Product Designer Associate (Designer de Produto Associado) - São Paulo [Hybrid]

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer Associate (Designer de Produto Associado)

Company: Clara

Location: São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: September 03, 2026

Experience Level: Associate (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive product innovation by collaborating with cross-functional teams, shaping product requirements, and executing design strategies aligned with business objectives.

• Leverage AI-powered tools and methodologies to accelerate the design process, from idea generation to functional, testable prototypes, ensuring speed and efficiency.

• Conduct rigorous user research and usability testing, integrating AI for initial research and synthesis while maintaining deep ownership of insight quality and application.

• Own the user experience (UX) performance of assigned products, proactively identifying and implementing improvements to enhance user satisfaction and business outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Product Designer Associate," the responsibilities and required experience suggest a role that goes beyond entry-level, encompassing end-to-end design ownership and significant AI integration. The company's fast-paced, high-talent-density culture further supports this interpretation, implying a need for individuals who can operate with substantial autonomy.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Engage in an "always-on" discovery pipeline, collaborating closely with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to define and refine product requirements.

• Conduct comprehensive user research, including planning, execution, and synthesis of findings, utilizing AI for initial data gathering and analysis while ensuring human oversight for critical insights.

• Translate complex, ambiguous problems into intuitive user flows and engaging interfaces that effectively serve both user needs and business goals.

• Utilize advanced AI design tools (e.g., Claude, Figma AI, v0) to rapidly iterate from initial concepts to functional, testable prototypes, significantly reducing development cycles.

• Maintain high standards of design quality and consistency across all deliverables, including AI-generated assets, and contribute to the growth and evolution of the company's agentic design system.

• Monitor and analyze the UX performance of owned products, identifying key metrics and driving data-informed design improvements to optimize user engagement and product success.

• Contribute to the development and refinement of structured, agent-ready guidelines and documentation that can be effectively utilized by both human designers and AI systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "agentic design system" and "structured, agent-ready guidelines" indicates a forward-thinking approach to design operations. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how they can contribute to building and maintaining systems that facilitate collaboration between humans and AI in the design process.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and a deep understanding of design principles is paramount.

Experience: Proven experience as a Product, UX, or Interaction Designer, with a track record of owning design projects from initial discovery through to successful product launch. A robust portfolio showcasing this end-to-end ownership is essential.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated daily, hands-on use of AI in a design workflow (familiarity with tools like Claude, Figma AI, v0, or similar) driven by a genuine curiosity and desire to explore AI's potential in design.

• Proficiency in user research methodologies and usability testing, encompassing study planning, execution, and rigorous synthesis of insights to inform design decisions.

• A strong bias for shipping products quickly through rapid iteration, early user testing, and an iterative, open refinement process.

• Exceptional attention to detail, coupled with a passion for creating beautiful, highly functional, and engaging user experiences.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma or comparable design and prototyping software.

• Clear, confident, and persuasive communication skills, with the ability to effectively present and articulate design rationale and defend design decisions.

• Good command of the English language, essential for effective communication within a multicultural team. Preferred Skills:

• Foundational frontend development knowledge (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate more effective collaboration with engineering teams.

• Familiarity with Git for version control and comfort with command-line interfaces.

• Experience working with structured documentation or guidelines designed for both human and AI consumption.

• A proactive history of developing personal tools, scripts, or applications to enhance process efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Nice to have" section points towards a candidate who is not only a skilled designer but also a proactive problem-solver and collaborator, comfortable with technical aspects that bridge design and development. The emphasis on AI is a critical differentiator.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 distinct projects demonstrating end-to-end design ownership, from initial problem definition and user research through to final shipped product.

• Clearly articulate your specific role and contributions within each project, especially in collaborative environments.

• Highlight instances where you utilized AI tools to augment your design process, detailing the tools used and the impact on speed, efficiency, or outcome.

• Present case studies that clearly outline the problem, your design process, the solutions implemented, and the measurable impact (e.g., user satisfaction, conversion rates, efficiency gains).

• Include examples of user research conducted, synthesis of findings, and how these insights directly influenced design decisions. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate experience in documenting design processes, including user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.

• Provide examples of how you've contributed to or utilized design systems, ensuring consistency and scalability in your work.

• Illustrate your approach to iterative design, including how you gather feedback and refine designs based on user testing and stakeholder input.

• Showcase your ability to translate business requirements into effective user-centered design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, the portfolio should strongly emphasize the candidate's ability to integrate AI into their workflow. Quantifiable results and clear articulation of the problem-solving process are crucial. Candidates should be prepared to discuss specific AI tools they've used and the tangible benefits derived.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on São Paulo market data for Associate Product Designers with 2-5 years of experience, and considering Clara's status as a fast-growing, well-funded startup, the estimated annual salary range is between R$90,000 and R$150,000 BRL. This range accounts for the company's competitive compensation strategy and the demand for skilled designers, particularly those with AI proficiency.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and stock options (ESOP) granted from day one, offering significant long-term financial upside.

• Annual learning budget dedicated to professional development, skill enhancement, and staying current with design trends and AI advancements.

• Access to internal accelerated development paths designed to foster career growth and leadership potential within the company.

• Flexible vacation policy, allowing for work-life balance and personal rejuvenation.

• Hybrid work model, offering a blend of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility, focused on productivity and results.

• Exposure to a multicultural team environment with daily interaction in Portuguese, Spanish, and English.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are 40 hours per week, with flexibility inherent in the hybrid model and a focus on achieving results rather than strict adherence to time spent.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on research of similar roles in São Paulo, Brazil, factoring in the company's industry (Fintech/B2B), growth stage, and the specialized AI skills required. Benefits are directly drawn from the provided job description, highlighting their value proposition for ambitious professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Clara operates in the B2B Fintech sector, specifically focusing on spend management solutions for businesses in Latin America. This places them at the intersection of financial technology innovation and corporate financial operations, a rapidly evolving and high-impact area.

Company Size: Clara is described as one of the fastest-growing companies in Latin America and is backed by significant venture capital. While an exact employee count isn't provided, this indicates a scale-up environment with a substantial, but likely still agile, team structure, fostering rapid development and innovation.

Founded: Clara is a relatively young company, founded with the mission to build modern financial infrastructure for businesses in Latin America. This implies a dynamic, entrepreneurial culture where innovation and rapid execution are highly valued.

Team Structure:

• The design team likely operates within a product-led organization, collaborating closely with product management, engineering, and marketing.

• Reporting structures are expected to be relatively flat, promoting direct communication and collaboration between designers and decision-makers.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone, with designers integrated into discovery pipelines and product development squads. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is central, with a focus on user research, A/B testing, and performance analytics to guide product development.

• A strong emphasis on agile methodologies and rapid iteration to ensure timely product launches and continuous improvement.

• The integration of AI into design workflows suggests a commitment to leveraging cutting-edge technology for efficiency and innovation.

Company Website: https://clara.co/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's rapid growth and strong investor backing suggest a high-performance culture. The "product-led" approach means design is integral to strategy, not an afterthought. The fintech/B2B spend management focus means designers will tackle complex financial workflows and enterprise-level user needs.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This "Associate" level role is positioned for individuals with 2-5 years of experience who have demonstrated the ability to manage projects independently and contribute strategically. It signifies a step beyond junior roles, requiring ownership of significant design tasks and the ability to influence product direction through user-centered insights and AI-augmented workflows.

Reporting Structure: The Associate Product Designer will likely report to a Product Design Lead or Manager, working within cross-functional product teams. Direct collaboration with Product Managers and Engineering Leads is expected, fostering a dynamic and integrated working environment.

Operations Impact: Designers at Clara are expected to have a direct impact on the company's growth and success by creating intuitive and efficient financial management tools. Their work directly influences user adoption, customer satisfaction, and the overall effectiveness of Clara's B2B spend management platform, contributing to the company's mission of empowering businesses.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in AI-driven design, user research, and complex B2B fintech product design, potentially becoming a subject matter expert.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into senior design roles, lead design initiatives, mentor junior designers, and influence design strategy as the company scales.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain broad experience across product development, working closely with engineering, product management, and business development teams, enhancing understanding of the broader business landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's emphasis on "accelerated development paths" and a "high-talent-density culture" suggests a commitment to employee growth. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their career aspirations and how this role aligns with their long-term goals within a fast-scaling fintech environment.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Clara operates on a hybrid work model. While specific office details aren't provided, this model implies a need for a well-equipped office space that facilitates in-person collaboration, brainstorming, and team building, balanced with the flexibility of remote work.

Office Location(s): The role is based in São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Specific office locations within São Paulo would typically be communicated during the interview process, with considerations for accessibility and proximity to talent hubs.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office environment is designed to foster interaction, knowledge sharing, and team cohesion, crucial for the hybrid model.

• Technology-Enabled: Access to necessary design software, prototyping tools, and potentially specialized AI hardware or software licenses to support the design workflow.

• Cross-Pollination: Opportunities to engage with diverse teams, fostering a holistic understanding of the business and encouraging innovative problem-solving through varied perspectives.

Work Schedule: The hybrid model allows for flexibility. While a standard 40-hour work week is typical, the emphasis is on results and autonomy. This means designers may have some control over their daily schedules, provided they meet project deadlines and collaborate effectively with their teams, especially during critical phases of discovery and product launches.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid policy emphasizes flexibility and results over strict in-office days. This suggests a mature work environment that trusts its employees to manage their time effectively while ensuring necessary in-person collaboration occurs organically or as needed by leadership.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application and portfolio to assess alignment with the role's requirements, particularly focusing on AI integration and end-to-end design experience.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: Likely a take-home assignment or an in-depth discussion based on a real-world problem Clara faces, requiring you to demonstrate your design process, AI utilization, and problem-solving skills. Expect to present your approach and rationale.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers to evaluate your collaboration style, communication skills, and technical understanding.

• Hiring Manager/Leadership Interview: A final discussion to assess cultural fit, career aspirations, and overall alignment with Clara's mission and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight AI Integration: Clearly showcase how you've used AI tools in your projects. Detail the specific AI tools, your process, and the impact on your design outcomes (e.g., speed, iteration quality, novel solutions).

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. Focus on user satisfaction, engagement, conversion rates, or efficiency improvements.

• Showcase End-to-End Ownership: Present projects that clearly illustrate your involvement from initial discovery and research through to final implementation and iteration.

• Structure for Clarity: Organize your portfolio logically with clear project descriptions, your role, the problem, your process, the solution, and the results. Use visuals effectively to tell the story.

• Be Prepared to Discuss: Be ready to deep-dive into any project, articulate your design decisions, defend your choices, and discuss trade-offs you made.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Clara's Business: Research Clara's products, target market (B2B spend management in LatAm), and recent company news.

• Practice AI-Augmented Design: Familiarize yourself with various AI design tools and practice using them for tasks like ideation, wireframing, or generating design variations.

• Articulate Your Process: Be ready to explain your design methodology, emphasizing how you integrate user research, business goals, and AI tools.

• Prepare for Collaboration Questions: Think about how you work with cross-functional teams, handle feedback, and resolve design disagreements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI integration means candidates should be prepared to discuss specific AI tools and demonstrate how they've used them to achieve tangible results. The portfolio review is a critical step, and candidates should tailor their presentations to highlight these AI-driven capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design and prototyping tool, expected to be used daily for creating user flows, wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes. Proficiency is a must.

• AI Design Tools: Daily use of tools such as Claude, Figma AI, v0, or similar is explicitly required. Candidates should be adept at leveraging these for research, ideation, asset generation, and rapid prototyping.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with other prototyping tools may be beneficial for specific use cases.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Platforms: Experience with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar for tracking user behavior, analyzing product performance, and identifying areas for UX improvement.

• Data Visualization Tools: Familiarity with tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Looker for creating dashboards and reports to communicate UX performance and insights to stakeholders.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a primary design tool, understanding how design impacts user journeys within CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) can be advantageous for B2B product design.

• Collaboration & Project Management Tools: Proficiency in tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing design tasks, tracking progress, and collaborating with engineering and product teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of AI design tools is a key differentiator. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with these specific or similar AI technologies and how they integrate them into a broader design tech stack.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• #Clarity: Open, direct, and proactive communication is paramount. Designers are expected to clearly articulate their ideas, research findings, and design decisions.

• #Simplicity: A focus on reducing complexity and concentrating on the core value proposition for users and the business. Designers should aim for elegant, straightforward solutions.

• #Ownership: Taking full responsibility for design outcomes, from conception to launch and beyond. Proactive problem-solving and a drive to see projects through to completion are highly valued.

• #Pride: A commitment to building high-quality products and user experiences that the team can be proud of. This translates to a dedication to craftsmanship and user delight.

• #Always Be Changing (ABC): Embracing feedback, taking calculated risks, and acting decisively to drive continuous improvement and personal growth.

• #Inclusivity: Valuing diverse perspectives and ensuring that every team member's voice is heard and contributes to the mission.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to work seamlessly with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders, acting as key contributors within product teams.

• Feedback-Driven: An environment that encourages constructive feedback, open discussion, and collaborative problem-solving to refine designs and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that promotes sharing best practices, learnings from AI tools, and insights from user research to elevate the entire team's capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's clearly defined values provide a roadmap for cultural fit. Candidates should be prepared to articulate how their work style and approach align with these values, particularly #Clarity, #Ownership, and #Always Be Changing (ABC), given the role's emphasis on autonomy and rapid iteration.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapid Iteration with AI: Balancing the speed and potential of AI tools with the need for rigorous human oversight, user validation, and maintaining design integrity.

• Complex B2B Fintech Domain: Designing for sophisticated business users and complex financial workflows requires a deep understanding of user needs, regulatory considerations, and enterprise-level requirements.

• Scalability of Design Systems: Contributing to and evolving an "agentic design system" that can effectively serve both human designers and AI-driven design processes will be a unique challenge.

• Staying Ahead of AI Advancements: The rapidly evolving landscape of AI in design necessitates continuous learning and adaptation to leverage new tools and techniques effectively.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in cutting-edge AI design tools and methodologies, becoming a leader in this emerging field within the company.

• Fintech Product Expertise: Develop in-depth knowledge of B2B financial technology, understanding the intricacies of spend management and corporate finance.

• Leadership and Mentorship: Opportunities to grow into senior design roles, mentor junior designers, and contribute to strategic design initiatives as Clara expands.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are directly tied to the role's unique aspects, particularly the integration of AI and the complexity of the fintech industry. Framing these challenges as opportunities for growth and learning will be key for candidates.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used AI to significantly accelerate your design process. What tools did you use, what was the outcome, and what were the challenges?" (Focus on specific AI applications and measurable impact).

• "How do you approach translating ambiguous business problems into user-centered design solutions, especially when working within a fast-paced, hybrid environment?" (Highlight your problem-solving methodology and collaboration skills).

• "Walk us through a project where you owned the UX performance of a product post-launch. How did you measure success, and what improvements did you drive?" (Demonstrate your data-driven approach and ownership). Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Clara's values (#Clarity, #Ownership, #ABC, etc.) resonate with your own work philosophy and approach to design?" (Align your experiences with the company's stated values).

• "How do you see AI evolving the role of a Product Designer, and what steps are you taking to stay ahead of these changes?" (Showcase your proactive learning and forward-thinking perspective).

• "Describe your ideal collaboration model with Product Managers and Engineers in a hybrid setting." (Illustrate your teamwork and communication strategies). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Lead with AI Impact: Begin your portfolio walkthrough by highlighting 1-2 projects where AI played a significant role. Clearly articulate the "before" (manual process) and "after" (AI-augmented process) and the resulting benefits.

• Showcase End-to-End Process: For each project, clearly define the problem, your specific role, the research conducted, the design iterations (including AI's contribution), and the final outcomes with metrics.

• Be Conversational and Interactive: Treat the presentation as a dialogue. Be prepared to answer in-depth questions about your decisions, trade-offs, and the rationale behind your design choices.

• Connect to Clara's Needs: Where possible, subtly tie your project examples back to Clara's business (B2B spend management, fintech) and the challenges they might face.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice strongly emphasizes demonstrating practical AI experience and aligning with Clara's values. Candidates should prepare specific examples and be ready to discuss their strategic thinking regarding AI's role in design.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer Associate position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords from the job description, especially "Product Designer," "UX," "AI," "Figma," "user research," and "prototyping." Quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects demonstrating end-to-end ownership and, critically, the integration and impact of AI tools in your design process. Prepare a concise narrative for each project.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, your experience with AI in design, and how you embody Clara's core values during mock interviews.

• Research Clara: Understand Clara's mission, products, target market, and recent news to demonstrate genuine interest and cultural alignment.

⚠️ 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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