Staff Designer, Core Experience - Playback Experiences at Spotify

Stockholm, Stockholm County, Sweden

Spotify Logo
Not SpecifiedCompensation
Senior (5 to 8 years), Expert & Leadership (9+ years)Experience Level
Full TimeJob Type
UnknownVisa
Technology, Entertainment, Digital MediaIndustries

Requirements

  • Senior design leader experienced in systems-level product design at scale, fluent in connecting user experience, technology, and playback architecture
  • Skilled in Motion, Interaction, and prototyping, with curiosity about simplifying technical intricacies into user-friendly solutions
  • Experienced working across multiple content modalities (audio, video, voice, live, interactive) and crafting for continuity across them
  • Confident collaborator who thrives in cross-functional, technically sophisticated product environments
  • Passionate about mentorship, enabling other designers to think in systems and scale their craft
  • Curious about the role of AI and adaptive intelligence in shaping more personal and expressive playback experiences
  • Energised by crafting experiences that feel alive and uniquely Spotify
  • Located within the EMEA region (excluding France due to on-call restrictions), available in Central European and GMT time zones for collaboration

Responsibilities

  • Lead the end-to-end vision and design strategy for Now Playing View on mobile, defining how playback operates and scales across all content formats
  • Design and evolve the systemic framework that unifies video, audio, voice, and interactive experiences, ensuring consistent logic, flexibility, and cohesion
  • Partner with engineering to shape technical design models, playback state transitions, and scalable interface patterns for future formats and capabilities
  • Drive the evolution of core playback surfaces, including the queue, playing scroll, and format transitions, ensuring fluid continuity across experiences
  • Partner cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Research, and Data Science to deliver playback experiences that balance innovation with stability
  • Collaborate across Experience teams to ensure playback design principles are cohesive and scalable across Spotify’s ecosystem
  • Set a high bar for craft and systems rigour, combining storytelling, motion, and interaction design with strong technical understanding and design-for-scale thinking
  • Explore how AI and adaptive systems can enhance playback, from generative motion to personalized, context-aware experiences that deepen engagement
  • Mentor and develop designers within Play Design, elevating technical fluency and systems literacy
  • Contribute to and evolve Spotify’s design frameworks and principles for multi-format playback, ensuring scalability and design consistency across product lines

Skills

Key technologies and capabilities for this role

UX DesignUI DesignDesign SystemsInteraction DesignMotion DesignPrototypingMobile DesignDesign LeadershipCross-functional CollaborationUser Research

Questions & Answers

Common questions about this position

What is the employment type for this Staff Designer role?

The position is a permanent role.

Is this Staff Designer position remote or does it require office work?

This information is not specified in the job description.

What skills are required for the Staff Designer role?

The role requires experience in systems-level product design at scale, skills in Motion, Interaction, and prototyping, and expertise working across multiple content modalities like audio and video.

What is the company culture like for this design team at Spotify?

The culture emphasizes collaboration across Product, Engineering, Research, and Data Science, innovation in AI and adaptive systems, and mentorship within the Play Design team to elevate technical fluency.

What makes a strong candidate for this Staff Designer position?

Strong candidates are senior design leaders with systems-level experience at scale, fluency in motion, interaction, prototyping, and working across audio, video, and other modalities, plus the ability to simplify technical complexities.

Spotify

Digital music streaming service with podcasts

About Spotify

Spotify provides a digital music streaming service that allows users to access millions of songs and podcasts from various artists and creators. Users can choose between a free plan, which includes advertisements, and a premium subscription that offers an ad-free experience along with features like offline listening and higher sound quality. This tiered model caters to different user preferences and budgets. Spotify generates revenue through subscription fees from premium users and advertising from the free tier. Unlike its competitors, Spotify stands out with its extensive music library, user-friendly interface, and personalized playlists. The company's goal is to connect listeners with a wide range of audio content while supporting artists and advertisers.

Stockholms kommun, SwedenHeadquarters
2006Year Founded
$2,004.2MTotal Funding
IPOCompany Stage
Consumer Software, EntertainmentIndustries
10,001+Employees

Benefits

Extensive learning opportunities, through our dedicated team, GreenHouse
Global parental leave, six months off - fully paid - for all new parents
Flexible public holidays, swap days off according to your values and beliefs
Flexible share incentives letting you choose how you share in our success
All The Feels, our employee assistance program and self-care hub
Spotify On Tour, join your colleagues on trips to industry festivals and events

Risks

Accidental display of adult content may harm Spotify's reputation.
Creating its own music to avoid royalties could lead to legal issues.
Layoffs may affect Spotify's operational efficiency and employee morale.

Differentiation

Spotify offers a vast library of music and podcasts globally.
The platform's user-friendly interface enhances user experience and engagement.
Spotify's personalized playlists cater to individual user preferences.

Upsides

Spotify's AI-powered Wrapped feature enhances user engagement and personalization.
Expansion into political podcasting taps into new audience segments.
Growing podcast popularity in Africa presents expansion opportunities for Spotify.

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