Lead Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer

Company: Clera

Location: Vienna, Austria

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design & Branding

Date Posted: 2026-08-07

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design, branding strategy, and design team leadership for an AI communication SaaS company.

• Drive the creation of user-centric product experiences for thousands of European business customers.

• Foster a collaborative environment with founders and engineering, emphasizing rapid iteration and customer feedback loops.

• Develop and scale design systems to ensure consistent execution across multiple product areas.

• Contribute to a shipping-focused culture, delivering meaningful impact through frequent, iterative releases.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a critical leadership position within a seed-stage AI SaaS company. The emphasis on owning both hands-on design and team leadership, coupled with direct founder collaboration and customer access, indicates a high-impact opportunity for an experienced design leader looking to shape a product and team from an early stage. The specific mention of AI tools and B2B SaaS targets provides key context for the required design approach.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Hands-on Design Leadership: Execute end-to-end product design across core product areas, including user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design, brand development, and customer-facing materials.

• Team Growth & Management: Lead, mentor, and grow a design team responsible for product design, website presence, and overall brand identity, fostering a high-performing and collaborative environment.

• Customer-Centricity: Conduct regular customer interviews and user research to gather deep insights from end-users, translating findings into actionable design decisions and product improvements.

• Design System Scalability: Build, maintain, and scale robust design systems to ensure consistency, efficiency, and high-quality execution across all product touchpoints and multiple product areas.

• Brand Strategy & Execution: Define and uphold design standards for the company's brand, product, and web presence, ensuring a cohesive and impactful brand identity in the market.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with founders and engineering teams to facilitate fast decision-making, maintain short feedback loops, and ensure seamless integration of design into the development lifecycle.

• Data-Driven Iteration: Employ an analytics-driven design mindset, utilizing data to measure the impact of design decisions, identify areas for improvement, and drive iterative product enhancements.

• Shipping Culture: Champion a shipping-focused culture by prioritizing the delivery of impactful, iterative releases that quickly provide value to customers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The dual focus on hands-on design (~50%) and team leadership (~50%) is a significant aspect of this role. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate both strong individual design craft and the ability to lead and develop a team. The responsibility for setting design standards and scaling design systems indicates a strategic, foundational role within the company.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating exceptional design thinking, problem-solving skills, and a track record of successful product launches is paramount. Equivalent practical experience will be highly valued.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of comprehensive end-to-end product design experience, with a proven track record of owning and delivering multiple product areas. Demonstrated experience in design team leadership or a clear ambition to step into this role while maintaining high design craft.

Required Skills:

• Native German Speaker: Essential for deep market understanding and customer engagement within the DACH region.

• Product Design Expertise: 5+ years of end-to-end product design experience, covering UX/UI design, user flows, wireframing, and high-fidelity mockups.

• Design Leadership Potential: Demonstrated experience leading or managing a design team, or a strong, clear intent to step into design leadership while keeping craft front and centre.

• Customer Research & Insights: Proven ability to conduct customer interviews, synthesize research findings, and translate insights into impactful design decisions.

• Brand Development & Ownership: Experience in defining and owning brand identity, visual design standards, and brand execution across various platforms.

• Design System Management: Experience building, scaling, and maintaining design systems across multiple product areas to ensure consistency and efficiency.

• Data-Driven Design: A strong analytical mindset to measure design impact, use data for iteration, and justify design decisions with performance metrics.

• Figma Proficiency: Advanced skills in Figma, including complex prototyping, component-level thinking, and collaborative design workflows.

• AI-First Workflow: Hands-on experience utilizing AI tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude, v0) to enhance and accelerate the design process.

• English Proficiency: Ability to communicate effectively within an international team environment.

Preferred Skills:

• B2B SaaS Experience: Prior experience in designing for Business-to-Business Software-as-a-Service platforms.

• Professional Services Software/CRM: Familiarity with design challenges in professional services automation, CRM-like environments, or workflow management tools.

• Large-Scale Design System Maintenance: Experience maintaining and evolving a design system at scale within a growing product suite.

• Cross-Functional Leadership Collaboration: History of collaborating effectively with senior stakeholders, staff-level designers, and cross-functional leads.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Must-have" requirement for native German proficiency is a critical filter for this role, reflecting the company's primary market focus. The emphasis on AI tool usage highlights the company's forward-thinking approach to design workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing your process from problem identification through to solution and impact. These should cover product design, branding initiatives, or significant design system contributions.

• Design Leadership Examples: If you have formal management experience, include examples of how you've led, mentored, or grown a design team. If not, articulate your leadership philosophy and how you would approach team development for this role.

• Customer Research Integration: Clearly demonstrate how customer insights and research were integrated into your design process and decision-making. Include examples of user interview summaries or research findings that directly influenced design outcomes.

• Design System Showcase: Present examples of design systems you have built or significantly contributed to. Highlight their scalability, component library, and impact on team efficiency and product consistency.

• Brand Development Work: Include examples of brand identity projects, including logos, style guides, and brand collateral, showcasing your ability to set and maintain design standards.

• AI Tool Integration: Briefly describe how you've used AI tools to enhance your design workflow, focusing on efficiency gains or novel approaches.

Process Documentation:

• Problem Definition & User Flows: Articulate how you define design problems and map out user flows, demonstrating a structured approach to understanding user journeys.

• Prototyping & Iteration: Showcase your iterative design process, including the use of interactive prototypes (Figma) and how you incorporated feedback for refinement.

• Data Analysis & Design Impact: Explain how you measure the success of your designs using data and analytics, providing examples of metrics used and improvements achieved.

• Collaboration Workflows: Illustrate your collaborative processes with engineering, product management, and other stakeholders, highlighting how you ensure alignment and efficient execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is crucial for this role, especially given the emphasis on hands-on craft and end-to-end ownership. Candidates should prepare to walk through their case studies in detail, explaining their thought process, design decisions, and the measurable impact of their work.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: €80,000 – €150,000 per year. This range is competitive for a Lead Product Designer role in Vienna, Austria, particularly for a seed-stage, fast-growing tech company with significant impact potential. The exact salary will be determined by the candidate's experience, demonstrated skills, and alignment with the role's requirements.

Benefits:

• High Autonomy: Significant freedom to shape product direction and design strategy from day one.

• Direct Influence: Opportunity to have a tangible impact on product development and company strategy, working closely with founders.

• Team Growth Opportunity: Play a pivotal role in building and scaling the design function as the company grows from ~50 to 100+ employees.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Work in a dynamic, high-ownership setting with short feedback loops and frequent releases.

• Customer Access: Regular opportunities for direct engagement with end-users to build deep customer understanding.

Working Hours: While specific hours are not detailed, a full-time role in Austria typically involves around 40 hours per week. The company emphasizes a "shipping-focused culture" and "fast-moving" environment, suggesting a need for dedication and efficiency, though standard Austrian labor laws and work-life balance expectations will apply.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is broad, indicating that significant negotiation is expected based on the candidate's qualifications. The benefits highlight autonomy and impact, which are key selling points for leadership roles in early-stage companies.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: AI Communication SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) with a focus on automating inbound and outbound calls, appointment scheduling, and customer service for small and medium-sized businesses. The company operates within the rapidly evolving AI technology sector.

Company Size: Approximately 50 employees, described as seed-stage and fast-growing. This indicates a dynamic, hands-on environment where individual contributions have a significant impact.

Founded: Seed-stage company, implying a relatively young organization with a strong focus on product-market fit and rapid scaling.

Team Structure:

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Close collaboration is expected between Design, Founders, and Engineering, emphasizing agility and rapid decision-making.

• Design Team: The Lead Product Designer will own and grow the design team, which currently includes Product Design, Website, and Branding functions.

• Reporting: The Lead Product Designer will likely report directly to a founder or senior leadership member, given the scope of ownership.

Methodology:

• AI-First Approach: Leveraging AI tools to enhance design workflows and product capabilities.

• Customer-Centric Design: Deep understanding of end-users (craftsmen, medical practices, professional services) through direct customer access and regular conversations.

• Iterative Development: Driving a "shipping-focused culture" through frequent, iterative releases and short feedback loops.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing analytics to measure design impact and inform product iterations.

• Design System Implementation: Building and scaling design systems for consistency and efficiency.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on AI and its early stage suggest a culture that values innovation, agility, and direct impact. The "strong European roots" and DACH market focus are important cultural and strategic considerations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership role, specifically "Lead Product Designer." It signifies a transition from individual contributor to a manager/leader who is responsible for both individual design craft and the development and output of a design team. The role requires strategic thinking, team building, and a deep understanding of product development cycles.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Designer will work "hand-in-hand with founders and engineering." This implies a direct reporting line to a founder or a very senior executive, offering high visibility and direct access to decision-makers.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct and significant impact on the company's product, brand, and customer experience. By owning Design, Brand, and leading the Design team, the Lead Product Designer will shape how thousands of European businesses interact with Clera's AI communication platform, directly influencing customer acquisition, retention, and overall business success. The emphasis on setting design standards and scaling systems positions this role as foundational to the company's growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Team Leadership Development: Significant opportunity to hone and develop leadership skills by building and managing a design team from its early stages. This includes hiring, mentoring, and fostering a high-performing design culture.

• Strategic Influence: Direct influence on product vision, roadmap, and company-wide design strategy, contributing to the company's growth trajectory.

• Design System Maturity: Opportunity to build and evolve a sophisticated design system at scale, a valuable skill set for future senior design roles.

• Industry Expertise: Deepen expertise in AI communication SaaS, B2B product design, and customer experience within the European market.

• Career Progression: Potential to advance to Head of Design, VP of Design, or other senior leadership positions as the company scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a rare opportunity for a designer to shape a product and team from the ground up in a funded, fast-growing startup. The blend of hands-on craft and leadership is a significant draw for ambitious design professionals.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is specified as an "on-site role based in Vienna, Austria." This suggests a traditional office environment where in-person collaboration is prioritized.

Office Location(s): Vienna, Austria. Candidates are expected to be based in or willing to relocate to Vienna.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office environment likely fosters close collaboration with founders and engineering teams, facilitating quick decision-making and idea exchange.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design tools (Figma) and AI-powered design workflows will be standard. The company is described as an "AI communication SaaS company," indicating a tech-forward environment.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with colleagues across different departments, fostering a cohesive company culture and shared understanding of product goals.

Work Schedule: Full-time, on-site. While specific daily hours are not detailed, the emphasis on a "fast-moving, high-ownership environment" suggests a dedicated approach to work, balanced by standard Austrian labor practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The strict on-site requirement in Vienna is a key factor. Candidates must be willing to relocate or already be local. The collaborative nature of the work environment is a significant aspect of the role, designed to leverage direct interaction for speed and innovation.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of application, resume, and portfolio, with a strong emphasis on native German proficiency and relevant experience.

• Portfolio Review & Deep Dive: A session focused on your portfolio, where you'll walk through case studies, discuss your design process, leadership approach, and experience with AI tools and design systems. Expect in-depth questions about your decision-making rationale and impact.

• Founder/Leadership Interviews: Discussions with founders and key leadership to assess strategic thinking, cultural fit, leadership potential, and alignment with the company's vision.

• Design Team/Engineering Collaboration: Potentially an interview or working session with engineering or existing design team members to evaluate collaboration style and technical understanding.

• Case Study/Design Challenge: A practical exercise may be given, either as a take-home assignment or an in-person/virtual working session, to assess your problem-solving skills, design execution, and ability to incorporate feedback.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Prioritize Impact & Ownership: Showcase projects where you had significant ownership and delivered measurable business impact. Quantify achievements whenever possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced support tickets, increased user engagement).

• Detail Your Process: Clearly articulate your thought process for each project. Explain why you made certain design decisions, referencing customer research, data, and strategic goals.

• Highlight Leadership: For this role, explicitly showcase any experience in leading teams, mentoring junior designers, or influencing design strategy. If you haven't formally managed, emphasize instances where you took initiative, guided others, or advocated for design best practices.

• Demonstrate AI & System Proficiency: Include examples of how you've used AI tools in your workflow and how you've built or worked with design systems. Explain the benefits and challenges.

• Tailor to Clera: Research Clera's current product and brand. Be prepared to discuss how your skills and experience align with their specific needs and target market (B2B SaaS for tradespeople, medical practices, etc.).

• Native German Focus: Ensure your portfolio and any written materials are impeccable in German, or clearly state your proficiency level and how you've managed market-specific communication.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Target User: Be prepared to demonstrate an understanding of Clera's target users (e.g., small business owners, tradespeople) and their unique needs and workflows.

• Focus on Problem Solving: If given a challenge, focus on understanding the core problem first. Articulate your approach to solving it, rather than jumping straight to solutions.

• Showcase Iteration: Demonstrate how you would approach iteration based on feedback or new data, even within the constraints of a timed exercise.

• Communicate Effectively: Clearly articulate your thought process, design decisions, and any assumptions you make.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize both design craft and leadership potential. Candidates should be ready to defend their design decisions with data and user insights, and articulate a clear vision for leading and growing a design team.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for UI/UX design, wireframing, prototyping, and component-level thinking. Advanced proficiency is a must.

• AI Design Tools: Experience with tools like Cursor (for coding assistance), Claude (for AI chatbot/assistance), and v0 (for AI-generated UI components) is highly valued for accelerating the design process.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities are key, potentially supplemented by other tools if used for specific advanced interactions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics or similar platforms to understand website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates, informing website design and branding efforts.

• Product Analytics Tools: Experience with tools such as Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Pendo to track user engagement, feature adoption, and in-product behavior to drive product design decisions.

• Data Visualization Tools: Ability to interpret data presented in dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Looker, or internal BI tools) and translate it into actionable design insights.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a direct CRM role, understanding how product design integrates with CRM data (e.g., customer segmentation, lead routing) for B2B SaaS is beneficial. Experience with Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar platforms is a plus.

• Workflow Automation: Awareness of how design impacts automated workflows, particularly in a SaaS context, and how to design for seamless integration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable. The explicit mention of AI tools like Cursor, Claude, and v0 indicates a strong desire for candidates who are already experimenting with and leveraging AI to enhance their design output.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & AI-First: A strong commitment to leveraging cutting-edge AI technology to solve business problems and enhance product capabilities. Expect a culture that encourages experimentation with new tools and methodologies.

• Customer Obsession: Deep focus on understanding and serving the needs of small and medium-sized businesses, particularly in the European market. Direct customer access is a core part of the company's ethos.

• Ownership & Impact: A culture where individuals are empowered to take full ownership of their work and drive significant impact, especially for a seed-stage company.

• Agility & Speed: Emphasis on fast decision-making, rapid iteration, and frequent releases to maintain a competitive edge in the SaaS market.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Close working relationships between founders, engineering, and design, fostering open communication and shared goals.

Collaboration Style:

• Founder-Led & Direct: High degree of collaboration directly with founders, requiring clear communication and the ability to articulate design rationale effectively.

• Cross-Functional Synergy: Seamless integration with engineering teams to ensure efficient product development and implementation of design solutions.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: A culture that embraces continuous feedback from customers, peers, and leadership to refine designs and products.

• Shared Vision: All team members are expected to contribute to and align with the company's overall vision and mission.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values are intrinsically linked to its AI focus, customer base, and early-stage growth phase. Candidates should demonstrate an alignment with these principles, particularly regarding innovation, customer empathy, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Design Systems: Building and maintaining a robust design system that can scale efficiently as the product suite and user base grow rapidly. This requires foresight and strong organizational skills.

• Balancing Hands-on Craft & Leadership: Effectively managing time and energy between deep, individual design work and the demands of leading, mentoring, and growing a team.

• Rapid Iteration in AI Space: Keeping pace with the fast-evolving AI landscape and integrating new capabilities into the product design while maintaining user experience and brand consistency.

• Market Specificity: Deeply understanding and catering to the nuanced needs of specific European business segments (craftsmen, medical practices) within a B2B SaaS context.

• Establishing Design Function: As a lead, you will be instrumental in defining the design processes, culture, and standards for the company moving forward.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Direct experience in building and managing a design team, offering substantial growth in people management and strategic leadership.

• AI Design Innovation: Opportunity to pioneer the use of AI tools in design workflows and contribute to the innovative application of AI in communication SaaS.

• B2B SaaS Growth Expertise: Gaining in-depth knowledge of scaling a B2B SaaS product and understanding the unique challenges and opportunities in that market.

• Strategic Product Influence: Direct involvement in shaping product strategy and roadmap, providing valuable experience in product-led growth and business development.

• Mentorship from Founders: Learning directly from experienced founders in a fast-paced startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant challenges, particularly in balancing dual responsibilities and navigating a rapidly evolving technological landscape. However, these challenges are directly tied to substantial growth and learning opportunities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach building a design system from scratch for a rapidly growing B2B SaaS company, considering our AI focus?"

• "Describe your philosophy on leading and mentoring a design team. How would you foster a collaborative and high-performing culture at Clera?"

• "Walk us through a complex product design challenge you've faced, detailing your process, the role of customer research and data, and the ultimate impact of your solution."

• "How have you used AI tools to enhance your design workflow, and what are your thoughts on the future of AI in product design?"

• "Given our target customer segments (e.g., tradespeople, medical practices), how would you ensure our product design and branding resonate effectively with their specific needs and workflows?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Clera's mission and our AI communication platform?"

• "How do you see your role contributing to Clera's growth and success in the European market?"

• "Describe your ideal working relationship with founders and engineering teams in a fast-paced startup environment."

• "How do you stay updated on design trends, AI advancements, and best practices in B2B SaaS?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio around 2-3 strong case studies. For each, clearly define the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, design, testing), the solution, and the measurable outcomes.

• Quantify Results: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the impact of your work (e.g., "increased user engagement by 15%," "reduced design iteration time by 20%").

• Highlight Leadership & AI: Explicitly point out instances where you demonstrated leadership or utilized AI tools. For leadership, discuss how you guided projects or mentored others. For AI, explain the specific tools and benefits.

• Tell a Story: Frame your case studies as compelling narratives that showcase your problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to drive results.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate detailed questions about your decision-making process, challenges encountered, and alternative approaches you considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to speak fluently and passionately about both your design craft and your leadership capabilities. Demonstrating a forward-thinking approach with AI tools and a deep understanding of the B2B SaaS landscape will be critical.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful product design or branding case studies that showcase end-to-end ownership, customer research integration, design system experience, and any use of AI tools. Ensure your German language proficiency is evident if applicable within your portfolio.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 5+ years of product design experience, any leadership or team management experience, proficiency in Figma and AI tools, and your native German language skills. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on your strategic thinking, design process, problem-solving approach, and the measurable impact of your work. Be ready to articulate your vision for leading a design team at Clera.

• Research Clera: Thoroughly understand Clera's mission, product, target market (small and medium-sized European businesses), and recent developments. Prepare thoughtful questions about their product roadmap, design challenges, and company culture.

⚠️ 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.