Founding Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Founding Product Designer

Company: Almedia

Location: Berlin, Germany

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations Enablement

Date Posted: 2026-09-23

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: On-site (5 days a week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Foundational Design Leadership: This role is critical in establishing and owning the end-to-end product design process for Almedia, a rapidly growing marketing technology company.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The Founding Product Designer will work intimately with Product Managers, Engineering teams, and Data Scientists, ensuring design solutions are integrated effectively into the GTM strategy and product development lifecycle.

• User-Centricity & Data-Driven Insights: A core aspect involves leveraging user research, usability testing, and data analysis to inform design decisions and optimize user experiences for Almedia's community of over 80 million users.

• Accelerated Career Growth: Almedia emphasizes high ownership and intensity, offering a unique environment for ambitious professionals to accelerate their careers and impact within a bootstrapped, fast-growing startup.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Founding Product Designer," the responsibilities heavily involve cross-functional collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Data Science, indicating a strong link to Go-To-Market (GTM) operations enablement. The emphasis on data analysis, user research, and aligning design with business goals positions this role as crucial for translating user needs and market insights into actionable product features that drive user acquisition and advertiser engagement. This requires a designer who understands the broader GTM context and can influence product strategy from a user experience perspective.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• End-to-End Design Ownership: Lead the entire design lifecycle from initial discovery and concept development through to final implementation and iteration, ensuring a cohesive and impactful user experience.

• UI/UX Strategy & Execution: Define and execute the product's visual and interaction design strategy, creating intuitive, accessible, and visually compelling interfaces that align with Almedia's brand and user needs.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Foster strong working relationships with Product Management, Engineering, and Data Science teams to ensure design solutions are technically feasible, meet business objectives, and are effectively translated into functional products.

• User Research & Validation: Plan and conduct comprehensive user research, usability testing, and data analysis to gather insights, validate design hypotheses, and iteratively improve product design.

• Design Leadership & Advocacy: Drive design critiques, articulate design rationale clearly to stakeholders, and champion user-centric principles throughout the product development process.

• Mobile-First Product Development: Focus on designing exceptional mobile-first experiences, considering the unique constraints and opportunities of mobile platforms for Almedia's user base.

• Proactive Process Improvement: Identify and implement improvements to the design process, tools, and workflows to enhance efficiency, quality, and team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The raw description highlights "Own the Design Process – Lead design from discovery to implementation, ensuring a balance of speed, quality, and impact." This implies a significant responsibility for process definition and optimization, a core function within operations. The role is not just about execution but about establishing how design work is done and measured within Almedia's fast-paced environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in product design, with a significant focus on designing mobile-first products.

Required Skills:

• Exceptional UI/Visual Design: Proven ability to create aesthetically pleasing, detailed, and user-friendly interfaces with a strong sense of hierarchy, typography, color, and layout.

• Interaction Design Proficiency: Deep understanding of user interaction principles, creating intuitive and engaging user flows.

• Mobile-First Design Expertise: Demonstrated experience in designing for mobile platforms (iOS and Android), understanding their specific design patterns and user behaviors.

• User Research & Usability Testing: Experience in planning, conducting, and synthesizing user research to inform design decisions and validate concepts.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Ability to leverage analytics, A/B testing results, and user feedback to guide design iterations and measure success.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven track record of working effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, and Data Scientists.

• Strong Communication & Presentation: Ability to articulate design decisions clearly, persuasively present work, and facilitate design critiques.

• Technical Awareness: Understanding of front-end development principles (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and their implications on design implementation.

Preferred Skills:

• Motion Design: Experience in creating engaging animations and micro-interactions to enhance user experience.

• Gamification Design: Familiarity with designing and implementing gamified elements to drive user engagement and retention.

• Experience with Design Systems: Ability to contribute to or build design systems for scalability and consistency.

• Startup Environment Acumen: Experience thriving in fast-paced, iterative startup environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Founding" aspect of the title suggests a need for someone who can not only execute but also help define the design function's strategy and processes from the ground up. The emphasis on "pushing harder" and "high ownership" implies a candidate who is self-motivated, proactive, and comfortable with ambiguity, traits highly valued in operations roles focused on driving efficiency and improvement.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate End-to-End Design Process: Showcase at least 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing your involvement from problem definition and user research to final design solutions and their impact.

• Highlight Mobile-First Solutions: Feature projects specifically focused on mobile applications or responsive web design, illustrating your understanding of mobile design principles.

• Showcase UI/Visual Design Excellence: Include high-fidelity mockups, style guides, and examples that clearly demonstrate your visual design skills, attention to detail, and aesthetic sensibility.

• Illustrate Interaction Design: Present prototypes or detailed descriptions of user flows and interactions that highlight intuitive navigation and engaging user experiences.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics or data points demonstrating the success of your designs (e.g., improvements in conversion rates, user engagement, task completion times).

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Be prepared to discuss how you approach designing and documenting complex user workflows, ensuring clarity and efficiency.

• Research & Validation Methods: Articulate your methodologies for conducting user research, usability testing, and data analysis to inform and validate design decisions.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration Protocols: Describe how you integrate design into broader product development sprints and collaborate with engineering and product teams on implementation.

• Iterative Improvement Frameworks: Explain how you approach iterating on designs based on feedback, performance data, and evolving business requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a "Founding" role, the portfolio needs to demonstrate not just design output but also the candidate's ability to establish and refine design processes. This means showcasing how they've structured their work, collaborated, and measured success, aligning with operations principles of process standardization and efficiency.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

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

Benefits:

• Equity: All Berlin-based employees receive equity in Almedia, offering a direct stake in the company's success.

• Transport Subsidy: Support for commuting costs.

• Daily Meals: Provided breakfasts and lunches, fostering a collaborative and well-catered work environment.

• Language Learning: Opportunities to enhance language skills, particularly relevant for an international team in Berlin.

• Urban Sports Club Membership: Access to a wide range of sports and fitness facilities.

• Profitability & Growth: Opportunity to scale with a startup that has been profitable from day one.

Working Hours: The company emphasizes intensity and rewards "pushing harder," suggesting a work culture that goes beyond a traditional 9-5. While a standard 40-hour work week is implied for full-time employment, the culture suggests a high degree of commitment and potentially flexible but demanding hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided aligns with mid-to-senior level Product Designer roles in major European tech hubs like Berlin, especially for a founding team member. The inclusion of equity is a significant component, common in startups aiming to incentivize early employees. The "fully present" and "5 days a week in the office" policy, combined with the "isn't a 9-5" and "highly reward intensity" statements, indicates a culture that values in-person collaboration and high output, which can be both a pro and a con depending on candidate preference.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Marketing Technology (MarTech), User Acquisition, Advertising Engagement. Almedia operates at the intersection of marketing, technology, and community engagement, rewarding users for interacting with advertisers. This positions them in a dynamic and competitive space, requiring innovative product solutions.

Company Size: The description implies a growing startup that is already significant ("over 80 million users," "Europe's #3 fastest-growing company"). This suggests a lean, agile team where individuals can have a substantial impact.

Founded: While the founding date isn't explicitly stated, Almedia is described as a startup that is "profitable from day one" and has achieved significant growth, indicating a mature but still rapidly scaling business.

Team Structure:

• Reporting: The Founding Product Designer reports to the Head of Design, indicating a structured design leadership even within a founding team context.

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role emphasizes close collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Data Science, suggesting a highly integrated product development team where design is a central component.

• Founding Team Dynamics: As a "Founding Product Designer," there's an expectation of significant influence and contribution to the early product vision and design culture.

Methodology:

• Iterative Development: The company thrives in a "fast-moving, iterative environment," suggesting agile methodologies with a focus on rapid prototyping, testing, and deployment.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: User research, usability testing, and data analysis are core to informing design decisions, reflecting a scientific approach to product development.

• High Intensity & Ownership: The company culture values "push harder, get further" and "high-ownership," meaning employees are expected to take initiative, drive results, and operate with a strong sense of responsibility.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Almedia's positioning as a fast-growing, bootstrapped MarTech company with a large user base suggests a strong focus on scalable solutions, user engagement mechanics, and efficient GTM strategies. The "Founding Product Designer" title implies an opportunity to shape the design function and product direction, making it appealing for individuals who want to build and influence from an early stage. The emphasis on being "fully present" and "5 days a week in the office" is a key cultural differentiator in today's hybrid work landscape.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior/Lead Product Designer, specifically a "Founding" member of the design team. This implies a high level of autonomy, responsibility, and influence over product strategy and design direction. It's a critical role for establishing the design framework within a growing company.

Reporting Structure: The role reports directly to the Head of Design, indicating a clear line of reporting and mentorship. This structure allows for guidance while still offering significant independence for a senior-level contributor.

Operations Impact: The Founding Product Designer will have a direct impact on Almedia's GTM strategy by shaping the user experience of their marketing platform. This includes influencing how users engage with advertisers, driving user acquisition, and ensuring the platform is intuitive and effective for both users and advertisers. Their work will directly contribute to the company's growth objectives and its goal of becoming a "bootstrapped unicorn."

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: As a founding member, there's a significant opportunity to shape and grow the design team, potentially moving into a Design Lead or Head of Design role as the company scales.

• Product Strategy Influence: The role encourages contributing beyond design, meaning opportunities to influence broader product roadmaps and business strategies.

• Skill Specialization: With a bonus for motion design and gamification, there are clear paths to deepen expertise in these areas or other emerging design fields.

• Startup Equity: The equity offered provides a direct financial stake in the company's success, aligning personal growth with company growth.

• Industry Exposure: Working in the fast-growing MarTech sector offers exposure to cutting-edge advertising and user engagement technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Founding" designation implies that this individual will be instrumental in setting the pace and standards for design at Almedia. Growth opportunities are tied to the company's rapid expansion and the individual's ability to lead, innovate, and drive impact, mirroring the career trajectory of successful operations leaders who scale with their organizations.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Almedia offers a modern office in central Berlin designed for collaboration. The emphasis on being "fully present" and "5 days a week in the office" suggests a dynamic, in-person environment conducive to spontaneous collaboration and team building.

Office Location(s): Central Berlin, Germany. This location offers excellent connectivity and access to a vibrant tech ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office is described as "built for collaboration," indicating an environment where teams work together closely.

• Resource-Rich: The office is "fully-stocked," suggesting a focus on providing employees with the necessary resources and amenities to work effectively.

• Energizing Momentum: The company believes being in the office fosters "energising momentum," highlighting a culture that values in-person interaction for productivity and innovation.

• Operational Support: As an on-site role, there will be direct access to IT support, office management, and the infrastructure needed to perform design tasks efficiently.

Work Schedule: The company culture emphasizes "intensity" and rewards "pushing harder," suggesting that while a standard work week might be 40 hours, the expectation is for high output and dedication, potentially involving longer hours during critical project phases. The on-site requirement necessitates a consistent daily presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The strict on-site policy (5 days/week) is a significant aspect of the work environment. For a designer, this can foster strong team cohesion and facilitate quick feedback loops, but it requires a commitment to in-office presence. The "central Berlin" location is a strong draw for talent in Europe.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio to assess basic qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: Expect to present selected case studies from your portfolio, discussing your design process, rationale, and the impact of your work. This is where your ability to articulate operational aspects of design (process, collaboration, impact) will be key.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially Data Scientists to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and cultural fit.

• Design Critiques/Exercises: You may be asked to participate in a design exercise or critique session to evaluate your problem-solving skills and design thinking in real-time.

• Final Round with Leadership: Discussions with the Head of Design and potentially other senior leaders to assess strategic thinking, leadership potential, and alignment with Almedia's culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process, Not Just Pixels: Clearly articulate the "why" behind your design decisions. Detail your research, testing, and iteration processes.

• Quantify Your Impact: Use metrics and data to demonstrate the business value and user impact of your designs. Show how your work contributed to Almedia's goals (e.g., user acquisition, engagement).

• Showcase Collaboration: Highlight instances where you worked effectively with engineers, product managers, and data scientists. Explain how you managed feedback and resolved design challenges.

• Tailor to Almedia: Emphasize projects that align with Almedia's focus on mobile-first, user engagement, and marketing technology. If you have experience with gamification or motion design, highlight those.

• Prepare for "Founding" Questions: Be ready to discuss how you would establish design processes, mentor future designers, and contribute to the overall product strategy.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Almedia's Business: Research Almedia's platform, target audience, and competitive landscape. Think about how design can solve their business challenges.

• Design Thinking Exercise: Be prepared to tackle a hypothetical design problem related to Almedia's product. Focus on your approach, assumptions, and how you'd validate solutions.

• Process Optimization Mindset: Given the "Founding" nature, anticipate questions about how you'd improve design workflows, implement new tools, or onboard new team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "Founding" role means the interview process will likely assess not just design skills but also strategic thinking, process-building capabilities, and the ability to operate with high autonomy. Demonstrating an understanding of how design impacts GTM operations and business outcomes will be crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: Highly likely to be the primary tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration, given its industry prevalence.

• Sketch/Adobe Creative Suite: Potentially used for specific asset creation or legacy projects.

Prototyping & Collaboration:

• InVision/Marvel/Framer: Tools for creating interactive prototypes and collaborating on design feedback.

• Miro/FigJam: For collaborative whiteboarding, user journey mapping, and ideation sessions.

User Research & Analytics:

• UserTesting.com / Maze / Lookback: Platforms for remote usability testing and user feedback collection.

• Google Analytics / Mixpanel / Amplitude: Tools for tracking user behavior, analyzing product performance, and informing design decisions.

• Hotjar / FullStory: For heatmaps, session recordings, and understanding user interaction patterns.

Development Related:

• Figma Inspect / Zeplin: For handing off designs to engineering teams, providing specifications and assets.

• Basic understanding of HTML/CSS/JavaScript: Essential for effective collaboration with developers and understanding implementation constraints.

Project Management & Communication:

• Jira/Asana/Trello: For managing design tasks within sprints and collaborating with engineering teams.

• Slack: For day-to-day communication and team coordination.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, a Product Designer in a fast-paced tech company like Almedia would typically be proficient in industry-standard tools like Figma for design and prototyping, alongside analytics platforms to drive data-informed decisions. The mention of HTML/CSS/JavaScript indicates a need for designers who can communicate effectively with developers and understand technical feasibility.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• High Ownership & Intensity: A core value is taking full responsibility for outcomes and demonstrating a high level of commitment and effort. This translates to proactive problem-solving and driving initiatives to completion.

• Speed & Iteration: The company culture prioritizes rapid development and continuous improvement. Designs are expected to be delivered quickly and iterated upon based on feedback and data.

• User-Centricity: Despite the focus on speed and business goals, there's a strong emphasis on understanding and serving the needs of Almedia's 80 million users.

• Collaboration & Presence: Working "fully present" and "5 days a week in the office" underscores the value placed on in-person collaboration, team cohesion, and building an energizing work environment.

• Ambition & Growth: Almedia seeks individuals who want to "push harder" and "accelerate their careers," fostering an environment where high performers are recognized and rewarded.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Design is deeply integrated with Product, Engineering, and Data Science, implying a collaborative, cross-functional approach where ideas are shared freely and decisions are made collectively.

• Direct Communication: The emphasis on in-office presence likely facilitates direct, open communication and quick feedback loops.

• Design Critiques: Regular design critiques are part of the process, encouraging constructive feedback and collective problem-solving among designers and stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: Almedia's culture appears to be a blend of startup agility and disciplined execution. The values of "ownership," "intensity," and "speed" are critical for scaling a company rapidly. For a designer, this means being adaptable, proactive, and comfortable with a high-performance environment where in-person collaboration is paramount.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing Design Foundations: As a "Founding" designer, you'll be responsible for building the design system, processes, and culture from the ground up, which requires foresight and strategic planning.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: The company's emphasis on rapid iteration and intensity may present a challenge in ensuring design quality and thoroughness without hindering velocity.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Effectively communicating design rationale and securing buy-in from diverse stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Data Science) across different priorities can be demanding.

• Scaling Design Operations: As Almedia grows, the design function will need to scale, requiring the development of scalable processes, mentorship frameworks, and potentially team expansion.

• Maintaining User Focus in a Growth Environment: Ensuring that user needs remain central amidst aggressive growth targets and business objectives requires strong advocacy and data-driven validation.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design Leadership Development: Opportunity to shape the design team's future, develop leadership skills, and potentially manage future hires.

• Strategic Product Influence: Gain experience in influencing product strategy and business direction at a foundational level.

• MarTech & User Engagement Expertise: Deepen knowledge in the rapidly evolving marketing technology landscape and user engagement mechanics, including gamification.

• Equity Growth: Direct participation in the company's financial success through equity.

• Intensive Learning Environment: Exposure to ambitious colleagues and a fast-paced environment provides constant learning opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a founding role in a high-growth startup. Success will depend on the designer's ability to proactively address these challenges by establishing robust processes, fostering strong cross-functional relationships, and demonstrating consistent, measurable impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach establishing a design system for Almedia from scratch?" (Focus on modularity, scalability, and collaboration with engineering.)

• "Describe a time you had to balance aggressive project timelines with maintaining design quality. What was your approach?" (Highlight iterative processes, risk assessment, and clear communication.)

• "How do you ensure user needs are met while aligning with business objectives in a fast-paced environment?" (Discuss user research methodologies, data analysis, and stakeholder alignment strategies.)

• "Walk us through your process for collaborating with Product Managers and Engineers on a new feature." (Detail communication methods, feedback loops, and handoff processes.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Almedia's mission and our position in the MarTech industry?" (Research the company's product, market, and growth.)

• "How do you approach working in a 'fully present', 5-days-a-week office environment?" (Express enthusiasm for collaboration and team momentum.)

• "Describe your ideal work environment for pushing boundaries and accelerating your career." (Align with Almedia's values of intensity, ownership, and ambition.)

• "How do you contribute to a positive and productive team culture?" (Emphasize collaboration, constructive feedback, and proactive support.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, design, testing), the solutions you implemented, and the measurable results.

• Highlight "Founding" Contributions: If you have experience establishing design functions, processes, or teams, make sure to showcase this.

• Emphasize Collaboration: Show how you worked with different departments and managed stakeholder feedback.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. For example, "Increased user engagement by X%," or "Reduced task completion time by Y%."

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, trade-offs made, and alternative approaches considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Founding" aspect, interviewers will be looking for strategic thinking, process-building skills, and a proactive, high-ownership mindset, in addition to core design competencies. Demonstrating how you translate user insights into business impact and drive efficiency in the design process will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-adjacent design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Tailor Your Portfolio: Curate 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best showcase your mobile-first design experience, UI/UX skills, and process. Ensure they highlight your ability to drive measurable impact and collaborate effectively.

• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight keywords from the job description such as "Founding Product Designer," "UI Design," "UX Design," "Mobile-first," "User Research," "Data-driven," and "Cross-functional Collaboration." Quantify your achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, the rationale behind your decisions, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss how you would approach building a design function at Almedia.

• Research Almedia: Understand their business model, target audience, competitors, and recent growth. This will help you tailor your application and interview responses to their specific context and operational 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.

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