Lead Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer

Company: E+E Consulting

Location: Montréal, Québec, Canada

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design & User Experience

Date Posted: 2026-09-02T22:34:13.13

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end product design strategy and execution for the Onix iOS application, ensuring a seamless and engaging user experience from initial launch to long-term engagement.

• Develop and maintain a robust, scalable design system that serves as the foundational element for UI/UX consistency across the platform, empowering engineering, product, and marketing teams.

• Collaborate intimately with engineering and product teams, sitting alongside them to ensure clear specification, detailed build reviews, and unwavering adherence to design quality and detail.

• Own and evolve the brand's visual identity at a system level, working cross-functionally to ensure a cohesive narrative across all user touchpoints, including apps, platforms, and marketing surfaces.

• Drive design innovation and present compelling design decisions to founders, actively incorporating feedback to iterate and elevate the product's user experience and strategic direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is firmly positioned as a hands-on leadership position within product design, emphasizing direct contribution and ownership rather than team management. The focus on "shipping the work yourself" and "staying hands-on" indicates a desire for an individual who is deeply embedded in the design process and execution.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product Design Ownership: Take full accountability for the iOS application's user interface and user experience, from the initial user onboarding flow to the hundredth session, ensuring intuitive navigation and a delightful user journey.

• Design System Development & Governance: Architect, build, and maintain the core design system, defining guidelines for color, typography, spacing, and interactive components, ensuring comprehensive documentation for independent adoption by various teams.

• Engineering Collaboration & Quality Assurance: Work in close proximity with the engineering team to translate design specifications into reality, conduct rigorous build reviews, and uphold the integrity of the design details that contribute to a high-quality user experience.

• Brand Visual System Integration: Establish and manage the brand's visual identity at a systemic level, collaborating with marketing, brand, and growth teams to ensure a unified and compelling brand story across all product surfaces and external communications.

• Founder-Level Design Reviews: Regularly present and articulate design rationale, decisions, and explorations to the founding team, actively soliciting and integrating feedback to drive continuous improvement and strategic alignment of the product vision.

• User-Centric Iteration: Drive user acquisition, activation, and retention improvements through data-informed design decisions and the implementation of meaningful product changes that demonstrably enhance user engagement and satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a senior-level role requiring not only design execution but also strategic thinking and the ability to influence product direction. The emphasis on "shipping meaningful changes" and improving key acquisition/retention metrics points to a results-oriented approach.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating a deep understanding of design principles and practical application is essential. A background in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Graphic Design, Interaction Design, or a related field is highly beneficial.

Experience: 5-10 years of professional experience in product design, with a significant focus on consumer mobile applications and extensive experience in building and maintaining design systems.

Required Skills:

• Consumer Mobile Product Design: Proven experience shipping consumer mobile products with substantial daily usage, with the ability to articulate design decisions based on real-world performance and user feedback.

• Design System Expertise: Demonstrated ability to build, own, and document a comprehensive design system, including establishing rules for color, typography, spacing, and components.

• Hands-on Design Execution: A strong preference and proven capability for staying hands-on in the design process, executing designs rather than solely managing a team.

• Critical Thinking & Feedback Integration: Ability to hold strong, well-reasoned opinions on design while being receptive to direct critique and feedback, using it to improve outcomes.

• AI Tool Proficiency: Experience integrating AI tools into the design process while maintaining a high standard of craft, taste, and aesthetic quality.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Skill in working collaboratively with engineering, product management, and marketing teams, ensuring clear communication and alignment.

• UI/UX Design Principles: Deep understanding of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design principles, with a keen eye for detail and pixel-perfect execution.

• Prototyping & User Flows: Proficiency in creating detailed prototypes and mapping out complex user flows to visualize and test product interactions.

Preferred Skills:

• iOS Design Specialization: Specific experience designing for the iOS platform, understanding its unique design guidelines and user expectations.

• Visual Identity & Branding: Experience in developing and maintaining a consistent visual identity system across digital products and marketing materials.

• Design Documentation: Ability to create clear and comprehensive documentation for design systems, workflows, and specifications.

• Data-Informed Design: Experience using analytics and user feedback to inform design decisions and measure impact on key metrics like acquisition, activation, and retention.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "holding strong opinions with reasons" and "defending them under direct feedback" suggests the company values conviction and the ability to engage in robust design discussions. The explicit mention of "AI in your process" indicates a forward-thinking approach to design tools.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Shipped Consumer Mobile Products: Showcase at least one significant consumer mobile product you have designed and shipped, detailing your specific contributions, design decisions, and the impact on user engagement and business metrics.

• Design System Case Study: Present a detailed case study of a design system you have built or significantly contributed to. This should include its architecture, core components, documentation, and how it was adopted and used by other teams.

• User Flow & Interaction Design: Include examples of complex user flows and detailed interaction designs that demonstrate your ability to create intuitive and efficient user journeys.

• Visual Design & Branding Elements: Showcase examples of your visual design work, including UI elements, style guides, and how you've contributed to or maintained a brand's visual identity.

• Process & Rationale Documentation: Clearly articulate the process behind your design decisions, supported by user research, A/B testing results, or other data where applicable.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Provide examples of how you have mapped, analyzed, and optimized user workflows to improve efficiency and user satisfaction.

• System Implementation & Collaboration: Demonstrate how you have worked with engineering to implement designs and ensure the quality of the final product, including your process for build reviews.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Illustrate how you track the performance of your designs post-launch, using metrics such as acquisition, activation, and retention to drive further iterations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily weighted towards demonstrable impact and hands-on experience. Candidates must be prepared to "walk us through the decisions, not just the screens" and show evidence of their contributions to shipped products and functional design systems.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the "Lead" title, the location in Montréal, and the required 5-10 years of experience, a competitive salary range for a Lead Product Designer in this market would typically fall between CAD $100,000 to CAD $140,000 annually. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior design roles in major Canadian tech hubs, factoring in the specific responsibilities and the on-site work requirement.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health & Wellness: Likely includes extended health, dental, and vision coverage, crucial for supporting the well-being of a dedicated design professional.

• Competitive Paid Time Off: Generous vacation days, personal days, and public holidays to ensure work-life balance.

• Professional Development Stipend: Budget allocated for conferences, workshops, online courses, and certifications to foster continuous learning and skill enhancement in design and AI tools.

• Collaborative Workspace: Access to a modern, well-equipped office in Old Montreal designed to foster collaboration and creativity.

• Potential for Equity/Stock Options: Depending on company stage and growth, there may be opportunities for equity participation.

Working Hours: The role is full-time, with an estimated 40 hours per week. The emphasis on in-person collaboration suggests standard business hours within the Montréal time zone (e.g., 9 AM - 5 PM EST), with flexibility managed through project deadlines and team needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on market research for similar roles in Montréal, Canada, considering the experience level and on-site requirement. The benefits are inferred based on standard offerings for full-time positions in the tech sector in Canada.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: The company operates within the Personal Intelligence platform sector, leveraging AI and small language models trained on private expert corpora. This is a cutting-edge area at the intersection of AI, health, wellness, and personalized information delivery.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the description suggests a growing, focused team where individuals can have significant impact. Likely a startup or early-stage company with a lean, agile structure.

Founded: The company, Onix, appears to be relatively new, indicated by its innovative platform and focus on building its core product and team. The mention of "Old Montreal" as the office location provides a specific geographical and cultural context.

Team Structure:

• Lean & Agile: Expect a close-knit team structure where roles are often cross-functional and individuals are expected to wear multiple hats.

• Direct Reporting: The Lead Product Designer will likely report directly to a Head of Product, CTO, or one of the Founders, given the emphasis on "Leadership reviews" with founders.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Heavy emphasis on collaboration with engineering, product management, and marketing teams, with a physical proximity requirement.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Product Development: Decisions are informed by user data, A/B testing, and direct feedback to drive acquisition, activation, and retention.

• Agile Design & Development: The process likely involves iterative design cycles, close collaboration with engineering for rapid prototyping and implementation, and a focus on shipping frequently.

• AI Integration: A core aspect of the company's offering and likely integrated into its internal processes, including design.

Company Website: [Company URL - Assumed to be associated with 'Onix' and 'E+E Consulting']

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is characterized by a strong emphasis on hands-on contribution, direct collaboration, and a results-oriented mindset within a fast-paced, innovative environment. The "in person" requirement is a critical cultural indicator.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Lead Product Designer role, signifying a senior individual contributor position. It requires deep expertise in product design, a proven track record of shipping successful consumer mobile products, and the ability to own and evolve a design system and brand identity. The role involves significant autonomy and influence over the product's user experience and visual direction.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Designer will report directly to senior leadership, likely the founders or Head of Product/CTO, indicating a high level of visibility and direct access to decision-makers.

Operations Impact: The designer's impact is measured directly through improvements in key user metrics such as acquisition, activation, and retention. They are instrumental in shaping the user's perception of the Onix platform and ensuring its usability and desirability.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deepening Design Expertise: Opportunity to become the definitive authority on product design and the design system for a novel AI-powered platform, expanding expertise in specialized areas.

• Strategic Product Influence: Direct involvement in product strategy discussions and the ability to shape the future direction of the Onix application based on design insights and user needs.

• Mentorship & Technical Leadership: While not managing a team, there's an opportunity to mentor junior designers or engineers on design best practices and system thinking, acting as a technical leader in design.

• Advancement to Design Leadership: Successful performance and demonstrated strategic impact could lead to opportunities for formal design leadership roles as the company scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: Growth here is framed around deepening technical and strategic design expertise and increasing influence within the product development lifecycle, rather than traditional people management, aligning with the "hands-on" nature of the role.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is explicitly on-site, requiring the designer to work in person in Old Montreal. This suggests a collaborative office environment designed to foster direct interaction and teamwork.

Office Location(s): The primary work location is 400 Rue McGill, Montréal, Québec, H2Y 2G1, Canada, situated in the historic Old Montreal district, known for its vibrant atmosphere and accessibility.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office space is likely designed to facilitate close collaboration between product design, engineering, and product management teams, with shared workspaces and meeting areas.

• Tooling & Technology: Access to necessary design software, hardware, and potentially specialized AI tools to support the design process.

• Team Interaction: Frequent, direct interaction with colleagues, founders, and other stakeholders, promoting a dynamic and communicative work atmosphere.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is full-time, approximately 40 hours per week. While core hours are expected for in-person collaboration, the dynamic nature of a startup may involve occasional flexibility to meet project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "in person" requirement is a non-negotiable aspect of the work environment, underscoring the company's commitment to collaborative, face-to-face work.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

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

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A session where you will present your portfolio, focusing on shipped consumer mobile products and design system work. Be prepared to articulate your design decisions, process, and the impact of your work. Expect deep dives into specific case studies.

• Design Challenge/Exercise: You may be given a design problem to solve or an exercise to complete, either prior to or during the interview process, to assess your problem-solving skills and design approach.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Discussions with engineering and product team members to evaluate collaboration style, communication skills, and technical understanding.

• Founder/Leadership Interview: A final conversation with the founders to assess strategic alignment, cultural fit, and overall vision for the role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Quantify your achievements with metrics (acquisition, activation, retention improvements). Demonstrate how your design decisions led to tangible business outcomes.

• Showcase the Process: Clearly articulate your design thinking, research methodologies, problem-solving approach, and how you iterated based on feedback and data.

• Highlight Design System Ownership: Detail your experience building, documenting, and maintaining design systems. Explain the governance model and how it facilitated team efficiency.

• Defend Your Decisions: Be ready to passionately explain the rationale behind your design choices, especially when challenged, and demonstrate how you incorporated feedback.

• Tailor to Onix: Understand Onix's mission and target audience. Frame your experience and case studies in a way that shows how you can contribute to their specific goals.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Product: Research Onix, its target users (experts and their private corpora), and its competitive landscape.

• Think Systemically: Be prepared for challenges that require thinking about design systems, scalability, and cross-platform consistency.

• Embrace Critique: Practice articulating your thought process and being open to constructive criticism, as this is a key value for the company.

• Focus on Execution: Given the emphasis on "shipping," demonstrate an understanding of practical implementation constraints and how to work effectively with engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily emphasizes the candidate's ability to demonstrate tangible impact through their portfolio and their willingness to engage in critical feedback. The "in person" nature of the job means cultural fit and collaborative potential will be key evaluation points.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), and potentially specialized tools for animation or 3D.

• Prototyping Tools: Expertise in tools like Figma, InVision, ProtoPie, or similar for creating interactive prototypes to test user flows and interactions.

• Design System Management: Experience with tools or methodologies for organizing, documenting, and distributing design system components (e.g., Storybook integration, shared libraries in design tools).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Mobile Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with platforms like Amplitude, Mixpanel, Firebase Analytics, or similar for tracking user behavior, engagement metrics, and identifying areas for design improvement.

• Data Visualization Tools: Ability to interpret data and potentially create basic visualizations to communicate insights to the team.

CRM & Automation:

• Collaboration Platforms: Daily use of tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for real-time communication and team coordination.

• Project Management Tools: Experience with tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, or Monday.com for managing design tasks and project workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, the responsibilities strongly imply a need for expertise in modern UI/UX design and prototyping software, with a particular emphasis on design system management and mobile analytics.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craft & Taste: A commitment to high-quality design execution, attention to detail, and a refined aesthetic sense, even when working with AI.

• Direct Impact & Shipping: A focus on delivering tangible results and shipping product changes that positively influence user behavior and business metrics, rather than just exploring ideas.

• Collaboration & Direct Feedback: A culture where open, direct critique is valued and utilized as a mechanism for growth and improvement, fostering a transparent and honest working environment.

• Ownership & Accountability: Individuals are expected to take full ownership of their work, from concept to execution, and be accountable for its outcomes.

• Innovation & AI Integration: Embracing new technologies, particularly AI, and integrating them effectively into the design process to enhance efficiency and product capabilities.

Collaboration Style:

• In-Person & Intensive: The requirement to work in person in Old Montreal emphasizes a collaborative style that thrives on real-time communication, spontaneous problem-solving, and a shared physical workspace.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Designers work hand-in-hand with engineers and product managers, treating them as integral partners in the product development process.

• Constructive Dialogue: Openness to challenging discussions and feedback, with a shared goal of achieving the best possible product outcome through rigorous debate and iteration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values are clearly articulated as "strong opinions with reasons," "defend them under direct feedback," and "stay hands-on and ship the work yourself," painting a picture of a driven, collaborative, and execution-focused team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing AI and Human Craft: Integrating AI tools and outputs into a design process while maintaining a high standard of human craft, taste, and unique user experience.

• Scaling a Design System: Evolving and maintaining a design system that can support rapid product development and a growing feature set, while ensuring adoption across teams.

• Data-Driven Iteration: Effectively translating complex AI-generated insights and user data into actionable design improvements that demonstrably impact key metrics.

• Defending Design Vision: Articulating and defending design decisions to founders and stakeholders, navigating feedback to achieve optimal outcomes without compromising core design principles.

• On-Site Collaboration Dynamics: Thriving in an intensive, in-person collaborative environment that requires constant communication and rapid iteration.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced AI Design Applications: Deepen understanding and practical application of AI tools within the design workflow, potentially exploring generative design or AI-assisted prototyping.

• System Design Mastery: Become an expert in designing and scaling complex design systems for consumer mobile applications in a rapidly evolving tech landscape.

• Product Strategy Contribution: Gain significant exposure to product strategy, contributing design-led insights that shape the future roadmap of the Onix platform.

• Cross-Disciplinary Skill Growth: Learn from close collaboration with world-class engineers and product leaders, expanding knowledge in areas like AI, mobile development, and growth strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges and growth opportunities are intrinsically linked, with the role providing a platform to tackle cutting-edge problems in AI-driven design and scale a critical product.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Product Vision & Design Role: "How would you approach owning the end-to-end design of the Onix iOS app, from first open to the hundredth session?" Focus on user journey mapping, key interaction points, and how you'd ensure long-term engagement.

• Design System Philosophy: "Describe your philosophy on building and maintaining a design system for a rapidly growing consumer mobile product. What are the key components of your documentation and governance strategy?" Prepare to discuss component libraries, style guides, and adoption processes.

• Collaboration & Feedback: "How do you ensure clear communication and high-quality execution when working closely with engineers? Describe a time you received significant direct critique on your design and how you incorporated it." Be ready with specific examples of your collaborative process and feedback integration.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Understanding Onix's Mission: "Based on your research, what excites you about Onix's Personal Intelligence platform and the role of AI in expert knowledge delivery?" Demonstrate your understanding of their unique value proposition and market.

• On-Site Work Value: "The role requires being in person in Old Montreal. What do you see as the primary benefits of this collaborative environment for a product designer?" Articulate your appreciation for face-to-face interaction and its impact on design quality.

• Design Impact Measurement: "How would you measure the success of your design changes on user acquisition, activation, and retention for a product like Onix?" Discuss relevant metrics and how you would track them.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process you followed, your specific contributions, the solutions, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight Design System Work: Dedicate specific time to showcase your design system contributions, explaining its architecture, key elements, and the impact it had on team efficiency and consistency.

• Emphasize "Shipped" Work: Focus on projects that have been launched and are in the hands of real users. Be prepared to discuss challenges faced during development and how you overcame them.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about specific UI elements, interaction patterns, and the rationale behind seemingly small design decisions.

• Articulate Your Process: Clearly explain why you made certain choices, referencing user research, data, or design principles. Demonstrate your ability to think critically and justify your approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating hands-on expertise, a systems-thinking approach, strong collaboration skills, and a clear understanding of how design drives business outcomes, all within the context of an AI-driven, consumer-facing mobile product.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on SmartRecruiters.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best showcase your experience in consumer mobile apps and design systems. Ensure each project clearly details the problem, your process, your specific contributions, and the measurable outcomes.

• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight keywords from the job description such as "Product Design," "Design Systems," "iOS," "Consumer Mobile," and "AI Tools." Quantify achievements where possible, focusing on shipped products and metrics.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio with a focus on clarity, conciseness, and demonstrating your design rationale and problem-solving skills. Be ready to defend your decisions.

• Research Onix: Thoroughly understand Onix's mission, its product, its target users, and the innovative use of AI. Consider how your design philosophy aligns with their values and 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.

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