Head of Design and Research (all genders)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design and Research (all genders)

Company: GROPYUS

Location: Berlin, Germany

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Design & Research Leadership

Date Posted: November 07, 2025

Experience Level: 7+ Years

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic vision and execution for design and research initiatives, aligning with GROPYUS's mission of sustainable and affordable modular construction.

• Drive the development of human-centered communication and experiences across both digital and physical touchpoints for B2B and B2C customer segments.

• Oversee a multidisciplinary team of designers and researchers, fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement in user experience and brand expression.

• Champion design excellence and consistency, establishing scalable design systems and research practices that empower rapid yet high-quality product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a leadership function, responsible for setting the strategic direction of design and research. The emphasis on both "digital and physical touchpoints" and "B2B and B2C customer groups" indicates a broad scope, requiring a leader capable of synthesizing diverse user needs and business objectives within the unique context of modular construction and smart living. The required experience level of 7+ years supports this strategic leadership expectation.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and articulate the overarching design and research strategy, ensuring it directly supports GROPYUS’s mission and business objectives for smart and sustainable living.

• Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team comprising product designers, brand designers, industrial designers, and qualitative/quantitative researchers.

• Establish and refine rigorous user research methodologies (user interviews, usability testing, market studies) to inform product design, communication, and overall service strategy.

• Foster strong collaborative relationships with Product Management, Engineering, Sales, Production, Marketing, Communication, and Sustainability teams to integrate design and research insights into all stages of product development and company strategy.

• Champion and enforce design excellence, consistency, and a cohesive brand identity across all GROPYUS platforms and products through the development and maintenance of robust design systems.

• Drive a culture of evidence-based decision-making by embedding research findings and design metrics into company workflows and strategic planning.

• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure the impact of design and research on critical business outcomes, such as customer satisfaction, product adoption, retention, brand perception, and operational efficiency.

• Implement and optimize scalable processes and tools that enable the design and research functions to grow efficiently and effectively, particularly in a fast-paced startup environment.

• Ensure the team’s work is aligned with sustainability principles and green building practices, a core tenet of GROPYUS's vision.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic leadership role that bridges user needs with business goals, with a strong emphasis on team development, process optimization, and data-driven decision-making. The mention of "operational excellence" and "scalability" points to the need for a leader who can build and grow a function effectively within a growing company.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Master’s degree or equivalent in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, or a closely related field.

Experience: Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in design and/or user research, with a preference for individuals who have worked with digital platforms, smart building technology, or within the real estate or construction sectors. Proven success in a leadership or management role within a design and research context is essential.

Required Skills:

• Design Strategy & Vision: Ability to define and communicate a clear, compelling design and research strategy aligned with business objectives.

• User-Centered Design (UCD): Deep understanding and practical application of UCD principles across digital and physical products.

• Research Methodologies: Proficiency in a wide range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, including user interviews, usability testing, surveys, and ethnographic studies.

• Design Systems: Experience in building, managing, and scaling design systems to ensure brand consistency and efficient product development.

• Team Leadership & People Management: Proven ability to build, mentor, and lead high-performing design and research teams, fostering an inclusive and psychologically safe environment.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Excellent skills in partnering with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and other departments to drive integrated strategies.

• Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional ability to articulate design concepts, research findings, and strategic recommendations clearly and persuasively to diverse stakeholders.

• Agile & Fast-Paced Environments: Comfort and proficiency in working with uncertainty, rapid decision cycles, and adapting to fast-changing organizational dynamics.

• Sustainability Principles: Familiarity with sustainability concepts and green building practices relevant to the real estate and construction industry.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in digital platforms and smart building technology.

• Background in the real estate or construction sectors.

• Knowledge of industrial design principles.

• Familiarity with data analysis tools and metrics-driven decision-making.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of strategic leadership, deep functional expertise in design and research, and strong interpersonal skills. The preference for industry-specific experience suggests that candidates who understand the nuances of real estate, construction, or smart building technology will have a distinct advantage. The mention of "fast growth or complex organizations" implies a need for adaptability and resilience.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Strategic Vision: Demonstrate examples of how you've defined and executed design and research strategies that directly impacted business goals.

• Team Leadership: Showcase your experience in building, managing, and developing design and research teams, including examples of team growth and process improvements.

• User-Centered Design Process: Provide case studies illustrating your end-to-end design and research process, from problem definition and user research to ideation, prototyping, testing, and implementation.

• Design Systems: Include examples of design systems you have developed or significantly contributed to, highlighting their impact on consistency, efficiency, and scalability.

• Research Impact: Present research projects that clearly demonstrate how user insights informed critical product or business decisions, with measurable outcomes.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Illustrate instances where you successfully collaborated with engineering, product, marketing, or other departments to achieve shared objectives.

• Brand Expression: Showcase work that demonstrates a strong understanding of brand identity and how design and communication reinforce it across touchpoints.

Process Documentation:

• Methodology Definition: Evidence of defining and documenting research methodologies and design processes that are repeatable and scalable.

• Workflow Optimization: Examples of how you’ve implemented or improved workflows to enhance team efficiency, collaboration, and output quality.

• Metrics and Measurement: Demonstration of how you define, track, and report on design and research metrics that link to business outcomes.

• Tooling and Systems: Familiarity with implementing and leveraging design and research tools to support efficient workflows and knowledge sharing.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a leadership role like this, the portfolio should not just showcase individual work but also the candidate's ability to lead a function, establish processes, and drive impact through a team. The emphasis on "scalable" systems and "measurable outcomes" is critical for demonstrating strategic value.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Head of Design and Research roles in Berlin, Germany, with 7+ years of experience and leadership responsibilities in a growing tech/construction company, the estimated annual salary range is between €90,000 and €130,000. This estimate considers the cost of living in Berlin, the seniority of the role, and the company's sector.

Benefits:

• Unlimited employment contract, offering long-term security.

• Generous 30 days of paid vacation per year.

• Flexible, hybrid work model allowing for remote work and travel.

• Up to 40 days per year of work-from-abroad flexibility.

• Flex hours to accommodate personal priorities.

• Company pension scheme for financial future planning.

• Language courses (English/German) to support professional development.

• Employee discounts with selected sustainable brands, aligning with company values.

• External mental health support through anonymous private/group sessions.

• Virtual Shares Program, providing equity participation and aligning employee success with company growth.

• Opportunities for significant ownership and impact within a mission-driven organization.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility through "flex hours" and the hybrid work model.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on market data for similar roles in Berlin. The benefits package is extensive, emphasizing work-life balance, employee well-being, and financial participation in the company's success, which are strong attractors for senior talent.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Construction Technology, PropTech, Sustainable Building, Modular Construction. GROPYUS is innovating within the construction industry by leveraging modular building techniques and smart technology to create sustainable, affordable, and high-quality living spaces. This positions them at the intersection of traditional construction, modern technology, and environmental consciousness.

Company Size: (Information not provided, but implied to be in a growth or scaling phase given the startup context and the need for leadership in design and research). A company in this phase likely offers a dynamic environment where individuals can significantly influence processes and outcomes.

Founded: (Information not provided). The founding context would offer insight into the company's origin story and foundational values. However, the mission of "sustainable, affordable, and aspirational buildings for everyone" suggests a forward-thinking and socially conscious ethos.

Team Structure:

• Design & Research Team: This role leads a multidisciplinary team including product designers, brand designers, industrial designers, and qualitative/quantitative researchers. The team size is likely to be between 5-15 individuals, requiring a leader adept at managing diverse skill sets.

• Reporting Structure: The Head of Design and Research likely reports into a C-suite executive, such as the Chief Product Officer (CPO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), or Chief Executive Officer (CEO), given the strategic nature of the role.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role necessitates close collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, Sales, Production, Marketing, Communication, and Sustainability departments. This indicates a highly integrated operational model where design and research are central to company-wide initiatives.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using research findings and design metrics to inform product and business decisions.

• User-Centricity: A core philosophy of understanding and meeting user needs across B2B and B2C segments.

• Agile Development: Implied by the need for "fast decision cycles" and "rapid changes," suggesting an agile approach to product development and iterative design.

• Sustainability Focus: Integration of environmental and green building principles into design and product strategy.

Company Website: https://gropyus.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: GROPYUS is positioned as a disruptor in the construction industry, focusing on innovation, sustainability, and affordability. The company culture is likely fast-paced, collaborative, and mission-driven, attracting individuals passionate about making a tangible impact on the built environment and urban living.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership position, equivalent to Director or VP level within a specialized function. It requires strategic thinking, team management, and the ability to influence company-wide direction. The role is crucial for shaping the user experience and brand perception of GROPYUS.

Reporting Structure: The Head of Design and Research will likely report to a C-level executive (e.g., CPO, CTO, CEO), indicating significant visibility and influence within the senior leadership team. This provides direct access to strategic decision-making processes.

Operations Impact: The design and research function directly impacts GROPYUS's ability to deliver on its mission by ensuring products are user-friendly, desirable, and aligned with market needs. Their work influences customer acquisition, satisfaction, retention, brand loyalty, and ultimately, the company's ability to scale and achieve its business objectives in the construction tech and real estate sectors. The defined metrics for design and research impact underscore this criticality.

Growth Opportunities:

• Functional Leadership Expansion: Potential to grow the design and research function, build out specialized teams (e.g., dedicated UX research, industrial design), and influence broader product strategy.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Opportunity to take on broader product strategy responsibilities or lead initiatives that span multiple departments.

• Industry Influence: Contribute to shaping best practices in design and research within the sustainable building and PropTech industries.

• Startup Growth Trajectory: As a growing company, there will be opportunities for rapid career progression and increased responsibility as the organization scales.

• Mentorship and Development: Access to senior leadership and opportunities to mentor junior team members, developing leadership skills further.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a significant opportunity for a design and research leader to shape a critical function within a rapidly growing, mission-driven company. The career path is likely one of expanding influence and responsibility as GROPYUS scales.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company offers a "flexible, hybrid work" environment. This suggests a modern workspace designed to facilitate collaboration, innovation, and focused work, with options for both in-office and remote arrangements. The office in Berlin serves as a hub for team interaction and strategic meetings.

Office Location(s): Berlin, Germany. This vibrant city is a hub for innovation and technology in Europe, offering a rich ecosystem for talent and industry connections.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office environment likely includes dedicated spaces for team brainstorming, workshops, and cross-functional meetings, supporting the collaborative nature of the role.

• Technology & Tools: Access to industry-standard design and research software, collaboration platforms, and potentially prototyping tools necessary for the team's work.

• Inclusivity: A strong emphasis on fostering an inclusive and psychologically safe environment, promoting open communication and diverse perspectives.

• Flexibility: The hybrid model and flex hours provide autonomy, allowing individuals to tailor their work environment and schedule to optimize productivity and personal well-being.

Work Schedule: While approximately 40 hours per week, the "flex hours" and hybrid arrangement offer significant autonomy and work-life balance, allowing for adjustments to accommodate personal needs and peak productivity times.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on flexibility and hybrid work aligns with modern work trends and suggests a company culture that trusts its employees and prioritizes outcomes over strict adherence to traditional office norms. The Berlin location provides access to a thriving tech and design community.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A call with a recruiter to assess overall fit, experience, and alignment with company culture.

• Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion with the direct hiring manager (likely a C-level executive) to evaluate strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and functional expertise.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Meetings with key cross-functional partners (e.g., Head of Product, Head of Engineering) and potentially senior members of the design/research team to assess collaboration skills and functional depth.

• Portfolio Presentation & Case Study: A dedicated session where the candidate presents their portfolio, focusing on key projects that demonstrate their strategic approach, leadership, process, and impact. This may include a specific case study designed to assess problem-solving skills.

• Final Round/Executive Interview: A final conversation with senior leadership to confirm alignment on vision, culture, and strategic fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select projects that best showcase your strategic leadership, team management, and ability to drive measurable business outcomes through design and research.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process, the challenges, the solutions, and most importantly, the quantifiable results and impact.

• Highlight Leadership: Emphasize how you led teams, influenced stakeholders, and built processes that enabled success.

• Showcase Scalability: For design systems and research methodologies, demonstrate how they were designed for scalability and efficiency.

• Connect to GROPYUS: Tailor your presentation to highlight how your experience and approach align with GROPYUS's mission, industry, and values (sustainability, affordability, smart living).

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about team building, managing conflict, driving change, and measuring success in a fast-paced environment.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Design Challenge: Be prepared for a hypothetical scenario where you need to define a design or research strategy for a new GROPYUS product or feature. Focus on your process, how you'd gather insights, and how you'd measure success.

• Leadership Scenario: You might be asked to outline how you would approach building or restructuring a design and research team, or how you would handle a specific team performance issue.

• Cross-Functional Problem Solving: Prepare to discuss how you would collaborate with other departments to solve a complex problem that touches multiple areas of the business.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess strategic leadership, functional expertise, team management, and cultural fit. A strong portfolio presentation that clearly articulates impact and a well-prepared approach to potential challenges will be key differentiators.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) for UI/UX design, branding, and visual assets.

• Prototyping Tools: InVision, Figma, Principle for creating interactive prototypes.

• Design System Management: Tools like Zeroheight, Storybook, or internal platforms for documenting and managing design systems.

• User Research Platforms: Tools for user interviews (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet), usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze), surveys (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Typeform, Google Forms), and analytics (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel).

• Project Management & Collaboration: Jira, Asana, Trello, Notion for task management, workflow tracking, and team collaboration.

• Communication Tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams for daily team communication and cross-functional interactions.

• Documentation Tools: Confluence, Notion, Google Workspace for documenting processes, research findings, and strategies.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Google Analytics for tracking user behavior and product performance.

• BI Tools (Potential): Tableau, Power BI, Looker for advanced data analysis and dashboard creation, especially for linking design metrics to business outcomes.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managed by this role, an understanding of CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation tools would be beneficial for understanding customer journeys and data flow.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with industry-standard design and research tools is a given, but the emphasis on metrics, analytics, and scalable systems suggests a need for leaders who can leverage technology to drive efficiency and demonstrate impact. Experience with tools that facilitate cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing will be highly valued.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A shared commitment to GROPYUS's mission of creating sustainable, affordable, and aspirational buildings. This means valuing work that has a positive societal and environmental impact.

• User-Centricity: A deep respect for and focus on understanding and serving the needs of users, whether they are residents or business partners.

• Innovation & Experimentation: A culture that encourages new ideas, embraces experimentation, and learns from both successes and failures.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication and strong partnerships across teams are essential for success in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment.

• Excellence & Quality: A drive for high standards in design, research, and execution, ensuring that products and communications are polished and effective.

• Sustainability: A core value that permeates all aspects of the business, from product design to operational decisions.

• Inclusivity & Psychological Safety: A commitment to creating a work environment where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to contribute their best work.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Design and research are not siloed functions but are deeply integrated into product development and company strategy, working hand-in-hand with Product, Engineering, and other departments.

• Evidence-Based Dialogue: Discussions and decision-making are informed by data, research findings, and user insights, fostering constructive debate.

• Proactive Communication: A culture of proactively sharing information, progress, and challenges to ensure alignment and efficient problem-solving.

• Feedback Culture: An environment where constructive feedback is regularly exchanged to drive continuous improvement within the team and across projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture at GROPYUS appears to be a blend of startup dynamism, mission-driven purpose, and a strong commitment to user-centricity and sustainability. A leader who embodies these values and can foster them within their team will be a strong cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapid Scaling: As GROPYUS grows, the challenge will be to scale the design and research function effectively without compromising quality or speed, potentially managing increasing team size and complexity.

• Balancing Innovation & Pragmatism: Ensuring that the pursuit of innovative design and rigorous research is balanced with the practical constraints of modular construction, affordability targets, and fast-paced business cycles.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Maintaining consistent design and research input and alignment across diverse departments (Sales, Production, Marketing, etc.) that may have different priorities.

• Defining and Measuring Impact: Establishing clear, universally accepted metrics that demonstrate the tangible business value of design and research efforts in a complex industry.

• Adoption of New Technologies: Integrating smart living technologies and ensuring their design and research aspects are user-friendly and meet market needs effectively.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Impact: Deepen understanding of business strategy and its intersection with design and research in the PropTech and construction industries.

• Leadership Development: Hone people management, strategic planning, and executive communication skills in a high-growth environment.

• Industry Expertise: Gain extensive knowledge in sustainable building, modular construction, and smart living technologies.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor and develop a talented team of designers and researchers, contributing to their career growth.

• Conferences and Training: Access to industry events, workshops, and training programs relevant to design leadership, UX research, and sustainable building practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant challenges inherent in a scaling startup, particularly in a complex industry. However, these challenges are also rich with opportunities for professional growth and making a substantial impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you define and implement a design and research strategy for a company like GROPYUS, focusing on both B2B and B2C segments in the modular construction space?" (Focus on your strategic framework, how you'd gather initial insights, and key pillars of your strategy.)

• "Describe your approach to building and scaling a multidisciplinary design and research team in a fast-growing startup environment. What are your key principles for fostering a positive and productive team culture?" (Highlight your people management philosophy, team structure ideas, and how you ensure psychological safety and inclusion.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about GROPYUS's mission and our approach to modular, sustainable construction?" (Research the company's mission, values, and recent news. Connect your passion to their goals.)

• "How do you see design and research contributing to sustainability and affordability in the building industry?" (Demonstrate an understanding of how design choices can impact environmental footprint and cost-effectiveness.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio presentation logically, starting with an overview of your strategic approach and leadership philosophy, then diving into 2-3 key case studies that best represent your impact.

• Narrative: For each case study, tell a compelling story: problem, your role, the process, challenges, solutions, and quantifiable results. Use visuals effectively but don't let them overshadow the narrative.

• Data & Metrics: Clearly present any data, research findings, or metrics that demonstrate the success and impact of your work. Quantify outcomes whenever possible (e.g., "increased user satisfaction by 15%", "reduced task completion time by 20%").

• Leadership Focus: When discussing projects, highlight your leadership contributions, decision-making processes, and how you empowered your team.

• Q&A Readiness: Anticipate questions about your decisions, challenges, and how you would apply your experience to GROPYUS's specific context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic leadership, a deep understanding of user-centered design and research, strong team management skills, and an ability to articulate impact with data, all within the context of GROPYUS's mission and industry.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of Design and Research position:

• Visit the GROPYUS careers page or the provided Greenhouse link to submit your application.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate strategic leadership, team development, user-centered design processes, and measurable impact relevant to GROPYUS's mission in modular construction and smart living.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your experience in design and research leadership, emphasizing achievements in strategy, team management, cross-functional collaboration, and driving business outcomes. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly research GROPYUS, its mission, industry, and recent developments. Prepare to discuss your strategic approach, leadership philosophy, and how your experience aligns with the company's values and the role's responsibilities. Practice presenting your portfolio.

• Company Research: Understand GROPYUS's unique position in the market, their focus on sustainability and affordability, and their vision for smart living. Be ready to articulate how your expertise can contribute to their specific challenges and opportunities.

⚠️ 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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