Founding Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Founding Product Designer

Company: Almedia

Location: Berlin, Germany

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-10

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the end-to-end product design lifecycle, from initial concept and user research through to implementation and iteration, focusing on mobile-first experiences.

• Drive the company's design strategy and vision, ensuring a cohesive and compelling user experience across all Almedia products and platforms.

• Foster a highly collaborative environment, working closely with Product Management, Engineering, and Data Science teams to translate business objectives into user-centric design solutions.

• Utilize data analytics, user research, and usability testing to inform design decisions, validate hypotheses, and continuously optimize product performance and user satisfaction.

• Contribute to the strategic direction of Almedia as a founding team member, influencing product roadmap and business objectives with a strong design perspective.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is categorized under Product Design, with a strong emphasis on GTM (Go-to-Market) operations due to the "Founding" nature of the position and its impact on user acquisition and engagement strategies for a fast-growing company. The emphasis on "rewarding our community of over 70 million users for engaging with our advertisers’ products" and "offering a new way to acquire users" highlights the direct link between design and GTM success.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the conceptualization, design, and execution of intuitive and visually stunning user interfaces for Almedia's mobile-first products.

• Own the entire design process, from problem definition and user journey mapping to wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity visual design, ensuring a balance of speed, quality, and business impact.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers to define product requirements, user stories, and roadmaps, ensuring design alignment with market needs and business goals.

• Partner with Engineering teams to ensure design feasibility, provide detailed specifications, and support the implementation process, maintaining design integrity.

• Work with Data Scientists to integrate user analytics and A/B testing results into the design process, driving data-informed design iterations and optimizations.

• Conduct user research, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to gather insights and validate design hypotheses, ensuring user-centricity.

• Drive design critiques and stakeholder reviews, effectively articulating design rationale, gathering feedback, and ensuring cross-functional alignment.

• Contribute to the development and refinement of Almedia's design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across all user touchpoints.

• Explore and incorporate innovative design patterns, including motion design and gamified elements, to enhance user engagement and retention.

• Champion design best practices and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and high ownership within the product team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a comprehensive ownership of the design process, extending beyond UI/UX to strategic product input, data validation, and cross-functional leadership, consistent with a "Founding" role. The mention of "user acquisition for the biggest companies in the world" and "rewarding our community of over 70 million users" underscores the GTM impact.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 5-10 years of professional experience in product design, with a significant focus on mobile-first applications and user-facing platforms.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in UI Design, UX Design, and Interaction Design principles.

• Exceptional visual design skills with a strong portfolio showcasing impactful work, attention to detail, and an understanding of visual hierarchy and aesthetics.

• Demonstrated experience in leading end-to-end design processes from discovery through to implementation.

• Proficiency in conducting user research, usability testing, and leveraging data analysis to inform design decisions.

• Strong collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to effectively present design concepts and rationale to diverse stakeholders.

• Experience working in fast-paced, iterative environments and a proactive, impact-driven approach to problem-solving.

• Understanding of front-end development concepts, including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and their implications for design implementation. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with motion design tools and techniques to create engaging user experiences.

• Familiarity with gamification principles and their application in product design.

• Experience contributing to or building design systems.

• Background in growth-focused product design or user acquisition strategies.

• Experience with A/B testing design variations and analyzing results.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level ("5+ years") and the "Founding" nature of the role suggest a need for strategic thinking and leadership beyond standard design execution. The inclusion of front-end development awareness is crucial for effective collaboration with engineering in a fast-paced environment. The "bonus" of motion design and gamification directly relates to the company's user engagement model.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 detailed case studies demonstrating end-to-end product design projects, with a strong emphasis on mobile-first applications.

• Highlight your role and contributions within each case study, clearly articulating problem statements, design process, key decisions, and final outcomes.

• Present a clear narrative of how user research and data informed your design iterations and led to measurable improvements.

• Include examples of exceptional UI/Visual Design, showcasing attention to detail, aesthetic sensibility, and adherence to design principles.

• Demonstrate your ability to articulate design rationale, problem-solving approaches, and the impact of your design solutions on user behavior and business objectives. Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to user research and validation, including methodologies used (e.g., interviews, surveys, usability testing) and how insights were translated into design actions.

• Illustrate your workflow for translating product requirements into wireframes, interactive prototypes, and final design specifications.

• Explain how you collaborate with engineering and product teams, including communication methods, feedback loops, and handoff processes.

• Provide examples of how you leverage data analytics and A/B testing to iterate on designs and measure success against defined KPIs.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a "Founding Product Designer," the portfolio must demonstrate not just design execution but also strategic thinking, process ownership, and data-driven decision-making, aligning with the company's fast-paced, iterative, and impact-driven culture. The emphasis on mobile-first and user acquisition strategies should be evident.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: €90,000 - €120,000 per year

Equity: Offers Equity as part of compensation.

Benefits:

• Equity: Ownership stake in Almedia, reflecting the "Founding" role and commitment to company success.

• Transport Subsidy: Financial assistance for commuting to the Berlin office.

• On-site Meals: Provided breakfasts and lunches, fostering a collaborative and convenient work environment.

• Language Learning: Support for professional development through language courses.

• Urban Sports Club: Membership to a sports club for employee well-being.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for growth and learning within a fast-scaling startup.

• Impactful Work: Opportunity to shape the future of a rapidly growing company and its user acquisition strategies.

Working Hours: The company emphasizes intensity and rewards high performance, suggesting a work schedule that may exceed standard 9-5 hours. While a standard 40-hour work week is typical, the culture encourages dedication and is not strictly limited to 9-5.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a senior/founding product design role in Berlin. The inclusion of equity is a significant component, aligning with the "founding" aspect and the company's goal of rewarding employees for their contribution to growth. The benefits package supports employee well-being and professional development, fitting for a company that values its team. The working hours note reflects the company's stated "Push harder, get further" ethos.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Marketing Technology (MarTech) / User Acquisition Platforms. Almedia operates at the intersection of marketing and technology, providing innovative solutions for user acquisition for major companies by engaging a large community of users. This industry is characterized by rapid innovation, data-driven strategies, and a focus on performance metrics.

Company Size: Almedia is a fast-growing, bootstrapped company, positioning itself to become a "bootstrapped unicorn." This implies a dynamic, agile, and resource-efficient operational model, with a significant potential for rapid scaling. The company has already achieved recognition as Europe’s #3 fastest-growing company (FT1000).

Founded: While the exact founding date isn't provided, the company's rapid growth and status as a "founding" role suggest it's likely in a significant growth phase, potentially a few years old, and has achieved profitability from day one.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is likely small and highly integrated, reporting to the Head of Design.

• As a "Founding" member, you will be instrumental in shaping the design team's future structure and processes.

• Close collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, and Data Science is a cornerstone of the team's operational model.

• The team operates with a high degree of ownership and autonomy, expected to drive initiatives forward with minimal oversight. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Heavy reliance on user research, A/B testing, and analytics to inform and validate design decisions.

• Iterative Development: A fast-paced, agile approach to product development, prioritizing rapid iteration and continuous improvement.

• High Ownership: Team members are empowered and expected to take initiative, drive projects, and be accountable for outcomes.

• User-Centricity: While driven by business goals, the core focus remains on delivering value and compelling experiences to the user community.

Company Website: https://www.almedia.co/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is explicitly described as high-intensity, high-ownership, and fast-paced. This is crucial context for a "Founding Product Designer," suggesting a role that demands proactive leadership and a strong drive for results, directly impacting user acquisition and engagement strategies.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a "Founding" Product Designer role, typically indicating a Senior to Lead level position. It comes with significant responsibility, autonomy, and the opportunity to shape the product's design direction from its early stages. The role demands strategic thinking, leadership potential, and a deep understanding of how design contributes to business objectives, particularly in user acquisition and retention.

Reporting Structure: You will report to the Head of Design, a common structure for senior individual contributors or leads within a design department. This provides mentorship and strategic guidance while allowing significant autonomy in day-to-day execution.

Operations Impact: As a Founding Product Designer, your impact will be direct and substantial. You will be instrumental in defining the user experience for Almedia's platform, which directly influences user engagement, advertiser satisfaction, and ultimately, the company's revenue growth and user acquisition success. Your design decisions will shape how millions of users interact with advertisers, making this a critical GTM function.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunity to grow into a Design Lead or Manager role as the company scales and the design team expands.

• Product Strategy Influence: Contribute significantly to product strategy, roadmap planning, and overall business direction.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like mobile-first design, gamification, motion design, or user acquisition optimization.

• Entrepreneurial Experience: Gain invaluable experience in a high-growth, bootstrapped startup environment, understanding the dynamics of scaling a business.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers as the team grows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Founding" title signifies a critical early-stage role with high growth potential. The emphasis on user acquisition and engagement means the design impact is directly tied to revenue and Go-To-Market success, making it a strategic GTM role.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Almedia emphasizes a collaborative, energetic environment, with a strong preference for in-office work. The office is described as a "modern office built for collaboration," suggesting a well-equipped space designed to foster teamwork and innovation.

Office Location(s): The role is based in a central Berlin office, making it accessible from various parts of the city.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Focus: The office is explicitly designed to encourage collaboration, aligning with the company's emphasis on working closely with Product, Engineering, and Data Science.

• Resource-Rich: Expect a modern workspace with amenities that support productivity and well-being, such as provided breakfasts and lunches.

• High-Energy Atmosphere: The company culture promotes intensity and high ownership, suggesting a dynamic and fast-paced work environment where individuals are engaged and driven.

• Technology & Tools: Access to industry-standard design and collaboration tools will be available to support your work.

Work Schedule: The company operates on a "fully present" 5-day-a-week in-office policy. While not a strict 9-5, the culture rewards "intensity," indicating that employees are expected to be highly dedicated and driven, potentially working longer hours when needed to achieve ambitious goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit "5 days a week in the office" policy is a key differentiator. This is crucial for candidates who thrive in highly collaborative, present environments and for a company that values in-person synergy for rapid development and idea generation.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio to assess qualifications and alignment with the role.

• Portfolio Deep Dive: A dedicated session to walk through your case studies, discussing your design process, decision-making rationale, and impact. Be prepared to articulate how your work relates to user acquisition and engagement.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with members of the Product, Engineering, and Data Science teams to evaluate collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary environment.

• Hiring Manager/Head of Design Interview: A discussion focused on your strategic thinking, leadership potential, cultural fit with Almedia's high-ownership and intensity-driven ethos, and long-term career aspirations.

• Potential Practical Exercise: You may be asked to complete a small design challenge or present a solution to a hypothetical problem relevant to Almedia's business.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the problem you solved, your process, and the measurable results (e.g., increased engagement, conversion rates, user satisfaction). Use data and metrics wherever possible.

• Showcase Mobile-First: Given the company's focus, ensure your portfolio prominently features strong mobile design examples.

• Highlight Collaboration: Demonstrate how you worked with cross-functional teams to achieve design goals.

• Explain Your "Why": Be ready to clearly articulate the rationale behind your design decisions. What were the trade-offs? Why did you choose a particular solution?

• Tailor to Almedia: Research Almedia's product and user base. Frame your experiences and case studies to show how you can contribute to their specific goals in user acquisition and engagement.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Almedia's Business: Research their platform, target audience, and business model (user acquisition for advertisers via community engagement).

• Think GTM: Consider how design directly impacts user acquisition, retention, and engagement metrics.

• Be Data-Driven: Practice articulating how you would use data to inform design decisions and measure success.

• Demonstrate Intensity & Ownership: Be prepared to discuss how you take initiative, solve problems proactively, and drive projects to completion in demanding environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Founding Product Designer" means the interview process will likely assess strategic thinking, leadership potential, and the ability to operate with high autonomy and impact, especially concerning user acquisition strategies.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), InVision, Principle (for motion design). Proficiency in at least one core design tool (e.g., Figma) is essential.

• User Research & Testing: Tools like UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, or internal survey/interview platforms.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Slack.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or similar platforms to track user behavior and feature adoption.

• A/B Testing Tools: Optimizely, VWO, or in-house A/B testing frameworks.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a design tool, understanding how design integrates with CRM (e.g., Salesforce) or marketing automation platforms can be beneficial for understanding the broader user journey.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern design and prototyping tools like Figma is expected. The inclusion of analytics and A/B testing tools highlights the data-driven nature of the role and the need for designers to understand and influence performance metrics related to user acquisition and engagement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• High Ownership: Taking full responsibility for outcomes, proactively identifying and solving problems without constant supervision.

• Intensity & Drive: A commitment to pushing boundaries, working hard, and achieving ambitious goals rapidly. This isn't a 9-5 culture; it's about impact.

• Collaboration: Working synergistically with Product, Engineering, and Data Science, valuing diverse perspectives and collective problem-solving.

• User-Centricity: A fundamental belief in understanding and serving the user community to drive engagement and advertiser value.

• Data-Driven: Using data and evidence as the foundation for decision-making, design validation, and performance measurement.

• Speed & Iteration: Embracing a lean, agile approach to deliver value quickly and adapt based on feedback and results.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Synergy: Seamless integration with engineering and product teams, with open communication channels and shared goals.

• Constructive Critiques: A culture of giving and receiving honest, actionable feedback on designs to foster continuous improvement.

• Proactive Communication: Keeping stakeholders informed of progress, potential roadblocks, and design decisions.

• Shared Vision: Aligning on product goals and working collaboratively to achieve them, with design playing a pivotal role in user acquisition and engagement strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values of "Intensity" and "High Ownership" are paramount and will permeate all aspects of work and collaboration. This role requires someone who thrives in such an environment and can contribute to a culture of high performance and accountability.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapid Scaling: Adapting designs and processes to support Almedia's aggressive growth trajectory requires flexibility and foresight.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Delivering high-quality, user-centric designs at a rapid pace in a fast-moving startup environment.

• Defining Design Direction: As a founding member, you will be instrumental in establishing and evolving the product's visual identity and user experience standards.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent design vision and execution across multiple departments with potentially competing priorities.

• Measuring Impact: Quantifying the direct impact of design on user acquisition, engagement, and advertiser success metrics.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Lead Design Initiatives: Take ownership of major product features and design strategies, developing leadership skills.

• Impactful Product Development: Directly influence the success of a rapidly growing company in the competitive MarTech space.

• Entrepreneurial Skillset: Gain hands-on experience in a fast-paced, bootstrapped startup, learning about business strategy, growth, and operations.

• Mentorship: Potential to be mentored by senior leadership and to mentor future design hires.

• Industry Exposure: Work with leading companies as advertisers on the platform, gaining insights into different marketing strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a "Founding" role in a high-growth startup. The opportunities focus on leadership, strategic influence, and gaining comprehensive entrepreneurial experience, particularly within the GTM and user acquisition domain.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing a new feature to increase user engagement with advertisers on our platform?" (Focus on process, data, and user needs)

• "Describe a time you had to balance aggressive timelines with maintaining design quality. How did you manage it?" (Highlighting intensity and ownership)

• "How do you incorporate user feedback and data analytics into your design process to drive product improvements?" (Demonstrating data-driven approach)

• "What is your philosophy on building and scaling a design system in a fast-growing company?" (Assessing strategic design thinking)

• "How would you collaborate with engineering to ensure your designs are implemented efficiently and accurately, especially when working under tight deadlines?" (Evaluating cross-functional collaboration) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about Almedia's mission and our approach to user acquisition?" (Showcasing research and alignment)

• "How do you handle constructive criticism or disagreement on design decisions with stakeholders?" (Assessing communication and collaboration)

• "Describe your ideal work environment. How do you thrive in a high-intensity, high-ownership culture?" (Evaluating cultural fit)

• "How do you see your role as a 'Founding' designer contributing to Almedia's long-term success beyond just design execution?" (Assessing strategic contribution) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": Clearly articulate the business problem and user need for each case study.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, prototypes, and mockups effectively. For mobile-first, ensure mobile screens are prominent.

• Quantify Impact: Present data, metrics, and outcomes. How did your design improve key performance indicators (KPIs) related to user acquisition, engagement, or retention?

• Explain Your Process: Walk through your methodology, highlighting key decisions and trade-offs.

• Connect to Almedia: Frame your experience and case studies in the context of Almedia's goals and challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Focus on User Acquisition: If given a challenge, think about how design can drive users to engage with advertisers. Consider gamification, reward mechanisms, and clear value propositions.

• Rapid Prototyping: Be prepared to quickly sketch or prototype solutions.

• Justify Your Decisions: Be ready to explain the rationale behind every design choice, linking it back to user needs and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not only design craft but also strategic thinking, a data-driven approach, and an understanding of how design contributes directly to user acquisition and business growth in a high-intensity, high-ownership environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature mobile-first design case studies that demonstrate impact on user acquisition, engagement, or conversion. Highlight projects where you owned the end-to-end design process and utilized data.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 5+ years of experience in product design, emphasizing skills in UI/UX, interaction design, user research, and data-driven decision-making. Use keywords such as "mobile-first," "user acquisition," "engagement," and "cross-functional collaboration."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, rationale, and impact using specific examples from your portfolio. Prepare to discuss how you thrive in high-intensity, high-ownership environments and how your design work contributes to business objectives.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Almedia's platform, business model, target audience, and recent growth achievements. Understand their unique approach to user acquisition and how design plays a critical role.

⚠️ 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.