Senior UX/UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX/UI Product Designer

Company: VML

Location: Katowice, Poland / Poznan, Greater Poland, Poland

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Creative & Media / Art & Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-18T08:23:47

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (Office 4 days/week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design initiatives, from initial discovery and experience definition to high-fidelity UI execution, within the automotive sector.

• Craft exceptional digital experiences for a leading automotive client, focusing on in-car infotainment systems, companion apps, and digital customer portals.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional "flex teams" to deliver user-centric solutions that drive engagement, enhance customer journeys, and foster loyalty.

• Leverage advanced proficiency in Figma and mastery of complex, tokenized design systems to ensure consistency and scalability across diverse platforms and devices.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer with a specific focus on UX/UI, indicating a strong emphasis on both strategic user experience thinking and detailed visual interface execution. The 70% UI / 30% UX split suggests a need for a designer who can translate strategic UX concepts into polished, functional interfaces, particularly within the complex automotive domain. The requirement for client-embedded work highlights the importance of adaptability and strong stakeholder management.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Drive the end-to-end product design lifecycle for the automotive client, encompassing user research, experience strategy, interaction design, and detailed UI execution.

• Translate complex automotive user needs and business objectives into intuitive and engaging digital product experiences.

• Develop and refine user journeys, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity visual designs for a range of digital touchpoints including in-car systems, mobile applications, and web portals.

• Champion user-centric design principles and best practices, ensuring all design decisions are data-informed and aligned with user research findings.

• Lead design thinking sessions and contribute to product strategy, actively shaping product direction and identifying new opportunities within the automotive ecosystem.

• Collaborate effectively with product managers, engineers, brand specialists, and other stakeholders to ensure seamless design implementation and delivery.

• Master and contribute to the evolution of complex, tokenized design systems, ensuring design consistency, scalability, and adherence to brand guidelines across multiple sub-brands.

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

• Adapt design approaches and solutions to accommodate varying levels of design maturity and specific stakeholder expectations within the automotive industry.

• Ensure responsive and adaptive design principles are applied consistently across web, mobile, and in-car interfaces, maintaining a high-quality user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a full-stack design capability, moving beyond just UI execution to include strategic UX leadership and problem framing. The "flexible client-embedded team" context implies a need for agility, proactive communication, and the ability to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously. The focus on design systems and multi-brand adaptability points to the need for a highly organized and systematic approach to design.

🎓 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, with a significant portion focused on product design within a digital agency or in-house product team.

Required Skills:

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

• Deep experience with complex, tokenized design systems, including understanding component architecture, variants, properties, and scalable patterns.

• Proven ability to operate as a true end-to-end product designer, seamlessly transitioning between UX strategy, interaction design, and high-fidelity UI execution.

• Strong understanding of responsive and adaptive design principles and behaviour logic for diverse devices and platforms.

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

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

• Expertise in translating user research and data into actionable insights to drive informed design decisions.

• Strong communication, storytelling, and presentation skills, capable of articulating design rationale to technical and non-technical audiences.

• Experience working with multiple brands and visual identities, adapting design approaches while maintaining consistency and quality.

• Ability to produce high-quality supporting design artifacts, including interactive prototypes, engaging presentations, and visual assets. Preferred Skills:

• Automotive sector acumen, with experience in designing for in-car infotainment systems, connected services, or automotive customer portals.

• Experience working within Agile/Scrum methodologies and collaborating with development teams in an iterative process.

• Familiarity with user research methodologies and tools.

• Understanding of front-end development principles (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate effective developer handoffs.

• Experience in designing for accessibility standards (WCAG).

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level (5-10 years) and emphasis on "strategic autonomy" and "stakeholder leadership" suggest this is a senior-level role requiring independent contribution and influence. The preference for automotive sector experience is a strong differentiator, indicating a need for domain-specific understanding. Figma fluency is highlighted as a critical technical requirement.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design projects, demonstrating a blend of strategic UX thinking and high-fidelity UI execution.

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

• Examples of complex design systems you have worked with or contributed to, highlighting your understanding of component architecture and scalability.

• Prototypes demonstrating interaction design capabilities and user flow logic.

• Examples of how you've translated user research and data into design solutions.

• Work samples that illustrate adaptability across different brands or product types, if applicable. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate a structured approach to design problem-solving, from discovery and research to ideation, prototyping, testing, and final UI implementation.

• Showcase your ability to document design decisions, user flows, and interaction specifications clearly and comprehensively for development teams.

• Provide evidence of how you have utilized design systems effectively and contributed to their maintenance or evolution.

• Illustrate your process for stakeholder communication and alignment throughout the design lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX/UI Product Designer role, a portfolio is paramount. It should not only showcase visual polish but also a deep understanding of the design process, strategic thinking, and the ability to articulate the "why" behind design decisions. Emphasis on design systems and end-to-end project examples is crucial for this level.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: 110 - 150 PLN net per hour (B2B cooperation)

Benefits:

• Private medical care

• Professional development opportunities

• Training programmes

• Flexible working arrangements

• Opportunity to work with leading global brands in the automotive sector.

• Collaborative and impact-driven work environment.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week). Candidates must be available until 18:00 PL time due to collaboration with the UK project team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary is provided as a net hourly rate for B2B cooperation, which is common for contract roles in Poland. The stated range of 110-150 PLN net/hour translates to approximately 22,880 - 31,200 PLN net per month for a standard 40-hour work week, or roughly 274,560 - 374,400 PLN net annually. This is a competitive rate for a senior design role in Poland. The benefit package is comprehensive, covering health, development, and flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Marketing & Advertising, Technology, Creative Services, Commerce, and Enterprise Solutions. VML is part of WPP, a global leader in marketing and communications services.

Company Size: VML, as part of WPP, has a global network of 26,000+ employees across 55+ markets. VML itself is a significant entity within this structure.

Founded: VML was founded in 1992, with WPP's current iteration forming from the merger of WPP plc and JWT in 2018, and more recently, the merger of Wunderman Thompson and VMLY&R to form VML in 2024. This history indicates a company with deep roots in the industry, adapting to market changes.

Team Structure:

• The role involves being embedded within a "dynamic, flexible team" directly with a leading automotive client, suggesting a client-facing, integrated team structure.

• Collaboration will occur with a UK project team, indicating cross-border team dynamics and the need for clear communication across time zones.

• The team likely comprises various specialists (product managers, engineers, brand strategists) working in a cross-functional manner. Methodology:

• VML emphasizes a "human first" approach, combining brand experience, customer experience, and commerce.

• The company culture values creativity, innovation, and data-driven decision-making, aiming to drive growth for clients.

• The core values of Heart, Brains, and Courage underscore a commitment to empathy, intelligence, and bold action.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: VML's positioning as a leading creative company combining CX, BX, and commerce, within the larger WPP ecosystem, suggests a professional environment focused on innovation, client impact, and integrated solutions. The "client-embedded" nature of this role is a key cultural aspect, requiring strong adaptability and client relationship skills. The company's recent formation through mergers indicates a dynamic and evolving organizational structure.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior UX/UI Product Designer. This level implies significant autonomy, the ability to lead projects, mentor junior designers, and influence product strategy. The role requires a blend of deep technical design skills and strategic thinking.

Reporting Structure: The role is client-embedded within a "flex team" and will collaborate with a UK project team. While direct reporting lines within the client organization might exist, the primary professional relationship will be within the VML project team structure, potentially reporting to a Design Lead or Project Director.

Operations Impact: The designer's work will directly impact the user experience of digital products for a major automotive brand, influencing customer engagement, loyalty, and potentially sales conversion for vehicles and related services. Success will be measured by the quality of user experience, design consistency, and the achievement of client business objectives.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in automotive UX/UI, advanced design systems, or specific areas like in-car HMI (Human-Machine Interface) design.

• Leadership Development: Progress to a Design Lead or Art Director role, managing teams and overseeing larger design initiatives.

• Client Relationship Management: Develop stronger client-facing skills and potentially transition into roles with more direct client strategy involvement.

• Cross-Disciplinary Exposure: Gain experience in related areas like product strategy, user research, or even project management within an agency setting.

• Global Collaboration: Enhance experience working with international teams and diverse client portfolios.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Senior designation suggests a path towards leadership, either as a design lead managing projects or as a specialist deepening expertise. The client-embedded nature also offers opportunities for developing strong client management and strategic consultation skills.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, with an average of four days per week expected in the office for collaboration, creativity, and connection.

Office Location(s): The role is based in Katowice, Poland, or Poznan, Greater Poland, Poland, with specific office details likely available upon inquiry or during the application process.

Workspace Context:

• The work environment is designed to foster creativity and collaboration, with an emphasis on in-person interaction for an average of four days a week.

• As part of a client-embedded team, the workspace will likely involve close collaboration with client stakeholders and VML project team members.

• Access to VML's resources, design tools, and a network of creative professionals will be available.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week). A specific requirement is availability until 18:00 PL time to facilitate collaboration with the UK project team, indicating a need for flexibility around core business hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model with a strong emphasis on in-office collaboration (4 days/week) highlights VML's commitment to fostering a connected and dynamic team environment. The specific time availability requirement (until 18:00 PL) is crucial for candidates to consider, ensuring alignment with international team schedules.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A deep dive into your portfolio, where you'll present 2-3 key projects, discuss your design process, rationale, and outcomes. Expect questions about your approach to UX/UI, design systems, and stakeholder management.

• Skills Assessment/Case Study: Potentially a design challenge or case study to evaluate your problem-solving abilities, design thinking, and proficiency with tools like Figma. This might involve framing a problem, outlining a solution, or critiquing an existing design.

• Team/Hiring Manager Interview: An opportunity to discuss your experience in more detail, assess your cultural fit with VML and the client team, and understand your career aspirations. Questions may focus on leadership, collaboration, and adaptability.

• Final Interview/Offer: A final discussion, potentially with senior leadership, leading to an offer if successful.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end design capabilities, particularly those involving complex systems, automotive-related work (if applicable), and strong UI execution.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your specific role and contributions, the design process, key decisions made (and why), trade-offs considered, and the impact/results achieved.

• Showcase Figma Mastery: Ensure your Figma files are well-organized and demonstrate best practices for collaboration and scalability. Be prepared to walk through your file structure.

• Highlight Design System Experience: Clearly explain your experience with design systems, whether you've used, contributed to, or built them. Showcase examples of how you've applied them consistently.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics and data to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, increased user satisfaction).

• Prepare for Automotive Context: If you have automotive experience, highlight it. If not, be ready to discuss how you would approach understanding the automotive domain and its unique challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: Carefully read and deconstruct any design challenge provided. Identify the core problem and constraints.

• Think Out Loud: For live challenges, verbalize your thought process. Explain your assumptions, the directions you're considering, and why you're making certain choices.

• Prioritize: Focus on the most critical aspects of the problem. You may not have time to solve everything, so prioritize effectively.

• Communicate Clearly: Practice articulating your design decisions and rationale concisely and persuasively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to be rigorous, focusing heavily on practical design skills, process, and strategic thinking, especially through portfolio review. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their ability to handle complex projects, work with design systems, and communicate effectively with stakeholders in an automotive context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency is a mandatory requirement for creating scalable design files, prototypes, and facilitating collaborative workflows.

• Prototyping Tools: Likely integrated within Figma, or potentially tools like Adobe XD, InVision, or Principle for more advanced interactive prototypes.

• Design System Management: Tools and methodologies for working with and contributing to complex, tokenized design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly stated as a designer's direct responsibility, an understanding of how user research and data analytics (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, Hotjar) inform design decisions is essential. Designers will likely consume reports and insights from dedicated analysts. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the core design function, but an understanding of how user journeys and digital experiences integrate with CRM systems (like Salesforce) or marketing automation platforms might be beneficial in understanding the broader ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly called out as a primary tool, indicating its central role in the design workflow. The emphasis on "complex, tokenized design systems" suggests a mature design operations environment. While specific analytics or CRM tools aren't listed for designers, an awareness of data-driven decision-making is crucial.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Heart: Empathy and trust are key, fostering 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 solving complex challenges. This means a proactive approach to learning and problem-solving through teamwork.

• Courage: Encouragement to speak up, embrace experimentation, and advocate for bold solutions. This implies a culture that supports constructive feedback, innovation, and taking calculated risks.

• Impact-Driven: A focus on delivering tangible results and driving growth for clients. Designs should be purposeful and contribute to business objectives.

• Data-Driven: Decisions are informed by user research and data, building stakeholder confidence through evidence.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close collaboration with product managers, engineers, marketing, and brand teams is essential.

• Client-Embedded: Working directly within client teams requires strong communication, adaptability, and a partnership-oriented approach.

• Constructive Feedback: A culture that encourages open discussion, critique, and continuous improvement of designs and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Openness to sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across the team and with the broader VML network.

📝 Enhancement Note: VML's core values (Heart, Brains, Courage) provide a strong framework for understanding their desired team culture. For a Senior UX/UI Designer, these values translate into empathetic design, intelligent problem-solving, and the bravery to propose innovative solutions, all within a collaborative, client-focused environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Automotive Domain Complexity: Navigating the unique challenges of designing for the automotive sector, including safety regulations, diverse user needs (driver vs. passenger), and evolving in-car technology.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Managing expectations and securing buy-in from senior stakeholders with potentially differing priorities and levels of design understanding.

• Ambiguous Requirements: Working effectively in fast-paced environments with incomplete or evolving project requirements, necessitating strong problem-framing skills.

• Balancing Pace and Quality: Delivering high-quality design outcomes under tight deadlines and within various client delivery models.

• Maintaining Design System Integrity: Ensuring consistent application of complex design systems across multiple brands and platforms, especially with evolving requirements.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Automotive Design: Opportunities to deepen expertise in Human-Machine Interface (HMI) design for vehicles, connected car services, and automotive retail experiences.

• Advanced Design System Practices: Learning from and contributing to sophisticated, enterprise-level design systems.

• Strategic Design Leadership: Developing skills in product strategy, user research leadership, and influencing client roadmaps.

• Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Gaining experience working effectively with international teams and clients.

• Industry Trends: Staying abreast of emerging technologies and design trends relevant to the automotive and digital experience sectors.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a senior role in a client-facing agency, emphasizing the need for resilience, adaptability, and strong problem-solving skills. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering clear paths for specialization and leadership within the design discipline.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to influence a senior stakeholder who was resistant to your design recommendations. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Assesses stakeholder management, communication, and persuasive skills.)

• "Walk us through a complex product design project from your portfolio where you had to balance UX strategy with high-fidelity UI execution. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Evaluates end-to-end design capability and problem-solving.)

• "How do you approach working with or contributing to a complex, tokenized design system? Provide an example of how you ensured consistency and scalability." (Tests design system mastery and attention to detail.)

• "Imagine you're tasked with designing a new feature for an automotive infotainment system. What would be your initial steps in understanding the problem space and framing the opportunity?" (Assesses problem framing, strategic thinking, and domain adaptability.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of VML and WPP, how do you see yourself contributing to our 'Heart, Brains, Courage' values?" (Evaluates cultural fit and understanding of company ethos.)

• "How do you adapt your design process when working within a client-embedded, cross-functional team like the one described for this role?" (Assesses adaptability and collaboration style.)

• "What are your expectations for professional development and growth within a creative agency environment like VML?" (Gauges career aspirations and alignment with company offerings.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level overview of the project and your role, then dive into the problem and your strategic approach. Detail key design decisions with justifications, and conclude with the outcomes and learnings.

• Visual Storytelling: Use your Figma prototypes and high-fidelity mockups effectively to illustrate your design solutions. Ensure visuals are clean, well-annotated, and easy to understand.

• Focus on Process & Rationale: For each decision, explain the "why." Connect your choices back to user research, business goals, or design principles.

• Quantify Achievements: Present metrics and data clearly to demonstrate the impact of your work. If quantitative data isn't available, articulate qualitative outcomes and user feedback.

• Demonstrate Figma Proficiency: Be prepared to navigate your Figma file to show organization, component usage, and collaborative features.

• Tailor to Automotive: If possible, highlight projects or discuss how your skills translate to the automotive context, emphasizing user safety, usability, and brand consistency.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions will likely probe the candidate's ability to handle ambiguity, influence stakeholders, and demonstrate deep practical skills in Figma and design systems, especially within the context of the automotive industry. Portfolio presentations are critical for showcasing these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

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

• Submit your application through the VML careers portal via the provided URL.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 strong case studies that demonstrate end-to-end product design, complex design system experience, and ideally, any relevant automotive or complex digital product work. Ensure case studies clearly articulate your process, rationale, and impact.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 5-10 years of experience, specific skills in Figma and design systems, stakeholder management successes, and any automotive sector exposure. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare for Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on clear storytelling, articulating your design process, and justifying your decisions. Be ready to discuss your experience with design systems and how you ensure consistency and scalability.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with VML, its work (especially within the automotive sector if showcased), and its core values (Heart, Brains, Courage). Understand the hybrid work model and the need for availability until 18:00 PL time.

⚠️ 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.