Lead Product Designer, Marketplace

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer, Marketplace

Company: Jobgether (Partner Company)

Location: Austria

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-28

Experience Level: Lead / Senior (5+ years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the end-to-end design of a critical discovery marketplace, focusing on AI-driven user experiences and complex two-sided platform dynamics.

• Define and execute the design strategy for a marketplace connecting creators and consumers, balancing visibility, trust, and relevance.

• Leverage AI and advanced prototyping tools to rapidly iterate on innovative discovery, personalization, and recommendation features.

• Drive high-quality design execution and consistency across a globally distributed team, acting as a design mentor and influencer.

• Collaborate closely with founder-led product and engineering teams to shape product direction and deliver impactful, scalable solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the core role is Product Design, the emphasis on a "two-sided marketplace," "creator visibility," "consumer trust," and "AI-driven discovery" strongly positions this role within the GTM (Go-To-Market) operations sphere, as success hinges on optimizing user acquisition, engagement, and conversion for both sides of the platform. The "Lead" designation implies a strategic contribution to product-market fit.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the complete design lifecycle for the marketplace discovery experience, from opportunity identification and problem framing to final product shipping and iteration.

• Develop and refine the design strategy for a complex two-sided marketplace, ensuring a cohesive experience for both creators seeking visibility and consumers seeking relevant content.

• Design intuitive, human-centered AI-driven discovery features, including conversational interfaces, personalized recommendations, and robust trust signals.

• Architect interconnected product systems that harmonize community, creator, content, engagement, and marketplace dynamics to enhance user decision-making.

• Utilize AI-assisted prototyping and rapid iteration techniques to explore novel concepts, validate hypotheses, and accelerate the design-to-development pipeline.

• Foster strong partnerships with product management and engineering to influence product strategy, navigate technical constraints, and ensure design feasibility and scalability.

• Champion design excellence by maintaining high standards for interaction design, visual aesthetics, and overall user experience across the marketplace.

• Provide design mentorship and guidance to other team members, elevating the collective design craft and contributing through thought leadership and best practice sharing.

• Navigate and thrive in ambiguous environments by driving experimentation, iterative development, and evidence-based decision-making.

• Maintain proactive and transparent communication regarding design thinking, decisions, trade-offs, and progress to keep globally distributed teams aligned.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for deep understanding of marketplace dynamics, which is crucial for GTM strategy. The focus on "AI-driven discovery," "personalization," and "recommendation experiences" suggests an alignment with data-driven marketing and user acquisition strategies. The emphasis on "0→1 product development" and operating in ambiguity points to a need for strategic thinking aligned with early-stage GTM planning.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is often beneficial for understanding user psychology and interaction principles.

Experience: 5+ years of professional product design experience with a proven track record of shipping complex, multi-user products. Specific experience in marketplace or two-sided platform design is a mandatory requirement.

Required Skills:

• 5+ years of product design experience with a robust portfolio showcasing shipped products and complex multi-user experiences.

• Proven experience designing for marketplaces or two-sided platforms, demonstrating a deep understanding of supply-side and consumer dynamics.

• Demonstrated experience owning a product area at a senior or lead level, including setting design direction and making strategic trade-offs.

• Strong background in 0→1 product development, from initial exploration to launch and iteration.

• Deep understanding of marketplace discovery principles, including search, ranking, recommendations, engagement, trust, visibility, and conversion.

• Fluency with AI-assisted prototyping and development tools (e.g., Cursor, Claude Code, v0, Lovable).

• Advanced proficiency in Figma for high-fidelity design, prototyping, and system creation.

• Excellent product and systems thinking capabilities to connect user experiences with broader platform dynamics and business outcomes.

• Strong communication skills for articulating design rationale, challenging assumptions constructively, and building cross-functional alignment.

• Comfort and proven ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments, with a bias for experimentation and learning.

• Highly proactive and autonomous working style, suited for remote, asynchronous collaboration.

• Professional fluency in English (CEFR C2 / ILR 5 equivalent).

• Strong alignment with collaborative, inclusive, high-ownership working principles. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with A/B testing and data analysis to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Familiarity with user research methodologies and the ability to translate insights into design solutions.

• Experience in designing conversational interfaces or AI-powered recommendation systems.

• Understanding of growth loops and engagement strategies within online marketplaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "marketplace or two-sided platform experience" and "marketplace discovery" strongly indicates a need for candidates who understand GTM mechanics like user acquisition, conversion funnels for both sides of a marketplace, and retention strategies. The mention of AI tools like "Cursor" and "Claude Code" points towards an expectation of candidates who can leverage technology to accelerate GTM validation and product development cycles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase 2-3 complex, end-to-end product design case studies, with a strong emphasis on marketplace or two-sided platform experiences.

• Clearly articulate your role and contributions, especially in areas of strategic decision-making, problem framing, and design direction.

• Include examples of designing for AI-driven discovery, personalization, or recommendation systems.

• Demonstrate experience with 0→1 product development, highlighting how you took an ambiguous opportunity from concept to launch.

• Highlight your ability to connect individual user experiences with broader platform dynamics and business objectives.

• Showcase your proficiency with advanced Figma and AI-assisted prototyping tools through interactive prototypes or detailed walkthroughs. Process Documentation:

• Clearly document the problem statement, user needs, and business goals for each case study.

• Detail your design process, including research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and iteration phases.

• Explain how you approached system thinking, connecting different parts of the marketplace experience.

• Illustrate how you used AI tools to accelerate prototyping, explore concepts, or validate ideas.

• Provide evidence of how your design decisions led to measurable outcomes (e.g., increased conversion, engagement, trust, creator visibility).

📝 Enhancement Note: A portfolio for this role must go beyond visual design. It needs to demonstrate strategic thinking around GTM objectives like user acquisition, conversion optimization for both sides of the marketplace, and retention. Case studies should explicitly show how design decisions directly impacted marketplace performance and user growth, especially in an AI-driven context.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD $140,000 – $170,000 annually. This range is globally competitive and U.S.-benchmarked, reflecting the senior/lead level of the role and the complexity of the marketplace and AI components.

Benefits:

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

• Generous Paid Time Off: 35 days of paid time off annually, supporting work-life balance.

• Fully Remote Working Environment: Provides flexibility and autonomy, allowing work from any location.

• Company Retreats: Twice-yearly global team gatherings to foster connection and collaboration.

• Health & Wellbeing Support: Benefits designed to support overall employee health and wellness.

• Professional Development Support: Resources and opportunities for continuous learning and skill advancement.

• High-Autonomy Culture: Emphasis on ownership, trust, and meaningful outcomes over hours worked.

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

• Significant Growth Opportunity: Potential to shape a key product area and influence overall product strategy.

Working Hours: The role is fully remote with a high-autonomy culture, implying flexibility. While a standard full-time workload is expected (likely around 40 hours per week), the focus is on outcomes rather than strict adherence to hours, fitting well with asynchronous global collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The compensation is benchmarked against U.S. standards, which is common for remote roles in fast-growing tech companies, even for non-U.S. residents. The benefits emphasize autonomy and global collaboration, aligning with the expectations of experienced remote professionals in the tech and operations space. The salary range is competitive for a Lead Product Designer role with marketplace and AI specialization.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Software / Online Marketplaces. The company operates within the dynamic tech landscape, focusing on building innovative platforms that connect diverse user groups.

Company Size: As a partner company managed by Jobgether, the exact size is not specified, but the mention of a "talented, globally distributed team" and "30+ countries" suggests a mid-sized to large, international organization with a significant remote workforce.

Founded: The founding date is not specified, but the description suggests a company that is likely past its initial startup phase, focusing on scaling and optimizing a "high-impact discovery marketplace."

Team Structure:

• The design team is described as "talented, globally distributed" with designers contributing through "influence rather than formal people management." This implies a flat or matrixed structure where seniority and expertise drive impact.

• The role reports to a "founder-led product team," indicating close proximity to executive leadership and a direct line of influence on product strategy.

• Cross-functional collaboration is central, involving close work with "experienced engineers" and product managers. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Discovery: Emphasis on AI at the center of the discovery experience, requiring a data-informed approach to personalization, recommendations, and user intent.

• Iterative Development: A strong bias towards "experimentation, iteration, feedback, and evidence" to drive product decisions, especially in ambiguous situations.

• Outcome-Oriented: Focus on "meaningful outcomes" and "business goals" rather than simply hours worked, suggesting a performance-driven environment.

• Proactive Communication: Essential for a remote, asynchronous team, with an expectation of "communicating proactively" and "surfacing decisions early."

Company Website: https://jobgether.com/ (for Jobgether's platform, the partner company's specific website is not provided but would be the primary target for research).

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes autonomy, global collaboration, and data-driven decision-making, which are hallmarks of modern, successful tech companies, particularly those operating at scale with remote teams. For a product designer, this means a high degree of ownership and the expectation to be proactive in driving product direction, aligning closely with GTM strategy by optimizing user engagement and platform growth.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is designated as "Lead Product Designer," indicating a senior position with significant responsibility. It signifies a level where strategic input into product direction is expected, not just execution. The candidate will be responsible for owning a critical product area and influencing the overall product vision.

Reporting Structure: The Lead Product Designer will report into a "founder-led product team." This close proximity to founders suggests direct mentorship opportunities and a significant impact on strategic decisions within the product organization. The role also involves influencing and mentoring other designers, even without direct people management responsibilities.

Operations Impact: The "Marketplace" focus and "AI-driven discovery" aspects directly tie into GTM operations. Success in this role means optimizing the platform's ability to attract, engage, and convert users on both sides of the marketplace. This directly impacts revenue generation, user acquisition costs, customer lifetime value, and overall platform growth—all core metrics for GTM operations. The design choices will critically influence the effectiveness of marketing efforts, sales enablement (if applicable), and customer success by shaping the user journey and trust within the platform.

Growth Opportunities:

• Product Strategy Influence: Direct opportunity to shape the product roadmap and strategy for a core marketplace feature, significantly impacting business growth.

• AI & Emerging Tech Expertise: Deepen expertise in designing with AI-assisted tools and understanding AI's role in personalization and discovery, a highly sought-after skill.

• Leadership Through Influence: Develop strong mentorship and leadership skills by guiding and uplifting other designers, preparing for potential future management roles or principal designer tracks.

• Marketplace Specialization: Become a subject matter expert in complex two-sided marketplace dynamics and growth strategies.

• Global Remote Work Experience: Gain extensive experience working effectively within a diverse, globally distributed, and asynchronous remote team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth analysis highlights how this design role is intrinsically linked to GTM operations. The ability to influence product strategy for a marketplace directly translates to driving revenue and user growth. The emphasis on AI and remote work aligns with current trends in operations and product development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a "Fully remote working environment." This means there is no central office, and employees work from their chosen locations. The company fosters a remote-first culture.

Office Location(s): While the role is based in "Austria" for potential logistical or compliance reasons (as indicated by the location data), the "fully remote working environment" means employees are not tied to a physical office in Austria. The company is globally distributed, with team members in over 30 countries.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the company emphasizes collaboration through proactive communication, shared tools, and scheduled virtual interactions like company retreats. The design team fosters collaboration through influence and knowledge sharing.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to advanced design tools like Figma and AI-assisted prototyping software (Cursor, Claude Code, v0, Lovable) is expected. The work environment supports the use of these tools for efficient design and development.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for team interaction occur through virtual meetings, asynchronous communication channels (e.g., Slack, email), and planned in-person gatherings (company retreats).

Work Schedule: The "high-autonomy culture" and "fully remote working environment" suggest significant flexibility in working hours. While a full-time commitment is expected, employees likely manage their schedules to meet deadlines and collaborate effectively across time zones, prioritizing outcomes over strict adherence to a 9-to-5 schedule. This flexibility is crucial for managing complex design projects and asynchronous communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote, high-autonomy nature of the work environment is a key characteristic. For operations professionals, this implies a need for strong self-discipline, excellent asynchronous communication skills, and the ability to manage one's own workflow. The emphasis on global collaboration and flexible hours is typical for companies seeking to tap into a worldwide talent pool.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening (Jobgether AI): Applications are first processed by Jobgether's AI for initial fit assessment against core requirements.

• Shortlisting: Top candidates identified by the AI are passed to the partner hiring company.

• Hiring Company Review: The partner company's internal team reviews applications and portfolios.

• First Interview (Hiring Company): Typically a call with a hiring manager or product lead to discuss experience, motivations, and initial fit. This stage will likely focus on your marketplace and AI design experience.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A significant component will be a deep dive into your portfolio. This may involve presenting 1-2 case studies, discussing your process, strategic thinking, and how you've tackled complex marketplace problems. Expect questions about your experience with AI tools.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with engineers and product managers to assess collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to work within a distributed team.

• Final Interview(s): Potentially with founders or senior leadership to discuss overall product vision, strategic alignment, and cultural fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Prioritize Marketplace & AI: Select case studies that most strongly demonstrate your experience with two-sided marketplaces, discovery mechanisms, AI integration, and 0→1 product development.

• Structure for Impact: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, your process, the key decisions you made, the challenges you overcame, and the measurable outcomes achieved. Use visuals effectively.

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, present data and metrics that show the impact of your design work on business goals (e.g., conversion rates, user engagement, retention, creator growth).

• Demonstrate AI Tool Proficiency: Be ready to discuss how you've used AI-assisted tools (Cursor, Claude Code, etc.) to accelerate your workflow, explore ideas, or prototype solutions. Showcase examples if possible.

• Articulate Systems Thinking: Explain how your designs fit into the broader ecosystem of the marketplace and how you considered the interplay between different user groups and features.

• Highlight Autonomy & Ambiguity: Showcase instances where you took initiative, operated with minimal direction, and successfully navigated unclear requirements.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate Marketplace Scenarios: Be prepared for hypothetical design challenges related to creator acquisition, consumer engagement, trust-building, or optimizing recommendation algorithms within a marketplace context.

• AI Integration: Think about how AI could be leveraged to solve specific marketplace problems you might be presented with.

• Systems Design: Practice articulating how different components of a marketplace platform interact and how your design decisions affect the overall system.

• Communication & Rationale: Focus on clearly articulating your thought process, design choices, and the rationale behind them. Be ready to defend your decisions with user-centered and business-oriented arguments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily emphasizes portfolio review and practical application of design skills in a marketplace and AI context. Candidates should prepare to demonstrate their strategic thinking and how their design work directly contributes to GTM objectives like user acquisition and conversion. The AI-assisted tools are a specific requirement, so candidates must be ready to discuss their practical experience with them.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency is a requirement for high-fidelity design, prototyping, and creating design systems. Expect to use it extensively for collaboration and detailed design work.

• AI-Assisted Prototyping/Development Tools: Genuine fluency with tools such as Cursor, Claude Code, v0, Lovable, or comparable technologies is mandatory. These are crucial for rapid exploration, iteration, and bridging the gap between design concepts and production.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a designer tool, proficiency in understanding and interpreting data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to inform design decisions is highly beneficial. Designers will likely collaborate with product managers and analysts who use these tools.

• Experience with A/B testing platforms to validate design hypotheses and measure impact. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly part of the designer's core toolset, but an understanding of how CRM systems and marketing automation platforms influence user journeys and customer acquisition can be advantageous for a marketplace designer. The designer's work directly impacts the data fed into these systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of AI-assisted tools like Cursor and Claude Code is a significant differentiator. This indicates a forward-thinking design team that embraces new technologies to accelerate product development and GTM validation. Candidates must be able to demonstrate practical use of these tools, not just theoretical knowledge. Figma is standard, but its advanced use for systems and collaboration is key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• High Ownership: A core value where individuals are expected to take full responsibility for their areas, drive initiatives, and deliver results autonomously. This aligns with GTM roles that often require proactive problem-solving.

• Collaboration & Inclusion: Emphasis on working effectively with a diverse, global team, valuing different perspectives and fostering an inclusive environment.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: A commitment to high-quality design execution, user experience, and attention to detail.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture that embraces learning, iteration, and adapting to new technologies and methodologies.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing evidence, experimentation, and AI to inform product and design choices, critical for optimizing GTM strategies.

Collaboration Style:

• Asynchronous & Remote-First: The primary mode of collaboration is asynchronous, requiring clear, concise communication and proactive updates.

• Influence-Based: Design leadership and impact are achieved through strong rationale, expertise, and collaborative influence rather than formal authority.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Close working relationships with product managers and engineers are essential, involving shared ownership of product outcomes.

• Feedback-Rich Environment: Openness to constructive feedback and iterative refinement of designs based on input from peers and stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "high ownership," "data-driven decision making," and "collaboration" directly mirrors key attributes sought in successful operations professionals, particularly in GTM roles. These values foster an environment where designers can significantly contribute to business growth by optimizing user acquisition and engagement strategies.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Ambiguity (0→1): Taking undefined opportunities and translating them into concrete, user-validated product experiences requires strong problem-framing and strategic thinking.

• Balancing Two-Sided Marketplace Needs: Simultaneously optimizing for creator visibility and consumer trust/relevance, a complex balancing act common in GTM strategy.

• Integrating AI Seamlessly: Designing AI-driven experiences that feel intuitive, trustworthy, and genuinely helpful, rather than intrusive or complex.

• Remote Collaboration at Scale: Effectively communicating and collaborating with a globally distributed team across different time zones and cultures.

• Maintaining Design Quality: Upholding high design standards while working with AI-assisted tools and iterating rapidly.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in leveraging AI tools and designing AI-powered product features for enhanced user experiences.

• Marketplace Growth Strategy: Gain in-depth knowledge of growth loops, user acquisition, conversion optimization, and retention strategies specific to online marketplaces.

• Product Strategy Development: Influence and contribute to the strategic direction of a core product area, enhancing strategic thinking and leadership capabilities.

• Global Remote Work Mastery: Hone skills in asynchronous communication, self-management, and effective collaboration in a distributed team environment.

• Mentorship & Design Leadership: Develop leadership influence by mentoring junior designers and contributing to the overall design vision and quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges and growth opportunities are deeply intertwined with GTM operations. Successfully navigating marketplace dynamics and AI integration directly impacts user acquisition, conversion, and retention. The growth opportunities focus on developing specialized skills crucial for modern GTM and product development leadership.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your experience designing for a two-sided marketplace. What were the key challenges, and how did you balance the needs of both sides?" (Focus on GTM dynamics, acquisition, and retention for both user groups.)

• "Walk us through a complex 0→1 product you designed. How did you navigate ambiguity, what was your process, and what were the outcomes?" (Highlight problem framing, iterative design, and impact on initial user adoption.)

• "How have you incorporated AI into your design process or product solutions? Can you share an example using tools like Cursor or Claude Code?" (Be ready to demonstrate practical experience with AI-assisted tools.)

• "How do you approach designing for personalization and recommendation systems within a discovery experience?" (Focus on user intent, data utilization, and driving relevant discovery.)

• "Describe a time you had to make significant design trade-offs. What was the situation, and how did you arrive at your decision?" (Assess strategic thinking and ability to balance user needs with business/technical constraints.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about designing for a marketplace with AI-driven discovery?" (Connect your passion to the company's mission and the role's core challenges.)

• "How do you approach working in a fully remote, asynchronous environment? What strategies do you use to stay aligned and productive?" (Demonstrate self-management, communication skills, and remote work best practices.)

• "How do you influence product and engineering teams when you don't have formal authority?" (Showcase collaboration, communication, and rationale-based persuasion skills.)

• "What does 'high ownership' mean to you, and how do you embody it in your work?" (Align with the company's core values.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each case study, frame it as a narrative: the problem, your journey, the challenges, your solutions, and the impact.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (screenshots, wireframes, prototypes) extensively. For AI tools, consider showing quick demo recordings or detailed process shots.

• Quantify Impact: Always bring it back to metrics. How did your design contribute to user acquisition, conversion, engagement, or retention?

• Focus on Strategic Thinking: Emphasize why you made certain design decisions, not just what you designed. Connect your choices to business goals and user needs.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Expect detailed questions about your process, your reasoning, and your experience with specific tools and marketplace dynamics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation emphasizes practical application of design skills within a marketplace context and with AI tools, directly linking to GTM objectives. Candidates should prepare to articulate their strategic contributions and how their designs drive user acquisition, engagement, and revenue.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.lever.co.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to prominently feature 1-2 case studies demonstrating your experience with two-sided marketplaces, AI-driven discovery, and 0→1 product development. Highlight your specific contributions and measurable outcomes.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your 5+ years of product design experience, specifically mentioning marketplace design, AI tool proficiency, and any experience with growth or conversion optimization. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly research Jobgether and the principles of marketplace design and AI integration. Practice articulating your design process, strategic thinking, and experience with AI-assisted tools (Cursor, Claude Code, etc.). Prepare to discuss how your designs contribute to user acquisition and engagement.

• Company Research: Understand Jobgether's mission and how their platform works. While this role is for a partner company, understanding the context of how applications are managed (AI screening) is beneficial. Prepare to discuss your understanding of marketplace dynamics and AI's role in discovery.

⚠️ 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.