Lead Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer Company: Klaviyo Location: Boston, MA Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design Date Posted: July 29, 2025 Experience Level: 8+ Years Professional Experience Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days/week in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design direction for strategic growth initiatives, focusing on experimentation, onboarding, adoption, and monetization experiences to drive customer value and business outcomes within Klaviyo's Growth Pillar.
• Act as a high-level individual contributor, setting a strong example and providing thoughtful direction, often mentoring and coaching other designers within the product team.
• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and Researchers to shape the future of Klaviyo’s product, translating ambitious design problems into intuitive, inspirational, and high-performing features.
• Drive product growth through data-driven design decisions and a strong understanding of experimentation methodologies, ensuring shipped features deliver measurable results and iterate effectively over time.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Lead Product Designer," the description emphasizes individual contribution, mentorship, and driving product strategy, aligning with senior individual contributor (IC) roles rather than traditional management positions. The focus on "growth design" within the "Growth Pillar" specifically targets user acquisition, activation, retention, and monetization strategies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and execute the design roadmap for growth-oriented features, from initial concept and user research through to high-fidelity UI and product adoption.
• Lead and coordinate multiple complex design projects concurrently, ensuring timely delivery and alignment with team and company objectives.
• Develop comprehensive design deliverables including user flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and polished high-fidelity UI mockups.
• Organize and moderate design critiques, acting as an in-house expert to foster constructive feedback and elevate the quality of design work across the team.
• Drive process improvements within the design team, from initial creation and documentation to successful adoption and integration into daily workflows.
• Adapt and refine the design process to effectively support cross-functional problem-solving and collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, and Research.
• Contribute to the interviewing and hiring process for future design talent, helping to build and scale the Product Design team.
• Actively contribute to building and nurturing Klaviyo’s overall design culture, promoting best practices, innovation, and a user-centric approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of individual design execution, process improvement, and team influence, typical of a senior/lead individual contributor role. The emphasis on "driving measurable results," "experimentation," and "data-driven design decisions" is critical for candidates to showcase in their portfolio and interview responses.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 8+ years of professional experience in product design, with a proven track record of successfully shipping end-to-end product development cycles.

Required Skills:

• End-to-End Product Design: Demonstrated ability to manage the entire product development lifecycle, from audience definition and user research to product adoption and iteration.
• Portfolio of Work: A strong, diverse portfolio showcasing successful projects that illustrate strategic thinking, problem-solving, and user-centered design execution across various platforms.
• Product-Led Growth (PLG) Experience: Proven experience in designing and shipping product-led growth initiatives, with a clear understanding of how to leverage product features to drive acquisition, activation, retention, and monetization.
• Data-Driven Design & Experimentation: Expertise in using data analytics, user research, and A/B testing methodologies to inform design decisions and drive measurable product improvements.
• Collaboration & Cross-Functional Leadership: Exceptional ability to collaborate effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, and other stakeholders in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Systems Thinking: Capacity to identify common design patterns and components, building scalable and consistent user experiences that support diverse use cases.
• Communication & Influence: Ability to articulate design rationale clearly, take a stand on design issues, and facilitate productive discussions to achieve optimal outcomes.
• Adaptability & Growth Mindset: Flexibility to adapt the design process as needed and a proactive, growth-oriented mindset for continuous learning and on-the-spot problem-solving.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for SaaS platforms, particularly in marketing technology or e-commerce enablement.
• Proficiency in advanced prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) and user research platforms.
• Experience mentoring junior designers or leading design initiatives within a team.
• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and working within cross-functional product teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "8+ years" indicates a senior-level role. The emphasis on "product-led growth," "experimentation," and "data-driven design decisions" are key differentiators for candidates in this space. The "systems thinker" requirement points towards a need for designers who can contribute to a design system and think about scalability.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase at least 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing your process from problem identification and user research to ideation, design execution, prototyping, testing, and successful product launch.
• Growth & Experimentation Focus: Highlight projects specifically demonstrating your impact on key growth metrics (e.g., conversion rates, user activation, retention, monetization) through experimentation and data-informed design.
• Collaboration & Problem-Solving: Illustrate instances where you collaborated effectively with cross-functional teams (PM, Eng, Research) to overcome design challenges and achieve product goals.
• Systems Thinking & Scalability: Include examples that demonstrate your ability to think systemically, designing reusable components or patterns that enhance consistency and efficiency across the product.
• User-Centricity: Clearly articulate the user problems you were solving and how your design solutions addressed those needs, supported by user feedback or research insights.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Demonstrate your ability to map out user journeys and design workflows, showing how you translated user needs into logical and intuitive product flows.
• Iterative Improvement: Provide evidence of how you iterated on designs based on user feedback, data analysis, or A/B testing results, detailing the process and impact of these iterations.
• Design System Contribution: If applicable, showcase contributions to or usage of a design system, highlighting how you ensured consistency and scalability in your designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates must explicitly demonstrate experience in product-led growth and data-driven decision-making within their portfolio. The ability to articulate process and show measurable impact is paramount. Highlighting collaboration and systems thinking will strengthen applications.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $168,000 - $252,000 USD per year (Base Pay Range for US Locations).

Benefits:

• Performance-Based Incentives: Participation in the company’s annual cash bonus plan.
• Variable Compensation: Potential for variable compensation (OTE) for sales and customer success roles, though less directly applicable to this design role, it indicates a performance-driven compensation structure.
• Equity: Opportunity to receive company stock options or grants.
• Sign-On Bonuses: Potential for sign-on payments to welcome new employees.
• Comprehensive Health & Wellbeing: A full suite of health, welfare, and wellbeing benefits are provided, based on eligibility.

Working Hours: Standard full-time work hours are assumed, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected for a hybrid role and project-driven work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is a broad US-wide estimate. The actual base salary will be determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, education, and work location (Boston, MA). The mention of "Klaviyo Rewards" suggests a comprehensive total rewards philosophy.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (SaaS, Marketing Technology, E-commerce Enablement). Klaviyo operates in the rapidly growing MarTech space, providing a platform that empowers e-commerce businesses to leverage their first-party data for personalized marketing. Company Size: Klaviyo is a significant player in its market, employing a substantial number of people (specific number not provided, but implied to be large enough to have dedicated product pillars and growth teams). This size suggests a structured environment with opportunities for impact but also the need for clear processes and communication. Founded: Klaviyo was founded with the mission to empower creators to own their destiny, indicating a focus on customer success and enabling businesses through technology. This ethos likely permeates the company culture.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team is organized into "product pillars," with this role sitting within the "Growth Pillar." This structure suggests a matrixed approach where designers are aligned with specific business objectives or product areas.
• Designers work within dedicated cross-functional teams comprising Product Managers, Engineers, and Researchers, fostering close collaboration.
• The reporting structure for this Lead Designer role is likely within the Product Design leadership, with direct collaboration across various product development teams.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The company emphasizes leveraging customer data and analytics to inform product strategy and design choices.
• Experimentation: A core aspect of the Growth Pillar is driving product growth through experimentation, implying a culture that embraces A/B testing and iterative development.
• User-Centricity: The mission to "empower creators" and "delight our customers" suggests a strong focus on understanding and meeting user needs.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Klaviyo's focus on empowering creators and its position in the MarTech space means the design team will likely be highly attuned to customer success, business outcomes, and the practical application of data. The "Growth Pillar" specialization is key.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Lead Product Designer. This role is positioned as a senior individual contributor, expected to lead design efforts on complex projects, mentor others, and significantly influence product strategy. It signifies a level of expertise and autonomy beyond a standard Product Designer role. Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Director or VP of Product Design, with close day-to-day collaboration with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and Researchers within the Growth Pillar. Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on Klaviyo's revenue and customer acquisition/retention strategies by optimizing user journeys, onboarding, adoption, and monetization experiences. Success in this role directly contributes to the company's growth targets.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a formal design management role or become a recognized design leader within a specific product pillar or area.
• Specialization: Deepen expertise in product-led growth, experimentation, and e-commerce marketing technology.
• Cross-Functional Influence: Expand influence across product strategy, working more closely with executive stakeholders.
• Mentorship: Develop leadership and coaching skills by mentoring junior designers and contributing to the design team's growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: This is a senior IC role with significant influence. Growth opportunities are geared towards deepening expertise in growth design and potentially moving into design leadership or principal design roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. The role requires 3 days per week in the Boston office, indicating a collaborative, in-person work environment is valued. Office Location(s): Boston, MA. This implies a vibrant tech hub environment with opportunities for networking and industry engagement.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Design Space: Expect a workspace that encourages collaboration, with opportunities for in-person design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and direct interaction with cross-functional team members.
• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design and prototyping tools (likely Figma, given current industry trends) and collaboration platforms.
• Team Interaction: Regular interaction with product teams, fostering a shared sense of ownership and iterative development.

Work Schedule: While specific hours aren't detailed, a hybrid role typically accommodates standard business hours with some flexibility. The focus on "shipping product" and "measurable results" suggests a results-oriented culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid requirement is firm, meaning candidates must be willing and able to commute to the Boston office three days a week. This setup prioritizes the benefits of in-person collaboration for design work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application & Portfolio Review: Initial screening of resume and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role's requirements, particularly focusing on growth design and product-led growth examples.
• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager (likely a Design Lead or Director) and potentially a Product Manager or Engineering Lead to delve into experience, approach to design challenges, and cultural fit.
• Design Challenge/Critique: Candidates may be asked to complete a design exercise or present a case study from their portfolio, followed by a design critique session with current designers to assess their thinking, process, and communication skills.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with other team members (e.g., Researchers, Engineers) to evaluate collaboration capabilities and alignment with the broader product development team.
• Final Interview: Possibly with senior leadership (e.g., Head of Product or Design) to discuss strategic vision and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Prioritize Growth & Impact: Select case studies that prominently feature your work on product-led growth initiatives and clearly articulate the measurable impact you achieved (e.g., metrics, KPIs).
• Showcase Your Process: Clearly outline your end-to-end design process, emphasizing how you used research, data, and collaboration to arrive at your solutions.
• Highlight Systems Thinking: If possible, include examples of how you contributed to or leveraged design systems, showing an understanding of scalability and consistency.
• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives, explaining the problem, your role, your thought process, the challenges faced, and the successful outcomes.
• Be Ready for Critiques: Prepare to present your work confidently and engage in constructive feedback during a design critique session.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Klaviyo's Product: Familiarize yourself with Klaviyo's platform, its target audience (e-commerce businesses), and its core value proposition.
• Growth Strategy: Be prepared to discuss strategies for user acquisition, onboarding optimization, feature adoption, and monetization within a SaaS context.
• Data & Experimentation: Anticipate questions about how you use data and experimentation to drive design decisions and measure success.
• Collaboration: Think about examples of how you effectively collaborate with PMs, engineers, and researchers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely rigorous, with a strong emphasis on assessing practical design skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to drive measurable business outcomes through design. A well-curated portfolio demonstrating PLG and data-driven work is essential.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, industry standard for modern SaaS), Sketch, Adobe XD. Proficiency in at least one is expected.
• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), Jira, Confluence.
• User Research & Testing: Tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, Hotjar, or internal research platforms.
• Analytics & Data Visualization: Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Tableau, or similar tools for understanding user behavior and product performance.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Experience with product analytics platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel) to track user engagement and feature adoption.
• Familiarity with A/B testing frameworks and tools to measure the impact of design changes.
• Ability to interpret data dashboards and reports to inform design iterations.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how Klaviyo's platform integrates with CRMs and marketing automation tools is beneficial.
• Familiarity with concepts of marketing automation and customer data platforms (CDPs) is relevant.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expertise in Figma is almost a given for a role like this in a modern tech company. Proficiency with product analytics tools and a strong understanding of how to leverage data for design decisions are critical.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Focus: A deep commitment to empowering customers and delighting them with exceptional product experiences.
• Data-Driven: Relying on data and insights to guide decisions and measure impact.
• Collaboration: Working effectively across functions to achieve shared goals.
• Innovation & Experimentation: A willingness to try new approaches, test hypotheses, and learn from outcomes.
• Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for driving projects and achieving measurable results.
• Growth Mindset: Continuous learning, seeking feedback, and adapting to new challenges.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are embedded within product teams, working hand-in-hand with PMs, Engineers, and Researchers.
• Open Feedback Culture: Encouragement of design critiques and open dialogue to foster improvement and shared understanding.
• Strategic Partnership: Designers are expected to be strategic partners, contributing to product vision and roadmap discussions, not just executing visual designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Klaviyo's values likely align with a fast-paced, customer-centric, and data-driven tech environment. Designers are expected to be proactive collaborators and strategic thinkers.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Growth Metrics with User Experience: Navigating the tension between driving aggressive growth targets and ensuring a delightful, intuitive user experience.
• Complexity of SaaS Platforms: Designing for a sophisticated B2B SaaS product with diverse user roles and complex workflows.
• Driving Adoption of New Features: Ensuring users discover, understand, and effectively utilize new product capabilities.
• Continuous Iteration: Keeping pace with a dynamic product roadmap that requires frequent design updates and experiments.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Growth Design Training: Opportunities to deepen expertise in growth strategy, experimentation frameworks, and user psychology.
• Industry Exposure: Working with leading e-commerce brands and understanding their marketing challenges.
• Mentorship Programs: Formal or informal mentorship from senior designers and product leaders.
• Conferences & Workshops: Potential support for attending industry events or workshops focused on product design and growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities to hone skills in product-led growth and B2B SaaS design within a high-impact area of the company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Growth Design Approach: "Describe your process for designing features aimed at driving user acquisition, activation, or monetization. How do you incorporate experimentation and data into your workflow?" (Prepare with a case study emphasizing these aspects).
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: "Tell me about a time you had to influence Product Managers or Engineers on a design decision. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on communication, data, and partnership).
• Problem Solving: "Walk me through a complex design problem you solved. What was the challenge, how did you break it down, and what was your solution?" (Highlight your systematic thinking and iterative process).
• Company & Culture Fit: "What interests you about Klaviyo and this specific role? How do you see yourself contributing to our design culture and Growth Pillar?" (Research Klaviyo's mission, values, and recent news).
• Team Dynamics: "How do you prefer to give and receive design feedback? Describe your ideal collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers." (Emphasize your collaborative and open communication style).
• Impact Measurement: "How do you measure the success of your designs? Give an example of a design that had a significant positive impact on a key metric." (Be ready to present metrics from your portfolio).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: Lead with the results and business impact of your work. Quantify success whenever possible.
• Narrative Flow: Structure each case study as a clear story: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Outcome.
• Visual Clarity: Ensure your visuals are clean, well-organized, and effectively communicate your design solutions and user flows.
• Highlight Collaboration: Explicitly mention how you collaborated with cross-functional partners and how that collaboration influenced the outcome.
• Showcase Iteration: Demonstrate your ability to learn and adapt by showing how designs evolved based on feedback or data.

Challenge Preparation:

• Scenario-Based Thinking: Be prepared for hypothetical design challenges related to Klaviyo's product or growth objectives.
• Whiteboarding Skills: Practice articulating your thought process verbally and visually, even if the challenge is theoretical.
• Time Management: If given a timed exercise, practice pacing yourself to cover key aspects of the design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should meticulously prepare case studies that highlight product-led growth and data-driven outcomes. Be ready to discuss your process in detail and articulate the business impact of your design decisions.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the official Klaviyo careers portal via the provided URL.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to showcase 2-3 strong case studies focusing on product-led growth, experimentation, and measurable impact relevant to SaaS or e-commerce. Ensure your process and collaborative efforts are clearly documented.
• Resume Optimization: Highlight your 8+ years of experience, specific skills in end-to-end product design, data-driven decision-making, and collaboration. Quantify achievements where possible.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, growth strategies, and impact. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions related to collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership.
• Company Research: Thoroughly research Klaviyo, its product, mission, and recent developments. Understand the importance of the Growth Pillar and product-led growth principles.

⚠️ 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.