Product Designer (UX/UI)
Cellulant
Quick Take
You'll own the full design lifecycle — from user research to shipped product — for Cellulant's merchant and consumer payment tools across web and mobile.
3+ years of product design experience, expert-level Figma skills, and a portfolio showing mobile-first design work ideally for African markets.
A competitive above-market salary, rare pan-African scale, and the opportunity to design financial products used by millions of people across 18 countries.
Job Description
Cellulant, a pan-African payments company with an active presence across 18 countries on the continent, is on the lookout for a skilled Product Designer (UX/UI) to join its team in Nairobi. As Africa's leading payments business, Cellulant is committed to building digital payment experiences that genuinely serve both merchants and everyday consumers across diverse African markets.
In this role, you will sit at the heart of the product development process, translating complex payment flows into intuitive, accessible, and visually consistent interfaces. You will collaborate across disciplines to ensure that design decisions are grounded in real user needs and aligned with business objectives.
- Take full ownership of the design process — from discovery through to final delivery — for Cellulant's merchant-facing and consumer payment products
- Plan and carry out user research and usability testing sessions across a range of African markets to inform design decisions
- Develop and continuously maintain a unified design system that works consistently across both web and mobile platforms
- Partner closely with software engineers, product managers, and business stakeholders throughout the product development lifecycle
- Create solutions optimised for low-bandwidth connectivity and feature-phone environments, ensuring inclusivity for users across varying technological contexts
- A minimum of 3 years of hands-on product design experience
- Advanced, expert-level proficiency in Figma
- A strong portfolio that clearly demonstrates mobile-first design thinking and execution
- Prior experience designing products for African markets is an advantage
- Solid understanding of accessibility standards and inclusive design principles
- Experience working within fintech or payments product environments is a bonus
- Motion design capabilities are an added advantage
This position is best suited for a design professional who is passionate about creating meaningful digital experiences for African users. You should be comfortable navigating ambiguity, working in cross-functional teams, and advocating for the end user at every stage of the design process. Candidates who have first-hand experience designing for the nuances of African markets — including low-connectivity environments and diverse device landscapes — will have a distinct edge. If you are driven by the opportunity to shape financial products that impact millions of people across the continent, Cellulant wants to hear from you.
Interested candidates should submit their application for the Product Designer (UX/UI) position at Cellulant in Nairobi. Ensure your application includes an up-to-date CV and a portfolio showcasing relevant mobile-first and user-centred design work. Apply through Cellulant's official careers channel or the job platform where this listing was posted.
Requirements Breakdown
Must Have
- 3+ years of product design (UX/UI) experience
- Expert-level proficiency in Figma
- Portfolio demonstrating mobile-first design work
- Ability to conduct user research and usability testing
- Understanding of accessibility and inclusive design principles
Nice to Have
- Experience designing for African markets
- Background in fintech or payments products
- Motion design skills
- Experience designing for low-bandwidth or feature-phone environments
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Salary Context
Above market rate for a Product Designer (UX/UI) in Nairobi
Mid-level to senior product designers in Nairobi typically earn KES 100,000–170,000/month, making this range of KES 150,000–220,000 competitive and skewed toward senior talent. Salaries in this field are influenced by fintech experience, portfolio quality, and the ability to design for diverse African user contexts.
About Cellulant
Cellulant is one of Africa's largest and most established digital payments companies, operating across 18 countries and processing billions of dollars in transactions for businesses ranging from small merchants to major enterprises. Founded in Kenya, the company is deeply rooted in the African payments landscape and builds infrastructure that connects banks, mobile money providers, and merchants under one platform. Working at Cellulant means your design work has direct, measurable impact on financial inclusion across the continent.
Likely Interview Questions
- 1
Walk us through a case study where you designed for users with limited smartphone access or low internet connectivity — what constraints shaped your decisions?
- 2
How have you approached user research in markets where you had limited prior knowledge of local user behaviour or cultural context?
- 3
Describe your process for building or contributing to a design system — how did you ensure consistency across web and mobile?
- 4
Tell us about a time you had to push back on a product or engineering decision for UX reasons — how did you handle the conversation?
- 5
How would you approach usability testing for a payment flow across three different African markets simultaneously?
Application Tips
Lead with a portfolio case study that shows a complete design process — research, iteration, and final outcome — ideally for a mobile or fintech product; Cellulant will care more about thinking than polish.
Explicitly call out any experience designing for African users, low-bandwidth environments, or USSD/feature-phone interfaces in your CV and cover letter — this is a direct differentiator for this role.
Demonstrate your ability to collaborate cross-functionally by highlighting specific examples of working with engineers or product managers to ship a product, not just hand off designs.
Career Path
Roles that lead here
Where this leads
Skills & Keywords
Honest Assessment
Green Flags
- Salary range is transparent and above the Nairobi market average for this level, signalling a mature hiring process and respect for candidates' time.
- Cellulant is a well-established, pan-African company with real scale — this is not a speculative startup role, offering meaningful job security and career credibility.
- The role involves genuine design ownership and impact, not just execution, which is rare and valuable for career development.
- Designing for African market nuances (low-bandwidth, feature phones, financial inclusion) makes this role a compelling portfolio-builder that few companies outside the continent can offer.
Watch Out
- The job description does not mention remote or hybrid work options, which may be a concern for candidates outside Nairobi or those seeking flexibility.
- The phrase 'own end-to-end design' across multiple products and markets is a broad scope — candidates should clarify team size and design support structures in the interview to avoid being a sole designer stretched thin.
A Day in the Life
On a typical Monday you might start with a product sync alongside a PM and two engineers reviewing a new merchant checkout flow, then spend the afternoon in Figma iterating on low-fidelity wireframes based on last week's usability test feedback from users in Ghana and Tanzania. Mid-week could involve a design system review session to align component updates across mobile and web, followed by preparing a research discussion guide for an upcoming field session in Nairobi. By Friday, you're presenting a refined prototype to the broader product team, incorporating accessibility considerations and offline-state edge cases into every screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What qualifications do I need to apply for the Product Designer role at Cellulant?
You need at least 3 years of product design experience, expert-level Figma skills, and a portfolio that demonstrates mobile-first design work. Experience designing for African markets is preferred but not mandatory.
Is the Product Designer position at Cellulant remote or office-based?
The role is listed as based in Nairobi with no mention of remote or hybrid options, so candidates should assume in-office or Nairobi-based work and confirm flexibility during the interview process.
How much does a Product Designer earn at Cellulant?
Cellulant is offering KES 150,000–220,000 per month for this role, which is above the typical market rate for product designers in Nairobi and reflects the seniority and scope of the position.
What are the career growth opportunities for a Product Designer at Cellulant?
Given Cellulant's scale across 18 African markets, there is strong potential to grow into a Senior or Lead Product Designer role, and possibly into design management or a Head of Design position as the team scales.
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