Senior Product Designer (Up)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Up (Ferocia)

Location: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / Fin-Tech Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-11

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end product design lifecycle for critical savings and home loan experiences within a Fin-Tech environment.

• Drive innovation and user empowerment by solving complex financial problems with a unique, human-centered approach.

• Collaborate intimately with cross-functional teams, including Product, Engineering, Brand, and Leadership, to shape strategy and deliver impactful features.

• Focus on meticulous craftsmanship, from micro-interactions to holistic systems, ensuring a seamless and emotionally resonant user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Product Designer," the responsibilities and requirements point to a role deeply integrated with the operational aspects of product development and Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy within a Fin-Tech context. This role requires not just design execution but also strategic thinking, systems thinking, and a strong understanding of the product development lifecycle, which are core to Revenue and Sales Operations functions. The emphasis on "financial inclusion" and "empowerment" suggests a strategic GTM focus on user adoption and retention through exceptional product experience.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the full design process for savings and home loan products, from initial ideation and user research to final shipped features.

• Conduct comprehensive user research, including feedback analysis, interviews, and data interpretation, to identify opportunities and inform design decisions.

• Develop innovative financial product solutions that are uniquely "Up," focusing on user emotions, financial management behaviors, and app interaction.

• Apply deep systems thinking to map complex financial product interactions, dependencies, and ensure a holistic user experience across multiple touchpoints.

• Collaborate closely with Product, Design, and Leadership teams to define product roadmaps, refine concepts, and contribute to long-term strategic planning.

• Create high-fidelity interactive prototypes and design concepts to effectively communicate ideas to diverse audiences, including engineering and marketing.

• Partner with engineering teams to ensure the delivery of high-quality features within established timelines, assisting with scoping, prioritization, and adaptation.

• Work with Marketing and Support teams to guarantee a consistent and excellent user experience across all customer touchpoints, supporting GTM initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a proactive role in strategy definition, product roadmap influence, and cross-functional alignment, which are critical functions often overseen by GTM Operations or Product Operations leaders. The emphasis on "shipping high-quality features within delivery timeframes" and "supporting GTM initiatives" directly ties into operational efficiency and market readiness.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent knowledge and practical application of design principles is essential.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of experience designing and delivering end-to-end projects, preferably within SaaS, consumer products, or the Fin-Tech industry, or in a digital agency environment.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Proven ability to manage the entire product design lifecycle, from concept ideation to successful launch.

• Interaction & Visual Design Craftsmanship: Exceptional skills in creating visually pleasing aesthetics, nuanced micro-interactions, and complex multi-step user flows.

• Systems Thinking: Demonstrated capacity to understand and design for complex systems, including mapping interactions and dependencies across various touchpoints.

• User Research & Analysis: Proficiency in gathering and interpreting user feedback, conducting interviews, and analyzing data to derive actionable product insights.

• Prototyping & Fidelity: Ability to create concepts and interactive prototypes at various levels of fidelity for effective communication.

• Problem-Solving & Product Acumen: Strong ability to understand customer needs, motivations, and behaviors, translating them into tangible product opportunities.

• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate ideas, provide sound reasoning, and influence stakeholders through storytelling.

• Agile Development Understanding: Familiarity with agile engineering development processes and the ability to collaborate effectively within these frameworks.

• Front-end Technical Knowledge: A general understanding of front-end technologies and their implications for design implementation.

• Autonomy & Ambiguity Tolerance: Demonstrated ability to work autonomously, navigate ambiguity, and thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

• Passion for Innovation: A proactive drive to push boundaries, challenge the status quo, and a strong eagerness to learn and grow.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience specifically within the Fin-Tech industry.

• Experience designing for consumer financial products (e.g., savings, loans, investments).

• Familiarity with data analysis tools and methodologies for user behavior insights.

• Experience in a digital agency environment, contributing to diverse client projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "end-to-end projects," "systems thinking," "data analysis," and "collaboration with engineering" indicates a need for operational rigor in the design process. Skills like understanding agile, front-end knowledge, and autonomy are crucial for efficient product delivery and integration into operational workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Present 2-3 comprehensive case studies that clearly demonstrate your involvement in the entire product lifecycle, from initial problem identification to final shipped product.

• Process & Methodology Documentation: For each case study, articulate your design process, including user research methods, ideation techniques, prototyping tools used, and how you arrived at key design decisions.

• Systemic Thinking Showcase: Include examples where you've tackled complex systems or multi-touchpoint experiences, illustrating your ability to map dependencies and ensure holistic user journeys.

• Impact & Outcome Demonstration: Quantify the impact of your design work wherever possible. This could include metrics on user engagement, conversion rates, task completion improvements, or qualitative feedback that highlights user empowerment.

• Craftsmanship Examples: Showcase your interaction and visual design skills through detailed examples, including micro-interactions, animations, and polished UI elements.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Demonstrate how you've identified inefficiencies in existing user flows or designed new, optimized workflows for complex financial tasks.

• Implementation & Collaboration: Illustrate how you've collaborated with engineering teams to ensure accurate implementation of designs, including any adaptation or problem-solving during the development phase.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: If possible, show how you've used data or user feedback post-launch to measure the success of your designs and identify areas for further iteration or improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process explicitly requires a portfolio presentation, highlighting its critical role. The emphasis on "end-to-end," "systems thinking," "impact," and "collaboration" directly aligns with the operational need to demonstrate process efficiency, problem-solving, and measurable results in product development.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $135,000 - $165,000 AUD per year. This range is competitive for a Senior Product Designer role in Melbourne, reflecting the Fin-Tech industry and the significant responsibilities associated with leading product experiences.

Benefits:

• Generous Leave Policy: Ample paid time off for rest and rejuvenation.

• Comprehensive Parental Policy: Supportive benefits for new parents.

• Prime City Office: Access to a well-equipped and desirable office space in Melbourne.

• Office Perks: Includes rooftop access, on-site gym, and access to a personal trainer.

• Recreational Facilities: On-site games and social spaces to foster team camaraderie.

• Professional Development Budget: Dedicated funds for personal growth, training courses, and certifications.

• Conference Attendance: Budget allocated for attending industry conferences, enabling learning and networking.

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

• Home Loan Rebates: Financial benefits for employees utilizing the company's home loan products (subject to conditions).

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated as fixed, the "Hybrid" work arrangement and the "startup-like" operational environment suggest a standard full-time commitment (approximately 40 hours per week) with potential for flexibility, common in fast-paced tech roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided, typical for senior roles in Melbourne's tech sector. The benefits package is comprehensive, emphasizing work-life balance, professional development, and employee well-being, which are key considerations for operations professionals looking for long-term stability and growth.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fin-Tech, Financial Services, Software Development. Ferocia operates at the intersection of technology and finance, aiming to make financial services accessible and empowering.

Company Size: Small team within the larger Bendigo and Adelaide Bank family. This "small company agility with large company reach" model offers a unique operational dynamic, balancing startup speed with corporate stability.

Founded: Ferocia was founded in 2011, with Up launching later as a digital platform for Bendigo Bank. This history provides a foundation of experience and innovation in the digital financial space.

Team Structure:

• Design Team: A small, dedicated design team, including Product Designers and potentially specialists. The role reports to the Head of Design, Sylvain.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Operates in small teams, fostering close collaboration between Product, Design, Engineering, Brand, Marketing, and Leadership. This structure is ideal for agile product development and efficient GTM processes.

• Reporting Lines: Direct reporting to the Head of Design, with significant collaboration across product and engineering leadership.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Insights: Utilizes user feedback and data analysis to inform design and product strategy, a core tenet of effective operations.

• Agile Development: Employs agile methodologies for efficient and iterative product delivery, crucial for fast-paced GTM cycles.

• User-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding user needs, emotions, and behaviors to create empowering financial tools.

• Innovation & Disruption: Encourages challenging the status quo and pushing technological boundaries, reflecting a proactive operational mindset.

Company Website: https://up.com.au/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes agility, innovation, and user empowerment within the Fin-Tech space. The "small team" dynamic suggests a highly collaborative and fast-paced operational environment where individuals can have a significant impact on product strategy and execution, aligning well with GTM and RevOps principles.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is designated as "Senior Product Designer," indicating a high level of autonomy, strategic input, and responsibility. It sits above junior or mid-level designers, requiring leadership in design execution and contributing to product strategy.

Reporting Structure: You will report directly to Sylvain, the Head of Design. This provides direct access to design leadership and strategic direction. Collaboration will be extensive with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and other cross-functional stakeholders, allowing for broad exposure to operational decision-making.

Operations Impact: As a Senior Product Designer, your impact extends beyond aesthetics to directly influence user acquisition, engagement, and retention through the design of critical financial products. By creating intuitive and empowering experiences for savings and home loans, you will directly contribute to the company's mission of financial inclusion and empowerment, impacting key business metrics relevant to GTM and Revenue Operations.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into lead design roles, managing larger product areas or even a design team as the company scales.

• Strategic Product Influence: Deepen involvement in product strategy and roadmap definition, moving towards a Product Owner or Product Management track if desired.

• Fin-Tech Specialization: Become a recognized expert in designing complex financial products, a highly valuable skill set in the growing Fin-Tech market.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Develop a comprehensive understanding of the entire product development and GTM lifecycle, enhancing your value in operations-centric roles.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant growth potential, not just within design but also into strategic product and operations leadership. The emphasis on "shaping our long-term strategy" and "influencing our roadmap" points to opportunities to impact the operational direction of product development and GTM.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, requiring physical presence in the Melbourne office for collaboration and team engagement. The company values in-person interaction.

Office Location(s): Melbourne, or adjacent areas including Bendigo. The primary office is in Melbourne.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office is designed to foster collaboration, with amenities like a rooftop, gym, and games area. This encourages informal interactions and team building, crucial for effective cross-functional operations.

• Resource Rich: Access to a well-equipped office environment with the necessary tools and technology to support design work.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with a small, passionate team, promoting a strong sense of camaraderie and shared purpose.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time work schedule is expected, likely around 40 hours per week. The hybrid nature offers a blend of remote flexibility and in-office collaboration, allowing for focused work and team integration. This structure supports the operational need for both individual deep work and collaborative problem-solving sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model and emphasis on in-person collaboration suggest a structured yet flexible work environment, conducive to the operational rhythms of product development and GTM planning, where team synergy is key.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Stage 1: Intro Chat & Career Review (30 min): Initial conversation with Sylvain, Head of Design, to discuss your career trajectory and fit for the role.

• Stage 2: Case Study Presentation (60 min): Present 2-3 case studies to Sylvain and two Product Design Leads. This is a deep dive into your work, design process, problem-solving skills, and collaboration approach.

• Stage 3: Cross-Functional Interview (60 min): Engage with a team including an Engineering Manager (EM), a Front-end Developer, and another Product Designer. This involves critiquing an app of your choice to assess your critical thinking, design critique skills, and overall collaboration potential.

• Stage 4: References Check: Standard verification of your professional history.

• Stage 5: Offer! Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best represent your ability to handle complex projects from start to finish, ideally showcasing Fin-Tech or complex consumer products.

• Tell a Story: Structure each case study as a narrative. Clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, your key decisions, the challenges you faced, and the final outcome/impact.

• Highlight Process & Rationale: Don't just show pretty pictures. Explain why you made certain design decisions, referencing user research, data, or strategic goals. This demonstrates your operational thinking.

• Showcase Craftsmanship: Include detailed examples of interaction design, micro-interactions, and visual polish. Ensure prototypes are functional and illustrative.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, include metrics or qualitative feedback that demonstrate the success and business impact of your work. This is critical for operations-minded evaluators.

• Prepare for Critique: Be ready to discuss your choices and defend your rationale during the presentation. The app critique session is designed to test your analytical and communication skills under pressure.

Challenge Preparation:

• App Critique: Select an app you know well, ideally a competitor or a popular Fin-Tech app. Prepare a structured critique focusing on user experience, design choices, potential improvements, and strategic implications.

• Systemic Thinking: Be ready to discuss how you approach designing for complex systems and interconnected features, especially relevant for financial products.

• Collaboration Scenarios: Consider how you would collaborate with engineers, product managers, and marketing teams to deliver a feature. Prepare examples of effective communication and conflict resolution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is rigorous and heavily focused on demonstrating practical skills, strategic thinking, and collaborative ability. The portfolio is paramount, serving as tangible evidence of your operational capacity to deliver successful product outcomes. The app critique is a direct test of your analytical and communication skills, vital for operations roles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Proficiency with industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), and prototyping tools (e.g., InVision, Principle, ProtoPie). Figma is likely the primary tool given its prevalence in collaborative design environments.

• User Research Platforms: Experience with tools for user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., Lookback, UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey).

• Collaboration Tools: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Confluence, Slack for team communication and workflow management.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: While not a primary analyst role, an understanding of how to interpret data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to inform design decisions is crucial.

• Reporting & Dashboarding: Ability to understand and interpret reports and dashboards created by data or operations teams to gain insights into user behavior and product performance.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Understanding: Basic understanding of CRM systems (like Salesforce, HubSpot) and how user data flows into them, influencing customer journeys and marketing efforts.

• No-Code/Low-Code Tools: Awareness of how design integrates with automated workflows and customer journeys managed by marketing automation platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on specific design tools, combined with an understanding of analytics, collaboration platforms, and the broader tech stack (CRM, front-end), highlights the need for a designer who is not just creative but also technically proficient and operationally aware of how their work integrates into the broader business systems.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Financial Inclusion & Empowerment: A core mission driving all product development and design decisions. This means prioritizing user needs, accessibility, and creating confidence in financial management.

• Craftsmanship & Attention to Detail: A commitment to high-quality execution, from the smallest micro-interaction to the overall user experience. This reflects a dedication to operational excellence.

• Innovation & Pushing Boundaries: A culture that encourages challenging the status quo, exploring new ideas, and staying at the forefront of technology.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Strong emphasis on working together across disciplines to achieve common goals, essential for efficient product delivery and GTM success.

• Autonomy & Ownership: Empowering individuals to take initiative, manage their work, and drive projects forward with minimal oversight.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers work closely and continuously with Product Managers, Engineers, and Marketing teams, ensuring design is integrated into the entire product lifecycle.

• Open Feedback Culture: Encourages constructive feedback and open discussion to refine ideas and improve work in progress.

• Agile & Iterative: Embraces an agile approach, with regular check-ins, stand-ups, and iterative development cycles to adapt quickly to feedback and market changes.

• Storytelling & Influence: Values clear communication and the ability to use storytelling to articulate design rationale and influence strategic decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values and collaboration style are deeply aligned with operational efficiency and GTM effectiveness. A focus on user empowerment, craftsmanship, and cross-functional teamwork directly supports the goal of building and launching successful products that resonate with the target audience.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complex Financial Products: Navigating the intricacies of savings and home loans requires deep understanding, user empathy, and the ability to simplify complex information.

• Balancing Innovation with Regulation: Fin-Tech operates in a highly regulated environment. Innovating while ensuring compliance and security is a constant challenge.

• "Startup-Like" Ambiguity: Working in a fast-paced, sometimes messy environment means adapting to changing priorities and undefined problems, requiring resilience and strong problem-solving skills.

• End-to-End Ownership in a Small Team: While offering autonomy, this also means taking on significant responsibility across the entire product lifecycle, requiring strong time management and prioritization.

• Influencing Strategy: Effectively communicating design vision and rationale to leadership and cross-functional teams to gain buy-in for innovative ideas.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Fin-Tech Expertise: Gain specialized knowledge in designing for financial services, a rapidly growing and impactful sector.

• Strategic Product Development: Contribute to and influence product roadmaps and long-term company strategy.

• Advanced Design Systems: Opportunity to contribute to or evolve sophisticated design systems for complex applications.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Broaden understanding of engineering, product management, marketing, and GTM operations through close collaboration.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Utilise the provided budget for professional growth, staying current with design trends and Fin-Tech innovations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges inherent in this role, such as navigating Fin-Tech complexities and ambiguity, offer significant opportunities for professional growth and skill development, particularly in areas critical to operations, like strategic problem-solving and agile execution.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex financial product you've designed and the challenges you faced. How did you ensure user understanding and trust?" (Focus on your process, systems thinking, and how you addressed user needs and regulatory considerations.)

• "How do you balance delivering features quickly in an agile environment with maintaining high design quality and craftsmanship?" (Highlight your understanding of agile workflows, prioritization, and your approach to balancing speed with detail.)

• "Imagine you need to design a new savings feature for 'Up'. Walk us through your process from ideation to a potential prototype, explaining your rationale at each step." (Demonstrate your end-to-end design thinking, user research methods, and ability to articulate strategic choices.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What appeals to you about Up's mission of financial inclusion and empowerment?" (Research the company's mission and values, and articulate how your design philosophy aligns.)

• "How do you approach collaborating with engineers and product managers, especially when there are differing opinions?" (Prepare examples of effective cross-functional collaboration and conflict resolution.)

• "Based on your understanding of the Up app, what is one area you see potential for design improvement, and why?" (This is your chance to show critical thinking and a deep understanding of the product. Prepare for the app critique.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: For each case study, use a clear narrative arc: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Impact.

• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your decisions. What user insights or business goals drove your choices?

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, prototypes, and interactive elements to demonstrate your design skills effectively.

• Quantify Results: Present metrics or qualitative feedback that prove the success of your designs. Connect your work to business outcomes.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: The interviewers will ask detailed questions about your process, tools, and decisions. Be prepared to defend your work with solid reasoning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not just design skills but also strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. Preparing thoughtful answers and a well-structured portfolio presentation will be key to demonstrating your operational capacity and strategic value.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Use the provided link to submit your resume and any initial required information.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful case studies that showcase end-to-end project ownership, complex problem-solving, and measurable results, ideally within Fin-Tech or consumer SaaS.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords from the job description, such as "Product Design," "Fin-Tech," "SaaS," "Systems Thinking," "User Research," "Prototyping," and "Agile." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare for the Case Study Presentation: Rehearse presenting your selected case studies, focusing on a clear narrative, strong rationale, and demonstrating your design process and impact. Be ready to answer in-depth questions.

• Research Up and Ferocia: Understand their mission, product, target audience, and company values. Familiarize yourself with the Up app to prepare for the app critique during the interview process.

⚠️ 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.