Senior UX/UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX/UI Designer

Company: VML Enterprise Solutions

Location: Faro, Faro District, Portugal

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX/UI Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-05-29

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end design of digital products and services for a major automotive client, encompassing discovery, strategy, interaction design, and high-fidelity UI execution.

• Craft exceptional user experiences and interfaces for a diverse range of digital touchpoints, including in-car infotainment systems, companion mobile applications, digital customer portals, and online retail experiences.

• Collaborate closely within a dynamic, cross-functional "flex team" embedded directly with the client, driving user-centric design solutions within the fast-evolving automotive sector.

• Leverage advanced proficiency in Figma and deep expertise in complex, tokenized design systems to ensure consistency, scalability, and high-quality outcomes across multiple workstreams.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically focused on Product Design within the UX/UI discipline, with a significant emphasis on client-embedded work and a specialization in the automotive sector. The "flex team" structure implies a need for adaptability and strong collaboration skills within a fast-paced project environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define user journeys, interaction models, and information architecture for complex digital products, such as vehicle configuration tools and connected services platforms.

• Translate user research, data insights, and business requirements into actionable design strategies and compelling user experiences that drive engagement and loyalty.

• Develop high-fidelity UI designs, micro-interactions, and visual assets that adhere to brand guidelines and ensure a seamless, intuitive user interface across various devices and platforms.

• Master and contribute to complex, tokenized design systems, ensuring component architecture, variants, and properties are well-defined and scalable for consistent brand experiences.

• Lead design thinking sessions, problem framing exercises, and present design rationale, trade-offs, and recommendations to senior stakeholders across product, marketing, engineering, and brand disciplines.

• Produce compelling design artifacts, including interactive prototypes, engaging presentations, and visual assets for stakeholder alignment, internal communication, and user research.

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

• Collaborate effectively with engineering teams to ensure accurate implementation of designs and provide clear developer handovers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "problem framing and direction" and "strategic autonomy" suggests that this role requires a designer who can proactively shape product strategy rather than solely executing briefs. The requirement for "multi-brand adaptability" within the automotive sector indicates a need to manage design across potentially different sub-brands or product lines.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for senior-level roles, demonstrating a foundational understanding of design principles and methodologies.

Experience: 5-10 years of progressive experience in UX/UI design, with a significant portion focused on product design for digital platforms. Proven experience working within enterprise-level projects and client-embedded teams.

Required Skills:

• UX/UI Design Expertise: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, interaction design, information architecture, and visual design.

• Figma Fluency: Advanced proficiency in Figma for creating scalable, well-structured design files, prototypes, and supporting collaborative workflows.

• Design System Mastery: Extensive experience working with and contributing to complex, tokenized design systems, including understanding component architecture, variants, and properties.

• Responsive & Adaptive Design: Solid understanding of designing for diverse devices and platforms (web, mobile, in-car) with a focus on responsive and adaptive behaviors.

• User Research & Data Analysis: Expertise in translating user research findings and data analytics into actionable design insights and informed design decisions.

• Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to effectively manage, influence, and align senior stakeholders across various departments (product, engineering, marketing, brand).

• Problem Framing & Strategic Thinking: Demonstrated ability to define complex problems, identify opportunities, and actively shape product direction.

• Communication & Storytelling: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale, trade-offs, and recommendations clearly to diverse audiences.

• Prototyping Skills: Ability to create high-quality interactive prototypes to communicate design concepts and test user flows.

Preferred Skills:

• Automotive Sector Acumen: Prior experience working within the automotive industry, understanding its unique design challenges, user behaviors, and stakeholder expectations.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Experience working effectively within agile or hybrid development methodologies and cross-functional teams.

• Experience with Multiple Brands: Ability to adapt design approaches and maintain consistency across different brand identities, particularly within a large automotive group.

• Visual Design & Micro-interactions: Strong aesthetic sensibility and ability to design nuanced micro-interactions that enhance user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Automotive Sector Acumen" as a preferred skill, rather than a strict requirement, suggests that while domain knowledge is highly valued, the company is willing to invest in training a candidate with exceptional design skills and the ability to learn quickly. The requirement for "strategic autonomy" and "problem framing" elevates this role beyond a typical execution-focused designer.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Design Case Studies: Showcase at least 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating your ability to take a project from initial discovery and UX strategy through to high-fidelity UI execution and delivery.

• Figma File Structure: Be prepared to discuss or share insights into how you structure your Figma files for scalability, collaboration, and efficient developer handoff.

• Design System Contribution: Include examples where you have worked with or contributed to design systems, highlighting your understanding of component-based design and tokenization.

• Problem-Solving Demonstrations: Present specific examples of how you have framed complex problems, defined opportunities, and influenced product direction.

• Stakeholder Communication Examples: Include artifacts or descriptions of how you have presented design concepts, rationale, and trade-offs to senior stakeholders.

• Responsive/Adaptive Design Examples: Showcase designs that effectively adapt across different screen sizes and device types.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Provide examples of how you have mapped out user flows, defined interaction models, and optimized workflows for improved user experience.

• System Implementation: Demonstrate experience with design system implementation, including understanding of component libraries, style guides, and pattern application.

• Measurement & Analysis: Include examples of how you have used user research and data to inform design decisions and measure the impact of your designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Senior" title and emphasis on strategic contribution, the portfolio should highlight not just the final UI, but the thought process, problem-solving, and strategic impact of the candidate's design work. Examples of influencing product direction and managing stakeholder expectations will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX/UI Designers in Portugal (Faro), with 5-10 years of experience, and considering the hybrid work arrangement and client-embedded nature of the role, the estimated annual salary range is €45,000 - €65,000. This estimate considers the cost of living in Faro, the demand for specialized design skills, and the senior level of the position.

Benefits:

• Training Opportunities: Access to professional development programs and continuous learning resources to enhance design skills.

• Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health coverage for employees.

• Dental Insurance: Specialized dental care benefits.

• Meal Cards: Stipend or card for meal expenses.

• Social Events: Company-sponsored events for team building and networking.

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

• Retailer Discounts: Exclusive discounts with a wide range of retailers.

Working Hours: The role is based on a standard full-time commitment, typically around 40 hours per week. However, the "hybrid" and "flexible team" nature may offer some degree of flexibility in scheduling, with an expectation of availability during core business hours for client and team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on publicly available data for similar roles in Portugal and the specified experience level. Actual compensation may vary based on the candidate's specific qualifications, interview performance, and the company's internal compensation structure. The benefits listed are directly from the job description and are highlighted for their relevance to professional well-being and work-life balance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Marketing and Advertising / Digital Transformation / Enterprise Solutions. VML, as part of WPP, operates within a global network focused on driving growth for leading brands through integrated marketing, customer experience, and commerce solutions. The Enterprise Solutions division specifically focuses on building digital experiences across various market routes for major organizations.

Company Size: VML is a very large global company, part of WPP, employing over 26,000 people globally. The Enterprise Solutions division alone comprises over 4,200 experts in 55 operational centers across 34 countries. This scale provides access to extensive resources and a broad network of expertise.

Founded: VML was founded in 2008 through the merger of WPP-owned agencies WPP Digital, VML, and Y&R. This lineage provides a strong foundation in digital marketing and creative services.

Team Structure:

• The role involves being part of a "dynamic, flexible team, embedded directly with a leading automotive client." This suggests a dedicated, agile team structure focused on specific client needs.

• The team likely operates with a matrix reporting structure, with day-to-day guidance from client leads and project managers, while also being connected to the broader VML Enterprise Solutions design community for best practices and mentorship.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on translating user research and data into actionable insights to inform design decisions and build stakeholder confidence.

• User-Centricity: Design processes are underpinned by a user-centric approach, focusing on crafting exceptional digital experiences that meet user needs and drive engagement.

• Agile & Iterative Delivery: The "flex team" and "flexible delivery model" suggest an agile or iterative approach to design and development, balancing pace and quality.

• Design System Integration: Strong focus on leveraging and contributing to design systems for consistency and scalability.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The client-embedded nature means the candidate will experience a dual culture: the VML/WPP global network and the specific client's operational environment. The "flex team" implies a need for adaptability, rapid problem-solving, and strong interpersonal skills to navigate client relationships effectively.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a "Senior" position, indicating a mid-to-late career stage. It requires a high degree of autonomy, strategic input, and the ability to mentor or guide less experienced designers. The role is expected to lead design initiatives, influence product direction, and manage complex stakeholder relationships.

Reporting Structure: The role is embedded within a client team. Day-to-day reporting and project direction will likely come from client-side leads (e.g., Product Managers, Project Leads) and VML/WPP project managers. There will also be a connection to VML's internal design leadership for career development and best practice sharing.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX/UI Designer will have a direct impact on the client's digital presence and customer engagement within the automotive sector. Their work will shape how users interact with vehicles, companion apps, and digital sales channels, directly influencing customer satisfaction, loyalty, and potentially sales conversion rates. The role contributes to the client's digital transformation efforts by delivering best-in-class user experiences.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise within the automotive sector, becoming a go-to designer for complex automotive digital products.

• Leadership: Transition into a Design Lead or Art Director role, managing a small team of designers or taking ownership of larger design initiatives.

• Client Relationship Management: Develop stronger client-facing skills, potentially leading design strategy for key accounts.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Gain exposure to broader enterprise solutions, commerce, and marketing strategies within VML/WPP.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and contribute to VML's internal design community and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a transition from individual contributor to a role with strategic influence and potential leadership responsibilities. The client-embedded nature offers unique opportunities for deep domain expertise and direct impact on a major brand's digital strategy.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as "Hybrid," meaning it will involve a combination of working remotely and from an office. Given the client-embedded nature, this likely means significant time spent at the client's facilities, alongside remote workdays.

Office Location(s): The primary location is Faro, Portugal. This suggests the client's operations or a significant VML office presence is in or near Faro, Portugal.

Workspace Context:

• The environment will be dynamic and collaborative, characterized by "flex teams" working closely with a client. This implies a fast-paced setting with frequent communication and iteration.

• Access to modern design tools, particularly Figma, will be standard. The company likely supports remote work infrastructure (e.g., necessary software, potential hardware allowances).

• Opportunities for interaction will be high, both within the immediate client-embedded team and with the broader VML network, fostering a blend of client-focused and agency-culture interactions.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week. The hybrid arrangement allows for flexibility, but the client-embedded nature and need for collaboration will dictate significant availability during core Portuguese business hours (Europe/Lisbon timezone).

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model in a client-embedded context means the candidate should be prepared for a significant amount of time spent on-site with the client, balanced with remote work. The emphasis on "flexible delivery model" suggests adaptability to different project rhythms and client demands.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or HR representative will likely conduct an initial call to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and company. Be prepared to articulate your experience with Figma, design systems, and client-facing work.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A core part of the process will involve presenting your portfolio. Expect to walk through 2-3 key case studies, focusing on your problem-solving approach, UX strategy, UI execution, and impact. You may also be given a small design challenge or scenario to address, testing your thinking and approach to a specific problem within the automotive context.

• Stakeholder/Team Interviews: You will likely meet with hiring managers, design leads, and potentially client stakeholders. These interviews will focus on your ability to lead design initiatives, manage complex relationships, communicate effectively, and operate autonomously within a client-embedded team. Questions will probe your experience with automotive sector nuances, design systems, and strategic problem-solving.

• Final Interview: A final conversation, potentially with a senior leader, to confirm fit and discuss the role in more detail.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process, the solutions you developed, and the measurable impact or outcomes achieved. Quantify results whenever possible.

• Showcase End-to-End Skills: Ensure your portfolio demonstrates proficiency across the entire design spectrum – from user research and wireframing to high-fidelity UI and prototyping.

• Highlight Design System Work: Clearly present your experience with design systems, showing how you've used them for consistency and scalability, and how you've contributed to their development or maintenance.

• Demonstrate Problem Framing: Include examples where you proactively identified issues, framed problems, and proposed design-led solutions, rather than just executing given briefs.

• Client Context: If possible, tailor your presentation to highlight experience relevant to client-embedded work and the automotive sector. Discuss how you managed stakeholder expectations and collaborated with diverse teams.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Automotive Context: Familiarize yourself with current trends, user needs, and design challenges in the automotive digital space (e.g., in-car infotainment, connected car apps, digital sales).

• Practice Problem Framing: Be ready to break down a complex, potentially ambiguous problem into smaller, manageable parts and propose a design approach.

• Articulate Your Process: Be prepared to explain your design process clearly and concisely, justifying your decisions with user-centered principles and data where applicable.

• Communicate Trade-offs: Recognize that design often involves trade-offs. Be ready to discuss these and how you would navigate them with stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The process emphasizes strategic thinking and client management alongside design craft. Candidates should prepare to discuss not just "how" they design, but "why" and "what impact" their designs have, especially in a client-facing, senior capacity.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency is explicitly required for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative workflows. This will be the primary design tool.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma has strong prototyping capabilities, experience with other tools like InVision, Adobe XD, or Axure may also be beneficial for certain types of complex interactive prototypes.

Analytics & Reporting:

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

• Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with how to interpret data from platforms like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or product-specific analytics tools to inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how design impacts user journeys within CRM-driven processes (e.g., customer portals, lead management) is beneficial.

• Familiarity with how design integrates with marketing automation platforms or customer data platforms might be a plus for understanding the broader ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma as a core requirement highlights its importance. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate advanced usage, including component libraries, auto-layout, prototyping, and collaborative features.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: VML operates on three core values:

• Heart: Fostering empathy, trust, and genuine connections, leading to human-centric work and a supportive environment.

• Brains: Valuing relentless curiosity, collaborative intelligence, and innovation to solve complex challenges. This encourages continuous learning and a data-driven approach.

• Courage: Inspiring individuals to speak up, embrace experimentation, advocate for bold solutions, and push boundaries for better outcomes. This supports a culture of initiative and constructive feedback.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The "flex team" embedded with the client necessitates a highly collaborative style, working seamlessly with client-side teams and other VML experts.

• Process Review & Feedback: A culture that likely embraces iterative design, where feedback is actively sought and given to refine solutions and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement of sharing best practices, learnings, and insights across the team and the wider VML network to foster collective growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Heart, Brains, Courage" values are central to VML's culture and should be reflected in how candidates present themselves and their work. Demonstrating empathy, intellectual curiosity, and the willingness to take initiative will align well with these values.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Client Dynamics: Working within a client-embedded team requires adeptness at managing diverse stakeholder expectations, navigating internal client politics, and ensuring alignment across different departments.

• Automotive Sector Complexity: The automotive industry has unique user behaviors, regulatory considerations, and technological advancements (e.g., ADAS, EVs) that present complex design challenges.

• Balancing Pace and Quality: The need to deliver quickly within a "flex team" while maintaining high design standards and meticulous attention to detail can be demanding.

• Evolving Requirements: Enterprise projects, especially in fast-moving sectors like automotive, often involve ambiguous or evolving requirements, necessitating flexibility and strong problem-framing skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Automotive Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in automotive UX/UI, understanding user needs within vehicles, connected services, and the broader mobility ecosystem.

• Design System Evolution: Gain experience with advanced design system methodologies, tokenization, and cross-platform implementation.

• Client Strategy & Consulting: Develop skills in client relationship management, strategic design consulting, and influencing business decisions through design.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Opportunities to attend relevant design and automotive industry events or pursue certifications.

• Mentorship within VML: Access to senior designers and leaders within VML for guidance, career advice, and skill development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical of senior roles in agency environments working with large clients, requiring strong adaptability and strategic problem-solving. The growth opportunities are geared towards deepening specialization and increasing leadership scope.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to frame a complex, ambiguous problem for a client. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Tests problem framing, strategic thinking, and client communication).

• "How do you ensure consistency and scalability when working with complex design systems, especially across multiple brands or product lines?" (Tests design system mastery and attention to detail).

• "Walk me through a challenging stakeholder management situation you faced. How did you influence their decision-making regarding a design recommendation?" (Tests stakeholder leadership and communication skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do VML's core values (Heart, Brains, Courage) resonate with your own work philosophy and how have you demonstrated these in previous roles?" (Tests cultural fit).

• "What are your thoughts on the current state of digital design in the automotive industry, and what excites you most about designing for this sector?" (Tests domain interest and industry perspective).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin each case study with a clear summary of the problem, your role, and the key outcome. Use a narrative flow that highlights your thought process.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, user flows) liberally. For design system examples, show how components are used and how they ensure consistency.

• Quantify Results: Where possible, present metrics that demonstrate the impact of your design solutions (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction scores, reduced error rates).

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, trade-offs, collaboration methods, and how you handled challenges. Be ready to discuss the "why" behind your "what."

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize experience with Figma, design systems, client-facing work, and any relevant automotive or enterprise project experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design craft, but also strategic thinking, leadership potential, and the ability to thrive in a client-facing, dynamic agency environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX/UI Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest end-to-end design case studies that best showcase your skills in UX strategy, UI execution, design systems, and problem-solving, ideally with relevance to automotive or complex digital products.

• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight your years of experience, specific skills in Figma, design systems, and stakeholder management. Quantify achievements and tailor descriptions to match the job requirements.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your chosen portfolio case studies, focusing on clarity, impact, and your strategic design process. Be ready to discuss your approach to the automotive sector and client-embedded work.

• Research VML & WPP: Understand VML's approach to design, their core values (Heart, Brains, Courage), and their work within the Enterprise Solutions division and the automotive industry. Familiarize yourself with WPP's broader mission.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions for operations roles. All details should be verified directly with VML Enterprise Solutions before making application decisions.