Product Designer at Clera

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Clera

Location: Berlin, Germany

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design (GTM/Operations Adjacent)

Date Posted: August 1, 2026

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

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

This is a rare opportunity to join a small, elite design team at a Series B AI-powered EdTech platform impacting millions of students globally.
The role centers on pioneering AI-native product experiences and driving design craft at the highest level, with direct access to C-level leadership.
Emphasis is placed on rapid iteration, shipping impactful features quickly, and setting new standards in UI, motion design, and micro-interactions.
The position requires a strong systems thinker with a bias for action, capable of simplifying complex user journeys into intuitive experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is in Product Design, its emphasis on "moving metrics," "shipping ideas to millions of students within days," "AI-native design," and "pioneering AI-assisted workflows" strongly aligns with the principles of Go-To-Market (GTM) operations and revenue operations. The ability to translate complex product capabilities into user-friendly experiences that drive adoption and engagement is crucial for GTM success. The fast-paced, iterative nature of the role and the focus on measurable impact also resonate with operations disciplines.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Own entire product areas end-to-end, from conception to delivery, collaborating directly with C-level executives and engineering teams.
Elevate the quality bar for all student-facing elements, focusing on world-class UI, motion design, and micro-interactions.
Build and scale a comprehensive design system, including curated references, robust components, and efficient review processes to ensure design consistency.
Pioneer AI-native design strategies and workflows, integrating AI to enhance research, ideation, and the overall product development lifecycle.
Create intuitive and engaging user interfaces that resonate with students, aiming for designs that are both aesthetically pleasing and functionally superior.
Mentor and guide more junior designers, contributing to the collective growth and skill development of the design team.
Drive rapid iteration and shipping of ideas, translating concepts into shippable features for millions of users within accelerated timelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a significant degree of ownership and strategic input, common in senior operations roles. The emphasis on "shipping ideas to millions of students within days" and "pioneering AI-native design" suggests a need for process optimization and the adoption of new technologies, core tenets of operations management.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating a deep understanding of design principles and user experience is paramount. Equivalent experience and demonstrated skills will be highly valued.

Experience: Several years of professional product design experience are required, with a proven track record of shipping impactful features that have demonstrably moved user metrics.

Required Skills:

Product Design Expertise: Proven ability to own and execute design projects from initial concept through to final delivery.
AI Tool Proficiency: Actively utilizes AI tools across the entire design loop (prototyping, research, ideation, shipping) for multiplicative impact.
Systems Thinking: Ability to design and maintain scalable design systems, ensuring consistency and quality across large-scale products.
UI/UX Design: Strong command over user interface design, user experience principles, and creating intuitive user journeys.
Motion Design & Micro-interactions: Skill in crafting engaging animations and subtle interactions that enhance user experience.
Prototyping & Iteration: Bias towards action, demonstrated through rapid prototyping and iterative design processes over lengthy presentations.
Mentorship: Experience in guiding and developing junior designers, fostering team growth.
Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with C-level leadership, engineering, and other stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

Design System Development: Experience building design systems from the ground up, including component libraries and style guides.
Consumer App/EdTech Background: Experience in fast-paced B2C environments, particularly within the EdTech sector.
Side Project/Builder Mentality: Demonstrated initiative through personal projects or contributions to open-source.
Figma/Sketch/Adobe Creative Suite: Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "moving metrics" and "multiplying" with AI tools indicates a results-oriented approach, which is a hallmark of successful operations professionals. The emphasis on "systems thinker" and "code-first design systems" points to an understanding of scalable processes and infrastructure, vital in operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

Demonstrate shipped work that demonstrably "moved metrics" and delighted real users, showcasing impact beyond aesthetics.
Showcase end-to-end ownership of product areas, from initial concept and ideation to final delivery and iteration.
Highlight experience in building and scaling design systems, including component libraries, style guides, and collaborative review processes.
Present case studies that illustrate the application of AI tools across the design lifecycle (research, prototyping, ideation, shipping) and their multiplicative effect.
Illustrate the ability to simplify complex user journeys into intuitive and obvious experiences. Process Documentation:
Showcase workflows for rapid ideation and prototyping, emphasizing speed and iteration over lengthy deliberation.
Detail your approach to AI-assisted design, including how AI tools are integrated into research, concept development, and final product shipping.
Provide examples of how you've set quality standards through UI, motion design, and micro-interactions, and how these standards were maintained at scale.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio that "moved metrics" and demonstrates "end-to-end ownership" is directly analogous to the requirements for operations professionals who must prove ROI and process ownership. The need to detail AI integration and rapid iteration aligns with operations' focus on efficiency and technological adoption.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for a Product Designer with 2-5 years of experience in Berlin, Germany, the estimated salary range is €60,000 - €85,000 per year. This estimate considers the company's Series B funding stage, the demand for specialized design skills, and the cost of living in Berlin.

Benefits:

Competitive salary and potential for equity.
Opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI technologies and shape AI-native product experiences.
Direct access to C-level leadership and significant influence on product vision.
Fast-paced, iterative work environment with a focus on rapid shipping and measurable impact.
Collaborative team culture with a direct feedback approach.
Opportunity to mentor junior designers and contribute to team growth.
Comprehensive health and wellness benefits (specifics to be confirmed by the employer).
Professional development opportunities, including potential for conferences and training.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, typically around 40 hours per week, with an emphasis on productivity and rapid shipping rather than strict time-tracking. Flexibility may be available, but the role requires on-site presence in Berlin.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on market data for Product Designers in Berlin, Germany, for a mid-level role. The benefits are inferred from typical offerings at Series B tech companies and the specific highlights of the job description. The "AI is central to how the product is built and how the team works" statement suggests a forward-thinking benefits package that supports continuous learning and technological adoption.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI) / EdTech (Education Technology)

Company Size: 51–200 employees. This size indicates a dynamic, growing company with established processes but still agile enough for rapid decision-making and individual impact.

Founded: Clera is a Series B funded company, indicating a stage of significant growth and scaling, with a proven product-market fit and a focus on expanding its reach.

Team Structure:

The design team is described as "small" and "elite," suggesting a high-performance environment with experienced professionals.
The Product Designer will work directly with C-level leadership (CEO, CTO, CPO) and engineering teams, indicating a flat hierarchy and direct collaboration.
Cross-functional collaboration is central, with a strong emphasis on integrating design with product strategy and engineering execution. Methodology:
AI-Native Approach: AI is fundamental to both the product's functionality and the team's operational workflows, from research and ideation to shipping.
Rapid Iteration & Shipping: Ideas are moved from concept to deployment for millions of users within days, emphasizing speed, agility, and an experimental mindset.
Design Craft & Quality: A strong focus on high-quality UI, motion design, and micro-interactions, aiming to set new industry standards.
Systems Thinking: Emphasis on building scalable design systems and processes that enable consistent quality and efficient replication.
Direct Feedback Culture: An environment that values open, direct communication without "preciousness" or territoriality.

Company Website: https://www.getclera.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture emphasizes speed, AI integration, and high-quality craft. This requires operations professionals to be adaptable, data-driven, and focused on enabling rapid, impactful execution through efficient processes and technology.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level Product Designer, typically requiring 2-5 years of experience. However, the responsibilities and access to leadership suggest potential for rapid advancement into Senior or Lead Designer roles, or even into product management with a design focus, especially within a fast-growing Series B company.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to a Design Lead or Head of Design (if one exists within the "small, elite team") and will work directly with C-level leadership, providing high visibility and direct mentorship opportunities.

Operations Impact: While a design role, the impact is framed in terms of "moving metrics" and reaching "tens of millions of students." This direct correlation to user engagement, adoption, and potentially retention aligns with GTM and Revenue Operations' focus on driving business outcomes through user-centric product experiences. The ability to translate product vision into actionable, user-friendly features directly impacts user acquisition and sustained engagement.

Growth Opportunities:

Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Senior Product Designer role, taking ownership of larger product areas or leading specific design initiatives.
Design System Ownership: Opportunity to become the lead for the design system, defining its architecture, components, and governance.
AI Design Specialization: Develop deep expertise in pioneering AI-native design patterns and workflows, becoming a thought leader in this emerging field.
Cross-Functional Advancement: Potential to transition into Product Management or GTM Strategy roles, leveraging a deep understanding of user needs and product execution.
Mentorship & Team Building: Grow into a mentor or team lead position, shaping the design culture and developing talent.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth trajectory described is typical for high-impact roles in fast-scaling startups. For operations professionals, understanding this path highlights the potential for leadership development and the application of operational principles in growing design functions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site in Berlin, Germany. This indicates a collaborative physical workspace designed to foster teamwork and rapid communication.

Office Location(s): Berlin, Germany. Specific office address not provided, but proximity to public transport and amenities is typical for Berlin tech hubs.

Workspace Context:

Collaborative Hub: The environment is built for direct interaction, ideation sessions, and rapid feedback loops between design, product, and engineering.
Technology-Rich: Access to cutting-edge design tools and AI technologies is implied, supporting the "AI-native" workflow.
High-Visibility Projects: Work on projects that have a significant and immediate impact on a massive user base, fostering a sense of purpose and accomplishment.

Work Schedule: Full-time, on-site in Berlin. While standard hours apply, the culture emphasizes productivity and rapid shipping, suggesting a results-driven environment where efficiency is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on an on-site, collaborative environment is crucial for roles requiring rapid iteration and cross-functional alignment, similar to how operations teams function.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Initial Screening: Review of application and portfolio for alignment with required skills and experience, particularly AI tool usage and shipped work.
Portfolio Presentation: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, focusing on case studies that demonstrate end-to-end ownership, metric-moving results, and AI integration.
Design Challenge/Exercise: A practical exercise, potentially involving a design problem related to AI-native experiences or simplifying complex user journeys, possibly with a time constraint to assess rapid iteration.
Team/Leadership Interviews: Discussions with design team members and C-level leadership to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and strategic thinking.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Highlight Impact: Clearly articulate the business impact ("moved metrics") and user delight of your shipped work. Quantify results wherever possible.
Showcase AI Integration: Dedicate specific sections or case studies to how you've effectively used AI tools across the design process, detailing the "multiplicative" benefits.
Demonstrate End-to-End Ownership: Walk through the entire lifecycle of 2-3 key projects, from problem definition and ideation to execution and iteration.
Simplify Complexity: Use examples that clearly show your ability to distill complex user needs and product requirements into intuitive and elegant solutions.
Emphasize Speed & Iteration: Include projects that highlight rapid prototyping, experimentation, and fast shipping cycles.
Design System Contribution: If applicable, showcase your experience in building or contributing to design systems, emphasizing scalability and consistency.

Challenge Preparation:

Think AI-First: Approach any design challenge with an AI-native mindset. How can AI enhance the user experience or the design process itself?
Prioritize Action: Be prepared to prototype quickly and articulate your rationale clearly, rather than spending excessive time on polished presentations.
Focus on User Journeys: Understand how to map and optimize complex user flows, especially in an educational context.
Articulate Collaboration: Be ready to discuss how you collaborate with engineering and leadership to ensure successful product delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process and portfolio review emphasis on "moving metrics," "AI integration," and "rapid shipping" are highly relevant to operations roles, which are often evaluated on similar criteria.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly likely, standard in modern design teams), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator).
AI Design Tools: Candidates are expected to be actively using AI tools for prototyping, research, ideation, and shipping. Specific tools may include AI-powered design assistants, generative design tools, AI for user research analysis, or AI for code generation/prototyping.
Collaboration & Project Management: Tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, or Notion may be used for workflow management and team communication.

Analytics & Reporting:

While not a direct responsibility, understanding user analytics tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) will be beneficial for informing design decisions and measuring impact. CRM & Automation:
Not directly applicable to this role, but understanding how user data flows through systems can be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "AI tools across the full design loop" is a critical requirement. For operations professionals, this signifies the importance of staying abreast of AI advancements and integrating them into workflows for efficiency and innovation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Bias for Action: A strong preference for doing, shipping, and iterating over extensive deliberation. Ideas are tested quickly through prototypes and experiments.
AI Integration: Embracing AI as a genuine multiplier for product experiences and team workflows, not just a buzzword.
Design Craft Excellence: A commitment to high-quality UI, motion design, and micro-interactions that set new standards for user experience.
Systems Thinking & Scalability: Building robust design systems and processes that ensure quality and consistency across a large user base.
Direct & Collaborative: A culture of open, honest feedback without territoriality, fostering strong cross-functional teamwork.

Collaboration Style:

Cross-Functional Integration: Designers work intimately with C-level leadership and engineering, ensuring design is embedded in product strategy and execution from the outset.
Process Optimization: Continuous improvement of design workflows, leveraging AI and other tools to increase efficiency and speed.
Knowledge Sharing: Mentoring junior designers and contributing to the collective craft and knowledge base of the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values of "Bias for Action" and "AI Integration" are highly resonant with operations principles focused on efficiency, rapid execution, and technological adoption.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Rapid Pace: Keeping up with the demand to ship features to millions of users within days requires exceptional time management and efficiency.
Pioneering AI-Native Design: Defining and implementing best practices for AI-native user experiences in a rapidly evolving field.
Scaling Design Systems: Building and maintaining a design system that can effectively scale with the company's rapid growth and diverse product offerings.
Balancing Speed and Quality: Maintaining a high standard of design craft while adhering to aggressive shipping timelines.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

AI Design Specialization: Becoming a leader in the emerging field of AI-native product design.
Design System Architecture: Gaining experience in architecting and governing a large-scale design system.
High-Impact Product Development: Working on a product that reaches millions of users, offering unparalleled learning in user engagement and scalability.
Leadership & Mentorship: Developing leadership skills through mentoring junior designers and influencing product strategy at the C-level.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges and growth opportunities emphasize adaptability, continuous learning, and the ability to drive efficiency and innovation, all critical for operations professionals.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

"Describe a time you used AI tools to significantly accelerate your design process or improve a product's metrics. What was the outcome?" (Focus on measurable impact and AI's role.)
"Walk us through how you would approach designing an AI-powered feature for [mention a specific EdTech context, e.g., personalized learning paths]. How would you ensure it's intuitive and drives student engagement?" (Demonstrate systems thinking, user journey simplification, and AI-native design.)
"How do you balance the need for rapid shipping with maintaining high design quality? Provide an example from your portfolio." (Highlight bias for action and process for quality assurance.) Company & Culture Questions:
"What excites you about Clera's mission and our AI-first approach?" (Show genuine interest and alignment with company values.)
"How do you handle direct feedback, and what is your approach to collaborating with engineering and leadership on product decisions?" (Assess cultural fit and collaboration style.)
"Describe your experience mentoring junior designers or contributing to a design team's collective craft." (Evaluate leadership potential and team contribution.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
Tell a Story: Structure your portfolio presentation around compelling narratives for each case study, clearly defining the problem, your process, the solution, and the impact.
Quantify Everything Possible: For each project, provide clear metrics on user engagement, conversion, retention, or other relevant KPIs that demonstrate the "moved metrics" aspect.
Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, prototypes, and even short video clips to showcase UI, motion design, and micro-interactions effectively.
Highlight AI's Role Explicitly: Dedicate specific slides or talking points to how AI tools were instrumental in your process and outcomes.
Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design decisions, trade-offs, and the challenges you faced.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice focuses on demonstrating quantifiable results, strategic thinking, and proficiency with modern tools and methodologies, mirroring the expectations for operations roles.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

Submit your application via the provided link on Ashby.
Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight experience with "moving metrics," "AI-native design," "design systems," and "rapid shipping." Use keywords from the job description.
Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that best demonstrate end-to-end ownership, AI tool usage, and measurable results. Ensure it's easily accessible online.
Prepare Your Narrative: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on the story, your process, the impact, and how you leveraged AI. Be ready to articulate your "bias for action."
Research Clera: Understand their product, mission, and recent developments. Consider how your design philosophy aligns with their AI-first, high-speed 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.

Product Designer