Senior UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UI Designer

Company: VML

Location: Faro, Faro District, Portugal

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Digital Design / User Interface Design

Date Posted: 2026-04-27T16:14:26

Experience Level: Mid-Senior (Implied 5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days in office average)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the creation of exceptional digital brand identities and pixel-perfect, responsive interfaces for eCommerce platforms, directly impacting user experience and conversion rates.

• Contribute to and evolve sophisticated design systems, ensuring scalability and consistency across multiple client brands.

• Apply a deep understanding of user-centered design principles, conversion-focused strategies, and accessibility standards to all design outputs.

• Collaborate intimately with cross-functional teams, including UX consultants, product managers, and developers, to ensure seamless design handover and implementation realities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role sits within VML's Enterprise Solutions division, focusing on delivering outstanding digital experiences for a global clientele. The emphasis on "conversion-led design for transactional websites" and "eCom landscape" strongly suggests a focus on driving measurable business outcomes through UI design, particularly within the digital commerce sector. The hybrid work model with an average of 4 days in the office indicates a need for strong in-person collaboration and team integration.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and develop high-fidelity, responsive user interfaces for transactional websites and digital platforms, ensuring alignment with both user needs and business objectives.

• Create and maintain digital brand aesthetics, ensuring visual consistency and impact across diverse client portfolios.

• Leverage and contribute to existing design systems, focusing on component logic, variants, properties, and design tokens to enable efficient, at-scale design execution.

• Integrate user-centered design best practices, conversion optimization strategies, and web accessibility standards (WCAG) into all design solutions.

• Collaborate closely with UX designers, product managers, developers, and client stakeholders to translate requirements into intuitive and engaging user interfaces.

• Own the design process from concept to final handover, ensuring effective communication of design rationale and decisions to technical and non-technical audiences.

• Stay abreast of the latest design trends, emerging technologies, and UI tooling, proactively incorporating advancements into the design workflow.

• Develop and refine interactive prototypes to simulate user journeys and validate design concepts before development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design thinking and hands-on execution. The emphasis on "conversion-led design," "eCom landscape," and "driving growth" points to a results-oriented approach where UI design directly supports business KPIs. The need to "contribute to and evolve a design system" signifies a senior-level expectation beyond mere usage of established frameworks.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, UI Design, Interaction Design, or a related discipline.

Experience: 5-10 years of professional experience in UI design, with a significant focus on eCommerce and transactional websites. Experience working within a digital or creative agency environment or an in-house design studio is highly preferred.

Required Skills:

• Exceptional UI design skills with a strong portfolio demonstrating high-quality online design, particularly in eCommerce.

• Proficiency in industry-standard design tools: Figma (primary), Sketch, and Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator).

• Demonstrable experience in contributing to and evolving design systems, including understanding of component logic, variants, and properties.

• Expertise in creating pixel-perfect, responsive designs that adapt seamlessly across various devices and screen sizes.

• Solid understanding of user-centered design principles, conversion optimization techniques, and web accessibility standards.

• Experience with design tokens and their application in maintaining design consistency.

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including developers, UX designers, and product managers, for seamless design handover.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate and defend design decisions confidently to clients and internal teams.

• Strong work ethic, ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, and deliver high-quality work under tight deadlines.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience creating high-fidelity, interactive prototypes using tools like Figma, ProtoPie, Principle, Framer, or Webflow.

• Familiarity with content-aware design principles.

• Experience utilizing AI tools to accelerate UI production workflows.

• An outstanding eye for design, including typography, color theory, and layout composition.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement to "contribute to and evolve a design system" rather than just use it, along with experience in "design tokens" and "component logic," clearly positions this as a senior role demanding a deep technical understanding of scalable design practices. The explicit mention of Figma as primary, with others as bonus points, guides candidates on tool prioritization.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A compelling portfolio showcasing high-quality UI design work, with a significant emphasis on successful eCommerce projects and transactional websites.

• Demonstrated experience in creating responsive designs and adapting visual identities across multiple brands.

• Examples of contributions to or evolution of design systems, illustrating understanding of component-based design and scalability.

• Case studies that highlight the process from initial concept to final implementation, detailing problem-solving and design rationale.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase a structured approach to designing interfaces, from wireframing and user flow mapping to high-fidelity mockups and prototyping.

• Illustrate how design decisions are informed by user research, data analytics, and business requirements.

• Provide examples of design handover processes to development teams, including detailed specifications and asset organization.

• Detail experience with design system documentation and maintenance practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UI Designer role, particularly in an agency setting like VML, the portfolio is paramount. It must not only display aesthetic talent but also demonstrate a strategic, process-driven approach to problem-solving, scalability through design systems, and measurable impact (e.g., conversion improvements). The emphasis on "eCom landscape" and "transactional websites" means the portfolio should clearly feature projects that drove commercial success.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Senior UI Designer with 5-10 years of experience in a major European city like Faro, Portugal, the estimated annual salary range is €45,000 - €65,000. This range accounts for the hybrid work model, the agency environment, and VML's status as part of WPP.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive training opportunities to foster professional development.

• Medical insurance coverage.

• Dental insurance coverage.

• Meal cards to support daily expenses.

• Regular social events to promote team cohesion and networking.

• Family-friendly policies to support work-life balance.

• Discounts with hundreds of retailers, offering savings on various goods and services.

• Opportunities to work with globally recognized brands and contribute to significant digital transformation projects.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with a hybrid work arrangement requiring an average of four days per week in the Faro office. This structure allows for flexibility while ensuring in-person collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates are based on research of similar roles in Portugal, considering the cost of living and average agency compensation structures for experienced designers. The benefits package is detailed and reflects standard offerings for a large, international agency. The "Permanent only" note indicates this is a full-time, ongoing position.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Marketing & Advertising, Digital Transformation, Technology Consulting. VML operates within the broader WPP network, a global leader in marketing and communications services. The Enterprise Solutions division specifically focuses on digital commerce and experience platforms for major global organizations.

Company Size: VML, as part of WPP, is a massive global organization. VML alone boasts 26,000+ employees across 55+ markets. This Senior UI Designer role is within the Enterprise Solutions division, which comprises over 4,200 experts. This scale offers extensive resources, diverse project opportunities, and a broad professional network.

Founded: VML was founded in 2008 through the merger of WPP's The Farm and Wunderman, though its roots trace back further. WPP itself was founded in 1982. This long history signifies stability, established processes, and deep industry experience.

Team Structure:

• The role is part of a cross-functional creative team within the Enterprise Solutions division. This team likely includes UX consultants, product managers, developers, strategists, and other designers.

• Reporting likely falls within a design leadership hierarchy, potentially to a Design Director or Head of Digital Experience, within the Enterprise Solutions structure.

Methodology:

• VML emphasizes a human-first, data-driven approach, integrating brand experience, customer experience, and commerce.

• Design processes likely involve agile methodologies, user-centered design frameworks, and a focus on delivering measurable business outcomes (growth, conversion, engagement).

• Emphasis on iterative design, continuous improvement, and leveraging technology (including AI) to enhance workflows and client solutions.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding VML's position within WPP and the specific focus of its Enterprise Solutions division is crucial. The company culture is described as human-first, with core values of Heart, Brains, and Courage, emphasizing empathy, curiosity, and boldness. This suggests an environment that values both collaboration and innovation.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior UI Designer position, indicating a role with significant autonomy, expertise, and the expectation to lead design efforts on complex projects. It requires not just execution skills but also the ability to contribute strategically to design systems and mentor junior team members.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UI Designer will likely report to a Design Lead or Director within the Enterprise Solutions division. They will collaborate extensively with Product Managers, UX Consultants, Developers, and potentially client-side stakeholders.

Operations Impact: The UI Designer's work directly influences client success by enhancing user experience, driving conversion rates, and strengthening brand perception within the eCommerce landscape. This role is critical in translating business strategy into tangible digital products that deliver measurable growth for VML's clients.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific areas like interaction design, motion design, advanced prototyping, or AI-driven design workflows.

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into Lead UI Designer, Design Director, or specialized roles within VML's global network. Mentorship of junior designers and contribution to design strategy are likely pathways.

• Client Exposure: Working with a diverse portfolio of global brands provides invaluable experience and exposure to various market challenges and solutions.

• Specialization: Potential to specialize in specific industries (e.g., health, finance, retail) or platforms within VML's broad service offering.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a significant level of responsibility and the expectation of contributing to strategic decisions around design. Growth opportunities are likely tied to demonstrating leadership, technical expertise, and the ability to drive impactful design solutions for VML's enterprise clients.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: VML operates on a hybrid model, suggesting a modern office environment designed to facilitate collaboration, creative work, and team interaction. The office in Faro will serve as a hub for hybrid employees.

Office Location(s): Faro, Faro District, Portugal. This location serves as a specific point of presence for the hybrid workforce, likely offering amenities and infrastructure to support daily operations for team members working on-site.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is designed to foster creativity and collaboration, with spaces likely allocated for team meetings, brainstorming sessions, and focused individual work.

• Access to necessary design tools and technology, including high-performance workstations and software.

• Opportunities for spontaneous interactions with colleagues across different disciplines (UX, development, strategy), fostering a dynamic and integrated work atmosphere.

Work Schedule: The role involves a hybrid schedule, with an average of four days per week expected in the Faro office. Core working hours are not explicitly defined but are generally standard for a full-time professional role (approx. 40 hours/week), allowing for flexibility within the hybrid model.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect of the work environment. While offering flexibility, the expectation of 4 days in the office highlights the importance VML places on in-person collaboration, team building, and the synergy that arises from shared physical space for creative roles like UI design.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio, focusing on relevant experience in UI design, eCommerce, and design systems.

• Portfolio Presentation: An opportunity to present your portfolio, discussing key projects, your design process, problem-solving approaches, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to articulate your rationale behind design decisions.

• Skills Assessment: Potential technical assessments or case studies, possibly involving a design challenge to evaluate your problem-solving skills, tool proficiency (e.g., Figma), and ability to apply design principles under timed conditions.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with potential team members (e.g., UX designers, developers) and hiring managers to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and communication skills.

• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership to evaluate strategic thinking, leadership potential, and alignment with VML's values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects. Prioritize those showcasing eCommerce, responsive design, and design system contributions.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process you followed, the solutions you designed, and the tangible results or impact achieved. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Process: Detail your design thinking, research methodologies, and how you collaborated with others. Showcase your problem-solving skills.

• Demonstrate Technicality: Clearly explain your use of tools like Figma, your understanding of component logic, design tokens, and responsive behavior.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, include metrics or data that demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction scores).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, ensure you fully grasp the brief, target audience, and business objectives.

• Focus on Process: Even if time is limited, articulate your thought process. Show how you would approach the problem, even if you can't complete every step.

• Tool Proficiency: Be ready to demonstrate your skills in Figma or other relevant tools quickly and efficiently.

• Presentation Skills: Prepare to present your solution clearly and concisely, justifying your design choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is critical for a Senior UI Designer. Candidates should be prepared to go beyond just showing pretty pictures and instead articulate the strategic thinking, process, and measurable impact behind their work. The emphasis on "conversion-led design" and "eCom landscape" means projects demonstrating commercial success will be highly valued.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Expect in-depth usage for creating pixel-perfect interfaces, interactive prototypes, and contributing to design systems.

• Sketch: Proficiency is required, likely for legacy projects or specific client needs.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Including Photoshop for image manipulation and Illustrator for vector graphics, as needed for asset creation and refinement.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to understand user behavior and inform design decisions is beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

Prototyping Tools (Preferred):

• ProtoPie, Principle, Framer, Webflow for creating advanced, high-fidelity interactive prototypes that simulate complex user journeys.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly called out as a primary tool. Proficiency in this tool, along with Sketch and Adobe Creative Suite, is non-negotiable. Experience with advanced prototyping tools and an understanding of analytics are strong advantages, reflecting the role's focus on driving measurable outcomes.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: VML operates under core values of Heart, Brains, and Courage:

• Heart: Fosters empathy, trust, and human-centric work. This means valuing genuine connections, understanding user needs deeply, and collaborating with compassion.

• Brains: Encourages innovation, curiosity, and collaborative intelligence. This translates to a problem-solving mindset, a drive to learn, and an openness to diverse perspectives.

• Courage: Inspires boldness, experimentation, and advocacy for innovative solutions. This means being willing to take calculated risks, challenge the status quo, and champion impactful ideas.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect close collaboration with UX, product management, development, and strategy teams. The hybrid model supports this through planned in-office days for joint work sessions.

• Process-Oriented: A structured approach to design, with emphasis on user-centered methodologies and iterative feedback loops.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that likely encourages sharing best practices, design trends, and learnings across teams and projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's core values (Heart, Brains, Courage) are central to its culture and should be reflected in how candidates present themselves and approach their work. This implies a team that is empathetic, intellectually curious, and willing to take bold steps to achieve client success.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: A common challenge in conversion-focused design is finding the optimal balance between creating an intuitive user experience and driving specific business outcomes like sales or lead generation.

• Working with Complex Design Systems: Contributing to and evolving large-scale design systems requires a deep understanding of component architecture, scalability, and governance.

• Adapting to Diverse Client Needs: VML works with a wide range of global brands across various industries. Adapting design approaches to meet distinct brand identities, target audiences, and business objectives requires flexibility and strong strategic thinking.

• Keeping Pace with Technology: The digital landscape evolves rapidly. Staying current with new design tools, technologies (like AI), and interaction paradigms is an ongoing challenge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to hone skills in areas like interaction design, motion graphics, accessibility, or emerging technologies.

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into lead roles, mentoring junior designers, and influencing design strategy for major client accounts.

• Industry Exposure: Working with VML's diverse client portfolio provides exposure to various industries and market challenges, broadening professional experience.

• Continuous Education: Access to training resources, workshops, and potentially industry conferences to stay ahead of design trends and technological advancements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented reflect the dynamic nature of agency work and the specific demands of senior-level design roles in a global organization. The growth opportunities are geared towards career progression within design leadership and specialized expertise.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance user needs with aggressive conversion goals. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your process, compromise, and data-driven decisions.)

• "How have you contributed to or evolved a design system? What are the key principles you follow for scalable design?" (Highlight your understanding of component logic, design tokens, and governance.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do VML's core values of Heart, Brains, and Courage resonate with your own work philosophy?" (Connect your experiences to empathy, innovation, and boldness.)

• "Describe your ideal collaborative environment. How do you typically work with developers and product managers?" (Highlight your team-oriented approach and understanding of cross-functional dynamics.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Start with a brief overview of your career, then dive into 2-3 in-depth case studies. Conclude with a summary of your skills and aspirations.

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your specific role, the design process, the solutions, and the quantifiable results or key learnings.

• Showcase Process: Use visuals to illustrate your journey—from early concepts and wireframes to high-fidelity mockups and prototypes. Explain your rationale at each stage.

• Tool Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your technical skills, particularly with Figma, and how you leverage features for efficiency and collaboration.

• Engage Your Audience: Be enthusiastic, ask clarifying questions, and be prepared to discuss your work in detail.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skill, but also strategic thinking, strong communication, a collaborative spirit, and a results-oriented mindset aligned with VML's values and the demands of agency work.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UI Designer position:

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

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight eCommerce projects, responsive design achievements, and your contributions to design systems. Clearly articulate your role and the impact of your work in each case study.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly details your years of experience, proficiency in Figma, Sketch, and Adobe Creative Suite, and any specific achievements in conversion optimization or design system development. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving strategies, and how you embody VML's core values. Prepare to present your portfolio confidently and answer scenario-based questions.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with VML's work, client portfolio (especially in Enterprise Solutions), and company culture. Understand how your skills and approach align with their mission and values.

⚠️ 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.