Head of Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design

Company: Hilo by Aktiia

Location: Germany

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Design Leadership / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-05-15T08:59:57.901

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Fully Remote (within Germany)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end design vision, craft, and quality for both digital and physical product experiences, setting the design standard for the entire company.

• Guide and inspire product designers, shaping hardware, app, and digital experiences, and establishing a culture of excellence and attention to detail.

• Translate complex product challenges into elegant, cohesive, and human-centered solutions that delight users and drive Hilo's mission.

• Foster a culture of craft, attention to detail, and continuous improvement within the design function, establishing clear principles and processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: This is a senior strategic role focused on defining the holistic user experience of a medical technology product. The emphasis on both "digital and physical product experiences," "hardware & physical product sensibility," and "motion and interaction design to materials, form, and tactile experience" indicates a need for a designer with a strong understanding of industrial design principles alongside UX/UI expertise. The role is pivotal in shaping the brand's identity through its products.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Shape the look, feel, and behavior of Hilo's digital (app, web) and physical (wearable device) product experiences.

• Ensure a seamless and cohesive user journey across all touchpoints, from initial interaction to ongoing use.

• Drive meticulous attention to detail in all aspects of design, including layout, typography, visual systems, motion, and interaction design.

• Partner closely with product management and engineering teams to translate design concepts into high-quality, functional products.

• Contribute significantly to the design direction of physical products, considering materials, form factor, finishes, and tactile qualities.

• Ensure consistency and alignment between hardware design and the broader product and brand experiences.

• Act as the primary owner and guardian of design decisions across the organization, providing clear creative direction and constructive feedback.

• Elevate the overall standard of design quality through strong taste, informed critique, and hands-on guidance when necessary.

• Foster a collaborative environment, working in tandem with the Brand Manager to ensure consistent execution across marketing materials and outward-facing products.

• Lead the design function by establishing clear principles, processes, and ways of working that support high-quality output and continuous improvement.

• Play a key role in the ongoing product design refactor, requiring strong collaborative efforts during this transformation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on strategic vision and hands-on execution, particularly in ensuring high-quality output during a critical product refactor. The emphasis on "building the design function" suggests the need for someone who can establish and scale design operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Industrial Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for a Head of Design role.

Experience: 8–12+ years of progressive experience in design, with a significant portion focused on leading design initiatives.

Required Skills:

• End-to-End Experience Design: Proven ability to design cohesive experiences across digital (app, web) and physical products.

• Digital Product Design: Expertise in UI/UX design, interaction design, visual design, and design systems for digital interfaces.

• Hardware & Physical Product Sensibility: Strong understanding of industrial design principles, materials, form factor, and tactile experience.

• Creative Leadership: Demonstrated ability to set design direction, inspire teams, and make clear, impactful design decisions.

• Design Systems: Proficiency in creating, maintaining, and implementing robust design systems.

• Interaction Design: Deep knowledge of user interaction patterns and best practices for intuitive product use.

• Visual Systems: Expertise in developing and applying visual languages, including typography, color, and layout.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with product management, engineering, marketing, and leadership.

• Design Critique & Feedback: Skill in providing clear, constructive critique and elevating the work of others.

• Hands-on Design Skills: Ability to step in and contribute directly to design work when critical tasks require it.

• Startup/Scale-up Experience: Experience operating in fast-moving, high-growth environments with a broad scope of ownership.

Preferred Skills:

• Motion Design: Experience incorporating animation and motion to enhance user experience.

• User Research & Strategy: Understanding of user research methodologies to inform design decisions.

• Brand Integration: Ability to align product design with brand identity and marketing efforts.

• Medical Technology Design: Familiarity with design considerations for regulated medical devices is a significant plus.

• Agile Development: Experience working within agile development methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required experience level and the blend of digital and physical product design strongly suggest a need for a candidate with a portfolio that clearly demonstrates end-to-end product ownership and execution across multiple disciplines. The "Product Design Refactor" mentioned in responsibilities implies a need for someone comfortable with significant system-level changes and strategic redesign.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing your involvement from concept to launch, covering both digital and physical product aspects.

• Holistic User Experience: Demonstrate how you have designed cohesive experiences across multiple touchpoints (e.g., wearable device, mobile app, web portal).

• Design System Examples: Include examples of design systems you've developed or significantly contributed to, illustrating their application and impact.

• Hardware Integration: Present projects where you successfully integrated physical product design with digital interfaces, highlighting the synergy.

• Problem/Solution Framing: Clearly articulate the design challenges faced, your strategic approach, and the quantifiable outcomes of your solutions.

• Process & Methodology: Explain your design process, including how you approach user research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.

Process Documentation:

• Design Operations: Outline how you would establish and refine design principles, processes, and workflows to ensure high-quality output and foster a culture of craft.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Provide examples of how you've embedded design effectively within product development and decision-making cycles.

• Quality Assurance: Detail your approach to ensuring and elevating design quality, including critique mechanisms and standards.

• Transformation Management: Showcase experience in leading design during significant product refactors or strategic redesign initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's emphasis on end-to-end experience and building the design function, the portfolio should not only showcase finished products but also the strategic thinking, process innovation, and leadership that drove those outcomes. Demonstrating an ability to manage complex design transformations will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Head of Design role with 8-12+ years of experience in Germany, particularly within a venture-backed scale-up in the MedTech sector, the estimated annual salary range is €90,000 - €130,000. This range accounts for the senior leadership responsibility, the hybrid digital/physical product scope, and the strategic impact expected.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package.

• Opportunity to work on a mission-critical MedTech product with global impact.

• High-impact role in a fast-growing, venture-backed scale-up company.

• Collaborative environment with a diverse, passionate, and talented team.

• Potential for professional growth and development within a transformative company.

• Other benefits, which may vary by location and are to be confirmed (e.g., health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off).

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, typically around 40 hours per week. While the role is remote, a commitment to effective collaboration during core business hours relevant to the German time zones (CET/CEST) will be necessary.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on research of similar Head of Design roles in Germany, considering the company's stage (venture-backed scale-up), industry (MedTech), and the remote nature of the position. The benefits are tailored to reflect common offerings for senior roles in tech scale-ups.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Medical Technology (MedTech), specifically focused on cardiovascular health and blood pressure monitoring. Hilo by Aktiia is at the forefront of developing cuffless, continuous blood pressure monitoring technology, a significant innovation in the healthcare space.

Company Size: Venture-backed scale-up company. This implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment with a strong focus on growth and innovation, often characterized by significant investment and ambitious targets.

Founded: The technology is rooted in 18 years of research at the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM). The company itself is a scale-up, indicating it has moved beyond its early startup phase and is focused on market expansion and product refinement.

Team Structure:

• The Head of Design will lead and inspire a team of product designers.

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

• The design function will operate within a hybrid/remote-first structure, with headquarters in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, but this role is based in Germany.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: The company's vision is rooted in scientific research and clinical trials, suggesting a data-informed approach to product development and design.

• User-Centricity: The mission to help people control blood pressure emphasizes a strong focus on user needs and human-centered design principles.

• Innovation & Agility: As a scale-up in the MedTech sector, the company likely embraces innovation and agile methodologies to bring advanced technology to market efficiently.

• Quality & Precision: The medical device classification (Class IIa) necessitates a high standard of quality, precision, and reliability in both the technology and its design.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission and technological foundation in MedTech are critical context. The "product design refactor" suggests a period of significant strategic change, where the Head of Design will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the product's user experience.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Head of Design. This is a senior leadership position responsible for defining and executing the design strategy across the entire product portfolio. It requires a blend of strategic vision, creative direction, team leadership, and hands-on execution.

Reporting Structure: The Head of Design will likely report to a member of the executive leadership team (e.g., Chief Product Officer, Chief Technology Officer, or CEO), indicating a high level of influence and direct contribution to company strategy. They will manage a team of product designers.

Operations Impact: The Head of Design's impact is critical to Hilo's success. By ensuring a delightful, intuitive, and high-quality user experience for both the wearable device and digital interfaces, they directly influence user adoption, satisfaction, adherence to treatment, and ultimately, the company's ability to achieve its mission and business objectives. Design is positioned as a key driver of competitive differentiation.

Growth Opportunities:

• Functional Leadership: Opportunity to build and scale the design function from its current state, establishing best practices, processes, and team structure.

• Strategic Influence: Direct involvement in product strategy and company-wide decision-making, shaping the future direction of a groundbreaking MedTech product.

• Cross-Disciplinary Mastery: Deepen expertise in integrating physical and digital design, a complex and increasingly valuable skill set.

• Impactful Mission: Contribute to a meaningful mission that has a significant positive impact on global health.

• Scale-up Experience: Gain invaluable experience in scaling a technology company and its product offerings within a regulated industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a significant opportunity for a seasoned design leader to leave a lasting imprint on a company poised for major growth and impact in the MedTech space. The ability to shape both the design function and the product's user experience is a key growth driver.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid/remote-first company. This role is specifically designated as remote within Germany. While the company headquarters are in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, this position offers the flexibility of working from a home office.

Office Location(s): Headquarters in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. The remote position is based within Germany.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Flexibility: The primary workspace will be a home office, requiring self-discipline and effective remote collaboration tools.

• Collaborative Tools: Expect to use a suite of digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Figma, Miro) for communication, design reviews, and project management.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: While remote, significant interaction with product, engineering, and marketing teams (likely also distributed) is expected. This necessitates strong communication skills and proactive engagement.

• Design Culture: The role aims to foster a culture of craft and attention to detail, implying an environment where design excellence is valued and pursued.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) are expected. Flexibility is inherent in a remote role, but active participation in team meetings, design reviews, and cross-functional collaborations during core European business hours will be essential for effective teamwork.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature of the role within Germany requires a candidate who is self-motivated and adept at virtual collaboration. The emphasis on "hybrid/remote-first" suggests that while this role is remote, the company values in-person interaction for some teams or for specific strategic initiatives, though this Head of Design role is fully remote in Germany.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

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

• Hiring Manager Interview: Conversation with the hiring manager (likely a senior executive) to discuss your experience, leadership style, design philosophy, and strategic vision. This stage will heavily focus on your portfolio.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: A session where you present key case studies from your portfolio, demonstrating your process, problem-solving skills, and impact. You may also be asked to complete a design challenge relevant to Hilo's products.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Product, Engineering, and Marketing to assess your collaboration skills and ability to integrate design into broader product development.

• Team Meet & Greet: An opportunity to interact with potential design team members to gauge cultural fit and leadership approach.

• Final Executive Interview: A discussion with top leadership to confirm strategic alignment and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your unique contribution, the design process, key decisions, and measurable outcomes.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively to illustrate your design solutions, prototypes, and final products.

• Highlight End-to-End Ownership: Emphasize your involvement from initial concept through to detailed execution, showcasing both digital and physical aspects.

• Demonstrate Leadership: For this Head of Design role, showcase instances where you've led teams, set direction, and influenced product strategy.

• Address the Refactor: Be prepared to discuss how you would approach a product design refactor, focusing on strategy, process, and collaboration.

• Connect to Hilo's Mission: Tailor your presentation to show how your skills and experience can help Hilo achieve its mission of improving cardiovascular health.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Product: Thoroughly research Hilo's current product, its target users, and the competitive landscape in MedTech.

• Focus on User Needs: Be prepared to articulate user needs and how design can address them, especially in the context of health monitoring.

• Embrace Constraints: Understand that design in MedTech often involves technical and regulatory constraints. Show how you navigate these.

• Articulate Your Process: Be ready to explain your design process and how you'd apply it to Hilo's specific challenges.

• Think Holistically: Consider both the digital interface and the physical device experience in your approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes portfolio presentation and strategic thinking. Candidates should prepare to articulate their leadership approach and how they would drive design excellence and innovation within a fast-paced scale-up environment, especially during a product refactor.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable for collaborative UI/UX design and prototyping), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• Prototyping & Interaction: Principle, After Effects (for motion design), potentially tools like ProtoPie for complex interactions.

• 3D Modeling & Industrial Design: SolidWorks, Rhino, Fusion 360, or similar for hardware design contributions.

• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace.

• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar for tracking design tasks and sprints.

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

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics: Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar for understanding user behavior in digital products.

• Performance Tracking: Tools to track key design metrics related to user satisfaction, task completion, and engagement.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managed by Design, understanding how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation tools integrate with the user journey might be beneficial for brand consistency.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is almost a given for modern UX/UI design leadership. The inclusion of hardware design implies familiarity with 3D modeling and industrial design software. The ability to leverage analytics to inform design decisions will be a key differentiator.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Move the Needle: A strong focus on impact, prioritizing work that genuinely benefits customers and the company, using clarity and judgment to focus on what matters most.

• Move Fast, Learn, Refine: An emphasis on urgency and intention, balancing speed with craft, iterating, and continuously improving standards. Taking ownership and seeking better ways to work.

• Team First: Building strong relationships through trust and openness, providing clear and honest feedback, and fostering a culture where great work and teamwork go hand-in-hand.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Design is expected to be fully integrated into product development and company decision-making, working in tandem with Product, Engineering, and Marketing.

• Collaborative Refinement: The ongoing product design refactor necessitates a highly collaborative approach to transformation and iterative improvement.

• Open Feedback Culture: The "Team First" value suggests an environment where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged to elevate both individual and collective work.

• Shared Vision: A collective drive towards Hilo's mission of transforming cardiovascular health, uniting teams around a common, impactful goal.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values are central to its culture. Candidates should demonstrate how their personal work ethic and collaboration style align with these principles, particularly "Move the Needle" and "Move Fast, Learn, Refine," given the scale-up environment and the current product refactor.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Digital & Physical Design: Integrating the user experience of a wearable device with its accompanying digital interfaces requires a sophisticated understanding of both realms and their interplay.

• Navigating MedTech Regulations: Designing for a Class IIa medical device necessitates adherence to strict regulatory requirements, which can impact design choices and timelines.

• Leading Through Transformation: The ongoing product design refactor presents a significant challenge requiring strategic leadership, change management, and the ability to guide teams through uncertainty.

• Remote Team Leadership: Effectively leading and inspiring a distributed design team requires strong communication, trust-building, and proactive engagement strategies.

• Defining and Scaling Design: Establishing and scaling design operations within a growing scale-up, ensuring consistent quality and efficient processes.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Impact: Opportunity to significantly influence the product direction and market positioning of a groundbreaking MedTech company.

• Cross-Disciplinary Skill Development: Deepen expertise in industrial design, interaction design, and user experience within a regulated industry.

• Leadership Expansion: Grow as a design leader by building and mentoring a high-performing design team.

• Industry Innovation: Be at the forefront of innovation in wearable health technology and its design implications.

• Scale-up Experience: Gain invaluable experience in rapid growth environments, contributing to the scaling of a company and its product.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenges revolve around the complexity of the product (digital+physical in MedTech) and the current phase of the company (scale-up undergoing a refactor). Growth opportunities are centered on leadership, strategic influence, and contributing to a mission-driven organization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach the design refactor of Hilo's product suite to ensure a cohesive and elevated user experience across digital and physical touchpoints?"

• "Describe your process for setting and maintaining a high bar for design quality within a fast-paced, remote-first environment."

• "How do you balance the need for speed and iteration with the meticulous craft required for a medical device?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you see design driving Hilo's mission to transform cardiovascular health?"

• "How would you embody the company values of 'Move the Needle,' 'Move Fast, Learn, Refine,' and 'Team First' in your leadership approach?"

• "What are your expectations for collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Marketing teams, particularly in a remote setting?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically, focusing on 2-3 key projects that showcase your end-to-end experience, leadership, and ability to handle both digital and physical design challenges.

• Narrative: Craft a compelling story for each project, highlighting the problem, your process, your specific contributions, the rationale behind key decisions, and the impact achieved.

• Visuals: Utilize high-quality visuals, mockups, prototypes, and even physical product shots to illustrate your work effectively.

• Process Emphasis: Clearly articulate your design methodology, including how you incorporate user feedback, iterate, and collaborate.

• Leadership Demonstration: For this role, explicitly highlight instances where you've led design initiatives, mentored designers, and influenced product strategy.

• Tailor to Hilo: Connect your experience and portfolio examples to Hilo's mission, product, and the specific challenges of this role (e.g., the refactor).

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to articulate their strategic vision for design at Hilo, demonstrate strong leadership capabilities, and showcase their ability to manage complex, multi-faceted product design challenges, particularly in the context of a medical technology scale-up undergoing significant transformation.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of Design position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workable link, ensuring your resume and portfolio are attached.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end design experience, leadership, and ability to integrate digital and physical product design. Tailor your portfolio to highlight relevant skills for Hilo's MedTech context.

• Optimize Your Resume: Clearly articulate your 8-12+ years of experience, emphasizing leadership roles, cross-functional collaboration, and experience in scale-up environments. Use keywords relevant to product design, UX/UI, industrial design, and design leadership.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on your strategic approach, design process, problem-solving skills, and measurable impact. Be ready to discuss how you would lead Hilo's design function and contribute to the product refactor.

• Research Hilo: Thoroughly understand Hilo by Aktiia's mission, technology, target audience, and current market position. Familiarize yourself with their existing products and brand.

⚠️ 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.