Junior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Junior Product Designer

Company: Clera

Location: Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX Design

Date Posted: 2026-09-05

Experience Level: 0-2 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This hands-on role involves designing end-to-end product flows, screens, and prototypes for a fast-moving B2B SaaS company specializing in AI-powered procurement tools.

• You will be instrumental in defining novel UX patterns for agentic systems, focusing on the collaboration between procurement professionals and AI.

• The position requires daily interaction with AI tools for ideation and prototyping, contributing to the development of genuinely new interaction models.

• This role offers the opportunity to own features from discovery through launch, with a strong emphasis on shipping work weekly to paying customers.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically focused on Product Design within a B2B SaaS context, emphasizing the creation of AI-powered procurement tools. The emphasis on "agentic systems" and "AI agents surfacing work" indicates a need for designers who can conceptualize and design complex human-AI collaboration workflows, a cutting-edge area in UX. The "0 to 2 years" experience level, coupled with the expectation of shipping weekly, suggests a dynamic environment where rapid iteration and practical application are key.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and develop end-to-end product flows, user interfaces, and interactive prototypes that are ready for customer deployment within rapid iteration cycles.

• Conceptualize and articulate how AI agents present tasks, how procurement professionals review and approve them, and how to foster a strong sense of trust between human users and AI systems.

• Leverage AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, v0, Figma Make) and Figma for rapid ideation, prototyping, and communication of design concepts.

• Foster close collaboration with product managers, engineers, and domain experts to streamline the design-to-development handoff process and minimize friction.

• Conduct thorough design reviews of code pull requests, performing last-mile interaction and visual refinements to ensure the quality and consistency of shipped features.

• Elevate the overall visual design and interaction standards across the product suite and actively contribute to the evolution and maintenance of the company's design system.

• Take full ownership of assigned features, guiding them from the initial discovery phase through to successful launch and subsequent iteration based on customer feedback and real-world usage data.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a full-stack design approach, from conceptualization to implementation and iteration. The mention of "reviewing pull requests" and "last-mile interaction and visual tweaks" indicates a hands-on role that bridges design and development, requiring a practical understanding of the development lifecycle. Owning features from "discovery through launch" signifies a high degree of autonomy and project management expectation for a junior role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating practical application of design principles is paramount. Candidates with degrees in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or related fields will find their education aligns well with the role's technical and creative demands.

Experience: 0 to 2 years of professional product design experience. This includes significant internships or co-op placements focused on tangible design outcomes. A portfolio showcasing shipped products is essential.

Required Skills:

• Product Design: Proven ability to design user interfaces and experiences for software products, with a focus on end-to-end product flows.

• UX Design: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, user research methodologies, and information architecture.

• Figma Proficiency: Expert-level command of Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and creating design systems.

• Prototyping: Skilled in creating interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design intent and user flows.

• Interaction Design: Strong grasp of interaction design principles, focusing on creating intuitive and efficient user journeys.

• Visual Design: Solid visual design fundamentals, including typography, color theory, layout, and branding, with an eye for detail.

• Systems Thinking: Ability to understand and design for how features interact within a larger product ecosystem, not in isolation.

• AI Tool Utilization: Daily experience using AI tools such as Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, v0, or Figma Make for ideation, content generation, and rapid prototyping.

• B2B SaaS Experience: Familiarity with designing for business-to-business software environments, understanding unique user needs and complex workflows.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders.

• Design System Consistency: Experience contributing to or utilizing design systems to ensure brand and UX consistency.

Preferred Skills:

• Prototyping in Code: Ability to prototype using HTML, CSS, or React to create more functional and realistic simulations.

• Complex Domain Design: Experience designing for non-technical users within complex or specialized domains.

• AI Interaction Models: Formed opinions and experience designing for AI interactions beyond basic chat interfaces, exploring novel ways AI can be integrated into workflows.

• Data-Heavy Product Design: Experience designing interfaces for products that handle significant amounts of data.

• Agile Development: Familiarity with agile methodologies and working in fast-paced, iterative development cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "AI tools" and "agentic systems" is critical. Candidates should highlight any experience designing for AI-assisted workflows, even if informal. The preference for HTML/CSS/React prototyping suggests the company values designers who can bridge the gap between design and implementation, especially in a small, fast-moving team.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Shipped Work: A compelling portfolio that clearly showcases products or features you have designed and that have been shipped to customers.

• End-to-End Design Process: Demonstrate your involvement across the entire design lifecycle, from initial user research and problem definition to final implementation and iteration.

• Problem/Solution Framing: Clearly articulate the user problems you were solving and the design solutions you implemented, explaining the rationale behind your decisions.

• Visual & Interaction Design Examples: Include high-fidelity mockups, interactive prototypes, and examples of your interaction design thinking.

• Design System Contribution: Showcase any contributions to or usage of design systems, emphasizing consistency and scalability.

• AI Tool Integration: If applicable, include examples of how you've leveraged AI tools in your design process or designed AI-powered features.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Illustrate your process for mapping out complex user workflows, particularly for B2B or data-intensive applications.

• Ideation & Prototyping: Document your methods for rapid ideation and prototyping, emphasizing speed and iterative refinement, especially with AI tools.

• Cross-functional Handoff: Detail your approach to collaborating with engineering and product teams, ensuring clear communication and smooth handoffs.

• User Feedback Integration: Show how you gather, analyze, and incorporate customer feedback and usage data to iterate on designs post-launch.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Junior Product Designer, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to demonstrate not just aesthetic skill but a structured approach to problem-solving and a tangible impact on shipped products. Given the role's focus on AI, any portfolio pieces that touch upon AI-assisted features or complex workflow design will be highly advantageous.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

For a Junior Product Designer (0-2 years experience) in Munich, Germany, the estimated annual salary range is typically between €45,000 and €60,000. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in major German tech hubs, considering the company's B2B SaaS focus and the specific demands of designing AI-powered tools. Factors such as the candidate's specific internship experience, portfolio strength, and the company's funding/stage can influence the final offer.

Benefits:

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance coverage compliant with German regulations.

• Paid Time Off: Generous paid vacation days and public holidays.

• Professional Development: Budget for conferences, workshops, and training to enhance design skills, particularly in AI and UX.

• Stock Options: Potential for equity participation in a fast-growing B2B SaaS company.

• Team Events: Regular team-building activities and social events to foster a strong collaborative culture.

• Modern Workspace: Access to a well-equipped, modern office space in Munich.

• Relocation Assistance: May be available for candidates relocating to Munich, subject to discussion.

Working Hours:

The standard working hours are approximately 40 hours per week. The company operates with a fast-paced, iterative culture, implying a need for flexibility and dedication. However, the emphasis is on shipping weekly, suggesting a focus on efficient work practices rather than excessive hours. Standard German labor laws regarding working hours and overtime apply.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on Munich's cost of living and tech industry standards for junior roles. Benefits are inferred based on typical offerings for B2B SaaS startups in Germany. The company's location in Germany means adherence to local labor laws is expected.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Clera operates within the B2B SaaS sector, specifically developing AI-powered procurement tools for industrial enterprises. This places them at the intersection of enterprise software, artificial intelligence, and supply chain management technology. The market is characterized by a need for efficiency, cost reduction, and digital transformation within complex industrial operations.

Company Size: Clera is described as a "fast-moving B2B SaaS company" with a "small, cross-functional team." This suggests a startup or early-stage growth company environment, likely numbering between 20-100 employees. Such environments typically foster agility, direct impact, and close collaboration.

Founded: The company was founded in 2021, indicating it is a relatively young, innovative company focused on leveraging cutting-edge AI technology to solve established business problems. This implies a culture that embraces rapid development, experimentation, and a forward-thinking approach to product development.

Team Structure:

• Small, Cross-functional Team: The design team is integrated within a broader cross-functional unit comprising product, engineering, and domain experts. This structure promotes shared ownership and efficient communication.

• Direct Reporting: A Junior Product Designer would likely report directly to a Lead Product Designer, Head of Product, or potentially a CTO, depending on the organizational structure.

• Collaborative Focus: The emphasis is on working closely with engineering and product to reduce handoff friction, suggesting a flat, collaborative dynamic where designers are embedded within development sprints.

Methodology:

• Agile & Iterative Development: The mention of shipping weekly to customers strongly indicates an agile development methodology with short development cycles and frequent releases.

• Data-Driven Design: Iteration based on customer feedback and real-world usage implies a data-informed approach to design decisions.

• Human-AI Collaboration Focus: The core of the product development revolves around defining and refining novel interaction models for human supervision and collaboration with AI systems.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on AI in procurement for industrial enterprises points to a challenging but rewarding design space. The small team size and rapid shipping cadence suggest that candidates must be adaptable, pragmatic, and comfortable with ambiguity.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Junior Product Designer, suitable for individuals with 0-2 years of experience, including strong internship backgrounds. The responsibilities indicate a role focused on executing design tasks under guidance while also having opportunities to own smaller features and contribute to broader design system efforts.

Reporting Structure: The Junior Product Designer will likely report to a senior design lead or a product manager. They will work within a small, cross-functional team, collaborating closely with engineers and product specialists. This structure allows for direct mentorship and exposure to senior-level decision-making.

Operations Impact: While this is a product design role, its impact on "operations" is significant through the development of AI-powered procurement tools. By improving the efficiency and effectiveness of procurement processes, the design directly contributes to the operational efficiency and cost savings of Clera's industrial enterprise clients. The design of intuitive human-AI interfaces for these critical operational functions is key to adoption and success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in UX/UI design, interaction design, and visual design, with a specific focus on AI-driven interfaces and complex B2B workflows.

• Design System Leadership: Progress to owning and expanding the design system, potentially mentoring junior designers in the future.

• Feature Ownership & Strategy: Grow into owning larger, more complex features, contributing more significantly to product strategy and roadmap planning.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Develop a strong understanding of engineering constraints, product strategy, and business objectives, becoming a more holistic product thinker.

• AI Design Specialization: Become a go-to expert in designing human-AI collaborative systems, a highly sought-after skill in the evolving tech landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations" aspect in this context refers to the operational efficiency of Clera's clients through the procurement tools, rather than internal company operations. The growth path emphasizes specialization in AI design and broader product strategy contributions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is strictly on-site in Munich, Germany. This indicates a preference for in-person collaboration, team cohesion, and direct mentorship within a physical workspace.

Office Location(s): Munich, Bavaria, Germany. This is a major European tech hub, offering a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and talent. The specific office location within Munich would likely be in a business district conducive to tech companies.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The workspace is designed for close collaboration within a small, cross-functional team. Expect an environment where designers, engineers, and product managers work closely together, potentially in open-plan areas or shared project spaces.

• Tooling & Technology: Access to modern design software (Figma), AI tools, and potentially development environments for prototyping (HTML/CSS/React). The company's fast-paced nature suggests readily available and up-to-date technology.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities for spontaneous discussions, design critiques, and joint problem-solving sessions with colleagues.

Work Schedule: The role requires approximately 40 hours per week, aligning with standard German work expectations. While the company emphasizes shipping weekly, the focus is on efficient output rather than excessive hours, suggesting a professional and productive work schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Munich is a key factor for candidates. It suggests a company culture that values in-person synergy for rapid development and innovation, common in early-stage startups.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and company.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A session where candidates present their portfolio, discussing their process, decisions, and impact. This may be followed by a take-home design challenge or an on-the-spot problem-solving exercise related to AI-driven procurement workflows.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with engineers and product managers to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to integrate design into the development lifecycle.

• Final Interview: A discussion with senior leadership (e.g., Head of Product, CEO) to assess strategic thinking, cultural alignment, and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process, key decisions, and the measurable impact of your work.

• Highlight AI Experience: Emphasize any projects involving AI, complex workflows, or B2B applications. If direct AI product experience is limited, discuss how you've used AI tools in your process.

• Showcase Process: Demonstrate your thought process – sketches, wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and iterations. Explain why you made certain choices.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics or user feedback that demonstrate the success of your designs. For a junior role, showing potential and understanding is key.

• Prepare for Technical Questions: Be ready to discuss how your designs translate into development realities and your understanding of the design-to-development lifecycle.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research AI in procurement, B2B SaaS, and industrial enterprise needs. Familiarize yourself with common procurement workflows.

• Focus on Human-AI Interaction: If given a challenge, think critically about how humans and AI can best collaborate. Consider trust, transparency, and efficiency.

• Embrace Iteration: Show that you can quickly generate ideas and iterate. For on-the-spot challenges, think aloud and articulate your thought process clearly.

• Practicality: Prioritize shipping practical solutions. The company values "shipping over endless polish."

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical application, collaboration, and a focus on AI. Candidates should prepare to defend their design decisions with rationale and data, and demonstrate an understanding of the business context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI/UX design, wireframing, prototyping, and design system management. Mastery of Figma's features, including components, variants, auto layout, and collaboration tools, is expected.

• AI Tools for Design: Daily use of tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor, v0, or Figma Make for ideation, content generation, rapid prototyping, and potentially code assistance. Familiarity with how these tools can augment the design process is crucial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed, expect to utilize data from product analytics tools (e.g., Mixpanel, Amplitude, Pendo) to understand user behavior and iterate on designs. Proficiency in interpreting user data to inform design decisions is important. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the designer's primary tools, but understanding how the procurement tools integrate with potential CRM or ERP systems used by clients would be beneficial. Development & Prototyping:

• HTML, CSS, React: Preferred skills for prototyping, allowing designers to create more realistic and functional interactive mockups. This bridges the gap between design and development, essential in a fast-paced startup.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of AI tools alongside Figma highlights a key differentiator for this role. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience and comfort level with these emerging technologies in a design context.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Shipping & Iteration: A strong bias towards shipping functional products rapidly and iterating based on real-world feedback. The value is in delivering value to customers consistently.

• Collaboration & Cross-functional Alignment: Deep integration and communication with engineering and product teams to ensure seamless workflow and shared understanding.

• Problem-Solving & Pragmatism: A focus on solving real business problems for industrial enterprises with practical, effective solutions, rather than pursuing theoretical perfection.

• Innovation & AI Exploration: Embracing new technologies, particularly AI, to create novel solutions and define new interaction paradigms.

• Customer Focus: Designing with the end-user (procurement professionals) in mind, ensuring usability and value are paramount.

Collaboration Style:

• Embedded Design: Designers are part of cross-functional teams, working closely with engineers and product managers daily.

• Open Communication: Expect frequent discussions, feedback loops, and a willingness to challenge and be challenged constructively.

• Shared Ownership: The team likely shares responsibility for product success, fostering a sense of collective ownership over features and outcomes.

• Agile Cadence: Collaboration follows an agile rhythm, with regular stand-ups, sprint planning, and review sessions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture prioritizes action, collaboration, and innovation, particularly around AI. Candidates should demonstrate a proactive, team-oriented approach and a willingness to adapt quickly.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing Novel AI Interactions: Conceptualizing and designing effective user experiences for AI-driven systems where human-AI collaboration is new territory. This requires abstract thinking and user empathy.

• Balancing Speed and Quality: Delivering high-quality designs rapidly to meet weekly shipping goals without compromising core usability or visual standards.

• Complex Domain Understanding: Grasping the intricacies of industrial procurement workflows to design solutions that are genuinely valuable and efficient for enterprise users.

• Rapidly Evolving AI Landscape: Staying abreast of the fast-paced advancements in AI technology and understanding how to integrate them effectively and ethically into product design.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Gaining deep expertise in designing for AI, human-AI collaboration, and agentic systems, a rapidly growing field.

• B2B SaaS Product Strategy: Understanding the dynamics of enterprise software, customer needs, and product-market fit in the B2B space.

• Advanced Prototyping: Developing skills in coding-based prototyping (HTML, CSS, React) to create more realistic and impactful design explorations.

• Design System Evolution: Contributing to and potentially leading the development of a comprehensive design system for a growing B2B SaaS product.

• Cross-functional Acumen: Broadening understanding of engineering principles, product management, and business strategy through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge and growth opportunity lie in navigating the frontier of AI design within a practical, business-critical context. This role offers a chance to become a specialist in a highly in-demand area.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex workflow for a B2B product. What were the challenges, and how did you approach them?" (Focus on process, user needs, and iterative design).

• "How do you balance the need for rapid shipping with maintaining high design quality and attention to detail?" (Highlight pragmatism, prioritization, and understanding of trade-offs).

• "Imagine designing an interface where a procurement professional supervises an AI agent. What are the key considerations for trust, transparency, and control?" (Demonstrate systems thinking and AI interaction design principles). Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in designing AI-powered tools for procurement, specifically at Clera?" (Show research into the company, industry, and alignment with AI/B2B focus).

• "How do you approach collaboration with engineers and product managers, especially in a fast-paced environment?" (Emphasize communication, empathy, and a solutions-oriented mindset).

• "Describe a situation where you received critical feedback on your design. How did you handle it, and what did you learn?" (Show receptiveness to feedback and a growth mindset). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly define the problem statement, your role, the design process, key decisions, and the outcomes/impact.

• Highlight AI Tool Usage: If you used AI tools in your process, explain how they helped you ideate, prototype, or solve problems more efficiently.

• Showcase Iterations: Present your design evolution, demonstrating how you responded to feedback or explored different solutions.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data, metrics, or user testimonials to illustrate the success of your designs.

• Be Prepared for Technical Deep Dives: Understand how your designs translate to implementation, especially regarding interaction design and visual consistency.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expect questions that probe your understanding of AI, complex workflows, and your ability to thrive in a fast-paced, iterative environment. Your portfolio presentation should clearly articulate your thought process and impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Junior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating end-to-end design processes, B2B SaaS experience, and any work involving complex workflows or AI. Prioritize shipped work.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly states your experience level (0-2 years), relevant skills (Figma, AI tools, UX/UI), and any specific achievements in internships or projects. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Pitch: Practice walking through 1-2 key portfolio projects, focusing on your role, process, decisions, and impact. Be ready to discuss your experience with AI tools and your understanding of human-AI interaction.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Clera's product, mission, and the B2B SaaS procurement space. Understand their focus on AI-powered solutions and the challenges faced by industrial enterprises.

⚠️ 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.