Lead Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer

Company: fonio.ai

Location: Vienna, Austria (Remote Optional)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design & Branding Leadership

Date Posted: 2026-05-19

Experience Level: Senior (5-10 years estimated)

Remote Status: 100% Remote Option Available / Hybrid with Office Access in Vienna

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is a hybrid Individual Contributor (IC) and Team Lead position, focusing on both hands-on product design and strategic brand development for a rapidly scaling AI-driven SaaS company.

• You will own the entire design spectrum, from user interface and user experience of the core product to the overarching brand identity and website presence.

• Emphasis is placed on a pragmatic, data-informed approach to design, leveraging analytics and customer insights to drive product decisions and measure impact.

• The position requires a proactive leader who can build and mentor a design team, set high design standards, and foster a culture of rapid iteration and innovation within a fast-paced environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is described as "Lead Product Designer" with significant emphasis on "Hands-On Product Design, Kundeninterviews & Branding (50% deiner Zeit)" and "Leadership des Design Teams (50% deiner Zeit)". This indicates a dual focus where the candidate must be comfortable executing design work themselves while also managing and guiding other designers. The "Senior IC with Lead-Ambition" phrasing further supports this. The target salary range of €80,000-€150,000 suggests a senior-level role, likely requiring 5-10 years of relevant experience.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Hands-On Product Design & Customer Engagement (50%):

  • Take ownership of design for three core product areas, collaborating closely with Product Engineering to translate business needs into intuitive user experiences.
  • Conduct regular customer interviews with diverse user segments (e.g., tradespeople, doctors, law firms) to deeply understand user pain points and translate these insights into actionable design solutions.
  • Drive the product design process from concept to implementation, ensuring a seamless and effective user journey.
  • Utilize product analytics to inform design decisions, measure the effectiveness of implemented features, and identify areas for iteration and optimization.

• Brand & Website Ownership (50%):

  • Own the overall brand identity and visual language of fonio.ai, working in close partnership with a Staff Designer.
  • Oversee the design of the company website, ensuring it effectively communicates the value proposition and drives user acquisition.
  • Define and maintain brand consistency across all touchpoints, from marketing materials to product interfaces and internal communications.

• Design Team Leadership & Standard Setting:

  • Lead, mentor, and grow the design team, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment.
  • Establish and uphold high design standards across product, web, and brand, ensuring a cohesive and professional user experience.
  • Collaborate closely with Engineering and Founders, maintaining short communication lines for rapid decision-making and execution.

• Process & Tooling Innovation:

  • Champion an AI-first mindset, actively integrating modern AI tools (e.g., Cursor, v0, Claude) to accelerate the design process from ideation to prototyping.

  • Develop and scale Design Systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across multiple product areas and platforms.

  • Solve complex problems by simplifying functionality and presenting it in a clear, user-friendly manner.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities are divided into two 50% blocks, one hands-on design/customer focus and the other team leadership/brand focus. This implies that candidates must demonstrate proficiency in both execution and management. The explicit mention of "ownership of 3 product areas" and "ownership of the Brand" highlights the significant scope of responsibility for this role. The emphasis on customer interviews and analytics indicates a strong user-centric and data-driven design philosophy.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Proven track record as a Senior Product Designer with demonstrated experience leading design initiatives and, ideally, managing or mentoring design teams.

• 5-10 years of experience in product design, user experience (UX), and user interface (UI) design, with a significant portion in a fast-paced, product-led environment.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Mastery of end-to-end product design, including user research, wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity UI design.

• Hands-On Proficiency: Advanced skills in design tools such as Figma.

• User Research & Customer Understanding: Proven ability to conduct customer interviews and translate qualitative feedback into design decisions.

• Analytical Acumen: Strong experience with product analytics and data interpretation to drive design strategy and measure success.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and inspire a design team, fostering a collaborative and productive environment.

• AI-First Mindset: Familiarity and practical experience with modern AI tools for design and development (e.g., Cursor, v0, Claude, generative AI tools).

• Design Systems: Experience in creating, maintaining, and scaling Design Systems for consistency and efficiency.

• Pragmatic Problem-Solving: Ability to simplify complex functionalities and present them in an intuitive and user-friendly manner.

• Native German Fluency: Essential for effective communication within the core DACH market.

• Professional English: Required for effective collaboration within the international team.

Preferred Skills:

• Branding & Identity Design: Experience in developing and evolving brand identities.

• Website Design & UX: Expertise in designing high-converting and user-friendly websites.

• SaaS Product Design: Specific experience designing for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) products, particularly in the B2B or SME space.

• Agile Development Methodologies: Familiarity with agile processes and cross-functional collaboration in engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description explicitly mentions "Figma, Kundeninterviews" and "Produkt- & Analytics-Erfahrung" as core requirements. The "AI-first Mindset" and specific tool mentions like "Cursor, v0, Claude" are critical differentiators. The requirement for "Deutsch als Muttersprache" and "gutes Englisch" are non-negotiable. The "Senior IC with Lead-Ambition" phrasing implies that while leadership experience is a plus, a strong individual contributor with clear potential and desire to lead is also valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Comprehensive Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies that highlight your end-to-end product design process, from problem identification and user research to solution design, iteration, and impact measurement.

• Demonstration of Leadership: Include examples where you've mentored junior designers, influenced design direction, or led design initiatives within a team or project.

• Brand Integration: Present examples of how you've applied or evolved brand guidelines within product interfaces or marketing assets.

• Data-Driven Design: Clearly articulate how user analytics and customer feedback informed your design decisions and how you measured the success of your solutions.

• AI Tool Integration: If possible, showcase projects where AI tools were leveraged to enhance efficiency or creativity in the design process.

Process Documentation:

• Problem Definition & User Research: Detail your approach to understanding user needs and defining design problems, including methodologies used for customer interviews and research synthesis.

• Design Iteration & Optimization: Illustrate your process for iterating on designs based on feedback, A/B testing, or performance data, emphasizing how you achieved measurable improvements.

• Design Systems Implementation: Provide insight into your experience with Design Systems, including how you contributed to their development, adoption, or scaling.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Describe your workflow when collaborating with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders, highlighting communication strategies and decision-making processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Design Interview – 60 Minuten inkl. Portfolio Deep Dive & Product Thinking" explicitly states the need for a portfolio deep dive. Candidates should prepare to walk through their projects, explaining their design process, decision-making rationale, and the impact of their work. The emphasis on "Pragmatismus" and "messung, was funktioniert" means portfolios should highlight efficiency and quantifiable results.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• €80,000 - €150,000 Gross Annual Salary: This range is dependent on the candidate's experience level and qualifications.

• Research Methodology: Based on the provided salary range (€80,000-€150,000 EUR) and the location (Vienna, Austria), this aligns with senior-level Product Design Lead roles in Central European tech hubs. Cost of living in Vienna is moderate for a European capital, supporting this range for experienced professionals. The upper end reflects significant leadership experience and impact potential.

Benefits:

• Equity: Opportunity to gain ownership in a rapidly growing company.

• 100% Remote Flexibility: Option to work fully remotely from anywhere.

• Office Access: Access to a "cool office" in Vienna (7th District) for those who prefer an in-person or hybrid setup.

• Top-Tier Equipment: Provision of high-quality hardware and tools necessary for the role.

• AI Tool Access: Access to the latest and most advanced AI tools to enhance productivity and creativity.

• Tooling Budget: A dedicated budget for necessary tools, allowing for quick and unbureaucratic procurement.

• Direct Founder Collaboration: Opportunity to work closely with the company's co-founders and leadership team.

Working Hours:

• Standard Full-Time: Implied to be a standard full-time role, but with a strong emphasis on "100% Focus Time – keine regulären Meetings" and "Extremer Speed – wir shippen täglich." This suggests a highly efficient, asynchronous-first work environment that prioritizes deep work and rapid delivery over traditional meeting structures. The expected hours for a full-time role in Austria are typically 38-40 hours per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is explicitly stated as €80,000–€150,000 EUR gross annual salary, plus equity. The benefits package emphasizes flexibility (remote work), cutting-edge tools (AI, top equipment), and direct access to leadership, which are attractive incentives for senior tech talent. The mention of "no regular meetings" and "extreme speed" indicates a specific work culture focused on asynchronous communication and rapid iteration, which candidates should be prepared for.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: AI-Powered Communication / SaaS (Software-as-a-Service)

Description: fonio.ai is a rapidly growing startup that provides an AI-powered phone system designed to sound human and handle complete calls. They are expanding across Europe and aim to revolutionize how Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) communicate. The company has seen significant ARR growth and serves over 7,500 businesses.

Company Size: The provided data does not specify the exact size, but the rapid scaling (adding €150k-€200k ARR weekly) and multi-country expansion suggest a company that has moved beyond the early startup phase and is in a significant growth trajectory, likely employing dozens to low hundreds of people.

Team Structure:

• Design Team: The Lead Product Designer will lead the design team, which currently includes a Staff Designer. This suggests a small but growing design function.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Close collaboration is emphasized with Engineering and Founders, indicating a flat hierarchy and agile decision-making processes.

• Startup Environment: The culture is characterized by "extreme speed," daily shipping, and a focus on immediate impact, indicative of a dynamic startup environment.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Decisions are informed by product analytics and customer insights, moving beyond gut feelings.

• AI Integration: Modern AI tools are actively embraced to enhance productivity and creativity across the design and development lifecycle.

• Agile & Iterative: Daily shipping and rapid iteration are core to the operational model.

• Customer-Centricity: Regular direct interaction with customers (tradespeople, doctors, law firms) is a core part of the design process.

Company Website: https://fonio.ai

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's rapid growth and expansion into multiple European markets highlight a high-potential, fast-paced environment. The description of "7,500+ companies" using the service and significant weekly ARR growth indicates strong product-market fit. The emphasis on AI and speed suggests a culture that values innovation and efficient execution. The location of the office in Vienna's 7th district provides a specific geographical anchor for those considering hybrid work.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level:

Reporting Structure:

Operations Impact:

Growth Opportunities:

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

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the long-term product vision and brand strategy of a rapidly growing European tech company.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven product design, Design Systems at scale, and international brand building.

• Entrepreneurial Experience: Gain valuable experience in a high-growth startup environment, working directly with founders and experiencing rapid scaling firsthand.

• Mentorship & Team Building: Develop strong leadership and team-building skills by growing and managing the design function.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth from a hybrid IC/Lead role to a more formal Head of Design position, especially given the company's rapid scaling. The impact is significant, as design is crucial for a product like fonio.ai which relies on user trust and intuitive interaction. Direct collaboration with founders and exposure to international market expansion are key growth drivers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type:

• Hybrid/Optional Office: While 100% remote is an option, fonio.ai maintains a "cool office" in Vienna's 7th District, suggesting a preference for fostering in-person collaboration and a strong company culture for those who choose to utilize it. This offers flexibility for employees based in or willing to relocate to Vienna.

Office Location(s):

• Vienna, Austria (7th District): This specific location in Vienna provides a central hub for employees who opt for hybrid work, offering a physical space for team interaction, brainstorming, and focused work.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative & Focused: The environment is designed for both deep work ("100% Focus Time – keine regulären Meetings") and rapid collaboration ("kurze Wege, schnelle Entscheidungen," "Extremer Speed – wir shippen täglich").

• Technology-Rich: Access to top-tier equipment and the latest AI tools is standard, ensuring designers have the resources they need to be productive and innovative.

• Agile Operations: The emphasis on daily shipping and minimal meetings suggests an agile, outcome-oriented workspace where asynchronous communication and efficient workflows are paramount.

Work Schedule:

• Flexible & Outcome-Oriented: While a full-time role, the emphasis on "100% Focus Time" and "no regular meetings" implies a flexible schedule that prioritizes results and deep work over rigid meeting adherence. This allows for a high degree of autonomy in managing one's workday, provided deadlines and collaborative needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The work environment is a key selling point, offering the best of both worlds: full remote flexibility and a physical office space in a desirable location. The culture prioritizes efficiency and autonomy, which will appeal to experienced professionals who value deep work and impactful contributions.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Stage 1: Screening Call (20 mins): An initial introductory call to assess basic fit and interest.

• Stage 2: Hiring Manager Interview (30 mins): A conversation with Co-Founder & CTO Matthias to discuss your background, alignment with the company, and technical approach.

• Stage 3: Design Interview (60 mins): This is the critical stage involving a portfolio deep dive. Expect to discuss your past projects, design thinking, problem-solving skills, and how you approach product challenges.

• Stage 4: Culture Fit Interview (20 mins): A final discussion to assess your working style, expectations, and alignment with fonio.ai's company culture and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem you solved, your role, the process you followed, the solutions you designed, and most importantly, the quantifiable impact (e.g., increased conversion, reduced churn, improved user satisfaction).

• Showcase Leadership: Prepare examples of how you've guided other designers, influenced strategic decisions, or led the development of design systems.

• Demonstrate Pragmatism: Focus on how you simplify complexity and deliver efficient, effective solutions, rather than purely aesthetic ones. Use data and analytics to back up your design choices.

• AI Tool Integration: If you have relevant examples, be ready to discuss how you leveraged AI tools to accelerate your design workflow or achieve better outcomes.

• Storytelling: Frame your projects as narratives. Explain the context, the challenges, your journey, and the ultimate results. Make it engaging and easy to follow.

Challenge Preparation:

• Product Thinking: Be prepared to discuss how you approach new product challenges, ideate solutions, and validate them. This might involve a hypothetical problem or a discussion around fonio.ai's existing product.

• Design Process Articulation: Clearly explain your end-to-end design process, including how you incorporate user research, analytics, and stakeholder feedback.

• Leadership Scenarios: Consider how you would handle common design team challenges, such as managing conflicting opinions, setting priorities, or mentoring junior designers.

• Company Alignment: Research fonio.ai's product, target market, and recent news to demonstrate your understanding and enthusiasm for their mission.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured and emphasizes a deep dive into the candidate's portfolio and product thinking. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process, leadership capabilities, and data-driven approach. The "Design Interview" is the most crucial stage for showcasing their practical skills and strategic thinking.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned as a required skill, indicating it's the primary tool for UI/UX design, wireframing, and prototyping.

• AI Design Tools:

  • Cursor: A code editor with AI integration, likely used by design engineers or for prototyping code-based elements.
  • v0: AI-powered UI generation tool, suggesting an interest in rapid prototyping and AI-assisted design creation.
  • Claude: A large language model, likely used for content generation, idea brainstorming, or summarizing research.
  • Other AI tools for design and development are expected.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma has prototyping capabilities, candidates should be prepared to discuss other relevant prototyping tools if used.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools: The requirement for "Produkt- & Analytics-Erfahrung" implies the use of tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or similar platforms to track user behavior, feature adoption, and conversion rates.

• Data Visualization Tools: Candidates may be expected to work with or create dashboards using tools like Tableau, Power BI, or in-app analytics dashboards to communicate insights.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: While not explicitly mentioned for the design role, understanding how design impacts CRM data and user journeys is beneficial. Tools like Salesforce or HubSpot might be relevant indirectly.

• Automation Tools: The "AI-first Mindset" and focus on speed suggest an interest in workflow automation, potentially including tools that integrate with design and development pipelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI tools is a significant differentiator. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with AI-assisted design workflows, code generation tools, and LLMs. Proficiency in Figma is a baseline requirement, and familiarity with product analytics platforms is crucial for the data-driven aspect of the role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Speed & Execution: "Extremer Speed – wir shippen täglich" highlights a core value of rapid iteration and delivery.

• Ownership & Impact: "Volle Ownership über Design, Branding und das Design Team – du baust es auf, du entscheidest" and "Sofortiger Impact – jedes Pixel, das du shipst, landet bei tausenden Kunden" underscore the importance of taking responsibility and driving tangible results.

• Pragmatism & Simplicity: "Pragmatismus: starkes Gespür dafür, viel Funktionalität einfach darzustellen – du löst Komplexität, nicht designst sie sichtbar" emphasizes a focus on practical, user-friendly solutions over overly complex or abstract designs.

• AI-Driven Innovation: An "AI-first Mindset" indicates a culture that embraces new technologies to enhance efficiency and creativity.

• Customer Centricity: Regular customer interviews are central to the design process, ensuring solutions meet real user needs.

Collaboration Style:

• Direct & Efficient: "kurze Wege, schnelle Entscheidungen" and "keine regulären Meetings" suggest a highly efficient, asynchronous-first collaboration style that minimizes overhead and maximizes productivity.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Close integration with Engineering and Founders is expected, fostering a team environment where design is a key partner in product development.

• Feedback-Oriented: While meetings are minimized, feedback exchange is implied as crucial for rapid iteration and improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is clearly defined by its speed, focus on impact, and pragmatic approach. Candidates who thrive in fast-paced, autonomous environments and value direct contribution will find this appealing. The aversion to traditional meetings suggests a preference for asynchronous communication tools and clear documentation.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling Design Operations: As the company grows rapidly, scaling the design team, processes, and Design Systems effectively will be a key challenge.

• Balancing Hands-On vs. Leadership: Effectively managing the 50/50 split between individual design contribution and team leadership will require strong time management and prioritization skills.

• Maintaining Brand Consistency Across Markets: Expanding into multiple European countries requires careful consideration of localization and cultural nuances while maintaining a cohesive brand identity.

• Rapid Iteration Without Sacrificing Quality: The "extreme speed" environment demands continuous delivery, necessitating a robust process for maintaining design quality and user experience standards.

• Integrating AI Seamlessly: Effectively leveraging AI tools without compromising user experience or data privacy is an ongoing challenge in the AI space.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Formal opportunities to hone leadership skills by managing and growing the design team.

• Strategic Design Impact: Contribute to the high-level product and brand strategy of a fast-growing European SaaS company.

• AI & Innovation: Gain deep practical experience with cutting-edge AI tools and their application in design and product development.

• International Market Expansion: Learn about designing for diverse European markets and cultural contexts.

• Startup Growth Dynamics: Experience firsthand the challenges and rewards of scaling a successful tech startup.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant challenges related to scaling, balancing dual responsibilities, and maintaining quality in a high-speed environment. However, these challenges are directly linked to substantial growth opportunities in leadership, strategic impact, and exposure to advanced technologies and international markets.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Product Strategy: "How would you approach designing a new feature for fonio.ai to increase user engagement among [specific customer segment]? Walk me through your process from ideation to validation."

• Leadership & Team Management: "Describe a time you had to mentor a designer facing a difficult challenge. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" or "How would you set design standards for a new product area to ensure consistency with our existing brand?"

• Problem-Solving & Pragmatism: "Imagine we need to simplify the onboarding process for a complex feature. What steps would you take, and what key trade-offs would you consider?" Be ready to discuss how you simplify complexity.

• Data-Driven Design: "How do you use analytics to inform design decisions? Can you give an example of a design iteration driven by data?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• Company Mission: "What excites you most about fonio.ai's mission and product?"

• Work Style: "Our culture emphasizes speed and focus time. How do you best manage your workload and collaborate effectively in such an environment?" Be prepared to discuss your preference for asynchronous communication.

• AI Integration: "How do you see AI tools changing the future of product design, and how have you incorporated them into your workflow?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact & Process: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, iteration), the solution, and the quantifiable impact. Use metrics wherever possible.

• Tell a Story: Frame your projects as narratives. What was the challenge? What did you do? What was the result?

• Demonstrate Leadership: Have examples ready of how you've influenced design direction or mentored others.

• Highlight Pragmatism: Show how you simplify complexity and deliver efficient solutions.

• Be Ready for Hypotheticals: Prepare for potential "product thinking" exercises where you might be asked to design for a new hypothetical product or feature.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to demonstrate their ability to think strategically about product design, lead and mentor others, and operate effectively within a fast-paced, data-informed, and AI-centric environment. The portfolio deep dive is critical, so practicing the storytelling and articulation of impact is paramount.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best showcase your product design, leadership, and data-driven approach. Ensure they highlight your ability to simplify complexity and drive measurable impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Emphasize keywords relevant to product design, leadership, AI tools, Design Systems, and any experience in fast-paced SaaS environments. Quantify your achievements with specific metrics.

• Prepare for the Interviews: Practice articulating your design process, leadership philosophy, and how you leverage data and AI tools. Be ready to discuss your portfolio in detail and engage in product thinking exercises.

• Research Fonio.ai: Understand their product, target market, recent growth, and company values. Be prepared to discuss why you are a good fit for their specific culture and mission.

⚠️ 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.