Lead Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer

Company: Scapia

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design Leadership

Date Posted: 2026-08-19

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Own and drive the design vision and strategy for critical product areas within Scapia, influencing product direction beyond execution.

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of product designers, fostering a culture of strong craft, collaboration, and continuous learning.

• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Data, and Business teams to identify complex customer problems and shape innovative solutions from concept to launch.

• Remain hands-on with design execution, contributing directly to high-impact product initiatives and ensuring a high bar for product thinking, interaction, and visual design.

• Contribute to design hiring, team structure, and overall capability building within the design organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is explicitly described as a "player-coach," indicating a dual responsibility of hands-on design work and team leadership. This is a critical distinction for candidates to understand, as it requires both strong individual contribution skills and proven people management capabilities.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and champion the design strategy and vision for key product areas, ensuring alignment with company objectives and customer needs.

• Collaborate with Product Management and Engineering to translate user needs, business goals, and technical constraints into intuitive and delightful user experiences.

• Drive the end-to-end design process for new features and products, from initial concept and user research through to high-fidelity prototypes, visual design, and launch.

• Utilize customer insights, data analysis, user research, and experimentation to rigorously inform and validate design decisions.

• Provide leadership, mentorship, and constructive feedback to a team of product designers, supporting their professional growth and development.

• Foster a design culture characterized by high craft, rigorous product thinking, open feedback loops, effective collaboration, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

• Actively participate in design hiring processes, assisting with candidate evaluation, team structuring, and skill development initiatives.

• Maintain a hands-on role in designing and executing key product initiatives, ensuring the highest standards of product thinking and craft.

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders across Product, Engineering, Data, and Business teams to ensure design alignment and influence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic and leadership-oriented approach to product design, emphasizing influence on product direction and team development, rather than solely focusing on execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational background in Design, HCI, or a related field is often preferred for leadership roles in product design. Candidates with equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 8–12+ years of professional experience in product design, with a significant portion focused on consumer-facing products. Proven experience managing and mentoring a team of product designers is essential.

Required Skills:

• Extensive experience in User Experience (UX) Design, encompassing research, wireframing, prototyping, and user testing.

• Deep understanding of Interaction Design principles and best practices for creating intuitive user flows.

• Proficiency in Visual Design, including typography, color theory, layout, and the creation of high-fidelity mockups.

• Demonstrated Product Thinking capabilities, with the ability to understand business objectives and translate them into effective design solutions.

• Proven experience managing and mentoring product design teams, including performance management and career development.

• Strong track record of successfully shipping consumer-facing products from concept to launch.

• Excellent Storytelling and Communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and influence stakeholders.

• Strong Stakeholder Management skills, with experience collaborating effectively with Product, Engineering, and Business teams.

• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment with a high degree of ownership. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the FinTech or travel industry, understanding the nuances of consumer financial products and travel-related services.

• Familiarity with data analysis and A/B testing methodologies to inform design decisions.

• Experience in a startup or hyper-growth environment, demonstrating adaptability and resilience.

• Proficiency with design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar.

• Experience contributing to the development and maintenance of design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "8-12+ years" experience combined with "managing and mentoring a team" strongly suggests this is a senior leadership position, requiring not just design expertise but also significant people management and strategic influence.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a minimum of 8-12 years of product design experience, with a clear emphasis on shipped consumer-facing products.

• Demonstrations of strong Product Thinking, illustrating how you've influenced product strategy and solved complex customer problems beyond just UI execution.

• Case studies detailing your leadership and mentorship of design teams, including examples of team development, process improvement, and fostering collaboration.

• Evidence of end-to-end design ownership, from initial user research and concept development through to detailed interaction and visual design, and successful launch.

• Examples highlighting your ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Data) and manage stakeholder expectations.

• Showcase of your craft across UX, Interaction, and Visual Design, demonstrating a high standard of execution and attention to detail. Process Documentation:

• Case studies should clearly outline the design process followed, including user research methodologies, ideation techniques, prototyping approaches, and validation methods.

• Demonstrate how data, customer insights, and experimentation were integrated into the design process to drive decisions and measure impact.

• Illustrate your approach to building and maintaining design systems or style guides to ensure consistency and scalability.

• Document your experience in defining and advocating for design vision and strategy for specific product areas.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio that showcases "leadership, mentorship, and shipped work" is paramount. Candidates should prepare to articulate not only their individual design contributions but also their impact on team growth and product strategy.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The typical salary range for a Lead Product Designer with 8-12+ years of experience in Bengaluru, India, can vary significantly based on company size, funding, and specific responsibilities. Based on industry benchmarks and cost of living in Bengaluru, a competitive range would likely be ₹25,00,000 to ₹45,00,000 per annum. This estimate considers the senior nature of the role, the player-coach aspect, and the company's focus on innovative consumer products.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage for employees and dependents.

• Paid time off, including vacation days, sick leave, and public holidays.

• Opportunities for professional development, including access to conferences, workshops, and online courses.

• Stock options or equity, depending on the company's stage and compensation structure.

• Performance-based bonuses and incentives.

• Relocation assistance, if applicable for candidates moving to Bengaluru.

• Access to modern design tools and technology.

• A dynamic and collaborative work environment with opportunities for growth.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are typically around 40 hours per week, aligning with full-time employment. While on-site, Scapia likely offers a degree of flexibility to accommodate project deadlines and team collaboration needs within the standard work week.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is an estimate based on industry data for Lead Product Designers in Bengaluru with 8-12+ years of experience. It factors in the "player-coach" aspect and the company's focus on consumer tech. Actual compensation will depend on the candidate's specific experience and the company's compensation philosophy.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: FinTech & Travel Technology. Scapia operates at the intersection of financial services and the travel industry, aiming to enhance the customer experience for spending and travel through innovative products. This context suggests a need for designers who understand financial transactions, loyalty programs, and the user journey in travel planning and execution.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the need for a "Lead Product Designer" to "raise the bar for design across the organisation" and "lead, mentor, and develop a team" implies Scapia is beyond the early startup phase, likely in a growth stage with an established, but expanding, design team.

Founded: Scapia was founded in 2021, indicating a relatively young company with a strong focus on rapid innovation and building products from the ground up. This fast-paced environment requires designers who are adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity.

Team Structure:

• The Design team likely comprises a mix of individual contributors and leads, with this role being a key leadership position.

• This Lead will report to a Head of Product, VP of Product, or potentially a Chief Product Officer, and will manage a team of Product Designers.

• Collaboration will be highly cross-functional, involving close partnerships with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, Data Scientists, and Business Development teams. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is a core aspect, with designers expected to leverage customer insights, user research, and experimentation to inform their work.

• The product development lifecycle emphasizes a "0 to 1" approach, suggesting a strong focus on innovation, rapid prototyping, and iterative development.

• A culture of strong craft, feedback, and continuous learning is actively promoted, indicating a commitment to design excellence and professional growth.

Company Website: https://scapia.cards/

📝 Enhancement Note: Scapia's recent founding and focus on innovative consumer products suggest a dynamic, fast-paced culture that values agility, data-driven insights, and strong design leadership.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a significant step into senior leadership within the design function. As a Lead Product Designer, you are expected to not only excel in individual design contributions but also to shape the strategic direction of product design, mentor and grow a team, and contribute to the overall design maturity of the organization. This level requires a blend of deep craft expertise, strategic thinking, and people leadership.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Designer will likely report to a senior leadership role such as the Head of Product, VP of Product, or Chief Product Officer. They will directly manage a team of Product Designers, providing guidance, feedback, and career development support.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer will have a profound impact on Scapia's success by:

• Directly influencing the user experience of core products, which are central to customer acquisition and retention in the competitive FinTech and travel space.

• Shaping product strategy through design insights, ensuring that user needs are at the forefront of development efforts.

• Elevating the overall quality and consistency of design across all Scapia products, enhancing brand perception and user trust.

• Building and developing a high-performing design team, which is critical for scaling product development and innovation. Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership Advancement: Potential to grow into a Head of Design or Design Director role as the company scales, taking on broader strategic responsibilities for the entire design function.

• Specialization & Expertise: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas of FinTech or travel product design, becoming a recognized authority within the company.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Development of skills in influencing broader product and business strategy, potentially leading cross-functional initiatives beyond design.

• Mentorship & Coaching: Continued development of leadership and coaching skills through managing and developing a team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "player-coach" nature of this role offers a unique growth path, allowing individuals to maintain hands-on design skills while developing leadership capabilities, preparing them for broader executive roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is an on-site role, indicating a traditional office-based work environment. This setup typically fosters strong in-person collaboration, spontaneous idea generation, and a clear separation between work and personal life.

Office Location(s): Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. This is a major technology and innovation hub in India, offering a vibrant ecosystem for tech professionals.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The on-site nature encourages direct interaction with colleagues, facilitating quick feedback loops, brainstorming sessions, and team cohesion.

• Tools & Technology: Expect access to industry-standard design software and hardware. The company's focus on innovation suggests a willingness to invest in the tools designers need to be effective.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities to engage directly with Product Managers, Engineers, Data Analysts, and fellow Designers, fostering a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving.

Work Schedule: As a full-time role, the standard work schedule is expected to be around 40 hours per week. While on-site, there may be flexibility to manage personal needs, but the expectation is consistent presence and availability during core business hours for effective team collaboration and project delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Bengaluru suggests a company culture that values in-person collaboration and team synergy, which can be beneficial for rapid iteration and complex problem-solving common in product design.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess foundational qualifications and experience.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager (likely Head of Product or similar) to delve into your leadership experience, design philosophy, and strategic thinking.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session where you present your portfolio, focusing on key case studies that demonstrate your product thinking, leadership, craft, and shipped work. Expect detailed questions about your process, decision-making, and impact.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially other designers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and cultural fit.

• Final Round/Executive Interview: A conversation with senior leadership to discuss vision, strategic alignment, and overall fit for the company's growth phase.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest case studies that highlight both individual design contributions and leadership/mentorship experience. Prioritize projects with significant impact and clear problem/solution narratives.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, prototyping, testing), the design decisions made, the technical and business constraints, and the final outcomes/impact. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight Leadership: Specifically detail instances where you mentored designers, improved team processes, influenced product strategy, or contributed to hiring and team building. Quantify these achievements where possible.

• Focus on Product Thinking: Go beyond UI/UX details to explain why certain design decisions were made, how they aligned with business goals, and how you used data or research to validate them.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your design process, how you handle disagreements, your approach to ambiguity, and your vision for design at Scapia.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential design challenge or a deep dive into a specific problem area during the interview process. This could involve critiquing an existing product, proposing solutions for a hypothetical scenario, or discussing how you would approach a current Scapia product challenge.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, demonstrating your ability to think critically and systematically under pressure.

• Be ready to discuss how you would leverage data and user feedback to iterate on solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "player-coach" role and "shaping product strategy" means your portfolio presentation should balance deep craft with strategic influence and leadership impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma is highly likely to be the primary tool, given its industry prevalence for collaborative design, prototyping, and handoff. Sketch and Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop) may also be used or expected.

• User Research & Testing: Tools for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, SurveyMonkey, Google Forms).

• Collaboration & Project Management: Tools like Jira, Confluence, Asana, or Trello are common for tracking design tasks, project progress, and documentation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools such as Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics are crucial for understanding user behavior, tracking feature adoption, and measuring the impact of design changes.

• Data Visualization: While not a primary design tool, familiarity with how data is presented (e.g., Tableau, Looker) can be beneficial for understanding product performance.

CRM & Automation:

• While less directly used by Product Designers, an understanding of how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation tools impact the customer journey can provide valuable context.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools aren't listed, proficiency with modern design and prototyping software (especially Figma) and a strong understanding of how to use product analytics data to inform design decisions are critical.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and solving customer problems, making travel and spending more rewarding, seamless, and delightful.

• Product Quality & Craft: A dedication to building high-quality, user-loved products with excellent design execution and attention to detail.

• Innovation & Speed: A fast-moving environment that embraces taking ideas from 0→1, launching, and scaling quickly.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on cross-functional teamwork between Design, Product, Engineering, and Data.

• Ownership & Ambiguity: A culture where individuals take high ownership and are comfortable navigating uncertain or evolving landscapes.

• Continuous Learning: A drive for ongoing skill development and improvement, both individually and as a team.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Design is expected to be deeply integrated with Product and Engineering from the outset of problem definition through to launch and iteration.

• Data-Informed: Design decisions are expected to be supported by user research, data analysis, and experimentation, rather than solely based on intuition.

• Open Feedback: A culture that encourages constructive feedback, design critiques, and open discussion to elevate the quality of work.

• Shared Vision: A collective effort to align on product goals and user experience vision, ensuring everyone is working towards common objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: Scapia's culture appears to value a blend of agile execution, user-centricity, and a commitment to design excellence, driven by data and collaborative problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Player and Coach: Effectively managing time and energy to deliver hands-on design work while also leading, mentoring, and developing a team.

• Scaling Design Processes: Establishing and refining design processes, standards, and capabilities to support rapid company growth.

• Navigating Ambiguity: Thriving in a fast-paced startup environment where priorities can shift and new challenges emerge frequently.

• Influencing Product Strategy: Moving beyond design execution to significantly influence product direction and long-term vision.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent understanding and buy-in for design decisions across diverse stakeholder groups with potentially differing priorities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Formal and informal opportunities to hone coaching, mentorship, and team management skills.

• Strategic Impact: Gaining experience in shaping high-level product strategy and contributing to business growth through design.

• Industry Exposure: Working on cutting-edge problems in FinTech and travel, staying abreast of industry trends and user expectations.

• Team Building: Contributing to the growth and shaping of the design function within a rapidly evolving company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge will be managing the dual responsibilities of a player and a coach, requiring strong time management and delegation skills.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to define the design vision for a new product area. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on strategic thinking, research, and impact.)

• "How do you balance the needs of the business, technical constraints, and user experience when making design decisions?" (Demonstrate product thinking and problem-solving.)

• "Tell me about a significant product you led the design for from concept to launch. What were the key challenges, and how did you overcome them?" (Showcase end-to-end ownership and execution.)

• "How do you approach mentoring and developing junior designers? Provide an example of how you helped a team member grow." (Highlight leadership and mentorship skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Scapia's mission and its products in the travel and FinTech space?" (Show your research and genuine interest.)

• "How would you contribute to building a strong design culture at Scapia, given our fast-paced environment?" (Align your values with the company's stated culture.)

• "Describe your ideal collaboration model with Product Managers and Engineers." (Emphasize cross-functional partnership.)

• "How do you ensure the design team is aligned with broader business objectives?" (Demonstrate strategic understanding.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the impact. Use a consistent structure.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics (e.g., conversion rates, engagement, user satisfaction scores) to demonstrate the success of your designs and leadership initiatives.

• Showcase Leadership: Explicitly point out where you mentored, led team efforts, or influenced strategy. Frame these as key contributions.

• Be Prepared to Dive Deep: Anticipate questions about your specific design choices, the trade-offs you made, and how you would iterate or improve the design further.

• Practice Your Delivery: Rehearse your presentation to ensure it flows well, stays within time limits, and effectively communicates your expertise and leadership potential.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to answer questions that probe both your individual design capabilities and your leadership effectiveness, with a strong emphasis on how you drive impact through both craft and people management.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Freshteam link: https://scapia.freshteam.com/jobs/cI2roaUR5-N4/lead-product-designer.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your 8-12+ years of product design experience, with specific emphasis on consumer-facing products, leadership/mentorship roles, and successful product launches. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest case studies that demonstrate end-to-end design ownership, product thinking, leadership, and shipped work. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your role, process, solution, and quantifiable impact.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on articulating your design strategy, leadership approach, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your process and decision-making in detail.

• Research Scapia: Thoroughly research Scapia's mission, products, target audience, and recent news. Understand their position in the FinTech and travel space and formulate thoughtful questions about their product vision and design challenges.

⚠️ 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.