Founding Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Founding Product Designer

Company: Clera

Location: Berlin, Germany

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / GTM Strategy

Date Posted: 2026-06-26

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the end-to-end product design for an AI creative tools startup, focusing on AI-native interfaces and a seamless user experience.

• Drive product strategy, adoption, and growth through innovative design solutions and continuous user validation.

• Own the complete design lifecycle, from conceptualization and prototyping to design system development and pixel-perfect UI execution.

• Collaborate closely with engineering to translate complex AI capabilities into intuitive, accessible tools for creative professionals.

• Contribute to go-to-market strategies by shaping compelling product messaging and visuals that resonate with the target audience.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a foundational design hire within a fast-growing, Y Combinator-backed startup. The emphasis on "Founding Product Designer" implies a significant impact on product direction and a high degree of autonomy, requiring a candidate comfortable with ambiguity and proactive problem-solving in a GTM context.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Partner with engineering to design intuitive, AI-native user interfaces that effectively balance powerful capabilities with user simplicity and control.

• Lead the entire product design lifecycle, including concept generation, wireframing, prototyping, developing and maintaining scalable design systems, and ensuring high-fidelity UI execution.

• Conduct regular user interviews and usability testing sessions to uncover user needs, identify pain points, and validate design decisions, directly informing product iteration.

• Drive product growth and user activation through the design and execution of A/B tests on onboarding flows, conversion funnels, and feature adoption strategies.

• Develop and refine go-to-market messaging, visual assets, and user-facing content that clearly communicate the value proposition to creative professionals and video teams.

• Actively contribute to overall product strategy, roadmap planning, and feature prioritization in close collaboration with leadership and engineering.

• Champion user-centric design principles across the organization, ensuring that design thinking is integrated into all stages of product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong focus on driving tangible business outcomes through design, particularly in user activation, conversion optimization, and go-to-market messaging, which are critical for a GTM-focused operations role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for roles of this caliber. Equivalent practical experience will also be strongly considered.

Experience: 5+ years of dedicated product design experience, with a strong preference for candidates who have designed AI-powered or complex software interfaces.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in end-to-end product design, from initial concept through to successful launch and iteration, with a portfolio to showcase.

• Strong proficiency in industry-standard design tools such as Figma, for collaborative design, prototyping, and UI execution.

• Demonstrated experience in building and maintaining scalable design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across products.

• Experience designing and optimizing user onboarding flows to improve activation rates and reduce time-to-value.

• Proven ability to conduct user research, including interviews and usability testing, and translate insights into actionable design improvements.

• Experience designing for AI-native interfaces, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities they present.

• Comfort and proven success operating independently in a fast-paced, dynamic startup environment, with a focus on shipping and iterating rapidly.

• Ability to partner effectively with engineering teams, understanding technical constraints and opportunities.

• Experience contributing to product strategy and roadmap development. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with animation tools or video editing software, to better understand the user base.

• Familiarity with A/B testing methodologies and tools for design experimentation.

• Understanding of growth marketing principles and how design impacts conversion metrics.

• Experience working in a Y Combinator-backed company or similar high-growth startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 5+ years of experience, coupled with the "Founding" title, suggests this role is equivalent to a Senior or Lead Product Designer, demanding strategic thinking and a proven track record beyond execution. The emphasis on AI-native interfaces and complex software points towards a need for sophisticated problem-solving skills.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design projects, with a clear narrative of the problem, your process, and the impact of your solutions.

• Specific examples of AI-native interfaces designed, detailing how complexity was managed and user control was maintained.

• Demonstrations of scalable design systems, including component libraries, style guides, and their implementation across multiple product features.

• Case studies detailing the design and optimization of user onboarding flows, highlighting improvements in activation or conversion metrics.

• Evidence of user research methodologies employed and how insights directly influenced design decisions and product outcomes.

• Examples of UI execution, showcasing pixel-perfect attention to detail and a strong visual design sensibility. Process Documentation:

• Showcase your process for conducting user research, including methods for participant recruitment, interview scripting, and synthesis of findings.

• Illustrate your approach to iterative design, including prototyping, user testing, and incorporating feedback into subsequent design cycles.

• Provide examples of how you've collaborated with engineering to define requirements, handoff designs, and ensure successful implementation.

• Document your experience with design system development and maintenance, including version control, documentation standards, and team adoption strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a "Founding" design role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to demonstrate not just execution skills but also strategic thinking, user advocacy, and the ability to build foundational design processes and systems from scratch. The emphasis on AI-native interfaces and growth metrics suggests a need to highlight projects that directly influenced user adoption and conversion.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: €80,000 – €160,000 EUR annually. This range is competitive for a senior-level Product Designer in Berlin, especially for a founding role at a well-backed startup. The wide spread accounts for significant variation based on the depth and breadth of relevant experience, particularly in AI/complex software design.

Benefits:

• Founding-level equity and ownership: Significant stake in the company's success, reflecting the foundational nature of the role.

• Direct influence over product direction: Opportunity to shape the company's core product and technology roadmap from an early stage.

• Opportunity for rapid professional growth: As one of the earliest design hires, there's potential to build and lead a design team as the company scales.

• Impactful work: Contributing to an innovative AI creative tools platform with strong early traction and high growth potential.

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated beyond "Full-Time," startup environments often require flexibility. A standard 40-hour work week is typical, with the understanding that occasional longer hours may be necessary during critical project phases or launch periods.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is wide, indicating that highly experienced candidates with a strong portfolio in AI or complex software design, and a proven track record in driving growth metrics, will likely command the higher end. The equity component is a significant part of the total compensation for a founding role.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: AI Creative Tools / Software Technology. Clera operates in the rapidly evolving AI and creative technology space, aiming to democratize complex animation and video creation through intelligent software. This industry demands continuous innovation, adaptability, and a forward-thinking approach to product development.

Company Size: The description mentions "fast-growing, Y Combinator-backed" and "one of the earliest design hires," suggesting a lean, early-stage startup environment, likely with a team of 10-30 individuals. This implies a close-knit team where individual contributions have a significant impact.

Founded: While the founding date isn't provided, being Y Combinator-backed (S21 batch, based on external knowledge if available, otherwise infer from "early-stage") places it in a cohort of promising startups receiving early-stage investment and mentorship. This often correlates with a culture of rapid iteration, data-driven decision-making, and a focus on product-market fit.

Team Structure:

• The design team is currently nascent, with this role being one of the first dedicated design hires.

• The designer will likely report directly to a co-founder or Head of Product.

• Close collaboration with engineering (likely a small, agile team) and product leadership is essential.

• Cross-functional collaboration will extend to marketing and sales as the company scales its go-to-market efforts. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on user research, usability testing, and A/B experimentation to inform design decisions and measure impact on key metrics.

• Agile Development: A fast-paced, iterative approach to product development, requiring designers to be adaptable and responsive to feedback.

• AI-Native Focus: Designing with the unique capabilities and challenges of AI in mind, pushing the boundaries of intuitive interaction with intelligent systems.

• User-Centricity: A strong commitment to understanding and serving the needs of creative professionals and video teams.

Company Website: https://www.getclera.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Founding Product Designer" role implies a significant influence on shaping the company's internal design processes and team culture from the ground up. The Y Combinator backing suggests a strong focus on product-market fit and rapid scaling.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a Senior/Lead Product Designer level, equivalent to a Founding Designer. It demands not only strong execution skills but also strategic input into product direction, user experience vision, and the establishment of design principles and processes within the company. The responsibilities extend beyond typical UX/UI tasks into product strategy and growth initiatives.

Reporting Structure: The Founding Product Designer will likely report directly to a co-founder or the Head of Product. This close proximity to leadership offers direct mentorship opportunities and high visibility.

Operations Impact: The designer's work will have a direct and measurable impact on key business operations metrics. This includes:

• User Acquisition & Activation: Designing onboarding flows and core product experiences that drive user sign-ups and initial engagement.

• Conversion Rates: Optimizing user journeys and feature adoption to increase conversion to paid tiers or desired actions.

• Customer Retention: Creating intuitive and valuable experiences that foster long-term user loyalty.

• Brand Perception: Shaping the visual identity and user experience, which directly influences how the product and company are perceived by the market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Team Leadership: As the company grows, this role has the potential to build and lead a dedicated product design team, defining its structure, processes, and culture.

• Product Strategy Influence: Deep involvement in product roadmap planning and strategic decision-making, with the opportunity to define the future of the product.

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to become an expert in AI-native interface design, a highly in-demand specialization.

• Equity Growth: Significant potential for equity appreciation as the company scales and achieves its growth milestones.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Gaining experience in product strategy, growth marketing, and go-to-market execution through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: This is a high-impact, high-growth potential role. The "Founding" title suggests that career progression could involve moving into a Head of Design or similar leadership position as the company scales, with significant opportunities to shape the company's future.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role requires being on-site in Berlin. This suggests a physical office space designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and a strong team culture. Early-stage startups often have modern, open-plan offices that encourage interaction.

Office Location(s): Berlin, Germany. This offers a vibrant tech ecosystem and a high quality of life, though it's important for candidates to note that visa sponsorship is not available.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect a dynamic workspace where close collaboration with engineering, product, and leadership is the norm.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design software (Figma is explicitly mentioned), prototyping tools, and potentially other relevant technologies for AI development and user research.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities for brainstorming sessions, design critiques, and cross-functional meetings to ensure alignment and drive product forward.

• Startup Culture: Likely a fast-paced, energetic environment with an emphasis on autonomy, ownership, and a shared mission.

Work Schedule: While the core expectation is full-time, startup culture often blends structure with flexibility. Expect standard working hours with potential for occasional extended periods during critical development phases or product launches. The on-site requirement emphasizes the importance of in-person collaboration for this role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Berlin is a critical factor. Candidates must be located in or willing to relocate to Berlin and understand that visa sponsorship is not provided. The environment is geared towards intensive, collaborative work typical of a fast-growing startup.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess your experience, skills, and alignment with the role's requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A deep dive into your portfolio with the hiring manager or a key product stakeholder. Expect to walk through 1-2 key projects, explaining your design process, decision-making, and how you measured impact.

• Design Challenge/Practical Exercise: You may be given a small design problem or asked to critique an existing interface, focusing on your problem-solving approach, creativity, and strategic thinking related to AI-native interfaces or growth.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with engineering leads and potentially other founders to assess your collaboration style, technical understanding, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Likely with a co-founder or CEO to discuss overall fit, strategic vision, and compensation.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on AI & Complexity: Highlight projects where you've tackled complex problems or designed for AI-driven products. Explicitly discuss the challenges of AI-native interfaces.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics (e.g., conversion rate improvements, activation lift, user satisfaction scores) to demonstrate the business impact of your design work.

• Showcase Process: Clearly articulate your design process, from research and ideation to iteration and final execution. Explain why you made certain decisions.

• Design Systems & UI: Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your ability to build and implement robust design systems and deliver pixel-perfect UI.

• Tailor to Clera: Research Clera's product and target audience. Frame your experience and case studies in a way that shows you understand their challenges and opportunities.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand AI Interaction: Be ready to discuss how users interact with AI, potential pitfalls, and how to design for trust and transparency.

• Growth Mindset: Prepare to discuss how design can directly influence user acquisition, activation, and conversion. Think about onboarding flows and A/B testing opportunities.

• Collaboration Scenarios: Consider how you would work with engineers who may have different priorities or perspectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily emphasize the portfolio, especially its demonstration of AI-native design, growth impact, and foundational design system work. Be prepared to articulate your strategic thinking and problem-solving approach with specific examples.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is a must.

• Prototyping Tools: Likely integrated within Figma, but experience with dedicated tools like InVision, Principle, or Framer might be beneficial for more complex interactions.

• Design System Management Tools: Tools or methodologies for managing and documenting design systems (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook integration).

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: Experience with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics for tracking user behavior, feature adoption, and conversion funnels.

• A/B Testing Tools: Familiarity with platforms like Optimizely, VWO, or in-house experimentation frameworks to test design hypotheses.

• User Feedback Tools: Tools for collecting and analyzing user feedback, such as Hotjar (heatmaps, recordings) or survey platforms.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a designer's primary tool, understanding the CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation platforms can provide context for user segmentation and campaign design.

• Project Management Tools: Tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing design tasks and collaborating with engineering.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and an understanding of how to leverage analytics and A/B testing tools to measure the impact of design are critical. The ability to integrate design work with engineering workflows and project management is also key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Experimentation: A culture that encourages pushing boundaries, trying new approaches, and learning from both successes and failures. This is crucial for AI product development.

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and solving user problems, with design decisions guided by user needs and feedback.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication and close teamwork across functions, especially between design, engineering, and product leadership.

• Ownership & Accountability: A mindset where individuals take responsibility for their work and its impact on the company's success.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Relying on data and evidence to guide strategic choices and validate design hypotheses.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership with Engineering: Designers work hand-in-hand with engineers, involving them early in the design process and ensuring smooth handoffs and implementation.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Regular design reviews and critiques are likely part of the process, fostering a culture of constructive feedback and continuous improvement.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Designers actively engage with product management, marketing, and leadership to ensure that design efforts are aligned with business goals and go-to-market strategies.

• Proactive Communication: Expect a style that values clear, concise, and proactive communication to keep stakeholders informed and aligned.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is likely fast-paced and collaborative, with a strong emphasis on innovation and user impact. As a founding designer, you will play a key role in shaping and embodying these values.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Defining AI-Native Experiences: Creating truly intuitive interfaces for complex AI functionality requires novel approaches and continuous learning.

• Balancing Simplicity and Power: Designing for a broad audience while still offering sophisticated controls for power users is a delicate balance.

• Rapid Iteration in a Startup: The need to ship quickly and iterate based on feedback can be demanding, requiring adaptability and efficient workflows.

• Establishing Design Processes: As an early design hire, you will be responsible for building and refining the design processes and infrastructure from the ground up.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Expertise in AI Design: Becoming a leader in the specialized field of AI-native interface design.

• Strategic Product Influence: Gaining significant experience in product strategy, roadmap planning, and business growth.

• Leadership Potential: Opportunity to build and lead a design team, developing management and mentorship skills.

• Industry Exposure: Working within a fast-growing, Y Combinator-backed startup provides valuable experience in scaling a tech company.

• Continuous Learning: The dynamic nature of AI and creative tools necessitates ongoing learning about new technologies and design trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant challenges that are also immense growth opportunities. The candidate will be at the forefront of designing for AI, directly impacting product strategy and potentially building a future design organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing an AI-powered feature that needs to balance automation with user control? Walk me through your process and potential challenges." (Focus on AI-native design, balancing complexity, user research.)

• "Describe a time you used user research and data to significantly improve a product's onboarding flow or conversion rate. What were the key metrics you tracked?" (Focus on growth impact, data-driven design, A/B testing.)

• "Imagine you need to build a design system from scratch for a new product. What would be your first steps, and how would you ensure adoption by engineering?" (Focus on foundational design, collaboration with engineering, scalability.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on what you know about Clera and the AI creative tools market, what do you see as our biggest design opportunities and challenges?" (Demonstrate research and strategic thinking.)

• "How do you typically collaborate with engineering teams? Describe a situation where you had to navigate a disagreement or technical constraint." (Focus on collaboration style, problem-solving.)

• "What does 'founding-level' responsibility mean to you in a design role?" (Assess ownership, strategic mindset, and comfort with ambiguity.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each project, frame it as a narrative: the problem, your role, your process, the solution, and the outcome (quantified with data if possible).

• Highlight AI & Growth: Emphasize projects that showcase your experience with AI-driven products or features, and those where your design directly contributed to growth metrics.

• Showcase Design Systems: Be ready to discuss your approach to building and maintaining design systems, and present examples of components and their application.

• Be Ready for Critiques: Understand that interviewers might offer critiques or alternative ideas on your designs. Respond constructively and explain your rationale.

• Ask Insightful Questions: Prepare thoughtful questions about Clera's product vision, design challenges, team structure, and growth plans.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, a deep understanding of AI-native design principles, a proven ability to drive growth metrics through design, and strong collaboration skills. Your portfolio is your primary tool for showcasing this.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Founding Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Ashby link, ensuring your resume and portfolio are up-to-date.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best showcase your experience with AI-native interfaces, complex software design, end-to-end product ownership, and demonstrable growth impact (onboarding, conversion). Ensure case studies clearly articulate your process and results.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords like "Product Design," "AI Design," "Figma," "Design Systems," "User Research," "Growth Optimization," and "Startup Experience." Quantify achievements whenever possible.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on your strategic thinking, problem-solving approach, and how your designs drove business outcomes. Be ready to discuss how you would approach Clera's specific challenges.

• Research Clera: Familiarize yourself with Clera's product, target audience, and the competitive landscape in AI creative tools. Understand their mission and current traction.

⚠️ 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.