Lead Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer

Company: Colossyan

Location: Budapest, Hungary

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design Leadership / GTM Operations (Design Strategy)

Date Posted: 2026-09-10

Experience Level: 7+ Years (with 2+ years management)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and manage a team of product designers across four cross-functional product-engineering teams, ensuring high-quality design output.

• Drive the design strategy and vision for Colossyan's AI-powered training and enablement platform, aligning with product and engineering roadmaps.

• Champion user-centered design principles and conduct qualitative research and user testing to inform product decisions and represent customer needs.

• Remain hands-on with key design initiatives, directly contributing to critical projects and setting craft standards for the design team.

• Integrate AI into the design workflow, exploring opportunities to accelerate craft, reduce friction, and enhance design possibilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is primarily Product Design, its leadership scope, strategic input on the roadmap, and focus on cross-functional team integration place it within a GTM Operations context, specifically concerning the operationalization of design strategy to drive product adoption and user engagement. The emphasis on AI integration also positions it at the forefront of innovative operational practices within the design function.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Partner with Product and Engineering leadership to shape the product roadmap and overall vision, ensuring design is integral to strategic planning.

• Lead, mentor, and develop the design team, fostering individual growth and ensuring accountability for team performance and career progression.

• Drive qualitative research and user testing initiatives, translating insights into actionable design improvements and user experience enhancements.

• Own the design system's implementation and maintenance, ensuring consistency and scalability across all product touchpoints.

• Integrate AI tools and methodologies into the design team's workflow to enhance efficiency, creativity, and the overall design craft.

• Communicate design strategy, outcomes, and recommendations effectively to executive audiences, focusing on business impact and measurable results.

• Directly contribute to the design of key product initiatives, setting a high bar for design quality and execution.

• Oversee design operations, ensuring the team has the necessary tooling, infrastructure, and processes to perform effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of leadership, strategic input, hands-on design work, and operational oversight of the design function. This structure is typical for senior design leaders in fast-paced tech environments, where they must influence product direction while ensuring the operational execution of design excellence.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 7+ years in product design or UX design, with a proven track record in high-performing, fast-paced startup environments. Minimum of 2 years of direct experience managing and mentoring designers.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated leadership and people management experience, including mentoring and developing designers.

• Strong understanding of user-centered design principles and a fluency in UX research methodologies.

• Expertise in design systems, including their implementation and integration with code.

• Exceptional judgment on balancing design quality with execution pace and making strategic scope trade-offs.

• Proficiency in modern design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite).

• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to present to executive audiences.

• Experience working within cross-functional product-engineering teams. Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing AI-powered products and a deep understanding of AI's potential in design workflows.

• Proven ability to ship production-ready designs, potentially leveraging AI for assistance.

• Familiarity with data analytics and how to use data to inform design decisions.

• Experience with localization and internationalization considerations in product design.

• A strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design ownership and leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on direct management experience and the preference for AI product design and shipping to production are key differentiators for this senior role, indicating a need for a leader who can both strategize and execute with cutting-edge tools.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing personal design work, demonstrating end-to-end ownership of significant product initiatives.

• Case studies that detail the design process, including problem identification, user research, ideation, prototyping, user testing, and final implementation.

• Examples of how design systems were utilized or contributed to, highlighting an understanding of scalability and consistency.

• Demonstrations of leadership and mentorship, potentially through team project examples or process improvement initiatives led.

• Evidence of AI integration within personal or team design workflows, showcasing innovative application of technology. Process Documentation:

• Articulation of personal design methodologies and how they adapt to different project needs and team dynamics.

• Examples of how user feedback and research findings are systematically incorporated into the design process.

• Explanation of how design quality is maintained and measured, including any established metrics or review processes.

• Description of how collaboration with engineering and product management is managed to ensure smooth execution and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Lead role, the portfolio must extend beyond individual contributions to demonstrate leadership, team development, and the operationalization of design processes, including the strategic integration of new technologies like AI.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Lead Product Designers in Budapest with 7+ years of experience and management responsibilities, the estimated annual salary range is between €60,000 - €90,000 gross. This estimate considers the company's Series A funding, the competitive tech market in Budapest, and the specific leadership responsibilities.

Benefits:

• Stock Options: Ownership in a rapidly growing Series A startup, aligning personal motivation with company success.

• Private Healthcare: Comprehensive Medicover Blue package for employee well-being.

• Complimentary Meals: Free Lunch Thursdays and Breakfast Tuesdays via Wolt to foster team connection.

• Hybrid Work Model: 3 days in the office, 2 days remote, with an additional fully remote week per quarter.

• No-Meeting Wednesdays: Dedicated focus time for impactful work and deep concentration.

• Prime Office Location: Brand new, pet-friendly office in Budapest's 5th district, designed for collaboration and comfort.

• Birthday Time Off: An extra paid day off to celebrate birthdays.

• Cutting-edge AI Technology: Opportunity to work with state-of-the-art AI technologies at the core of the product.

• Impactful Role: Significant contribution opportunities within a fast-expanding startup environment.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (estimated 40 hours per week), with flexibility inherent in the hybrid model and a focus on output rather than strict timekeeping, except for designated "No-Meeting Wednesdays."

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on market data for Lead Product Designers in Budapest. Actual compensation will depend on the candidate's specific experience, qualifications, and performance during the interview process. The benefits package is comprehensive and aligns with startup culture, emphasizing employee well-being, work-life balance, and professional growth.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI), SaaS, EdTech (Training & Enablement Software). Colossyan operates at the intersection of AI and enterprise software, disrupting traditional methods of corporate training and knowledge dissemination. The company's focus on AI-powered content creation and delivery positions it as a leader in a rapidly evolving market.

Company Size: 70+ employees. This size indicates a dynamic, fast-paced environment where individual contributions are highly visible and impactful. It's large enough to have established processes but small enough to maintain agility and a strong sense of community.

Founded: The founding date isn't explicitly provided, but the company's Series A funding and established client list (Paramount, Ericsson, etc.) suggest a mature startup with significant traction and a well-defined product-market fit.

Team Structure:

• The design team is structured across four cross-functional product-engineering teams, indicating a highly integrated approach where designers work closely with product managers and engineers.

• The Lead Product Designer will oversee these embedded design resources, providing centralized guidance and strategic direction.

• Collaboration is expected to be fluid, with strong partnerships between design, product, and engineering leadership. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Decisions are anchored in evidence-backed problems, with a strong emphasis on qualitative research and user testing.

• Agile Development: The cross-functional team structure suggests an agile or iterative development process, requiring design flexibility and rapid iteration.

• AI Integration: A core methodology is the integration of AI into both the product itself and the internal design workflow, fostering innovation and efficiency.

• User-Centricity: A fundamental principle is representing customers and ensuring their needs drive product and design decisions.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Colossyan's focus on AI for enterprise training places it in a high-growth sector. The company culture appears to value innovation, user focus, and collaborative execution, supported by a strong leadership team and a clear product vision. The "No-Meeting Wednesdays" and hybrid model suggest a focus on deep work and employee well-being.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership role, specifically a "Lead" position within Product Design. It signifies a transition from individual contributor to a role with significant management, strategic, and operational responsibilities over a design function. The role is critical for scaling the design team and ensuring design excellence keeps pace with rapid product development and company growth.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Designer likely reports to a senior executive such as the Head of Product, VP of Product, or potentially the CTO, depending on the organizational structure. They will directly manage a team of product designers embedded within the product-engineering pods.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer's impact extends beyond aesthetics to directly influence user adoption, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, revenue growth. By ensuring a user-friendly, intuitive, and innovative product experience, they contribute significantly to customer retention and the company's ability to scale its AI training solutions globally. Their strategic input on the product roadmap ensures design is a proactive driver of business value, not just an execution function.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Expansion: Potential to grow into a Head of Design or VP of Design role as the company scales, taking on broader strategic responsibilities and managing larger teams.

• AI Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing AI-native products, becoming a recognized authority in this emerging field.

• Strategic Influence: Increased involvement in company-wide strategic planning, product vision, and GTM strategy from a design perspective.

• Mentorship Development: Enhanced opportunities to mentor and develop design talent, building a strong foundation for future design leaders.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Opportunity to influence and collaborate more broadly across departments, potentially leading design initiatives that span marketing, sales enablement, and customer success.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for career advancement within design leadership, particularly in the burgeoning field of AI product design. The hybrid nature of the role, combining management with hands-on contribution, is attractive for designers looking to maintain their craft while developing leadership skills.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Colossyan offers a hybrid work model, with 3 days per week expected in their brand-new, pet-friendly office in Budapest's 5th district. The office is designed for comfort and team collaboration, suggesting a modern, open, and engaging workspace.

Office Location(s): The primary office is located in the heart of Budapest (5th district), a central and accessible location.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office design emphasizes comfort and team collaboration, facilitating spontaneous interactions and team building.

• Technology-Rich: As a cutting-edge AI company, expect access to modern hardware, software, and the latest design and development tools.

• Agile Pods: Designers will likely work within agile, cross-functional teams, fostering close communication and integrated workflows with product and engineering colleagues.

• Focus Time: "No-Meeting Wednesdays" are a key feature, signaling a strong emphasis on focused, deep work, which is crucial for complex design challenges.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with an estimated 40-hour work week. The hybrid model provides flexibility, allowing for dedicated work-from-home days. The additional fully remote week per quarter offers extended flexibility for personal needs or travel.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment at Colossyan appears to be a deliberate blend of collaborative office interaction and focused individual work, supported by modern amenities and a commitment to employee well-being. The hybrid model with a dedicated remote week offers a good balance for work-life integration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process: The interview process is likely to be multi-stage, designed to assess both design craft and leadership capabilities.

• Initial Screening: A review of your CV and portfolio to assess experience and fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion with the hiring manager (likely Head of Product or senior design leader) to delve into experience, management style, and strategic thinking. Portfolio review will be central here.

• Team Interviews: Meetings with potential design team members and cross-functional peers (Product Managers, Engineers) to assess collaboration style and cultural fit.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: A practical exercise or presentation of a significant past project from your portfolio, focusing on problem-solving, process, and impact.

• Executive Interview: Potentially a final interview with a senior executive to discuss strategic vision and company alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Leadership: Showcase projects where you led design initiatives, mentored designers, or influenced product strategy. Quantify the impact of your leadership.

• Detail Your Process: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your approach, the methodologies used (UX research, design thinking, AI integration), your specific contributions, and the measurable outcomes.

• Demonstrate AI Integration: If possible, include examples of how you've used or are exploring AI in your design workflow or have designed AI-powered features.

• Showcase Design Systems: Explain your experience with design systems, including their creation, implementation, and maintenance.

• Tailor to Colossyan: Emphasize your understanding of AI, SaaS, and enterprise training/enablement products. Connect your experience to Colossyan's mission and product.

• Be Prepared to Discuss Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss how you balance quality with speed, and how you make scope decisions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Product: Thoroughly research Colossyan's product, target audience, and competitive landscape. Identify potential design challenges or opportunities.

• Practice Presenting Your Work: Rehearse presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on clear storytelling, articulating your decision-making process, and quantifying impact.

• Prepare for Management Questions: Be ready to discuss your leadership philosophy, how you mentor designers, handle performance issues, and foster team growth.

• Think About AI in Design: Consider how AI can be leveraged in the design process for Colossyan, beyond just the product features.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a hands-on portfolio review and potential design challenges indicates Colossyan values practical application and strategic thinking. Candidates should prepare to articulate their process, leadership style, and vision for design within an AI-driven company.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable given industry trends and collaborative nature), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello (or similar tools used by cross-functional teams).

• User Research & Testing: Tools for usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Maze), survey platforms (e.g., Typeform, SurveyMonkey), and potentially session recording tools (e.g., Hotjar, FullStory).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Pendo to track user behavior, feature adoption, and engagement metrics.

• Data Visualization: Potentially tools for creating dashboards, though designers might primarily consume reports from Product Managers or Analysts.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: While designers don't typically manage CRM directly, understanding Salesforce or similar platforms is beneficial for context on customer journeys.

• AI Tools: Familiarity with AI tools for content generation, image creation, or workflow automation that could be integrated into design processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, proficiency in industry-standard design and collaboration tools is essential. The role also implies an openness to integrating new AI-powered tools into the design workflow.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving customer needs, ensuring that design decisions are rooted in user problems and validated by research.

• Innovation & Curiosity: A drive to explore new technologies, especially AI, and find novel ways to solve problems and enhance the product and design processes.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication and close working relationships across product, engineering, and design teams, fostering a shared sense of ownership and accountability.

• Impact & Execution: A focus on delivering tangible results and driving business outcomes through design, balancing strategic vision with efficient execution.

• Continuous Learning: An environment that encourages professional growth, skill development, and staying abreast of the latest trends in design and AI.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Pods: Designers work as integral members of cross-functional product-engineering teams, participating in daily stand-ups, sprint planning, and retrospectives.

• Design System Ownership: A collaborative approach to maintaining and evolving the design system, with clear responsibilities and input from various stakeholders.

• Feedback Culture: An open environment for constructive feedback, both for design work and for team processes, encouraging continuous improvement.

• Cross-Functional Communication: Regular communication with product management, engineering, and potentially marketing and sales to ensure alignment on product vision and user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: Colossyan seems to foster a culture that values both individual craft and team synergy, with a strong emphasis on using technology (AI) to drive innovation and efficiency in product development.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Design Operations: As Colossyan grows, scaling the design team and its processes to meet increasing product demands will be a key challenge. This includes hiring, onboarding, and maintaining design quality across a growing team.

• Balancing Pace and Quality: In a fast-paced startup environment, consistently delivering high-quality design solutions while meeting aggressive timelines requires strategic prioritization and efficient workflows.

• Integrating AI into Design Practice: Effectively leveraging AI tools to enhance the design process, not just the product, requires experimentation, learning, and adaptation.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent design vision and execution across multiple product-engineering teams requires strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Leadership: The opportunity to become a leader in designing AI-native products, a highly sought-after specialization.

• Strategic Product Influence: Deep involvement in shaping the product roadmap and company strategy, contributing to business growth at a high level.

• Mentorship and Team Building: Developing leadership skills by mentoring and growing a talented team of product designers.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to industry events, workshops, and training focused on AI, product design, and leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant opportunities for professional growth in a cutting-edge field, balanced by the inherent challenges of a rapidly scaling tech startup. Successfully navigating these challenges will be key to excelling in the position.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach building and scaling a design team in a fast-growing AI startup like Colossyan?"

• "Describe your philosophy on balancing design quality with rapid iteration in a startup environment. Provide an example."

• "How do you integrate user research and data into your design process, especially when dealing with novel AI features?"

• "Walk us through a complex product design challenge you led, focusing on your strategic thinking and the business outcomes achieved." Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Colossyan's mission and our use of AI in training and enablement?"

• "How do you foster a collaborative and inclusive culture within a design team, especially in a hybrid work setting?"

• "How would you ensure design is represented and influential in executive-level product discussions?"

• "Describe your experience working with engineering teams. How do you ensure smooth handoffs and ongoing collaboration?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, your process, your key decisions, the challenges faced, and the measurable results.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics wherever possible to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased user engagement, conversion rates, reduced support tickets, efficiency gains).

• Highlight Leadership: Explicitly point out instances where you led, mentored, or influenced others.

• Showcase AI Integration: If applicable, discuss how you've incorporated AI into your workflow or designed AI-driven features.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Expect questions about specific design choices, trade-offs made, and alternative solutions considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should be prepared to discuss their leadership approach, strategic thinking, and hands-on design skills, with a particular focus on how they would apply these in an AI-centric, fast-paced startup environment. Demonstrating an understanding of Colossyan's product and market is crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application in English through the Colossyan teamtailor portal.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful design projects, emphasizing leadership, end-to-end ownership, and quantifiable results. Ensure case studies clearly articulate your process, especially any AI integration or design system work.

• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight your 7+ years of product/UX design experience and your 2+ years of direct management experience. Use keywords from the job description, such as "Product Design," "UX Research," "Design Systems," "Team Management," and "AI."

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on clear storytelling, strategic decision-making, and impact. Be ready to discuss your leadership philosophy and how you integrate AI into design.

• Research Colossyan: Thoroughly understand their product, target market (enterprise training/enablement), mission, and recent company news. Consider how your design leadership can contribute to their goals.

⚠️ 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.