Senior Product Designer - Manchester, United Kingdom

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Speechify

Location: Manchester, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX) / User Interface (UI)

Date Posted: February 8, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end design process for Speechify's innovative text-to-speech products, from initial concept and research to prototyping, development, and iterative refinement.

• Enhance the user experience and interface design across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Chrome Extension, and Web App, ensuring consistency and intuitiveness.

• Play a pivotal role in shaping the product roadmap by leveraging user insights, data analytics, and strategic product thinking to identify and capitalize on key opportunities for growth and improvement.

• Contribute to the evolution of the design organization by refining internal processes, fostering a collaborative design culture, and mentoring team members.

• Focus on creating user-centric solutions that address the needs of a diverse user base, including individuals with learning differences, by deeply understanding customer feedback and market trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the raw input is for a Product Designer role, the extensive description of user needs (learning differences, dyslexia, ADD) and the company's mission to remove reading barriers strongly suggests a focus on accessible design and inclusive user experiences. This role also involves significant collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers, aligning it with GTM (Go-To-Market) operations by ensuring product features are market-ready and user-adopted. The emphasis on "pitch, prototype, test, build, ship, and refine" indicates a full-cycle product development involvement, crucial for GTM success.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design and execution of new features, from ideation and user research through to prototyping, A/B testing, and final product launch, ensuring alignment with business objectives and user needs.

• Conduct user research, including customer interviews and usability testing, to gather actionable insights that inform design decisions and product strategy, particularly for users with learning differences.

• Develop and refine user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups for mobile (iOS/Android) and web applications, demonstrating strong UX/UI design principles.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers to define product requirements, prioritize features, and translate business goals into compelling user experiences.

• Partner with Engineering teams to ensure accurate and efficient implementation of designs, providing clear specifications and actively participating in development sprints.

• Champion a data-driven design approach by analyzing user behavior metrics, conversion rates, and A/B test results to identify areas for optimization and measure design impact.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of design systems, style guides, and UI pattern libraries to ensure consistency and scalability across Speechify's product suite.

• Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies (especially in AI and audio), and best practices in product design, accessibility, and user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a full product lifecycle involvement, from strategic input ("influence the product roadmap") to tactical execution ("refine UX/UI patterns"). The mention of "pitch, prototype, test, build, ship, and refine" highlights an agile and iterative approach common in high-growth tech companies. The focus on "consumer-facing products" and "multiple platforms" indicates a need for broad design expertise and adaptability.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 5-10 years of progressive experience in product design, UX/UI design, or a similar role, with a proven track record of delivering successful consumer-facing digital products.

Required Skills:

• Product Thinking: Ability to understand business strategy, articulate the "what" and "why" behind design decisions, and collaborate with Product Managers to identify key opportunities using analytics.

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

• Collaboration: Proven experience working effectively with cross-functional teams, including Product Managers, Engineers, and stakeholders, to achieve common goals.

• Craft: Strong visual design skills, including typography, information design, layout, and micro-interactions, with a keen eye for detail and aesthetics.

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.

• Focus: Ability to manage workload effectively in a fast-paced, remote startup environment, prioritizing tasks and maintaining productivity.

• Prototyping & Testing: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes and conducting usability testing to validate design concepts.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with audio-focused products or technologies.

• Familiarity with AI-driven features and their design implications.

• Experience in designing for accessibility and inclusivity, particularly for users with learning differences.

• Knowledge of design systems and component-based design workflows.

• Experience working in a fully distributed/remote team environment.

• Understanding of front-end development principles (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to better collaborate with engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "An Ideal Candidate Should Have" section directly translates into required skills. The emphasis on "understanding what's feasible in iOS, Android, and the browser" underscores the need for practical, platform-aware design skills. The "curious about audio" and "active role at the intersection of artificial intelligence and audio" are key differentiators for this role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio showcasing a minimum of 3-5 significant projects that demonstrate the end-to-end product design lifecycle: research, discovery, prototyping, user testing, and delivery of consumer-facing products.

• Projects should highlight your ability to translate complex problems into intuitive and engaging user experiences across different platforms (mobile, web, extensions).

• Evidence of strategic product thinking, including how you used data analytics and customer feedback to inform design decisions and drive product success.

• Clear articulation of your design process, including your rationale for choices made, challenges encountered, and solutions implemented.

Process Documentation:

• Case studies within your portfolio should clearly outline the problem statement, your role and responsibilities, the design process followed, key decisions made, and the measurable impact of your work (e.g., improved conversion rates, user engagement, task completion times).

• Examples of how you have iterated on designs based on user feedback, A/B testing results, or evolving product requirements.

• Documentation of your collaborative process, showing how you worked with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description explicitly requests links to a portfolio. The "Experience" requirement, stating "demonstrate work that includes research, discovery, prototyping, and delivery of consumer-facing products across multiple platforms," directly informs the portfolio expectations. The emphasis on "product thinking," "customer-centricity," and "craft" should be visibly represented in project case studies.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and potential for equity or performance-based bonuses.

• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits, which may include private medical insurance, mental health support, and wellness stipends.

• Generous paid time off (PTO) and public holiday allowance.

• Professional development opportunities, including access to training, conferences, and workshops.

• Flexible and asynchronous work environment with the autonomy to manage your schedule.

• Opportunity to work on a product with a significant social impact, particularly for individuals with learning differences.

• Exposure to cutting-edge technologies like AI and audio processing.

Working Hours:

• The role is designed for an asynchronous, remote work environment, allowing for flexibility. While a standard full-time commitment (approximately 40 hours per week) is expected, the specific daily schedule can be adapted to individual needs and team coordination, prioritizing focus and productivity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided "What we offer" section lists several benefits. Salary is estimated based on the role's seniority, location (Manchester, UK), and industry (tech startup). The "working hours" are inferred from the "Focus" and "asynchronous work culture" mentioned.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (specifically, AI-powered Text-to-Speech Software, EdTech, Accessibility Tools)

Company Size: Approximately 200 employees. This size indicates a dynamic, agile environment where individual contributions are highly visible and impactful, but with enough structure to have dedicated teams and processes.

Founded: Speechify was founded with a mission to remove reading barriers. While the exact founding year isn't provided, its description as a high-growth startup with significant user adoption (over 50 million) and recent accolades (Google Chrome Extension of the Year, Apple Design Award) suggests a mature yet rapidly scaling company.

Team Structure:

• The product design team is part of a larger product and engineering organization, operating in a 100% distributed setting with no physical offices.

• Designers collaborate closely with Product Managers (PMs), Engineers (Frontend/Backend), and AI Research Scientists.

• The team values innovation, intuition, drive, and a customer-centric approach.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using analytics and user feedback to inform product decisions and measure design impact.

• Agile & Iterative Development: The cycle of "pitch, prototype, test, build, ship, and refine" points to an agile methodology, prioritizing rapid iteration and continuous improvement.

• Asynchronous Collaboration: The fully distributed nature necessitates effective asynchronous communication and collaboration tools and practices.

• Customer-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding and addressing user needs, especially those with learning differences.

Company Website: https://speechify.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Information on company culture, size, and methodology is synthesized from the "Mission," "What You'll Do," and "What we offer" sections, highlighting Speechify's unique distributed model and its impactful product. The "Industry" is inferred from the product description and mission.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Product Designer. This level implies significant autonomy, responsibility for complex features or product areas, and the expectation to mentor junior designers. It sits firmly within the individual contributor track, with potential to move into Lead Designer or Design Management roles.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to a Head of Design, Design Lead, or potentially a Director of Product, depending on the current organizational structure. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering leads.

Operations Impact: The design team's work directly impacts user acquisition, retention, engagement, and overall product success. By improving the user experience and accessibility of Speechify's core text-to-speech functionality, designers play a critical role in achieving the company's mission and driving business growth, contributing significantly to the Go-To-Market strategy through product adoption.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Deepen expertise in UX/UI design, accessible design, AI-driven product design, and potentially specialize in specific platforms (e.g., advanced mobile UX).

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives for major features, and contribute to the strategic direction of the design organization.

• Industry Exposure: Work at the forefront of AI and audio technology, gaining experience in a rapidly evolving and impactful sector.

• Career Progression: Potential to advance to Lead Product Designer, Design Manager, or other senior leadership roles within Speechify or in other high-growth tech companies.

• Cross-functional Learning: Gain insights into product management, engineering, AI research, and business strategy through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: This analysis is based on the "Senior" title, the mention of influencing the product roadmap, and shaping the design org, implying significant growth potential beyond a standard individual contributor role. The impact is framed within the context of business growth and GTM strategy.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Speechify operates as a 100% distributed company with no physical offices. This means the work environment is entirely remote.

Office Location(s): While the role is based in Manchester, United Kingdom, the company has no physical locations. Employees work from their chosen locations globally.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the company fosters collaboration through digital tools and an asynchronous work culture. This requires proactive communication and engagement from team members.

• Technology & Tools: Employees are expected to have reliable internet access and a suitable home office setup. The company likely provides access to necessary design software, collaboration platforms, and communication tools.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for interaction occur through video calls, team meetings, Slack channels, and project-specific collaboration platforms, emphasizing documentation and asynchronous communication.

Work Schedule:

• The work schedule is flexible due to the asynchronous, remote nature of the company. While a full-time commitment is expected, individuals have autonomy to structure their days to maximize focus and productivity, balancing personal needs with team collaboration requirements. This model is well-suited for deep work and iterative design processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "100% distributed setting – Speechify has no office" is the key driver for this section. The implications for collaboration, tools, and schedule are inferred from this fundamental aspect of the company's structure.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess qualifications and alignment with the role.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A session where you present your portfolio, walking through key projects, explaining your design process, rationale, and the impact of your work. This is a critical stage for demonstrating product thinking, customer-centricity, and craft.

• Skills-Based Interview(s): Interviews focused on assessing specific skills such as product thinking, collaboration, communication, and technical proficiency. You may be asked to elaborate on how you've used analytics or handled challenging stakeholder situations.

• Design Challenge/Exercise: Potentially a take-home assignment or live exercise to evaluate your problem-solving abilities, design process, and execution skills on a specific, relevant challenge.

• Team/Cultural Fit Interview: A discussion to assess your alignment with Speechify's values, remote work culture, and your ability to collaborate effectively within a distributed team.

• Final Interview: Often with a senior leader or founder, focusing on strategic alignment, overall fit, and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects that showcase the full product design lifecycle and your ability to solve complex user problems. Prioritize consumer-facing products and multi-platform experience.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the context, your design process, the trade-offs you made, and the measurable outcomes. Quantify impact wherever possible.

• Highlight Process: Detail your research methods, user testing approaches, and how you iterated based on feedback. Show your strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Showcase Craft: Ensure your visual design is polished and demonstrates attention to detail in typography, layout, and interaction design.

• Address Inclusivity: If possible, highlight projects where you focused on accessibility or designed for specific user needs, aligning with Speechify's mission.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, how you handle disagreements, and how you use data.

Challenge Preparation:

• If a design challenge is given, treat it as a real project. Understand the brief thoroughly, define your assumptions clearly, and document your process.

• Focus on demonstrating your core competencies: problem-solving, user-centricity, strategic thinking, and design execution.

• For live challenges, manage your time effectively and communicate your thought process clearly.

📝 Enhancement Note: The application process is inferred from standard tech company hiring practices, with a strong emphasis on portfolio review as explicitly requested. Tips are tailored to highlight the specific requirements mentioned in the job description.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, as it's the industry standard for collaborative design), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects for motion).

• User Research & Testing: UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, Hotjar (for analytics and heatmaps), SurveyMonkey or Typeform for surveys.

• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides), Notion or Confluence for documentation.

• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello (likely used by PMs and Engineers, designers will interact with these).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel (for product analytics to inform design decisions).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly used by designers, understanding how CRM data (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) might inform user segmentation or product personalization could be beneficial. Automation tools like Zapier might be relevant for workflow efficiency in design processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section lists common tools used by product designers in a tech startup environment, particularly those operating remotely. Figma is a near-certainty given its industry dominance. The specific tools are inferred based on industry best practices and the need for collaboration in a distributed setting.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs, especially those with learning differences, ensuring the product is accessible and beneficial.

• Innovation & Drive: A culture that encourages bold ideas, experimentation, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on teamwork, open communication, and mutual support, even in a distributed environment.

• Focus & Autonomy: Valuing individuals who can work independently, manage their time effectively, and deliver high-quality results with minimal direct supervision.

• Impact: A shared goal of making a tangible difference in users' lives and contributing to the company's mission of removing reading barriers.

Collaboration Style:

• Asynchronous First: Communication prioritizes written documentation, clear task management, and scheduled meetings rather than constant real-time interaction. This requires thoughtful and detailed communication.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Designers work hand-in-hand with Product Managers and Engineers, fostering a shared understanding of goals and challenges.

• Feedback-Oriented: An open culture where constructive feedback is encouraged and valued to continuously improve designs and processes.

• Transparent Communication: Sharing progress, challenges, and insights openly within the team and across departments.

📝 Enhancement Note: Values and collaboration styles are inferred from keywords like "customer-centricity," "innovation," "collaboration," "focus," "autonomy," and the explicit mention of a "100% distributed setting" and "exceptional asynchronous work culture."

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Remote Collaboration Complexity: Effectively collaborating and building strong relationships with colleagues you may never meet in person, requiring exceptional communication and empathy.

• Balancing Multiple Platforms: Designing for and maintaining consistency across diverse platforms (iOS, Android, Web, Chrome Extension) while respecting platform-specific conventions.

• Rapid Iteration Cycles: Adapting to a fast-paced startup environment that requires quick turnarounds on design iterations and feature development.

• Designing for Diverse Needs: Catering to a wide range of users, particularly those with learning differences, requires deep empathy, thorough research, and a commitment to accessibility principles.

• Influencing Product Strategy: Effectively advocating for design-led solutions and influencing the product roadmap within a team of opinionated stakeholders.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Accessibility & Inclusive Design: Deepen expertise in designing for users with disabilities and learning differences, a core aspect of Speechify's mission.

• AI in Product Design: Gain hands-on experience designing features powered by artificial intelligence, a rapidly growing field.

• Distributed Work Best Practices: Develop advanced skills in asynchronous communication, remote collaboration, and self-management.

• Product Strategy & Roadmapping: Contribute to strategic product discussions and gain a deeper understanding of business drivers.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and potentially take on leadership roles within the design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are derived from the nature of the role (Senior Product Designer), company context (fast-paced startup, distributed), and product focus (accessibility, AI). Growth opportunities are aligned with these challenges and the stated company values.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Tell me about a time you influenced a product roadmap. What was the situation, your approach, and the outcome?" (Focus on how you used data and user insights).

• "Describe your process for designing a new feature from scratch for a consumer-facing product. Walk me through your research, prototyping, and testing phases." (Highlight customer-centricity and iterative design).

• "How do you ensure your designs are accessible and inclusive, especially for users with specific needs like dyslexia or ADD?" (Showcase empathy and knowledge of accessibility best practices).

• "Describe a situation where you had to collaborate with engineers or PMs who had strong but differing opinions from yours. How did you navigate that?" (Demonstrate collaboration and negotiation skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Speechify's mission to remove reading barriers?" (Show genuine interest in the impact).

• "How do you approach working in a fully distributed and asynchronous environment? What are your strategies for staying connected and productive?" (Address focus and collaboration skills).

• "What are your thoughts on the future of AI in text-to-speech technology?" (Show curiosity and forward-thinking).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: For each project, use a clear narrative: Problem > Your Role > Process > Solution > Impact.

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, use metrics (e.g., increased conversion by X%, reduced task completion time by Y%, improved user satisfaction score).

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, prototypes, mockups, user flows) to illustrate your process and solutions.

• Focus on "Why": Be prepared to explain the rationale behind every significant design decision.

• Be Conversational: Engage with the interviewers, ask clarifying questions, and make it a discussion, not a lecture.

• Tailor to Speechify: If possible, subtly weave in how your skills and experience align with Speechify's mission and product.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions are crafted to probe the core competencies and experience explicitly mentioned in the job description, with a focus on product thinking, collaboration, and user-centricity. Portfolio presentation advice is tailored to what recruiters typically look for in design roles.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Navigate to the Speechify careers page or the provided job board link and submit your resume and a link to your online portfolio.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects that demonstrate your end-to-end product design experience, focusing on consumer-facing products, multi-platform design, and ideally, any work related to accessibility or user-centric problem-solving. Quantify your impact with metrics where possible.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords and responsibilities mentioned in the job description, such as "Product Thinking," "Customer-Centricity," "UX/UI," "Prototyping," "Collaboration," and experience with "iOS," "Android," and "Web."

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your design process, rationale, and the impact of your work clearly and concisely. Practice presenting your portfolio projects, focusing on storytelling and answering potential interview questions related to strategy, collaboration, and problem-solving.

• Research Speechify: Familiarize yourself with Speechify's mission, products, recent accolades, and target audience. Understand their commitment to accessibility and their asynchronous work culture, and consider how your values align with theirs.

⚠️ 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.

---