Teamlead Visual Design / UI

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Teamlead Visual Design / UI

Company: DEPT®

Location: Zürich, Switzerland

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Visual Design / UI Design Leadership

Date Posted: 2026-04-14

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

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead a team of talented visual and UI designers, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented environment for junior to senior-level talent.

• Drive the creative vision and design quality for key accounts, ensuring strategic alignment, visual appeal, and timely, budget-conscious project delivery.

• Spearhead the design component of new business pitches and client workshops within Switzerland, the DACH region, and EMEA, representing DEPT® with confidence.

• Collaborate strategically with the Head of Design and other leaders to enhance departmental capabilities, refine processes, and champion innovative design methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role explicitly mentions managing and mentoring designers from Junior to Senior levels, indicating a need for strong people management and coaching skills. The focus on "Growth Invention" and operating at the intersection of technology and marketing suggests that this role requires not just aesthetic prowess but also a strategic understanding of how design contributes to business growth and digital transformation. The mention of "Experience & Engineering" business unit further emphasizes the need for designers to understand technical constraints and collaborate closely with engineering teams.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead Design Excellence: Oversee the end-to-end visual and UI design process for major client projects, ensuring strategic objectives, brand consistency, and exceptional user experiences are met.

• Team Management & Mentorship: Conduct regular 1-on-1s, provide constructive feedback, and guide the professional development of a diverse team of visual designers, promoting skill advancement and team cohesion.

• Business Development & Pitches: Lead design strategy and execution for new business proposals, client chemistry meetings, and presentations, effectively communicating bold concepts and winning new projects.

• Process & Capability Improvement: Collaborate with design leadership to evolve and optimize design processes, workflows, and best practices, contributing to the overall growth and efficiency of the department.

• Client & Stakeholder Engagement: Facilitate client workshops, manage design expectations, and present design solutions clearly and persuasively to executive-level clients and internal stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on people leadership and client-facing strategic design work. The "Empowering People" and "Winning Hearts and Minds" sections of the original description translate directly into managing designers and leading pitches, respectively. The "Strategic Collaboration" aspect points to a role that influences departmental direction.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio and demonstrated expertise in Visual Design, UI Design, and Experience Design are paramount. A background in Design, HCI, or a related field is beneficial.

Experience: A proven track record of at least 5-10 years in sophisticated experience design, ideally within a fast-paced agency environment, is required. Prior experience in leading or mentoring a design team is highly advantageous.

Required Skills:

• Visual Design & UI Expertise: Comprehensive understanding of visual hierarchy, typography, color theory, layout, and user interface principles for digital platforms.

• Design System Proficiency: Expert knowledge in creating, implementing, and maintaining scalable Design Systems that ensure consistency and efficiency across projects.

• Figma Mastery: Advanced proficiency in Figma for design, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Accessibility Standards: Deep understanding and practical application of digital accessibility guidelines (WCAG).

• Client Presentation & Pitching: Proven ability to present design concepts confidently and effectively to clients and stakeholders, leading design aspects of pitches.

• German & English Fluency: Excellent verbal and written communication skills in both (Swiss) German and English.

Preferred Skills:

• Motion Design & Prototyping Tools: Experience with tools like Framer or Jitter for advanced prototyping and motion design.

• Brand Design Experience: Familiarity with brand identity development and its application across digital touchpoints.

• UX Design Collaboration: Ability to work seamlessly with UX designers, copywriters, and developers.

• Digital Trends & AI: Curiosity and awareness of current digital trends, AI applications, and emerging technologies in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Design System Nerd" and "Accessibility as a Mindset" points are specific qualifications that signal a high bar for technical design skills. The explicit mention of Figma as a "must" and Framer/Jitter as a "massive plus" defines the core toolset. The "Industry Pulse" requirement indicates a need for forward-thinking designers aware of emerging technologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Design Quality: A comprehensive portfolio showcasing sophisticated experience design across various digital platforms (web, mobile, applications).

• Design System Examples: Clear examples of Design Systems built or maintained, illustrating scalability, consistency, and the bridge between aesthetics and functionality.

• Accessibility Integration: Evidence within projects that demonstrates a consideration for and implementation of digital accessibility standards (WCAG).

• Process & Collaboration: Showcase projects that highlight collaborative workflows with cross-functional teams (UX, development, copy) and effective stakeholder management.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Be prepared to discuss how you approach designing and optimizing design workflows within an agency setting, including efficiency improvements.

• System Implementation: Articulate your experience in implementing and managing design systems, ensuring adherence to standards and scalability.

• Metrics & Impact: Demonstrate how you measure and communicate the impact of design on business objectives, such as user engagement, conversion rates, or client satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Team Lead role, the portfolio should not only showcase individual design skills but also the ability to lead and standardize design processes. Highlighting experience with Design Systems and accessibility is crucial, as these are explicitly called out as requirements. The ability to articulate process and demonstrate impact will be key during portfolio reviews.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the location (Zürich, Switzerland), the hybrid work arrangement, the specified experience level (5-10 years implied), and the leadership aspect of the role, an estimated salary range would be CHF 120,000 - CHF 160,000 annually. This range reflects the cost of living in Zürich, the demand for experienced UI/Visual Design Leads in the agency sector, and the responsibilities associated with team leadership and new business acquisition.

Benefits:

• Flexible Hybrid Work: Policy allows for a balance between office collaboration and remote flexibility (2 days in the office).

• Generous Holiday Allowance: 25 days of paid holiday per year, with the option for unpaid leave.

• Personal Allowance: A monthly allowance of €75 (approx. CHF 70-75) via benefits app for daily expenses and lifestyle perks.

• Professional Development: Dedicated learning and development budget for continuous skill enhancement.

• Referral Program: Bonus for referring successful candidates.

• Office Perks: Occasional breakfast and lunch at the office, Smoothie Tuesdays.

• Well-being Support: Contribution to health through the OpenUp platform.

• Inclusive Workspace: Access to a spacious and barrier-free office location in Zurich.

• Social & Team Building: Regular social events, parties, and organized activities.

• Impactful Work: Opportunity to work with major clients and contribute to "Growth Invention."

• Certified B Corp Culture: Work for an organization committed to social and environmental responsibility.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are expected, with a hybrid policy allowing for 2 days in the office. Flexibility is implied, but the core expectation is dedicated work to meet project deadlines and team needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimation is based on typical compensation for similar leadership roles in Zurich's tech and creative industries, factoring in the agency environment and the specific responsibilities. The benefits listed are directly from the job description, with an estimated conversion for the personal allowance to CHF for local relevance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology & Marketing Services / Digital Agency. DEPT® operates at the intersection of technology and marketing, positioning itself as a "Growth Invention" company. This implies a culture focused on innovation, speed, and client growth.

Company Size: 4,000+ specialists globally. This indicates a large, established, yet agile organization with significant resources and a broad reach. For operations professionals, this means opportunities for structured career paths, diverse projects, and access to extensive internal expertise, but also a need for clear communication and process adherence.

Founded: DEPT® has been a Certified B Corp and Climate Neutral since 2021, indicating a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical business practices. The company culture is described as running on three values: "better together, relentlessly curious, and get sh*t done."

Team Structure:

• The role is within the "Experience & Engineering" business unit in Zurich.

• The Visual Design / UI team consists of Junior to Senior designers, led by this Team Lead.

• Collaboration is expected with UX Designers, Copywriters, Developers, and the Head of Design.

Methodology:

• Growth Invention: A core philosophy focused on helping ambitious brands grow faster through innovative strategies at the intersection of technology and marketing.

• Data-Driven & Performance-Oriented: Delivering "performance-driven full-funnel" approaches suggests a focus on measurable outcomes and data analysis.

• Agile & Fast-Paced: The "first to move" and "acting fast" ethos implies an agile work environment.

• User-Centric Design: Emphasis on delivering "exceptional and engaging digital experiences."

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is explicitly defined by its values ("better together, relentlessly curious, get sh*t done") and its mission ("Growth Invention"). The size of DEPT® implies a structured yet dynamic environment where collaboration is key. The B Corp certification highlights a strong ethical and sustainability focus, which is a significant cultural differentiator.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a significant step into leadership within the design function. It's a "Team Lead" position, meaning it requires not only advanced individual contributor skills but also the ability to manage, mentor, and guide a team of designers. The scope includes project leadership, new business development, and contributing to departmental strategy. This is a mid-to-senior level position with clear leadership responsibilities.

Reporting Structure: The Teamlead Visual Design / UI will report to the Head of Design. They will manage a team of visual designers (Junior to Senior). Collaboration will be extensive with other design leaders, UX designers, copywriters, and developers.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is multifaceted:

• Client Success: Directly influences the quality and strategic effectiveness of digital experiences delivered to clients, impacting their brand perception, user engagement, and conversion rates.

• Team Development: Shapes the skills, growth, and morale of the design team, contributing to overall departmental capability and retention.

• Business Growth: Plays a crucial role in winning new business through compelling pitches and design leadership, directly contributing to DEPT®'s revenue and market position.

• Process Innovation: Contributes to the evolution of design processes and capabilities, enhancing the agency's efficiency and competitive edge.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to grow into a Design Manager, Head of Design, or similar senior leadership roles within DEPT®.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like Design Systems, Accessibility, or Motion Design, becoming a subject matter expert.

• Strategic Influence: Increased involvement in shaping the agency's design strategy, client relationships, and new service offerings.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Opportunities to learn from other departments (e.g., Technology, Data, Marketing) to broaden understanding of digital growth strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is positioned as a critical link between individual design execution and strategic departmental leadership. The growth path is clear, moving from managing a team to potentially influencing broader agency strategy and client acquisition. The emphasis on "Growth Invention" suggests opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects and contribute to evolving digital strategies.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: DEPT® offers a hybrid working model, with employees expected to work 2 days from the office. The Zurich office is described as "spacious and barrier-free," indicating a modern, accessible, and potentially collaborative workspace designed for comfort and productivity.

Office Location(s): Zürich, Switzerland. This location is a major hub for technology and creative industries in Europe, offering a vibrant professional environment.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office serves as a central point for team collaboration, client workshops, and fostering company culture, especially for the 2 days per week requirement.

• Tool & Technology Access: While Figma mastery is required, the office environment likely provides access to necessary hardware and software to support advanced design and prototyping work.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model encourages intentional in-office time for team building, brainstorming sessions, and direct interaction with colleagues across design and other disciplines.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time. While specific daily hours are not detailed, the hybrid policy implies a structured approach to work, balancing in-office collaboration with remote flexibility. This allows for efficient workflow management and integration of design tasks with team meetings and client engagements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role (2 days in office) is a key aspect of the work environment. This suggests a need for structured planning to maximize in-office collaboration time for team management, client interactions, and strategic discussions, while leveraging remote time for focused design work and individual tasks.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: The typical interview process for such a role at an agency like DEPT® would likely involve several stages:

1. Initial Screening: HR or talent acquisition conducts a brief call to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest.

2. Hiring Manager Interview: A more in-depth discussion with the Head of Design to evaluate leadership experience, strategic thinking, and technical design skills.

3. Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where the candidate presents their portfolio, showcasing key projects, design systems, and leadership approach. This often includes a hypothetical challenge or discussion of past client scenarios.

4. Cross-Functional Interview: Meeting with potential team members (e.g., senior designers, UX leads, developers) or other department heads to assess collaboration style and team fit.

5. Final Interview/Offer: Discussion with senior leadership or HR to finalize terms and extend an offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your leadership, visual design expertise, UI design skills, and experience with Design Systems and accessibility.

• Highlight Leadership: For each project, articulate your role, how you guided the team, how you managed stakeholders, and the strategic impact of the design.

• Showcase Process: Clearly explain your design process, from problem definition to final delivery, emphasizing how you ensured quality and met objectives.

• Design System & Accessibility Deep Dive: Dedicate specific slides or sections to showcase your expertise in these areas, detailing your approach and the benefits achieved.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, user satisfaction scores, efficiency gains).

• Tell a Story: Structure your presentation with a clear narrative: the client's challenge, your approach, your team's execution, and the impactful results.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design System Exercise: Be prepared for a task related to evaluating, improving, or creating a component of a design system.

• Pitch Scenario: You might be asked to outline how you would approach pitching a design solution for a hypothetical client problem.

• Team Management Scenarios: Anticipate questions about how you handle underperforming team members, conflicts, or motivating a diverse team.

• Client Communication: Practice articulating complex design decisions and trade-offs clearly and concisely.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Winning Hearts and Minds" and leading pitches suggests that presentation skills and the ability to articulate a design vision persuasively are critical. The portfolio review will likely focus not just on aesthetics but on strategic thinking, process, and leadership capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for all aspects of visual design, UI design, prototyping, and team collaboration. Mastery is a must.

• Prototyping Tools: Framer and Jitter are highly desirable for advanced motion design and interactive prototyping. Experience here would be a significant advantage.

Analytics & Reporting: While not explicitly listed, a strong understanding of analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) and dashboarding tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) would be beneficial for understanding design impact and performance metrics.

CRM & Automation: Not directly relevant to this design leadership role, but familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Jira, Asana) and communication platforms (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams) is expected for team coordination.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma as a requirement and Framer/Jitter as a plus clearly defines the core toolset for this role. The emphasis on delivering "performance-driven full-funnel" approaches implies that designers are expected to work with data and understand how their designs contribute to measurable business outcomes, even if they aren't the primary analysts.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Better Together: Emphasizes teamwork, collaboration, and mutual support. For a team lead, this means fostering a cohesive team environment and working effectively with other departments.

• Relentlessly Curious: Encourages continuous learning, exploration of new trends, technologies (like AI), and innovative approaches to design and growth.

• Get Sh*t Done: Focuses on execution, efficiency, and delivering results. As a team lead, this translates to ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget, and that the team is productive.

• Growth Invention: This overarching philosophy means a drive to help clients achieve significant growth through innovative technological and marketing solutions.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Strong emphasis on working effectively with UX Designers, Copywriters, Developers, and other leaders. The ability to speak multiple "languages" (technical, creative, business) is key.

• Client-Centric: A focus on understanding client needs and delivering solutions that drive their business forward.

• Open Communication: The hybrid model and emphasis on "Better Together" suggest an environment that values open dialogue, feedback, and knowledge sharing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values are explicitly stated and are critical for cultural fit. For a Team Lead, demonstrating these values through leadership style, team management, and approach to problem-solving will be essential. The "relentlessly curious" value is particularly relevant for a design role involving digital trends and AI.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Creativity with Business Goals: The primary challenge will be to maintain high creative standards while ensuring designs are strategically aligned with client business objectives and deliver measurable results.

• Managing Diverse Design Talents: Leading a team of designers with varying skill sets, experience levels, and personalities requires strong interpersonal and coaching skills.

• Navigating Agency Pace: The fast-paced agency environment demands efficient workflows, quick turnarounds, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously without compromising quality.

• Staying Ahead of Trends: The digital landscape evolves rapidly; staying current with design trends, new technologies (AI, AR/VR), and evolving user expectations is an ongoing challenge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like motion design, advanced prototyping (Framer, Jitter), or specialized UI patterns.

• Leadership & Management Training: Formal or informal training on people management, coaching, and strategic leadership within a creative agency context.

• Industry Exposure: Participation in industry conferences, webinars, and workshops related to design, technology, and digital marketing trends.

• Client Strategy & Business Development: Gaining experience in client strategy, pitching, and contributing to business growth initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges listed are common in agency leadership roles, particularly in design. The growth opportunities are directly tied to the role's responsibilities and the company's emphasis on innovation and professional development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Leadership Philosophy: "Describe your approach to leading and mentoring a design team. How do you foster creativity while ensuring accountability and quality?" Prepare examples of how you've coached designers, handled performance issues, and built team cohesion.

• Design System Strategy: "How would you approach building or scaling a design system for a new client or within our agency? What are the key considerations for ensuring adoption and long-term success?" Be ready to discuss your experience with Figma and the principles behind robust design systems.

• Client Pitching & Strategy: "Imagine you're leading the design for a pitch to a major client in the [industry relevant to DEPT®'s clients]. What would be your initial steps, and how would you present a compelling, growth-oriented design concept?" Focus on articulating strategic thinking and persuasive communication.

Company & Culture Questions:

• DEPT® Values Alignment: "How do your personal work values align with DEPT®'s values of 'Better Together,' 'Relentlessly Curious,' and 'Get Sh*t Done'?" Prepare specific anecdotes demonstrating these values in action.

• Hybrid Work Approach: "How do you ensure effective collaboration and team cohesion in a hybrid work environment?" Discuss strategies for maximizing in-office time and maintaining remote team engagement.

• Innovation & Trends: "How do you stay current with digital trends, AI, and new design technologies, and how have you incorporated them into your work?" Be ready to discuss specific trends and their potential application.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio presentation logically: Introduction of DEPT®'s mission, your role, key projects (3-5), detailed case studies for 1-2 significant projects, and a concluding Q&A.

• Highlight Leadership & Process: For each project, emphasize your leadership role, team management, decision-making process, and how you ensured strategic alignment and quality.

• Quantify Results: Use data and metrics wherever possible to demonstrate the business impact of your design work.

• Design Systems & Accessibility Focus: Dedicate specific time to showcase your expertise in these areas, explaining your approach and the benefits delivered.

• Engage & Interact: Treat it as a conversation. Ask clarifying questions and be prepared to discuss your design choices in depth.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating not only strong design skills but also leadership potential, strategic thinking, and cultural alignment with DEPT®. The interview will likely probe how you translate design expertise into business growth for clients and how you manage and develop a team.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Teamlead Visual Design / UI position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the DEPT® careers page.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight leadership experience, team management, expertise in Visual Design, UI Design, Design Systems, and accessibility. Use keywords from the job description and quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select your strongest projects that showcase your leadership, design quality, process, and impact. Ensure you have clear case studies for Design Systems and accessibility. Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on storytelling and quantifiable results.

• Prepare for Hybrid Work Discussions: Be ready to articulate how you would contribute to team culture and collaboration in a hybrid environment, and how you would manage a team effectively across different work settings.

• Research DEPT®: Understand their "Growth Invention" mission, their B Corp status, their values, and recent work. Prepare thoughtful questions about the team, company culture, and strategic direction for the design department.

⚠️ 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.