Lead Product Designer - AirHelp Mobile App

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer - AirHelp Mobile App

Company: AirHelp

Location: Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / Mobile UX

Date Posted: 2026-04-23

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (2 days/week in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design for a high-growth, category-defining mobile application, driving its evolution and delivering significant value to millions of travelers globally.

• Employ a hypothesis-driven approach, framing complex problems, aligning cross-functional teams, and rapidly iterating through testing and learning to optimize user experience and business impact.

• Leverage cutting-edge AI tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude) for rapid prototyping and workflow acceleration, treating prototypes as foundational for production-ready design.

• Drive user engagement and organic growth by redesigning core app architecture, optimizing day-of-flight experiences, and introducing high-value post-flight features that foster long-term user relationships.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a critical leadership position within AirHelp's mobile product development. The emphasis on "owning the journey," "defining how the product works," and "leading mobile design" indicates a strategic role with significant autonomy and impact, requiring not just design execution but also product strategy influence. The mention of AI tools and hypothesis-driven design points to a modern, agile product development environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the complete product design lifecycle for the AirHelp mobile app, from initial problem definition and hypothesis generation through to shipped outcomes and continuous iteration.

• Spearhead the redesign and optimization of the core app architecture and key user flows to substantially boost engagement during critical day-of-flight experiences.

• Develop and implement high-value post-flight engagement strategies and features that extend the user relationship beyond a single trip, fostering loyalty and repeat usage.

• Enhance organic growth by designing inherently shareable app moments and features, transforming satisfied users into advocates and distributors.

• Drive user re-engagement by building effective habits and triggers that encourage users to return for future trips, not just immediate travel needs.

• Translate validated user insights and business objectives into polished, production-ready designs, with a keen focus on clarity, edge-case handling, and overall system alignment.

• Balance rapid exploration and iterative testing with a high standard of craft, ensuring polished and scalable design solutions.

• Contribute actively to the overall product strategy by identifying new opportunities, leading initiatives from concept to execution, and aligning design efforts with business goals.

• Elevate the design practice within the team through robust systems thinking, proactive knowledge sharing, and effective mentoring of junior designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly outline a senior-level role demanding strategic thinking, end-to-end ownership, and a focus on measurable outcomes (engagement, growth, re-engagement). The emphasis on AI tools, hypothesis-driven design, and user behavior analysis suggests a data-informed and agile product development methodology.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: Minimum of 5-10 years of progressive experience in product design, with a significant focus on mobile application development and end-to-end product ownership.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in leading and owning mobile product design from concept to launch and iteration.

• Expertise in translating user needs and business objectives into impactful product design solutions.

• Strong proficiency in design tools, with a specific emphasis on Figma for detailed UI/UX design and system development.

• Demonstrated ability to create compelling prototypes, leveraging modern tools and potentially AI assistance (e.g., Cursor, Claude) for rapid validation.

• Deep understanding of mobile UX best practices, design systems, and their application in creating scalable and consistent user experiences.

• Experience operating within a hypothesis-driven product development framework, defining problems, forming hypotheses, and validating through testing.

• Ability to analyze user behavior data and research findings to inform design decisions and product direction.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and align diverse teams.

• Experience collaborating effectively with engineering teams to ensure seamless implementation of designs.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the travel technology (TravelTech) sector.

• Familiarity with AI-powered design tools and workflows beyond basic prototyping.

• Experience in mentoring or leading design teams.

• A strong understanding of agile development methodologies and their integration with design processes.

• Experience with A/B testing and conversion rate optimization (CRO) from a design perspective.

• Familiarity with business English for effective communication with global stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of 5-10 years, coupled with the "Lead" title and responsibilities, indicates a senior individual contributor or potential team lead role. The emphasis on end-to-end ownership, mobile UX, design systems, and AI tools suggests a need for a designer who can not only execute but also strategize and influence product direction.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end ownership of complex mobile product features or entire applications, demonstrating the design process from problem identification to shipped solution.

• Include detailed case studies that highlight your hypothesis-driven approach, including problem framing, hypothesis formulation, ideation, user testing methodologies, and iteration strategies.

• Present strong examples of your proficiency with Figma, including the creation and maintenance of design systems that ensure scalability and consistency.

• Demonstrate your ability to leverage AI tools for prototyping and workflow acceleration, showcasing how these tools were integrated into your process to achieve faster validation and iteration.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your process for user research, including methods for identifying user needs, conducting usability tests, and synthesizing findings for design iteration.

• Illustrate your workflow for translating validated ideas into production-ready designs, emphasizing attention to clarity, edge cases, and system alignment.

• Explain your approach to balancing speed and craft, showing how you prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively in a fast-paced environment.

• Showcase your strategies for cross-functional collaboration, particularly with engineering teams, to ensure smooth handoffs and effective implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Lead Product Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. The emphasis on end-to-end ownership, hypothesis-driven design, AI tool integration, and metric-driven outcomes suggests a need for a candidate who can clearly articulate their process and demonstrate tangible impact, not just aesthetic design.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: €90,000 - €110,000 gross per year.

Benefits:

• Personal Development: Access to personal development plans, internal workshops, and language classes to foster continuous learning and skill enhancement.

• Mentorship: Opportunities for guidance and knowledge sharing through mentorship programs.

• Team Culture: Supportive team environment with regular team events and a mission-driven purpose.

• Wellness & Lifestyle: Choice between gym pass, childcare subsidies, transport subsidies, or travel subsidies to support personal well-being and lifestyle.

• Flexible Work: Ability to work from anywhere for up to 2 weeks per year, promoting a global workstyle and work-life balance.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with a hybrid arrangement requiring 2 days per week in the Barcelona office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is for Barcelona, Spain. Based on industry benchmarks for Lead Product Designer roles with 5-10 years of experience in major European tech hubs, this range appears competitive and aligns with market expectations for a senior design leadership position in a company like AirHelp. The benefits package highlights a strong investment in employee growth and well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Travel Technology (TravelTech), focusing on passenger rights and air travel assistance. AirHelp operates in a dynamic and often complex regulatory environment, requiring agility and a deep understanding of user needs during stressful travel situations.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the mention of "nearly one million downloads in under eight months" and a "global workstyle" suggests a rapidly scaling, medium-to-large sized tech company with a significant international presence. The hybrid work setup in Barcelona also indicates established office infrastructure.

Founded: AirHelp was founded in 2013. This history suggests a company that has evolved beyond its startup phase, possesses established processes, and has a proven track record in its market.

Team Structure:

• The role operates within a "product and engineering tribe" model, indicating cross-functional teams focused on specific product areas or missions.

• This Lead Product Designer will likely be a key figure within the mobile product team, potentially leading design efforts for the mobile app specifically.

Methodology:

• Hypothesis-Driven Development: A core operational methodology, emphasizing rapid experimentation, validation through user behavior, and data-informed decision-making.

• Agile & Iterative Design: The emphasis on moving fast, testing, and continuous improvement points to an agile product development process.

• AI-Assisted Workflows: Integration of AI tools like Cursor and Claude signifies a commitment to modernizing design and development processes for increased efficiency and speed.

• Systems Thinking: Encouraging design through a systems lens promotes scalability, maintainability, and a cohesive user experience across the product.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as autonomous, growth-oriented, and caring, with a mission to simplify air travel for passengers. The hybrid work model and flexible benefits suggest a modern employer that values work-life balance and employee well-being. The emphasis on "builders building" and "no micromanagement" points to a culture that empowers individuals.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is designated as a "Lead" Product Designer, indicating a senior individual contributor position with significant autonomy and responsibility. It sits at the intersection of hands-on design execution and product strategy, requiring the ability to influence direction, mentor others, and drive major initiatives. This level often serves as a stepping stone to Senior Lead, Principal Designer, or Design Manager roles, depending on the individual's career trajectory and the company's growth.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Lead Product Designer typically reports to a Head of Product, Director of Design, or a Senior Product Manager. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads within their assigned product tribe. The role also involves mentoring and raising the bar for design within the broader team.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer will have a direct and substantial impact on AirHelp's core product offering – the mobile app. Their work will directly influence user engagement, retention, organic growth, and the overall success of the app as a "proactive, intelligent travel assistant." By improving the user experience and driving key metrics, this role contributes significantly to AirHelp's mission and business objectives in the highly competitive travel tech market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunity to further develop leadership skills, potentially leading a small design team or contributing to the strategic direction of the design function.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in mobile UX, AI-assisted design workflows, design systems, and product strategy within the travel technology domain.

• Strategic Influence: Play a key role in shaping the future of a category-defining mobile product, impacting millions of users and contributing to significant business growth.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain extensive experience working across product management, engineering, and potentially other business units, enhancing holistic product development understanding.

• Continuous Learning: Access to personal development plans, workshops, and mentorship programs to support ongoing professional growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is framed as a significant opportunity for a seasoned product designer to make a substantial impact on a popular mobile application. The growth paths are clear, focusing on leadership, specialization, and strategic influence within a dynamic tech environment.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in AirHelp's Barcelona office, operating on a hybrid model. This suggests a professional office environment designed to support collaboration and focused work, with amenities for in-person team interaction.

Office Location(s): Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The specific office location within Barcelona is not detailed, but it's implied to be accessible for employees working a hybrid schedule.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model (2 days/week in office) is designed to foster collaboration, team cohesion, and spontaneous idea exchange, while also allowing for focused individual work.

• Tools & Technology: Employees will have access to the necessary tools and technology to perform their roles effectively, including design software (Figma), AI tools (Cursor, Claude), and communication platforms.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid setup facilitates direct interaction with product managers, engineers, and other designers, fostering a strong sense of team and shared purpose.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time work schedule (approximately 40 hours per week) is expected, with the flexibility to work remotely for up to two weeks per year. The hybrid model requires consistent in-office presence on designated days to maximize team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model in Barcelona indicates a professional office setting that balances in-person collaboration with remote flexibility, catering to modern work preferences.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio to assess suitability for the Lead Product Designer role.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: Expect to present and walk through key case studies from your portfolio, demonstrating your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. This will likely involve discussions on your hypothesis-driven approach, use of AI tools, and design system thinking.

• Product & Strategy Deep Dive: Interviews focusing on your product thinking, strategic approach to mobile app challenges, and how you identify and prioritize opportunities. You may be asked to discuss specific initiatives outlined in the job description (e.g., redesigning core architecture, driving post-flight engagement).

• Cross-functional Collaboration Assessment: Evaluation of your ability to work effectively with product managers and engineers, including your communication style, collaboration methods, and understanding of technical constraints.

• Cultural Fit Interview: Assessment of your alignment with AirHelp's values, such as autonomy, growth investment, and a caring culture. Your ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment will be key.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio around distinct case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process (hypothesis, research, ideation, testing, iteration), the solution, and the measurable results/impact.

• Showcase Process, Not Just Pixels: Emphasize your thought process, decision-making rationale, and how you used data and user feedback to drive your design. Highlight your hypothesis-driven methodology and any AI tools used for acceleration.

• Quantify Your Contributions: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. Focus on outcomes like increased engagement, conversion rates, user retention, or organic growth.

• Tailor to the Role: Highlight experience most relevant to mobile app design, end-to-end product ownership, design systems, and AI-assisted workflows. Show how your skills align with AirHelp's specific challenges and goals.

• Be Ready to Discuss Trade-offs: Prepare to discuss the trade-offs you made, why you made them, and how you balanced speed with craft.

Challenge Preparation:

• Product Thinking Exercise: Be prepared for a hypothetical product challenge, possibly involving a specific aspect of the AirHelp app or a related travel scenario. Focus on defining the problem, forming hypotheses, and outlining a design approach.

• Design System Application: You might be asked to discuss how you would maintain or expand a design system for a complex mobile application.

• AI Tool Integration: Be ready to discuss how you would leverage AI tools to accelerate specific parts of the design process in a real-world scenario.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process and portfolio review for this role will heavily scrutinize the candidate's strategic thinking, process rigor, and demonstrable impact. Expect a deep dive into how you approach problem-solving, leverage modern tools, and collaborate effectively within a product team.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for detailed UI/UX design, prototyping, and design system management. Proficiency in creating and maintaining scalable design components and styles is expected.

• AI Design Tools: Explicitly mentioned are Cursor and Claude. Experience or a strong willingness to learn and integrate these tools for rapid prototyping, idea generation, and workflow acceleration is crucial.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with other prototyping tools that facilitate user testing and interaction design might be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Mobile Analytics Platforms: Experience with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, Firebase Analytics, or similar platforms for tracking user behavior, engagement metrics, and conversion funnels.

• Data Visualization Tools: Familiarity with tools that can help interpret and present user data to inform design decisions (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, or in-platform analytics dashboards).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a design tool, understanding how design integrates with CRM (e.g., Salesforce) or marketing automation platforms can be beneficial for context, especially regarding user journeys and lifecycle marketing.

• Project Management Tools: Proficiency with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing design tasks, sprints, and collaborating with engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma, Cursor, and Claude highlights the contemporary tech stack AirHelp utilizes. Candidates should be prepared to showcase their proficiency in these tools and demonstrate how they integrate them into a modern, efficient design workflow.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Autonomy: AirHelp fosters a culture of independence and ownership, empowering individuals to make decisions and drive their work forward without micromanagement. This translates to a design environment where the Lead Product Designer is trusted to lead initiatives.

• Growth Investment: A strong emphasis on personal and professional development through plans, workshops, mentorship, and language classes. This indicates a culture that values continuous learning and skill enhancement for its employees.

• Culture That Cares: A supportive and mission-driven environment, promoting team events and a sense of shared purpose. This suggests a focus on employee well-being and fostering positive working relationships.

• Builders Building: This ethos implies a pragmatic, hands-on approach to work, where individuals are encouraged to create, innovate, and contribute directly to the product's success.

• Data-Driven & Hypothesis-Led: The core operational methodology emphasizes using data and user behavior to validate ideas and make informed design decisions, promoting a rational and impactful approach.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Collaboration is central, particularly within "product and engineering tribes." The Lead Product Designer will work closely with Product Managers and Engineers, requiring clear communication and shared understanding of goals.

• Proactive Communication: Given the hybrid and potentially distributed nature of teams, proactive and clear communication is essential. The ability to articulate design rationale and influence stakeholders is key.

• Speed and Pragmatism: The culture values moving fast and pragmatically, which extends to collaboration. This means efficient decision-making, quick feedback loops, and a focus on delivering value iteratively.

• Knowledge Sharing: The emphasis on raising the bar for design through knowledge sharing suggests a collaborative environment where designers learn from each other.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes autonomy, growth, and a hands-on, results-oriented approach. Collaboration is expected to be efficient and cross-functional, driven by data and a shared mission.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Speed and Craft: A constant challenge in fast-paced tech environments is maintaining high design quality and attention to detail while meeting aggressive timelines. The role requires strategic prioritization and knowing when to "ship" versus when to "refine."

• Driving Adoption of New Features: Successfully launching and driving adoption for new features, especially those designed to change user habits (e.g., post-flight engagement), requires deep user understanding, effective A/B testing, and strong product marketing.

• Navigating Ambiguity: Operating in a rapidly evolving product space and leveraging new technologies like AI can present ambiguity. The candidate must be comfortable taking ownership and creating clarity.

• Scalability of Design Systems: As the app grows and evolves, ensuring the design system remains robust, scalable, and consistently applied across all features will be an ongoing challenge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design: Deepen expertise in leveraging AI tools for efficiency, ideation, and potentially even generative design within a professional product development context.

• Product Strategy Influence: Gain significant experience in shaping product strategy for a large-scale mobile application, impacting user growth, engagement, and retention.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Develop leadership skills by influencing product direction and collaborating closely with engineering and product management teams.

• TravelTech Domain Expertise: Build specialized knowledge within the dynamic travel technology sector, understanding user needs and market trends.

• Mentorship and Skill Advancement: Benefit from structured mentorship programs, internal workshops, and personal development plans to continuously enhance design and leadership capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are typical for a lead role in a growing tech company, focusing on execution, strategy, and adapting to new technologies. The growth opportunities align with advancing into higher levels of design leadership and strategic product involvement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you owned the end-to-end design of a mobile app feature or product. What was the problem, your approach, the outcome, and what did you learn?" (Focus on hypothesis-driven methodology, AI tool usage, and metrics.)

• "How would you approach redesigning the core architecture of the AirHelp mobile app to significantly increase day-of-flight engagement? What would be your first steps, and how would you validate your ideas?"

• "Imagine you need to drive meaningful post-flight engagement. What kind of features or strategies would you consider, and how would you measure their success?"

• "How do you balance the need for speed in a fast-moving environment with maintaining a high bar for design quality and craft? Provide examples."

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about AirHelp and our mission to simplify air travel for passengers?"

• "How do you embody our value of 'Autonomy' in your work, and how would you contribute to a 'Culture That Cares'?"

• "Describe your experience working within cross-functional teams (product, engineering). What makes for effective collaboration?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: For each case study, focus on telling a compelling story: the problem AirHelp faces, your unique approach to solving it, the details of your design process (including AI tool integration and hypothesis testing), and the quantifiable results you achieved.

• Visual Clarity: Use clear, concise visuals. Show wireframes, prototypes, and final UI. Highlight key design decisions and the rationale behind them.

• Metrics-Driven: Dedicate a section to the impact and results. Have specific numbers ready that demonstrate user engagement, conversion, retention, or other relevant KPIs.

• Process Transparency: Be prepared to discuss the trade-offs you made, the challenges you encountered, and how you iterated based on feedback or data. Emphasize your hypothesis-driven methodology.

• AI Tool Integration: Clearly articulate where and how AI tools were used in your process, showcasing the benefits (e.g., speed, exploration).

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic product thinking, a robust and modern design process (including AI tools and hypothesis-driven methods), and a clear ability to drive measurable impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Workable.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest mobile product design case studies that best showcase your end-to-end ownership, hypothesis-driven methodology, use of AI tools, and quantifiable impact. Tailor your portfolio presentation to highlight experience relevant to AirHelp's mobile app challenges.

• Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your years of experience, specific achievements in mobile product design, proficiency in Figma and AI design tools, and any relevant experience in travel tech or hyper-growth environments. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and project outcomes concisely and compellingly. Be ready to discuss your approach to problem-solving, collaboration, and driving user engagement.

• Research AirHelp: Familiarize yourself with the AirHelp mobile app, its current features, target audience, and the company's mission. Understand the travel technology landscape and AirHelp's position within it.

⚠️ 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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