Product Designer

Smile ID is unlocking digital Africa.

Smile ID is Africa's leading digital identity verification and Know Your Customer (KYC) provider. We were founded to solve the specific challenges faced by companies trying to onboard users in unique African conditions. We have built proprietary machine learning algorithms and a technology platform to cater for all skin tones, entry level devices and users operating in low bandwidth environments. We pride ourselves on striking the right balance between stopping fraudulent transactions and reducing onboarding friction and have enabled some of the fastest growing businesses across Africa to onboard at scale and in real-time, evidenced by performing over 100 million KYC checks to date. Our client base includes the Zenith Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Flutterwave, Fairmoney, Binance, Uber, Bolt, Kuda Bank, Opay, Paystack, Luno, Yellowcard, iKhokha and hundreds more. We’re growing very quickly. We did more jobs in 2023 than in 2016-2022 combined!

Our team is a diverse group of hardworking and fun-loving Smilers spanning 4 offices, 7 countries and many time zones. Our products are already making waves across many industries, from Banking to Fintech and Telecoms. We recently announced a $20M Series B raise and are backed by leading global investors, including Norsken22, Costanoa, CRE, Future Africa, Susa Ventures, Commerce Ventures, Courtside Ventures, Two Culture Capital, Latitude, Valuestream Ventures, Intercept Ventures and Vinod Khosla who are supporting us every step of the way.

We are BUILDERS and your day-to-day will involve building innovations that PROTECT people and serve as the foundation for trust in the digital economy in Africa. We believe everyone is an OWNER and with this opportunity, you have the autonomy to do your best work and grow, the flexibility to be creative, and an opportunity to put your unique stamp on our mission.

What are you waiting for? Come with us on this amazing journey!

The Role
We're on the lookout for a driven and experienced Product Designer/UX Researcher to enhance our Product and Engineering team. The ideal candidate will have a solid foundation in both user experience research and design, showcasing a portfolio of work that demonstrates thoughtful, user-centric solutions. This role involves conducting robust user research, translating insights into design strategies, and crafting intuitive interfaces that align with our business goals.

What the role involves

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative research to understand user needs, behaviors, and attitudes, using methods such as interviews, surveys, usability testing, and data analysis.
• Contribute to decisions about the future direction of Smile ID’s product and design strategy
• Create unified design systems across our portal, client-side SDKs and demo apps
• Translate insights from research into actionable design and product recommendations.
• Collaborate with product managers, engineers, and designers to ideate and define product features and improvements that enhance user satisfaction and business outcomes.
• Design and iterate on wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs using Figma and other tools like Sketch and Adobe CC.
• Validate design concepts by gathering feedback from users and stakeholders and iterating based on feedback.
• Organize periodic on-site test parties for products in beta or stable release to gather feedback from users and stakeholders
• Advocate for the user in all aspects of the design process and product development lifecycle.
• Stay abreast of UX trends, tools, and best practices, and share knowledge with the team.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in product design and/or UX research.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating past work experience and deliverables (e.g., study plans, reports, wireframes, prototypes).
• Proficiency in design and prototyping in Figma and other relevant tools such as Sketch and Adobe CC.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas clearly and persuasively.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience working in an Agile/Scrum development process is a plus.
• Experience working on Business-to-Business-to-Consumer products is a plus.

*Benefits and Compensation *

• Competitive salaries
• Health insurance
• Time-off, study leave, and paid parental leave
• Flexibility (we are a remote-friendly company + there is the opportunity to work from one of 4 global offices)
• Cool swag and company off-sites (recent locations: Kenya & Rwanda)

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