Head of Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design

Company: Kognity

Location: Sweden

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design Leadership / Operations

Date Posted: 2026-05-12

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote (within Sweden)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and scale a high-performing senior product design function within an AI-first EdTech environment.

• Drive product vision and strategy by integrating design thinking and AI capabilities to enhance learning experiences.

• Foster a culture of innovation, ownership, and continuous growth among design and cross-functional teams.

• Define and measure user experience (UX) success, ensuring design directly contributes to learning outcomes and business goals.

• Collaborate closely with Product, Technology, and Pedagogy leadership to set priorities and deliver impactful AI-driven learning products.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Head of Design," the role's emphasis on AI, product strategy, cross-functional leadership, and driving outcomes positions it within a broader operational leadership context, particularly in how design operationalizes innovation and user-centricity. This role requires not just aesthetic and UX expertise but also strategic operational acumen to integrate design into the core of product development.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Strategic Product Vision: Shape and influence the overarching product vision and strategy, ensuring design is a fundamental driver of product development, especially within the context of AI advancements.

• Design Leadership & Team Growth: Lead, mentor, and develop a team of senior product designers, cultivating a high-performance culture that consistently elevates design quality and impact.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Collaborate intimately with Product Management, Engineering, and Pedagogy leads to define product solutions, prioritize initiatives, and ensure seamless alignment between user needs, business objectives, and educational outcomes.

• Operationalize Design Practices: Build and evolve scalable design processes and AI-enabled workflows to enhance team efficiency, accelerate product delivery, and improve overall product quality.

• End-to-End UX Ownership: Oversee the complete design quality and user experience of Kognity's platform, focusing efforts on the most impactful opportunities and establishing metrics for UX success.

• Hands-on Contribution: Provide direct design contributions, especially for critical initiatives or when strategic design thinking is paramount, ensuring the team's output meets the highest standards.

• AI Integration: Actively explore, challenge, and redefine how AI transforms product development, design roles, and operational workflows within the EdTech space.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership, team management, and operational process improvement, which are critical for a Head of Design in a scale-up environment. The emphasis on "AI-enabled ways of working" and "scalability" points towards a need for operational excellence in how design functions.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in product design, with a significant portion in leadership roles.

• Proven track record of leading and scaling design teams, fostering a high-performance culture, and driving design excellence.

• Experience in the EdTech sector or with AI-driven products is highly advantageous.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Leadership: Proven ability to lead, mentor, and grow senior design teams, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.

• AI Product Strategy: Deep understanding and passion for AI, with the capability to explore and integrate AI into product design and development strategies.

• User Experience (UX) Design: Mastery of end-to-end UX design principles, methodologies, and best practices, with a focus on creating impactful and user-centric learning experiences.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Exceptional ability to partner effectively with Product, Engineering, and Pedagogy teams to drive alignment and achieve shared goals.

• Scalable Design Practices: Experience in building and evolving design systems, processes, and workflows that can scale with company growth.

• Stakeholder Management: Strong communication and influencing skills to effectively manage and collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including senior leadership.

• Entrepreneurial Mindset: Ability to thrive in ambiguous environments, take ownership, drive initiatives forward with speed and a results-oriented approach.

• User Experience Measurement: Proficiency in defining and tracking key UX metrics to demonstrate impact and inform product decisions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in a scale-up or fast-paced growth environment.

• Familiarity with pedagogical principles and educational technology.

• Hands-on experience with AI tools and their application in product design.

• Experience in defining and managing design budgets and resources.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level and the emphasis on AI and strategy suggest that candidates will be expected to demonstrate not just design craft but also operational leadership in how design contributes to business outcomes. The "AI-First Product" context implies a need for forward-thinking and adaptability.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Strategic Impact Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 distinct projects that demonstrate your ability to influence product vision, strategy, and cross-functional decision-making, particularly in an AI context.

• Leadership & Team Development Examples: Provide evidence of how you have led, coached, and grown senior design teams, including examples of mentorship, performance improvement, and team structure evolution.

• Scalable Design Practice Implementation: Detail how you have built or evolved scalable design practices, design systems, or AI-enabled workflows to increase efficiency and product quality.

• User-Centric Design Examples: Present projects that clearly articulate user needs, business goals, and learning outcomes, demonstrating how design solutions addressed these multifaceted requirements.

• Hands-on Design Work (Optional but Recommended): Include examples of your direct design contributions, especially if they highlight innovative approaches to AI in design or complex problem-solving.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Examples of how you have designed or optimized design workflows, including the integration of AI tools and methodologies to improve speed and output.

• Implementation & Automation: Evidence of implementing new design tools, processes, or automation techniques that enhanced team productivity and collaboration.

• Measurement & Analysis: Show how you have defined, tracked, and analyzed UX metrics to measure the impact of design initiatives and inform iterative improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Head of" title and the focus on scaling and AI, the portfolio should emphasize strategic impact, leadership, and operational efficiency in design processes, not just individual design execution. Case studies demonstrating how design can be an operational lever for growth and innovation will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• ITP Pension Plan with Nordnet: A robust pension plan managed through a reputable financial institution.

• Yearly Health & Wellness Budget: A discretionary budget of 5,000 SEK per year for health-related services, promoting employee well-being.

• Generous Paid Vacation: 30 days of paid vacation annually, offering ample time for rest and rejuvenation.

• Full Pay Sick Leave: Comprehensive sick leave benefits, providing full pay from day one of illness.

• Remote Work Flexibility: The ability to work remotely within Sweden, offering flexibility and work-life balance.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are expected, typically around 40 hours per week. However, Kognity emphasizes high ownership and expects team members to manage their time effectively to achieve objectives, allowing for flexibility in scheduling where appropriate.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on research of senior design leadership roles in Sweden, considering the cost of living and typical compensation structures in the tech industry. Benefits are listed as provided in the job description.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: EdTech (Educational Technology)

Company Size: 125 employees (as of the provided description), indicating a growing scale-up phase. This size suggests a dynamic environment with established processes but still room for agility and individual impact.

Founded: Kognity was founded to address the shortcomings of traditional EdTech and textbook models, aiming to revolutionize learning through AI and data. This founding principle likely underpins a culture focused on innovation, impact, and continuous improvement.

Team Structure:

• Design Team: The Head of Design will lead a team of senior product designers. The exact size is not specified but is implied to be a critical function within the product development organization.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role explicitly requires close partnership with Product, Tech, and Pedagogy leadership, indicating a highly collaborative and integrated product development model.

• Reporting Structure: The Head of Design will likely report to a C-level executive (e.g., CPO, CTO, CEO) or a VP of Product, given the strategic nature of the role and leadership responsibilities.

Methodology:

• AI-Driven Innovation: Kognity is an "AI-first" company, meaning AI is central to its product strategy and development. This implies a focus on data-driven decision-making, iterative development, and leveraging AI for enhanced learning outcomes.

• Ownership & High Expectations: The company culture emphasizes high ownership, accountability, and direct feedback, fostering a fast-paced, high-performing environment where individuals are empowered to drive results.

• Continuous Growth: A baseline expectation and support for continuous learning, skill development, and raising personal standards are core to Kognity's ethos.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on AI in education and its scale-up stage suggest a culture that values innovation, data-driven approaches, and proactive problem-solving. The Head of Design will need to operationalize design to support these core tenets.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a senior leadership position, overseeing a critical function within the product organization. It's a strategic role focused on shaping the future of Kognity's AI-driven learning products through design excellence and operational efficiency.

Reporting Structure: The Head of Design will report to senior leadership (likely CPO or CEO) and will lead a team of senior designers. This position acts as a key interface between design, product development, and the broader business strategy.

Operations Impact: The Head of Design's impact is significant, influencing product vision, user experience, and the overall effectiveness of Kognity's AI-powered learning platform. By leading the design function, they directly contribute to student engagement, teacher effectiveness, and ultimately, the company's mission to change lives through education. This role operationalizes creative vision into tangible product improvements and market success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership Expansion: Potential to broaden responsibilities to include other areas of product strategy or operational excellence within the company.

• AI & Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven product design, becoming a thought leader in the EdTech space.

• Mentorship & Talent Development: Play a pivotal role in shaping the careers of senior designers, fostering future leaders within Kognity.

• Influence on Company Direction: Opportunity to significantly influence the company's product roadmap, technology adoption, and market positioning.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant potential for growth by expanding influence across product strategy and operations. The emphasis on "raising the bar" and "continuous growth" suggests a supportive environment for professional development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote within Sweden. This indicates a distributed workforce model, emphasizing asynchronous communication and digital collaboration tools.

Office Location(s): While fully remote, the company is based in Sweden. This implies adherence to Swedish labor laws and potentially a shared understanding of the Scandinavian work culture, even in a remote setting.

Workspace Context:

• Digital Collaboration: The remote nature necessitates a strong reliance on digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Miro, Figma) for seamless communication and teamwork.

• Asynchronous Workflows: Emphasis will likely be placed on well-documented processes and clear communication to facilitate asynchronous collaboration across different time zones or working schedules within Sweden.

• Operational Tools: Access to and proficiency with a robust suite of design and project management tools will be essential for effective remote operation.

Work Schedule:

• While the standard is 40 hours per week, the remote and ownership-driven culture suggests a degree of flexibility. Employees are expected to manage their schedules effectively to meet responsibilities and deadlines, with an emphasis on results over strict adherence to office hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote-first nature requires a proactive approach to team building, communication, and process management to maintain a cohesive and productive design function.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Discovery Call with Recruiter: An initial screening to assess alignment with the role's core requirements, cultural fit, and motivation for joining Kognity.

• Hiring Manager Discussion: A deeper dive into your leadership experience, strategic thinking, and approach to design challenges, particularly concerning AI and product development.

• Case Study: A practical exercise designed to evaluate your problem-solving skills, strategic approach to design challenges, and ability to articulate solutions. This will likely involve a real-world problem or scenario relevant to Kognity's products.

• Values Discussion: An assessment of how your personal values align with Kognity's core values (Ownership, Leveraging AI, Driving Customer Value, Transparency, Taking Care of Each Other).

• Leadership Talk: A presentation or discussion focused on your leadership philosophy, experience, and vision for the design function at Kognity.

• References: Verification of your professional history and performance through provided references.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Strategic Narrative: Frame your portfolio around how your design leadership has driven business outcomes and operational improvements, not just aesthetic quality.

• AI Integration Focus: Highlight projects where you've explored, implemented, or strategized around AI in product design and development.

• Process & Scalability: Detail the design processes, systems, and workflows you've implemented or improved to ensure scalability and efficiency.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Showcase examples of how you've developed and led design teams, including mentorship strategies and team growth initiatives.

• Conciseness & Clarity: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, easy to navigate, and clearly articulates your contributions and the impact of your work.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Kognity's Products: Familiarize yourself with Kognity's platform, target audience, and unique value proposition in the EdTech market.

• AI in EdTech: Research current trends and challenges related to AI in education and how design can address them.

• Leadership Scenarios: Prepare for discussions on how you would handle common leadership challenges, such as team conflict, stakeholder misalignment, or driving change within a fast-paced environment.

• Value Alignment: Be ready to articulate how your approach to work and leadership aligns with Kognity's stated values.

📝 Enhancement Note: The multi-stage interview process, including a case study and leadership talk, indicates a thorough evaluation of both technical and leadership capabilities. The emphasis on values and AI suggests a need for candidates to demonstrate alignment with Kognity's core mission and technological focus.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Figma (highly probable given industry trends), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• Collaboration Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams for daily communication.

• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar for workflow management.

• Design Systems Tools: Figma, Zeroheight, or custom-built solutions for managing design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Google Analytics, or similar for understanding user behavior and product adoption.

• UX Research Tools: SurveyMonkey, Typeform, UserTesting.com, Hotjar for gathering user feedback and insights.

• Dashboarding Tools: Tableau, Power BI, or internal tools for visualizing key performance indicators (KPIs).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot (less likely for a design lead but relevant to overall GTM operations).

• Automation Tools: Potentially AI-specific tools for design assistance or workflow automation within the design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with modern design tools and collaboration platforms is essential. The role's focus on AI and data suggests an expectation for familiarity with analytics tools to measure design impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• We Take Ownership: This value translates to a proactive, responsible approach to design challenges, driving projects from conception to completion and holding oneself accountable for outcomes.

• We Leverage AI: A commitment to exploring and integrating AI into design processes and product features to enhance user experience and learning effectiveness.

• We Drive Customer Value: A focus on designing solutions that directly address user needs and deliver tangible benefits to students and teachers, aligning design efforts with business goals.

• We Are Transparent: Encourages open communication, honest feedback, and clear articulation of design decisions and processes.

• We Take Care of Ourselves and Each Other: Promotes a supportive and sustainable work environment, emphasizing well-being and mutual respect within the team.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role demands a highly collaborative style, working seamlessly with Product, Tech, and Pedagogy to ensure cohesive product development.

• Direct & Constructive Feedback: The culture values directness and constructive feedback, fostering an environment where designers can openly share ideas and receive input to improve their work.

• Knowledge Sharing: An environment where best practices, learnings, and insights are shared freely to elevate the entire team's capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Kognity values are deeply integrated into the operational fabric of the company, influencing how design work is approached, executed, and measured. Candidates must demonstrate alignment with these principles.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Defining AI-First Design: Navigating the evolving landscape of AI in product design and establishing innovative, ethical, and effective design paradigms for AI-driven learning products.

• Scaling a Design Function: Building and scaling a high-performing senior design team in a fast-paced EdTech scale-up environment, ensuring quality and efficiency are maintained.

• Balancing Craft and Strategy: Effectively leading design while also contributing strategically to product vision and business objectives, managing diverse stakeholder expectations.

• Remote Team Management: Fostering a strong team culture, ensuring collaboration, and maintaining high performance within a fully remote setting.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design Specialization: Opportunities to become a leading voice in the application of AI within product design, particularly in the EdTech sector.

• Strategic Product Leadership: Developing broader strategic capabilities that extend beyond design into overall product direction and business operations.

• Mentorship Programs: Engaging in or leading mentorship initiatives to develop talent within the design team and across the organization.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to resources for continuous learning, attending relevant conferences, and pursuing certifications in AI, design, or leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to leading design in a rapidly evolving EdTech company leveraging AI. The growth opportunities are geared towards developing a well-rounded, strategic leader with deep expertise in a cutting-edge field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach defining and scaling a design system for an AI-first EdTech product, considering the unique challenges of AI integration?"

• "Describe a time you had to influence product vision or strategy with limited data. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Kognity's values (Ownership, Leveraging AI, Driving Customer Value, Transparency, Taking Care of Each Other) resonate with your leadership philosophy and how would you operationalize them within a design team?"

• "Describe your experience working in a fast-paced, high-expectation scale-up environment. How do you foster collaboration and maintain high standards in such settings?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the strategic approach, the solutions you implemented, and the measurable impact (e.g., user engagement, learning outcomes, efficiency gains).

• Demonstrate Leadership: Highlight instances where you led teams, mentored designers, or influenced cross-functional stakeholders.

• Showcase AI Integration: Explicitly discuss how AI was a factor in your design process or the product's functionality.

• Process & Scalability: Explain the design processes, tools, and systems you employed or developed to ensure scalability and efficiency.

• Storytelling: Weave a narrative that connects your experience, skills, and values to Kognity's mission and the specific requirements of the Head of Design role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, leadership acumen, and a deep understanding of how design operationalizes innovation, particularly with AI, within an educational context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of Design position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio for Impact: Select case studies that best showcase your strategic leadership, AI product design experience, and ability to scale design functions. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your strategic approach, the solutions, and the quantifiable impact on users and business objectives.

• Tailor Your Resume: Optimize your resume to highlight your 10+ years of experience, leadership accomplishments, experience with AI, and success in cross-functional environments. Use keywords from the job description such as "Product Design Leadership," "AI Product Strategy," "Scalable Design Practices," and "User Experience."

• Prepare Your Leadership Narrative: Be ready to discuss your leadership philosophy, how you foster high-performing teams, and your vision for design at an AI-first EdTech company. Practice articulating how you embody Kognity's values.

• Research Kognity Thoroughly: Understand Kognity's mission, products, target audience, and competitive landscape. Consider how design can further Kognity's goals in the EdTech market, especially through AI innovation.

⚠️ 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.