Head of Design (2026)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design (2026)

Company: Ello

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Design Leadership / Creative Operations

Date Posted: May 26, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead Ello's comprehensive creative vision and design practice across product, marketing, and content to shape the user experience of an AI teacher for children.

• Drive design excellence and foster a robust design culture that actively fuels rapid iteration and innovation in an AI-driven environment.

• Manage the art and asset production pipeline, ensuring scalability and the integration of AI tools to optimize workflows and creative timelines.

• Collaborate closely with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Co-Founders to define and build magical, intuitive, and purposeful learning experiences grounded in deep user insight.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Head of Design," the responsibilities and reporting structure (reporting to CTO, close collaboration with Co-Founders) indicate a senior leadership role with significant operational oversight and strategic input, overlapping with elements of a Creative Operations or Design Operations function, especially concerning workflow, AI integration, and cross-functional alignment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Uphold, institutionalize, and elevate Ello’s creative direction and principles across all product and marketing touchpoints, ensuring a consistent and high-quality visual identity.

• Maintain a consistently high standard across illustration, animation, and interface design, leading team critiques and feedback loops to drive continuous improvement and skill development.

• Build and strengthen Ello’s design culture through training, upskilling initiatives, and mentoring not only design team members but also engineers and marketers, championing design best practices company-wide.

• Collaborate closely with Product and Engineering leadership to shape product direction, user experience, and ensure design thinking is integrated from concept to execution.

• Partner with Marketing leadership to define and refine go-to-market strategies, lifecycle marketing campaigns, and ensure brand consistency across all external communications.

• Champion a deep understanding of user needs, motivations, and challenges, ensuring all designed experiences are intuitive, purposeful, and informed by genuine customer insights.

• Own creative timelines, milestone planning, and the art and asset production pipeline, with a specific focus on building for scalability and embedding AI into every workflow.

• Act as a critical connective tissue between creative, engineering, product, and marketing teams, leading proactive communication, facilitating sprint planning and retrospectives, and identifying/mitigating risks.

• Manage contract teammates and vendors, including drafting and overseeing briefs, scopes of work, and delivery requirements to ensure high-quality asset production.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize not just creative output but also operational management of the design pipeline, team development, and cross-functional integration, pointing to a role that requires strong process ownership and strategic thinking beyond pure design execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Fine Arts, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for a Head of Design role. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 7+ years of experience in creative production, with a strong preference for roles involving mobile applications, interactive experiences, or games, demonstrating a proven track record of leading design through multiple product cycles from concept to delivery.

Required Skills:

• Creative Direction: Proven ability to define and maintain a cohesive creative vision and visual identity.

• Product Design & User Experience (UX): Deep understanding of user-centered design principles and experience designing intuitive, engaging interfaces.

• Visual Storytelling: Strong portfolio showcasing expertise in illustration, animation, and UI design that effectively communicates narrative and emotion.

• People Leadership & Mentoring: Demonstrated experience leading, mentoring, and upskilling creative teams, fostering a positive and productive design culture.

• Project & Art Production Management: Excellent organizational and proactive project management skills, with experience managing timelines, milestones, and asset production pipelines.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to coordinate effectively with artists, animators, Product Managers, Engineers, and Marketers.

• Communication: Exceptional written and visual communication skills, with high emotional intelligence and a collaborative approach.

• AI Design Tool Engagement: Genuine curiosity and demonstrated engagement with AI design tools and their application in creative workflows.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for children, families, or within the EdTech sector.

• Background in consumer apps, mobile gaming, publishing, or animation industries.

• Prior success in building and scaling creative pipelines and workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI design tools and integration into workflows suggests a forward-thinking candidate comfortable with emerging technologies. The mention of specific tools like Figma, Linear, and Notion indicates a need for candidates comfortable with modern design and project management software stacks.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 7+ years of creative production experience, with a strong emphasis on mobile apps, interactive experiences, or games.

• Demonstrate leadership through multiple product cycles, from initial concept and ideation through to final delivery and iteration.

• Feature compelling examples of visual storytelling, highlighting expertise in illustration, animation, and UI design that conveys narrative and enhances user engagement.

• Include case studies illustrating your ability to manage and mentor creative teams, detailing your approach to fostering design culture and driving team growth.

• Present examples of cross-functional collaboration, detailing how you've worked with diverse teams (artists, animators, PMs, engineers, marketers) to achieve project goals.

• Highlight your organizational and project management capabilities, potentially through case studies or process overviews demonstrating timeline management and asset production pipeline oversight.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to establishing and elevating a company-wide creative direction and design principles.

• Illustrate your methodology for maintaining a high visual bar across different design disciplines (illustration, animation, UI).

• Describe your framework for leading team critiques and feedback loops to foster continuous improvement and skill development within a design team.

• Explain your strategies for building and strengthening a design culture, including training, upskilling, and cross-functional design education.

• Outline your process for collaborating with Product and Engineering leadership to shape product direction and user experience.

• Describe your approach to managing creative timelines, milestone planning, and the art and asset production pipeline, with a focus on scalability and AI integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's senior nature and focus on scaling, a portfolio demonstrating not just individual design talent but also leadership, process management, and the ability to integrate new technologies like AI will be crucial. The emphasis on "institutionalizing" design culture and principles suggests a need for candidates who can articulate and implement systematic improvements.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $200,000 - $260,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Equity: Significant stock options package, aligning your success with Ello's growth and mission.

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage.

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation and sick leave policies.

• Parental Leave: Supportive policies for new parents.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, including access to relevant conferences, workshops, and training.

• Mission-Driven Work: The opportunity to contribute to a public benefit corporation with a profound social impact in education.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with the expectation of flexibility to meet project deadlines and company needs, particularly given the fast-paced iteration cycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is competitive for a Head of Design role in San Francisco, aligning with industry benchmarks for senior leadership positions. The inclusion of equity is a significant component for attracting high-caliber talent in a high-growth startup environment. The mention of working hours should be interpreted as a baseline, with the understanding that leadership roles often require flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: EdTech (Education Technology) and AI. Ello is at the forefront of developing AI-powered educational tools, specifically an AI teacher designed to personalize learning for children globally. This industry is characterized by rapid innovation, a strong focus on user outcomes, and significant investment in R&D.

Company Size: Approximately 45 people. This size indicates a dynamic, agile startup environment where individual contributions have a significant impact, and cross-functional collaboration is essential. It's large enough to have established processes but small enough to remain nimble and adaptable.

Founded: Ello was part of the Y Combinator W20 batch. The company is a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), underscoring its commitment to social impact alongside profit.

Team Structure:

• The Design team is likely small and growing, requiring leadership to scale effectively.

• The Head of Design reports directly to the Co-Founder & CTO, Catalin Voss, indicating a close alignment with technology and product development strategy.

• Close collaboration is expected with other Co-Founders (CEO Tom Sayer, CXO Elizabeth Adams), Product, Engineering, and Marketing leadership.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Iteration: Ello ships weekly and tests directly with children, highlighting a strong emphasis on rapid iteration based on user feedback and data.

• AI Integration: AI is a core component of their product and is expected to be leveraged as "critical leverage" for design craft and workflow optimization.

• User-Centricity: A deep understanding of users (children, families) is paramount, driving the design of intuitive and purposeful learning experiences.

• Mission-Driven Approach: The company operates as a Public Benefit Corporation with a clear mission to democratize education, which likely influences decision-making and team motivation.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The PBC status and mission statement are critical cultural differentiators. Candidates should be passionate about education and the potential of AI to transform learning. The San Francisco and Nairobi offices suggest a global outlook and potentially a hybrid or distributed collaboration model, though this specific role is on-site in San Francisco.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a senior leadership position, equivalent to a Vice President or Director level in larger organizations. It is a critical strategic role, defining the company's visual identity and user experience at a foundational level. The "Head of" title signifies direct responsibility for a function and its team.

Reporting Structure: Reporting directly to the Co-Founder & CTO provides a direct line to executive leadership and strategic decision-making, offering significant visibility and influence. Close collaboration with other Co-Founders ensures a holistic understanding of the business.

Operations Impact: The Head of Design has a profound impact on Ello's success by shaping the core user experience of its AI teacher product. This directly influences user adoption, engagement, retention, and ultimately, the company's ability to achieve its mission of maximizing child potential. Design excellence is crucial for building trust and credibility, especially in the EdTech and AI space.

Growth Opportunities:

• Scaling Design Practice: Opportunity to build and scale the design team and its processes from an early stage, establishing best practices for an AI-driven EdTech company.

• Strategic Influence: Direct involvement in shaping product strategy and company direction alongside the founding team, contributing to the long-term vision.

• AI & Design Innovation: The chance to be at the cutting edge of applying AI to design, exploring new tools and methodologies that redefine creative workflows.

• Impactful Mission: Contributing to a meaningful mission that has the potential for widespread positive social impact, which can be a significant source of professional fulfillment.

• Leadership Development: Experience leading a critical function within a rapidly growing startup, offering extensive learning in people management, strategic operations, and executive collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique opportunity to shape a design function from its growth phase, with significant strategic input and the chance to influence the company's direction. The combination of leadership, creative vision, and operational responsibility makes it a compelling step for experienced design leaders looking for high-impact roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as "On-site" in San Francisco, implying a physical office presence. Ello's culture emphasizes collaboration, suggesting an office environment designed to facilitate teamwork and innovation.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California, United States. This location places Ello within a major tech hub, offering access to talent, resources, and a vibrant ecosystem. The company also has an office in Nairobi, Kenya, hinting at a global perspective and potential for cross-office collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The culture emphasizes collaboration and taking each other's voices seriously, suggesting an open and interactive workspace conducive to brainstorming and cross-functional communication.

• Tools & Technology: Expect access to modern design and project management tools (Figma, Linear, Notion) and a strong focus on leveraging AI in design workflows.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with co-founders, engineering, product, and marketing teams, fostering a dynamic and engaged work atmosphere. The presence of a physical office is key for this face-to-face interaction.

Work Schedule: While the standard is 40 hours per week, the fast-paced startup environment and the nature of a leadership role suggest a need for flexibility. The emphasis on rapid iteration and weekly shipping implies that team members are dedicated and may need to adapt schedules to meet project demands, though work-life balance is likely a consideration given the company's mission and culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" requirement in San Francisco is a key factor for candidates. This suggests that in-person collaboration, team building, and spontaneous idea generation are highly valued by Ello.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the Head of Design requirements, focusing on leadership experience, creative output, and relevant industry background.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A session where you will present your portfolio, discussing key projects, your design process, leadership approach, and how you've integrated AI or managed creative production. Expect to detail your experience with cross-functional collaboration and team building.

• Team & Leadership Interviews: Meetings with co-founders, CTO, and potentially other key stakeholders to assess strategic thinking, cultural fit, leadership style, and vision for design at Ello.

• Case Study/Design Challenge (Potential): While not explicitly stated, a design challenge or a hypothetical scenario related to scaling design or integrating AI into a workflow might be presented to evaluate problem-solving skills and strategic application.

• Final Round: Discussions to finalize terms and confirm mutual fit for this critical leadership role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your leadership, creative direction, visual storytelling (illustration, animation, UI), and project management skills. Prioritize work that demonstrates impact and scalability.

• Highlight Process & AI Integration: Clearly articulate your design process for each project, emphasizing how you manage timelines, collaborate cross-functionally, and, crucially, how you’ve leveraged AI tools or envisioned their use to enhance efficiency and output.

• Showcase Leadership & Culture Building: Include examples of how you’ve mentored teams, fostered design culture, and championed design best practices across departments.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the impact of your design work on user engagement, product success, or business outcomes. For this role, focus on how design contributes to scaling and innovation.

• Address User Insights: Explain how user research and insights informed your design decisions, especially in the context of designing for children.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Vision: Be prepared to discuss your vision for Ello's design identity and how you would scale the design function to support rapid iteration and growth.

• AI in Design: Articulate your thoughts on the evolving role of AI in design, and how you would strategically integrate AI tools into Ello's workflows for maximum impact.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Prepare examples of how you've successfully navigated complex cross-functional partnerships, resolved conflicts, and driven alignment towards common goals.

• Culture Building: Think about concrete strategies for fostering a strong, collaborative, and high-performing design culture within a startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI, scalability, and cross-functional collaboration means candidates should prepare to discuss these areas extensively in their portfolio and interviews. Demonstrating an understanding of how design operations and creative production workflows can be optimized with AI will be key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI/UX design, prototyping, and collaborative design workflows. Proficiency is essential for creating high-fidelity designs and interactive prototypes.

• Linear: A modern issue tracking and project management tool, likely used for managing design tasks, bugs, and feature development alongside engineering.

• Notion: A versatile workspace application for documentation, knowledge management, project planning, and team collaboration. Expected to be used for design briefs, process documentation, and team guidelines.

• Google Drive: Standard cloud storage for asset management, document sharing, and collaborative editing.

Analytics & Reporting: While not explicitly listed, a Head of Design would likely engage with product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel) to understand user behavior and inform design decisions, and potentially use dashboarding tools (e.g., Tableau, Looker) for reporting on design impact.

CRM & Automation: Not directly applicable to the design function, but the Head of Design would collaborate with teams using CRM systems and marketing automation tools for go-to-market and lifecycle campaigns.

AI & Design Tools: Genuine curiosity and engagement with AI design tools are explicitly required. This could encompass generative AI for asset creation, AI-assisted prototyping tools, or AI for workflow automation within the design pipeline. The specific tools will depend on emerging technologies and Ello's internal adoption.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with Figma, Linear, and Notion is a baseline requirement. The explicit mention of AI design tools indicates a need for candidates who are not only aware of but actively exploring and integrating these technologies into their practice.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven Impact: A core value is the commitment to maximizing the potential of every child, everywhere. Operations professionals are expected to align with this purpose and contribute to its realization.

• AI as Leverage: Embracing AI as a critical tool for innovation, efficiency, and enhancing human capabilities, particularly within design and creative production.

• Design Excellence & Maturity: Upholding high standards in visual quality and user experience, while actively working to mature the design practice across the company.

• Agility & Rapid Iteration: Thriving in a fast-paced environment that ships weekly, tests directly with users, and embraces continuous improvement.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Valuing open communication, taking each other's voices seriously, and fostering a collaborative spirit across all departments.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Design is deeply integrated with Product, Engineering, and Marketing, requiring proactive communication and shared ownership of user experience.

• Design as a Partner: Design is not an isolated function but a strategic partner that influences product direction and marketing strategy.

• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: A culture of upskilling and mentoring, both within the design team and across other departments, to elevate design awareness and capability company-wide.

• Feedback-Rich Environment: Regular team critiques and feedback loops are central to the design process, promoting constructive dialogue and continuous learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on being a Public Benefit Corporation and the mission to support all children are central to Ello's culture. Candidates should demonstrate a passion for education and social impact, alongside a drive for innovation and operational excellence.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Design Practice: Building and scaling a design team and its associated processes in a rapidly growing startup environment while maintaining high quality.

• Integrating AI into Workflows: Effectively embedding AI tools and methodologies into existing and future design and production pipelines to enhance efficiency and creativity.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Maintaining a high bar for design excellence and user experience while iterating at a rapid pace (shipping weekly) and meeting aggressive product development timelines.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent design vision and execution across product, marketing, and content, especially as the company grows and teams become more specialized.

• Designing for Children: Understanding and effectively designing for a young, diverse user base, requiring empathy, user research, and a deep appreciation for child development.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership in a Mission-Critical Role: Significant opportunity to develop leadership skills by shaping a core function of a high-impact, mission-driven company.

• Pioneering AI in Design: Gaining hands-on experience at the forefront of applying AI to creative production and user experience design.

• Strategic Business Acumen: Deep involvement in strategic decision-making alongside co-founders, enhancing business understanding and strategic planning capabilities.

• Scaling Operations: Learning to build and optimize operational processes for a design team in a high-growth tech environment.

• Industry Exposure: Potential to represent Ello at industry events or contribute to thought leadership in EdTech and AI design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are framed as opportunities for growth, particularly in areas like AI integration, scaling operations, and strategic leadership, which are highly valuable for career advancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your vision for Ello's brand identity and user experience as an AI teacher. How would you translate this vision into actionable design principles and guidelines for a growing team?"

• "How do you see AI tools evolving the role of a Head of Design? What specific AI technologies or approaches would you prioritize integrating into Ello's design and production workflows, and why?"

• "Walk us through a time you had to balance rapid iteration with maintaining high design quality. What was your approach, and what were the outcomes?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Ello's mission to maximize the potential of every child? How does this mission resonate with your personal values and career aspirations?"

• "How would you ensure strong collaboration and alignment between the design team and Product, Engineering, and Marketing departments, especially given our fast-paced, weekly shipping cadence?"

• "Describe your experience working in a Public Benefit Corporation or a company with a strong social mission. What are the unique dynamics and considerations?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Structure your portfolio presentation around a compelling narrative for each project, highlighting the problem, your strategic approach, the design process (including any AI integration), the solution, and the measurable impact.

• Leadership Focus: Emphasize your leadership contributions, team management, and how you’ve influenced design strategy and culture. Use case studies that showcase your ability to manage complex projects and diverse teams.

• Process & AI Demonstration: Clearly articulate your design and production processes. If you have specific examples of leveraging AI tools, be prepared to demonstrate them or explain their strategic application.

• Conciseness and Clarity: Be concise and impactful. Focus on the most relevant projects and tailor your presentation to the specific requirements of the Head of Design role at Ello.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions will likely probe leadership capabilities, strategic thinking regarding AI and design, and cultural fit with Ello's mission-driven, fast-paced environment. Demonstrating a clear understanding of operationalizing design at scale is crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature leadership experience, visual storytelling (illustration, animation, UI), project management of creative production pipelines, and any demonstrated use or strategic thinking around AI design tools. Prioritize case studies showing cross-functional collaboration and team scaling.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to highlight your 7+ years of creative production experience, focusing on roles involving mobile apps or interactive experiences. Clearly articulate your leadership responsibilities, project management successes, and any experience with AI integration or EdTech. Use keywords such as "Creative Direction," "Product Design," "AI," "Figma," "Project Management," and "Team Leadership."

• Interview Preparation: Rehearse presenting your portfolio, focusing on articulating your strategic vision, leadership approach, and how you would scale design operations at Ello. Prepare specific examples for strategy and collaboration questions, and be ready to discuss your understanding of Ello's mission and the EdTech/AI landscape.

• Company Research: Thoroughly review Ello's website, mission statement, and recent news. Understand their product (Read with Ello, new app), their public benefit corporation status, and their values. Consider how your design leadership can directly contribute to their urgent mission.

⚠️ 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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