Lead Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer Company: Galvany Energy GmbH Location: Berlin, Germany Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Product Design / UX/UI Date Posted: 2025-08-15T08:49:43.448 Experience Level: 6+ Years

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic development and implementation of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design across both a complex B2B operating platform and a B2C home energy management system.
• Own the end-to-end design process, from initial user research and concept development to final handover and quality assurance, ensuring a cohesive and intuitive user journey.
• Drive the creation and maintenance of a scalable design system, including a comprehensive component library and style guidelines, to ensure consistency and efficiency across all digital products.
• Collaborate closely with engineering, product management, and other stakeholders to translate business objectives and user needs into measurable UX goals and actionable design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Lead Product Designer," the responsibilities heavily emphasize UX and UI strategy, design systems, and workflow optimization within a technology platform context. This suggests a role that blends strategic design leadership with hands-on execution, particularly focused on user-centricity within complex software environments. The mention of B2B operating platforms and B2C energy management systems indicates a need for a designer adept at handling diverse user groups and intricate functionalities.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and articulate the overarching UX/UI strategy for both the B2B operating platform and the B2C Home Energy Management System (HEMS), ensuring alignment with business goals and user needs.
• Architect, build, and maintain a robust and scalable design system, including a comprehensive component library, style guides, and best practices for consistent application design.
• Analyze and optimize complex B2B workflows for internal users (installers, support, operations) and B2C user journeys within HEMS dashboards, creating wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity visual designs.
• Plan and execute qualitative and quantitative user research, including usability testing, user interviews, and feedback sessions, translating insights directly into product backlog items and design iterations.
• Champion the translation of business and product objectives into clearly defined, measurable UX goals, prioritizing design efforts based on potential user impact and the strategic reuse of established design patterns.
• Manage the design handover process to the engineering team, conducting UI reviews and quality assurance checks to ensure adherence to design specifications, accessibility standards (WCAG), and key UX metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a critical need for strategic thinking in UX/UI development, rather than just execution. The emphasis on "workflow optimization" within a B2B context and "core journeys" for B2C systems points to a role that requires deep understanding of user flows, information architecture, and the ability to simplify complex interactions. The mention of "Business-to-UX-Translation" and "Business-to-UX-Translation" implies a strong connection to product strategy and business outcomes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience:

• A minimum of 6 years of demonstrable experience in UI/UX Design or Product Design, with a proven track record of launching successful digital products and achieving measurable outcomes.
• Extensive experience in designing complex digital products, with a strong preference for candidates who have worked in B2B SaaS, platform environments, or mobile applications.
• Proven success in translating user research findings and business requirements into effective design solutions.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in user research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative) and the ability to translate findings into actionable design decisions and product improvements.
• Mastery of UI design principles, including layout, typography, color theory, and visual hierarchy, with a strong eye for detail and aesthetics.
• Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools, specifically Figma, and experience with component-based design systems and design tokens.
• Experience in creating and maintaining design systems, including style guides and component libraries, to ensure design consistency and scalability.
• Strong understanding of modern frontend development concepts and technologies, such as React, Tailwind CSS, and Storybook, to facilitate effective collaboration with engineering teams.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and rationale clearly to diverse audiences.
• Fluent in both German and English, both written and spoken.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with Internet of Things (IoT) devices and Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS).
• Familiarity with accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and experience in ensuring inclusive design practices.
• Experience in the Climate-Tech or renewable energy sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "6+ years of experience" coupled with "launched products and measurable successes" and "complex digital products" indicates a senior-level role requiring significant autonomy and a strategic approach. The emphasis on technical proximity ("Techniknah") and specific frontend technologies like React and Tailwind suggests a designer who can effectively collaborate with developers and understand technical constraints and possibilities. The dual language requirement (German and English) is critical for this role based in Germany.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end design projects, demonstrating your process from initial user research and problem definition through to wireframing, prototyping, high-fidelity design, and handover.
• Include specific case studies that highlight your ability to analyze and optimize complex B2B workflows and B2C user journeys.
• For each case study, present clear metrics demonstrating the impact of your design solutions, such as improvements in user engagement, task completion rates, efficiency gains, or conversion rates.
• Showcase your experience in building and maintaining design systems, including examples of component libraries, style guides, and their application across multiple products or features.
• Demonstrate your understanding of user research methodologies and how you've incorporated user feedback and data into your design process to drive product improvements.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of structured design processes, including user journey mapping, information architecture design, and wireframing techniques.
• Examples of how you've collaborated with engineering teams, including design handover documentation and UI review processes.
• Documentation showcasing your approach to usability testing, A/B testing, and the integration of feedback into iterative design cycles.
• Demonstrations of how you measure and track UX key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess design effectiveness and identify areas for further optimization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio with end-to-end cases from research to handover, including metrics on impact" is a primary requirement. This indicates that candidates must not only present visually appealing designs but also demonstrate a data-driven, results-oriented approach to product design, with a clear understanding of how their work contributes to business objectives and user success. The need to showcase experience with complex B2B workflows and B2C systems is also a key differentiator.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the "Lead" title, 6+ years of experience, and the location in Berlin, Germany, a competitive salary range for a Lead Product Designer would typically fall between €70,000 and €95,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Attractive Compensation: Competitive salary package.
• Training Opportunities & Development Perspectives: Access to professional development, upskilling, and clear career progression pathways within the company.
• Hybrid Work Model: Flexibility to work from home after an initial onboarding period, allowing for a better work-life balance.
• Office in Prime Location: A well-situated office in Berlin's City West, directly by Savignyplatz, offering convenience and a desirable working environment.
• Daily Lunch: Subsidized, fresh, and healthy lunch options available daily, including vegetarian choices.
• Open Culture: Experience flat hierarchies, streamlined decision-making processes, and a collaborative, dynamic team atmosphere.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are assumed to be around 40 hours per week, with the flexibility offered by the hybrid work model.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on typical market rates for Lead Product Designers in Berlin, Germany, for individuals with 6+ years of experience, considering the company's growth phase and the tech industry context. The listed benefits align with modern tech company offerings, emphasizing professional growth, flexibility, and employee well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Climate-Tech / Energy Management. Galvany Energy GmbH operates within the rapidly evolving Climate-Tech sector, focusing on accelerating the energy transition through innovative technology solutions for decarbonized heating systems and intelligent energy management. This industry context implies a mission-driven environment with a strong emphasis on sustainability, efficiency, and technological advancement.

Company Size: Galvany is described as a "profitables, schnell wachsendes Climate-Tech-Unternehmen" (profitable, fast-growing Climate-Tech company). While exact employee numbers aren't provided, this suggests a company that has moved beyond the startup phase and is in a significant growth trajectory, likely with a dynamic and evolving team structure of perhaps 50-200 employees.

Founded: The founding date is not specified, but the company's description as "profitabel" and "schnell wachsend" indicates it's an established entity that has found product-market fit and is now scaling operations.

Team Structure:

• The design team likely operates within or closely with product and engineering departments, forming cross-functional squads.
• As a "Lead," this role would likely either manage a small team of designers or be the primary design authority for specific product areas, guiding the work of other designers or contributing significantly as an individual contributor.
• Close collaboration with product managers, engineers (frontend/backend), and potentially marketing and sales teams is expected to ensure a unified product vision and user experience.

Methodology:

• Data-driven Decision Making: The company emphasizes "KI-gestützte Operating-Plattform" and "smarte Energiemanagementlösung," suggesting a strong reliance on data analytics and AI for product development and optimization.
• Agile Development: Given the "Hypergrowth-Phase" and fast-paced nature, agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban) are likely employed for product development and design sprints.
• User-Centric Design: The core of the role is to "gestalte das Nutzungserlebnis" and "schaffen ein einfaches, intuitives und begeisterndes Nutzungserlebnis," indicating a user-centric approach to product design.

Company Website: https://galvany.de

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to "radikal zu beschleunigen" the energy transition and its focus on "klimaneutrales Wohnen" position it as a forward-thinking, impactful organization. The "Hypergrowth-Phase" suggests an exciting environment for designers to contribute significantly and grow with the company, while also presenting challenges related to rapid scaling and evolving processes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Lead" Product Designer, indicating a senior individual contributor or a potential leadership role. It signifies a high level of responsibility for shaping the product's user experience and design strategy. In the context of operations, this role is critical for ensuring the usability and efficiency of the platforms that drive business processes, from customer onboarding and management to internal operational workflows.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Designer likely reports to a Head of Product, Design Lead, or potentially a CTO, depending on the company's organizational structure. They will work closely with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially other designers.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer's work directly impacts operational efficiency by creating intuitive interfaces for internal tools (XRM platform, installer tools) and customer-facing systems (HEMS). A well-designed platform reduces training time, minimizes errors, improves data accuracy, and enhances user satisfaction, all of which contribute to smoother business operations and potentially faster adoption of Galvany's energy solutions. For B2C, user-friendly energy management can lead to cost savings for customers, increasing loyalty and retention.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: The "Lead" title provides a clear path towards formal management roles, potentially leading a design team as the company grows.
• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to significantly influence product strategy and roadmap through user-centric insights and design vision.
• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in Climate-Tech, AI-driven platforms, and complex B2B/B2C system design.
• Cross-functional Exposure: Gain broader experience by working across product, engineering, marketing, and operations teams.
• Industry Impact: Contribute to a tangible mission of accelerating the energy transition, offering a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Lead" designation is crucial. It implies not just design execution but also strategic input, mentoring, and potentially team leadership. For an operations-focused candidate, understanding how this design role impacts operational efficiency and user adoption of complex systems is key. The growth opportunities suggest a trajectory that could lead to broader product ownership or design leadership within a scaling tech company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Galvany Energy GmbH offers a hybrid work environment, combining in-office collaboration with remote flexibility. The office is described as being in a "best Lage" (prime location) in Berlin's City West, near Savignyplatz. This suggests a modern, professional, and accessible workspace designed for collaboration and productivity.

Office Location(s): The primary office is located in Berlin, Germany, specifically in the City West area, adjacent to Savignyplatz. This location is a well-connected and vibrant business district in Berlin, easily accessible via public transport.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The "offene Kultur" (open culture) with "flache Hierarchien" (flat hierarchies) and "kurze Entscheidungswege" (short decision-making paths) fosters a collaborative atmosphere where ideas are freely exchanged.
• Tools and Technology: While specific tools are listed in the "Tools & Technology Stack" section, it can be inferred that the workspace is equipped with modern design and collaboration tools necessary for efficient product development.
• Team Interaction: The hybrid model means designers will have dedicated days in the office for focused collaboration, team meetings, workshops, and building team cohesion, alongside remote workdays for focused individual tasks.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, likely adhering to standard German working hours (around 40 hours per week). The hybrid model offers flexibility, allowing employees to balance in-office and remote workdays.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the work, combined with a prime Berlin location, caters to modern professional preferences. The emphasis on "open culture" and "flat hierarchies" suggests an environment where designers can have a direct impact and voice their ideas, which is often valued in fast-paced tech companies focused on innovation.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess qualifications and fit. Be prepared to articulate your most relevant end-to-end design case studies.
• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: A discussion focused on your experience, design philosophy, approach to problem-solving, and how you handle complex design challenges. Expect questions about your portfolio examples.
• Design Challenge/Case Study Presentation: You may be asked to present a case study from your portfolio in detail, explaining your process, decisions, and outcomes, or complete a take-home design exercise. Focus on demonstrating your strategic thinking, research skills, and ability to articulate impact with metrics.
• Cross-functional Interviews: Potentially meet with Product Managers, Engineers, or other stakeholders to assess collaboration skills and technical understanding.
• Final Interview: Could be with senior leadership to discuss cultural fit, long-term vision, and alignment with the company's mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select 2-3 of your strongest end-to-end case studies that best align with the job description, particularly showcasing complex B2B workflows and B2C system design.
• Highlight Process & Rationale: For each case study, clearly explain the problem, your role, the research conducted, the design decisions made, and the rationale behind them.
• Showcase Metrics & Results: Quantify the impact of your designs with relevant metrics (e.g., conversion rate improvements, task completion time reduction, user satisfaction scores). This is a key requirement.
• Demonstrate Design System Expertise: Include examples of your work on design systems, component libraries, and how you ensure consistency.
• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as compelling narratives that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to deliver user-centered solutions.
• Prepare for Questions: Be ready to discuss any aspect of your portfolio in detail, including challenges faced and how you overcame them.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Familiarize yourself with Galvany's mission, industry (Climate-Tech, Energy Management), and target users (homeowners, installers, internal operations).
• Focus on Core Responsibilities: Anticipate tasks related to workflow optimization, design system development, and translating complex business needs into intuitive user experiences.
• Practice Articulation: Prepare to clearly explain your design process, decision-making framework, and how you measure success in a concise and compelling manner.
• Think Strategically: Consider how your design thinking aligns with business goals and user needs in the energy sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio with end-to-end cases from research to handover, including metrics on impact" is paramount. Candidates should prepare to deeply dive into their portfolio during interviews, focusing on the "why" behind their design choices and the measurable outcomes achieved. The interview process is likely structured to assess both design craft and strategic thinking.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI/UX design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is explicitly required.
• Design Systems Tools: Experience with tools for building and managing component libraries and style guides (e.g., Storybook, internal tools).
• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is mentioned, familiarity with other prototyping tools might be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Research Tools: Platforms for conducting user interviews, usability testing, and surveys (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback).
• Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or similar for tracking user behavior and product performance is advantageous for understanding user impact.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not directly a design tool, understanding how design impacts CRM data and user interactions within a CRM context can be beneficial.
• Project Management Tools: Tools like Jira, Asana, Trello for managing design tasks, sprints, and collaborating with engineering teams.
• Collaboration Tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams for daily communication and team coordination.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma, React, and Tailwind CSS indicates a modern tech stack. A designer's ability to work effectively with these technologies and understand their implications for design implementation is crucial. Familiarity with design system tooling like Storybook is also a significant plus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: Focus on creating tangible impact through design that accelerates the energy transition and makes climate-neutral living economically viable.
• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of diverse users, from homeowners to installers and internal operations teams, ensuring intuitive and valuable experiences.
• Efficiency & Optimization: A drive to streamline processes and optimize user workflows through thoughtful design, reducing friction and enhancing productivity.
• Collaboration & Transparency: An open culture with flat hierarchies that encourages open communication, shared learning, and collaborative problem-solving across teams.
• Innovation & Agility: Embracing new technologies and agile methodologies to adapt quickly to market changes and drive continuous improvement in product design.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect to work closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other departments, requiring strong communication and collaboration skills to ensure alignment and shared understanding of design goals.
• Feedback-Driven: A culture that values constructive feedback, both giving and receiving, to continuously improve designs and processes.
• Agile Cadence: Collaboration will likely follow agile development cycles, involving regular stand-ups, sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives.
• Design System Advocacy: A collaborative approach to building and maintaining the design system, ensuring its adoption and evolution across the product suite.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values seem to center around its mission, user focus, efficiency, and a collaborative, agile work environment. For a designer, understanding how these values translate into daily work—e.g., how user-centricity drives design decisions or how efficiency is achieved through design optimization—is important for cultural fit.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Dual Platforms: Designing for both a complex B2B operating platform and a B2C home energy management system requires a nuanced understanding of different user needs, workflows, and technical requirements.
• Balancing User Needs and Business Goals: Effectively translating diverse user feedback and business objectives into cohesive and impactful design solutions.
• Scaling Design Systems: Ensuring a design system remains robust, scalable, and maintainable as the company and its product offerings grow rapidly.
• Rapid Growth Environment: Navigating the fast-paced nature of a hypergrowth company, which can involve frequent changes, evolving priorities, and the need for adaptability.
• Technical Integration: Understanding and designing for technical constraints and opportunities, particularly with IoT/HEMS aspects, and collaborating effectively with technically-minded engineering teams.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Climate-Tech: Gain specialized knowledge and experience in a critical and rapidly expanding industry.
• Advanced UX/UI Strategy: Hone skills in developing and executing comprehensive UX strategies for complex digital products.
• Design System Mastery: Develop expertise in building, managing, and scaling design systems for growing product portfolios.
• Leadership Skills: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and potentially step into formal management roles.
• Cross-functional Expertise: Broaden understanding of product management, engineering practices, and business operations within a tech company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a fast-growing tech company in a complex domain. The growth opportunities are significant, offering a chance for a designer to develop both technically and strategically, with potential for leadership.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for developing a UX strategy for a new platform or feature. How do you ensure it aligns with business objectives and user needs?"
• "How do you approach optimizing complex B2B workflows? Can you share an example from your portfolio where you simplified a challenging process?"
• "Walk me through your experience building or contributing to a design system. What are the key principles you follow, and how do you ensure its adoption and maintenance?"
• "How do you prioritize design tasks when faced with multiple competing demands and limited resources?"
• "Describe a time you had to influence stakeholders who disagreed with your design recommendations. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Galvany's mission and the Climate-Tech industry?"
• "How do you see your role contributing to our goal of accelerating the energy transition?"
• "Describe your ideal team environment and how you collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers."
• "How do you stay updated on the latest design trends and technologies?"
• "What are your expectations regarding hybrid work and team collaboration?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, start with the problem statement, your specific role and contributions, the research and discovery phase, key design explorations and decisions, the final solution, and crucially, the measurable impact and outcomes.
• Quantify Your Impact: Be ready to discuss the metrics you tracked and how your designs achieved specific business or user goals. This is a critical requirement for this role.
• Demonstrate Process: Clearly articulate your design process, including user research methodologies, ideation techniques, prototyping, and testing.
• Explain Rationale: Be prepared to defend your design decisions with clear reasoning based on user needs, business goals, and best practices.
• Showcase Design System Work: If relevant, dedicate time to explaining your approach to design systems, component libraries, and ensuring design consistency.
• Be Concise and Engaging: Practice your presentation to ensure it's clear, engaging, and within a reasonable timeframe, allowing for discussion.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should heavily focus on the portfolio and the ability to articulate the "why" and "how" behind design decisions, backed by data. The company is looking for a strategic, experienced designer who can drive significant impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on join.com.
• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible (a link is preferred) and highlights your most relevant end-to-end design projects, particularly those involving complex B2B workflows or B2C platforms, and clearly displays measurable outcomes.
• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 6+ years of experience, proven successes in product design, proficiency in Figma and design systems, and strong communication skills in both German and English. Use keywords from the job description.
• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on demonstrating your strategic thinking, user research capabilities, and the impact of your designs with specific metrics. Prepare to discuss your experience with complex digital products and your understanding of the Climate-Tech sector.
• Company Research: Thoroughly research Galvany Energy GmbH's mission, products, and values. Understand their approach to the energy transition and how your design expertise can contribute to their goals, particularly in creating efficient and intuitive user experiences.

⚠️ 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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