Product Designer Associate (Diseñador asociado de Producto) - Bogotá [Hybrid]

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer Associate (Diseñador asociado de Producto)

Company: Clara

Location: Bogotá, Capital District, Colombia

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX

Date Posted: 2026-09-03

Experience Level: 2-5 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive product innovation by collaborating with cross-functional teams in an agile discovery pipeline to define and refine product requirements.

• Leverage AI-powered tools for efficient desk research and user insight synthesis, while maintaining rigorous standards for data integrity and actionable findings.

• Translate complex, ambiguous problems into intuitive user flows and compelling interfaces that serve both user needs and business objectives.

• Utilize cutting-edge AI tools to accelerate the prototyping process, moving from initial concept to testable prototypes rapidly.

• Champion design quality and consistency across all project deliverables, including AI-generated outputs, and contribute to the evolution of our agentic design system.

• Take ownership of the user experience (UX) performance for assigned products, proactively identifying and implementing improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role emphasizes a hybrid approach to design, integrating AI tools as augmentative capabilities rather than replacements for human judgment and rigorous research. The "agentic design system" suggests a sophisticated approach to design system management, potentially involving AI for maintenance and scaling.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Actively participate in the "always-on" discovery pipeline, collaborating with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to shape product requirements and identify key user needs.

• Conduct comprehensive user research and usability testing, employing AI for initial research and synthesis, but retaining ownership of deep insight generation and validation.

• Conceptualize and design user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups for new features and product enhancements, ensuring alignment with business goals and user experience best practices.

• Utilize AI tools to rapidly iterate on designs, producing functional and testable prototypes within compressed timelines.

• Maintain and evolve the company's design system, ensuring consistency and quality across all design assets, including those produced with AI assistance.

• Monitor and analyze UX performance metrics for owned products, identifying areas for improvement and driving data-informed design iterations.

• Present design concepts, research findings, and rationale clearly and confidently to cross-functional teams and leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of traditional product design practices with advanced AI integration, focusing on efficiency gains without compromising user-centricity or strategic depth. The emphasis on "UX performance" suggests a metrics-driven approach to design evaluation.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 2-5 years of professional experience in Product Design, UX Design, or Interaction Design, with a proven track record of owning design projects from inception through launch.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated experience in end-to-end product design, from discovery and research to shipping and iteration, evidenced by a robust portfolio.

• Daily, hands-on experience utilizing AI tools within a design workflow (e.g., Claude, Figma AI, v0, or similar), with a proactive approach to exploring AI capabilities.

• Proficiency in user research methodologies, including planning, conducting studies, and synthesizing insights to inform design decisions.

• Experience in usability testing, from planning and execution to analyzing results and translating them into design improvements.

• A strong bias for action and shipping, characterized by rapid iteration, early and frequent testing, and an open approach to refinement.

• Meticulous attention to detail and a passion for creating beautiful, functional, and engaging user experiences.

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

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to confidently present and defend design decisions to diverse audiences.

• Good English proficiency. Preferred Skills:

• Frontend development knowledge (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate effective communication with engineering teams.

• Familiarity with Git for version control and comfort with the command line interface.

• Experience working with structured, agent-ready guidelines and documentation designed for both human and AI consumption.

• A history of self-initiated skill development, personal projects, or tool creation to enhance process efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for daily AI tool usage underscores Clara's commitment to integrating AI into its core design processes, moving beyond experimental use to operational efficiency. The preference for frontend knowledge and Git/command line indicates a desire for designers who can bridge the gap between design and development.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design ownership, detailing your role, process, and impact on shipped products.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem, your design process, the AI tools utilized, user research conducted, and the resulting business and user outcomes.

• Examples demonstrating your ability to translate ambiguous problems into clear user flows and intuitive interfaces.

• Evidence of your iterative design process, including how you incorporated feedback and testing results.

• Showcase your proficiency with Figma and any AI design tools you regularly employ. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate your approach to user research and usability testing, including planning, execution, and synthesis of findings.

• Illustrate how you leverage AI tools to enhance efficiency in the design process, from research to prototyping.

• Provide examples of how you ensure quality and consistency in design deliverables, especially when incorporating AI-assisted work.

• Showcase your understanding of design systems and how you contribute to or utilize them for cohesive product experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily weighted towards demonstrating practical application of AI in the design process and end-to-end ownership. Candidates will need to clearly articulate how AI augmented their work and contributed to measurable outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Product Designer Associate with 2-5 years of experience in Bogotá, Colombia, a competitive salary range would typically fall between COP $60,000,000 and COP $100,000,000 annually. This estimate considers the company's fast-growing nature, its funding, and the demand for skilled design talent in the region, especially those with AI proficiency.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and stock options (ESOP) granted from day one, aligning employee success with company growth.

• Participation in a multicultural team with daily exposure to Portuguese, Spanish, and English, fostering a global perspective.

• An annual learning budget dedicated to professional development and continuous skill enhancement.

• Access to internal accelerated development paths designed to foster career progression within Clara.

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

• A hybrid work model that emphasizes results and flexibility, blending in-office collaboration with remote autonomy.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are 40 hours per week, with a hybrid model that allows for flexibility in how and where work is conducted, focusing on productivity and outcomes rather than strict time adherence.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on typical compensation for similar roles in Bogotá, considering the tech and fintech landscape. The benefits package emphasizes growth, flexibility, and employee ownership, aligning with the startup environment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Clara operates in the Fintech sector, specifically focusing on B2B spend management solutions. This industry is characterized by rapid innovation, a strong emphasis on security and compliance, and a drive to streamline financial operations for businesses. The company is a fast-growing startup, indicating a dynamic and agile work environment.

Company Size: Clara is a fast-growing company in Latin America, recognized as a LinkedIn Top Startup, suggesting a scale that allows for significant impact while maintaining a relatively lean and agile structure. The exact number of employees is not specified, but its rapid growth and investor backing imply a substantial and expanding team.

Founded: Clara was founded with the mission to build the financial infrastructure for high-performing organizations across Latin America, aiming to increase their agility and financial clarity. Its rapid growth and significant investor support suggest a relatively recent founding, likely within the last 5-7 years, focused on disrupting traditional financial services.

Team Structure:

• The design team is likely integrated within product squads, working closely with product managers, engineers, and researchers to deliver cohesive product experiences.

• Collaboration is key, with designers expected to work cross-functionally across various departments, including product, engineering, and marketing.

• The emphasis on "high-talent-density culture" suggests a team composed of highly skilled and motivated individuals who are driven to excel. Methodology:

• Clara employs an "always-on" discovery pipeline, suggesting a continuous process of identifying user needs and market opportunities.

• The company embraces AI integration, using it for research, synthesis, and rapid prototyping to accelerate product development cycles.

• A strong emphasis is placed on shipping quickly, iterating based on feedback, and refining products in the open, promoting transparency and agility.

• The company values data-driven decision-making, particularly in optimizing UX performance and driving improvements.

Company Website: clara.co

📝 Enhancement Note: Clara's culture is defined by rapid growth, innovation, and a commitment to leveraging technology, including AI, to achieve its mission. The company fosters a high-performance environment where collaboration and ownership are paramount.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as an Associate Product Designer, indicating an early to mid-career stage. It's ideal for individuals with foundational experience who are looking to deepen their expertise, take on more ownership, and grow within a rapidly scaling organization. The role requires hands-on execution while also offering opportunities to influence product strategy and contribute to the design system's evolution.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, an Associate Product Designer typically reports to a Design Lead, Senior Product Designer, or Head of Design. They will work closely within cross-functional product teams, collaborating daily with Product Managers and Engineers.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer Associate directly impacts the company's operational efficiency and market competitiveness by creating user-friendly and effective payment and spend management solutions. By improving the user experience, they contribute to higher customer adoption, retention, and satisfaction, which are critical for Clara's growth and success as a B2B fintech leader. Their work on the design system also ensures scalability and consistency across the platform.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Advancement: Opportunity to master AI-assisted design workflows, refine user research and testing methodologies, and gain deep expertise in building and maintaining scalable design systems.

• Career Progression: Potential to advance to a Product Designer, Senior Product Designer, or specialized roles within UX, such as UX Researcher or Design System Lead, based on performance and company growth.

• Leadership Potential: As the company scales, there will be opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives for specific product areas, and contribute to the strategic direction of the design function.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Associate level suggests a focus on execution and learning, with clear pathways for growth into more senior and leadership roles. The emphasis on AI integration provides a unique opportunity for skill development in a cutting-edge area of design.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Clara operates a hybrid work model. This means employees will split their time between working from the office, engaging with customers (potentially off-site), and working from home. The company emphasizes flexibility and results over mandatory in-office days for most roles, but expects employees to be in the office organically and during critical periods like onboarding or team events.

Office Location(s): The primary office location mentioned is Bogotá, Colombia. While specific office details are not provided, the hybrid model suggests accessible office spaces designed for collaboration and team interaction within Bogotá.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is designed to foster collaboration, with opportunities for in-person interaction with colleagues, fostering learning and team cohesion.

• Access to modern design tools and technology, including advanced AI capabilities, is inherent to the role.

• The environment encourages cross-functional team interaction, allowing designers to work closely with product managers, engineers, and other business units.

Work Schedule: The work schedule is flexible within the hybrid model, with a standard 40-hour work week. The focus is on achieving results, allowing for autonomy in how and when work is completed, provided it aligns with team needs and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model at Clara is designed to balance in-person collaboration with individual flexibility, emphasizing autonomy and results. This setup is typical for fast-growing tech companies aiming to attract and retain talent.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess qualifications and experience, with a focus on AI integration and end-to-end design ownership.

• Hiring Manager/Recruiter Interview: Discussion about your background, motivation for applying, and initial assessment of cultural fit.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: This is a critical stage where you'll present your portfolio, discuss your design process, explain how you've used AI in your work, and potentially complete a design exercise. Be prepared to articulate your rationale and decisions clearly.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with potential teammates from product, engineering, or other departments to assess collaboration skills and technical understanding.

• Final Interview: Typically with a senior leader, focusing on strategic thinking, long-term vision, and overall fit with Clara's culture and mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Showcase 3-5 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your skills, particularly those involving AI, end-to-end ownership, and problem-solving.

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each project, clearly outline the problem statement, your role and responsibilities, the design process (including research, ideation, AI usage, prototyping, testing), key decisions and rationale, and the final outcomes (quantifiable where possible).

• Highlight AI Integration: Explicitly detail how you used AI tools, what benefits they provided (e.g., speed, new insights, efficiency), and how you maintained quality control.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced task completion time, improved user satisfaction scores).

• Be Ready to Discuss: Anticipate questions about your design choices, challenges faced, how you handle feedback, and your understanding of Clara's business and user base.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If a design challenge is provided, take time to understand the business context and user needs. Ask clarifying questions if allowed.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a structured approach. Outline your steps, justify your decisions, and explain your thought process, even if you can't complete the entire task within the given time.

• AI Integration (if applicable): If the challenge allows, consider how AI tools could be leveraged to accelerate parts of the process, but ensure human oversight and critical thinking remain central.

• Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your work concisely and confidently. Be prepared to defend your design decisions and discuss trade-offs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical application of skills, especially AI integration, and the ability to articulate design rationale. A well-prepared portfolio that clearly demonstrates these aspects will be crucial for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design and prototyping tool, essential for creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes. Proficiency is a must.

• AI Design Tools: Daily hands-on experience with tools like Claude, Figma AI, and v0 is required. This includes understanding their capabilities and limitations for research, synthesis, ideation, and prototyping.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, familiarity with other prototyping tools that facilitate rapid iteration and user testing may be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a primary tool for this role, understanding how to use or interpret data from analytics platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel) to inform design decisions and measure UX performance would be advantageous. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the core design function, but understanding how design impacts user engagement within the Clara platform (which manages B2B payments) is valuable.

• Git and Command Line: Preferred skills, indicating potential integration with development workflows for design asset management or collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack emphasizes modern design tools and a strong focus on AI integration. Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable, and candidates are expected to be early adopters and skilled users of AI in their design workflow.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: Clara's stated values provide a strong framework for understanding the expected culture:

• #Clarity: Expect clear, direct, and proactive communication. Decisions and rationale should be transparent.

• #Simplicity: Focus on reducing complexity and prioritizing what truly matters. Designs and processes should be streamlined.

• #Ownership: Take responsibility for your work and outcomes. Proactivity and accountability are highly valued.

• #Pride: Strive to build products and experiences that are of high quality and that you are proud of.

• #Always Be Changing (ABC): Embrace feedback, take calculated risks, and drive continuous improvement through action and learning.

• #Inclusivity: Value diverse perspectives and ensure everyone's voice is heard and considered in the design process.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to work seamlessly with product managers, engineers, and other teams, fostering a collaborative environment where ideas are shared and built upon.

• Feedback-Driven: The "Always Be Changing" value implies an open culture of giving and receiving constructive feedback, essential for iterative design and personal growth.

• Knowledge Sharing: A "high-talent-density" culture often means team members are eager to share knowledge and best practices, particularly around new technologies like AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: Clara's values are action-oriented and emphasize transparency, efficiency, and continuous improvement. Candidates should demonstrate how their work ethic and collaboration style align with these principles.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Rapid Iteration & AI Integration: Balancing the need for rapid iteration with the careful integration of AI tools requires a nuanced approach to ensure quality and avoid over-reliance on automation. Learning to effectively manage this balance will be a key challenge.

• Scaling Design Systems: As Clara grows rapidly, maintaining and scaling the "agentic design system" to accommodate new features and evolving needs will be a significant challenge.

• Ambiguity in Problem Definition: The role involves turning ambiguous problems into clear solutions. Navigating this ambiguity effectively requires strong analytical and creative problem-solving skills.

• Staying Ahead of AI Advancements: The AI landscape is evolving rapidly. Continuously learning and adapting to new AI tools and techniques will be crucial for staying effective in this role.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Expertise: Deepen expertise in leveraging cutting-edge AI tools for design, potentially becoming a go-to person for AI best practices within the design team.

• Product Strategy Involvement: Gain exposure to product strategy and roadmap planning through close collaboration with product managers and leadership.

• Design Leadership: As the company grows, opportunities may arise to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and contribute to shaping the future of design at Clara.

• Industry Exposure: Work within a rapidly growing fintech company, gaining valuable experience in a dynamic and high-impact sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant opportunities for professional development, particularly in the rapidly evolving field of AI-assisted design, within a high-growth fintech environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used AI tools to significantly speed up your design process. What were the benefits and any drawbacks?" (Focus on specific tools, quantifiable impact, and your critical assessment.)

• "How do you approach turning an ambiguous business problem into a well-defined product feature? Walk us through your process, highlighting where AI might assist." (Emphasize your structured thinking, user-centricity, and AI integration points.)

• "How do you ensure design quality and consistency when using AI-generated assets or prototypes? What are your quality assurance steps?" (Detail your process for review, validation, and refinement, showcasing your attention to detail.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Clara's mission and our position as a leading B2B fintech in Latin America?" (Research Clara's impact and market position.)

• "How do you embody our value of #Ownership in your daily work?" (Provide specific examples of taking initiative and responsibility.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with engineers and product managers, especially when there are differing opinions on design direction?" (Highlight your communication skills and ability to find common ground.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Frame each project as a narrative – the problem, your journey to the solution, and the outcome.

• Visuals: Use high-quality visuals, mockups, and prototypes. For AI-assisted work, show the iterative process and how you refined AI outputs.

• Quantify Everything Possible: Present metrics clearly to demonstrate the impact of your work.

• AI Integration Focus: Be ready to spend dedicated time explaining your AI workflow for at least one project, detailing the tools, your prompts, and the value derived.

• Conciseness: Respect the interviewer's time. Be prepared to present your key projects within the allocated timeframe, with deeper dives available if requested.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to demonstrate practical, hands-on experience with AI tools in your design workflow and to articulate the strategic value they bring, alongside your core design skills and understanding of Clara's values.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer Associate position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating end-to-end design ownership and, crucially, your practical application of AI tools (e.g., Claude, Figma AI, v0) in your workflow. Showcase how AI accelerated your process or led to novel solutions.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your experience with Product Design, UX, Interaction Design, user research, and Figma. Strategically integrate keywords related to AI in design, rapid prototyping, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Preparation for Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: Practice presenting your portfolio with a focus on storytelling, quantifying impact, and clearly explaining your design process, especially your AI integration. Prepare to discuss how you embody Clara's company values.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Clara's business, its B2B fintech focus in Latin America, its recent growth, and its company values. Understand how your design skills can contribute to their mission of financial clarity and agility for businesses.

⚠️ 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.

---