Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Comand AI

Location: Paris, France

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / Business Development Support

Date Posted: 2026-09-07

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

Remote Status: Hybrid (with requirements for on-site in Paris)

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and rapidly prototype next-generation C2 (Command and Control) software concepts for defense and government clients.

• Bridge the gap between customer conversations and tangible product demonstrations to accelerate business development.

• Utilize a variety of rapid prototyping methods, including Figma, AI-assisted coding, interactive concepts, and demo videos.

• Collaborate closely with Business Development, Product Design, Product Management, and Forward Deployed teams to translate emerging needs into credible user experiences.

• Ensure high design craft and credibility for prototypes presented to senior defense and government stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a specialized Product Designer position focused on supporting Business Development (BD) by creating rapid prototypes. It requires a unique blend of design craft, speed, and the ability to handle ambiguity, distinct from traditional core product design roles. The emphasis on "making a future capability tangible" and feeding learnings back into product highlights its strategic importance in the Go-To-Market (GTM) and product development lifecycle.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Translate emerging customer needs and complex operational ideas into clear, credible, and visually compelling prototypes within days.

• Select the most effective prototyping medium (e.g., Figma, AI-assisted code, interactive demos, video) based on the specific requirements of a customer conversation.

• Apply high-quality interaction and visual design principles to ensure prototypes are credible and impactful for senior defense and government stakeholders.

• Work hand-in-hand with Business Development, Product Design, Product Management, and Forward Deployed teams to deeply understand customer opportunities and define prototype objectives.

• Make swift, confident design decisions under pressure, balancing the immediate needs of a specific sales engagement with the long-term vision and established patterns of the core product.

• Systematically capture insights and learnings from each prototype and customer interaction to inform and shape future product strategy and development roadmaps.

• Maintain a high standard of design execution, ensuring that rapid prototypes are not only functional but also aesthetically polished and aligned with Comand AI's brand.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a fast-paced, client-facing design output geared towards sales enablement and product validation. The need to "reuse an existing pattern... and create a new one" highlights the strategic design thinking required, moving beyond simple mockups to informed product direction.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience in design principles and application is paramount.

Experience: Minimum of 2-5 years of experience in product design, with a proven track record of rapid prototyping and delivering design solutions for complex digital products.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio: A robust portfolio showcasing high-quality interaction and visual design across complex digital products.

• Prototyping Expertise: Demonstrated ability to take ambiguous problems from initial conversation to a decision-driving prototype.

• Design Tools Proficiency: Strong command of modern product design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite).

• Speed & Efficiency: Ability to work rapidly without sacrificing quality, knowing when to leverage existing patterns and when to innovate.

• Communication: Clear and concise communication skills, effective with technical, commercial, and non-technical stakeholders.

• Resilience & Adaptability: Ability to perform under pressure, especially when responding to urgent demo requests for important client meetings.

• Citizenship: EU or UK citizenship is a contractual requirement due to defense contract stipulations.

Preferred Skills:

• Coding Prototypes: Comfort building prototypes in code, particularly with AI-assisted development tools.

• B2B/Enterprise Design: Experience designing for B2B, enterprise, or technically complex software environments.

• Specialized Domains: Familiarity with mapping, geospatial interfaces, or data-dense operational workflows.

• Motion Design/Video: Skills in motion design or producing demo videos to enhance prototype communication.

• Industry Experience: Prior work experience in defense, government, or dual-use technology sectors.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Must-have" qualifications emphasize practical skills and experience directly applicable to the BD support function, particularly the ability to handle ambiguity and deliver under tight deadlines. The EU/UK citizenship is a critical, non-negotiable requirement. Preferred skills indicate areas where candidates can differentiate themselves, especially in technical prototyping and domain-specific knowledge.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating the full design process from initial ambiguity to a refined, decision-driving prototype.

• Problem Framing: Clearly articulate the ambiguous customer need or problem statement addressed by each project.

• Prototyping Mediums: Highlight experience with diverse prototyping tools and techniques, including Figma, coded prototypes, or interactive concepts.

• Stakeholder Collaboration: Illustrate how you collaborated with BD, product, and technical teams to define requirements and gather feedback.

• Outcome Demonstration: Quantify or clearly describe the impact of the prototype on customer decisions or product direction.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Demonstrate understanding of how to quickly map out user flows and operational workflows for complex systems.

• Rapid Iteration: Showcase your ability to iterate rapidly on designs based on feedback from BD and potential clients.

• Tool Integration: Explain how you leverage design tools (like Figma) and potentially coding tools to create efficient and effective prototypes.

• Learning Capture: Illustrate how you document learnings from prototype development to inform broader product strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is the primary evaluation tool. Candidates must clearly demonstrate their ability to translate abstract concepts into tangible, user-tested designs rapidly, with a focus on business outcomes and stakeholder engagement. The ability to adapt and choose the right tool for the job is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Estimated Range: €70,000 - €110,000 per year (for Paris-based role)

• Explanation: This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for experienced Product Designers in Paris, France, considering the specialized nature of the role (BD support, defense sector), the company's stated aim of offering a "top 0.1% European compensation package," and the typical salary bands for roles with significant autonomy and impact in tech startups. The range accounts for variations in experience within the 2-5 year bracket and the specific negotiation of equity.

• Research Methodology: Data was sourced from aggregated salary reports for Product Designers in Paris (e.g., Glassdoor, Levels.fyi, industry-specific recruitment firm surveys), adjusted for the "top tier" compensation claim and the specific requirements of the role (speed, ambiguity, technical prototyping).

Benefits:

• Equity: Significant stock options or equity grants, reflecting a "top 0.1% European compensation package."

• Competitive Salary: A base salary that is benchmarked at the top of the market for this specialized role.

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance coverage.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, training, and attending relevant industry events.

• Work Flexibility: Hybrid work model allowing for a balance between in-office collaboration and remote work.

• Impactful Work: Direct exposure to high-stakes customer engagements and the opportunity to influence product strategy.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week.

• The role requires flexibility to meet business development needs, which may involve occasional urgent requests or extended hours to prepare for critical client demos on short notice.

📝 Enhancement Note: The compensation is highlighted as a significant draw, with equity being a key component. The flexibility required for the role should be balanced with the standard working hours, acknowledging that client demands can lead to unpredictable schedules.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Defense Technology / Artificial Intelligence / Software Development. Comand AI operates at the intersection of cutting-edge AI and critical defense applications, focusing on building next-generation Command and Control (C2) software.

Company Size: Early-stage startup, likely small to medium-sized (indicated by the direct nature of the interview process and the emphasis on individual impact). This size implies a dynamic, fast-paced environment where individual contributions are highly visible and critical.

Founded: Founded with a mission to revolutionize C2 software through AI, aiming for real-world deployments and user success. The company values rapid innovation and direct customer impact.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will be part of a lean, agile team, likely reporting into a Head of Product, Design Lead, or potentially directly to a co-founder given the BD focus.

• Close collaboration with Business Development, core Product Designers, Product Managers, and Forward Deployed Engineers is essential.

• Cross-functional collaboration is characterized by speed, direct communication, and a shared focus on achieving specific customer engagements and product validation goals. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: While prototypes are created rapidly, the process emphasizes capturing learnings and commercial signals to inform data-driven product decisions.

• Agile Prototyping: Emphasis on speed and iteration, using "the fastest useful medium" to test concepts and gather feedback.

• Customer-Centricity: The entire design process is geared towards understanding and addressing specific customer needs to ensure success in deployments.

Company Website: https://www.comand.ai/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company operates in a highly sensitive and critical sector (defense), implying a need for discretion, professionalism, and a strong understanding of user context in high-stakes environments. The startup nature means agility and adaptability are key cultural tenets.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a specialized mid-level Product Designer with a strong Business Development support function. It's not a traditional GTM operations role but a design role that directly impacts GTM success. The focus is on rapid ideation and validation, crucial for early-stage sales cycles.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a senior design or product leader, with direct operational reporting lines to the Business Development team for specific project needs.

Operations Impact: The designer's output directly influences the success of sales conversations, customer acquisition, and the validation of product-market fit for new capabilities. Their work provides critical early feedback that shapes the core product roadmap.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in rapid prototyping, AI-assisted design, and designing for complex operational workflows.

• Product Strategy Influence: Gain significant influence on product direction by translating customer needs into tangible concepts and feeding insights back into the product team.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Develop strong collaboration and communication skills across BD, product, and engineering, potentially leading design initiatives for new ventures.

• Domain Expertise: Become an expert in C2 software design for defense and government sectors.

• Startup Growth: Grow with the company, potentially taking on more senior design leadership roles as Comand AI scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not a traditional "Revenue Operations" role, this position is crucial for GTM success. The growth path lies in becoming a highly valuable design asset within a specialized, high-impact industry, influencing product strategy through direct BD engagement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model. The role requires on-site presence for specific stages of the interview process (half-day onsite in Paris) and implies regular in-office collaboration is expected, even if not daily.

Office Location(s): Paris, France. The company also lists the United Kingdom as a permitted remote location, suggesting a potential for cross-border collaboration or future expansion.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The Paris office serves as a central point for collaboration, team meetings, and potentially client-facing prototype presentations.

• Tooling: Access to modern design and prototyping tools, including potential access to AI development tools for creating coded prototypes.

• Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with a highly skilled, cross-functional team, fostering a dynamic and innovative work environment. Expect direct interaction with BD professionals and product leaders.

Work Schedule: While a standard work week is implied, the nature of supporting BD means flexibility is key. Occasional urgent requests for critical client meetings or demo preparations may require extended hours. This should be balanced with the company's commitment to a sustainable work environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature allows for remote flexibility within permitted countries (UK, France), but the emphasis on an "Onsite in Paris" interview stage and the need for "real users in real deployments" suggests that in-person collaboration and client interaction are highly valued.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Talent Screening (30 min, online): Focus on your background, motivations, and the types of problems you excel at solving. Be ready to articulate your interest in Comand AI's mission and the defense/government sector.

• Portfolio Review (60 min, online): Prepare to walk through 2-3 selected projects from your portfolio. Focus on the why and how: the problem, your design process, the constraints, the decisions made, and the outcomes. Emphasize your ability to handle ambiguity and speed.

• Onsite in Paris (Half-day): This stage involves experiencing the product, meeting the team, and completing a rapid prototyping exercise. You will be given an ambiguous, time-bound brief and expected to produce a tangible concept. This is a critical test of your core skills.

• Roundtable (Hiring Committee): The committee reviews all gathered evidence to make the final decision. Your performance across all stages, especially the onsite exercise, will be evaluated.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best demonstrate your ability to handle ambiguity, work at speed, and deliver high-quality designs for complex digital products. Include examples of prototypes that informed business decisions.

• Tell a Story: For each project, frame it as a narrative: the challenge, your approach (including tools and methodologies), the key decisions you made, and the results/impact.

• Highlight BD Relevance: If possible, include examples where your design work directly influenced a client conversation, a sales outcome, or product direction.

• Showcase Versatility: Demonstrate proficiency with various prototyping tools and techniques (Figma, code, interactive demos).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: For the onsite exercise, carefully read and dissect the ambiguous brief. Identify the core problem and the stakeholders involved.

• Prioritize Ruthlessly: Given the time constraint, focus on delivering a core, credible solution rather than trying to perfect every detail. What is the minimum viable concept that proves the idea?

• Communicate Your Process: While you're designing, be prepared to articulate your thought process, assumptions, and design choices to the interviewer.

• Think Operationally: Consider the operational context of defense/government users. How does your design support complex workflows and decision-making?

📝 Enhancement Note: The onsite rapid prototyping exercise is the most critical differentiator. Candidates must be prepared to demonstrate their design craft, problem-solving skills, and ability to deliver under significant time pressure and ambiguity.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, wireframing, and interactive prototyping. Expected to be used extensively for creating polished mockups and user flows.

• Prototyping Tools: Proficiency beyond Figma, potentially including tools for interactive concepts, user testing platforms, or more advanced animation/motion design tools.

• AI-Assisted Development Tools: Nice-to-have, but indicates a willingness and ability to leverage AI for faster coded prototype generation. Examples might include GitHub Copilot, or specialized AI design platforms.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary analytics role, understanding how to present data and metrics within prototypes or demo scenarios will be valuable. This might involve simulating data visualizations or understanding how core product analytics are used. CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with how design outputs feed into CRM processes or sales enablement platforms is beneficial, though not a direct requirement for the designer. Understanding the downstream impact of their work on BD and sales is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis is on design and prototyping tools, with a forward-looking interest in AI-assisted development. Candidates should highlight their mastery of industry-standard design software and any experience with emerging AI tools for design and development.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Design Craft: A commitment to high-quality visual and interaction design, even in rapid prototypes.

• Speed & Agility: The ability to move quickly and iterate effectively to meet business needs.

• Low Ego: A collaborative mindset, openness to feedback, and a focus on team and company success over individual recognition.

• Comfort with Ambiguity: The capacity to thrive and make sound decisions when information is incomplete.

• Impact-Driven: A focus on creating work that directly influences customer decisions and shapes product strategy.

Collaboration Style:

• Direct & Efficient: Expect clear, concise communication and a focus on productive collaboration to achieve specific goals.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Seamless integration with BD, product, and engineering teams, bridging communication gaps between technical and commercial stakeholders.

• Feedback-Oriented: A culture where constructive feedback is given and received openly to improve designs and processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture values individuals who are not only skilled designers but also adaptable, resilient team players who can operate effectively in a fast-paced, customer-facing startup environment within the defense sector.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Speed and Quality: The primary challenge is delivering high-fidelity, credible prototypes quickly without compromising design integrity or strategic thinking.

• Navigating Ambiguity: Working with incomplete or evolving customer requirements and translating them into a concrete design.

• Stakeholder Management: Effectively managing expectations and communicating design decisions to diverse stakeholders, including senior defense officials.

• Context Switching: Rapidly shifting focus between different customer needs, product concepts, and prototyping methodologies.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Design Skills: Developing expertise in designing for defense/government contexts, complex operational workflows, and AI-driven applications.

• Product Strategy Input: Contributing directly to product roadmap decisions through validated concept development.

• Technical Prototyping: Gaining hands-on experience with coding prototypes and AI development tools.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Deepening understanding of business development, sales cycles, and product management within a high-tech startup.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to the role's unique focus on rapid BD support. Growth opportunities are tied to developing specialized skills and gaining strategic influence within a critical industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to create a prototype for an ambiguous problem with very little information. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your process, decision-making, and ability to handle uncertainty).

• "How do you balance the need for speed in prototyping with maintaining high design craft and credibility, especially for senior stakeholders?" (Highlight your understanding of trade-offs and quality standards).

• "Imagine you're given a brief for a new C2 feature. How would you decide what type of prototype to build (e.g., Figma, code, video) and what key elements would you focus on to make it convincing?" (Demonstrate your strategic approach to prototyping). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Comand AI's mission, particularly in the defense/government sector?" (Show genuine interest and research into the company's domain).

• "How do you handle constructive criticism on your designs, especially when working under tight deadlines?" (Emphasize low ego and collaborative spirit).

• "Describe your experience working in a fast-paced startup environment. How do you adapt to changing priorities?" (Highlight resilience and agility). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly state the problem, your role, the constraints, your process, the solutions, and the impact.

• Emphasize Decision-Making: Explain why you made certain design choices. What trade-offs did you consider?

• Showcase Speed & Iteration: If possible, show early concepts or iterations to demonstrate your ability to move quickly and adapt.

• Highlight BD Impact: If a project directly influenced a sales outcome or customer decision, make that connection explicit.

• Prepare for the Prototyping Exercise: Practice creating a simple, interactive prototype from a vague prompt within a limited timeframe. Think about the core functionality and user flow.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating problem-solving skills, adaptability, and a deep understanding of how design directly supports business objectives, particularly in the context of sales and product validation.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Carefully select and curate projects in your portfolio that best showcase your rapid prototyping skills, ability to handle ambiguity, and experience with complex digital products. Tailor your case study descriptions to highlight the BD and product validation aspects.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your years of experience, proficiency with key design tools (especially Figma), and any experience relevant to B2B, enterprise, or technically complex software. Highlight achievements related to speed, impact, and stakeholder communication.

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly research Comand AI, its mission, and the defense/government sector. Prepare to articulate your motivations, design philosophy, and how your skills align with the company's values and the specific demands of this role. Practice walking through your portfolio and be ready for a live design exercise.

• Citizenship Verification: Be prepared to confirm your EU or UK citizenship as it is a mandatory requirement for this role.

⚠️ 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.