Lead Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer

Company: Clera

Location: Vienna, Austria

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / Design Leadership

Date Posted: 2026-09-14

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design, branding, and design team direction within a fast-growing AI-powered business communication SaaS company.

• Drive product strategy and execution by collaborating closely with founders, product management, and engineering teams to ensure high-velocity releases.

• Conduct direct customer interviews with SME clients to gather deep user insights and inform design decisions, fostering an analytics-driven approach.

• Build and scale robust design systems to ensure consistency across multiple product areas and maintain brand integrity across product, web, and marketing collateral.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a senior individual contributor with significant leadership potential, requiring a blend of hands-on design execution and strategic team guidance. The emphasis on AI tools suggests a forward-thinking approach to design workflows.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the complete product design lifecycle, from conceptualization and user research to high-fidelity prototyping and final implementation across Clera's SaaS platform.

• Define and uphold the visual identity and brand standards for Clera, ensuring consistency across all touchpoints, including the website, marketing materials, and product interfaces.

• Lead and mentor a growing design team, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages innovation, continuous learning, and high-quality output.

• Conduct regular, in-depth customer interviews with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) such as tradespeople, medical practices, and professional service firms to build a profound understanding of their needs and workflows.

• Develop and maintain scalable design systems that facilitate efficient and consistent design execution across diverse product areas, enabling faster iteration and development cycles.

• Collaborate with product managers and engineers to translate user needs and business requirements into intuitive and effective user experiences, contributing to daily release cycles.

• Integrate and leverage modern AI tools (e.g., Cursor, v0, Claude) to enhance design efficiency, explore creative solutions, and accelerate the design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus: hands-on design craft and strategic leadership. The requirement for direct customer interaction and an analytics-driven mindset indicates a strong emphasis on user-centricity and data-informed decision-making within the design process.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and expertise in design principles is expected. A background in HCI, UX/UI Design, Graphic Design, or a related field is beneficial.

Experience: Minimum of five years of comprehensive end-to-end product design experience, with a proven track record of owning and delivering multiple product areas.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in Figma for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative workflows.

• Proven experience in conducting comprehensive user research, including qualitative methods like customer interviews.

• Solid understanding and practical experience in building and scaling design systems across multi-product environments.

• Proficiency in brand identity development and application across digital products and web platforms.

• Experience in leading design initiatives or mentoring junior designers, with a clear readiness to step into a leadership role while maintaining hands-on design involvement.

• An analytics-driven mindset, with the ability to define, measure, and iterate on design decisions based on user data and performance metrics.

• Familiarity and practical application of modern AI tools to accelerate design workflows (e.g., AI-assisted design generation, coding assistants like Cursor, prompt-based tools).

• Native-level German language proficiency is essential for effective communication within the DACH market.

• Professional proficiency in English for seamless collaboration within an international team. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the SaaS industry, particularly with AI-powered business communication tools.

• Familiarity with A/B testing methodologies and translating insights into design improvements.

• Experience designing for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and understanding their unique operational challenges.

• Knowledge of front-end development principles (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to better collaborate with engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a blend of advanced design craft, leadership aptitude, and technical familiarity with modern tools. The specific mention of AI tools and native German proficiency are critical requirements that will shape the candidate pool.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate end-to-end ownership of at least two significant product design projects, showcasing your role from initial problem definition through to shipped solutions.

• Include detailed case studies of how you built or significantly contributed to a design system, highlighting its impact on consistency, efficiency, and scalability.

• Present examples of user research conducted, including customer interview findings and how these insights directly influenced design decisions and product strategy.

• Showcase your proficiency with Figma, including complex prototyping, component libraries, and collaborative workflows.

• Provide examples of brand design application alongside product design, demonstrating how you've maintained a cohesive brand identity across different platforms.

• Quantify the impact of your design work with relevant metrics wherever possible (e.g., conversion rate improvements, user satisfaction scores, reduction in support tickets). Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to user-centered design, including how you gather requirements, conduct research, and validate design concepts.

• Explain your methodology for design system development and maintenance, including governance, contribution, and versioning strategies.

• Illustrate your process for collaborating with product and engineering teams, highlighting how you ensure alignment and efficient handoffs.

• Describe how you integrate AI tools into your design workflow to enhance efficiency and explore new creative avenues.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are designed to assess not only design skill but also strategic thinking, process ownership, and the ability to drive measurable impact. Emphasis on design systems, user research, and AI integration is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: 80,000 to 150,000 EUR annually. This range reflects the seniority, scope of responsibility, and strategic importance of the Lead Product Designer role within Clera's growth trajectory. The specific salary within this band will be determined by the candidate's experience, skills, and demonstrated impact.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary package within the specified range.

• Opportunity to shape the design culture and product direction of a rapidly growing AI-SaaS company.

• Direct collaboration with founders and a dynamic engineering team, fostering rapid learning and impact.

• Access to modern design tools and AI technologies to enhance creative and efficient workflows.

• Regular customer interaction, providing direct feedback and validation for design work.

• Contribution to building a scalable design system that underpins product consistency and efficiency.

• Potential for professional development and growth as the company expands.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, approximately 40 hours per week, with the expectation of flexibility to meet project deadlines and collaborative needs, particularly given the fast-paced nature of a growing SaaS company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a Lead Product Designer role in Vienna, especially considering the leadership and hands-on aspects. The benefits focus on the unique opportunities for impact and growth within a startup environment. Visa sponsorship is explicitly not available, which is a critical piece of information for international candidates.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software (AI-powered Business Communication SaaS) serving Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Clera operates within the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-driven business solutions, aiming to enhance communication efficiency for businesses.

Company Size: Clera is a fast-growing company, indicating a dynamic, agile, and potentially lean organizational structure. This means the Lead Product Designer will likely have significant influence and visibility.

Founded: While the founding date isn't explicitly stated, the description "fast-growing" suggests a company that has moved past its initial startup phase and is scaling operations and product development.

Team Structure:

• The design team is likely in its nascent stages, with the Lead Product Designer expected to build and scale it. Collaboration will be tight-knit, especially with Product Management and Engineering.

• The reporting structure will place the Lead Product Designer in close proximity to founders and senior leadership, with direct input into product and brand strategy.

• Cross-functional collaboration is paramount, with daily interaction expected between Design, Product, and Engineering to enable rapid iteration and deployment. Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: The company emphasizes an analytics-driven mindset, suggesting a culture where design decisions are informed by user data, A/B testing, and performance metrics.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: A focus on high-velocity releases and efficiency implies a streamlined workflow, likely incorporating agile methodologies and continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) principles.

• Automation & Efficiency: The explicit mention of leveraging AI tools points to a strong drive for automation and efficiency across all business functions, including design.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Clera appears to be a growth-stage company with a strong emphasis on innovation, customer-centricity, and leveraging technology (especially AI) to drive business value. The culture is likely fast-paced, collaborative, and results-oriented.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a Lead level, signifying a senior individual contributor with significant design and leadership responsibilities. It requires a proven ability to own complex product areas, mentor others, and influence strategic direction, while remaining hands-on.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Designer will report directly to a senior executive, likely a Head of Product, CTO, or even a Founder, given the company's growth stage and the role's scope. This close proximity allows for significant influence and direct access to strategic decision-making.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer's impact will be profound, shaping the user experience of Clera's AI-powered SaaS product, defining its brand identity, and building the foundation for a scalable design function. Their work will directly influence customer acquisition, retention, and overall product-market fit.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Team Leadership: Opportunity to build and scale the design team from the ground up, defining its structure, processes, and culture.

• Strategic Influence: Direct involvement in product strategy, roadmap planning, and business decision-making, contributing to the company's growth trajectory.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design tools, advanced user research methodologies, and complex design system architecture.

• Career Advancement: Potential to move into a Head of Design or Director of Product role as the company matures and expands its product offerings.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a significant opportunity for impact and professional growth, particularly for a designer looking to take on leadership responsibilities in a dynamic, tech-forward environment. The ability to shape a design function from its early stages is a key differentiator.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is explicitly on-site in Vienna, Austria, indicating a preference for in-person collaboration, team cohesion, and a structured work environment.

Office Location(s): Vienna, Austria. This location offers a vibrant European hub with a strong tech and design community. Specific details about office amenities or accessibility would typically be provided during the interview process.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is expected to be collaborative, with opportunities for direct interaction with founders, product managers, and engineers.

• Access to modern design tools and technologies, including AI-powered software, will be provided to facilitate efficient and effective work.

• The environment is likely fast-paced and agile, requiring adaptability and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) are expected, with flexibility to accommodate project demands and collaborative sessions. The on-site requirement emphasizes a commitment to team presence and synchronous collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Vienna underscores the company's value for in-person collaboration and team synergy, which is common in growth-stage SaaS companies aiming for rapid innovation and strong team cohesion.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application & Portfolio Review: Initial screening will focus on your resume and a comprehensive design portfolio demonstrating end-to-end product design experience, design system expertise, and leadership potential.

• Hiring Manager/Founder Interview: A discussion to assess your overall experience, design philosophy, leadership approach, and cultural fit with Clera's fast-paced environment. Expect questions about your career trajectory and motivations.

• Design Challenge/Case Study Presentation: You may be asked to present a detailed case study from your portfolio or tackle a hypothetical design problem relevant to Clera's business. This will assess your problem-solving skills, design process, and communication abilities.

• Team Interviews: Meet with key stakeholders from Product and Engineering to evaluate collaboration style, technical understanding, and alignment with team dynamics.

• Final Interview: Potentially with the CEO or other senior leadership to discuss strategic alignment, long-term vision, and final compensation.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select projects that clearly demonstrate your end-to-end ownership, leadership capabilities, and quantifiable results. Prioritize quality over quantity.

• Tell a Story: For each project, articulate the problem, your process, the decisions you made, the challenges you overcame, and the measurable outcomes. Use visuals effectively.

• Showcase Systems Thinking: Highlight your experience with design systems, user research, and how you leverage data and AI tools.

• Address Leadership: If you have leadership experience, explicitly call out your mentoring, team-building, or strategic contributions. If not, demonstrate your readiness for it through project leadership examples.

• Tailor to Clera: Research Clera's product and target market (DACH SMEs). Frame your experience in a way that resonates with their business goals and challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Clera's business model, target audience (SMEs in DACH), and their AI-powered communication solutions.

• Be prepared to articulate your design process, from problem definition and user research to iteration and final solution.

• Practice presenting your case studies concisely and engagingly, focusing on the "why" behind your decisions and the impact achieved.

• Prepare to discuss how you would approach building or scaling a design system and team in a growth-stage company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess a broad range of skills, from hands-on design execution and strategic thinking to leadership potential and cultural fit. A well-prepared, impactful portfolio is crucial for advancing.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative workflows. Mastery is essential.

• Prototyping Tools: Likely integrated within Figma or supplementary tools for advanced interactive prototypes.

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting interviews, surveys, and analyzing user feedback (e.g., UserTesting, Dovetail, or internal tools).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools: Such as Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics, to track user behavior and measure design impact.

• Data Visualization Tools: Potentially Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for creating dashboards and reports to communicate insights.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a designer's primary tool, understanding how CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and marketing automation platforms impact the user journey can be beneficial.

• AI Tools: Specifically mentioned are Cursor (AI coding assistant), v0 (AI image generation), and Claude (AI assistant for various tasks). Familiarity with how these can accelerate design workflows is a key requirement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack emphasizes modern design and AI tools, reflecting Clera's commitment to efficiency and innovation. Proficiency in Figma and a willingness to adopt and leverage AI tools are critical.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of SME customers, driving design decisions based on direct feedback and user research.

• Innovation & AI Adoption: Embracing cutting-edge AI technologies to enhance design processes, product features, and overall business efficiency.

• High Velocity & Agility: A culture that prioritizes rapid iteration, quick feedback loops, and agile development to respond swiftly to market needs and customer demands.

• Ownership & Accountability: Encouraging team members to take full ownership of their work, from conception to execution, and to be accountable for the outcomes.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an environment where open communication, knowledge sharing, and cross-functional teamwork are paramount.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Design is deeply embedded within product development, working hand-in-hand with Product Management and Engineering on a daily basis.

• Data-Informed Dialogue: Discussions and decision-making are grounded in data and user insights, encouraging constructive debate and evidence-based reasoning.

• Feedback-Rich Environment: A culture that values constructive feedback, both giving and receiving, to drive continuous improvement in design and processes.

• Fast Feedback Loops: Emphasis on quick iterations and rapid testing of ideas with users and stakeholders to validate concepts early and often.

📝 Enhancement Note: Clera's values suggest a dynamic, forward-thinking, and highly collaborative work environment. Designers are expected to be proactive, data-driven, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, innovative setting.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Building a Design Function: As the Lead, you'll be instrumental in establishing the design team's structure, processes, and culture from its early stages. This requires strategic planning and execution.

• Balancing Hands-on Craft with Leadership: Effectively splitting time and focus between detailed design work and strategic team direction, ensuring both high-quality output and team development.

• Scaling Design Systems: Ensuring design systems remain robust, scalable, and maintainable as the product portfolio and team grow.

• Integrating AI Effectively: Identifying and implementing AI tools in a way that genuinely enhances the design process without compromising quality or user experience.

• Serving Diverse SME Needs: Designing for a range of SME clients with potentially varied technical capabilities and business requirements.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to hone leadership skills through team management, strategic planning, and mentoring.

• AI in Design: Becoming an expert in leveraging advanced AI tools for design ideation, execution, and workflow optimization.

• Product Strategy: Gaining deep insights into product strategy and business development within a scaling SaaS company.

• Design System Architecture: Advanced learning in building and managing complex, multi-product design systems.

• Industry Exposure: Potential to represent Clera at industry events or contribute to design communities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a lead role in a growing company, offering significant opportunities for personal and professional development. The focus on AI and design systems provides a strong platform for skill specialization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led a design team or initiative. What was your approach, and what were the key outcomes?" (Assesses leadership style and impact.)

• "How do you approach building or scaling a design system? What are the key considerations for a multi-product environment?" (Evaluates understanding of systems thinking and scalability.)

• "Walk us through a complex product design project where you had end-to-end ownership. What was the problem, your process, and the results?" (Tests design methodology, problem-solving, and outcome articulation.)

• "How do you leverage customer interviews and data to inform your design decisions?" (Probes user-centricity and data-driven approach.)

• "How would you integrate AI tools like Cursor or Claude into your daily design workflow to improve efficiency?" (Assesses practical application of AI in design.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why Clera? What excites you about our mission and our focus on AI for SMEs?" (Tests research and genuine interest.)

• "How do you handle constructive criticism or disagreements with product managers or engineers?" (Evaluates collaboration and conflict resolution skills.)

• "Describe your ideal team culture. How would you contribute to building that at Clera?" (Assesses cultural fit and leadership vision.)

• "What are your thoughts on balancing brand consistency with the need for rapid product iteration?" (Explores strategic thinking regarding brand and product development.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: Begin with a high-level overview of your role and the project's objective. Clearly define the problem statement and the target user.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals extensively – wireframes, mockups, prototypes, user journey maps, and any relevant data visualizations.

• Narrate Your Process: Explain why you made certain design choices, referencing user research, data, or strategic goals. Detail your problem-solving approach.

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, present metrics that demonstrate the impact of your design solutions (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, increased user satisfaction).

• Highlight Leadership & AI: Explicitly point out instances of leadership, mentoring, or strategic influence, and how you utilized AI tools to enhance your work.

• Engage Your Audience: Be prepared to answer questions thoughtfully and engage in a discussion about your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating leadership potential, a strong grasp of design systems and user research, and a practical understanding of how to leverage AI tools within a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby. Ensure your resume is tailored to highlight relevant experience in product design, leadership, design systems, and AI tools.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that showcase end-to-end ownership, design leadership, and ideally, experience with design systems or AI integration. Prepare detailed case studies for each.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on clear articulation of the problem, your process, design decisions, and quantifiable outcomes. Be ready to discuss your leadership approach and how you've used AI tools.

• Research Clera: Familiarize yourself with Clera's product, target market (DACH SMEs), and company mission. Understand their unique value proposition, especially regarding AI-powered communication.

• Prepare for Interview Questions: Anticipate questions about your design philosophy, leadership experience, collaboration style, and how you approach challenges in a growth-stage company.

⚠️ 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.