Lead Product Designer (First Design Hire)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer (First Design Hire)

Company: Jua.ai

Location: Berlin, Germany

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: October 1, 2025

Experience Level: 7+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end UX/UI design lifecycle for Jua's advanced AI-driven weather intelligence platform, transforming complex functionality into intuitive, expert-trusted interfaces.

• Drive user research initiatives, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to translate qualitative and quantitative feedback into actionable design improvements and product strategy.

• Develop and maintain a comprehensive, modular Figma design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficient collaboration across product development teams.

• Collaborate closely with software engineers, research scientists, and go-to-market teams to ensure high-quality design implementation, resolve technical trade-offs, and deliver impactful user experiences.

• Utilize analytics tools (e.g., PostHog) to inform design decisions, measure product impact, and optimize user workflows within a data-rich technical B2B product environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as the "First Design Hire," indicating a significant opportunity for an experienced designer to establish and shape the design function, establish design processes, and build the foundational design system for a cutting-edge AI platform. The emphasis on "time-critical, expert workflows" suggests a need for highly intuitive and efficient UI design, catering to a sophisticated user base in the energy and trading sectors.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the full UX/UI design lifecycle for the web and platform, encompassing user research, concept validation, wireframing, prototyping, and final UI delivery.

• Conduct rigorous user research, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to deeply understand expert user needs and translate findings into actionable design insights.

• Define and implement a robust, modular Figma design system, complete with documentation and usage guidelines, to ensure visual and interactive consistency across all product touchpoints.

• Partner with software engineers throughout the development process to guarantee accurate design implementation, troubleshoot issues, and navigate design/development trade-offs effectively.

• Craft precise and user-friendly microcopy, including navigation labels, error messages, and tooltips, to enhance clarity, usability, and maintain brand tone.

• Leverage user behavior tracking and analytics tools (such as PostHog) to inform design iterations, measure the impact of design changes, and identify areas for optimization.

• Create and validate design concepts through user flows, personas, experience maps, wireframes, and interactive prototypes, ensuring alignment with user needs and business objectives.

• Communicate design rationale clearly and compellingly to diverse stakeholders, including engineering, research, go-to-market, and leadership teams.

• Stay abreast of the latest UX/UI trends, emerging design tools, and industry best practices to continuously elevate Jua's product design standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a comprehensive ownership of the design process, from foundational research to implementation oversight. The specific mention of PostHog indicates a strong requirement for data-driven design practices and the ability to define and utilize event taxonomies for user behavior analysis.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field would be beneficial. Equivalent practical experience will be strongly considered.

Experience: A minimum of 7 years of dedicated experience in UX/UI design, with a significant focus on B2B, data-rich technical products. Prior experience as a first or solo design hire, or as a founding designer, is highly preferred.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience leading the full UX/UI design lifecycle for complex B2B technical products.

• Proven ability to conduct user research (interviews, surveys, usability testing) and translate findings into impactful design solutions.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including creating and managing component libraries, interactive prototyping, and design system development.

• Hands-on experience with AI-assisted design tools, including the ability to prompt, evaluate, and refine AI outputs into production-ready designs.

• Strong understanding of responsive design principles, web accessibility standards (WCAG), and the creation/maintenance of design systems.

• Demonstrated experience instrumenting analytics tools like PostHog, defining event taxonomies, and utilizing user behavior data (funnels, cohorts) to inform design decisions.

• Excellent collaboration and communication skills, with a proven track record of working effectively within agile, cross-functional product teams.

• Strong written and verbal English communication skills, with confidence in presenting design rationale and work to diverse stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Foundational knowledge of front-end development technologies such as TypeScript, React, and Tailwind CSS.

• Prior experience designing for highly complex systems or specialized data-rich applications within scientific or financial domains.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Need-to-have" section explicitly details the experience level and specific tool proficiencies, reinforcing the senior nature of this role. The emphasis on PostHog and AI-assisted design tools points to a forward-thinking approach to product development and design.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio (website or PDF) is mandatory for all applicants.

• Showcase end-to-end design projects, detailing your process from initial user research and problem definition through to final UI implementation and impact.

• Highlight specific examples of how your design decisions led to measurable outcomes, such as improved user efficiency, reduced error rates, or increased adoption of complex features.

• Include case studies that demonstrate your ability to translate complex data and scientific concepts into intuitive and usable interfaces.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate your ability to create and maintain a modular Figma design system, including component documentation, style guides, and usage guidelines.

• Showcase your approach to user research, including methodologies used, synthesis of findings, and how research directly informed design iterations.

• Provide examples of your prototyping skills, illustrating how you have used interactive prototypes to validate concepts and gather user feedback.

• Detail your experience in working with analytics tools (e.g., PostHog) to define event taxonomies, set up user tracking, and leverage data to drive design decisions and measure success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio is non-negotiable and must demonstrate a broad range of design capabilities, with a strong emphasis on measurable impact and technical product design. The inclusion of PostHog and design systems points to a need for structured, data-informed, and scalable design processes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Lead Product Designers with 7+ years of experience in Berlin, Germany, specializing in technical B2B SaaS products, the estimated salary range is €75,000 - €100,000 annually. This estimate considers the cost of living in Berlin, the seniority of the role, and the company's stage (as a growing tech startup).

Benefits:

• Competitive salary package and generous stock options, reflecting the impact of a first key hire.

• Comprehensive health insurance and wellness programs.

• Opportunities for professional development, including access to training, conferences, and learning resources.

• Hybrid work environment offering flexibility with a balance of in-office collaboration and remote work.

• Opportunity to work on groundbreaking technology within a mission-driven company tackling significant climate and energy challenges.

• Collaborative and high-agency team environment with experienced engineers and researchers.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered within a hybrid work model. The emphasis on agility suggests a focus on outcomes rather than strict adherence to hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is an estimate based on industry data for a Lead Product Designer in Berlin with the specified experience. Benefits are inferred from typical startup offerings and the mention of "generous stock options" and a "hybrid environment."

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, focusing on Earth Intelligence, AI, Machine Learning, Weather Analytics, and Energy Trading. Jua operates at the intersection of advanced scientific modeling and commercial application, aiming to revolutionize how natural resources are understood and utilized.

Company Size: As a growing startup, Jua likely falls into the small to medium-sized business category (e.g., 50-200 employees). This implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment where individual contributions have a significant impact.

Founded: While the founding date is not explicitly stated, the company's mission suggests a relatively recent establishment, focused on leveraging cutting-edge technology.

Team Structure:

• The design team is currently nascent, with this role being the "First Design Hire." The designer will likely report to a Head of Product or CTO, working closely with product managers and engineering leads.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone, with daily interaction expected between design, software engineering, research science, and go-to-market teams.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is central, with a strong emphasis on leveraging analytics (e.g., PostHog) to inform product strategy and design.

• Agile methodologies are employed, enabling quick adaptation to change and rapid deployment of features.

• A performance-driven culture values agility, innovation, and customer focus, aiming for data supremacy and fact-based decision-making.

Company Website: Jua.ai

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as performance-oriented, valuing agility, innovation, and data supremacy. The "First Design Hire" status means the successful candidate will play a pivotal role in shaping the design function and its integration into the existing agile, cross-functional team structure.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a senior-level individual contributor position, designated as "Lead Product Designer." It signifies a leadership opportunity within the design function, responsible for setting the strategic direction for UX/UI design and establishing design standards. The role demands a high degree of autonomy and ownership.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Designer will likely report to a senior executive, such as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) or Head of Product. They will work in close partnership with product managers and engineering leads, forming a core product development triad.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer will have a substantial impact on Jua's success by ensuring the usability, effectiveness, and adoption of its complex AI-driven Earth intelligence platform. By translating sophisticated scientific data and algorithms into intuitive interfaces, the role directly influences user efficiency, risk management, and trading outcomes for energy companies and traders, thereby driving revenue and market competitiveness.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: As the first designer, there's a clear path to building and leading a design team, defining hiring needs, and establishing the overall design strategy for the company.

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in designing for data-rich, AI-driven technical products, and potentially explore areas like data visualization, complex workflow optimization, or advanced AI interaction design.

• Strategic Influence: Direct involvement in product strategy, influencing the roadmap and vision of a groundbreaking Earth intelligence platform, with potential for advancement into product leadership roles.

• Industry Expertise: Develop deep knowledge of the energy trading sector and the application of AI in climate and environmental solutions, becoming a subject matter expert.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Lead" title and "First Design Hire" status strongly suggest significant growth potential, not just in design leadership but also in strategic influence over product direction. This role is ideal for a designer who wants to build something from the ground up.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Jua operates a hybrid work environment, balancing the need for focused individual work with the benefits of in-person collaboration. This model suggests a modern office setup designed to foster teamwork and innovation.

Office Location(s): The primary office is located in Berlin, Germany. This location offers a vibrant tech ecosystem and a significant talent pool. Specific details regarding office amenities or accessibility would need to be confirmed.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is designed to support high-agency teams, encouraging close collaboration between designers, engineers, and research scientists.

• Access to modern design tools and technology, including Figma and potentially AI-assisted design tools, is expected.

• Opportunities for frequent interaction with cross-functional teams will be integral to the daily workflow, facilitating rapid iteration and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule (approximately 40 hours/week) is expected, with flexibility inherent in the hybrid model. The company’s emphasis on agility and performance suggests a focus on delivering results efficiently, rather than strict hours tracking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model indicates a balance between remote flexibility and in-office collaboration, which is common for tech companies aiming to foster team cohesion and innovation. The emphasis on collaboration suggests an office environment conducive to brainstorming and team sprints.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Resume and portfolio review to assess foundational skills, experience, and alignment with the "First Design Hire" requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion focused on your design philosophy, experience with complex B2B products, and your approach to user research and design systems.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Exercise: A key stage where you will present your portfolio, highlighting specific case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. You may also be given a design challenge to solve, simulating real-world problems Jua faces.

• Cross-functional Team Interviews: Meetings with engineers, product managers, and research scientists to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to integrate into the agile team.

• Final Interview: Typically with senior leadership (CTO/CEO) to discuss strategic fit, cultural alignment, and long-term vision for the design function at Jua.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 of your strongest projects that best showcase your experience with complex, data-rich B2B products, your end-to-end design process, and quantifiable impact.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the challenges you faced, your design process, your key decisions (and why), and the measurable outcomes. Use visuals (wireframes, prototypes, final UI) effectively.

• Highlight Process & Data: Emphasize your user research methodologies, how you used data (e.g., PostHog analytics) to inform decisions, and your experience with design systems and AI-assisted tools.

• Demonstrate Ownership: As the "First Design Hire," showcase instances where you've taken initiative, built foundational elements (like design systems), and driven design strategy.

• Tailor to Jua: If possible, subtly demonstrate an understanding of Jua's domain (Earth intelligence, AI, energy) and how your skills can address their specific challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research Jua's product, the weather analytics and energy trading industries, and the challenges of designing for expert users in time-critical environments.

• Focus on Process: Be prepared to articulate your thought process, not just the final solution. How would you approach research, ideation, and iteration for a given problem?

• Data-Driven Approach: If a challenge involves data interpretation or optimization, be ready to discuss how you would leverage analytics.

• Communication is Key: Practice presenting your work clearly, concisely, and persuasively, anticipating questions about your design choices and their potential impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes a strong portfolio demonstration and the ability to articulate data-driven design decisions, especially given the mention of PostHog and AI tools. The "First Design Hire" aspect means showcasing leadership and foundational experience will be critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and design system development. Advanced proficiency is a must, including component libraries, auto layout, and collaborative features.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Experience with tools that leverage AI for design ideation, generation, or refinement is a key requirement. This could include tools like Uizard, Galileo AI, or similar platforms.

• Wireframing & Prototyping Tools: While Figma is primary, familiarity with other tools for rapid ideation or specialized prototyping might be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• PostHog (or equivalent): Essential for instrumenting user behavior tracking, defining event taxonomies, building funnels and cohorts, and using insights to inform design.

• User Behavior Tracking Tools: General understanding of how to utilize analytics platforms to measure product performance and user engagement.

• Data Visualization Tools: Familiarity with tools or methods for presenting complex data insights clearly, which may be used in conjunction with design.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly mentioned for this design role, a general understanding of how design integrates with CRM systems (like Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms can be advantageous in a B2B context, especially for user onboarding or feature adoption.

• Integration Tools: Awareness of how different software components integrate can be helpful when collaborating with engineers on platform design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and PostHog is crucial. The requirement for AI-assisted design tools indicates a forward-looking approach to the design process. Understanding how design interfaces with analytics is paramount for this role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Agility & Rapid Iteration: Jua values operating at the highest clock speed, adapting quickly to change and iterating rapidly on product development. This means designers must be comfortable with fast-paced environments and iterative design processes.

• Data Supremacy & Fact-Based Decision-Making: The company relies heavily on data to guide strategy and decisions. Designers are expected to be data-informed and capable of using analytics to validate their designs and measure their impact.

• Customer Focus & Value-Centricity: Innovation is driven by user needs, aiming to provide significant value to customers in the energy and trading sectors. Designers must champion the user and ensure their solutions deliver tangible benefits.

• Transparency & Clear Communication: Open and honest communication is encouraged, fostering an environment where ideas can be shared freely and decisions are well-understood across teams.

• Ambition & Adventure: The company culture seeks individuals with drive and a willingness to take on challenging, groundbreaking work, framing it as an adventure in shaping a meaningful industry.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Design is expected to be deeply integrated with engineering, research, and go-to-market teams. Collaboration is daily and essential for rapid progress.

• High Agency & Ownership: Team members are empowered to take initiative and drive projects forward. Designers are expected to be proactive and take ownership of their work.

• Constructive Feedback: A culture that thrives on feedback, encouraging open discussion and constructive criticism to collectively improve product quality and design solutions.

• Knowledge Sharing: An environment where learnings are shared openly, contributing to a collective understanding and continuous improvement across all disciplines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values—agility, data-driven decision-making, customer focus, transparency, and a spirit of adventure—should be reflected in how a candidate approaches their work and presents their experience. Collaboration is key, and designers are expected to be proactive contributors.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing Design Foundation: As the first design hire, a significant challenge will be building the design function from the ground up, including defining processes, standards, and potentially scaling the team.

• Designing for Complexity: Translating highly complex, data-rich AI models and scientific simulations into intuitive and actionable interfaces for expert users presents a significant design challenge.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: The emphasis on rapid iteration requires designers to balance the need for speed with maintaining high standards of usability, visual design, and accessibility.

• Integrating AI-Assisted Design: Effectively leveraging AI design tools requires experimentation, evaluation, and integration into existing workflows, ensuring AI enhances rather than hinders the design process.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design Leadership Development: Opportunity to grow into a design leadership role, shaping team structure, hiring, and design strategy.

• Deep Dive into AI & Earth Intelligence: Gain specialized knowledge in designing for advanced AI applications and the complex domains of weather forecasting and energy trading.

• Mastery of Data-Driven Design: Further hone skills in using analytics (PostHog) and user behavior data to drive product decisions and demonstrate design impact.

• Building Scalable Design Systems: Develop expertise in creating and maintaining robust, modular design systems that can support rapid product growth.

• Industry Exposure: Engage with professionals in the energy and climate tech sectors, understanding their critical needs and workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a "First Design Hire" role in a fast-paced startup. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a chance to build, lead, and become a specialist in a cutting-edge field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Strategy for Complex Data: "How would you approach designing an interface for a user who needs to interpret complex, real-time weather simulation data for high-stakes trading decisions?" (Focus on your process, research methods, and how you'd break down complexity.)

• Building from Scratch: "Describe your experience in establishing design processes, systems, or teams. What would be your first 90 days as the Lead Product Designer here?" (Highlight your ability to build foundational elements and set strategic direction.)

• Data-Driven Design: "How have you used analytics (e.g., PostHog) or user behavior data to inform and iterate on your designs? Can you share a specific example of how data led to a significant design improvement?" (Emphasize your quantitative approach and impact measurement.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• Jua's Mission: "What excites you about Jua's mission to build an Earth intelligence platform, and how does your design philosophy align with our values of agility and data supremacy?" (Show research and genuine interest.)

• Collaboration in Agile Teams: "Describe a time you collaborated closely with engineers and scientists. How did you navigate trade-offs and ensure successful implementation of your designs?" (Focus on communication, problem-solving, and teamwork.)

• Impact of Design: "How do you measure the success of your design work, particularly in a B2B technical product context where user efficiency and accuracy are critical?" (Prepare to discuss metrics beyond vanity metrics.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the user, your process (research, ideation, prototyping, testing, implementation), key decisions, and measurable outcomes/impact.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use high-quality visuals of wireframes, prototypes, and final UI. Demonstrate interactivity where possible. Explain why you made specific design choices.

• Highlight Technical & Data Aspects: Specifically call out your experience with data-rich applications, your use of analytics tools (like PostHog), and how you've handled complex technical workflows.

• Emphasize Leadership Potential: Since you are the first design hire, subtly showcase instances where you've taken initiative, mentored others, or influenced product direction.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, challenges faced, and how you would adapt your approach to Jua's specific context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation focuses on demonstrating strategic thinking, data-driven design capabilities, and the ability to lead and build within a dynamic startup environment. The portfolio presentation is a critical component and should be meticulously prepared.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Jua.ai careers portal via the provided Greenhouse link.

• Ensure your resume is tailored to highlight your experience with B2B technical products, UX/UI leadership, and proficiency with relevant tools like Figma and PostHog.

• Critically, submit a portfolio (website or PDF) that clearly showcases your end-to-end design process, with a strong emphasis on usability, visual design excellence, and measurable outcomes from past projects.

• Prepare to discuss specific case studies from your portfolio that demonstrate your ability to design for complex data, work within agile teams, and utilize analytics to inform your design decisions.

• Research Jua.ai's mission, product, and the energy/weather analytics industry to articulate your understanding and enthusiasm during interviews.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions to provide a comprehensive overview. All details, especially regarding compensation, benefits, and specific interview stages, should be verified directly with Jua.ai during the application and interview process.