Product Designer – 6-Month Maternity Leave Cover

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer – 6-Month Maternity Leave Cover

Company: Tastewise

Location: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

Job Type: Full-time, Temporary

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations Support

Date Posted: 2026-08-27

Experience Level: 2-5 Years (Mid-Level)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on end-to-end product design, encompassing discovery, UI, prototyping, and ensuring pixel-perfect handoff and QA of shipped features.

• A significant aspect involves designing AI-native experiences, including conversational and agentic interfaces, and managing generated content states.

• The position requires maintaining and evolving a design system across both Figma components/tokens and their corresponding code implementations.

• This is a solo-designer role, demanding rapid ramp-up, independent decision-making, and a holistic view of product impact on user workflows and business outcomes.

• Collaboration will be direct with engineers, product managers, marketing, and internal product builders, requiring clear communication and ownership.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the core role is Product Design, the emphasis on AI-native experiences, data-driven insights, and cross-functional collaboration with product management and engineering places this role within the broader GTM Operations support ecosystem, particularly in how product is conceptualized and brought to market. The "solo-designer" aspect and the need for rapid ramp-up suggest a need for strong self-direction and an ability to quickly understand complex business logic, which are critical operational skills.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the complete design lifecycle for multiple product areas concurrently, from initial ideation and user flow mapping through to final UI design, prototyping, and ensuring accurate implementation.

• Develop intuitive and effective AI-native user experiences, focusing on elements like conversational interfaces, agentic interactions, managing uncertainty in AI-generated content, and establishing trust and control mechanisms for users.

• Actively contribute to and evolve the company's design system by updating components and tokens in Figma and ensuring alignment with the code repository.

• Collaborate closely and directly with product managers, engineers, marketing teams, and internal product builders to translate business needs and user requirements into actionable design solutions.

• Leverage AI tooling in daily design craft, from exploration and concept development to creating working prototypes and potentially contributing to code implementation.

• Maintain a holistic understanding of the product, considering how individual screens contribute to overall user workflows and drive desired business outcomes.

• Conduct thorough QA of shipped features to ensure they align with design specifications and deliver the intended user experience.

• Design and iterate on marketing and brand-related assets, including landing pages, campaign materials, decks, and product marketing surfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong operational component by requiring the designer to manage multiple workstreams, maintain consistency across product and code, and directly interact with development and product teams. The emphasis on AI-native experiences and data-driven insights suggests a need for a designer who can translate complex technical capabilities into user-friendly and commercially impactful products, a key aspect of Go-to-Market operations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating comprehensive product design skills, systematic thinking, and experience with AI tooling is paramount. Experience:

• 3+ years of hands-on experience designing digital products. Emphasis is placed on demonstrated speed, independent judgment, and a track record of shipping successful products rather than solely on years of experience.

• Proven experience working with AI tooling in a professional context (e.g., Figma Make, Claude Code, Cursor), with the ability to showcase tangible work and strategic decisions made during their use.

• Demonstrable experience in building, governing, and evolving design systems, encompassing both visual components in Figma and their implementation in code.

• Experience working in a fast-paced, multi-project environment, effectively managing several workstreams simultaneously with cross-functional teams.

• Prior experience as a solo or first designer in a startup environment is highly desirable.

• Experience with B2B SaaS, data-heavy products, or enterprise workflows is a plus. Required Skills:

• Product Design: Expertise in the full product design lifecycle, from discovery to delivery.

• UI Design: Proficient in creating intuitive and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces.

• Prototyping: Ability to create interactive prototypes to test and communicate design concepts.

• Design Systems: Experience in creating, managing, and evolving design systems.

• AI Tooling: Hands-on experience with AI-powered design and development tools.

• Figma: Advanced proficiency in Figma for design, prototyping, and system management.

• Conversational Interfaces: Experience designing AI-driven conversational and agentic user experiences.

• Systematic Thinking: Ability to approach design problems with a structured, scalable, and consistent methodology.

• Self-Direction: Proven ability to take ambiguous problems, break them down, and propose solutions independently.

• Multi-project Management: Capacity to manage and deliver on multiple concurrent design projects.

Preferred Skills:

• Git: Working comfort with Git repositories, including branches, pull requests, and code review.

• Coding Ability: Proficiency in implementing or adjusting designs directly in code.

• Startup Experience: Previous roles as a solo or founding designer in a startup.

• Marketing/Brand Design: Experience designing landing pages, campaign assets, decks, and product marketing surfaces.

• B2B SaaS/Data Products: Familiarity with the nuances of designing for B2B SaaS, data-intensive platforms, or enterprise workflows.

• Visual Storytelling: Ability to translate complex data and insights into compelling visual narratives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "hands-on AI tooling" and "design systems experience, including ownership" points to a need for a designer who can not only create but also operationalize design assets and processes. The preference for Git and coding ability suggests a role that bridges design and development, crucial for efficient GTM execution where rapid iteration and clear communication between teams are vital.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase at least 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating ownership of product areas from discovery through to shipped product, highlighting your role and impact.

• AI-Native Design Examples: Include specific projects where you designed AI-driven experiences, detailing the problem, your approach to AI integration, user control mechanisms, and the outcomes.

• Design System Contribution: Present examples of how you have built, maintained, or evolved a design system, including components in Figma and their corresponding code.

• Problem-Solving & Decision Making: Clearly articulate complex problems you've solved, the trade-offs you considered (especially in a 6-month context), and the rationale behind your design decisions.

• Collaboration Showcase: Include examples that demonstrate your ability to work effectively with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders, perhaps through process documentation or project outcomes.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate an understanding of how to document design processes for clarity and scalability, particularly in a solo-designer context where knowledge transfer is key.

• Be prepared to discuss your workflow for managing multiple projects, prioritizing tasks, and ensuring consistent quality across different product surfaces.

• Show examples of how you've collaborated with engineering on handoff and QA processes to ensure design fidelity in the final product.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a solo-designer role covering a maternity leave, the portfolio needs to strongly emphasize efficiency, self-sufficiency, and the ability to quickly integrate into existing processes. Highlighting a structured approach to design system management and AI tool integration is crucial, as these are key operational components of product development.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Given the location (Tel Aviv, Israel), experience level (2-5 years), and the nature of a 6-month contract role, the estimated salary range for a Product Designer in this market would typically fall between ₪18,000 to ₪30,000 per month gross. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for mid-level designers in tech roles in Israel, considering the specialized skills in AI tooling and design systems. Benefits:

• As this is a 6-month maternity leave cover, benefits may differ from a permanent role. However, standard benefits typically include:

• Competitive monthly salary within the estimated range.

• Potential for paid time off (vacation days, sick leave) as per Israeli labor law and company policy.

• Contribution to social security and pension funds as mandated by law.

• Opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI technology and a leading food intelligence platform.

• Exposure to a dynamic startup environment and direct collaboration with senior stakeholders.

• Potential for professional development through project work and exposure to new tools. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours in Israel are typically 8 hours per day, 5 days a week (40 hours per week), with a focus on productivity and timely delivery. Flexibility may be offered, but the emphasis on end-to-end ownership and rapid ramp-up suggests a need for dedicated time commitment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on market research for Product Designers in Tel Aviv with 2-5 years of experience, adjusted for the contract nature of the role. Specific benefits for a temporary role can vary widely, so candidates should inquire directly. The 40-hour work week is standard, but the "solo-designer" aspect implies a need for high efficiency and potentially extended hours during critical project phases.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Food & Beverage Technology / Data Analytics / AI

Tastewise operates at the intersection of the massive food and beverage industry ($10 trillion globally) and advanced AI technology. They provide critical human-and-agent intelligence to leading companies, enabling data-driven decisions in product development and marketing. This context means the company values innovation, data accuracy, and practical application of insights.

Company Size: (Based on LinkedIn data, likely 51-200 employees)

A company of this size offers a dynamic environment where individual contributions are highly visible and impactful. For operations professionals, this often means a flatter hierarchy, faster decision-making, and a greater degree of autonomy, but also requires adaptability and a willingness to wear multiple hats.

Founded: (Company founded date not provided, but implies a growth-stage startup)

As a growth-stage company, Tastewise is likely focused on scaling its product, expanding its customer base, and refining its offerings. This implies a culture of continuous improvement, experimentation, and a strong emphasis on achieving measurable business outcomes.

Team Structure:

• Product Team: Likely composed of Product Managers, Designers, and Engineers working collaboratively. This role reports into the Product team, specifically a Product Lead or Head of Product.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role emphasizes direct collaboration with Engineering, Product Management, and Marketing, indicating a highly integrated GTM approach.

• Culture of Ownership: The "solo-designer" nature and emphasis on shipping suggest a culture where individuals are empowered to take ownership and drive projects forward with minimal oversight.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Insights: The core of Tastewise's offering is turning consumer behavior data into actionable insights. This permeates the company culture, encouraging a data-centric approach to all decisions.

• AI-First Approach: The company leverages AI extensively, both in its product and potentially in its internal tools and processes. Designers are expected to be comfortable working with and designing for AI.

• Agile Development: Given the tech industry and startup environment, it's highly probable that Agile methodologies are used for product development, requiring iterative design and development cycles.

Company Website: https://tastewise.io/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on food intelligence and AI positions it as an innovative player. The culture is likely fast-paced, data-driven, and collaborative, with a strong emphasis on product impact. For a designer, this means being comfortable with ambiguity, data, and the evolving landscape of AI interfaces.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Mid-Level Product Designer (with GTM support responsibilities)

This role is positioned as a mid-level individual contributor. While it's a temporary contract, the scope of owning product areas end-to-end and contributing to the design system offers significant responsibility and exposure. The need for speed and independence implies a candidate who can operate at a senior level in terms of execution, even if they are mid-level in overall career progression.

Reporting Structure:

The Product Designer will likely report directly to a Product Manager or Head of Product. They will work closely with engineering teams and collaborate with marketing and internal stakeholders. This structure emphasizes direct communication and collaboration, cutting through layers of management.

Operations Impact:

The Product Designer's work directly influences the usability and effectiveness of Tastewise's AI-powered food intelligence platform. By creating intuitive interfaces and clear data visualizations, the designer enables food industry professionals (clients) to make better, faster decisions about product launches and marketing strategies. This directly impacts the perceived value and adoption rate of Tastewise's product, contributing to customer success and revenue growth. The design of AI-native experiences is particularly crucial for differentiating the product and driving its market adoption.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-native design, conversational interfaces, and data visualization within a specific industry context.

• Design System Ownership: Gain significant experience in building and governing a design system, a highly valuable operational skill.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Develop stronger collaboration and communication skills by working directly with engineering, product, and marketing teams, potentially influencing product strategy.

• Startup Experience: Gain valuable experience in a fast-paced startup environment, learning to adapt quickly and deliver under pressure.

• Portfolio Enhancement: The end-to-end ownership and diverse responsibilities offer a rich opportunity to build a robust portfolio showcasing significant contributions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Although a contract role, the emphasis on end-to-end ownership and design system contribution provides substantial growth potential. The ability to quickly ramp up and deliver in a solo capacity demonstrates operational readiness and problem-solving skills that are transferable to many GTM and product roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Likely an open-plan or co-working space common in Tel Aviv tech hubs, designed to foster collaboration and serendipitous interactions.

Office Location(s): Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel – a major technology and innovation hub.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office setup is expected to encourage interaction between design, product, and engineering teams. This facilitates quick feedback loops and efficient problem-solving.

• Technology Stack: Access to industry-standard design tools (Figma) and potentially AI-specific creative software. Proximity to engineering teams means direct access to development environments and tools like Git.

• Operations Focus: The workspace likely supports a culture of focused work interspersed with collaborative sessions, ideal for both deep design thinking and agile iteration.

Work Schedule:

• The role is full-time, likely adhering to standard Israeli business hours (Sunday-Thursday or Monday-Friday). While structured, the emphasis on rapid delivery and ownership might necessitate flexibility to meet project deadlines. The company's focus on AI and data suggests an environment that values efficiency and results.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Tel Aviv tech scene is known for its dynamic and collaborative nature. The on-site requirement implies a preference for in-person collaboration, which is beneficial for rapid design iteration and team cohesion, especially in a solo-designer role.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call to assess basic qualifications, fit for a temporary role, and enthusiasm for the company's mission.

• Portfolio Review & Skills Assessment: A deeper dive into your portfolio, focusing on end-to-end case studies, AI tool usage, design system experience, and systematic thinking. Expect questions about your decision-making process and how you handle ambiguity.

• Design Challenge/Exercise: You might be given a small design problem or asked to critique an existing product feature, focusing on your approach to problem-solving and your ability to articulate your thoughts.

• Meet the Team: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineers to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Likely with a senior leader (e.g., Head of Product) to discuss overall fit, strategic thinking, and understanding of the role's impact.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight AI & Design Systems: Ensure your portfolio prominently features work demonstrating your experience with AI tooling and design systems, as these are key requirements.

• Showcase End-to-End Ownership: Select case studies that clearly illustrate your involvement from problem definition through to shipped product, detailing your specific contributions and the outcomes.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the impact of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, increased user engagement, faster task completion).

• Explain Your Process: Be ready to walk through your design process for each project, explaining your rationale, research methods, and how you iterated based on feedback.

• Tailor to Tastewise: Research Tastewise's product and target audience. Frame your experience and case studies to show how you can address their specific challenges and contribute to their mission.

Challenge Preparation:

• Focus on AI & Data: If a challenge is given, anticipate problems related to designing with AI, visualizing complex data, or improving user workflows in a data-heavy product.

• Think Systematically: Approach any design challenge with a structured methodology. Break down the problem, define user needs, explore solutions, and justify your choices.

• Communicate Your Thinking: Clearly articulate your thought process, assumptions, and design decisions. The interviewers are assessing how you think as much as the final solution.

• Consider Constraints: Given the 6-month timeframe, be mindful of solutions that are feasible to implement quickly and effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "solo-designer" and a 6-month contract means interviewers will be looking for candidates who are highly self-sufficient, can quickly understand complex systems, and deliver tangible results. The portfolio and interview preparation should reflect this operational readiness.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for UI design, prototyping, and design system management. Proficiency is essential.

• AI Tooling: Hands-on experience with specific AI tools like Figma Make, Claude Code, Cursor, or similar for exploration, prototyping, and potentially code generation.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with other prototyping tools might be beneficial but Figma's capabilities are likely sufficient.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not directly a design tool, understanding how to interpret data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to inform design decisions is crucial for data-heavy products.

• Familiarity with data visualization principles is key for designing effective dashboards and reports for Tastewise's clients. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the designer role, but understanding the B2B SaaS context means awareness of how CRM systems (like Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms function is helpful for understanding the broader business context. Version Control & Development Tools:

• Git: Working comfort with Git repositories is a significant advantage, enabling direct collaboration with engineers on design system implementation and code review.

• Code Editors: Familiarity with editors like VS Code, especially when paired with AI coding tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of AI tooling and Git indicates a modern, integrated workflow. Designers who can understand and contribute to code-based design systems and leverage AI for efficiency will be highly valued.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A core value at Tastewise, encouraging all team members to base their decisions on insights derived from consumer behavior data and platform analytics.

• User-Centricity: While data-driven, the ultimate goal is to serve the user (food industry professionals). Designs should prioritize usability, clarity, and actionable insights.

• Efficiency & Speed: Especially relevant for this contract role, there's an implied value on moving quickly, making decisions, and delivering results efficiently.

• Innovation & Curiosity: Operating in the AI and food tech space requires a continuous drive to explore new possibilities and stay ahead of industry trends.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Direct collaboration with cross-functional teams and open communication are vital for success.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Expect to work closely and directly with Product Managers and Engineers, fostering a highly collaborative environment where design is an integral part of the product development process from the outset.

• Feedback-Oriented: A culture that encourages constructive feedback to improve designs and processes.

• Ownership & Accountability: Team members are expected to take ownership of their work and be accountable for its outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values align with operational excellence: data-driven, user-centric, efficient, innovative, and collaborative. For a designer, this means being proactive, analytical, and able to integrate seamlessly into a fast-paced, cross-functional team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapid Ramp-Up: The 6-month timeframe requires quickly understanding the product, user base, existing design system, and company workflows to become productive from week one.

• Solo Designer Role: Managing multiple product areas independently, without immediate design peers for feedback or support, requires strong self-direction and decision-making skills.

• Designing AI-Native Experiences: This is a nascent field, requiring creative problem-solving to design interfaces that are intuitive, trustworthy, and effectively leverage AI capabilities.

• Balancing Design System and New Features: Maintaining consistency with the design system while also innovating and shipping new features under time pressure.

• Translating Complex Data: Effectively visualizing and simplifying complex food intelligence data for end-users.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Expertise: Gain specialized experience in designing for AI, a rapidly growing and highly sought-after skill.

• Design System Governance: Develop practical experience in managing and evolving a design system, a critical operational component of product development.

• Product Strategy Input: Contribute directly to product decisions and strategy through design, influencing the direction of a cutting-edge platform.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Enhance skills in collaborating with diverse teams (product, engineering, marketing) and understanding their operational needs.

• Startup Agility: Learn to operate effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the operational demands of a contract role in a tech startup. The growth opportunities are significant, offering specialization in emerging areas of design and valuable operational experience.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to quickly ramp up on a new product or system. How did you approach it?" (Prepare an example highlighting your structured learning process, self-direction, and speed of execution.)

• "How do you balance maintaining a design system with the need to ship new features quickly?" (Discuss your approach to prioritizing, component reuse, and advocating for system health even under pressure.)

• "Walk us through a complex AI-native experience you designed. What were the key challenges, and how did you address them?" (Use a portfolio case study to detail your problem-solving process, user considerations for AI, and the outcomes.)

• "How do you approach designing for data-heavy products where users need to derive actionable insights?" (Focus on clarity, visualization techniques, and user workflows that support decision-making.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Tastewise and the food intelligence industry?" (Research the company, its mission, and its impact on the food industry. Show genuine interest.)

• "How do you handle working independently and making design decisions without direct design supervision?" (Emphasize your self-direction, problem-solving approach, and methods for seeking input when necessary.)

• "Describe your experience collaborating with engineers and product managers on feature development." (Highlight your communication style, understanding of development constraints, and ability to work as part of an integrated team.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, the solutions you implemented, and the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight AI & Design Systems: Dedicate specific slides or sections to showcase your experience with AI tooling and design systems, explaining your contributions and the benefits.

• Be Concise and Clear: Given the time constraints of an interview, present your work efficiently, focusing on the most impactful aspects.

• Showcase Your Thinking: Be prepared to discuss your design rationale, trade-offs, and any alternative solutions considered.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating operational readiness: speed, independence, systematic thinking, and the ability to deliver results quickly. Highlighting specific skills in AI tooling and design systems is critical.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Comeet application link provided.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience relevant to AI tooling, design systems, end-to-end product design, and working in fast-paced environments. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features your strongest case studies, with a clear emphasis on AI-native design, design system contributions, and your ability to drive projects from concept to completion.

• Prepare for the Interview: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and how you handle ambiguity and fast-paced environments. Be ready to discuss your experience with AI tools and design systems in detail.

• Research Tastewise: Understand their product, mission, and the industry they operate in. Frame your interest and experience in the context of their specific needs and 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.

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