Senior UX Designer

Eneve
Full-timeUtrecht, Netherlands

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer

Company: Eneve

Location: Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands

Job Type: Full-time

Category: UX/Product Design & Operations

Date Posted: May 28, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

  • Drive the strategic transformation of the UX function within a product-led SaaS organization, moving from a consultancy-driven model to scalable solutions.

  • Define and champion the UX vision and strategy across multiple energy market software products, ensuring user-centered design principles are embedded.

  • Lead user research initiatives to translate complex market needs and business goals into actionable product decisions and design directions.

  • Establish and evolve design systems to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency across a growing portfolio of SaaS offerings.

  • Balance strategic leadership with hands-on execution, creating wireframes, prototypes, and high-level UI concepts for both greenfield and existing products.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is critical for Eneve's transition to a product-led SaaS model. The Senior UX Designer will not only shape the user experience but also lay the foundational processes and systems for future UX operations and product development scalability within the energy tech sector. The emphasis on "operations" here pertains to establishing robust design processes, systems, and strategic frameworks that enable efficient and consistent product delivery.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

  • Strategic UX Vision: Define and drive the overarching UX vision and strategy across Eneve's multiple SaaS products, aligning with the company's transition to a product-led model.

  • UX Function Development: Establish and evolve the UX function within the organization, setting standards, processes, and best practices for user-centered design operations.

  • User Research & Insights: Lead comprehensive user research initiatives, including qualitative and quantitative methods, to gather deep insights into user needs, pain points, and behaviors within the energy market.

  • Product Strategy Translation: Translate complex business goals, market demands, and product strategy into clear, actionable UX direction and design requirements.

  • Design System Implementation: Define, implement, and maintain robust design systems to ensure visual and interactive consistency, scalability, and efficiency across all product touchpoints.

  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with product management, engineering teams, leadership, and other stakeholders to shape product roadmaps and ensure seamless integration of UX considerations.

  • Hands-on Design Execution: Create wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and high-level UI concepts for both new (greenfield) product development and enhancements to existing products.

  • Quality Assurance: Ensure a consistently high-quality user experience across all user touchpoints and product interfaces.

  • Stakeholder Advocacy: Act as a UX authority and advocate within the organization, promoting user-centered design principles and facilitating alignment across diverse teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on strategic UX leadership and hands-on execution, crucial for a role tasked with transforming an organization's approach to UX. The emphasis on establishing the "UX function" and "design systems" suggests a significant operational component, requiring the candidate to build and refine processes for consistent product delivery and scalability within the SaaS energy market.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Experience:

  • A minimum of 5-10 years of proven experience as a UX Designer, with a significant portion in a Senior or Lead capacity within a SaaS environment.

  • Demonstrated experience leading and contributing to greenfield product development initiatives.

  • Experience working within organizations undergoing significant growth or transformation is highly desirable. Required Skills:

  • UX Strategy: Proven ability to define and drive UX vision and strategy, translating business objectives into user-focused design roadmaps.

  • Design Systems: Strong expertise in creating, implementing, and maintaining comprehensive design systems for scalable SaaS products.

  • User Research: Proficient in various user research methodologies (e.g., interviews, usability testing, surveys, persona development) and translating insights into actionable design decisions.

  • Wireframing & Prototyping: Advanced skills in creating wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity UI concepts using industry-standard tools.

  • SaaS Product Development: Deep understanding of the SaaS product development lifecycle and its unique UX challenges.

  • Stakeholder Management: Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively across all levels of an organization.

  • Pragmatic & Hands-on Approach: Ability to operate effectively at both strategic and executional levels, demonstrating a practical, delivery-oriented mindset.

Preferred Skills:

  • Experience within the energy market or a related regulated industry.

  • Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and cross-functional team collaboration.

  • Experience in defining and optimizing UX operations and workflows.

  • Knowledge of accessibility standards and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirements emphasize a blend of strategic leadership and hands-on design skills, common for senior roles involved in establishing or transforming design functions. The "SaaS environment" and "greenfield projects" are critical keywords for ATS systems, indicating a need for experience in building scalable digital products from inception. The "pragmatic, hands-on mindset" suggests that candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their ability to execute designs while also thinking strategically.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Case Studies: A portfolio showcasing 3-5 comprehensive case studies that demonstrate your ability to drive UX strategy and execution from concept to delivery.

  • Strategic Impact: Case studies should clearly articulate the problem, your role, the strategic approach taken, the solutions designed, and the measurable impact (e.g., improved user engagement, conversion rates, efficiency gains).

  • Design Systems: Examples of design systems you have contributed to or led, demonstrating your understanding of scalability, consistency, and component-based design.

  • User Research Integration: Evidence of how user research insights directly informed design decisions and product strategy within your case studies.

  • Greenfield & Iterative Work: Examples showcasing experience with both greenfield product development and iterative improvements to existing products.

Process Documentation:

  • Workflow Design: Showcase examples of how you have designed or optimized UX workflows, including collaboration with product and engineering teams.

  • System Implementation: Demonstrate experience in implementing design systems or other UX-related processes that enhance efficiency and scalability.

  • Performance Measurement: Evidence of how you measure and communicate the success of UX initiatives, linking them to business objectives and user outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Designer role, especially one focused on strategic transformation and establishing a UX function, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond just visual design and demonstrate strategic thinking, process ownership, and the ability to drive measurable business outcomes. The emphasis on "design systems" and "UX operations" points towards a need for candidates to show their ability to build scalable, repeatable processes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

  • Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX Designers in Utrecht, Netherlands, with 5-10 years of experience, the estimated salary range is €65,000 - €90,000 per year. This range accounts for the hybrid work model, the strategic nature of the role, and the specific skills required for a SaaS product-led company in the energy sector. Benefits:

  • Hybrid Work Model: Flexibility to balance remote work with in-office collaboration.

  • Professional Development: Opportunities for training, workshops, and conference attendance to enhance UX skills and stay current with industry trends.

  • Impactful Work: Opportunity to shape the user experience of critical software solutions driving the energy transition.

  • International Team: Collaboration with a diverse, global team of professionals.

  • Competitive Pension Scheme: Contribution to long-term financial security.

  • Travel Expenses Reimbursement: Support for commuting to the Utrecht office.

  • Generous Holiday Allowance: Ample time for rest and personal pursuits.

Working Hours:

  • Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with flexibility to manage workload and balance strategic and execution tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on typical compensation for similar roles in Utrecht, Netherlands. It considers the experience level and the strategic importance of the Senior UX Designer position in a growing SaaS company. The benefits listed are common for tech roles in the region and align with fostering professional growth and work-life balance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Energy Software (SaaS)

Company Size: Growing, likely between 50-200 employees based on the "growing international team" and the need for a "Senior UX Designer" to establish a function.

Founded: Eneve was founded in 2017, indicating a company with established products and now entering a phase of significant scaling and transformation.

Team Structure:

  • The UX function is currently nascent and needs to be established by this Senior UX Designer.

  • The role will involve close collaboration with Product Management and Engineering teams.

  • Leadership collaboration is expected for strategic alignment and advocacy.

  • The team is international, suggesting a diverse and potentially distributed work environment. Methodology:

  • Data-Driven Approach: Eneve emphasizes "smart, data-driven software solutions" and "AI-driven insights," indicating a strong reliance on data for decision-making.

  • Agile Development: The transition to a product-led SaaS model and collaboration with engineering strongly suggests adoption of Agile or similar iterative development methodologies.

  • User-Centricity: The core of this role is to embed user-centric design principles into product development processes.

Company Website: [Eneve Website URL - Placeholder, as it was not provided]

📝 Enhancement Note: Eneve operates in the critical energy market, focusing on data-driven SaaS solutions to accelerate the energy transition. This suggests a mission-driven culture that values innovation, efficiency, and sustainability. The company's growth phase and transition to a product-led model imply an environment that is dynamic, evolving, and offers opportunities for individuals to shape processes and strategy.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor / Emerging Lead

This role is positioned as a Senior Individual Contributor with significant strategic influence. The successful candidate will be instrumental in defining and building the UX function, which could lay the groundwork for future UX team leadership or management roles as the company scales.

Reporting Structure:

  • The Senior UX Designer will likely report to a Head of Product, VP of Product, or a similar senior leadership role overseeing product development.

  • They will work collaboratively with Product Managers and Engineering Leads, acting as the primary UX authority. Operations Impact:

  • The primary impact of this role will be on the user experience of Eneve's SaaS products, directly influencing user adoption, satisfaction, retention, and ultimately, revenue growth.

  • By establishing robust UX processes and design systems, the role will significantly improve development efficiency, reduce time-to-market for new features, and ensure product scalability.

  • Strategic UX input will influence product roadmaps, ensuring alignment with market needs and competitive positioning. Growth Opportunities:

  • Leadership Development: Opportunity to build and potentially lead a UX team as Eneve grows its product offerings and user base.

  • Strategic Influence: Play a key role in shaping the company's product strategy and its overall approach to user experience.

  • Domain Expertise: Deepen expertise in the energy market and its specific UX challenges.

  • Process Innovation: Lead the development and implementation of new UX processes and methodologies within a growing tech company.

  • Mentorship: Mentor junior designers (as the team grows) and collaborate with senior stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity for a Senior UX Designer to not just execute design but to architect the UX function itself. The growth potential is significant, moving from a pivotal individual contributor to potentially a team lead or manager, with substantial strategic impact on a company disrupting the energy market.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. This indicates a blend of remote work and in-office collaboration. The Utrecht office is likely designed to foster collaboration, ideation, and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): Utrecht, Netherlands. This location is a significant tech and innovation hub in the Netherlands, offering good accessibility and a vibrant professional ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

  • Collaborative Spaces: The office environment likely includes meeting rooms, brainstorming areas, and potentially open-plan spaces designed for cross-functional interaction between UX, Product, and Engineering.

  • Technology Enabled: As a software company, expect access to modern design tools, collaboration platforms, and a supportive IT infrastructure.

  • Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular in-person interaction with colleagues for workshops, design sprints, and team-building activities.

Work Schedule:

  • Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week).

  • The hybrid nature allows for flexibility in managing work location, but core working hours and availability for meetings will be expected to facilitate collaboration across time zones and with the in-office team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model in Utrecht suggests a modern work approach, balancing flexibility with the benefits of in-person collaboration for complex design challenges and team building. For operations professionals, this means understanding the need for structured communication and scheduled collaboration to ensure seamless workflow management.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess experience and fit.

  • Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager (likely Head of Product or similar) to delve into your UX strategy, leadership approach, and experience with SaaS transformations.

  • Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: You will likely be asked to present 1-2 key portfolio case studies, discussing your strategic thinking, process, and outcomes. A practical design challenge (e.g., sketching out a solution to a given problem, critiquing an existing design) may be included to assess your hands-on skills and problem-solving abilities.

  • Cross-Functional Interview: An interview with members of the Product and Engineering teams to assess collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to integrate UX into development workflows.

  • Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader or executive to discuss cultural fit, long-term vision, and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Focus on Strategy & Impact: Clearly articulate the business problem, your strategic approach, and the measurable impact of your designs. Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., "improved conversion by X%", "reduced task completion time by Y%").

  • Show, Don't Just Tell: For each case study, include visuals of wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and final UI. Explain your design decisions and how they addressed the user needs and business goals.

  • Highlight Design System Work: If you have experience with design systems, dedicate a section or case study to its creation, implementation, and benefits.

  • Demonstrate Research Integration: Explain how user research informed your design process and led to specific solutions.

  • Tailor to Eneve: Research Eneve's products and company mission. Try to tailor your presentation to demonstrate how your skills can address their specific challenges and contribute to their energy transition goals.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Understand Eneve's Context: Research their target users (energy suppliers, producers, consumers) and their current product offerings.

  • Think Strategically: For any design challenge, consider the business goals, scalability, and user impact.

  • Process-Oriented: Be prepared to explain your thought process, not just the final solution. How would you approach research, ideation, iteration, and validation?

  • Communicate Clearly: Articulate your ideas concisely and effectively, as if presenting to stakeholders with varying levels of design understanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess strategic thinking, hands-on capability, and collaborative potential. The portfolio review is a critical component, requiring candidates to demonstrate not just design skill but also business acumen and process ownership, especially relevant for a role focused on establishing UX operations.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Axure RP. (Proficiency in at least one, preferably Figma, is expected).

  • User Research Tools: UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, SurveyMonkey, Google Forms. (Familiarity with tools for conducting remote and in-person research).

  • Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Miro, Mural. (Essential for cross-functional collaboration and workflow management).

Analytics & Reporting:

  • Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics. (Understanding user behavior data).

  • Product Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Pendo. (For in-depth user journey analysis within SaaS products).

  • Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, Looker. (For creating dashboards and communicating insights to stakeholders).

CRM & Automation:

  • CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot. (Understanding how UX impacts CRM data and user lifecycle management).

  • Automation: Experience with workflow automation tools (e.g., Zapier, Make) may be beneficial for understanding system integrations and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with modern design and prototyping tools like Figma is standard. However, for a Senior role focused on strategy and establishing processes, familiarity with user research platforms, collaboration tools, and product analytics is crucial. The ability to interpret data and communicate insights effectively is key to demonstrating the operational impact of UX.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the user's needs as the primary driver of product development.

  • Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging data and insights to inform design choices and measure the impact of UX initiatives.

  • Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an open environment where ideas are shared freely, feedback is constructive, and teams work cohesively towards common goals.

  • Innovation & Continuous Improvement: A proactive approach to exploring new solutions, embracing feedback, and continuously refining processes and products.

  • Efficiency & Scalability: Designing solutions and processes that are not only effective but also scalable and efficient for a growing SaaS business.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-Functional Integration: Working closely with Product Managers to define product strategy and roadmaps, and with Engineers to ensure feasible and high-quality implementation.

  • Iterative Feedback Loops: Establishing regular feedback sessions with stakeholders and users to refine designs and product direction.

  • Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in and contributing to internal knowledge-sharing sessions, design critiques, and documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize a blend of user advocacy, data-informed strategy, and collaborative execution. For operations professionals, understanding these values means appreciating the structured, data-driven, and team-oriented approach to achieving business objectives through product design.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Establishing the UX Function: Building a UX function from the ground up in a rapidly growing SaaS company, defining processes, and gaining organizational buy-in.

  • Balancing Strategy & Execution: Effectively managing time and resources between high-level strategic vision setting and hands-on design work.

  • Multi-Product Complexity: Designing cohesive user experiences across multiple distinct SaaS products within the energy market.

  • Cultural Shift: Driving a significant organizational shift towards a product-led, user-centered mindset.

  • Data Interpretation: Effectively translating complex data from the energy market and user behavior into actionable design insights.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Leadership Skill Development: Opportunity to hone strategic planning, team building, and stakeholder management skills.

  • Domain Specialization: Deepen understanding of the energy market's unique challenges and opportunities.

  • Process Engineering: Gain experience in architecting and implementing operational processes for design.

  • Industry Exposure: Potential to attend industry conferences and workshops focused on SaaS UX, product-led growth, and energy technology.

  • Mentorship: Opportunities to be mentored by senior leaders and to mentor future team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are significant but offer substantial growth opportunities. A candidate who thrives in ambiguity and enjoys building processes will find this role particularly rewarding, as it provides a clear path for developing leadership and strategic operational skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • "Describe your approach to defining a UX vision and strategy for a growing SaaS company transitioning to a product-led model."

  • "How would you establish and evolve a UX function within an organization that currently lacks a formal structure?"

  • "Walk us through a time you translated complex business goals into user-centered product decisions. What was the outcome?"

  • "How do you balance strategic UX initiatives with the demands of hands-on design execution in a fast-paced environment?" Company & Culture Questions:

  • "What excites you about Eneve's mission to accelerate the energy transition?"

  • "How would you advocate for user-centered design principles across different departments (e.g., Engineering, Sales, Marketing)?"

  • "Describe your experience working in a hybrid or remote-first environment. How do you ensure effective collaboration?"

  • "What are your thoughts on building and maintaining design systems for scalability?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process (research, ideation, design, testing), the solution, and the measurable impact. Use a clear, logical flow.

  • Highlight Strategic Contributions: Emphasize your strategic thinking, not just the visual design. Explain why you made certain decisions.

  • Showcase Process Documentation: If possible, briefly show how you documented processes, user flows, or design system components.

  • Quantify Results: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your work.

  • Engage Your Audience: Be prepared to answer questions and discuss your design choices in detail. Make it interactive.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for this role should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, process-building capabilities, and a deep understanding of user-centered design within a SaaS context. Be ready to articulate not just what you did, but why and how it impacted the business and users, showcasing your operational mindset.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

  • Submit Your Application: Apply directly through the Eneve careers portal.

  • Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best highlight your experience in UX strategy, SaaS product development, design systems, and driving measurable impact. Tailor your presentation to Eneve's context.

  • Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your experience in SaaS environments, greenfield projects, UX strategy, and leadership responsibilities. Use keywords relevant to UX design and operations.

  • Prepare Your Narrative: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on strategic thinking, process, and outcome. Be ready to discuss your approach to building UX functions and driving organizational change.

  • Research Eneve: Understand Eneve's mission, products, and target market. Prepare thoughtful questions about their product strategy, current UX challenges, and growth plans.

⚠️ 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 proven experience as a Senior UX Designer within a SaaS environment, specifically with greenfield projects and UX strategy. Candidates must possess strong communication skills and the ability to operate between conceptual thinking and concrete delivery.