Senior UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer

Company: Hiscox

Location: Lisbon, Portugal / York, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full time

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-27

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

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Owns and drives end-to-end experience design outcomes for defined product or journey domains within a complex, regulated environment.

• Leads discovery and design initiatives, translating user needs, technical constraints, and business priorities into usable, accessible, and commercially effective solutions.

• Collaborates closely with cross-functional teams, including Product, Engineering, Architecture, and Data, to shape and validate solutions, ensuring a cohesive user experience.

• Champions inclusive and accessible design practices, mitigating experience risk and ensuring compliance with industry standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the primary title is "Senior UX Designer," the responsibilities suggest a role deeply integrated with product strategy and delivery, requiring a strong understanding of business objectives and technical feasibility. This role is positioned to influence and shape experience outcomes, not just execute designs. The mention of "Hiscox 2030 strategy" and "Technology Transformation" indicates a significant company-wide initiative where this role will play a part.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end UX design process for complex customer, broker, and employee journeys, from problem framing and user research to detailed design and delivery.

• Define and articulate the experience direction within your assigned domain, contributing to overarching north-star journeys and experience principles.

• Translate user insights, business requirements, and technical constraints into clear, actionable design solutions.

• Partner closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Architects, and Data Analysts to co-create, shape, and validate design solutions.

• Facilitate design thinking workshops, brainstorming sessions, design reviews, and stakeholder alignment meetings to foster collaboration and gather feedback.

• Contribute to the evolution and adoption of the design system, ensuring consistency, reusability, and high-quality experiences across platforms.

• Champion and implement inclusive and accessible design practices, ensuring compliance with relevant standards (e.g., WCAG) and reducing experience-related risks.

• Define and track key experience metrics (e.g., task success rates, error reduction, user satisfaction proxies) to measure the impact of design decisions and drive iterative improvements.

• Actively participate in Agile ceremonies and contribute to product roadmaps from a UX perspective.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize ownership and leadership within a specific domain, indicating a need for strategic thinking alongside execution. The focus on measuring and iterating on outcomes suggests a data-driven approach to UX design, which is crucial for demonstrating ROI in operations-focused environments.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

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

• Minimum of 5-10 years of professional experience in UX design, with a proven track record of leading design for complex products, services, or digital platforms.

• Experience working within regulated industries such as insurance or financial services is highly advantageous.

• Demonstrated experience in contributing to, and actively working with, established design systems. Required Skills:

• UX Design Leadership: Proven ability to lead end-to-end UX design processes, from discovery and problem framing to detailed design and delivery.

• Interaction Design: Strong expertise in designing intuitive and efficient user interfaces and workflows.

• Information Architecture: Skilled in structuring content and navigation to ensure findability and usability.

• Prototyping: Proficiency in creating low-fidelity wireframes to high-fidelity interactive prototypes using industry-standard tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD).

• Design Systems: Experience contributing to and leveraging design systems for consistency and scalability.

• Stakeholder Management: Excellent communication, presentation, and influencing skills, with the ability to effectively engage with technical and non-technical stakeholders at various levels.

• Inclusive & Accessible Design: Deep understanding and practical application of inclusive design principles and accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA).

• User Research & Synthesis: Ability to conduct and interpret user research to inform design decisions and translate findings into actionable insights.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working in an Agile development environment.

• Familiarity with data analysis tools and techniques to measure UX performance.

• Experience facilitating design thinking workshops and cross-functional collaboration sessions.

• Knowledge of service design principles and their application.

• Understanding of digital transformation initiatives and their impact on user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on regulated environments and design systems points towards a need for rigorous, scalable, and compliant design practices. The preferred skills highlight a desire for a candidate who can not only design but also contribute to the broader product development and strategy ecosystem.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a range of UX design projects, demonstrating end-to-end ownership and impact.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem statement, your role, the design process followed, key decisions made, and the measurable outcomes achieved.

• Examples of complex journey mapping and the resulting design solutions.

• Demonstrations of how you have applied interaction design, information architecture, and prototyping skills to solve user problems.

• Evidence of contributions to or utilization of design systems, highlighting consistency and scalability.

• Projects that exemplify your commitment to inclusive and accessible design principles. Process Documentation:

• Ability to document design processes, decisions, and rationale clearly and concisely.

• Examples of how you have facilitated design workshops, stakeholder reviews, and cross-functional alignment sessions.

• Evidence of experience in measuring and iterating on design outcomes based on data and user feedback.

• Documentation of how you have championed and implemented accessibility standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. It should not only showcase design artifacts but also the strategic thinking, problem-solving approach, and quantifiable impact the candidate has delivered. This is akin to an operations professional's process portfolio, focusing on methodology and results.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• For Senior UX Designers in Lisbon, Portugal, with 5-10 years of experience, the estimated annual salary range is €50,000 - €75,000.

• For Senior UX Designers in York, United Kingdom, with 5-10 years of experience, the estimated annual salary range is £55,000 - £80,000.

• These estimates are based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in these locations, considering the company's sector (insurance/financial services) and the hybrid work model. Benefits:

• Bonus: Performance-based bonus opportunities.

• Contributory Pension: Company-matched pension scheme to support long-term financial planning.

• Annual Leave: Generous 25 days of annual leave, plus 2 additional Hiscox days for work-life balance.

• Sabbatical: A unique offering of a 4-week paid sabbatical for every 5 years of service, promoting well-being and professional rejuvenation.

• Private Medical Insurance: Comprehensive private medical coverage for the employee and their family.

• Hybrid Working: Flexible hybrid work model, allowing for a balance of office collaboration and remote flexibility.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning and skill enhancement.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours are approximately 40 hours per week.

• The hybrid working model offers flexibility, allowing teams to determine specific in-office days, enabling a healthy work-life balance.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary ranges are provided for both Lisbon and York to reflect the distinct cost of living and market rates. The benefits package is highly attractive, with the sabbatical being a significant differentiator. The hybrid nature allows for structured work alongside personal flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Insurance and Financial Services. Hiscox operates in a highly regulated sector, which necessitates a focus on reliability, security, and compliance in all its operations and digital products.

Company Size: Hiscox is a significant global insurer, likely falling into the 'Large' employee category (often 1,000+ employees). This implies established processes, potentially complex organizational structures, and a substantial technology function.

Founded: Hiscox was founded in 1901. This long history suggests a stable, established company with deep industry expertise and a commitment to long-term vision, such as the "Hiscox 2030 strategy."

Team Structure:

• The Technology function is a core driver of competitive advantage, encompassing design, build, and maintenance of tech solutions.

• The role sits within a broader "Technology Transformation Office" which enables key strategic initiatives like digital trading, augmented underwriting, and unified data ecosystems.

• The Senior UX Designer will likely be part of a dedicated UX/Product Design team, reporting into a Head of Design or similar leadership role.

• Collaboration is expected with Product Management, Engineering, Architecture, and Data teams, indicating a cross-functional, agile operational model. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Transformation: The company is undergoing a significant transformation ("Hiscox 2030") focused on modernization, efficiency, scalability, and customer-centricity, enabled by technology.

• Agile & Iterative: The emphasis on "discovery and design from problem framing through to delivery" and "measure and iterate on experience outcomes" points to an agile, iterative approach to product development.

• "One Hiscox" Mindset: A strategic initiative to foster a unified approach across the organization, impacting how teams collaborate and operate.

• Customer-Centricity: A core pillar of the transformation strategy, driving the need for excellent user experiences for customers, brokers, and employees.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's long history and focus on transformation suggest a blend of established best practices with a forward-looking approach to technology and customer experience. The regulated industry context is critical for understanding the constraints and priorities of the UX design work.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a "Senior" individual contributor role. It demands not only strong technical UX skills but also leadership in influencing product direction, driving design strategy within a domain, and mentoring junior designers. The scope includes owning "experience outcomes," indicating a high degree of responsibility and autonomy.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Designer will likely report to a Design Lead, Head of UX, or potentially a Product Management lead within a specific transformation initiative. They will work in close partnership with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and Architects, forming a core product team.

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts Hiscox's strategic transformation goals by improving the usability, efficiency, and effectiveness of digital products and services. This translates to tangible business benefits such as:

• Increased digital trading adoption and revenue.

• Improved broker efficiency and satisfaction.

• Enhanced employee productivity through better internal tools.

• Reduced operational risk and improved compliance through accessible and intuitive design.

• Contribution to a more scalable and customer-centric organization. Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Progression: Potential to move into a Lead UX Designer, Design Manager, or Head of UX role, managing teams and setting design strategy for larger domains or the entire organization.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like accessibility, service design, or user research within the insurance domain.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Develop a strong understanding of product management, engineering processes, and data analytics, potentially transitioning into a Product Owner or similar role.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers, developing coaching and leadership skills.

• Strategic Influence: Gain experience shaping high-level business strategies through the lens of user experience and digital transformation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a critical player in Hiscox's digital transformation. Growth opportunities are clearly tied to demonstrating leadership, strategic thinking, and measurable impact within the UX domain and broader product development lifecycle.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hiscox operates a hybrid working model, meaning employees will split their time between working remotely and in the office. The office environments in both York and Lisbon are likely designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and team connection.

Office Location(s):

• York, United Kingdom: A historic city with a significant Hiscox presence. The office would likely offer a professional yet potentially community-focused workspace.

• Lisbon, Portugal: A vibrant European capital, suggesting a modern office environment that attracts international talent and reflects the company's global reach.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hubs: Offices will feature spaces designed for team meetings, workshops, brainstorming sessions, and design reviews.

• Technology-Enabled: Access to necessary hardware, software, and reliable internet connectivity to support both remote and in-office work.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: The hybrid model encourages intentional in-office days for high-touch collaboration with Product, Engineering, and other stakeholders, fostering a strong sense of team and shared purpose.

• Focus Areas: While collaboration is key, the environment will also support focused work necessary for deep design thinking and execution.

Work Schedule:

• The core work schedule is full-time (approx. 40 hours/week).

• The hybrid model allows for team-determined flexibility regarding which days are spent in the office versus working remotely. This is designed to promote work-life balance while ensuring effective collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key feature, implying a need for strong self-management, communication, and asynchronous collaboration skills. The office locations suggest opportunities to work in different cultural contexts within the same organization.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications, focusing on alignment with core requirements and portfolio strength.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: Candidates will likely be asked to present a selection of their work, detailing their process, problem-solving approach, and the impact of their designs. This is a critical stage for assessing strategic thinking and communication skills.

• Technical/Skills Interview: An interview focused on specific UX skills, methodologies (interaction design, IA, prototyping), and understanding of design systems and accessibility.

• Cross-Functional Interview: A session with potential collaborators (Product Managers, Engineers) to assess teamwork, communication style, and ability to influence.

• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership to evaluate cultural fit, strategic alignment, and overall suitability for the Senior UX Designer role and Hiscox's transformation goals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your end-to-end experience, problem-solving abilities, and impact. Prioritize projects that align with Hiscox's industry (insurance/financial services) or demonstrate experience with complex journeys and regulated environments.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly outline the business problem, user needs, your specific role and contributions, the design process, key decisions (and why), challenges faced, and quantifiable outcomes. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Impact: Focus on the "so what?" – how did your design decisions lead to measurable improvements in user satisfaction, efficiency, task completion, or business metrics?

• Showcase Process: Detail your methodology, including research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration. Demonstrate your understanding of design systems and accessibility.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, how you handle feedback, collaboration challenges, and your understanding of the Hiscox business.

Challenge Preparation:

• Candidates may be given a design challenge or a take-home exercise to assess their problem-solving skills, design approach, and ability to work within constraints.

• Prepare to articulate your design rationale clearly and concisely.

• If it’s a take-home task, pay close attention to the brief, manage your time effectively, and present your solution professionally.

• Be ready to discuss how your solution addresses user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly evaluate not just design execution but also strategic thinking, collaboration, and communication skills. A strong portfolio that demonstrates quantifiable impact is essential for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, industry standard), Sketch, Adobe XD. Candidates should be proficient in at least one, ideally with experience in collaboration features.

• Design Systems: Experience with creating, contributing to, or utilizing design systems is crucial. This implies familiarity with component libraries and style guides.

• User Research & Testing Tools: Tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, Hotjar, Maze, or similar platforms for conducting remote usability testing and gathering qualitative feedback.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello for tracking tasks, user stories, and project progress within Agile teams.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics for understanding user behavior on digital platforms.

• Product Analytics: Tools like Mixpanel, Amplitude, or Pendo for deeper insights into user engagement and feature adoption.

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI, or similar tools may be used by data teams, and UX designers should be able to interpret and potentially contribute to dashboards that track UX KPIs.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managed by UX, understanding of CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms can provide context for customer journeys and employee workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern design and prototyping tools is a baseline. The ability to leverage data and analytics to inform design decisions and measure impact is increasingly important for senior roles, especially within a transformation context.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A fundamental value driving all initiatives, ensuring that user needs are at the forefront of design and product decisions.

• Collaboration & "One Hiscox": Emphasis on working together across teams and functions, breaking down silos to achieve unified goals. This promotes a supportive and cooperative environment.

• Innovation & Transformation: A culture that embraces change, encourages new ideas, and actively drives forward the company's strategic transformation.

• Excellence & Quality: A commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable, and well-crafted solutions, particularly important in a regulated industry.

• Inclusivity & Accessibility: A dedication to designing for everyone, ensuring products are usable and accessible to all customers and employees.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnerships: Design is integrated within product teams, working hand-in-hand with Product Management, Engineering, and Data.

• Open Communication: Encouragement of feedback, design critiques, and transparent discussions to refine solutions.

• Workshop-Driven: Facilitation of workshops to align stakeholders, generate ideas, and solve complex problems collaboratively.

• Data-Informed: Decisions are supported by user research, analytics, and business data, fostering a rational and objective approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture appears to be a blend of established corporate values (quality, customer focus) with a strong drive for innovation and collaboration, essential for a large-scale transformation. The "One Hiscox" initiative highlights the importance of cohesive teamwork.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Navigating diverse requirements from various departments (Sales, Underwriting, Claims, IT) while maintaining a cohesive user experience.

• Complexity of Regulated Environment: Designing within strict compliance and security frameworks, which can limit design freedom but necessitates meticulous attention to detail.

• Legacy Systems Integration: Potentially working with or designing integrations for older systems as part of the transformation, requiring careful consideration of user workflows and data consistency.

• Driving Adoption of New Designs: Ensuring that new user experiences are effectively adopted by users (customers, brokers, employees) and that the intended benefits are realized.

• Measuring Impact in a Transformation: Clearly attributing UX improvements to specific business outcomes within a large, multi-faceted transformation program.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Insurance/Financial Services: Gain specialized knowledge of the insurance industry, its products, and customer journeys.

• Leading Transformation Initiatives: Contribute directly to Hiscox's major strategic transformation efforts, gaining exposure to large-scale change management.

• Advanced Design Methodologies: Explore and implement cutting-edge UX practices, potentially including advanced user research techniques, service design, or AI-driven UX.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Develop leadership skills by mentoring junior designers and taking on more responsibility for design strategy and execution.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Work closely with product, engineering, and data science teams, broadening understanding of the entire product lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for senior roles in large, established, and transforming organizations, particularly in regulated industries. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a chance to impact a major strategic initiative and develop a unique skill set.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex user journey you've designed from end-to-end. What was the problem, your approach, and the measurable outcome?" (Focus on problem framing, process, and impact.)

• "How do you balance user needs, business goals, and technical constraints in your design process?" (Demonstrate strategic trade-offs and problem-solving.)

• "How do you ensure your designs are inclusive and accessible, especially in a regulated environment?" (Highlight your understanding of standards and practical application.)

• "Tell me about a time you had to influence stakeholders who disagreed with your design direction. How did you approach it?" (Assess communication, persuasion, and collaboration skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Hiscox and our 'Hiscox 2030' strategy? How do you see UX contributing to it?" (Research the company and its transformation goals.)

• "How do you approach working within a hybrid team environment?" (Discuss your strategies for effective remote and in-office collaboration.)

• "Describe your experience working with or contributing to design systems." (Be ready to discuss principles of consistency, scalability, and component libraries.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select Impactful Projects: Choose 2-3 case studies that best highlight your senior-level contributions, strategic thinking, and quantifiable results.

• Structure for Clarity: For each project, clearly outline: The Problem, Your Role, The Process, The Solution, and The Outcome (with metrics).

• Visual Storytelling: Use wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and user flow diagrams effectively to illustrate your points.

• Focus on "Why": Be prepared to explain the rationale behind your design decisions and how they addressed the core problem.

• Engage Your Audience: Treat it as a conversation, inviting questions and demonstrating your passion and expertise.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, leadership, and a deep understanding of how UX design drives business value, particularly within the context of digital transformation and regulated industries.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Hiscox careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate experience with complex journeys, regulated environments (insurance/financial services), and the full UX lifecycle. Emphasize case studies with clear, measurable outcomes.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 5-10 years of experience, highlighting leadership in UX design, interaction design, information architecture, prototyping, and design systems. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and the business impact of your work. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions related to collaboration, influence, and problem-solving.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Hiscox, its "Hiscox 2030" strategy, and its position in the insurance market. Understand the importance of technology transformation and customer-centricity within the company.

⚠️ 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.

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