Senior UX/UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX/UI Product Designer

Company: VML

Location: Porto, Porto, Portugal

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX/UI Design, Product Design, Digital Experience

Date Posted: 2026-05-29

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days in office average)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead end-to-end digital product design for a leading automotive client, focusing on user-centric experiences for in-car systems, companion apps, and digital portals.

• Drive design thinking and problem-solving within a flexible, cross-functional team to create impactful digital solutions that enhance customer journeys and foster loyalty in the automotive sector.

• Bridge the gap between UX strategy and high-fidelity UI execution, ensuring consistency and purpose across diverse digital touchpoints.

• Leverage advanced proficiency in Figma and deep understanding of complex, tokenized design systems to deliver scalable and maintainable design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically embedded within a client's team, requiring a high degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and adaptability within a large enterprise and the automotive industry. The hybrid work model with a specified office presence indicates a need for strong in-person collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design and execution of user experiences and user interfaces for a diverse range of digital products within the automotive sector, including in-car infotainment systems, connected services, customer portals, and mobile applications.

• Translate user research, data insights, and business requirements into actionable design strategies, problem definitions, and innovative solutions.

• Develop comprehensive user journeys, interaction models, wireframes, and prototypes to articulate design concepts and user flows.

• Create high-fidelity visual designs, micro-interactions, and component behaviors that align with brand guidelines and ensure a seamless, consistent user experience across all platforms.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, marketing teams, and senior stakeholders to champion user-centric design principles and drive product direction.

• Work with and contribute to complex, tokenized design systems, ensuring scalability, consistency, and efficient developer handover.

• Adapt design approaches to meet the specific design maturity and stakeholder expectations inherent in a large automotive client organization.

• Produce compelling design artifacts, including interactive prototypes, presentations, and visual assets, to communicate design rationale and gain stakeholder alignment.

• Ensure responsive and adaptive design principles are applied to deliver high-quality experiences across web, mobile, and in-car interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "automotive sector acumen," "stakeholder leadership," and "problem framing & direction" suggests this role requires a senior individual capable of proactive influence and strategic contribution beyond typical design execution. The expectation to operate within "flexible delivery models" and manage "multiple workstreams" highlights the need for strong project management and prioritization skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 5-10 years of progressive experience in UX/UI product design, with a significant portion focused on digital product development and a strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end design capabilities.

Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including creating well-structured, scalable design files and supporting collaborative workflows.

• Deep expertise in working with complex, tokenized design systems, understanding component architecture, variants, properties, and scalable design patterns.

• Proven ability to operate as an end-to-end product designer, seamlessly integrating UX strategy, interaction design, and high-fidelity UI execution.

• Strong experience in user research, translating findings into actionable design insights and data-driven design decisions.

• Demonstrated ability to frame complex problems, define opportunities, and shape product direction.

• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to challenge, influence, and align senior stakeholders across diverse disciplines.

• Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes to articulate design concepts and user flows.

• Solid understanding of responsive and adaptive design principles for web, mobile, and other digital platforms.

• Strong communication and storytelling skills, able to articulate design rationale and recommendations to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the automotive sector, understanding its unique design challenges and stakeholder dynamics.

• Experience with various delivery models (project-based, retained) and managing multiple workstreams in a fast-paced environment.

• Familiarity with user journey mapping and interaction model definition for complex digital products.

• Ability to create supporting design artifacts beyond core UI, such as release notes or communication materials.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit requirement for "Automotive Sector Acumen (ideally)" suggests candidates with prior experience in this industry will have a significant advantage. The emphasis on "Strategic Autonomy" and "Stakeholder Leadership" points to a need for a candidate who can operate independently and influence decision-making at senior levels.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product design projects that demonstrate a clear understanding of the design process from discovery to delivery.

• Include case studies that highlight your ability to frame complex problems, define opportunities, and drive product direction.

• Present examples of how you have leveraged user research and data to inform design decisions and achieve measurable outcomes.

• Demonstrate proficiency in Figma, including well-organized design files and scalable component libraries.

• Feature projects that illustrate experience with complex, tokenized design systems and responsive/adaptive design principles.

Process Documentation:

• Provide documentation that illustrates your approach to user research, including methodologies and how insights were translated into design solutions.

• Showcase your process for defining user journeys, interaction models, and information architecture.

• Detail your workflow for creating and iterating on wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs.

• Include examples of how you collaborated with engineering and product teams for seamless developer handover and implementation.

• Demonstrate how you ensure design consistency and scalability through design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "end-to-end design expertise" and "compelling artefact creation" means the portfolio should not just present finished UIs, but also the strategic thinking, problem-solving process, and collaborative efforts that led to those outcomes, particularly for complex digital products.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX/UI Product Designers with 5-10 years of experience in Portugal, a competitive salary range is estimated between €45,000 - €65,000 annually. This estimate considers the cost of living in Porto, the hybrid work model, and the specialized nature of the automotive client engagement.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health coverage: Medical insurance and Dental insurance.

• Professional Development: Training opportunities to enhance skills and career growth.

• Lifestyle Support: Meal cards, social events, and discounts with hundreds of retailers.

• Family-Friendly Policies: Support for work-life balance.

• Full-time permanent position with VML, offering stability and long-term career prospects.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, with an expectation of an average of 4 days per week in the office as part of the hybrid model. Specific daily hours are flexible, allowing for effective management of project timelines and cross-functional collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on research of similar Senior UX/UI Designer roles in Portugal, factoring in the specified experience level and the unique demands of working within a client-embedded team for a major automotive brand. Benefits are detailed as provided in the job description, with an emphasis on professional development and lifestyle support relevant to experienced professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Marketing and Advertising Services, Digital Experience, Commerce Solutions, with a significant focus on Enterprise Solutions for global brands. VML is part of WPP, a leading global communications network.

Company Size: VML is a large organization, powered by 26,000+ talented people across 55+ markets. The Enterprise Solutions division alone comprises over 4,200 experts in 55 operational centers across 34 countries. This scale offers extensive resources and opportunities for collaboration.

Founded: VML was founded in 1992 and merged with Wunderman Thompson in 2024 to form VML. WPP, its parent company, has a long-standing history in the advertising and marketing industry. This rich history provides a foundation of experience and innovation.

Team Structure:

• The role is part of a dynamic, flexible team, embedded directly with a leading automotive client. This "flex team" structure implies a close-knit, agile working unit focused on specific client needs.

• Within VML's Enterprise Solutions division, teams are structured to deliver end-to-end digital experiences, spanning strategic consultants, creative and technical architects, developers, and operators.

Methodology:

• VML emphasizes a human-first, data-driven approach to creating connected brands and driving growth, as evidenced by their recognition in Forrester Wave™ Reports for various digital experience and commerce services.

• The Enterprise Solutions division focuses on delivering integrated digital experiences across multiple routes to market, utilizing a blend of strategic counsel, creativity, and technical expertise.

• Collaboration is key, with a methodology that encourages sharing client successes and advocating for creative bravery across all roles.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The "client-embedded" nature of this role means the immediate team culture will be heavily influenced by the automotive client's environment, while still being part of the broader VML/WPP culture that values innovation, collaboration, and creative bravery.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level position, indicating a need for seasoned professionals with a proven track record of delivering complex design projects and influencing outcomes. It requires strategic thinking, autonomy, and the ability to mentor or guide more junior designers.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX/UI Product Designer will report to a Design Lead or Director within VML, while being embedded within a client's "flex team." This dual reporting and collaboration structure means interfacing with both VML leadership for career development and client teams for project execution.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the client's digital presence and customer engagement strategy within the automotive sector. By crafting exceptional user experiences for in-car systems, apps, and portals, the designer contributes to customer loyalty, brand perception, and potentially sales conversions for a major automotive brand.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in automotive UX/UI, in-car infotainment design, or connected services design.

• Leadership Development: Potential to lead design initiatives, mentor junior designers, and take on more complex project leadership roles within client engagements.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain extensive experience collaborating with diverse client teams (product, engineering, marketing, brand) and VML specialists, broadening understanding of enterprise-level digital transformation.

• Career Progression: Advancement to Lead Designer, Design Manager, or Principal Designer roles within VML's Enterprise Solutions division.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title, combined with the emphasis on stakeholder leadership and problem framing, suggests this role is a critical stepping stone for individuals looking to move into design leadership or strategy roles within large-scale digital transformation projects.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment, with an average of four days per week expected in the office. This suggests a collaborative office space designed to foster creativity, connection, and teamwork.

Office Location(s): Porto, Portugal. This location offers a vibrant European hub for creative and technology professionals. Specific office details regarding amenities and accessibility would be available upon inquiry.

Workspace Context:

• The role involves close collaboration within a "flex team" embedded with a leading automotive client, indicating a dynamic and potentially fast-paced work setting.

• Access to advanced design tools, particularly Figma, and sophisticated design systems is a given.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with client stakeholders and VML colleagues to drive design strategy and execution.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time working hours are expected. The hybrid model allows for flexibility in balancing remote and in-office work, while the client-embedded nature may require adaptability to client-specific project timelines and collaboration needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model emphasizes the importance of both focused individual work and collaborative team sessions, with a clear expectation for in-office presence to facilitate direct interaction and synergy within the client-embedded team.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: An initial conversation to assess overall fit, experience, and understanding of the role's core requirements, likely with a VML recruiter.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A deep dive into your portfolio, focusing on end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and Figma proficiency. This may include a practical design challenge tailored to automotive UX/UI scenarios.

• Stakeholder/Team Interview: Interviews with VML design leadership and potentially client-side stakeholders to evaluate strategic thinking, communication, stakeholder management, and cultural fit within both VML and the client team.

• Final Interview: A concluding discussion to assess overall suitability, career aspirations, and alignment with VML's values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio with clear case studies that showcase your end-to-end design process. Start with the problem, your strategic approach, the solutions you designed, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight Automotive Experience: If you have automotive industry experience, make it prominent. Otherwise, clearly articulate how your transferable skills (e.g., complex systems, multi-brand work, responsive design) apply to the automotive context.

• Demonstrate Figma Mastery: Showcase well-structured Figma files, component libraries, and interactive prototypes. Explain your file organization and collaboration strategies.

• Articulate Design Rationale: Be prepared to verbally walk through your design decisions, explaining the 'why' behind your choices, the trade-offs considered, and how you incorporated user feedback and data.

• Showcase Stakeholder Management: Include examples where you successfully influenced stakeholders or navigated complex client relationships.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Automotive Context: Research current trends in automotive UX/UI, including in-car infotainment, connected services, and digital retail. Familiarize yourself with common user needs and pain points.

• Practice Problem Framing: Be ready to deconstruct a given problem, identify key user needs and business objectives, and propose a design strategy.

• Figma & Prototyping: Ensure you are comfortable quickly creating wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes in Figma within a given timeframe.

• Communication Clarity: Practice articulating your thought process and design solutions clearly and concisely, anticipating potential questions from technical and non-technical audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "problem framing & direction" and "stakeholder leadership" suggests interviewers will be looking for candidates who can demonstrate strategic thinking and influence, not just execution skills. The portfolio review will be crucial for validating these capabilities with tangible examples.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency is a mandatory requirement for all aspects of design creation, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities.

• Design Systems: Experience with complex, tokenized design systems, including understanding component architecture, variants, and properties.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a requirement for the designer role, familiarity with user analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) and the ability to interpret data for design decisions (as per "Data-Driven Decisions") is highly advantageous.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this UX/UI role, but understanding how design integrates with customer journeys managed by CRM and marketing automation platforms can be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly called out as a core requirement, indicating that candidates must possess advanced skills in this platform. The emphasis on "complex, tokenized design systems" implies a need for a deep understanding of design system architecture and implementation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Heart: Empathy and trust are fostered, encouraging genuine connections and human-centric work. This translates to understanding user needs deeply and collaborating respectfully.

• Brains: Relentless curiosity and collaborative intelligence are valued for innovation and solving complex challenges. This means a proactive approach to learning and problem-solving.

• Courage: Candidates are encouraged to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions. This fosters a culture of constructive feedback and innovation.

• Impact-Driven: The Enterprise Solutions division focuses on delivering outstanding digital experiences that drive multi-channel growth for leading brands, emphasizing tangible business results.

Collaboration Style:

• Client-Embedded & Cross-functional: The role requires seamless integration within a client's "flex team," collaborating closely with product managers, engineers, and other client-side disciplines.

• Agile & Flexible: Operating within various delivery models and balancing pace with quality suggests an agile and adaptable collaboration style.

• Communication & Storytelling: Strong communication is essential for articulating design rationale, trade-offs, and recommendations to diverse audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The VML core values (Heart, Brains, Courage) are central to their culture and will guide how team members interact, solve problems, and drive innovation. The client-embedded nature will require adapting these values to a specific client environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Automotive Sector Complexity: Navigating the specific design maturity, stakeholder expectations, and technical constraints of the automotive industry.

• Ambiguous Problem Spaces: Leading design thinking and defining product direction in complex or evolving problem areas characteristic of large enterprise projects.

• Balancing Pace and Quality: Delivering high-quality, user-centric designs within potentially fast-paced, flexible delivery models and managing multiple workstreams simultaneously.

• Multi-Brand Design Consistency: Adapting design approaches across various brands within an automotive group while maintaining overall consistency and quality.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deepen Automotive UX Expertise: Gain specialized knowledge in designing for in-car systems, connected services, and the automotive customer journey.

• Master Advanced Design Systems: Enhance skills in working with and contributing to complex, tokenized design systems.

• Develop Strategic Influence: Hone abilities in stakeholder management, problem framing, and shaping product direction at a senior level.

• Broaden Project Scope: Work on a diverse range of digital products and experiences for a major global brand, expanding your portfolio and experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents a significant opportunity to develop expertise in a specialized, high-impact industry while honing senior-level design strategy and leadership skills within a client-embedded, large-scale enterprise context.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex problem you framed and how you approached defining the product direction." (Focus on your process, user research, and strategic thinking.)

• "Walk me through a project where you had to influence senior stakeholders on a design decision. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Highlight communication, persuasion, and negotiation skills.)

• "How do you ensure consistency and scalability when working with complex design systems, especially across multiple brands or platforms?" (Prepare to discuss your understanding of tokenization, component architecture, and best practices.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do VML's core values (Heart, Brains, Courage) resonate with your personal working style and approach to design?" (Connect your experiences to their values.)

• "What are your expectations for working within a client-embedded, hybrid team structure?" (Show your adaptability and understanding of collaborative environments.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Flow: Structure your portfolio presentation around compelling stories for each case study, detailing the problem, your process, the solutions, and the impact.

• Focus on End-to-End: Emphasize your ability to move seamlessly from UX strategy and research to UI execution, showcasing your comprehensive skill set.

• Showcase Figma Proficiency: Be prepared to share your screen and navigate your Figma files, demonstrating organization, component usage, and prototyping capabilities.

• Articulate Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss design decisions, compromises, and how you balanced user needs with business objectives and technical constraints.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Expect to be challenged on your ability to not only design but also to strategically influence, lead, and adapt within a demanding client-focused environment. Your portfolio presentation should be a masterclass in your end-to-end design process and strategic thinking.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX/UI Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided VML careers link.

• Tailor your Resume: Highlight experience in UX/UI product design, Figma proficiency, design systems, stakeholder management, and any automotive industry exposure. Use keywords from the job description to ensure ATS compatibility.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-4 of your strongest end-to-end design projects. Ensure they clearly demonstrate your process, problem-solving skills, Figma usage, and impact. Prioritize projects that showcase complex systems or strategic thinking.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your portfolio projects and design rationale clearly and concisely. Be ready to discuss your approach to user research, problem framing, and stakeholder collaboration.

• Research VML & the Automotive Sector: Familiarize yourself with VML's work, client portfolio (especially in automotive), and core values. Understand current trends and challenges in automotive UX/UI to inform your interview responses.

⚠️ 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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