Senior Product Designer - Bucharest, Romania

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Speechify

Location: Bucharest, Romania

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: February 28, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive product innovation by pitching, prototyping, testing, building, and refining new features across Speechify's suite of applications.

• Elevate the user experience by refining UX/UI patterns for both iOS and Android mobile applications.

• Optimize critical user journeys by rethinking and improving onboarding and core user flows.

• Contribute strategically to the company's vision by influencing the product roadmap and shaping future development.

• Enhance the design function by refining processes and contributing to the growth of the design organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is for a Product Designer, its emphasis on customer-centricity, product thinking, analytics integration, and influencing the product roadmap positions it closely with GTM Operations and Product Operations functions. The role requires a deep understanding of user behavior and data to inform product strategy, a key aspect of operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Feature Development Lifecycle: Lead the end-to-end process of feature creation, from initial concept pitching and rapid prototyping to rigorous testing, successful shipping, and continuous refinement based on user feedback and performance metrics.

• Mobile UX/UI Enhancement: Systematically refine and standardize user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) patterns across Speechify's iOS and Android applications, ensuring a cohesive and intuitive design language.

• User Flow Optimization: Analyze and redesign critical user pathways, including onboarding sequences and core user flows, to enhance user engagement, comprehension, and conversion rates.

• Product Strategy Influence: Collaborate closely with Product Managers and stakeholders to inform and influence the product roadmap, translating user needs and business objectives into actionable design strategies.

• Design Operations Contribution: Actively participate in refining internal design processes, contributing to best practices, and helping to shape the overall structure and growth of the design organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on design execution and strategic input, typical for senior roles in fast-growing tech companies. The emphasis on "refining process and help shape the design org" suggests an opportunity to contribute to the operational aspects of the design team itself.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: 5-10 years of demonstrated experience in product design, with a strong portfolio showcasing research, discovery, prototyping, and delivery of consumer-facing products across multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Web).

Required Skills:

• Product Thinking & Strategy: Ability to understand business strategy and articulate the "what" and "why" behind design decisions, not just the "how." Comfort with leveraging analytics to identify key product opportunities.

• Customer-Centricity: Proven ability to engage with customers, gather feedback, and effectively integrate user insights into the design process.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Expertise in inspiring, collaborating with, and negotiating effectively with opinionated Product Managers, Engineers, and Executives.

• Design Craftsmanship: Strong skills in typography, information design, and crafting delightful micro-interactions. Understanding of audio-related design considerations.

• Platform Expertise: Solid understanding of design constraints and possibilities within iOS, Android, and web browser environments.

• Communication & Articulation: Articulate and clear communication of ideas at various resolutions. Strong written communication skills, reflecting meticulous attention to detail.

• Focus & Adaptability: Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment, knowing when to engage deeply and when to focus.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with text-to-speech (TTS) technology or audio-centric applications.

• Familiarity with AI-driven product features.

• Experience working in a fully distributed or asynchronous work environment.

• Contributions to design systems or design operations initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience level (5-10 years) and the focus on influencing product strategy and shaping the design organization suggest a senior individual contributor role with potential for growth into a lead or principal position. The mention of "negotiate with opinionated PMs, engineers, and execs" points to the need for strong stakeholder management skills, often honed in operations-adjacent roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase comprehensive case studies demonstrating the full design process, from initial user research and problem definition through wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and final product launch.

• Cross-Platform Design: Include examples of designing for multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Web), highlighting adaptability and understanding of platform-specific conventions.

• Data-Informed Design: Present projects where user analytics and customer feedback were instrumental in driving design decisions and product iterations.

• Impact & Metrics: Clearly articulate the measurable impact of your design work, using specific metrics (e.g., conversion rates, engagement, retention, task completion times) to demonstrate ROI.

• Prototyping & Iteration: Demonstrate proficiency in creating interactive prototypes and illustrate how iterative design based on testing and feedback led to improved outcomes.

Process Documentation:

• Research & Discovery Methodologies: Clearly outline the research methods employed (e.g., user interviews, surveys, competitive analysis) and how insights were synthesized to inform design strategy.

• Design Workflow & Tools: Detail your typical design workflow, including the tools used for research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Collaboration & Handoff: Illustrate processes for effective collaboration with product managers and engineers, including clear documentation and handoff procedures to ensure smooth implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role. Candidates should focus on demonstrating not just aesthetic skill but also strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and the ability to drive measurable business outcomes through design, aligning with operational efficiency and effectiveness.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Senior Product Designer with 5-10 years of experience in a high-growth tech company, and considering the cost of living in Bucharest, Romania, the estimated annual salary range is €45,000 - €70,000 (approximately $49,000 - $76,000 USD). This range can vary based on specific experience, skills, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation: A strong base salary reflecting your experience and contribution.

• Innovation-Driven Environment: Work in a dynamic setting where your contributions directly shape impactful products.

• Autonomy & Creativity: Fostering an environment that encourages focus, creativity, and independent decision-making.

• Significant Impact: The opportunity to make a substantial impact in a revolutionary industry at the intersection of AI and audio.

• Exceptional Asynchronous Work Culture: Commitment to an effective and welcoming asynchronous work environment, promoting flexibility and work-life balance.

• Life-Changing Product: The privilege of working on a product that profoundly benefits users, particularly those with learning differences.

• Cutting-Edge Domain: Active role in the rapidly evolving fields of artificial intelligence and audio technology.

Working Hours: While the role is full-time, Speechify emphasizes an exceptional asynchronous work culture. This implies flexibility in daily working hours, with a focus on results and effective communication across different time zones, rather than strict adherence to a 9-to-5 schedule. Standard full-time hours are typically around 40 per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimate is based on Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, and similar platforms for Senior Product Designer roles in Bucharest, Romania, adjusted for the tech industry and Speechify's fast-growth profile. The emphasis on asynchronous work suggests a focus on output and communication efficiency, a hallmark of well-run operations.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software, Technology, AI, Education Technology (EdTech), Accessibility. Speechify operates in a rapidly growing market focused on leveraging AI to enhance reading accessibility and efficiency.

Company Size: Approximately 200 employees. This size indicates a dynamic, agile environment where individual contributions are highly visible and impactful, but with established processes and a growing organizational structure.

Founded: Speechify was founded with a mission to remove reading barriers, rapidly growing into a major player in the text-to-speech market. This history suggests a culture driven by a strong mission and continuous innovation.

Team Structure:

• Distributed Team: Speechify operates as a 100% distributed company with no physical offices, comprising talent from diverse backgrounds and former employers like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Expect close collaboration with engineers, AI research scientists, product managers, and other designers globally. The asynchronous nature requires structured communication and clear documentation.

• Design Organization: The design team is growing and values innovation, intuition, and drive. This senior role has the opportunity to influence its processes and direction.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A strong emphasis on using analytics and customer feedback to inform product development and design iterations.

• Agile Development: Likely employing agile methodologies for rapid iteration and feature deployment.

• User-Centric Design: Deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs, especially those with learning differences.

Company Website: https://speechify.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's distributed nature and mission-driven approach are key cultural indicators. For operations professionals, this translates to a need for strong self-management, excellent asynchronous communication skills, and a comfort with remote collaboration tools and processes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This Senior Product Designer role positions you at a mid-to-senior individual contributor level. You are expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, lead design initiatives, mentor junior team members, and significantly influence product strategy. This level often serves as a stepping stone to Principal Designer, Design Lead, or Product Management roles.

Reporting Structure: You will likely report to a Head of Design, Director of Product, or a senior Product Manager. Close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineering leads is fundamental.

Operations Impact: Your work directly impacts user adoption, engagement, retention, and user satisfaction, which are critical operational metrics for Speechify's growth. By optimizing user flows and features, you contribute to key business objectives such as user acquisition, conversion rates, and overall customer lifetime value.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like AI-driven design, audio UX, or accessibility design.

• Leadership Development: Potential to move into a Design Lead or Managerial role as the design organization scales.

• Cross-Functional Transition: Opportunities to transition into Product Management or Product Operations roles, leveraging your deep understanding of user needs and product development lifecycle.

• Industry Influence: Contribute to the evolving landscape of AI and accessibility in consumer technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant growth potential beyond traditional design paths, with opportunities to influence operations and strategy. The emphasis on "shaping the design org" hints at evolving leadership responsibilities.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Speechify operates as a 100% distributed company, meaning there is no central office. Work is conducted remotely from home or co-working spaces.

Office Location(s): Employees are located globally, with a specific need for this role in Bucharest, Romania. This distributed model fosters autonomy and flexibility.

Workspace Context:

• Remote & Asynchronous: The primary work environment is remote. Asynchronous communication and collaboration are key, requiring clear documentation, well-structured updates, and proactive engagement.

• Technology-Enabled: Expect to utilize a suite of digital collaboration and design tools to communicate, design, and manage projects effectively.

• Global Team Interaction: Opportunities to collaborate with a diverse, international team, bringing varied perspectives to problem-solving.

Work Schedule: Speechify champions an "exceptional asynchronous work culture." While a full-time commitment (approx. 40 hours/week) is expected, the emphasis is on flexibility regarding specific working hours, focusing on output, responsiveness within reasonable windows, and effective communication across time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote and asynchronous nature of Speechify's work environment is a defining characteristic. Candidates must be highly self-motivated, disciplined, and adept at managing their time and communication across distances. This requires strong organizational and operational skills.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Application Review: Initial screening based on resume and portfolio. Highlight your experience in consumer-facing products, cross-platform design, and measurable impact.

2. Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion focused on your experience, product thinking, collaboration style, and alignment with Speechify's mission and culture. Be prepared to discuss your approach to user research and problem-solving.

3. Design Challenge / Portfolio Deep Dive: This may involve a take-home challenge or an in-depth review of your portfolio. Focus on presenting 2-3 key case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end design process, strategic thinking, and quantifiable results.

4. Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineers to assess collaboration skills, communication clarity, and technical understanding.

5. Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss strategic vision, leadership potential, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storytelling: Structure your case studies as compelling narratives. Clearly define the problem, your role, the process you followed, the solutions you designed, and the outcomes achieved.

• Quantify Impact: Use specific metrics and data to demonstrate the success of your designs. Show how your work contributed to business goals or improved user experience measurably.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Include mockups, wireframes, prototypes, and user flows to visually communicate your design process and solutions.

• Highlight Collaboration: If possible, mention how you collaborated with PMs and engineers, and how you navigated differing opinions.

• Tailor to Speechify: Emphasize projects related to consumer apps, cross-platform design, and any work involving accessibility or learning tools.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Product: Thoroughly familiarize yourself with Speechify's apps (iOS, Android, Chrome Extension) and its core value proposition.

• Focus on User Needs: Frame your solutions around solving real user problems, particularly those related to reading efficiency, learning, and accessibility.

• Demonstrate Process: Clearly articulate your thought process, even if the challenge is time-bound. Show how you would approach discovery, ideation, and iteration.

• Consider Technical Feasibility: While not a core requirement, showing awareness of technical constraints (iOS, Android, Web) is beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio review and potential design challenge highlights the practical, results-oriented nature of this role. Preparing to articulate your process and demonstrate measurable impact is crucial for success in this evaluation phase, akin to showcasing operational efficiency.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), InVision, Principle, Framer. Proficiency in at least one primary tool (e.g., Figma) is essential.

• User Research & Testing: UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, Hotjar, Google Analytics. Experience with tools for gathering and analyzing qualitative and quantitative user data.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Slack, Miro, Asana, Jira, Trello. Essential for communication and workflow management in a remote, asynchronous environment.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude. Ability to interpret user behavior data to identify trends, opportunities, and measure the impact of design changes.

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI (less common for pure design, but useful for understanding broader data trends).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how design impacts user acquisition and retention funnels (often managed via CRM and marketing automation) is beneficial. Familiarity with Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar platforms from a user journey perspective can be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a strong command of modern design tools and a keen understanding of how to leverage analytics and collaboration platforms to drive product development in a remote setting. Familiarity with these tools is indicative of operational proficiency in a digital product environment.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A deep commitment to Speechify's mission of making reading accessible to everyone, particularly those with learning differences.

• Innovation & Curiosity: A culture that encourages exploring new ideas, technologies (AI, audio), and approaches to design and product development.

• Customer Obsession: Prioritizing user needs and feedback, translating them into intuitive and effective product experiences.

• Autonomy & Accountability: Empowering individuals to take ownership of their work and deliver results with minimal oversight.

• Efficiency & Focus: Valuing focused work and efficient processes, especially within the context of a remote, asynchronous team.

Collaboration Style:

• Asynchronous First: Communication is primarily asynchronous, emphasizing clear, concise written communication and detailed documentation.

• Cross-Functional Partnerships: Strong emphasis on collaborative relationships with Product Management and Engineering to ensure alignment and effective execution.

• Constructive Feedback: A culture that values open and honest feedback to drive continuous improvement in both product and processes.

• Data-Informed Discussions: Debates and decisions are often grounded in data and user insights, fostering a rational and objective approach to problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values align with operational excellence: a clear mission, data-driven decisions, efficiency, and strong cross-functional collaboration are foundational to effective operations. The asynchronous nature requires a particular emphasis on clear communication and process adherence.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling a Distributed Design Org: Contributing to the development of processes and best practices that support a growing, remote design team.

• Balancing Innovation with Execution: Ensuring that creative design exploration is balanced with the need for timely product delivery in a fast-paced startup.

• Integrating AI and Audio: Navigating the complexities and opportunities of designing for cutting-edge AI and audio-centric features.

• Maintaining Consistency Across Platforms: Ensuring a cohesive and high-quality user experience across diverse platforms (iOS, Android, Web) with a remote team.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunities to hone skills in UX research, interaction design, visual design, and potentially specialized areas like accessibility or AI/ML product design.

• Product Strategy Exposure: Gain deeper insights into product strategy, roadmap planning, and business operations through close collaboration.

• Remote Work Mastery: Develop expertise in effective asynchronous communication, remote collaboration, and self-management techniques.

• Industry Exposure: Work at the forefront of AI and audio technology, contributing to a product with significant social impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are common in high-growth, remote tech companies and offer significant opportunities for skill development and career advancement, particularly in areas related to operationalizing design processes.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you influenced a product roadmap using data and user research. What was the outcome?" (Focus on your process, data points, and quantifiable results.)

• "How do you approach designing for multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Web) to ensure a consistent yet platform-appropriate experience?" (Highlight your understanding of platform conventions and design systems.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in Speechify's mission, and how does it align with your personal values?" (Connect with the mission of accessibility and learning.)

• "How do you thrive in a remote, asynchronous work environment? What strategies do you use to stay focused and collaborate effectively?" (Demonstrate self-discipline, communication skills, and understanding of remote operations.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": Clearly articulate the problem you were solving and the user needs you addressed for each case study.

• Showcase Your Process: Visually present your research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and testing phases. Explain your rationale at each step.

• Highlight Impact with Data: Dedicate a section to the measurable results of your design. Use charts or key metrics to illustrate success.

• Be Concise and Engaging: Present your work clearly and enthusiastically, allowing time for questions. Practice your narrative to ensure it flows logically and captures attention.

• Tailor Examples: Select case studies that best represent your experience with consumer-facing products, cross-platform design, and ideally, any work related to learning, accessibility, or audio.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not only design skills but also strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and operational awareness, especially regarding remote work and cross-functional collaboration.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

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

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best showcase your experience in consumer-facing products, cross-platform design, and data-driven decision-making. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your process, your solutions, and the measurable impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Update your resume to highlight keywords and responsibilities mentioned in the job description, such as "UX/UI," "product thinking," "customer-centricity," "cross-platform design," and any experience with "AI" or "audio" products. Quantify your achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, your approach to problem-solving, and your ability to collaborate effectively, especially in a remote setting. Be ready to discuss your portfolio in detail and answer strategic questions.

• Research Speechify: Thoroughly understand Speechify's mission, products, target audience, and recent achievements (e.g., awards, new features). Familiarize yourself with their current app experiences.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description is designed to provide a comprehensive overview and strategic insights for operations-minded candidates. While based on the provided information and industry standards, all details should be verified directly with Speechify during the application and interview process.