Principal Designer, Ecosystem & Innovation

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Designer, Ecosystem & Innovation

Company: Manychat

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX Design / Innovation Design

Date Posted: 2026-06-08

Experience Level: Senior (15+ years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the definition and execution of a cohesive product experience vision across Manychat's AI-powered conversational growth platform and its broader ecosystem.

• Lead strategic, zero-to-one design explorations for innovative initiatives, shaping the future direction of the company and the creator economy.

• Architect and evolve the experience architecture, ensuring scalability and seamless integration of product surfaces, AI workflows, and creator-facing touchpoints.

• Champion AI-native interaction models, exploring and prototyping conversational UX, intelligent defaults, and adaptive interfaces to empower creators.

• Act as a strategic thought partner to Product, Engineering, and Marketing leadership, translating complex design thinking into clear, impactful narratives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a highly senior, individual contributor (IC) position focused on strategic design leadership and innovation within Manychat's product ecosystem, with a significant emphasis on AI-native experiences and the creator economy. The "Principal" title indicates a level of autonomy and influence typically associated with shaping long-term product strategy and design direction.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and drive a bold, cohesive experience vision across the Manychat ecosystem, encompassing product surfaces, AI-powered workflows, and creator-facing touchpoints.

• Lead strategic, zero-to-one design explorations for forward-thinking initiatives that will influence the company's next chapter and identify white spaces within the creator economy.

• Own and evolve the experience architecture that underpins how product, platform, and AI surfaces connect, scale, and integrate effectively.

• Drive the design system and component strategy at an architectural level, focusing on patterns, primitives, and governing principles.

• Explore and prototype AI-native interaction models, including conversational UX, intelligent defaults, adaptive interfaces, and automation flows that enhance creator capabilities.

• Establish Manychat's point of view on human-centered AI design within the context of the creator economy.

• Set the standard for design quality across interaction, visual, and systems design, elevating it through example, feedback, and shared principles.

• Operate as a strategic thought partner to Product, Engineering, and Marketing, integrating design perspective into early-stage decisions and communicating complex thinking clearly to executive stakeholders.

• Bridge the gap between long-term vision and near-term execution, ensuring both are effectively managed.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic vision setting, hands-on design execution, and cross-functional leadership. The emphasis on "zero-to-one" explorations and "white spaces" indicates a need for proactive opportunity identification and innovation. "AI-native interaction models" suggests a focus on designing experiences where AI is a core component, not an add-on.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree preferred; HCI or a related field is a bonus, not a requirement.

Experience: 15+ years of experience designing and shipping products across web and native platforms.

Required Skills:

• Deep interaction design craft: Ability to transform ambiguous problems into intuitive and effective user experiences.

• Design engineering range: Proficiency in prototyping with code (e.g., Framer, React, or equivalent) and collaborating with engineers at the specification and implementation levels.

• AI-native design expertise: Proven experience designing products where AI is a central user experience concern, with nuanced opinions on trustworthy, useful, and human AI interactions.

• Systems thinking: Natural ability to consider the ripple effects of design decisions across an entire product ecosystem and design for scale.

• Executive presence and independence: Capability to distill complex design thinking into crisp narratives for leadership and thrive in ambiguous, high-stakes work environments.

• Portfolio of real, consequential work: Demonstrating clear insights and learnings from past projects across web and native platforms. Preferred Skills:

• Experience working within the creator economy or with creator-facing tools.

• Familiarity with design systems at an architectural level, including pattern definition and primitive components.

• Understanding of conversational UX principles and their application in AI-driven products.

• Experience presenting complex ideas and influencing executive stakeholders.

• Familiarity with platform design and scaling user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of 15+ years positions this as a very senior role, demanding a high level of strategic thinking and proven impact. "Design engineering range" suggests a need for candidates who can bridge the gap between design and development, potentially contributing to front-end code or defining technical design specifications. "AI-native design expertise" is a critical differentiator, indicating a need for hands-on experience shaping AI-driven user journeys.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 15 years of product design experience, highlighting significant contributions and impact on shipped products across web and native platforms.

• Include case studies that demonstrate deep interaction design craft, illustrating how ambiguous problems were translated into elegant and effective user experiences.

• Present examples of work where you've applied systems thinking, detailing how your designs scaled across an ecosystem and considered interconnectedness.

• Feature projects that highlight your design engineering capabilities, such as prototypes built with code (Framer, React) or instances where you collaborated closely with engineers on implementation.

• Provide concrete examples of AI-native product design, showcasing your approach to designing intuitive, trustworthy, and human-centered AI interactions.

• Demonstrate instances of strategic leadership, where you've influenced product vision, defined experience architecture, or led zero-to-one design explorations. Process Documentation:

• Case studies should clearly articulate the problem, your design process, the solutions implemented, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• For AI-native designs, explain the specific AI capabilities leveraged and how they were integrated into the user experience to drive value.

• Document your approach to designing scalable systems and design architectures, including how you considered component strategies and governing principles.

• For design engineering contributions, specify the tools and technologies used and the level of your involvement in prototyping or implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Principal" title and focus on innovation and ecosystem design, the portfolio is expected to be exceptionally strong, demonstrating not just execution but strategic foresight and a deep understanding of complex systems and emerging technologies like AI. The emphasis on "zero-to-one" work and identifying "white spaces" means candidates should be prepared to showcase their ability to innovate from conception.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: While not explicitly stated, for a Principal Designer role with 15+ years of experience in a major European tech hub like Barcelona, and considering the company's global presence and funding, an estimated annual salary range would be between €100,000 - €150,000. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior design leadership roles in Western Europe, factoring in the required expertise in AI, systems thinking, and executive presence.

Benefits:

• Annual professional development reimbursement for conferences, online courses, and other growth resources.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their dependents.

• Hybrid work model offering flexibility.

• Generous leave options to support work-life balance.

• In-office perks including free meals and snacks.

• Company-funded sport activities, annual offsites, and team-building events.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours are expected, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility offered through the hybrid work arrangement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on typical compensation for Principal Designer roles in major European tech markets, considering the extensive experience required (15+ years) and the company's likely positioning as a significant player in the AI/SaaS space. Factors such as specific team budget, individual candidate negotiation, and the exact scope of responsibilities within the innovation and ecosystem functions would influence the final offer.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Technology (AI-powered automation platform for conversational growth). Manychat operates in the rapidly evolving martech, conversational AI, and creator economy sectors. This means a fast-paced environment where innovation and adaptability are key.

Company Size: 400+ employees. This indicates a mid-sized company that is likely past its early startup phase but still agile enough to foster innovation and maintain a strong sense of mission. For operations professionals, this size often means opportunities for impact and influence, with established processes but also room for process improvement.

Founded: The founding date is not provided, but with 400+ employees, it suggests a company with several years of established growth and product development.

Team Structure:

• The Principal Designer will work hand-in-hand with the Head of Product Design, indicating a close reporting relationship and collaborative partnership at the leadership level of the design team.

• This role is at the "heart of our most ambitious design work," suggesting it operates closely with product leadership, engineering leads, and potentially innovation or strategy teams.

• Cross-functional collaboration is explicitly mentioned with Product, Engineering, and Marketing, highlighting the need for strong communication and partnership across departments. Methodology:

• The company leverages AI for its automations, implying a data-driven and technologically advanced approach to product development.

• The focus on "conversational growth" suggests an emphasis on user engagement, customer journey mapping, and optimizing communication flows.

• The mention of "AI skills shaping how we build, how we work, and how we grow" indicates a culture that embraces AI as a core operational and development tool.

Company Website: https://manychat.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on AI and conversational growth within the creator economy suggests a dynamic and forward-thinking environment. The size of 400+ employees implies a structure that can support specialized roles like Principal Designer while maintaining agility. Collaboration across Product, Engineering, and Marketing is standard for such a role, but the emphasis on "ambitious design work" and "ecosystem" points to a strategic, high-impact function.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This Principal Designer role is at the apex of individual contribution within the design function. It is a strategic leadership position that focuses on shaping the future product experience, defining architectural standards, and pioneering new interaction models, particularly in AI. It requires a blend of deep craft, strategic vision, and the ability to influence at the executive level, without direct people management responsibilities.

Reporting Structure: The role reports closely to the Head of Product Design, indicating a direct partnership in defining and executing the design strategy. This structure allows for mentorship and guidance from a senior design leader while providing significant autonomy.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, directly influencing the evolution of Manychat's core product, its AI capabilities, and its overall user experience within the rapidly growing creator economy. By defining the "ecosystem and innovation" approach, this role will shape how creators interact with Manychat, how the platform scales, and how well it integrates AI to provide competitive advantage and user value. This directly translates to user adoption, retention, and ultimately, revenue growth.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deep Specialization: Opportunity to become a leading voice and expert in AI-native design and experience architecture within the conversational growth space.

• Strategic Influence: Direct involvement in shaping high-level product strategy and long-term vision for a significant technology platform.

• Mentorship & Thought Leadership: Potential to mentor other designers, contribute to the company's design philosophy, and represent Manychat in industry discussions around AI and UX.

• Innovation Leadership: Drive groundbreaking projects that could lead to significant product advancements and market differentiation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This is a highly senior IC role, focusing on strategic impact and innovation rather than people management. The growth opportunities are centered on deepening expertise, influencing strategy, and leading cutting-edge design initiatives within a high-growth tech company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment, with offices located in Barcelona, Spain. This suggests a setup that balances in-office collaboration with remote flexibility. The mention of "in-office perks, including free meals and snacks" indicates a desire to make the office a desirable place for focused work and team interaction.

Office Location(s): Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. This vibrant tech hub offers a dynamic environment for professionals. The specific office location within Barcelona would offer accessibility via public transport and proximity to other tech companies and amenities.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and emphasis on team-building events suggest a culture that values both independent work and collaborative synergy. Designers will likely work closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders, both in person and remotely.

• Tools and Technology: While not explicitly detailed, the role's requirements (prototyping in code, AI-native design) imply access to modern design and development tools, potentially including advanced prototyping software, AI tools, and collaboration platforms.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for interaction with design leadership (Head of Product Design), engineering teams, and product management will be frequent, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) are expected, with the hybrid model providing flexibility in terms of where work is performed. This allows for focused deep work sessions on-site or remotely, balanced with in-person collaborative meetings and team activities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model in Barcelona offers a sought-after work-life balance, combining the benefits of a major European city with the flexibility of remote work. The office environment is designed to encourage collaboration and innovation, supported by provided amenities.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and portfolio to assess alignment with the role's core requirements, particularly the 15+ years of experience, AI-native design expertise, and systems thinking.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Discussion: You will likely present your portfolio to the Head of Product Design and potentially other senior designers or product leaders. This will involve walking through key case studies, explaining your design process, strategic thinking, and the impact of your work. Expect in-depth questions about your approach to complex problems, AI integration, and systems design.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineering leads to assess your ability to collaborate, communicate complex ideas, and work effectively with technical teams. Discussions may include your experience with design engineering and implementation.

• Executive/Leadership Interview: A conversation with senior leadership (potentially CTO, Head of Product, or CEO) to evaluate your strategic vision, executive presence, and alignment with Manychat's long-term goals and culture. This interview will focus on your ability to influence and shape the company's direction.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your most impactful projects that best demonstrate your experience in AI-native design, ecosystem thinking, systems architecture, and design engineering. Ensure these projects align with the core responsibilities of the Principal Designer role.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your unique approach and thought process, the challenges faced, your design decisions (including why you chose certain AI interactions or system patterns), and the quantifiable outcomes or business impact.

• Highlight AI & Systems: Explicitly showcase your experience designing AI-first products and complex, scalable systems. Detail your understanding of AI interaction models and how you approach designing for an entire ecosystem.

• Showcase Design Engineering: Include examples of your ability to prototype in code or work closely with engineers. Explain your process for translating design concepts into production-ready assets or specifications.

• Demonstrate Executive Presence: Practice presenting your work concisely and confidently. Be prepared to discuss your strategic thinking, leadership approach, and how you influence stakeholders at all levels.

Challenge Preparation:

• AI Interaction Design Challenge: Be prepared for a hypothetical challenge that requires you to design an AI-native feature or workflow for creators. Focus on user needs, trust, and the intuitive integration of AI.

• Systems Design Challenge: You might be asked to think through the architectural implications of a new feature or how to scale an existing part of the Manychat ecosystem.

• Strategic Vision Exercise: Consider how you would approach defining the future of conversational growth or the creator economy through design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will be rigorous, reflecting the senior nature of the role. Candidates must be prepared to not only showcase their design skills but also their strategic thinking, leadership potential, and ability to operate autonomously and influence at the highest levels. The portfolio is paramount and should be meticulously prepared to highlight relevant, impactful work.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Prototyping Tools: Framer, React (or equivalent for code-based prototyping), potentially Figma or Sketch for design and UI work.

• Design & Collaboration: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (less emphasized for this role but potentially useful).

• AI Tools: Familiarity with AI model capabilities and limitations, and potentially specific tools or platforms used for AI integration or prototyping.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Experience utilizing product analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Understanding of how to track key metrics related to user engagement, conversion, and feature adoption within AI-driven products. CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how design impacts user journeys within a platform like Manychat (which automates communication) is crucial. Familiarity with automation concepts and workflow design is implied.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "design engineering range" and "prototyping in code (Framer, React, or equivalent)" points to a need for designers who are technically proficient and can work closely with developers, potentially contributing to front-end implementation or defining highly detailed technical specifications. Familiarity with AI platforms and tools will be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Vision: A strong drive to explore new possibilities, define future product directions, and push the boundaries of what's possible with AI and conversational design.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: A commitment to high standards in design execution, from interaction details to system architecture, ensuring polished and effective user experiences.

• Collaboration & Partnership: A belief in working closely with Product, Engineering, and Marketing to achieve shared goals, valuing diverse perspectives and open communication.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing insights from user data and analytics to inform design choices and measure the impact of innovations.

• Creator Empowerment: A core mission to build tools that genuinely help creators engage with their audiences and grow their businesses.

Collaboration Style:

• Strategic Partnership: Working as a peer and thought partner to Product and Engineering leadership, contributing design perspective to strategic planning and roadmap development.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Seamless collaboration across departments, ensuring design thinking is embedded early and consistently throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Feedback Culture: An environment where constructive feedback is welcomed and given, fostering continuous improvement in design quality and process.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of insights, best practices, and learnings, particularly around AI design and ecosystem architecture.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture appears to value innovation, high-quality execution, and collaborative problem-solving, all centered around empowering creators. The Principal Designer is expected to be a key contributor to this culture, setting high standards and fostering strong cross-functional relationships.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Defining the "Next Big Thing": Identifying and translating nascent opportunities in the creator economy and AI into concrete, viable product designs that align with Manychat's strategic goals.

• Balancing Ambition with Execution: Bridging the gap between visionary, forward-thinking design explorations and the practicalities of shipping high-quality, production-ready experiences within a growing company.

• Navigating AI Complexity: Designing intuitive and trustworthy AI interactions that truly empower creators without overwhelming them or introducing new friction.

• Ecosystem Cohesion: Ensuring a consistent and scalable experience across multiple product surfaces and interaction models within a complex digital ecosystem.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Pioneering AI Design: Deepening expertise in cutting-edge AI-native interaction patterns and human-centered AI principles.

• Strategic Product Leadership: Gaining experience in shaping long-term product vision and influencing executive decision-making.

• Ecosystem Architecture Mastery: Developing advanced skills in designing and managing complex, scalable product ecosystems.

• Industry Influence: Potential to become a thought leader in the creator economy, AI design, or conversational growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to a role focused on innovation and leadership at a principal level. They offer significant opportunities for professional growth by pushing the boundaries of design practice in emerging fields like AI and the creator economy.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach defining the experience vision for Manychat's AI ecosystem over the next 3-5 years?" (Preparation: Think about market trends, AI capabilities, creator needs, and Manychat's current position.)

• "Describe a time you identified a significant white space or unmet need and translated it into a successful product initiative. What was your process?" (Preparation: Use a STAR method for a portfolio piece that showcases your innovation and strategic thinking.)

• "How do you ensure a cohesive and scalable experience architecture across multiple product surfaces, especially when incorporating complex AI features?" (Preparation: Focus on your systems thinking, pattern definition, and experience design principles.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your research, what do you see as Manychat's biggest opportunity in the creator economy, and how can design help seize it?" (Preparation: Research Manychat's product, competitors, and the creator economy landscape.)

• "How do you see AI changing the way creators engage with their audience, and how should Manychat lead in this space from a design perspective?" (Preparation: Formulate your point of view on human-centered AI design for creators.)

• "Describe your experience working with executive stakeholders. How do you communicate complex design ideas and gain buy-in?" (Preparation: Prepare examples demonstrating your executive presence and communication skills.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem, your solution, and the quantifiable results. Use metrics to demonstrate ROI where possible.

• Showcase Your Thinking: Explain why you made certain design decisions, especially concerning AI interactions, system architecture, and trade-offs.

• Emphasize AI & Systems: Dedicate specific time to discussing your AI-native design examples and how you approach designing scalable systems.

• Design Engineering Depth: Be ready to discuss your technical contributions, prototyping methods, and how you collaborate with engineering.

• Concise and Engaging: Practice your presentation to ensure it's within the allotted time and keeps the audience engaged.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on articulating your strategic vision, demonstrating your deep understanding of AI and systems design, and showcasing your ability to lead and influence. Your portfolio is your primary tool to illustrate these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link on boards.greenhouse.io.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Carefully select 3-5 of your most relevant projects that strongly showcase your 15+ years of experience, AI-native design expertise, systems thinking, and design engineering capabilities. Tailor your selection to highlight innovation and ecosystem design.

• Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your extensive experience (15+ years), specific skills in AI product design, interaction design, and design engineering, and any leadership or strategic contributions you've made. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on telling a compelling story about the problem, your process, your strategic decisions (especially around AI and systems), and the measurable impact. Be ready to discuss your approach to executive communication.

• Research Manychat: Understand Manychat's product, target audience (creators), competitive landscape, and company mission. Prepare thoughtful questions about their AI strategy, product vision, and design culture.

⚠️ 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.