UX Designer (H/F)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Designer (H/F)

Company: Smile Group

Location: Villeurbanne, France

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience (UX) Design

Date Posted: September 04, 2026

Experience Level: Senior (6+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days on-site, 2 days remote)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end UX design process for high-audience web and mobile products within an agile product team.

• Develop user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes to translate UX vision into tangible design deliverables.

• Conduct and analyze user research, including interviews and usability testing, to inform design decisions and ensure user-centricity.

• Collaborate closely with Product Owners, Business Analysts, Developers, UI Designers, and UX Writers to ensure seamless product development.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of user experiences by leveraging user insights and analytics data.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is for a Senior UX Designer, emphasizing operational contribution to product development rather than solely strategic vision-setting. The focus is on executing UX design within established guidelines and collaborating within an agile framework. The hybrid work model indicates a need for strong communication and collaboration skills to maintain alignment across on-site and remote workdays.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and optimize user journeys for complex web and mobile applications, ensuring intuitive and engaging user experiences.

• Create detailed user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes using Figma to communicate design concepts and interaction logic.

• Define and articulate interaction design patterns and dynamic behaviors for digital products.

• Produce and deliver UX artifacts under the guidance of the Lead UX Designer, ensuring alignment with the overall UX strategy.

• Operationally translate the defined UX vision into actionable design solutions that meet business and user needs.

• Maintain consistency in user experience across all application touchpoints and adhere to established mobile application UX standards.

• Participate actively in user research activities, including conducting interviews, usability tests, and contributing to the analysis of feedback.

• Perform UX benchmarks and audits to identify areas for improvement and ensure competitive parity.

• Leverage user insights and data analytics to iteratively enhance product design and performance.

• Integrate seamlessly into an agile product team, actively participating in all agile ceremonies and cross-functional discussions.

• Foster strong working relationships with Product Owners, Business Analysts, Developers, UI Designers, and UX Writers.

• Regularly communicate and align with the Lead UX Designer on progress, challenges, and design validation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on, operational approach to UX design. The emphasis on "decliner opérationnellement la vision UX" and "contribuer aux livrables UX" indicates a need for a designer who can execute and deliver tangible design assets within a structured environment, rather than solely defining strategy.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and mastery of UX principles is expected. Candidates with degrees in HCI, Design, Psychology, or related fields may have a foundational advantage.

Experience: Minimum of 6 years of professional experience in UX Design, with a proven track record of delivering impactful user experiences for web and mobile products.

Required Skills:

• UX Design Expertise: Comprehensive knowledge and practical application of user flows, wireframing, interactive prototyping, and user journey mapping for web and mobile platforms.

• Figma Proficiency: Indispensable mastery of Figma for design, wireframing, and interactive prototyping.

• User Research Methodologies: Proven ability to conduct and analyze user interviews, usability testing, competitive benchmarks, and UX audits.

• Agile Environment Experience: Demonstrated experience working effectively within agile product teams and participating in agile rituals.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with Product Owners, Developers, UI Designers, UX Writers, and Business Analysts.

• Operational Execution: Ability to translate strategic UX visions and guidelines into concrete, production-ready design deliverables.

Preferred Skills:

• Banking/Financial Sector Experience: Prior experience in the banking or financial industry, particularly with credit or wealth management products, is a significant advantage.

• Fintech or Large Account Experience: Familiarity with the unique challenges and user needs within fintech or large enterprise environments.

• Data Analytics Interpretation: Ability to interpret and utilize data analytics to inform design decisions.

• Interaction Design Principles: Solid understanding of interaction design principles and their application in creating intuitive user interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: The minimum experience of 6 years positions this as a senior-level role, expecting a high degree of autonomy and proficiency. The strong preference for banking/financial experience, especially in credit or wealth management, suggests the project will involve complex financial products with specific user needs and regulatory considerations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 comprehensive UX case studies demonstrating your end-to-end design process from research to final implementation.

• Highlight projects involving web and mobile applications, with a strong emphasis on complex user flows and interaction design.

• Include examples of user research methodologies employed (interviews, testing, analysis) and the insights derived.

• Demonstrate proficiency in Figma, including examples of wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes.

• Articulate your role and contributions clearly within each project, especially in collaborative or agile environments. Process Documentation:

• Provide evidence of your ability to document design processes, including user journey maps, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.

• Showcase how you translate user research findings into actionable design improvements and product iterations.

• Demonstrate understanding of how to work within established UX guidelines and standards, ensuring consistency across multiple touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the senior level and the emphasis on operational contribution, the portfolio should not only showcase design output but also the candidate's process, problem-solving skills, and ability to integrate into an existing team structure. Case studies should clearly articulate the impact of their UX work on user satisfaction and business objectives.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX Designers in Lyon, France with 6+ years of experience, a competitive salary range is estimated between €50,000 - €70,000 annually, depending on specific experience and qualifications.

Benefits:

• Mutuelle d’entreprise: Comprehensive company health insurance.

• Transport Reimbursement: 50% coverage for public transport passes (e.g., Navigo).

• JRC (Journées de RTT): Minimum of 9 days of RTT (Reduction of Working Time) per year.

• Prime de Vacances: Annual vacation bonus.

• Tickets Restaurant: Meal vouchers valued at €10, with 50% employer contribution.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 35-40 hours per week, with a hybrid arrangement allowing for 3 days in the office and 2 days remote.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on average compensation for senior UX roles in major French cities, considering the specified experience level and the hybrid work model. The benefits package is standard for French employment and reflects the company's commitment to employee well-being and work-life balance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: The company operates within the Technology and Consulting sector, with a specific focus on UX, Product Design, and Digital Transformation. Their integration into the SMILE group broadens their reach and capabilities across various industries, including Finance.

Company Size: UX-Republic, as part of the SMILE group, benefits from the resources and scale of a larger entity while maintaining the specialized focus and agility of a UX consultancy. SMILE Group is a significant player in digital transformation, indicating a robust organizational structure and client base.

Founded: UX-Republic was founded with a mission to create quality user interfaces and bring performance to clients through user-centric design. Its integration into SMILE Group signifies a growth-oriented strategy and expanded market presence.

Team Structure:

• The UX Designer will join a specialized Product team, reporting to a Lead UX Designer who sets the vision and strategy.

• This role is operational within an agile product team, implying close collaboration with Product Owners, Business Analysts, Developers, UI Designers, and UX Writers.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a core aspect, with regular interaction across various disciplines to ensure cohesive product development. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Insights from user research and analytics are crucial for informing design decisions and driving continuous improvement.

• Agile Development: The team operates within an agile framework, emphasizing iterative development, collaboration, and adaptability.

• User-Centricity: The core philosophy is placing the user at the heart of all design and product development efforts.

Company Website: https://jobs.smile.eu

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes expertise, passion, and continuous improvement, fostering an environment where both professional growth and personal well-being are valued. The integration into SMILE Group suggests a dynamic environment with opportunities for exposure to diverse projects and larger-scale digital transformation initiatives.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as a Senior UX Designer, requiring a minimum of 6 years of experience. It signifies a position where the individual is expected to be highly operational, contributing significantly to project deliverables, and capable of working within established frameworks, while also providing input based on their experience.

Reporting Structure: The UX Designer will report to a Lead UX Designer, who provides strategic direction and vision. This structure allows for mentorship and guidance while empowering the Senior UX Designer to execute independently on day-to-day tasks.

Operations Impact: The UX Designer's impact is critical to the success of web and mobile products, directly influencing user satisfaction, engagement, and ultimately, the business performance of clients in the banking and financial sectors. By ensuring seamless user journeys and intuitive interfaces, they contribute to conversion rates, customer retention, and brand loyalty.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas of UX, such as advanced interaction design, user research techniques, or accessibility design, within the context of financial products.

• Mentorship and Leadership: Potential to mentor junior designers and contribute to the development of UX best practices within the team and the broader SMILE group.

• Project Diversity: Exposure to a variety of challenging projects across different sectors, particularly within the financial domain, allowing for continuous learning and adaptation.

• Career Progression: Potential advancement to Lead UX Designer roles, Product Design Lead, or other specialized positions within the digital transformation consulting space.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth from a senior individual contributor to leadership or specialized expert roles. The emphasis on operational contribution means that demonstrating efficiency, problem-solving, and effective collaboration will be key to career advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The work environment is hybrid, with a balance between on-site collaboration and remote flexibility. The office is located in Villeurbanne, likely a modern workspace designed to foster collaboration and innovation.

Office Location(s): 81 Bd de Stalingrad, 69100 Villeurbanne, France. This location is accessible via public transport, aligning with the company's transport subsidy benefit.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The 3 days on-site are intended for team meetings, workshops, and close collaboration with colleagues, fostering a strong team dynamic.

• Tools and Technology: Access to industry-standard design and collaboration tools, with a mandatory emphasis on Figma for design and prototyping.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with the agile product team, including Product Owners, Developers, UI Designers, and UX Writers, facilitating a cohesive workflow.

Work Schedule: The standard working hours are full-time, with the flexibility offered by the hybrid model allowing for a better work-life balance. This schedule supports deep work sessions for design and research, alongside collaborative team activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is designed to offer the best of both worlds: the focused productivity of remote work and the collaborative synergy of in-office interaction. Candidates should be comfortable managing their time effectively across both settings.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Contact: A phone call to discuss career aspirations, understand candidate motivations, and provide an overview of the role and company. This is an opportunity to gauge initial fit.

• First Meeting: An in-person or video meeting to get acquainted, delve deeper into the candidate's professional background, and assess cultural alignment.

• Technical/Skills Exchange: A discussion with an expert (likely the Lead UX Designer or a senior team member) to evaluate specific UX design skills, problem-solving abilities, and technical proficiency, especially in Figma and user research.

• Final Evaluation: This stage may involve a case study presentation or a more in-depth discussion about a candidate's portfolio and their approach to complex UX challenges.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 3-5 of your strongest case studies that best represent your senior-level UX capabilities and experience relevant to web/mobile applications in complex environments.

• Structure for Impact: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, design, testing), your key contributions, the challenges faced, and the measurable outcomes or impact. Use visuals effectively.

• Figma Showcase: Explicitly demonstrate your Figma skills through prototypes, complex wireframes, or design system components.

• User-Centric Narrative: Emphasize how user research and insights drove your design decisions and led to positive user outcomes.

• Contextualize: If you have banking/financial experience, highlight it. If not, explain how your transferable skills apply to this industry. Be ready to discuss how you'd adapt to complex financial product design.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate Problem-Solving: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach common UX challenges in a financial context, such as simplifying complex information, ensuring accessibility, or improving user trust.

• Process Articulation: Practice explaining your design process clearly and concisely, focusing on efficiency and user-centricity.

• Stakeholder Communication: Think about how you would communicate design decisions and trade-offs to Product Owners, developers, and other stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to progressively assess candidate suitability, moving from initial fit to technical skills and cultural alignment. A strong, well-articulated portfolio is crucial for the technical and final evaluation stages.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Mandatory and indispensable for all aspects of UX design, wireframing, and interactive prototyping. Proficiency is a key requirement.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is primary, familiarity with other prototyping tools may be beneficial.

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

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analytics Tools: Ability to interpret data from tools like Google Analytics, Amplitude, or similar platforms to inform design decisions.

• Reporting Dashboards: Familiarity with dashboarding tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to understand user behavior metrics and performance indicators.

CRM & Automation: While not directly a UX tool, understanding CRM principles and how user interactions are tracked within customer journeys can be beneficial for designing effective customer-facing applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma proficiency is a non-negotiable requirement. The emphasis on data analytics indicates that designers are expected to be data-informed and to measure the impact of their designs.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs is paramount, driving all design decisions.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on teamwork, open communication, and mutual support across all disciplines within the product team and the wider organization.

• Continuous Improvement: A mindset focused on iterative design, learning from feedback, and constantly seeking ways to enhance user experiences and product performance.

• Excellence & Quality: A dedication to delivering high-quality, well-crafted design solutions that meet both user and business objectives.

• Agility & Adaptability: Embracing agile methodologies to respond effectively to changing requirements and market dynamics.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role requires seamless integration with development, product management, and UI/UX writing teams, fostering a cohesive product development lifecycle.

• Feedback Culture: An open environment where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged to refine designs and improve processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement of sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across the team and the broader UX-Republic/SMILE community.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture values both individual contribution and collective success. A candidate who thrives in a collaborative, iterative environment and is passionate about user advocacy will be a strong fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complex Financial Domain: Navigating the intricacies of banking and financial products (credit, wealth management) requires a steep learning curve for those unfamiliar with the sector, balancing user needs with regulatory constraints and security requirements.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing diverse stakeholder expectations (business, technical, user) while advocating for the user experience.

• Hybrid Work Management: Maintaining strong team cohesion and efficient workflow in a hybrid environment, ensuring seamless communication and collaboration.

• High-Audience Products: Designing for products with a large user base means that design decisions have a significant impact, requiring thorough research and robust solutions.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Industry-Specific Expertise: Gaining deep knowledge and specialized UX skills in the banking, credit, and wealth management sectors.

• Advanced UX Techniques: Opportunity to refine skills in areas like complex interaction design, information architecture for financial data, and user research for regulated industries.

• Mentorship: Learning from experienced Lead UX Designers and other senior professionals within UX-Republic and SMILE Group.

• Certification & Training: Potential access to industry conferences, workshops, and certifications to further professional development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in adapting to the specific domain of financial services and demonstrating how UX principles can be applied effectively within this complex and regulated environment. The growth opportunities are substantial for those who embrace these challenges.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a user experience for a complex financial product. What were the key challenges, and how did you address them?" (Focus on process, research, and problem-solving.)

• "How do you balance the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., Product Owner, Developers, Compliance) when designing a feature?" (Assess collaboration and negotiation skills.)

• "Walk us through your process for creating an interactive prototype in Figma for a new mobile banking feature. What key interactions would you prioritize?" (Evaluate technical skills and design thinking.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working in the financial sector, specifically in UX design for credit or wealth management?" (Gauge genuine interest and understanding of the domain.)

• "How do you contribute to a collaborative and agile team environment, especially in a hybrid setup?" (Assess teamwork and communication style.)

• "How do you ensure your designs are user-centric while also meeting business objectives and technical constraints?" (Evaluate strategic thinking and problem-solving balance.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Frame each case study as a narrative. Clearly define the problem, your journey to the solution, and the impact of your work.

• Visuals are Key: Use high-quality screenshots, wireframes, user flow diagrams, and interactive prototypes. Ensure your Figma work is clearly showcased.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, increased user satisfaction scores) to demonstrate the value of your UX contributions.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, the trade-offs you made, and how you handled challenges. Be ready to discuss your thought process in detail.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design skills, but also the ability to operate effectively within a structured, agile, and domain-specific environment. Highlighting experience with complex products and cross-functional collaboration will be crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on the Smile Group jobs portal.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 6+ years of UX design experience, proficiency in Figma, and any relevant experience in banking, finance, credit, or wealth management. Quantify achievements with metrics where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 strong case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end UX process, focusing on web/mobile applications, user research, and interactive prototyping in Figma. Be prepared to walk through these in detail.

• Prepare for Interviews: Research UX-Republic and the SMILE Group. Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving approach, and collaboration style, especially in relation to hybrid work and complex financial products.

• Highlight Domain Relevance: If you have direct experience in banking or finance, emphasize it. If not, clearly articulate how your transferable skills and user-centric approach can be applied to this industry.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

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