Lead Product Designer, Marketplace

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer, Marketplace

Company: Jobgether (Partner Company)

Location: Slovenia

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / Marketplace Operations

Date Posted: 2026-08-28

Experience Level: 5+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end design strategy and execution for a complex, AI-centered two-sided marketplace discovery experience.

• Drive product innovation by leveraging AI-assisted prototyping and development tools to rapidly explore and validate new concepts.

• Shape the user experience for both creators and consumers, focusing on visibility, trust, personalization, and meaningful interactions within the marketplace.

• Collaborate closely with founder-led product and engineering teams to translate ambitious ideas into polished, shipped features, influencing product direction and design quality across a distributed team.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is for a Lead Product Designer focused on a specific "Marketplace" product area within Jobgether's partner company. The emphasis on AI, two-sided marketplaces, and 0->1 product development indicates a strategic, high-impact design leadership position requiring strong product sense and execution capabilities. The "Slovenia" location is noted, but the role is fully remote, suggesting the company operates globally and is open to talent worldwide, with compensation benchmarked against US standards.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the complete design lifecycle for the marketplace discovery platform, from opportunity identification and problem framing to defining design strategy, rapid prototyping, and shipping high-quality user experiences.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive design strategy for a two-sided marketplace, meticulously balancing the needs of creators (visibility, growth, trust) with those of consumers (relevance, confidence, meaningful experiences).

• Design and iterate on AI-driven discovery features, including conversational interfaces, personalized recommendation engines, curated journeys, and robust trust signals to foster intuitive and human-centric interactions.

• Establish strong connections across product systems and user experiences, understanding how community dynamics, creator portfolios, content engagement, and marketplace economics influence user discovery and decision-making processes.

• Utilize AI-assisted development and prototyping tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code, v0, Lovable) for rapid concept exploration, idea validation, and efficient bridging of design concepts to production-ready implementations.

• Actively contribute to product strategy and direction through close collaboration with product management and engineering, making informed trade-offs to ensure designs are feasible, scalable, and aligned with overarching business and user objectives.

• Champion and maintain high standards of design quality, consistency, and craft across the marketplace experience, applying expertise in interaction, visual, and systems design.

• Provide mentorship and support to other designers within the organization, elevating design thinking and execution quality through influence and shared best practices, rather than formal people management.

• Navigate and thrive in ambiguous environments, building conviction through continuous experimentation, iterative feedback loops, and evidence-based decision-making.

• Communicate design thinking, decisions, and trade-offs proactively and transparently, ensuring alignment and clarity across a globally distributed team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic ownership, hands-on design execution, and leadership through influence. The emphasis on AI, two-sided marketplaces, and 0->1 development suggests the need for a designer who can not only create beautiful interfaces but also deeply understand complex platform dynamics and drive product vision in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong understanding of design principles, user-centered design methodologies, and product strategy is essential, often gained through formal education or equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5+ years of progressive product design experience, with a proven track record of shipping complex products and contributing significantly to product strategy.

• Demonstrated experience owning and leading design for a specific product area at a senior or lead level, including setting design direction and driving outcomes with substantial autonomy.

• Proven expertise in 0→1 product development, adept at taking ambiguous opportunities from initial exploration through launch and subsequent iteration. Required Skills:

• Marketplace or Two-Sided Platform Design Expertise: Essential understanding of the dynamics between supply-side participants and consumers, with demonstrated experience in designing for such environments.

• AI-Assisted Prototyping and Development Fluency: Genuine proficiency with tools like Cursor, Claude Code, v0, Lovable, or comparable technologies for rapid exploration and testing of ideas.

• Advanced Figma Proficiency: Ability to create high-fidelity designs, interactive prototypes, and design systems that facilitate effective cross-functional collaboration.

• Strong Product and Systems Thinking: Capacity to connect individual user experiences to broader platform dynamics, business outcomes, and interconnected product systems.

• Excellent Communication Skills: Ability to articulate design rationale clearly, constructively challenge assumptions, and build consensus across product, engineering, and design disciplines.

• Comfort with Ambiguity: A proactive, bias-toward-experimentation mindset, comfortable learning and iterating rather than waiting for complete specifications.

• Proactive and Autonomous Work Style: Essential for success in a remote, asynchronous environment where ownership and clear communication are paramount.

• Professional Fluency in English: Equivalent to CEFR C2 / ILR 5, encompassing strong spoken, written, and reading proficiency.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in discovery, search, ranking, and recommendation systems.

• Familiarity with building trust signals and managing user engagement in online platforms.

• Experience with conversational AI interfaces.

• Understanding of A/B testing and data-driven design iteration.

• Mentorship experience with junior designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize specialized experience in two-sided marketplaces and cutting-edge AI tools, setting this role apart from general product design positions. The explicit mention of AI prototyping tools and the need for comfort with ambiguity and autonomy are critical qualifiers for candidates.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Shipped Products Showcase: A strong portfolio demonstrating successful product launches, particularly within complex multi-user or marketplace environments. Highlight the impact and outcomes achieved.

• Two-Sided Marketplace Case Studies: Detailed examples of designing for platforms with distinct user groups (e.g., creators and consumers), illustrating how you balanced competing needs and drove value for all stakeholders.

• AI-Assisted Design Process Examples: Showcase projects where AI tools were leveraged for prototyping, ideation, or development, demonstrating your ability to integrate these technologies effectively.

• Systems Thinking and Design Strategy: Include examples that illustrate your ability to think holistically about product systems, user journeys, and how individual features contribute to broader platform dynamics and business goals.

• 0→1 Product Development Narratives: Present case studies detailing your experience taking ambiguous ideas from concept to reality, highlighting your problem-framing, iterative design, and validation processes.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design and Optimization: Document your approach to mapping out and improving user flows, especially within complex marketplace scenarios.

• AI Integration and Automation: Provide examples of how you've incorporated AI tools or automated processes to enhance design efficiency or product capabilities.

• Metrics and Performance Analysis: Demonstrate how you measure the success of your designs, using key performance indicators (KPIs) related to engagement, conversion, trust, and user satisfaction within marketplace contexts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily geared towards demonstrating practical experience with complex marketplaces, AI tools, and a strategic, systems-level approach to design. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their design process and show measurable impact.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD $140,000 – $170,000 annually. This range is benchmarked against US standards, reflecting the global nature of the role and the company's commitment to competitive compensation for experienced professionals.

Benefits:

• Equity Participation: Includes ongoing refresh grants, offering significant long-term financial upside.

• Generous Paid Time Off: 35 days of paid time off per year, promoting work-life balance.

• Fully Remote Working Environment: Provides ultimate flexibility and autonomy regarding location and work schedule.

• Twice-Yearly Company Retreats: Opportunities for in-person team building and collaboration in global destinations.

• Health, Wellbeing, and Professional Development Support: Comprehensive benefits package designed to support employee health, wellness, and continuous learning.

• High-Autonomy Culture: Emphasis on ownership, trust, and outcomes over hours worked, fostering a results-oriented environment.

• Global and Diverse Team: Opportunity to collaborate with talented professionals from over 30 countries.

• Significant Growth Opportunities: Ability to shape a critical marketplace product area and influence overall product direction.

Working Hours: The role operates within a fully remote, asynchronous environment, with a focus on outcomes rather than fixed hours. A standard 40-hour work week is generally expected, but flexibility is provided to accommodate global collaboration and individual work styles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The compensation is US-benchmarked and competitive for a lead-level product design role. The benefits package emphasizes flexibility, global collaboration, and long-term incentives, aligning with the company's remote-first and high-autonomy culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / SaaS (Jobgether's platform), with the partner company operating in a Marketplace/Discovery sector, likely leveraging AI and creator economy principles.

Company Size: Jobgether is a platform enabling remote hiring; the partner company's specific size isn't stated but implies a growing, potentially founder-led startup environment given the description.

Founded: Jobgether operates as a platform; the founding date of the partner company is not specified but the emphasis on "0->1 product development" suggests a relatively early-stage or innovative product area within a larger entity.

Team Structure:

• The design team is globally distributed, with the Lead Product Designer expected to contribute through influence and mentorship rather than formal management.

• Close collaboration is expected with a founder-led product team and experienced engineers.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a core tenet, requiring proactive communication and alignment across different disciplines and time zones. Methodology:

• AI-Centric Design: Heavy reliance on AI-assisted tools for prototyping, development, and potentially for core product features (personalization, recommendations).

• Data-Driven Iteration: Emphasis on experimentation, iteration, and evidence-based decision-making to navigate ambiguity.

• Agile and Lean Principles: Implicit in the focus on rapid prototyping, iterative feedback, and operating effectively in ambiguous environments.

• Outcome-Oriented: Focus on delivering meaningful results and impact rather than adhering to strict processes or hours worked.

Company Website: https://jobgether.com/ (for the platform) - The partner company's website is not directly provided.

📝 Enhancement Note: The partner company's culture is characterized by high autonomy, a focus on innovation (especially with AI), and a distributed, collaborative workforce. Candidates should be comfortable with ambiguity and proactive communication.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Lead" Product Designer, indicating a senior individual contributor role with significant strategic influence and responsibility for a key product area. It sits above a "Senior" level, suggesting leadership potential and the ability to guide design direction and mentor others.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Designer will likely report to a Head of Product, VP of Product, or a senior product leader. They will work closely with product managers and engineering leads, contributing to product strategy and execution. Direct people management is not a primary aspect of this role, but mentorship and influence are key.

Operations Impact: The Lead Product Designer will have a direct and substantial impact on the core discovery marketplace experience, which is central to the platform's value proposition. Their work will influence user acquisition, engagement, retention, and ultimately, the success of the two-sided marketplace. The strategic integration of AI and the focus on user trust will be critical drivers of business outcomes.

Growth Opportunities:

• Product Leadership: Potential to grow into a Head of Product Design or similar leadership role, overseeing larger product areas or teams.

• Specialization in AI and Marketplaces: Deepen expertise in designing for complex, AI-driven platforms and two-sided marketplaces, becoming a recognized expert in these domains.

• Strategic Influence: Further shape product strategy and company direction through impactful design contributions and thought leadership.

• Mentorship and Team Development: Build out mentorship capabilities and contribute to the growth of a global design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential for a designer looking to take on strategic ownership, specialize in cutting-edge areas like AI and marketplaces, and influence product direction in a fast-paced, remote-first environment.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully remote. This implies no central office for day-to-day work, with the team dispersed globally.

Office Location(s): While the role is based in "Slovenia" for administrative or legal purposes, the work itself is remote, meaning candidates can work from anywhere conducive to a productive, asynchronous, and collaborative environment, adhering to any relevant local employment laws. The company organizes twice-yearly retreats in various global destinations for team building.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Digital Space: The workspace is primarily digital, relying heavily on collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Figma, video conferencing) to maintain connection and facilitate teamwork across time zones.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools (Figma), AI-powered prototyping tools, and communication platforms is expected. The company likely provides necessary software licenses.

• Operations Team Interaction: Opportunities for interaction will be through scheduled virtual meetings, asynchronous communication channels, and during company-wide retreats. The culture emphasizes proactive engagement.

Work Schedule: The role is fully remote and asynchronous. While a standard 40-hour work week is implied, the emphasis is on flexibility and achieving outcomes. This allows designers to manage their schedules to best suit their productivity and global team collaboration needs, while ensuring availability for key meetings and communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature is a defining characteristic, requiring self-discipline, strong communication skills, and comfort with digital collaboration tools. The twice-yearly retreats provide crucial in-person interaction.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening (Jobgether AI): Your application is processed by Jobgether's AI for initial fit assessment against core requirements.

• Application Review & Shortlisting: Top candidates are shortlisted and their profiles shared directly with the partner company's hiring team.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interview: An in-depth discussion focusing on your experience, design philosophy, and approach to marketplace and AI-driven design. Expect questions about your portfolio and how you've handled complex design challenges.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: A session where you present your portfolio, likely focusing on 1-2 key case studies demonstrating your skills in marketplace design, AI integration, and 0->1 development. You may also be given a small design challenge or asked to walk through a problem-solving exercise.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Discussions with product managers and engineers to assess collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to work in an asynchronous, remote environment.

• Final Interview: Likely with a founder or senior leadership to assess cultural fit, strategic thinking, and overall alignment with the company's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best showcase your experience with two-sided marketplaces, AI tools, and 0->1 product development.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (especially highlighting AI tool usage and iterative steps), the trade-offs you made, and the measurable outcomes.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics whenever possible to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved engagement, enhanced user trust).

• Showcase AI Integration: Explicitly detail how you used AI-assisted tools in your workflow and the benefits they provided.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Explain how your designs fit into the broader product ecosystem and contributed to strategic business goals.

• Prepare for Questions: Be ready to discuss your design rationale, challenge assumptions, and articulate how you would approach specific marketplace design problems.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Marketplace Dynamics: Refresh your knowledge of common challenges and best practices in two-sided marketplaces (e.g., chicken-and-egg problem, trust, discovery).

• AI Tool Familiarity: Be prepared to discuss your experience with AI design tools and how you envision them shaping future product development.

• Problem-Solving Framework: Have a clear, structured approach to tackling ambiguous design problems, emphasizing research, ideation, prototyping, and validation.

• Remote Collaboration: Be ready to discuss how you maintain effective communication and collaboration in a remote, asynchronous setting.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is rigorous, with a strong emphasis on portfolio demonstration and practical application of skills relevant to AI and marketplace design. Candidates should prepare to articulate their process and impact thoroughly.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency is a core requirement for high-fidelity design, prototyping, and design system creation.

• AI-Assisted Prototyping & Development Tools: Essential for this role, including but not limited to:

  • Cursor: An AI-first code editor that can assist with design implementation and front-end development.
  • Claude Code: AI assistant for coding tasks.
  • v0: AI-powered design system for generating React components.
  • Lovable: AI design tools for rapid UI generation.
  • Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with these or comparable AI tools.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, potentially other tools for specific interactive prototypes or user testing.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Analytics Platforms: Experience with tools like Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar for tracking user behavior and product performance.

• Data Visualization Tools: Proficiency in presenting data clearly, possibly using tools like Tableau, Looker, or built-in dashboarding within analytics platforms.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, an understanding of how design impacts user journeys within a CRM context or how automation affects user experience is beneficial.

• Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello) for workflow and task management is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of AI-assisted design tools is a critical differentiator for this role. Candidates must demonstrate proficiency and a forward-thinking approach to integrating these technologies into their design workflow.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• High Ownership: A strong sense of responsibility for product outcomes and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

• Craft & Quality: A commitment to delivering high-quality, well-executed design solutions.

• Continuous Improvement: A mindset of constant learning, experimentation, and iteration to enhance both products and processes.

• Collaboration & Inclusivity: Working effectively with a diverse, global team, valuing different perspectives and fostering an inclusive environment.

• Outcome-Focused: Prioritizing impact and results over hours worked or adherence to rigid processes.

• Transparency & Proactive Communication: Openly sharing design thinking, decisions, and trade-offs with all stakeholders.

Collaboration Style:

• Asynchronous First: Primarily communicating and collaborating through digital channels, respecting different time zones.

• Influence-Based Leadership: Driving design excellence and product direction through compelling rationale, strong execution, and mentorship, rather than formal authority.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Working seamlessly with product managers, engineers, and other designers to achieve shared goals.

• Feedback-Rich Environment: Actively seeking and providing constructive feedback to improve designs and processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes autonomy, proactive communication, and a results-driven approach, which are crucial for success in a remote, globally distributed team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Ambiguity (0→1): Taking undefined opportunities and translating them into tangible, user-centered product experiences requires strong problem-framing and iterative design skills.

• Balancing Two-Sided Marketplace Needs: Effectively designing for both creators and consumers simultaneously, ensuring value and growth for both sides, is a complex design challenge.

• Integrating AI Seamlessly: Leveraging AI-assisted tools and AI-driven features without compromising user experience or trust requires careful consideration and innovative solutions.

• Remote Collaboration & Communication: Maintaining alignment, fostering strong relationships, and driving consensus across a globally distributed, asynchronous team demands exceptional communication and organizational skills.

• Raising Design Bar: As a lead designer, continuously pushing for higher design quality and consistency across the platform, while mentoring others.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into AI in Design: Gaining hands-on experience and expertise in cutting-edge AI design and development tools.

• Marketplace Strategy & Dynamics: Developing a profound understanding of complex marketplace ecosystems and user behaviors.

• Product Leadership Skills: Honing skills in strategic thinking, influencing product direction, and mentoring design talent.

• Global Team Collaboration: Perfecting the art of working effectively in diverse, remote, and asynchronous environments.

• Exposure to Startup Growth: Gaining experience within a dynamic, growing company environment with significant impact potential.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant challenges that are also rich opportunities for professional growth, particularly in the rapidly evolving fields of AI and marketplace design within a remote-first setting.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the design of a complex, two-sided marketplace. What were the key challenges, and how did you balance the needs of different user groups?" (Focus on your process, trade-offs, and outcomes).

• "How do you approach designing AI-driven discovery experiences? What considerations are paramount for personalization, recommendations, and user trust?" (Highlight your understanding of AI's role in UX).

• "Walk us through a project where you used AI-assisted design tools (like Cursor, v0, etc.). What was your workflow, and what were the benefits compared to traditional methods?" (Be specific about the tools and your experience).

• "How do you tackle 0→1 product development and operate effectively in ambiguous situations?" (Emphasize your problem-framing, iterative process, and comfort with uncertainty). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Jobgether's mission or the specific marketplace this role focuses on?" (Research Jobgether and infer the partner company's domain).

• "How do you foster collaboration and maintain design quality in a fully remote, asynchronous environment?" (Discuss your communication strategies and tools).

• "Describe your experience mentoring designers. How do you influence and elevate the design practice within a team?" (Focus on your leadership through influence). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select Impactful Projects: Choose 2-3 case studies that best demonstrate marketplace experience, AI tool usage, and 0->1 development.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly outline: Problem, Your Role, Process (emphasizing AI tools & iteration), Solutions, and Measurable Outcomes.

• Highlight AI Integration: Explicitly show how and why you used AI tools. Discuss the efficiency gains, novel explorations, or improved outcomes.

• Quantify Results: Present metrics that demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., conversion rates, engagement, user satisfaction).

• Articulate Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss difficult decisions you made and the rationale behind them.

• Engage Your Audience: Be prepared for questions and foster a conversational, collaborative atmosphere during your presentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating specialized expertise in marketplace design and AI tools, alongside strong problem-solving and communication skills essential for remote work.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer, Marketplace position:

• Submit your application through the provided Jobgether link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 projects that best exemplify your experience with two-sided marketplaces, AI-assisted design tools, and 0->1 product development. Ensure each case study clearly articulates the problem, your role, process, solutions, and quantifiable outcomes.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to highlight keywords such as "Marketplace Design," "AI Prototyping," "Figma," "Systems Thinking," "0->1 Product Development," and "Remote Collaboration." Quantify achievements and responsibilities where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, especially concerning your experience with AI tools and marketplace dynamics. Prepare to present your portfolio case studies confidently and answer strategic questions about design leadership in a remote setting.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Jobgether's platform and mission. Infer the partner company's domain (likely discovery, creator economy, or a similar marketplace) and prepare to discuss how your design philosophy aligns with their innovative, AI-centric approach.

⚠️ 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.