Lead Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer

Company: Clera

Location: Vienna, Austria

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Design & Product Operations

Date Posted: 2026-09-09

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end product design, branding, and design team direction for an AI communication platform targeting SMEs.

• Drive hands-on product design, prototyping, and user research, dedicating approximately 50% of time to individual contribution.

• Manage and mentor a design team focusing on website, branding, and product design, contributing to 50% of time allocation.

• Deeply collaborate with product and engineering teams to own and advance three core product areas.

• Foster a strong understanding of target users, including tradespeople, medical practices, and professional service firms, through direct customer engagement.

• Develop and maintain robust design systems to ensure consistency and scalability across the product portfolio.

• Establish and enforce high design standards for product, web, and brand within a fast-paced, iterative shipping environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a hybrid individual contributor and team lead, requiring a blend of hands-on execution and strategic oversight. The emphasis on "shipping daily" and a "high-tempo" environment suggests a need for agility and efficient workflow management, aligning with principles often found in GTM and product operations.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the complete product design lifecycle, from conceptualization to implementation, ensuring alignment with business objectives and user needs.

• Develop and refine brand identity and visual language that resonates with the target SME market and differentiates Clera.

• Guide the design team in executing high-quality website and product designs, fostering a collaborative and productive environment.

• Conduct approximately 50% of your time in hands-on design activities, including creating detailed Figma files and interactive prototypes.

• Actively participate in and lead structured user research initiatives, including regular customer interviews, to gather actionable insights.

• Drive the strategy and implementation of scalable design systems, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all digital touchpoints.

• Collaborate closely with product managers and engineering leads to define product roadmaps and ensure seamless execution of design initiatives.

• Champion a data-driven design approach, utilizing analytics to inform decisions and measure the impact of design interventions.

• Set and maintain rigorous quality standards for all design outputs, ensuring a cohesive and professional brand experience.

• Leverage modern AI tools such as Cursor, v0, or Claude to enhance design workflows, accelerate iteration, and explore innovative solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "three core product areas" and owning them in "close collaboration with product and engineering counterparts" highlights a significant responsibility in cross-functional alignment and strategic product ownership, crucial for GTM success.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

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

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in product design methodologies and best practices.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma for UI/UX design, wireframing, and prototyping.

• Proven experience in conducting structured user research and customer interviews to inform design decisions.

• Experience in building, scaling, and maintaining design systems within a B2B SaaS or similar environment.

• Strong leadership capabilities, either through direct team management or a clear aptitude for stepping into a leadership role while remaining hands-on.

• Comprehensive understanding of branding principles and website design, with an ability to integrate them cohesively with product design.

• Familiarity and practical experience with modern AI tools (e.g., Cursor, v0, Claude) to enhance design workflows and productivity.

• Native-level proficiency in German is essential for effective communication with DACH-market customers.

• Professional fluency in English for seamless collaboration within an international team.

• A strong product and data-driven mindset, with a focus on measuring design impact and iterating based on performance metrics. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the AI or communication platform space.

• Background in designing for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs).

• Familiarity with analytics platforms for tracking design performance.

• Experience with A/B testing design variations.

• Portfolio showcasing successful product launches and brand development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "native-level German" and "solid professional English" underscores the importance of clear communication and market-specific understanding for this role, particularly within the DACH region. The blend of leadership and individual contribution suggests a need for strong time management and prioritization skills, akin to those required in operations roles managing multiple projects.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design ownership across multiple product areas, demonstrating strategic thinking and execution.

• Case studies detailing the process of building and scaling design systems, highlighting their impact on consistency and efficiency.

• Examples of branding and website design projects, illustrating an understanding of brand strategy and its application.

• Prototypes and user research findings that demonstrate a deep customer understanding and a user-centered design approach.

• Evidence of an analytics-driven approach to design, showing how data was used to inform decisions and measure impact.

• Demonstrations of AI tool integration within design workflows, showcasing efficiency gains or innovative solutions. Process Documentation:

• Documented workflows for user research, from participant recruitment to insight synthesis and action planning.

• Methodologies for design system development, maintenance, and governance, including version control and contribution guidelines.

• Protocols for collaborating with product and engineering teams, ensuring smooth handoffs and continuous feedback loops.

• Frameworks for measuring design impact, including key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting mechanisms.

• Processes for integrating customer feedback into iterative design cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "hands-on" nature and the need to "ship daily," a portfolio that clearly outlines efficient design processes and the ability to quickly iterate will be highly valued. Demonstrating how design systems and AI tools contribute to faster, more consistent delivery is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: 80,000 to 150,000 EUR annually.

Benefits:

• Opportunity to shape the design direction of a fast-growing AI communication platform.

• Direct collaboration with founders and engineering teams.

• Work on innovative AI technologies and communication solutions for SMEs.

• Exposure to a high-tempo shipping environment that fosters rapid learning and development.

• Potential to build and lead a design team.

• Contribution to product strategy and overall company direction.

• Professional development opportunities in a dynamic startup environment.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with an expectation of agility and responsiveness in a startup setting.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a Lead Product Designer role in Vienna, reflecting the experience requirements and the significant responsibilities. The lack of visa sponsorship indicates that candidates must already have the right to work in Austria. The benefits focus on growth, impact, and direct collaboration, common in startup environments.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: AI / Communication Platforms / SaaS. Clera operates within the rapidly evolving AI and communication technology sector, providing solutions to SMEs. This industry is characterized by fast innovation, a focus on user experience, and a drive for efficiency.

Company Size: Fast-growing startup. This suggests a dynamic, agile environment where roles can evolve quickly, and individuals have the opportunity to make a significant impact. It also implies a culture that values initiative, adaptability, and a "roll-up-your-sleeves" attitude.

Founded: Information not explicitly provided, but the description indicates a "fast-growing" company, suggesting it is likely in a growth or expansion phase.

Team Structure:

• The design team is likely small and evolving, with the Lead Product Designer stepping into a leadership role.

• Close collaboration with founders and engineering teams is a core aspect of the structure.

• Cross-functional collaboration is essential, with designers working alongside product and engineering counterparts. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is a key aspect of the company's approach, with a focus on measuring design impact.

• Agile development methodologies are implied by the "shipping daily" and "high-tempo" environment.

• Customer-centricity is paramount, with ongoing customer interviews informing product development.

• Emphasis on leveraging modern AI tools to enhance workflows and innovation.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is likely to be collaborative, fast-paced, and results-oriented, with a strong emphasis on innovation and customer impact. This environment is well-suited for individuals who thrive on challenges and enjoy contributing to the growth of a company.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a senior-level position, equivalent to a Lead or Principal Designer. It involves significant individual contribution, strategic design leadership, and team management. It sits at the intersection of product development and GTM strategy, as design directly influences user adoption and brand perception.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, the Lead Product Designer likely reports to a Head of Product, CTO, or potentially a Founder, given the startup environment. They will, in turn, lead a small team of designers.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer's work has a direct impact on Clera's go-to-market strategy by shaping the user experience and brand identity of their AI communication platform. Effective design drives user acquisition, retention, and customer satisfaction, all critical for SME adoption and revenue growth. The role's focus on product areas and close collaboration with engineering ensures that design efforts are tightly aligned with business objectives and product strategy.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Expansion: Potential to grow into a Head of Design or Design Director role as the company scales and the design team expands.

• Strategic Influence: Deeper involvement in product strategy, roadmap planning, and overall business direction.

• Specialization: Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in AI-driven communication tools for SMEs or in advanced design system architecture.

• Mentorship: Developing mentorship skills by guiding and growing junior designers.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Taking on broader responsibilities across product development and GTM initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The dual nature of the role (hands-on contributor and team lead) offers a unique growth path, allowing for continuous skill development in both execution and management. The emphasis on product areas and collaboration with engineering provides exposure to broader product lifecycle management.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site in Vienna, Austria. This suggests a traditional office setting conducive to in-person collaboration and team synergy.

Office Location(s): Vienna, Austria. This implies a vibrant European capital city with a strong talent pool and a high quality of life.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office setting is designed to foster interaction, brainstorming, and quick problem-solving sessions between designers, product managers, and engineers.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design tools, including Figma, prototyping software, and AI-assisted design platforms. The company values staying at the forefront of technology.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities for direct communication and feedback with founders, engineering teams, and potentially other departments involved in go-to-market activities.

Work Schedule: Full-time, on-site. While a standard workweek is expected, the "high-tempo shipping environment" might require flexibility and a commitment to meeting project deadlines. The focus on "daily shipping" suggests a need for efficient time management and prioritization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement is crucial for candidates based in or willing to relocate to Vienna. The emphasis on collaboration and a dynamic environment suggests a culture where proactive communication and team involvement are highly valued.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, resume, and portfolio to assess alignment with the role's requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A session where you will present your portfolio, focusing on key projects, design process, leadership experience, and how you've used AI tools and data. Expect to discuss your approach to design systems and branding.

• Skills-Based Assessment: Potentially a design challenge or a deep dive into specific Figma/prototyping skills, user research methodologies, or a discussion on how you'd approach a specific problem for Clera.

• Team & Founder Interviews: Meetings with founders and key engineering/product team members to assess cultural fit, leadership potential, strategic thinking, and collaboration style.

• Final Decision: Based on overall fit, skills, experience, and cultural alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Leadership & Collaboration: Showcase instances where you've led design initiatives, mentored others, and collaborated effectively with cross-functional teams (product, engineering).

• Demonstrate End-to-End Ownership: Clearly articulate your role and impact on projects from conception through to launch and iteration.

• Showcase Design Systems: Detail your experience in building, scaling, and maintaining design systems, emphasizing their benefits and impact.

• Integrate AI & Data: Present examples of how you've used AI tools to enhance your design process and how you've leveraged data to drive design decisions and measure impact.

• Brand & Product Cohesion: Illustrate how you've unified branding and product design to create a cohesive user experience.

• Tailor to Clera: Briefly explain how your skills and experience align with Clera's mission and target market (SMEs, AI communication).

Challenge Preparation:

• Problem-Solving: Be ready to discuss how you would approach design challenges related to user adoption, feature prioritization, or improving communication workflows for SMEs.

• Strategic Thinking: Prepare to articulate your design philosophy and how you align design strategy with business goals.

• Communication: Practice clearly explaining complex design concepts, processes, and rationale to both technical and non-technical audiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes a blend of hands-on design skills, strategic thinking, leadership potential, and cultural fit. A strong portfolio that showcases end-to-end ownership, leadership, and proficiency with modern tools is critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI/UX design, wireframing, and prototyping. Expect in-depth assessment of proficiency.

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

• Design System Management Tools: Tools or methodologies for creating, documenting, and maintaining design systems.

• User Research Platforms: Tools for participant recruitment, session recording, and qualitative data analysis.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Tools like Google Analytics or similar platforms to understand website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates.

• Product Analytics: Platforms (e.g., Mixpanel, Amplitude, Pendo) to track user engagement within the product and measure feature adoption.

• Data Visualization Tools: Potentially used for presenting design impact data to stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Likely used for understanding customer segments and their needs (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot).

• AI Tools: Explicitly mentioned: Cursor, v0, Claude. Candidates are expected to leverage these for design acceleration and innovation.

• Collaboration Tools: Platforms like Slack, Jira, Confluence for team communication and project management.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and design systems is non-negotiable. The explicit mention of AI tools like Cursor and Claude indicates a forward-thinking approach and an expectation for candidates to be early adopters and innovators in leveraging AI for design.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation: A commitment to exploring and implementing new technologies, particularly AI, to enhance product offerings and design workflows.

• Customer-Centricity: A deep focus on understanding and serving the needs of SMEs, driving design decisions based on user feedback and research.

• Efficiency & Agility: A culture that values rapid iteration, "shipping daily," and optimizing processes for speed and effectiveness.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on cross-functional teamwork, open communication, and shared ownership of product success.

• Data-Driven Decisions: A belief in using metrics and analytics to guide strategy, measure impact, and continuously improve.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are embedded within product teams, working closely with product managers and engineers throughout the development lifecycle.

• Open Feedback Loops: A culture that encourages constructive feedback, design critiques, and iterative refinement based on input from various stakeholders.

• Knowledge Sharing: Practices that promote sharing best practices, learnings from user research, and insights from design system evolution across the team and wider organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values reflect a typical startup environment focused on growth, innovation, and customer impact. The emphasis on efficiency and data aligns with core principles of operations management, suggesting that process optimization and measurable outcomes are highly valued.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Hands-on Design and Leadership: Effectively managing time between individual design contributions and team leadership responsibilities.

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

• Driving AI Adoption in Design: Integrating and evangelizing the use of AI tools within the design team and broader organization.

• Maintaining Design Standards in a High-Tempo Environment: Upholding quality and consistency while shipping frequently.

• Understanding Diverse SME Needs: Catering to the varied requirements of different SME segments (tradespeople, medical practices, professional services).

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design Specialization: Becoming a leader in leveraging AI for product design and workflow optimization.

• Team Leadership Development: Gaining experience in mentoring, managing, and growing a design team.

• Product Strategy Involvement: Contributing to higher-level product roadmapping and business strategy.

• B2B SaaS Design Expertise: Deepening knowledge in designing for business clients and understanding their unique challenges.

• Cross-Functional Skill Enhancement: Gaining broader exposure to product management and engineering processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a lead role in a growing startup. The growth opportunities are significant, offering a path to senior leadership and specialized expertise in a cutting-edge field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach balancing your individual design contributions with leading and mentoring a design team, especially in a fast-paced startup environment?" (Focus on prioritization, delegation, and time management strategies.)

• "Describe your process for building and scaling a design system from scratch. How do you ensure its adoption and continued relevance across multiple product areas?" (Highlight methodology, governance, and collaboration with engineering.)

• "Given Clera's focus on AI communication for SMEs, how would you leverage AI tools like Cursor or v0 to accelerate design workflows and explore innovative solutions for our target users?" (Demonstrate practical application and strategic thinking with AI.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Clera's mission and the AI communication platform space?" (Showcase genuine interest and research into the company and industry.)

• "How do you approach building a strong, collaborative design team culture, especially in a remote or hybrid setting?" (Discuss team values, communication, and feedback mechanisms – adapt for on-site context.)

• "How do you measure the impact of your design decisions on business objectives and user satisfaction?" (Emphasize data-driven approaches and ROI calculation.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role and process, the solutions you designed, the tools used (especially AI), the data/research that informed your decisions, and the outcomes/impact.

• Quantify Achievements: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, increased user engagement, reduced support tickets).

• Highlight Leadership & Collaboration: Explicitly point out instances where you led initiatives, collaborated with engineering/product, or mentored junior designers.

• Showcase AI & Data Integration: Make it clear how you used AI tools and data analytics to inform your design process and improve outcomes.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design choices, your reasoning, and your problem-solving approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, hands-on design craft, leadership potential, and a clear understanding of how design contributes to business goals, particularly in a tech-forward environment leveraging AI.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby HQ.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best showcase end-to-end ownership, design leadership, design system development, and innovative use of AI/data. Tailor the descriptions to highlight your impact on business objectives.

• Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your experience in product design, leadership, and relevant technologies. Quantify your achievements and responsibilities where possible, using keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio, focusing on clear storytelling, strategic rationale, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your leadership approach and how you utilize AI tools and data.

• Research Clera: Understand their product, target market (SMEs in Europe), and company mission. Consider how your design philosophy aligns with their values and growth ambitions.

⚠️ 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.

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