Senior UX/UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX/UI Product Designer

Company: VML Enterprise Solutions

Location: Porto, Porto, Portugal

Job Type: Full-time, Permanent

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

Date Posted: 2026-05-29T09:06:09

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design initiatives for a key automotive client, encompassing discovery, strategy, interaction design, and high-fidelity UI execution.

• Develop user-centric digital experiences for in-car infotainment systems, companion mobile applications, and customer-facing digital portals within the automotive sector.

• Drive design thinking and problem-solving across complex and evolving automotive industry challenges, ensuring seamless user journeys and enhanced customer loyalty.

• Collaborate within a flexible, cross-functional team embedded directly with the client, balancing pace and quality in a dynamic enterprise environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role requires a Senior UX/UI Product Designer, implying a need for demonstrated leadership in design strategy and execution. The focus on an automotive client suggests a need for understanding complex ecosystems, regulatory considerations (though not explicitly stated, common in automotive), and a user base that spans both B2C (drivers, passengers) and potentially B2B (dealerships, fleet managers) contexts. The "flexible team" and "embedded directly" aspects highlight the importance of adaptability and strong client-facing communication skills.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and architect user journeys, interaction models, and information architecture for a range of digital products, including vehicle configuration tools, connected services interfaces, and customer portals.

• Translate user research, data insights, and stakeholder feedback into actionable design strategies and tangible design solutions that address complex automotive industry challenges.

• Create high-fidelity visual designs, micro-interactions, and prototypes for diverse platforms (web, mobile, in-car displays), ensuring a consistent and branded user experience.

• Masterfully utilize and contribute to complex, tokenized design systems, ensuring scalability, consistency, and adherence to brand guidelines across multiple sub-brands within the automotive group.

• Lead design thinking sessions, present design rationale compellingly to senior stakeholders, and influence product direction by framing problems and articulating opportunities.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, marketing, and brand teams to ensure design solutions are feasible, aligned with business objectives, and meet user needs.

• Produce high-quality supporting design artifacts, including interactive prototypes, engaging presentations, and visual assets for communication and user research.

• Champion user-centricity and best practices in UX/UI design throughout the project lifecycle, from discovery and ideation to final implementation and post-launch analysis.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a full-stack design capability, from strategic problem-framing to detailed UI execution. The mention of "diverse range of projects" and "automotive ecosystem" suggests a need for a designer who can navigate varied product types and understand the interconnectedness of digital touchpoints in the automotive customer lifecycle.

🎓 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 professional experience in UX/UI design, product design, or a closely related discipline, with a significant portion focused on complex digital products and enterprise-level projects.

Required Skills:

• Automotive Sector Acumen: Demonstrated understanding of the automotive industry's unique design challenges, user behaviors, and market landscape, or the ability to rapidly acquire this domain knowledge.

• Strategic Autonomy: Proven capability to lead design initiatives independently, manage ambiguity, and drive design direction in fast-paced, complex enterprise environments.

• End-to-End Design Expertise: Seamless proficiency across the entire design spectrum, from UX research and strategy (user journeys, IA, wireframing) to interaction design and high-fidelity visual UI execution.

• Figma Fluency: Advanced, expert-level proficiency in Figma, including creating scalable design systems, structured file organization, collaborative workflows, and efficient developer handoffs.

• Design System Mastery: Deep understanding of component architecture, variants, properties, and scalable design patterns within complex, tokenized design systems for multi-brand applications.

• Responsive & Adaptive Design: Solid grasp of responsive and adaptive design principles, ensuring optimal user experiences across web, mobile, and in-car interfaces.

• Stakeholder Leadership: Exceptional ability to manage, influence, and align senior stakeholders across diverse departments (product, engineering, marketing, brand) through clear communication and persuasive design advocacy.

• Problem Framing & Direction: Demonstrated skill in identifying and defining complex design problems, articulating clear opportunities, and proactively shaping product strategy.

• Compelling Artefact Creation: Proficiency in creating high-quality interactive prototypes, persuasive presentations, and supporting visual assets to drive alignment and communicate design value.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Expertise in leveraging user research, analytics, and data to inform design choices and build stakeholder confidence.

• Strong Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex design rationale, trade-offs, and recommendations to technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working directly within or for a major automotive OEM.

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

• Knowledge of front-end development principles (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate better collaboration with engineering teams.

• Experience with user research methodologies and usability testing.

• Familiarity with other design and prototyping tools beyond Figma.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a senior-level individual who is not just a skilled executor but also a strategic partner capable of leading and influencing. The specific mention of Figma and tokenized/complex design systems points to a need for highly organized and scalable design practices. Automotive sector acumen is highlighted as ideal, suggesting that while not strictly mandatory, it would significantly strengthen an application.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies Demonstrating End-to-End Design: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies that illustrate your involvement from initial problem definition and user research through to final UI execution and, ideally, post-launch impact.

• System Design & Application: Include examples of how you have worked with, contributed to, or built design systems, emphasizing scalability, component architecture, and cross-platform consistency, particularly if it relates to complex or tokenized systems.

• Problem-Solving & Strategic Thinking: Clearly articulate the business/user problem you were solving, your design process, the decisions you made (and why), and the resulting outcomes. Quantifiable results are highly valued.

• Figma Proficiency Showcase: Demonstrate advanced Figma skills through well-structured files, interactive prototypes, and clear developer handoffs within your case studies.

• Automotive or Complex Digital Product Experience: Prioritize examples that align with the automotive industry or other complex digital product ecosystems (e.g., enterprise software, large-scale consumer platforms).

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Be prepared to discuss your process for defining user flows, interaction models, and information architecture, highlighting how you optimize these for clarity, efficiency, and user satisfaction.

• Implementation & Automation: Explain how you ensure design consistency and quality during implementation, including your methods for working with developers, using design systems, and facilitating efficient handoffs.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Discuss how you use user research, data, and analytics to inform design decisions, validate solutions, and measure the success of your designs against defined objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a senior role, the portfolio is critical. It needs to go beyond just showcasing pretty UIs and demonstrate strategic thinking, process rigor, and measurable impact. The emphasis on design systems and Figma suggests that candidates should be prepared to walk through their Figma files and explain their system logic.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX/UI Product Designers in Portugal with 5-10 years of experience, particularly in client-facing roles within a large agency or consulting environment, the estimated annual gross salary range is approximately €45,000 - €65,000. This estimate is influenced by the cost of living in Porto, the demand for specialized design skills, and the senior level of the role.

Benefits:

• Training Opportunities: Access to ongoing professional development and skill enhancement programs.

• Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health coverage for employees.

• Dental Insurance: Dedicated dental care benefits.

• Meal Cards: Allowance or card for meal expenses.

• Social Events: Opportunities for team building and networking through organized events.

• Family Friendly Policies: Support for work-life balance, including policies beneficial to families.

• Retail Discounts: Access to discounts with a wide range of retailers.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility often available within a hybrid work arrangement. Specific daily schedules may vary based on client needs and team coordination.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on typical compensation for senior design roles in Portugal, considering the company's global presence (VML/WPP) and the specialized nature of the role within the automotive sector. It is crucial for candidates to research current market rates for their specific experience and location.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Marketing & Advertising, Technology Services, Digital Transformation, with a strong focus on Enterprise Solutions and Commerce. The specific client engagement is within the Automotive sector.

Company Size: VML, as part of WPP, is a very large global organization (26,000+ employees). The Enterprise Solutions division likely comprises thousands of experts worldwide, with a significant presence in Portugal. The immediate team working with the automotive client is described as a "dynamic, flexible team" or "flex team," suggesting a more agile, project-focused unit within the larger structure.

Founded: VML was founded in 2008 (formed from the merger of VML and Y&R), and WPP was founded in 1982. This indicates a company with a long history and established presence in the industry, blending modern agency practices with deep experience.

Team Structure:

• The role is within VML's Enterprise Solutions division, focused on delivering digital experiences for major organizations.

• The Senior UX/UI Product Designer will be embedded directly with a leading automotive client, working as part of a "flex team." This implies a hybrid reporting structure, likely managed by VML leadership but with close day-to-day collaboration and alignment with the client's product and brand teams.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: Emphasis on translating user research and data into actionable insights to drive informed design decisions and build stakeholder confidence.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: Focus on defining and refining user journeys, interaction models, and information architecture to create efficient and engaging digital experiences.

• Automation & Efficiency: While not explicitly about IT automation, the role seeks to improve efficiency through well-designed, scalable systems and processes, particularly leveraging design systems for consistency and speed.

Company Website: VML.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding VML's position as a large, integrated creative and technology company within WPP is important. The "Enterprise Solutions" division and the "flex team" embedded with a client suggest a model that combines the resources and stability of a large agency with the agility and client-focus of a dedicated internal team. The core values of Heart, Brains, and Courage are central to their culture.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role. In the context of operations (though this role is primarily design-focused, it interfaces heavily with GTM/Ops functions through product delivery), "Senior" implies a high degree of autonomy, expertise, and the ability to lead complex projects and mentor junior team members. It suggests a transition from individual contribution to design leadership and strategic influence.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a Design Lead or Director within VML Enterprise Solutions, while working day-to-day as part of a client-embedded "flex team." This means close collaboration with client-side Product Managers, Project Managers, and potentially client-side design or brand leads.

Operations Impact: Through their design work on digital products (infotainment, apps, portals), the Senior UX/UI Product Designer directly impacts customer acquisition, engagement, conversion, and loyalty for the automotive client. Well-designed digital experiences are critical for driving sales, enhancing brand perception, and fostering long-term customer relationships, all of which are core to Go-To-Market (GTM) and operational success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Progression to Lead Designer, Design Manager, or Art Director roles, with increased responsibility for team leadership, client strategy, and project oversight.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise within specific areas of automotive design (e.g., in-car UX, connected services, digital retail) or in design system development and governance.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Opportunities to move into related roles within product management, UX research strategy, or client-facing strategic consulting within VML.

• Mentorship & Training: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and participate in advanced training programs offered by VML and WPP to continually develop skills in emerging design technologies and methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a design role, its impact is deeply intertwined with business operations and GTM strategies. The "Senior" title and client-embedded nature suggest opportunities for growth in leadership, strategic influence, and specialized domain expertise within the automotive tech space.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work arrangement. This means a blend of working remotely and from a VML office or potentially a client office location in Porto. The exact split will likely depend on project needs and team agreements.

Office Location(s): The position is based in Porto, Porto, Portugal. VML has a global presence, and specific office addresses in Porto would be confirmed during the hiring process.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role emphasizes working within a "dynamic, flexible team" and being "embedded directly with a leading automotive client." This points to a highly collaborative setting, requiring strong interpersonal skills and the ability to integrate seamlessly with client teams.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (primarily Figma), collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Teams, Miro), and potentially project management software. The team will leverage these to facilitate communication, ideation, prototyping, and developer handoffs.

• Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with cross-functional team members (product, engineering, marketing) and senior client stakeholders, requiring effective communication and presentation skills.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule (approx. 40 hours/week) is expected, with potential for some flexibility due to the hybrid nature and client-embedded model. The focus is on delivering high-quality work and meeting project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature and client-embedded aspect mean the designer must be comfortable with a distributed team model and adept at managing their time and communication across different work locations and stakeholder groups.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Submission: Submit resume and a link to your portfolio through the Greenhouse application portal.

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and portfolios to assess suitability based on experience, skills, and portfolio quality.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: A dedicated session (likely with a Design Lead or Senior Designer) to walk through your portfolio, discuss your case studies, design process, and problem-solving approach. Be prepared to elaborate on your decision-making and the impact of your work.

• Skills & Competency Interview: An interview focused on assessing your technical skills (Figma, design systems, UX/UI principles), strategic thinking, stakeholder management abilities, and automotive sector acumen. This may involve scenario-based questions.

• Client-Facing/Team Fit Interview: A session to evaluate your ability to work within a flexible, client-embedded team, your communication style, and your cultural alignment with VML's values (Heart, Brains, Courage).

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader from VML Enterprise Solutions to discuss career aspirations and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best represent your end-to-end design capabilities, problem-solving skills, and relevant experience (automotive preferred, or complex enterprise/digital products).

• Structure for Impact: For each case study, clearly present: 1. The Problem, 2. Your Role & Process, 3. Key Decisions & Rationale, 4. The Solution, 5. Outcomes & Learnings (quantify where possible).

• Showcase Figma Mastery: If possible, offer to share your Figma file or provide annotated screenshots/walkthroughs demonstrating your file structure, component library, and prototyping capabilities.

• Articulate Rationale: Be ready to explain why you made specific design choices, referencing user research, data, or strategic goals.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics (e.g., conversion rate improvements, engagement increases, task completion times) to demonstrate the business value of your designs.

• Tailor to Role: Highlight experiences relevant to automotive, design systems, and stakeholder management.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Exercise: Be prepared for a potential design challenge, either take-home or live, that assesses your problem-framing, ideation, and UI execution skills within a given automotive-related scenario.

• Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your portfolio and any design challenge solutions clearly and concisely, focusing on storytelling and impact.

• Stakeholder Scenarios: Think about how you would handle common stakeholder challenges, such as conflicting feedback, scope creep, or advocating for user needs against business constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only design skills but also strategic thinking, client-facing capabilities, and cultural fit. A well-prepared and curated portfolio is paramount for this senior role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency required for UI design, prototyping, and design system management. This is the core tool for this role.

• Prototyping Tools: In-depth experience with Figma's prototyping capabilities is essential. Familiarity with other tools like Principle or ProtoPie might be beneficial for specific complex interactions.

• Design System Management: Experience working with and contributing to tokenized, scalable design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

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

• Analytics Tools: Familiarity with web and app analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Mixpanel) to interpret user behavior data and inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM/automation role, an understanding of how user experiences integrate with CRM systems and marketing automation platforms used by the client (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, Adobe Marketing Cloud) can be beneficial for context.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, Confluence, and Miro are likely to be part of the daily workflow for team communication, task tracking, and ideation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly called out as a required skill, indicating its central role in the team's workflow. The emphasis on design systems and data-driven decisions suggests proficiency in tools that support these areas is highly valued.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: VML operates under three core values:

• Heart: Fosters empathy, trust, and genuine connections, leading to human-centric work and strong relationships within the team and with clients.

• Brains: Values relentless curiosity, collaborative intelligence, and innovation to solve complex challenges, encouraging a data-driven and analytical approach to design.

• Courage: Inspires individuals to speak up, embrace experimentation, advocate for bold solutions, and drive positive change and continuous improvement.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role requires seamless collaboration within a flexible, client-embedded team, working closely with product, engineering, and marketing. This means open communication and a shared understanding of project goals.

• Process Review & Feedback: A culture that likely encourages constructive feedback on designs and processes to ensure continuous improvement and high-quality outcomes.

• Knowledge Sharing: As part of a large global agency, there's an expectation of sharing best practices and learnings across teams and projects, fostering a learning environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The VML values are central to how they operate. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how they embody Heart (empathy, client focus), Brains (strategic thinking, data-driven approach), and Courage (advocacy for design, willingness to innovate) in their work.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Automotive Complexity: The automotive sector involves intricate user needs, long product development cycles, and evolving technology (EVs, autonomous driving, connectivity). Adapting design solutions to this complex ecosystem will be a primary challenge.

• Balancing Pace and Quality: Working within a flexible, client-embedded team often requires delivering high-quality work at a rapid pace, demanding strong time management and prioritization skills.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Influencing and aligning diverse senior stakeholders with potentially competing priorities within a large client organization requires strong negotiation and communication skills.

• Design System Evolution: Contributing to and maintaining a complex, tokenized design system for multiple brands requires meticulous attention to detail and a forward-thinking approach to scalability.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Automotive Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas of automotive UX/UI, such as in-car infotainment, connected car services, or digital dealership experiences.

• Design System Leadership: Grow into roles focused on leading design system strategy, governance, and implementation for enterprise clients.

• Client Strategy & Consulting: Develop skills in client relationship management, strategic consulting, and driving digital transformation initiatives for major brands.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Opportunities to attend relevant design and automotive technology conferences, and pursue certifications that enhance professional development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the nature of the role and the industry. The growth opportunities highlight pathways for specialization and leadership within VML's extensive network.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to frame a complex, ambiguous problem within the automotive sector, and how you approached defining the design opportunity." (Focus on problem framing, research, and strategic thinking.)

• "How would you approach building consensus among senior stakeholders who have conflicting visions for a new in-car feature?" (Focus on stakeholder management, communication, and negotiation skills.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you embody VML's values of Heart, Brains, and Courage in your design work and team interactions?" (Prepare specific examples.)

• "Describe your experience working within a client-embedded or flexible team structure. How do you ensure effective collaboration and communication?" (Focus on adaptability and teamwork.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Structure your portfolio walkthrough as a compelling narrative, guiding the interviewer through the problem, your process, and the impact of your solutions.

• Highlight Key Decisions: Clearly articulate why you made certain design choices, referencing research, data, or strategic goals. Be ready to defend your decisions.

• Showcase Figma Depth: Be prepared to share your Figma file or provide detailed walkthroughs of your design system components, prototypes, and file organization.

• Quantify Results: Emphasize metrics and outcomes that demonstrate the tangible business value of your design work.

• Address Automotive Context: If you have automotive experience, highlight it. If not, clearly articulate how your experience with complex digital products translates to the automotive sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating senior-level strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and strong communication skills, particularly in the context of client-facing work and complex design systems.

📌 Application Steps

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

• Submit your application through the Greenhouse portal, ensuring your resume and portfolio link are up-to-date and easily accessible.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 in-depth case studies that showcase your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and experience with complex digital products. Prioritize automotive-related projects if available, or highlight transferable skills in design systems and stakeholder management.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords and responsibilities mentioned in the job description, such as "UX/UI Design," "Product Design," "Figma," "Design Systems," "Automotive," "Stakeholder Management," and "end-to-end design." Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly prepare for each stage of the interview process. Practice articulating your design rationale, showcasing your Figma skills, and discussing your experience with VML's core values (Heart, Brains, Courage). Be ready to present your portfolio effectively.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with VML's work, particularly their Enterprise Solutions division and any relevant automotive client projects. Understand their culture and values to articulate your fit.

⚠️ 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.