Senior Product Designer (iOCOOO158)

We are seeking an experienced and innovative Senior Product Designer to lead the end-to-end design of intuitive, user-centred digital products. The successful candidate will drive product design strategy, champion user research initiatives, and collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders to deliver exceptional user experiences that align with business goals.

This role requires a strong balance of UX thinking, visual design expertise, user research capability, and stakeholder management. The ideal candidate will have a passion for solving complex user problems through data-informed design decisions while contributing to the evolution of our design systems and mentoring junior team members.

What you'll do:

• Product Design & Execution
  • Lead the design and delivery of complex product features, from discovery through implementation.
  • Create high-fidelity wireframes, user flows, journey maps, prototypes, and interaction designs that effectively communicate design concepts.
  • Translate user needs, business requirements, and technical constraints into elegant and intuitive product experiences.
  • Leverage user research, analytics, usability findings, and brand guidelines to inform design decisions.
  • Continuously iterate and refine designs based on stakeholder feedback, customer insights, and performance metrics.
  • Ensure design solutions deliver measurable business value while maintaining a user-centric approach.
• User Research & Validation
  • Plan, conduct, and analyse qualitative and quantitative user research activities, including interviews, surveys, usability testing, and customer feedback analysis.
  • Synthesise research findings into actionable recommendations that influence product strategy and roadmap prioritisation.
  • Validate concepts and prototypes through testing and experimentation before development.
  • Partner with Product Management and stakeholders to ensure customer insights are embedded throughout the product lifecycle.
  • Develop and enhance research practices, frameworks, and methodologies across the design team.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
  • Work closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Business Analysts, and executives to define product requirements and shape product strategy.
  • Facilitate design workshops, discovery sessions, and collaborative ideation activities.
  • Present design solutions and clearly articulate design rationale based on user needs, business impact, and data insights.
  • Participate in and lead design critiques, fostering a culture of constructive feedback and continuous improvement.
  • Mentor and coach junior and mid-level designers, supporting their professional growth and development.
• Design System & Brand Governance
  • Contribute to the ongoing development, governance, and evolution of the design system.
  • Create, document, and maintain reusable design components, patterns, and standards.
  • Ensure consistency across products through adherence to accessibility, usability, and brand guidelines.
  • Identify opportunities to improve scalability, efficiency, and quality within the design system.
  • Advocate for design best practices and consistency across cross-functional teams.
• Strategic Contribution & Continuous Improvement
  • Contribute to product vision, strategy, and roadmap discussions from a customer experience perspective.
  • Stay current with industry trends, emerging technologies, UX methodologies, and product design best practices.
  • Champion data-driven design approaches, experimentation, and continuous optimisation.
  • Participate in internal communities of practice, design forums, and external industry events.
  • Share knowledge and lessons learned to elevate design maturity across the organisation.

Your Expertise:

• Minimum 7+ years' experience in Product Design, UX/UI Design, Interaction Design, or related disciplines.
• Proven experience designing and delivering digital products across web and mobile platforms.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating complex user flows, design thinking processes, prototyping, and successful product outcomes.
• Experience conducting user research and translating insights into design solutions.
• Demonstrated success working within cross-functional Agile product teams.
• Experience collaborating with developers, product managers, and senior stakeholders to shape product direction and feature development.
• Previous mentoring or leadership experience within a design team is advantageous.
• Strong understanding of product strategy, customer experience, MVP definition, and user-centred design methodologies.
• Working knowledge of Agile and Scrum delivery environments
• Experience within SaaS, FinTech, E-commerce, or digital product environments.
• Exposure to customer analytics platforms and experimentation tools.
• Understanding of front-end development principles and technical feasibility considerations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Design, Multimedia Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, Digital Design, or a related field.
• Preferred Qualifications
  • Certification in UX Design, Design Thinking, Human-Centred Design, or Product Design.

Technical Competencies

• Advanced proficiency in design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or equivalent.
• Strong expertise in UX design, interaction design, information architecture, and visual design principles.
• Experience creating and maintaining scalable design systems.
• Proficiency in prototyping and design validation tools.
• Strong understanding of accessibility standards and inclusive design practices.
• Knowledge of product analytics and data-informed design methodologies.
• Familiarity with Agile, Scrum, and Lean UX frameworks.

Core Competencies

• User-centric mindset with exceptional problem-solving abilities.
• Strategic thinking and product mindset.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong presentation and storytelling capabilities.
• Collaboration and influence across multidisciplinary teams.
• Coaching and mentorship skills.
• Adaptability and continuous learning orientation.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.

Other information applicable to the opportunity:

• 12-month contract position
• Location: Johannesburg

Why work for us?

Want to work for an organization that solves complex real-world problems with innovative software solutions? At iOCO, we believe anything is possible with modern technology, software, and development expertise. We are continuously pushing the boundaries of innovative solutions across multiple industries using an array of technologies.?

You will be part of a consultancy, working with some of the most knowledgeable minds in the industry on interesting solutions across different business domains.?

Our culture of continuous learning will ensure that you will have all the opportunities, tools, and support to hone and grow your craft.?

By joining IOCO you will have an open invitation to developer inspiring forums. A place where you will be able to connect and learn from and with your peers by sharing ideas, experiences, practices, and solutions.?

iOCO is an equal opportunity employer with an obligation to achieve its own unique EE objectives in the context of Employment Equity targets. Therefore, our employment strategy gives primary preference to previously disadvantaged individuals or group