Lead Product Designer - AI Coach

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer - AI Coach
Company: Culture Amp
Location: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Product Design / UX/UI
Date Posted: 2025-12-09
Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)
Remote Status: Hybrid (Remote OK, but based in Sydney)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design vision and strategy for Culture Amp's AI Coach product area, focusing on enhancing employee growth and development experiences.
• Drive the end-to-end design process for AI-powered coaching features, from conceptualization and research to prototyping, user testing, and implementation.
• Champion design excellence and innovation, ensuring a cohesive and intuitive user experience across the platform's coaching functionalities.
• Foster a collaborative design culture, mentoring junior designers and partnering closely with cross-functional teams including Product Management, Engineering, Research, and Data Science.
• Leverage user research, product data, and design intuition to inform product direction and deliver measurable impact on user behavior and commercial outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is listed as "Lead Product Designer," the description emphasizes aspects of product strategy and vision-setting, suggesting it's a senior individual contributor role with significant influence on product direction, rather than a people management leadership position. The AI Coach focus indicates a need for designers comfortable with emerging technologies and their application in employee development.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Shape Product Vision: Own and evolve the design direction for the Coach product area, crafting engaging and intuitive user experiences that address user onboarding, activation, engagement, and retention.
• Lead AI-driven Discovery: Define, design, and refine user journeys for discovering and interacting with AI-powered coaching features, using AI as a creative catalyst to amplify product possibilities and outcomes.
• Drive Design Excellence: Uphold high standards in design craft and user experience, rapidly exploring, prototyping, and testing new concepts while considering edge cases, UX nuance, and interaction quality.
• Champion Research & Insight: Partner closely with researchers and product managers to lead advanced quantitative and qualitative research, using insights to inform product direction and evidence-based decisions for the AI Coach.
• Project Leadership & Product Strategy: Plan and lead complex design initiatives across multiple teams and stakeholders, building clear project plans and adapting approaches to drive meaningful growth and deliver business impact within the AI Coach domain.
• Systems Design: Design cohesive experiences and contribute to the evolution of Culture Amp's design system, seamlessly connecting interactions across broader product architecture, especially as it relates to AI-driven coaching.
• Mentorship & Influence: Provide thought leadership, foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement, and proactively mentor other designers to raise the bar for design across the Coach area.
• Collaboration & Culture: Co-create outcomes with product managers, engineers, researchers, marketers, and data scientists, shaping team rituals and best practices to improve both product excellence and organizational culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking, hands-on design execution, and collaborative leadership. The emphasis on "AI-driven Discovery" and "project leadership" suggests the need for a designer who can navigate ambiguity and drive innovative solutions within a rapidly evolving technological landscape.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is generally expected for this level of role.

Experience: 6+ years of product design experience, with a significant portion focused on leadership of growth initiatives within SaaS or enterprise contexts.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Proven ability to lead the design of complex SaaS products, with a strong portfolio demonstrating polished UI, robust UX thinking, and clear, measurable impact on user behavior and commercial outcomes.
• AI Feature Design: Hands-on experience designing and optimizing AI-powered features; fluency with modern AI tools to amplify creativity and design craft.
• Systems Thinking: Ability to design cohesive experiences and contribute to the evolution of a design system, seamlessly connecting interactions across broader product architecture.
• User Research & Data Analysis: Comfort in combining user research (quantitative and qualitative), product data, and design intuition to make informed decisions and unlock new opportunities.
• Leadership & Influence: Experience leading significant initiatives, influencing stakeholders, and rallying teams around compelling design narratives. Willingness to take creative risks and push boundaries.
• Autonomy & Initiative: Ability to operate with high autonomy in ambiguous spaces, initiating, exploring, and delivering value without waiting for explicit direction.
• Collaboration: Proven ability to thrive in cross-functional environments, driving co-creation and shaping design culture, rituals, and best practices.
• Detail Orientation & Speed: Ability to move quickly and efficiently, balancing speed and craft from exploration through delivery.
• Growth Mindset: Demonstrates a growth-oriented and reflective approach, actively seeking feedback, encouraging improvement, and cultivating the development of self and peers.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for employee experience platforms or HR technology.
• Familiarity with coaching methodologies and personal development frameworks.
• Experience contributing to or leading the development of design systems.
• Strong presentation and storytelling skills for articulating design vision and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a senior-level designer who is not only technically proficient but also a strategic thinker and an effective collaborator. The explicit mention of "AI-powered features" and "growth initiatives" points towards a need for candidates who can innovate and drive business results through design.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate Measurable Impact: Showcase projects that clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process, and—most importantly—quantifiable outcomes and impact on user behavior or business metrics. Highlight how your designs drove user activation, engagement, retention, or commercial success.
• AI Feature Design Case Studies: Include specific examples of designing AI-powered features. Detail how you approached user understanding, interaction design with AI, ethical considerations, and the iterative process to refine these novel experiences.
• SaaS/Enterprise Project Examples: Present work from SaaS or enterprise contexts, demonstrating an understanding of complex user flows, data management, and the needs of business users.
• Systems Thinking: Illustrate how you've considered the broader product architecture and design system in your work, showing how individual features connect to create a cohesive user experience.

Process Documentation:

• User-Centered Design Process: Clearly articulate your design process, emphasizing user research, ideation, prototyping, and iterative testing. Your portfolio should demonstrate a systematic approach to understanding user needs and validating solutions.
• Collaboration & Cross-Functional Workflow: Showcase how you've worked effectively with product managers, engineers, researchers, and other stakeholders. Highlight examples of co-creation and how you've integrated feedback into your design solutions.
• Design System Contribution: If applicable, provide examples of how you've utilized or contributed to a design system, demonstrating an understanding of consistency, scalability, and efficiency in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Lead Product Designer role, especially one involving AI, the portfolio is critical. It needs to go beyond just aesthetics to demonstrate strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and a proven ability to deliver tangible business results through design. A clear demonstration of experience with AI-driven products and a robust understanding of the design system are key differentiators.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Lead Product Designer in Sydney with 6+ years of experience in a company like Culture Amp (a well-funded SaaS scale-up), a competitive annual salary range would likely be AUD $150,000 - $200,000. This range is an estimate based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in major Australian tech hubs, considering the company's scale and the specialized nature of AI product design.

Benefits:

• Employee Share Options Program: Opportunity to own a stake in Culture Amp and share in its success.
• Personal & Professional Development: Access to programs, coaching, and budgets to support individual growth and well-being.
• Mental Wellbeing & Coaching Support: Access to external providers for mental health and coaching services.
• Monthly Camper Life Allowance: A monthly allowance to spend on lifestyle improvements outside of work.
• Team Building Budgets: Dedicated budgets for team connection and activities.
• Quarterly Wellbeing Pauses: Company-wide shutdown days for collective rest and restoration.
• Extended Year-End Breaks: An extended period of rest during the holiday season.
• Comprehensive Parental Leave: Generous parental leave and in-work support program from day one.
• Social Impact Days: Five paid days per year for volunteering or community impact.
• Technology & Home Office Setup: MacBooks provided for work, plus a budget for home office setup.
• Medical Insurance: Coverage for the employee and their family (note: specified for US & UK only, may vary for Australia).

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are typically around 40 hours per week. The company offers flexibility and a "work from home office budget," suggesting a hybrid work arrangement that accommodates personal needs while ensuring productivity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on general market data for senior design roles in Sydney's tech sector, factoring in the company's profile as a growing SaaS company. The benefits package is extensive, with a strong emphasis on employee well-being, professional development, and work-life balance, which are attractive to experienced professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Employee Experience Software / HR Tech) Company Size: Culture Amp is a significant player in the HR Tech space, employing over 6,500 companies and 25 million employees globally. While the exact employee count isn't provided, it's a large, established scale-up with a global presence. Founded: Culture Amp was founded in 2011, giving it over a decade of experience in the employee engagement and performance management software market.

Team Structure:

• Product Team: The Lead Product Designer will be part of the Coach product area, working within a cross-functional product team. This team typically includes a Product Manager, Engineers, and potentially a dedicated User Researcher.
• Design Team: Designers at Culture Amp likely operate within a broader design function, contributing to a shared design system and collaborating on best practices. Senior designers like this role are expected to provide mentorship and thought leadership.
• Reporting: The role likely reports into a Head of Design or Lead Product Designer on a different product area, with close collaboration with the Product Manager for the Coach area.

Methodology:

• People Science Driven: Culture Amp emphasizes a foundation in people science, embedding research and data into its product development.
• Agile Development: Expect an agile development process, with iterative cycles of design, development, and testing.
• Data-Informed Decisions: The company relies on comprehensive employee datasets and encourages data-driven decision-making, including leveraging user research and product analytics.
• Focus on Impact: A strong emphasis is placed on delivering measurable impact for both users (employees) and commercial outcomes for their clients.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Culture Amp's mission to "make a better world of work" is central to its culture. The company positions itself as a leader in employee experience, backed by strong VC funding and a global reach. The emphasis on "people science" and data suggests a rigorous, research-backed approach to product development.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Lead Product Designer role, signifying a senior individual contributor position. It requires a high degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and the ability to lead complex initiatives. It sits above a standard Product Designer role and often precedes a path into Group Lead or Head of Design positions, or specialized Principal Designer roles.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Designer will likely report to a Director or Head of Design, and will work very closely with a Product Manager responsible for the AI Coach product area. They will also collaborate extensively with engineers and researchers.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer's work directly impacts the success of the AI Coach product, influencing user adoption, engagement, and ultimately, the value Culture Amp delivers to its customers. Their strategic design vision will shape how millions of employees experience growth and development, contributing significantly to Culture Amp's mission and market position.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership: Opportunities to influence product strategy and roadmap for a high-growth, AI-driven product area.
• Skill Development: Deepen expertise in designing for AI, user experience for coaching, and scaling complex SaaS products.
• Mentorship & Design Culture: Play a key role in shaping the design team's practices, mentoring junior designers, and contributing to a strong design culture.
• Career Progression: Potential pathways into Principal Designer roles, management positions (e.g., Group Lead Product Design), or specialized AI design leadership.
• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain valuable experience working across diverse teams (Product, Engineering, Data Science, Marketing) to drive product success.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a significant opportunity for a designer looking to make a substantial impact on a forward-thinking product in the employee experience space, particularly with its AI focus. The growth opportunities are centered around strategic influence, specialized skill development, and leadership within the design function.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Culture Amp operates with a hybrid work model. While the role is based in Sydney, remote work is accommodated. This suggests a flexible approach to where and how work is done, balancing in-office collaboration with remote flexibility.

Office Location(s): The primary location for this role is Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration suggests an environment where open communication, shared problem-solving, and team rituals are valued.
• Tools & Technology: Designers will have access to standard design tools and likely Culture Amp's internal design system. The mention of MacBooks and a home office budget indicates support for a productive work setup, whether in-office or remote.
• Team Interaction: Expect regular interaction with product managers, engineers, researchers, and other designers, fostering a dynamic and communicative work atmosphere.

Work Schedule: While standard full-time hours are expected, the hybrid model and emphasis on well-being suggest a degree of flexibility in scheduling, allowing designers to manage their time effectively around core collaboration needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment at Culture Amp aims to balance the benefits of in-person collaboration with the flexibility of remote work, catering to modern professional expectations. The company's global presence means interactions may extend across different time zones.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Screening Call: Initial conversation with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and company.
• Design Portfolio Review: A dedicated session where you will present your portfolio, focusing on 2-3 key projects that best demonstrate your skills and experience relevant to this role (AI, SaaS, leadership, growth). Be prepared to discuss your process, decision-making, and impact.
• Cross-Functional Interview: Meeting with a Product Manager and/or Engineering Lead to discuss collaboration, product strategy, technical considerations, and how you approach problem-solving within a team.
• Design Team Interview: Discussion with other designers to assess design craft, systems thinking, mentorship capabilities, and cultural alignment with the design team.
• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Design or VP of Product) to discuss strategic vision, leadership potential, and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on AI & Impact: Prioritize projects showcasing your experience with AI-powered features and those with clear, quantifiable business or user impact.
• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies with a clear narrative: problem, your role, process, solution, and results. Emphasize your decision-making rationale.
• Demonstrate Leadership: Highlight instances where you've led initiatives, mentored others, or influenced product direction.
• Showcase Systems Thinking: Explain how your designs integrate with broader product architecture and design systems.
• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Expect detailed questions about your design choices, trade-offs, and how you handle ambiguity.

Challenge Preparation:

• AI Design Scenarios: Be prepared to discuss hypothetical scenarios related to designing AI-driven coaching features, including ethical considerations, user trust, and interaction models.
• Growth Strategy Discussion: Think about how design can drive user activation, engagement, and retention in a SaaS context.
• Design System Application: Understand how to apply and evolve design systems for consistency and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly evaluate a candidate's design skills, strategic thinking, leadership potential, and cultural fit. A strong, well-curated portfolio that directly addresses the requirements of AI and leadership is paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly likely, as it's a modern industry standard and good for collaboration), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.
• Prototyping & Collaboration: InVision, Marvel, or Figma's built-in prototyping features.
• Design Systems: Familiarity with contributing to or utilizing established design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics, or internal dashboards to understand user behavior and product performance.
• Data Visualization: Proficiency in interpreting data presented through dashboards from tools like Tableau or Looker, or internal reporting systems.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a designer's primary tool, understanding how design impacts user journeys within CRM (e.g., Salesforce) or marketing automation platforms can be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the specific tool stack isn't detailed, proficiency in modern design and prototyping tools like Figma is essential. An understanding of product analytics tools is also crucial for data-informed design decisions, especially in a growth-focused role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: Culture Amp's core values are likely centered around:

• Making a Better World of Work: A mission-driven approach that permeates all aspects of the company.
• Impact: Driving meaningful results for customers and the business.
• Growth: Continuous learning, development, and improvement for individuals and the company.
• Belonging: Fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected.
• Curiosity & Innovation: Encouraging exploration of new ideas, especially with the AI Coach focus.
• Collaboration: Working effectively across teams to achieve shared goals.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Strong emphasis on working closely with Product Management, Engineering, Research, and Data Science to co-create solutions.
• Open Communication: Encouraging feedback, constructive debate, and transparency in decision-making.
• Shared Ownership: Teams are likely empowered to take ownership of their areas and contribute to collective success.
• Design Advocacy: Designers are expected to advocate for user needs and design best practices within their teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission and values are deeply ingrained, creating a purpose-driven work environment. The collaborative style fosters a supportive ecosystem where designers can thrive and contribute strategically.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI Ambiguity: Navigating the complexities and evolving nature of AI features, ensuring user trust, transparency, and ethical considerations.
• Scaling Impact: Designing experiences that are effective and engaging for millions of users across diverse organizational contexts.
• Balancing Vision & Execution: Aligning a bold design vision with the pragmatic realities of product development timelines and technical constraints.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring buy-in and effective collaboration across multiple departments with potentially different priorities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Gaining deep expertise in designing user experiences for AI-powered products.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Developing leadership skills through mentoring junior designers and influencing product strategy.
• Industry Trends: Staying at the forefront of employee experience, coaching, and AI technology developments.
• Exposure to Growth Methodologies: Learning and applying growth frameworks to drive product adoption and engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to a lead role in a cutting-edge product area like AI-driven coaching. These challenges also represent significant growth opportunities for ambitious designers.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing the initial user onboarding for a new AI coaching feature, ensuring users understand its value and how to interact with it?"
• "Describe a time you had to balance a strong design vision with significant technical constraints or stakeholder pushback. How did you navigate it?"
• "Imagine our AI coach provides a recommendation that a user finds controversial. How would you design the experience to handle such situations responsibly and constructively?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Culture Amp's mission to create a better world of work, and how does that resonate with your personal values?"
• "How would you contribute to mentoring and developing other designers within the team?"
• "Culture Amp emphasizes data-driven decisions. How do you integrate data and user research into your design process?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Focus: For each project, clearly articulate the business problem, your specific contribution, the design process, key decisions, and the measurable outcomes.
• AI & Leadership Highlights: Ensure your selected projects prominently showcase your experience with AI features and any leadership or mentorship responsibilities you've held.
• Interactive Elements: If possible, use interactive prototypes or live demos to showcase your work. Be ready to discuss the technical feasibility and design trade-offs.
• Q&A Readiness: Anticipate questions about your design choices, challenges encountered, and how you would approach future projects at Culture Amp.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and a clear understanding of how design drives business outcomes, especially within the context of AI and employee experience.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Culture Amp careers portal.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best highlight your experience with AI-powered features, SaaS/enterprise design, leadership, and measurable impact. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates the problem, your process, your role, and the outcomes.
• Tailor Your Resume: Emphasize keywords related to product design, UX/UI, AI, leadership, SaaS, user research, and collaboration. Quantify your achievements wherever possible.
• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio projects, focusing on storytelling, clarity, and demonstrating your strategic thinking and design process. Be ready to discuss your approach to AI design challenges and leadership.
• Research Culture Amp: Understand their mission, values, products, and the specific challenges and opportunities within the AI Coach product area. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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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