensuring that all design decisions ultimately serve to help merchants thrive.

  • Global Collaboration: Working with a diverse, international team requires strong communication, empathy, and an inclusive mindset.

  • Innovation & Adaptability: The fintech industry demands continuous innovation and the ability to adapt to market changes and technological advancements.

  • Quality & Craftsmanship: A commitment to delivering high-quality, visually appealing, and user-friendly products.

  • Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing research and analytics to ensure design choices are informed and impactful.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-functional Partnership: Design is integrated into product squads, working hand-in-hand with Product Managers and Engineers. This fosters a collaborative environment where ideas are shared freely and decisions are made collectively.

  • Design Critiques & Feedback: A culture of constructive feedback is essential for design quality and team growth. Regular design reviews and critiques are likely standard practice.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: SumUp's emphasis on "empowering small businesses" and its diverse, global team suggests a culture that is mission-driven, inclusive, and values collaboration across different backgrounds and expertise.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Balancing Multiple Workstreams: Effectively managing design responsibilities across several product squads simultaneously requires strong prioritization, time management, and communication skills.

  • Maintaining Design Consistency at Scale: As SumUp's product portfolio grows, ensuring visual and interaction consistency across all offerings while contributing to and evolving the design system can be a significant challenge.

  • Integrating Diverse User Needs: Designing for a global user base of small businesses with varying needs, technical proficiencies, and cultural contexts requires deep empathy and research.

  • Navigating Ambiguity: Working in a fast-paced fintech environment often involves evolving requirements and priorities, requiring designers to be comfortable with ambiguity and adaptable in their approach.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like interaction design, visual design, user research, or accessibility.

  • Product Strategy: Involvement in higher-level product discussions and strategic planning, influencing the direction of SumUp's "Sell Online" offerings.

  • Mentorship & Leadership: Potential to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, or transition into team lead roles.

  • Industry Exposure: The €2000 annual L&D budget allows for attending industry conferences (e.g., UX, product design, fintech events) to stay abreast of the latest trends and network with peers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role's inherent complexity, involving multiple product areas and a growing design system, presents significant opportunities for a Senior Designer to hone their project management, strategic thinking, and leadership skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe a time you owned an end-to-end design project for a complex product. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on your process, decision-making, and impact.)

  • "How do you approach balancing multiple design projects simultaneously? What strategies do you use for prioritization and stakeholder management?" (Highlight your organizational and communication skills.)

  • "Walk us through your process for contributing to or evolving a design system. What are the key considerations for ensuring scalability and consistency?" (Demonstrate your understanding of design systems and their operational importance.)

  • "Tell us about a time you used user research or data to significantly influence a design decision. What was the outcome?" (Showcase your user-centric approach and ability to translate insights into action.) Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What excites you about SumUp's mission to empower small businesses?" (Connect your values to the company's mission.)

  • "How do you ensure inclusivity and accessibility in your design work?" (Demonstrate awareness of diverse user needs.)

  • "Describe your ideal collaboration style with Product Managers and Engineers." (Highlight your cross-functional teamwork approach.)

  • "What are your thoughts on our current 'Sell Online' products? How might you approach improving the user experience?" (Show you've done your research and can think critically.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Structure Your Narrative: For each project, start with the business/user problem, your role and responsibilities, the design process, key decisions and rationale, challenges, and the final outcome/impact (quantify if possible).

  • Highlight Visual Craft: Ensure your high-fidelity mockups are presented clearly and professionally, showcasing your attention to detail in typography, layout, and iconography.

  • Emphasize Process: Dedicate time to explaining your wireframing, user flow mapping, and research methodologies. Show your iterations and how you responded to feedback.

  • Articulate Impact: Clearly state what your design achieved – e.g., increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction, reduced task completion time, enhanced operational efficiency for merchants.

  • Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, trade-offs, and how you would handle specific scenarios.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to be thorough, assessing not only design skills but also strategic thinking, collaboration capabilities, and alignment with SumUp's mission and values. A well-prepared portfolio presentation is crucial for demonstrating end-to-end design ownership and impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

  • Submit your application via the SumUp Careers portal, ensuring you include a link to your online portfolio.

  • Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate end-to-end design ownership, strong visual craft, experience with design systems, and work on web/mobile customer-facing products, ideally in e-commerce or similar contexts.

  • Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your years of experience, specific skills (Figma, design systems, user research), and achievements in previous roles, using keywords from the job description.

  • Company Research: Familiarize yourself with SumUp's mission, values, "Sell Online" products (Bookings, Online Store), and target audience (small businesses). Understand their competitive landscape.

  • Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and the impact of your work, especially for the projects you feature in your portfolio. Be ready to discuss how your skills align with SumUp's culture and the demands of the role.

⚠️ 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

Requires a strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end product design with a focus on visual craft and typography. Experience in e-commerce or consumer-facing products and the ability to work with design systems at scale are essential.