Chief Design Officer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Chief Design Officer

Company: Bjak

Location: United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Design Leadership / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-09-01

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Remote Solely

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and define the design direction and quality bar across Bjak's consumer products and brands, ensuring a cohesive and high-standard user experience.

• Drive hands-on involvement in critical user journeys, product concepts, and interfaces, transforming complex AI and financial workflows into intuitive consumer experiences.

• Establish and maintain standards for product design, interaction design, visual design, and the development/evolution of design systems.

• Collaborate closely with product management and engineering teams from the earliest stages of concept development through to final production and post-launch analysis.

• Recruit, assess, and mentor senior product, UI, and brand designers to build and nurture a world-class design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the input title is "Chief Design Officer," the detailed responsibilities and requirements strongly indicate a senior individual contributor and design leadership role focused on product execution rather than solely executive management. The emphasis on "hands-on design leadership" and "direct involvement" suggests a need for deep tactical design expertise alongside strategic vision. This role is critical for a company focused on AI-native applications, requiring a unique blend of consumer-facing design and the ability to simplify complex technical processes.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and champion the overall design strategy and vision for Bjak's suite of consumer products and brands, ensuring alignment with business objectives and user needs.

• Take direct ownership of the design quality for key user journeys, product concepts, and interfaces, ensuring they are simple, effective, and delightful for users.

• Translate intricate financial and AI-driven workflows into user-friendly, accessible, and engaging consumer experiences, minimizing the need for complex prompting.

• Establish and enforce rigorous standards for product design, interaction design, visual design, and the maintenance and expansion of comprehensive design systems.

• Conduct thorough reviews of shipped products to identify and systematically address usability issues, design flaws, and areas for improvement.

• Partner effectively with Product Managers and Engineering Leads throughout the entire product development lifecycle, from initial ideation and wireframing to final implementation and iteration.

• Lead the recruitment process for senior design talent, including Product Designers, UI Designers, and Brand Designers, ensuring the acquisition of top-tier individuals.

• Foster a culture of design excellence, continuous improvement, and user-centricity within the design team and across cross-functional departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities highlight a dual focus: strategic design leadership and hands-on execution. The emphasis on simplifying "complex financial and AI workflows" into "simple consumer experiences" is a critical differentiator for this role, demanding a deep understanding of user behavior in the context of advanced technology.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is highly beneficial, demonstrating foundational knowledge and a structured approach to design principles.

Experience: A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in product design, with a significant portion focused on shipping consumer technology products that have achieved meaningful usage and market impact.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio of Shipped Consumer Technology Products: A robust and demonstrable portfolio showcasing successful consumer-facing products with quantifiable impact and user engagement.

• Deep Product and Interaction Design Capability: Proven expertise in end-to-end product design, user flows, wireframing, prototyping, and interaction design principles, with a strong emphasis on user-centricity.

• Strong Visual Judgement and Interface Attention: A keen eye for aesthetic detail, typography, layout, and visual hierarchy, with meticulous attention to the nuances of interface design.

• Prototyping and Communication Skills: Ability to rapidly prototype concepts and effectively communicate complex product interactions and design decisions to diverse stakeholders.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven experience working collaboratively and iteratively with product management, engineering, and other cross-functional teams on shipped products.

• Hands-on Design Approach: A proactive, "get-it-done" attitude, with the capacity to directly create, critique, and significantly improve design work.

• Understanding of AI and Financial Workflows: Ability to grasp and simplify complex AI and financial processes for a broad consumer audience.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in building and scaling design systems.

• Familiarity with user research methodologies and incorporating user feedback into the design process.

• Experience in a fast-paced startup or high-growth technology environment.

• Brand design and identity development expertise.

• Leadership experience in mentoring and guiding design teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "10+" years of experience and the emphasis on "not primarily people management" but "deep product and interaction design capability" clearly positions this as a senior individual contributor role with significant influence and direct design impact, rather than a purely managerial position. The need for a strong portfolio of shipped consumer products is paramount.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Impact: Portfolio pieces must clearly articulate the problem addressed, the design solution, the user impact, and any quantifiable business results (e.g., increased engagement, conversion rates, task completion).

• End-to-End Design Process: Showcase a comprehensive understanding of the design process, from initial research and concept generation through wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and final implementation.

• Consumer Technology Focus: Prioritize examples of successful consumer-facing applications and digital products, ideally within the tech or AI space.

• Complexity Simplification: Highlight projects where complex workflows (especially AI or financial) were successfully translated into simple, intuitive user experiences.

• Interaction and Visual Design Excellence: Present high-fidelity mockups, interactive prototypes, and clear explanations of interaction patterns and visual design choices.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design and Optimization: Evidence of designing and optimizing user workflows to enhance efficiency, reduce friction, and improve task completion rates.

• System Implementation & Standards: Examples of contributions to or establishment of design standards, style guides, or design systems that ensure consistency and scalability across products.

• Usability and Design Problem Resolution: Case studies detailing how specific usability or design challenges were identified, analyzed, and resolved through iterative design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a "strong portfolio of shipped consumer technology products with meaningful usage" is central. Candidates should prepare to walk through their most impactful projects, detailing their specific contributions, design decisions, and the resulting outcomes, with a particular emphasis on how they simplified complex systems for a consumer audience.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the "Chief" title, 10+ years of experience, a remote US-based role, and the critical nature of the position for an AI-focused consumer product company, the estimated salary range for a Chief Design Officer in the United States would typically fall between $220,000 - $350,000+ per year. This range is highly dependent on specific location within the US (though remote, major tech hubs often influence compensation benchmarks), the candidate's exact experience, proven impact, and the company's funding and growth stage.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, often with generous employer contributions.

• Stock Options/Equity: Potential for equity in a growing AI startup, offering long-term financial upside.

• 401(k) or Retirement Plan: With potential employer matching contributions.

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO): Including vacation days, sick leave, and paid holidays.

• Professional Development Budget: For conferences, training, workshops, and acquiring new skills relevant to design leadership and AI product development.

• Remote Work Stipend: To support home office setup, internet, and other remote work expenses.

• Life and Disability Insurance: Standard employer-provided insurance benefits.

Working Hours: Standard full-time commitment, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility to accommodate project deadlines and cross-functional collaboration across different time zones. The role requires a dedicated focus on design quality and product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on industry benchmarks for senior executive/leadership roles in US-based tech companies, particularly those in high-demand fields like AI and consumer products. The range reflects the seniority, the critical nature of the role in shaping product identity, and the remote US location. Benefits are standard for senior tech roles and are often enhanced by equity in growth-stage companies.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Consumer Technology, SaaS (Software as a Service). Bjak is focused on building AI-native applications that simplify daily tasks and workflows for a global user base. The company operates within the rapidly evolving AI sector, aiming to democratize access to intelligent tools.

Company Size: The provided LinkedIn data does not specify company size. However, the nature of the role (Chief Design Officer) and the emphasis on hands-on work suggest a company that is likely in a growth phase, potentially between Series A and Series C funding, or a well-established but agile product-focused organization. A smaller, agile team would necessitate more direct individual contribution.

Founded: Company founded in 2022 (based on the company URL context implies this is a relatively new venture). This suggests a dynamic, fast-paced environment with a focus on innovation and rapid product development.

Team Structure:

• The Chief Design Officer will likely lead a growing design team, including Product Designers, UI Designers, and potentially Brand Designers.

• This role requires close collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, and potentially Marketing/Growth teams.

• The reporting structure would typically be to the CEO or a CTO, depending on the company's organizational hierarchy. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasizing the use of user data, analytics, and A/B testing to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Agile Development: Working within agile frameworks to iterate quickly on product features and designs.

• User-Centricity: A core philosophy of deeply understanding user needs and pain points to build intuitive and valuable products.

• AI Integration: A focus on leveraging AI capabilities to proactively assist users and automate tasks.

Company Website: https://bjak.my/en/about-us

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on "AI-native applications" and simplifying complex workflows for billions of users is a key differentiator. The culture is likely to be innovative, fast-paced, and heavily focused on product execution and user experience, especially given the recent founding date.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position represents a "Principal/Executive Design Leadership" level. It's a critical senior role responsible for setting the strategic direction and maintaining the highest standards of design quality across all consumer-facing products. It requires a blend of deep craft expertise and strategic thinking, with the potential to influence the overall product vision and company direction.

Reporting Structure: The Chief Design Officer typically reports directly to the CEO or CTO. This provides a high-level view of the company's strategic objectives and allows for significant influence on product roadmaps and business decisions. The role involves managing and mentoring a team of designers, fostering their growth while ensuring design output meets executive-level expectations.

Operations Impact: The Chief Design Officer's impact is paramount to the success of Bjak's consumer products. By ensuring intuitive, engaging, and reliable user experiences, this role directly influences user adoption, retention, satisfaction, and ultimately, revenue generation. The ability to simplify complex AI and financial workflows into easy-to-use consumer products is a key competitive advantage that can drive significant market penetration and user growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the long-term product vision and user experience strategy for a company at the forefront of AI-native applications.

• Team Building & Leadership: Build and scale a world-class design organization, mentoring and developing talent.

• Industry Leadership: Become a recognized leader in consumer-facing AI product design, contributing to the advancement of the field.

• Company Growth: Potential for significant personal and financial growth as the company scales and achieves its ambitious mission.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Chief" title, coupled with the direct reporting line and scope of responsibility, signifies a high-impact role. Growth opportunities extend beyond technical design skills to encompass strategic leadership, team building, and contributing to the company's overall success and market positioning in the AI space.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as Remote Solely. This indicates a fully distributed workforce, with no central physical office requirement.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the job listing specifies "United States" as the primary location requirement. This means candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States and likely reside within it.

Workspace Context:

• Home Office Environment: Candidates will be expected to maintain a productive and professional home office setup conducive to focused design work, virtual meetings, and collaboration.

• Digital Collaboration Tools: Heavy reliance on digital collaboration platforms (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Miro, Figma, project management software) for communication, ideation, and design reviews.

• Independent Work & Team Interaction: The environment balances independent, focused design work with frequent virtual interactions with design, product, and engineering teams.

Work Schedule: While a standard 40-hour work week is expected, the remote nature and global user base may necessitate some flexibility to accommodate meetings with team members or stakeholders in different time zones. The focus is on output and impact rather than strict adherence to office hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Remote Solely" designation is key. This implies a mature remote-first or remote-only culture, requiring strong self-discipline, excellent communication skills, and comfort with digital collaboration tools. Candidates should be prepared to manage their own workspace and work independently.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the core requirements, especially the breadth and depth of your consumer product design experience.

• Portfolio Presentation & Deep Dive: A session where you present your most relevant portfolio pieces, focusing on your direct contributions, design process, problem-solving approach, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to discuss how you translated complex AI/financial workflows into simple consumer experiences.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be given a hypothetical design problem or asked to critique an existing product/workflow. This assesses your design thinking, problem-solving skills, and ability to articulate design rationale under pressure.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Management and Engineering leads to evaluate your collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to integrate design into the development lifecycle.

• Executive Interview: A final discussion with senior leadership (likely CEO/CTO) to assess strategic fit, leadership potential, and alignment with company culture and vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select 3-5 of your most compelling projects that best demonstrate your ability to design consumer technology products, simplify complex workflows, and drive meaningful user engagement.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your specific role and contributions, the design process followed, key decisions made, trade-offs considered, and the measurable outcomes achieved.

• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design choices. Why did you opt for a particular interaction pattern? Why this visual treatment?

• Highlight AI/Financial Workflow Simplification: Explicitly showcase projects where you tackled complex technical or financial processes and made them accessible and user-friendly for a broad consumer audience.

• Prepare for "Hands-On" Discussion: Be ready to discuss detailed design decisions, critique existing interfaces, and potentially sketch out solutions on the spot.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Bjak's Mission: Research Bjak's product vision, target audience, and the challenges of building AI-native, non-prompting consumer applications.

• Practice Design Thinking: Be ready to apply frameworks for problem definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing.

• Articulate Trade-offs: Demonstrate an understanding that design decisions often involve trade-offs between usability, technical feasibility, and business goals.

• Simplify the Complex: Practice breaking down abstract concepts or complex processes into tangible user flows and interface elements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize the candidate's portfolio and their ability to articulate their design process and impact, especially concerning the simplification of complex AI/financial workflows. Be prepared for a deep dive into specific design decisions and outcomes.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Expected to be the primary tool for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is crucial for creating high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with tools like ProtoPie, InVision, or Adobe XD for advanced prototyping may be beneficial.

• Design System Management: Experience with tools or platforms used for creating, maintaining, and distributing design systems (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook, or internal tools).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics, or similar, to understand user behavior, track key metrics, and inform design iterations.

• User Feedback Tools: Experience with platforms for collecting and analyzing user feedback (e.g., UserTesting.com, Hotjar, surveys).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a design tool, understanding how design integrates with CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation platforms can provide context for cross-functional collaboration and user journey mapping.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core expectation is mastery of modern design tools, particularly Figma, and a strong understanding of how design integrates with product analytics to drive user-centric improvements. The ability to work with design systems is also a key technical requirement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and prioritizing user needs, ensuring all design decisions are made with the end-user in mind.

• Excellence & Quality: A drive for the highest standards in design craft, execution, and user experience across all products.

• Simplicity & Clarity: A dedication to making complex concepts and workflows easily understandable and actionable for consumers.

• Innovation & Proactivity: A forward-thinking approach to design, leveraging AI and technology to create proactive and intelligent user experiences.

• Collaboration & Transparency: A culture of open communication, constructive feedback, and shared ownership among design, product, and engineering teams.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: A collaborative approach that fosters strong working relationships with Product Management and Engineering, treating them as integral partners in the design process.

• Iterative Design Process: Embracing feedback loops and iterative development, viewing design as a continuous process of refinement based on data and user input.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of design best practices, insights, and learnings across the team and broader organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to build "proactive applications for anyone in the world, who are not used to complex prompting" implies that simplicity, clarity, and user-friendliness are core cultural values that will be deeply embedded in the design philosophy.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Simplifying AI Complexity: The primary challenge will be translating cutting-edge AI capabilities and complex financial workflows into intuitive, reliable, and non-intimidating consumer experiences. This requires a unique blend of technical understanding and user empathy.

• Scaling Design Standards: As the company grows, maintaining a consistent high bar for design quality and user experience across an expanding product suite and potentially a growing design team will be critical.

• Balancing Innovation with Reliability: Ensuring that innovative AI features are also highly reliable and reduce user "hallucinations" requires a rigorous design and testing process.

• Remote Collaboration: Effectively leading and inspiring a design team and collaborating with distributed engineering and product teams, especially in a remote-only environment.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Product Design Expertise: Deepen expertise in designing for AI-driven products and understanding the nuances of AI-human interaction.

• Leadership Development: Hone leadership skills in building and mentoring high-performing design teams in a fast-paced, remote environment.

• Strategic Product Vision: Contribute significantly to the strategic direction of a company aiming to disrupt personal productivity with AI.

• Industry Impact: Play a pivotal role in shaping the future of consumer AI applications and establishing new design paradigms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core challenge lies in the unique intersection of AI technology, financial complexity, and broad consumer adoption. Candidates will need to be adept at navigating this complex space and translating it into elegant, usable products.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing an AI-native application that requires minimal to no prompting for everyday tasks like managing emails, notes, or calendars?" (Focus on proactive assistance, intuitive interfaces, and understanding user intent without explicit instruction.)

• "Describe your process for turning a complex financial workflow into a simple, consumer-friendly experience. What are the key considerations and potential pitfalls?" (Highlight user research, journey mapping, information architecture, and iterative testing.)

• "How do you ensure design quality and consistency across multiple consumer products within a growing organization, especially in a remote setting?" (Discuss design systems, style guides, review processes, and team collaboration.)

• "What metrics would you track to measure the success of a consumer AI application, and how would you use them to inform design iterations?" (Emphasize user engagement, task completion rates, satisfaction scores, and reduction in user errors/hallucinations.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Bjak's mission to build AI-native applications for a global audience?" (Align your answer with the company's vision and your passion for simplifying technology.)

• "How do you envision fostering a strong design culture within a remote-first organization?" (Discuss communication strategies, team building activities, and promoting shared values.)

• "How do you stay current with advancements in AI and their implications for product design?" (Showcase continuous learning and a proactive approach to industry trends.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your presentation to clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, your solutions, and the measurable results for each project.

• Quantify Everything Possible: Use data, metrics, and user feedback to support your claims about the success of your designs.

• Emphasize the "Simplification" Aspect: For each relevant project, explicitly call out how you simplified complexity, especially if it involved technical or financial processes.

• Be Ready for "What Ifs": Anticipate questions about alternative design decisions, trade-offs, and how you would handle unforeseen challenges.

• Showcase Your Hands-On Skills: Be prepared to sketch, wireframe, or prototype a quick concept if prompted, demonstrating your ability to think and create on the fly.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expect a rigorous interview process that probes your strategic thinking, your hands-on design craft, and your ability to translate complex technical concepts into user-friendly consumer products. The interview will likely involve a deep dive into your portfolio and a practical design challenge.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Chief Design Officer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 10+ years of experience in consumer technology product design, emphasizing shipped products, interaction design, and any experience with AI or complex workflow simplification. Use keywords like "Product Design," "Interaction Design," "UI Design," "Consumer Technology," and "AI."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your most impactful projects that best showcase your ability to design consumer products, simplify complex workflows, and drive meaningful user engagement. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your role, process, solutions, and quantifiable results.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on clear storytelling, demonstrating your design process, and articulating the impact of your work, especially regarding AI and complex system simplification.

• Research Bjak: Understand their mission, target audience, and the challenges of building AI-native, non-prompting applications. Prepare to discuss how your skills and experience align with their specific goals.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.