Staff Product Designer (Mexico, remote)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer Company: Kittl Location: Mexico (Remote) Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: Product Design / GTM Operations Date Posted: December 2, 2025 Experience Level: 6+ Years (Mid-Senior to Staff Level) Remote Status: Fully Remote (with hybrid office expectations in Berlin/London for specific events)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on shaping user experiences for a rapidly growing graphic design platform, impacting millions of creatives globally.
• The Staff Product Designer will be instrumental in redefining how AI empowers creators within the design tools ecosystem.
• Collaboration with product management, engineering, and design teams is central to translating user insights into elegant, implementable solutions.
• A strong emphasis is placed on a data-informed approach, user empathy, and driving core product engagement through innovative design.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is remote in Mexico, the company emphasizes a hybrid culture with required in-office days (Mon, Wed, Fri) at their Berlin headquarters for specific team events. This is a critical detail for candidates to understand regarding their work model and potential travel expectations outside of the primary remote work. The role's focus on AI-powered features and redefining creative tools positions it at the intersection of Product Design and Go-To-Market (GTM) operations, as the design directly influences user adoption and market positioning.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Champion user needs by conducting thorough research and usability testing to identify and address designer pain points.
• Translate research insights into elegant, user-centric design solutions that enhance the creative workflow.
• Experiment with and iterate on multiple design solutions through rapid prototyping and user testing.
• Analyze performance data to refine designs and improve user outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and data analysts to ensure seamless design implementation from concept to launch.
• Shape the user experience of AI-powered features, making them intuitive, magical, and easy for designers to adopt.
• Drive core product engagement by focusing on key areas that help users achieve their creative goals more efficiently.
• Contribute to the product roadmap by using data and user behavior insights to inform design prioritization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "Shape the AI design experience" is a strategic GTM element, as the success of AI features directly impacts user perception, adoption, and competitive differentiation. This goes beyond standard UI/UX to include how users understand and integrate new, advanced capabilities into their creative processes, influencing market perception and competitive positioning.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Not explicitly stated, but a strong portfolio and practical experience are prioritized over formal education. Experience: 6+ years of experience designing digital products, with a proven track record of delivering user-centric solutions with measurable impact.

Required Skills:

• Mastery of Figma for digital product design.
• Strong fundamentals in visual design, including layout, typography, and color theory.
• Expertise in interaction design principles for digital products.
• Proven ability to conduct user research and usability testing to derive actionable insights.
• Demonstrated experience in rapid prototyping and iterative design processes.
• Experience in analyzing performance data and using metrics to inform design decisions.
• Strong ownership mindset, with the ability to lead product areas and drive prioritization.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions clearly to cross-functional teams.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with product managers, engineers, and data analysts.
• Deep user empathy and curiosity about user behavior.
• Ability to manage multiple projects independently and meet deadlines.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for creative tools or graphic design software.
• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts and their application in user interfaces.
• Experience contributing to product strategy and roadmap development.
• Understanding of A/B testing methodologies and their application in design optimization.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "6+ years of experience designing digital products with a strong portfolio showing craft, user-centric thinking, and measurable impact" indicates a mid-to-senior level role, with potential for growth into a Staff or Principal level. The emphasis on an "Ownership mindset" and "driving prioritization" suggests this individual will operate with significant autonomy and strategic influence, characteristic of a Staff-level position.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a breadth of digital product design projects, demonstrating craft, user-centric thinking, and a clear understanding of user needs.
• Highlight projects where user research and usability testing directly informed design decisions and led to measurable improvements.
• Include examples of rapid prototyping and iterative design processes, illustrating how you tested and refined solutions.
• Present case studies that demonstrate how your designs have driven core product engagement or solved complex user problems.
• Showcase examples of visually stunning and innovative solutions that are also feasible and elegant to implement.

Process Documentation:

• Document your approach to user research, from planning and execution to synthesizing insights.
• Illustrate your workflow for translating research findings into design concepts and prototypes.
• Detail your process for collaborating with engineering and product management teams throughout the design lifecycle.
• Provide examples of how you use data and analytics to inform design iterations and measure impact.
• Showcase your methodology for designing and refining AI-powered user experiences, emphasizing intuitive interaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Staff Product Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond simply showing finished products; it must articulate the process behind the design, the strategic thinking, the problem-solving methodology, and crucially, the impact achieved. This includes demonstrating how design decisions influenced key metrics and contributed to business objectives, aligning with the data-informed and ownership-driven aspects of the role.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the Staff Product Designer title, 6+ years of experience, and the remote nature within Mexico, a competitive salary range is expected. Based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in high-growth tech companies, and considering the cost of living and market rates in Mexico, an estimated annual salary range could be MXN $900,000 - $1,500,000 (approximately USD $50,000 - $85,000), depending on specific experience, skills, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Maximise your impact: Support for professional growth and maximizing individual contribution, regardless of leadership role.
• Hackathons: Quarterly opportunities for experimentation, innovation, and developing new product concepts.
• Kittl Week: Annual global team gathering for collaboration, celebration, and inspiration.
• Flexible working hours: Core hours are 11am–5pm CET, allowing for flexibility outside of these times.
• Remote work: Up to 50 days (10 weeks) per year fully remote from anywhere globally, provided core hours are maintained.
• Learning & Development: Dedicated budget to support professional growth and skill enhancement.
• Vacation: Up to 30 vacation days per year, providing ample time for rest and rejuvenation.
• #LI-remote: This designation signifies a role that is fully remote.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are tied to a CET timezone (11 am - 5 pm CET core hours), which translates to approximately 40 hours per week. This structure allows for flexibility while ensuring team alignment during key collaboration periods.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on research of senior product designer roles in tech, adjusted for the Mexico market, and considering the company's funding and rapid growth stage. The hybrid work policy, while primarily remote for Mexico, includes mandatory office days in Berlin at specific times. This is a critical factor impacting the "remote" definition for this role and should be clarified with the employer.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Graphic Design Software / Creative Technology / AI Company Size: 120+ team members. This size indicates a stage of significant growth, moving beyond a small startup but still maintaining agility and a strong sense of mission. It allows for specialized teams while fostering cross-functional collaboration. Founded: Kittl was founded relatively recently, gaining millions of users within two years, highlighting its rapid product-market fit and innovative approach. This implies a dynamic, fast-paced, and forward-thinking culture.

Team Structure:

• The design team is likely structured to support product areas, with a strong emphasis on collaboration with Product Management and Engineering.
• As a Staff Designer, you'll operate at a senior level, potentially mentoring junior designers and influencing design strategy across multiple product initiatives.
• Cross-functional collaboration is a core tenet, with designers actively partnering with engineers, product managers, and data analysts to drive product development.
• The company culture is described as "engineer driven," suggesting a data-backed, logical, and iterative approach to product development, where design plays a crucial role in translating technical capabilities into user-friendly experiences.

Methodology:

• Kittl operates as a "truly product-led company," meaning the product itself is the primary driver of customer acquisition, engagement, and retention. This necessitates a strong focus on user experience and continuous product improvement.
• A "data-informed" approach is emphasized, indicating that decisions are backed by user behavior data, A/B testing, and performance metrics.
• Rapid iteration and experimentation are key, fueled by quarterly hackathons and a culture that encourages pushing boundaries.
• The company is committed to redefining AI's role in creative tools, positioning design as central to making complex technology accessible and delightful for users.

Company Website: www.kittl.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's rapid growth and significant funding suggest a high-performance culture where innovation and impact are highly valued. The "engineer driven" aspect means that design solutions will likely be evaluated on their technical feasibility and efficiency, alongside user desirability. The focus on AI integration means this role is at the forefront of a major technological shift in the creative industry.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Staff Product Designer. This level signifies a senior individual contributor role, expected to operate with significant autonomy, influence product strategy, and potentially mentor other designers. It's a position of high impact and technical leadership within the design function.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Staff Designer typically reports to a Head of Design, Design Lead, or potentially a Director of Product. They will collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads within their assigned product area. The "Chief Design Officer" interview stage indicates a well-established design leadership structure.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is directly tied to shaping the user experience of a product used by millions of creatives. By enhancing core product engagement and making AI features intuitive, the designer will directly influence user adoption, retention, and ultimately, Kittl's market position as a leading creative tool. This involves driving product-led growth through superior design.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership & Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives for key product areas, and influence the overall design strategy and culture.
• Specialization in AI Design: Deep dive into designing cutting-edge AI-powered creative tools, becoming a subject matter expert in this rapidly evolving field.
• Strategic Influence: Contribute to product roadmap decisions and influence the direction of a fast-growing, product-led company.
• Cross-functional Exposure: Work closely with engineering, product management, and executive leadership, gaining broad business acumen.
• Skill Development: Access to an L&D budget for continuous learning, conferences, and professional development tailored to design and AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" title implies a level of expertise and influence that goes beyond day-to-day task execution. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their strategic contributions, how they've influenced product direction, and how they mentor or guide others. The growth opportunities are significant for someone looking to make a substantial impact in a high-growth tech environment.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company maintains a hybrid work culture with offices in Berlin and London. While the role is remote in Mexico, there's an expectation of joining the Berlin headquarters for three specific office days per week (Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) for team collaboration and events. This is a critical aspect for candidates to understand regarding their work model.

Office Location(s): Berlin, Germany (primary hybrid office); London, UK (growing second location). Candidates based in Mexico will work remotely.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model in Berlin aims to foster in-person collaboration, brainstorming, and team cohesion for specific workdays. Remote team members are expected to maintain strong virtual collaboration practices.
• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools (Figma), likely supplemented by robust communication and project management platforms (e.g., Slack, Jira, Asana). The emphasis on data suggests access to analytics dashboards.
• Cross-functional Interaction: Opportunities for frequent interaction with product managers, engineers, data analysts, and fellow designers, both virtually and potentially in person during team events.

Work Schedule: Flexible working hours are a key benefit, with core hours from 11 am to 5 pm CET. This allows employees to structure their remaining work time around personal preferences, while ensuring availability for essential team meetings and collaborative sessions during the CET workday.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "hybrid working culture" with specific office days in Berlin is a crucial detail. While the role is remote in Mexico, the expectation of being in Berlin on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for office days needs careful consideration by applicants. This implies potential travel requirements and a need to align with CET working patterns for those specific days.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Recruiter Interview (30 min): Initial screening to assess general fit, motivation, and understanding of the role.
2. Design Producer & Senior Product Designer Interview (45 min): Deeper dive into design philosophy, process, and past project experience. Focus on craft and user-centric thinking.
3. Take-home Design Task + Presentation (60 min): A practical exercise to evaluate design skills, problem-solving abilities, and how you approach a given design challenge. Presentation will assess communication and rationale.
4. Interview with Chief Design Officer (45 min): Strategic discussion on design leadership, product vision, and alignment with company goals.
5. Bar Raiser Interview with Chief of Staff (45 min): Focus on cultural fit, alignment with company values, ownership, and overall impact potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to clearly showcase 3-5 of your most impactful projects. For each project, detail the problem statement, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, iteration, testing), your design solutions, and importantly, the measurable outcomes or impact achieved.
• Highlight Process Over Polish: While visual polish is important, emphasize your design thinking, problem-solving methodologies, and how you leveraged data and user insights. Show your work in progress, sketches, wireframes, and prototypes to illustrate your journey.
• Quantify Achievements: Wherever possible, use numbers and data to demonstrate the success of your designs. For example, "Increased conversion by X%", "Reduced user error rate by Y%", "Improved task completion time by Z%".
• Tailor to Kittl: Research Kittl's product and target audience. If possible, subtly tailor your presentation or select projects that align with their mission of democratizing graphic design and integrating AI.
• Articulate AI Design Experience: If you have experience with AI-powered features or complex creative tools, be ready to discuss these specifically, highlighting how you made advanced technology accessible and intuitive.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Task: For the take-home task, carefully read and understand the prompt. Identify the core problem and the expected deliverables.
• Time Management: Allocate your time effectively between research, ideation, design, and preparation for the presentation.
• Focus on Rationale: Be prepared to clearly articulate why you made specific design decisions. Your reasoning should be grounded in user needs, data, and design principles.
• Practice Presentation: Rehearse your presentation to ensure it flows logically, stays within the allotted time, and clearly conveys your thought process and design solutions. Be ready for questions about your choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process includes a "Bar Raiser" interview, a concept popularized by Amazon, which ensures a high bar for talent and cultural alignment. Candidates should be prepared for rigorous evaluation of their problem-solving skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit in addition to their design craft. The take-home task is a critical component, so ample preparation is advised.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned as a mastery requirement. This will be the primary tool for all UI/UX design, prototyping, and collaboration.
• Prototyping Tools: While Figma has robust prototyping capabilities, familiarity with other tools (e.g., InVision, ProtoPie) might be beneficial for complex interactions.
• Design Systems Management: Experience with or ability to contribute to and maintain design systems is likely expected for consistency across a growing product.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar product analytics platforms is crucial for a "data-informed approach."
• Data Visualization Tools: Ability to interpret and potentially create dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Looker) to understand user behavior and design impact.
• A/B Testing Tools: Experience with platforms that facilitate A/B testing and experimentation for design validation.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a design tool, understanding how designs integrate with CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation workflows can be beneficial for a holistic product experience.
• Collaboration & Project Management: Slack for communication, Jira or Asana for task tracking and project management are standard in such environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "data-informed approach" means that proficiency in understanding and utilizing product analytics tools is as critical as Figma mastery. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they use data to validate design decisions and measure their impact on key business metrics.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Driven to Drive Impact: A strong emphasis on achieving tangible results and making a significant contribution to the product and company's success.
• Extreme Ownership: Taking full responsibility for one's work, driving initiatives forward, and proactively solving problems without constant supervision.
• Going Above and Beyond: A culture that encourages exceeding expectations and demonstrating a commitment to excellence in all aspects of the role.
• User-Centricity: Deep empathy for users and a commitment to understanding and solving their problems through thoughtful design.
• Data-Informed Decision Making: Valuing data and metrics as essential inputs for design strategy and product development.
• Collaboration & Inclusivity: Respect for diverse backgrounds and experiences, fostering a safe and supportive environment where everyone can thrive.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Designers work closely with Product Managers to define product strategy and with Engineers to ensure seamless implementation.
• Open Communication: Encouraging clear, direct, and respectful communication to share ideas, provide feedback, and resolve challenges.
• Iterative Feedback Loops: A culture that embraces constructive feedback from peers, stakeholders, and users to continuously improve designs.
• Experimentation: A willingness to explore new ideas, test hypotheses, and learn from both successes and failures.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values "Exceptionally driven to drive impact," "takes extreme ownership & gets things done," and "goes above and beyond" define a high-performance culture. Candidates should reflect these traits in their application and interview responses, using specific examples from their past experiences.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI Complexity: Translating powerful, complex AI capabilities into intuitive, user-friendly design experiences that feel "magical, not complicated."
• Balancing Innovation with Feasibility: Pushing creative boundaries while ensuring designs are technically feasible for the engineering team to implement within product timelines.
• Driving User Adoption of New Features: Encouraging users to adopt and effectively utilize new AI-powered functionalities within their creative workflows.
• Navigating a Fast-Paced Environment: Adapting quickly to evolving product priorities, market trends, and technological advancements inherent in a high-growth tech company.
• Remote Collaboration Effectiveness: Maintaining strong team cohesion and productivity in a remote-first setting, especially with the hybrid office expectations.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Becoming a leader in designing AI-integrated creative tools, a highly sought-after skill.
• Product Strategy Contribution: Gaining experience in shaping product roadmaps and influencing business strategy through design.
• Mentorship & Leadership: Developing leadership skills by mentoring junior designers and leading design initiatives.
• Industry Exposure: Potential for attending design conferences, workshops, and engaging with industry leaders.
• Company-Provided L&D Budget: Access to resources for online courses, books, certifications, and other professional development activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in making advanced AI accessible and desirable to a broad user base of creatives. This requires a deep understanding of both user psychology and AI capabilities, making it a unique and rewarding design problem. The growth opportunities are substantial for a designer looking to shape the future of creative technology.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to translate a complex technical feature (like AI) into an intuitive user experience. What was your process, and what was the outcome?"
• "How do you balance user needs with business goals and technical constraints when designing a new product feature?"
• "Walk us through a project where you used data and user research to significantly influence the product roadmap or a design decision. What metrics did you track, and what was the impact?"
• "How do you approach leading a product area and driving prioritization as a Staff Designer?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Kittl's mission to redefine graphic design with AI?"
• "How do you embody 'extreme ownership' and 'going above and beyond' in your work?"
• "Describe your ideal collaboration dynamic with product managers and engineers."
• "How do you ensure your design decisions align with company values and contribute to product-led growth?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Structure your presentation like a story: the problem, your role and approach, the challenges faced, the solutions developed, and the measurable results.
• Focus on "Why": Be prepared to explain the rationale behind every significant design decision. Why this UI pattern? Why this user flow? Why this color?
• Demonstrate Impact: Quantify your achievements. Use data and metrics to prove the effectiveness of your designs. If direct metrics aren't available, articulate the potential impact based on user feedback or industry benchmarks.
• Showcase Process: Include sketches, wireframes, user flows, and prototypes to illustrate your journey from concept to final design. This demonstrates your problem-solving process.
• Address AI/Complexity: If you have relevant experience, highlight how you've tackled complex technical challenges or designed for AI features.
• Conciseness: Respect the time limits. Practice your presentation to be clear, engaging, and to the point.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Bar Raiser" interview, in particular, will likely focus on behavioral questions assessing your alignment with Kittl's core values of impact, ownership, and exceeding expectations. Prepare specific STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) examples for these.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.
• Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your 6+ years of digital product design experience, specific achievements with measurable impact, and proficiency in Figma and user research. Use keywords from the job description.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that demonstrate your craft, user-centric approach, and ability to drive impact. Focus on case studies that show your process and quantifiable results. Be ready to present these effectively.
• Prepare for the Take-Home Task: Understand the scope and requirements of the design task. Allocate sufficient time for thoughtful execution and clear presentation of your solution and rationale.
• Research Kittl: Familiarize yourself with Kittl's product, mission, and target audience. Understand their competitive landscape and how AI is being integrated into creative tools. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.
• Practice Behavioral Questions: Prepare STAR method answers for questions related to ownership, impact, collaboration, and problem-solving, aligning with Kittl's core values.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details, especially regarding the hybrid office expectations for Berlin and the exact nature of remote work flexibility, should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.