Head of Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Head of Design Company: Remote Location: Remote (EMEA) Job Type: Full-time Category: Design Leadership / Go-To-Market Operations Date Posted: 2025-09-19T16:57:23 Experience Level: 10+ years Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and define the creative vision, brand definition, and user experience principles for a globally distributed, async-first company.
• Drive end-to-end product design strategy, from research and insight gathering to the delivery of impactful, beautifully crafted interfaces.
• Build, inspire, and mentor a high-performing design team, overseeing all creative outputs and ensuring adherence to best-in-class standards.
• Foster a user-centered design culture across the organization, championing design-led thinking and best practices in collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Marketing.
• Utilize quantitative data and qualitative feedback to inform strategic design decisions and measure the impact of design initiatives on business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Head of Design," the responsibilities heavily involve strategic GTM alignment and operationalizing design processes. This role acts as a critical bridge between product development and market perception, requiring strong operational understanding of how design impacts revenue and customer acquisition. The emphasis on "measurable impact" and "creative vision for the Remote brand" points to a significant Go-To-Market (GTM) operational component.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Establish and own the creative vision, direction, and strategic leadership for the entire Design department, ensuring alignment with Remote's mission and business objectives.
• Recruit, build, inspire, and mentor a world-class team of designers, including senior staff and design leaders, fostering a culture of growth and excellence.
• Oversee the end-to-end creative output of the design team, ensuring high-quality execution across all brand touchpoints, product interfaces, and marketing collateral.
• Develop and manage creative programs and design concepts that meet Remote's creative vision, branding guidelines, and overarching business goals.
• Champion user-centered design principles, user experience best practices, and design-led thinking across all departments, influencing product strategy and development.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Engineering, Product Management, Marketing, and Sales, to ensure cohesive brand messaging and product experience.
• Lead concept development, provide critical creative input, set high-quality standards, and proactively troubleshoot design challenges to ensure successful project execution.
• Leverage quantitative data (e.g., user analytics, conversion rates) and qualitative feedback (e.g., user interviews, customer support insights) to inform design decisions and optimize user journeys.
• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging design tools, and best practices in branding, product design, and visual communication to maintain a competitive edge.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic leadership and hands-on oversight. For an operations-focused candidate, demonstrating experience in establishing design processes, managing design project lifecycles, and translating business requirements into actionable design strategies will be crucial. The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration suggests a need for strong communication and project management skills, akin to those found in GTM operations roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Fine Arts, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field; Master's degree or equivalent practical experience is highly desirable.

Experience: Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in design leadership roles, with a significant portion spent in tech companies overseeing branding, enterprise application design, and product design initiatives. Proven experience managing and mentoring senior design staff and leaders is essential.

Required Skills:

• Extensive track record of leading and overseeing design teams, including senior staff and senior design leaders, with demonstrable success in a tech company environment.
• Proven ability to interpret design briefs, conceptualize innovative ideas, set creative direction, establish project goals, and execute projects to a high standard.
• Impressive portfolio showcasing a deep understanding of branding, design aesthetic, visual design principles, and excellent UX/UI, with the ability to lead a design department in these areas.
• Strong working knowledge of product design principles, typography, web design, visual design (online and traditional media), brand development, and the creative process.
• Fluency in current product design trends and proficiency with leading design tools such as Figma, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Sketch, and others.
• Excellent leadership, organizational, and communication skills, with a proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, inclusion, and fostering a kind, empathetic, and patient team environment.
• Fluent in written and spoken English.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in building and scaling design teams within a rapidly growing, globally distributed organization.
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and their integration with design processes.
• Experience with A/B testing and conversion rate optimization (CRO) as they relate to design improvements.
• Understanding of GTM strategies and how design contributes to customer acquisition, retention, and brand perception.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize leadership, a strong design foundation, and collaboration. For operations professionals, highlighting transferable skills such as project management, process implementation, stakeholder management, and data-driven decision-making will be key differentiators. Experience with specific design tools like Figma and Adobe Creative Suite is critical, as these are often integrated into broader GTM tech stacks.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 significant projects that demonstrate end-to-end design ownership, from initial concept and strategy to final execution and measurable impact.
• Include case studies detailing the design process, problem-solving approach, user research methodologies, and key decisions made.
• Highlight examples of branding initiatives, including brand identity development, style guides, and brand implementation across various platforms.
• Present examples of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design for web and/or mobile applications, emphasizing intuitive navigation, usability, and aesthetic appeal.
• Demonstrate experience in leading design teams, including team structure, mentorship, and project management within a design context.

Process Documentation:

• Provide examples or descriptions of established design processes, including user research frameworks, design critique sessions, and quality assurance checks for design deliverables.
• Illustrate experience in defining and implementing design systems, style guides, and component libraries to ensure brand consistency and efficiency.
• Detail how design feedback is gathered, incorporated, and managed within a project lifecycle, particularly in collaboration with product and engineering teams.
• Showcase experience in measuring design's impact, using metrics to track user engagement, conversion rates, and overall user satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: For candidates transitioning from operations roles, the portfolio should emphasize the operational aspects of design leadership: process implementation, team management, cross-functional workflow integration, and the use of data to drive design decisions and demonstrate ROI. Quantifiable achievements in improving design efficiency, reducing time-to-market for design assets, or enhancing user conversion through design will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $90,000 - $200,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Work from anywhere globally, supported by a strong async work culture.
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) to promote work-life balance.
• Flexible working hours, accommodating diverse time zones and personal needs.
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave for new parents.
• Comprehensive mental health support services.
• Stock options, offering ownership and participation in the company's growth.
• Learning budget for professional development, courses, and certifications.
• Home office budget and provision of IT equipment to ensure a productive remote workspace.
• Budget for local in-person social events or co-working space access, fostering team connection.

Working Hours: While the standard is 40 hours per week, Remote operates on an async-first model. This allows for significant flexibility in planning your workday around meetings and personal needs, prioritizing outcomes over strict adherence to a 9-to-5 schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is broad, reflecting the company's global compensation philosophy that accounts for location-based pay differentials. Candidates should research typical Head of Design compensation in their specific region if applicable, in addition to the provided range. The benefits package is robust and tailored for a remote, globally distributed workforce, emphasizing flexibility and employee well-being, which are key operational considerations for talent management.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: HR Tech / Global Employment Platform Company Size: While specific numbers aren't provided, Remote operates as a tech startup with a global, distributed workforce, indicating a dynamic and fast-paced environment. This size implies a need for adaptable processes and strong individual ownership within teams. Founded: Remote was founded to simplify global employment, suggesting a mission-driven culture focused on innovation and solving complex logistical challenges.

Team Structure:

• The Design team is integral to Remote's product development, acting as a differentiator and focusing on end-to-end product design.
• The Head of Design reports directly to the CEO and Co-founder, indicating a high level of visibility and direct influence on company strategy.
• Collaboration is expected across key departments including Product, Engineering, Marketing, and Sales, requiring strong cross-functional alignment and communication skills.

Methodology:

• Design operates with a user-centered approach, leveraging research, insights, and data to inform decisions and create impactful experiences.
• The company emphasizes an async-first work culture, meaning processes and communication are designed to function effectively without constant real-time interaction.
• Design is positioned as a strategic driver for the company, not just a functional output, underscoring its importance in Remote's GTM strategy.

Company Website: https://remote.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Remote's culture is defined by its global, async-first nature and a strong emphasis on empowering employees. For an operations professional, understanding how to manage and optimize processes within a distributed, asynchronous environment is crucial. The direct reporting line to the CEO highlights the strategic importance of this role and the need for operational rigor in design leadership.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership position, equivalent to a VP or Director level in a more traditional organization, responsible for a critical function that directly impacts brand perception and user experience. The role requires strategic thinking, team building, and operational execution at a high level. Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the CEO and Co-founder, with the Design department as direct reports. This signifies a high degree of autonomy and responsibility for shaping the company's design strategy and execution. Operations Impact: The Head of Design's influence extends across the entire customer lifecycle, from initial brand awareness and product onboarding to ongoing user engagement and retention. Design directly impacts user acquisition, customer satisfaction, and brand loyalty, all of which are key operational metrics in GTM.

Growth Opportunities:

• Opportunity to build and scale a world-class design organization from the ground up in a rapidly growing tech company.
• Potential to influence broader company strategy and product direction due to direct reporting to the CEO.
• Develop expertise in leading design within an async-first, globally distributed work environment, a highly sought-after skill set.
• Take on increasing responsibility for brand strategy, marketing collateral, and user acquisition initiatives as the company scales.
• Potential for advancement into broader executive leadership roles within the company.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant career growth potential by allowing the candidate to shape a critical function for a fast-growing global company. Demonstrating operational excellence in managing design resources, processes, and cross-functional alignment will be key to unlocking these growth opportunities. The ability to translate design strategy into measurable business outcomes is paramount.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. There are no physical office locations for employees. Office Location(s): Anywhere in the World. The company is committed to a globally distributed workforce, enabling employees to work from their preferred location as long as they have a stable internet connection.

Workspace Context:

• Employees are empowered to create their own optimal work environment, whether that's a dedicated home office, a co-working space, or a flexible setup.
• The async-first nature means less reliance on physical proximity and more on well-documented processes, clear communication, and asynchronous collaboration tools.
• Opportunities for connection with colleagues will primarily be through digital channels, virtual team events, and potentially through the use of co-working budgets for local meetups.

Work Schedule: Flexible, async-first. While core working hours are not mandated, employees are expected to be available and responsive during periods that facilitate collaboration with their immediate team and key stakeholders, respecting different time zones. The emphasis is on delivering results and managing one's own time effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote and async nature of Remote presents a unique work environment that requires strong self-management and process discipline. For operations professionals, this means understanding how to implement and maintain efficient workflows, communication protocols, and team accountability in a decentralized setting. Leveraging digital tools for collaboration and project management will be essential.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Interview with Recruiter: Initial screening to assess cultural fit, high-level experience, and alignment with the role's core responsibilities. Prepare to discuss your leadership philosophy and approach to team building.
• Interview with CEO and Co-founder: Deeper dive into strategic vision, understanding of the company's mission, and how your design leadership can drive business objectives. Be ready to articulate your vision for design at Remote.
• Wire-frame Feedback Exercise: A practical assessment of your design thinking and ability to provide constructive critique. Prepare to analyze a given wireframe, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and potential improvements from both a UX and brand perspective.
• Interview with VP of Product & Design: Focus on product strategy, design process integration with product development, and collaboration with product teams. Discuss how you align design with product roadmaps and user needs.
• Interview with Other Co-founder: Further exploration of company values, leadership style, and strategic alignment.
• Bar Raiser Interview: A more comprehensive assessment, often conducted by a trained interviewer from another department, focusing on leadership, problem-solving, and overall potential to raise the bar for the organization.
• (async) Offer + Reference Check: Final stages involving offer extension and verification of professional references.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Showcase projects with clear, quantifiable outcomes. Highlight how your design decisions led to improved user engagement, conversion rates, brand perception, or operational efficiency.
• Demonstrate Process: Clearly articulate your design process for each project. Explain your approach to user research, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.
• Highlight Leadership: Include examples of how you've mentored designers, managed teams, implemented design systems, and fostered a collaborative design culture.
• Brand Alignment: Show strong examples of brand development and how you've ensured brand consistency across various touchpoints.
• Conciseness and Clarity: Ensure your portfolio is well-organized, easy to navigate, and clearly communicates your contributions and impact. Use concise language and compelling visuals.

Challenge Preparation:

• Wireframe Exercise: Practice analyzing wireframes, identifying key UX/UI issues, and proposing actionable solutions. Think about user flow, information architecture, and visual hierarchy.
• Strategic Questions: Prepare to discuss your vision for design at Remote, how you would scale the design team, and how design can be a competitive differentiator. Consider how design supports GTM strategies.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Be ready to provide examples of how you've successfully collaborated with Product, Engineering, and Marketing teams to achieve shared goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is rigorous and multi-faceted, indicating a strong emphasis on both strategic vision and practical execution. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not only design prowess but also operational leadership, team management capabilities, and a data-driven approach to decision-making. The async wire-frame exercise is a key opportunity to showcase practical problem-solving skills relevant to operations.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI/UX design, prototyping, and collaborative design workflows. Proficiency in team collaboration features and design system management is key.
• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign): Crucial for visual design, branding assets, marketing collateral, and potentially motion graphics.
• Prototyping Tools: (e.g., InVision, ProtoPie) for creating interactive prototypes and user testing.
• Project Management Tools: (e.g., Asana, Jira, Trello) for managing design projects, tracking tasks, and collaborating with cross-functional teams. Understanding how design integrates with broader project management workflows is important.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) for understanding user behavior, product adoption, and identifying areas for design improvement.
• A/B Testing Tools: (e.g., Optimizely, VWO) for testing design variations and measuring their impact on key metrics.
• Data Visualization Tools: (e.g., Tableau, Looker) for presenting design performance data to stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

• While not direct design tools, familiarity with how design assets and user flows impact CRM data and marketing automation processes can be beneficial for understanding the broader GTM context.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is focused on design, understanding the broader technology stack used by GTM and Product teams is advantageous. Proficiency in design tools like Figma and Adobe Creative Suite is non-negotiable, but an awareness of how design outputs integrate with analytics, CRM, and project management systems will demonstrate a strong operational mindset.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs through thoughtful design.
• Collaboration: Working effectively across diverse, globally distributed teams to achieve shared goals.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Using quantitative and qualitative data to inform design strategy and measure impact.
• Ownership & Initiative: Proactively taking responsibility for projects and driving them to completion in an async environment.
• Continuous Improvement: A dedication to refining processes, learning new tools, and elevating design quality.
• Inclusivity: Fostering a welcoming and diverse environment where all voices are heard and valued.

Collaboration Style:

• Async-First: Communication and collaboration are primarily asynchronous, relying on well-documented processes, clear briefs, and asynchronous tools.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Close partnership with Product, Engineering, and Marketing teams, requiring strong communication and the ability to translate design concepts into actionable insights for other departments.
• Feedback Loops: Establishment of regular, constructive feedback mechanisms within the design team and with cross-functional partners to ensure continuous improvement and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values heavily influence how operations are conducted. For a Head of Design, embodying these values means operationalizing them within the design team and ensuring they are reflected in the product and brand. The async collaboration style requires a structured approach to communication and project management.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling a Global, Async Design Team: Building and managing a high-performing design team across multiple time zones and cultures without relying on traditional synchronous collaboration methods.
• Maintaining Brand Consistency: Ensuring a cohesive and impactful brand identity across all global touchpoints as the company rapidly grows.
• Balancing Creative Vision with Business Objectives: Translating ambitious creative goals into tangible outcomes that align with Remote's strategic and commercial priorities.
• Integrating Design into a Fast-Paced Startup Environment: Navigating rapid iteration cycles and evolving priorities while maintaining high design standards and ensuring user experience remains paramount.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to hone leadership skills in a unique, async, globally distributed context, potentially becoming a thought leader in remote design management.
• Strategic Impact: Directly contribute to the company's growth trajectory by shaping its brand and user experience, offering significant professional development.
• Industry Exposure: Work at the forefront of the global employment and HR tech industry, gaining insights into international compliance and distributed workforce management.
• Skill Diversification: Expand expertise in branding, product design, and team leadership within a dynamic, mission-driven organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: Addressing these challenges requires strong operational planning, process optimization, and change management skills. Candidates should demonstrate an ability to proactively identify potential roadblocks and implement effective strategies to overcome them, aligning with the core tenets of operations management.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your philosophy for building and scaling a design team in a globally distributed, async-first environment. What operational processes would you put in place to ensure quality and collaboration?"
• "How would you define and operationalize Remote's brand identity and user experience principles? Walk us through your process for translating a company mission into a cohesive design strategy."
• "Given the challenges of async work, how do you ensure effective communication and feedback loops between design, product, and engineering teams to drive efficient product development?"
• "What key metrics would you track to measure the success and impact of the design team on Remote's business objectives, particularly concerning user acquisition and retention?"
• "How do you foster a culture of innovation and experimentation within a design team while maintaining brand integrity and delivering high-quality user experiences?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Remote's mission and our async-first approach to work?"
• "How do your personal values align with Remote's commitment to diversity, inclusion, and empathy?"
• "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders across different departments to adopt a new design direction or process. How did you approach it?"
• "How do you stay updated on design trends and best practices, and how would you disseminate that knowledge within your team and the broader organization?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically, starting with an overview of your leadership philosophy and key achievements. For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the quantifiable impact.
• Storytelling: Use compelling narratives to explain the context and challenges of each project. Highlight your strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Data Visualization: Present metrics and data insights clearly and concisely. Use charts and graphs to illustrate the impact of your design work.
• Process Focus: Emphasize the operational aspects of your design process – how you managed projects, collaborated with teams, implemented feedback, and ensured quality.
• Q&A Readiness: Be prepared to answer detailed questions about your portfolio, design decisions, and leadership approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating operational thinking within a design context. Candidates should be ready to articulate how they manage resources, implement processes, drive efficiency, and measure outcomes, mirroring the skillset expected in operations roles.

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📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Head of Design position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link, ensuring all required fields are completed accurately.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate leadership in branding, product design, and team management, with a strong emphasis on quantifiable results and operational efficiency in design processes.
• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to prominently feature experience in leading design teams, implementing design strategies, cross-functional collaboration, and driving measurable business impact. Use keywords relevant to design leadership and operations.
• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly research Remote's mission, values, and async-first culture. Prepare specific examples for each stage of the interview process, focusing on how your design leadership experience translates to operational success. Practice articulating your vision and strategic approach.
• Company Research: Understand Remote's position in the HR Tech market, their commitment to global employment, and their async work model. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest and cultural fit.

⚠️ 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.