At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design process, mentor designers, and drive user-centered solutions.
- Company: Zinc is transforming trust and transparency in organisations through impactful product experiences.
- Benefits: Enjoy 24 days holiday, remote work options, early finish Fridays, and a £1200 annual benefits allowance.
- Why this job: Join a collaborative culture that values design and empowers you to shape impactful user experiences.
- Qualifications: Expertise in UX/UI design, user research, and strong communication skills are essential.
- Other info: Experience a yearly company retreat and celebrate your Zinc anniversaries with us!
The predicted salary is between 52000 - 84000 £ per year.
At Zinc, we are building thoughtful, high-impact product experiences that transform how organisations build trust and transparency. We believe design is at the heart of delivering value to our customers, and we’re looking for a Senior Product Designer looking to step up into a Product Design Lead role and be the ultimate player-coach. You’ll be mentoring and developing two direct-report designers while leading design in your own cross-functional pod. You’ll balance craft, product thinking, and collaboration to deliver best-in-class user experiences across Zinc’s B2B and B2B2C SaaS platforms. This is a high-impact opportunity to drive product direction, elevate team performance, and shape how design is embedded across the company.
Zinc designers own the solution, the experience and the visuals of what we choose to build. Designers own research, they define the research methods and lead, supported by PMs and the feature lead. Designers have direct contact with all customer-facing teams. If you’re passionate about leading through collaboration, growing others, and designing user-centered solutions that deliver business outcomes, we would love to hear from you!
Key Responsibilities- Lead from the Front: Drive the entire design process, from discovery through delivery using insights and data to guide high-impact, user-centered solutions. Lead workshops, unblock challenges, and collaborate closely with product managers and engineers to launch features and deliver team-wide training.
- Coach and Grow Designers: Support the growth of two direct-report designers through mentorship, feedback, and opportunities to shine. Foster a trusting, ego-free culture focused on learning, development, and celebrating achievements.
- Strategic Product Thinking: Make thoughtful design decisions that align with both user needs and business goals. Prioritise effectively, communicate clearly, and inspire confidence in direction and execution across your pod.
- Elevate Design at Zinc: Champion the role of design within the company. Lead cross-functional initiatives, coach others in best practices, and stay close to the customer experience to ensure design solutions deliver meaningful impact.
- User Research & Discovery: Can independently plan and conduct qualitative research, synthesise insights, and turn them into actionable direction.
- UX/UI Design in Figma: Expert-level proficiency in Figma across UX and UI.
- Workshop Hosting & Presentation: Skilled in leading engaging collaborative sessions and communicating ideas with clarity and energy.
- Design Systems: Knows how to scale design through systems.
- Strategic Product Thinking: Able to connect design decisions to product strategy and business goals.
- Data Analysis: Comfortable using quant and qual product data to inform decisions, spot patterns, and strengthen design outcomes.
- Pragmatism: You balance ambition with feasibility, prioritising high-impact solutions that are achievable and thoughtful.
- Empathy: You understand both customers and teammates deeply, leading with care and championing solutions that solve real pain points.
- Communication: You’re a strong facilitator, coach, and storyteller.
- Curiosity: You always ask "why"—digging deep into customer needs and continuously seeking better ways to solve problems.
- 24 days holiday + Bank Holidays + your birthday off
- £1200 annual benefits allowance (ThanksBen, from month 2)
- 30 days working from anywhere
- Early finish Fridays (16:00)
- Yearly company retreat to Serbia
- Enhanced Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption Leave (2 months full pay, then statutory)
- Statutory pension with NEST (3% employer, 5% employee)
- Zinc shares, issued through the EMI Scheme
- Unlimited access to MoreHappi coaching
- Company socials, quarterly team socials
- Free Monday lunches
- Nursery workplace benefit scheme (Yellownest)
- Option to lease an electric car through Electric Car Scheme
- Celebrated Zinc anniversaries
Product Designer (Lead) employer: Zinc Work Limited
Contact Detail:
Zinc Work Limited Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Product Designer (Lead)
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with Zinc's design philosophy and values. Understanding how they prioritise user-centred solutions will help you align your approach during interviews and discussions.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your leadership skills by preparing examples of how you've mentored or coached other designers in the past. Highlighting your ability to foster a collaborative environment will resonate well with their team culture.
✨Tip Number 3
Be ready to discuss your experience with Figma and any design systems you've contributed to. Demonstrating your technical proficiency and understanding of scalable design will be crucial for this role.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to talk about how you've used data analysis to inform your design decisions. Being able to connect your design work to business outcomes will show that you can think strategically, which is key for this position.
We think you need these skills to ace Product Designer (Lead)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in product design, particularly any leadership roles or mentoring experiences. Emphasise your skills in user research, UX/UI design, and strategic product thinking, as these are crucial for the role.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your passion for design and how it aligns with Zinc's mission. Mention specific examples of how you've led design processes or mentored other designers, showcasing your ability to drive high-impact solutions.
Showcase Your Portfolio: Include a link to your portfolio that demonstrates your design process and outcomes. Highlight projects where you’ve conducted user research, collaborated with cross-functional teams, and delivered user-centred solutions.
Prepare for Interviews: Anticipate questions about your design philosophy, leadership style, and how you handle challenges. Be ready to discuss your approach to mentoring and how you elevate design within a team or organisation.
How to prepare for a job interview at Zinc Work Limited
✨Showcase Your Design Process
Be prepared to discuss your design process in detail. Highlight how you approach user research, ideation, and prototyping. Zinc values a user-centred approach, so demonstrating your ability to lead the entire design process will be crucial.
✨Emphasise Mentorship Experience
Since this role involves coaching two designers, share specific examples of how you've mentored others in the past. Discuss the impact of your mentorship on their growth and how you foster a collaborative environment.
✨Demonstrate Strategic Thinking
Prepare to discuss how your design decisions align with business goals. Be ready to provide examples of how you've used data to inform your design choices and how you've prioritised projects based on user needs and business outcomes.
✨Engage in Collaborative Scenarios
Expect to participate in collaborative exercises during the interview. Practice leading workshops or discussions that involve product managers and engineers. Show your ability to communicate ideas clearly and energise the team around a shared vision.