Product Designer (12 month FTC) in London

Product Designer (12 month FTC) in London

London Full-Time 54000 - 66000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Universal Music

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Design intuitive digital experiences and simplify complex workflows for global teams.
  • Company: Join Universal Music, the world's leading music company with a vibrant culture.
  • Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, private medical insurance, and 25 days of annual leave.
  • Other info: Embrace diversity and inclusivity in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
  • Why this job: Make an impact in the music industry while working with a talented, collaborative team.
  • Qualifications: Strong design experience, proficiency in UX/UI tools, and a passion for user-centred design.

The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.

Music is Universal

It’s the passionate and dedicated team at Universal Music who help make us the world’s leading music company.

From A&R to finance, legal to digital, sales to marketing, Universal Music is the place to grow and develop your career within a truly commercial and innovative business that leads in everything it does.

Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, age, marital status, background, pregnancy, or caring responsibilities.

We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought within our teams and are fully committed to embracing the talents of people with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and other forms of neurocognitive variation.

We will always seek to make appropriate adjustments to recruitment, workplaces, and work processes to be fully inclusive to people with different needs and working styles.

If you need us to make any reasonable adjustments for you from application onwards, including alternatives to the online form or to disclose a neurocognitive condition, please email Universal Music Careers@umusic. com.

The A Side: A Day in The Life

Our design team is small, agile, and highly collaborative, working closely with Product Owners, Engineers, and Business Stakeholders to create thoughtful, effective design solutions across a wide range of digital products and services.

As a multidisciplinary team, we bring strengths across UX and UI, supported by broader experience in brand, motion, and visual design.

Together, we set the standard for design quality, visual consistency, and user experience across Universal Music Group, Universal Music Publishing Group, and Universal Production Music.

As a Product Designer, you’ll lead design across complex internal products from discovery through to delivery, shaping both the user experience and the strategic direction of our tools.

You’ll work with stakeholders, Product Owners, and development teams to understand needs, define requirements, and turn complexity into clear, intuitive experiences.

You’ll own and evolve our cross-platform design system, defining standards, governance, and adoption across multiple product teams, evolving the components, patterns, and principles that support consistent, scalable design across our data-heavy ecosystem.

This role is about more than delivering screens.

You’ll work on complex, often ambiguous internal tools that support global teams, requiring you to simplify workflows, align stakeholders, and design for scale.

You’ll help raise the bar for craft, usability, and design thinking across the business, contributing to products that connect teams, streamline workflows, and move Universal Music Group forward.

You’ll do this alongside a talented, multidisciplinary team of Designers, Engineers, Product Owners, and Analysts who care deeply about building great products and building them well.

The B Side: Skills & Experience

Key Responsibilities

  • Design flows and experiences that simplify complex requirements into intuitive and functional interfaces
  • Maintain and contribute to our existing Design Systems
  • Design new product experiences that evolve and define visual systems
  • Contribute to strategic decisions around the future direction of our products
  • Give and solicit feedback from designers, stakeholders and the broader product team in order to continually improve quality
  • Present work to the broader product team and other leaders, clearly and succinctly articulating the goals and concepts.
  • Drive a partnership with product managers, engineers and stakeholders in order to oversee the user experience of a product from conception until launch and beyond
  • Must have
  • Strong experience designing and shipping multiple features that are broad/ambiguous in scope and encompass an end-to-end experience across a variety of platforms in a date heavy tech-driven environment
  • Strong interaction design experience with knowledge to define how an experience should behave based on understanding users' needs, plus consideration of how this product will scale.

Use appropriate prototyping tools to demonstrate how a particular flow or interaction will work

  • Strong visual design experience with proficiency in typography, desktop/mobile UI, colour, layout, iconography and aesthetic sense and how these elements impact product function
  • Strong experience with strategic product thinking and experience in developing product goals, identifying opportunities, and making decisions based on the impact to users and the business
  • Happy working as part of a small design team.
  • Enjoys ownership of both practical & strategic product design work
  • Strong portfolio demonstrating user-centred design, visual craft, and problem-solving skills
  • Willingness to take responsibility for the overall quality of products, proactively seek solutions
  • Proficiency with UX/UI design tools (e. g., Figma, Adobe Creative Suite)
  • Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions to designers, product managers, engineers and stakeholders
  • Pixel-perfect eye for small details that take designs to the next level, whilst understanding the balance between pragmatism vs. perfection
  • Confident working with cross-functional teams in a fast-paced, iterative environment
  • Demonstrated ability to design, articulate, and present complex user flows, ensuring clarity for both team members and stakeholders
  • Confidence in owning end-to-end design for products or features, from concept through to delivery
  • Profound understanding of technical boundaries and implementation
  • Can work collaboratively and independently
  • Contribute to the vibrant culture within the business
  • Nice to have
  • Experience working with B2B products, dashboards and desktop experiences
  • Solid understanding of Design Tokens and Token Studio
  • Motion design experience
  • Bonus Tracks: Your Benefits
  • Group Personal Pension Scheme (between 3% and 9%)
  • Private Medical Insurance
  • 25 paid days of annual leave
  • Interest Free Season Ticket Loan
  • Holiday Purchase scheme
  • Dental and Travel Insurance options
  • Cycle to Work Scheme
  • Salary Sacrifice Cars
  • Subsidised Gym Membership
  • Employee Discounts (Reward Gateway)
  • Just So You Know…

The company presents this job description as a guide to the major areas and duties for which the jobholder is accountable.

However, the business operates in an environment that demands change and the jobholder's specific responsibilities and activities will vary and develop.

Therefore, the job description should be seen as indicative and not as a permanent, definitive, and exhaustive statement.

Job Category

Technology

Product Designer (12 month FTC) in London employer: Universal Music

Universal Music Group UK is an exceptional employer that fosters a vibrant and inclusive work culture, where creativity and collaboration thrive. With a strong commitment to employee growth, we offer comprehensive benefits including a generous pension scheme, private medical insurance, and opportunities for professional development. Located in the heart of the UK's music industry, our team is dedicated to shaping culture and empowering artists, making it a truly rewarding place to build your career.

Universal Music

Contact Details:

Universal Music Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Product Designer (12 month FTC) in London

Show Off Your Portfolio

In the world of UX/UI design, your portfolio speaks volumes! Make sure it's packed with your best work and showcases your process, not just the final product. We want to see how you tackle design challenges, so consider adding case studies that reflect your thought process and user-centric approach.

Get Involved in Design Communities

Jump into local or online design meetups and workshops! Places like UXPA or local design events can be goldmines for networking and learning. Plus, mingling with fellow designers can introduce you to potential job openings that might not be listed elsewhere.

Tailor Your Applications

When you find a role that excites you, like the one at Universal Music for a Product Designer (12 month FTC), make your application count! Highlight specific projects and skills that directly relate to the job description. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who fit into their specific team, so show them you’re the one!

Leverage Social Media

Don't underestimate the power of social media in finding a UX/UI design job! Follow design leaders on platforms like Twitter or Instagram, share your work, and engage in conversations. It’s a great way to get noticed by recruiters and even catch wind of openings at companies like Universal Music before they go live!

We think you need these skills to ace Product Designer (12 month FTC) in London

Communication Skills
Problem-Solving Skills
Adaptability
Flexibility
Compassion
Organizational Skills
Teamwork

Some tips for your application 🫡

Showcase Your Design Process:When you're applying for a UX/UI Design role like Product Designer (12 month FTC) at Universal Music, make sure to include examples that clearly highlight your design process. We want to see not just the final product but also the journey that led you there—wireframes, user personas, and iterations demonstrate your thought process and user-centric approach!

Tailor Your Portfolio:A tailor-made portfolio is crucial for a full-time design role! Curate your best projects that align with the kind of work Universal Music does. We suggest including 3-5 case studies that showcase a variety of skills such as wireframing, prototyping, and user testing to really make your application pop.

Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter should not just be a summary of your CV. Use it to express why you’re excited about UX/UI Design and what draws you specifically to Universal Music. Mention any relevant experience, tools you’re proficient in (like Sketch or Figma), and how you can contribute to their projects.

Highlight Collaboration Skills:In the world of UX/UI Design, teamwork is crucial. Make sure to highlight any past experiences where you worked in cross-functional teams. Illustrate how you communicated design decisions and listened to feedback, as this will resonate well with the culture at Universal Music.

How to prepare for a job interview at Universal Music

Show Off Your Portfolio

When you're gunning for a full-time UX/UI design role, your portfolio is your best friend! Make sure you've got a solid selection of your work, showcasing not just the final designs, but the process behind them—think wireframes, user flows, and any user research you've conducted. During the interview with Universal Music, be prepared to discuss your design decisions and how they solve specific user problems.

Prepare for Design Challenges

Expect to face some practical design tasks during your interview. Universal Music might ask you to tackle a quick design challenge or critique an existing interface. Brush up on your problem-solving skills and try to articulate your thought process as you work through these scenarios. Showing how you approach a design problem is just as important as the final output!

Know the Tools of the Trade

Familiarise yourself with the tools commonly used in the industry—figma, Adobe XD, or Sketch should be second nature to you. Be ready to discuss your preferred tools during the interview and how they've shaped your design process at previous positions. This knowledge could give you an edge at Universal Music!

Show Passion for User Experience

In a full-time UX/UI design role, having a genuine passion for improving user interactions can set you apart. Be prepared to share instances when you went above and beyond to ensure a great user experience in your previous projects. This will demonstrate that you’re not just a designer, but a user advocate, which is exactly what Universal Music is looking for.