Senior Product Designer (Berlin, hybrid)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Kittl

Location: Berlin, Germany

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: May 28, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 Years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Own end-to-end product outcomes for core AI or Editor surfaces, translating strategy into requirements and driving features from concept to launch.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineering teams to elevate visual craft and improve user activation and retention.

• Drive sophisticated product features with high visual craft and strategic product thinking, contributing to Kittl's evolving design system and AI patterns.

• Manage the build process, coordinating with engineering, ensuring quality throughout development, and owning go-to-market readiness for new features.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the core role is Product Design, the emphasis on owning product outcomes, managing timelines, coordinating stakeholders, and driving features from concept to launch positions this as a role with significant Go-To-Market (GTM) operational responsibilities, particularly in bridging the gap between product development and market readiness.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Take full ownership from problem framing and user research through shipping, measurement, and iteration on core product surfaces like AI or Editor.

• Lead the design of complex product features, ensuring high standards in visual and interaction design through critique and peer collaboration.

• Contribute to Kittl's evolving design process and design system, creating reusable patterns for both existing features and emerging AI functionalities.

• Coordinate with engineering teams throughout the development lifecycle, ensuring design integrity and quality, and preparing for successful feature launches.

• Drive user activation and retention through thoughtful design solutions that enhance the creator experience on the Kittl platform.

• Translate product strategy into actionable requirements, managing project timelines and coordinating with cross-functional stakeholders to ensure timely and successful feature delivery.

• Actively participate in product discovery, user research, and data analysis to inform design decisions and identify opportunities for improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description emphasizes "owning product outcomes end-to-end," "managing the build," and "coordinating with engineering" which are critical GTM operational functions. This goes beyond traditional design responsibilities, requiring strong project management and execution skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mentioned, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for senior roles, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: Minimum 6 years of experience designing digital products, with at least 2 years specifically shipping consumer or prosumer products at scale.

Required Skills:

• Product Design: Proven ability to design and ship complex digital products across the entire lifecycle.

• Portfolio: A strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end ownership, including research, interaction design, visual craft, product thinking, and measurable impact of shipped work.

• AI Design Experience: Hands-on experience designing for AI-driven or generative product surfaces, with a focus on embedding AI for genuine user value and impact.

• Product Ownership Readiness: Demonstrated ability or clear readiness to step into product management responsibilities, including managing timelines and coordinating stakeholders.

• Interaction Design: Expertise in crafting intuitive and efficient user flows and interactions.

• Visual Design Craft: High-quality standards in visual design, typography, color theory, and layout.

• User Research & Strategy: Ability to conduct user research, analyze findings, and translate them into strategic design decisions.

• Principled Decision-Making: Ability to balance user needs, product constraints, and strategic direction, making thoughtful compromises and clear decisions.

• Bias for Action: High quality bar combined with speed, comfort with ambiguity, and willingness to step beyond pure design into product ownership and execution.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with design systems and contributing to their evolution.

• Familiarity with generative AI technologies and their application in creative tools.

• Experience in a product-led growth (PLG) environment.

• Understanding of key SaaS metrics like activation, retention, and churn.

• Experience with A/B testing and data-informed design iteration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Product ownership readiness" and "Bias for action" requirements strongly suggest this role demands a level of operational execution and project management typically associated with GTM functions, bridging the gap between design and product delivery.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product ownership, demonstrating your involvement from initial problem framing and user research through to shipping, measurement, and iteration.

• Include case studies that highlight complex feature designs, illustrating your strategic product thinking and high visual craft.

• Present examples of your work on AI-driven or generative product surfaces, detailing how you embedded AI for genuine user value.

• Clearly articulate the measurable impact of your shipped work, using data and metrics to demonstrate success in areas like user activation and retention.

• Demonstrate your readiness for product management responsibilities by including examples of how you managed project timelines, coordinated stakeholders, and managed the build process. Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you have contributed to or evolved design systems and reusable patterns, particularly for emerging AI functionalities.

• Documentation or case studies showing your approach to problem framing, user research synthesis, and translating insights into actionable design requirements.

• Evidence of your collaboration with engineering teams, illustrating how you ensured design quality throughout development and supported go-to-market readiness.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "end-to-end ownership," "measurable impact," and "managing timelines/stakeholders" in the portfolio requirements highlights the need for candidates to demonstrate operational rigor and a focus on outcomes beyond just aesthetic design.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Senior Product Designer in Berlin with 6+ years of experience and hybrid work arrangements, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between €70,000 and €95,000 annually. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in major European tech hubs, considering the company's funding and growth stage.

Benefits:

• Maximise your impact: Support for professional growth and maximizing individual impact, regardless of team leadership.

• Quarterly Hackathons: Opportunities to experiment with new concepts and push creative boundaries.

• Kittl Week: Annual global team gathering for collaboration, celebration, and inspiration.

• Flexible Working Hours: Core hours are 11 am–5 pm CET, allowing for flexibility outside these times.

• Remote Work: Up to 50 days (10 weeks) fully remote per year, maintaining core hours.

• Learning & Development Budget: Dedicated budget for professional growth and skill enhancement.

• Mobility Benefit: Full coverage for a monthly BVG public transport ticket in Berlin.

• Health and Fitness: Discounted Urban Sports Club membership.

• Generous Vacation: Up to 30 vacation days per year.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week, with flexible working hours that include core hours of 11 am–5 pm CET.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on Glassdoor, LinkedIn Salary, and industry reports for Senior Product Designer roles in Berlin, Germany, adjusted for the company's stated funding and growth stage. The range accounts for variations in candidate experience and specific skill sets within the senior level.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Technology (AI-Native Design Tools)

Company Size: 120+ people, indicating a growth-stage company with established processes but still agile enough for individual impact. This size suggests a dynamic environment where cross-functional collaboration is key.

Founded: 2022, meaning Kittl is a relatively young but rapidly growing company, likely characterized by innovation, speed, and a strong product-led ethos.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design team reports to the Head of Product Design.

• Designers operate as direct peers to Product Managers and Engineering leads, fostering a collaborative, integrated product development approach.

• The company emphasizes a "product-led" culture where engineers, PMs, and designers shape the product's direction. Methodology:

• AI-Native Design: Focus on end-to-end workflows leveraging AI for creative output.

• Product-Led: Engineering, Product Management, and Design teams are central to product evolution.

• Data-Driven Iteration: Implied by the need to measure impact and iterate on shipped features.

• Agile Development: Likely employed given the fast-paced startup environment and focus on shipping features.

Company Website: www.kittl.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's recent founding (2022) and rapid growth suggest a culture that values agility, innovation, and a strong sense of ownership. The "product-led" approach means designers are deeply involved in strategic product decisions, not just execution.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer, implying a significant level of autonomy and responsibility. It's a critical individual contributor role focused on driving product outcomes. The "product ownership readiness" requirement suggests a potential pathway towards Product Management or a Senior/Lead Individual Contributor track within Design.

Reporting Structure: You will report directly to the Head of Product Design. You will work as a direct peer to Product Managers and Engineering leads on your assigned product surface (AI or Editor).

Operations Impact: Your work will directly influence key business metrics such as user activation, retention, and the overall quality of the AI-assisted creation experience. By owning product outcomes and driving feature development, you will have a tangible impact on user engagement and the company's growth trajectory.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deepening AI Design Expertise: Opportunities to become a specialist in designing for cutting-edge AI creative tools.

• Product Management Acumen: Develop skills in product strategy, roadmap planning, stakeholder management, and go-to-market execution.

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Lead Product Designer role, mentoring junior designers and influencing design strategy.

• Cross-functional Influence: Gain experience working closely with executive leadership, including co-founders, to shape product direction.

• Impactful Product Ownership: Contribute to a product used by millions, with opportunities to drive significant user value and business impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role's blend of senior design responsibilities with product management expectations indicates a strong growth trajectory. Candidates can expect to develop a robust skillset encompassing both deep design craft and strategic product execution, which are highly valuable in GTM operations.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, with a primary office presence in Berlin. This suggests a blend of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility.

Office Location(s): Berlin, Germany. Specific office details (e.g., address, amenities) are not provided but are implied by the hybrid arrangement.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model allows for in-person collaboration, team building (e.g., Kittl Week), and design critiques, while also offering flexibility.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design and collaboration tools is expected, supporting both individual work and team interaction. While not explicitly listed, typical tools for this role would include Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, prototyping tools, and project management software.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for close collaboration with Product Managers, Engineers, and fellow designers, fostering a shared sense of ownership and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours with flexible working hours (core hours 11 am–5 pm CET). This allows for personal scheduling while ensuring team alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role in Berlin suggests an environment that values both in-person collaboration essential for design sprints and idea generation, and the flexibility that remote work offers, catering to modern professional expectations.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Recruiter Interview (30 min): Initial screen to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and alignment with the role's expectations.

• Portfolio Review (60 min): Detailed discussion of your portfolio with the Head of Product Design, focusing on end-to-end ownership, product thinking, AI experience, and measurable impact.

• Live Design Exercise (90 min): A practical exercise with the Head of Product Design and a Senior Product Designer to assess your design process, problem-solving skills, and ability to translate strategy into tangible design solutions under timed conditions.

• Leadership Interview (45 min): Conversation with the Co-founder & CPO to evaluate strategic thinking, alignment with company vision, and potential for leadership.

• Bar Raiser Interview (45 min): A final interview, often conducted by someone outside the direct team (Chief of Staff), to ensure a high standard for new hires and assess cultural alignment and long-term potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure for Impact: Organize your portfolio to clearly tell the story of each project, emphasizing your role, the problem, your process, the solution, and most importantly, the measurable outcomes.

• Highlight End-to-End Ownership: For each case study, explicitly detail your involvement from research and strategy through to execution and post-launch analysis.

• Showcase AI Design: Dedicate sections or specific projects to your experience with AI-driven or generative product surfaces, explaining your approach and the value created.

• Quantify Results: Use data, metrics, and specific examples to demonstrate the impact of your design decisions on user activation, retention, or other key business objectives.

• Be Ready for Product Questions: Prepare to discuss the strategic implications of your designs, your understanding of product constraints, and how you balance user needs with business goals.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: For the live design exercise, be prepared to ask clarifying questions about the problem, target users, and business objectives.

• Think Aloud: Articulate your thought process clearly, explaining your assumptions, design choices, and trade-offs.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a structured approach to problem-solving, even if time is limited. Show how you'd gather information, ideate, and iterate.

• Consider Business Impact: Frame your design solutions in terms of how they will drive user value and contribute to Kittl's business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The multi-stage interview process, including a portfolio review and a live design exercise, is typical for senior design roles. The "Bar Raiser" interview suggests a strong emphasis on maintaining a high hiring bar and ensuring cultural alignment. Preparing a portfolio that clearly demonstrates operational execution alongside design craft is crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, given industry standards for collaborative design), Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), potentially other prototyping tools (e.g., ProtoPie, Principle).

• AI/Generative Tools: Familiarity with the underlying principles and potentially experience with specific AI model interfaces or platforms that Kittl might integrate with or build upon.

• Design Systems: Experience working with and contributing to design system libraries.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar platforms to track user behavior, feature adoption, and measure impact.

• Data Visualization: Ability to interpret data from analytics platforms and potentially create basic visualizations.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how user data flows from product usage to CRM systems might be beneficial for understanding user lifecycle and retention drivers.

• Project Management: Tools such as Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar for coordinating with engineering and managing timelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job description focuses on design, the "AI-native design" and "product outcomes" aspects suggest a need for familiarity with tools that facilitate AI integration and data analysis for product iteration. Proficiency in Figma is almost a given for a role of this nature.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Drive for Impact: A strong desire to create tangible results and make a significant contribution to the company's success.

• Extreme Ownership: Taking full responsibility for outcomes, from conception to delivery, and proactively addressing challenges.

• Going Above and Beyond: Willingness to exceed expectations and contribute beyond the defined scope of the role.

• Passion: Deep commitment and enthusiasm for the work, the product, and the company's mission.

• Inclusivity: Embracing diversity and creating a safe, supportive, and respectful work environment for all team members.

Collaboration Style:

• Peer Collaboration: Working closely with Product Managers and Engineers as direct peers, fostering a highly integrated and collaborative product development process.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Strong emphasis on working across disciplines to shape product strategy, requirements, and execution.

• Critique and Feedback: A culture that values constructive critique and feedback to elevate design quality and product innovation.

• Product-Led Decision Making: Collaborative approach to decision-making where design, product, and engineering insights are all valued.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated values ("driven to drive impact," "extreme ownership," "goes above and beyond") align strongly with operational roles that require proactive problem-solving and a results-oriented mindset.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Rapid Growth with Craft: Maintaining high design quality and strategic product thinking while operating at the speed of a fast-growing startup.

• Integrating AI Seamlessly: Designing intuitive and valuable user experiences for AI-driven features that genuinely enhance the creative process without overwhelming users.

• Navigating Ambiguity: Comfort with evolving product strategies and requirements, and the ability to drive forward with incomplete information.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Effectively managing the needs and expectations of Product, Engineering, and Leadership teams to ensure cohesive product development and launch.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced AI Design: Deepen expertise in designing for generative AI and AI-native product surfaces.

• Product Strategy & Management: Develop skills in strategic product planning, roadmap definition, and GTM execution through hands-on experience and collaboration.

• Design Leadership: Opportunities to mentor, lead design initiatives, and influence the overall design direction of Kittl.

• Industry Exposure: Attend relevant conferences, workshops, and engage with industry leaders to stay abreast of design and AI trends.

• Impactful Product Contribution: Contribute to a product used by millions, offering significant opportunities for professional growth through tangible impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the dynamic and innovative nature of Kittl, offering significant opportunities for professional development in areas critical to GTM operations, such as rapid iteration, cross-functional execution, and strategic product thinking.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you owned a product outcome from start to finish. What were the key challenges, and how did you measure success?" (Focus on end-to-end ownership, problem-solving, and metrics.)

• "How do you approach designing for AI-driven features? Can you walk us through a specific example from your portfolio where you embedded AI for user value?" (Highlight your AI design experience and strategic thinking.)

• "Imagine you need to launch a complex new feature for Kittl's AI surface. How would you manage the timeline, coordinate with engineering, and ensure go-to-market readiness?" (Demonstrate your product management and GTM operational skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Kittl's mission and its AI-native approach to design?" (Showcase your research and genuine interest.)

• "How do you embody 'extreme ownership' and a 'bias for action' in your work?" (Provide specific examples that align with Kittl's values.)

• "How do you contribute to a positive and inclusive team culture, especially in a hybrid work environment?" (Address cultural fit and collaboration.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: For each case study, structure your presentation with a clear beginning (problem/opportunity), middle (your process, solutions, and challenges), and end (impact and learnings).

• Visual Storytelling: Use high-quality visuals, mockups, and prototypes to effectively communicate your design solutions and their user experience.

• Quantify Impact: Be ready to discuss the metrics that demonstrate the success of your projects (e.g., conversion rates, engagement, retention uplift).

• Highlight Product Thinking: Explain why you made certain design decisions, linking them to user needs, business goals, and strategic product direction.

• Showcase AI Integration: Clearly articulate your role and process in designing for AI features, emphasizing how you enhanced user value.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview questions are designed to probe not just design skills, but also the candidate's ability to operate with a product management mindset and demonstrate operational execution, crucial for this hybrid role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Ashby link.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight experience in end-to-end product ownership, AI design, consumer/prosumer product launches, and any experience demonstrating product management responsibilities. Use keywords from the job description such as "AI-native design," "generative AI," "product outcomes," and "stakeholder coordination."

• Curate your portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your skills in product ownership, AI design, strategic thinking, and measurable impact. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your process, your solutions, and the quantifiable results.

• Prepare your "Why Kittl" narrative: Research Kittl's product, mission, and recent developments. Be ready to articulate why you are passionate about their AI-native approach and how your skills align with their culture of "extreme ownership" and "driving impact."

• Practice your portfolio walkthrough: Rehearse presenting your portfolio, focusing on clearly communicating your process, decision-making, and the impact of your work, especially for any AI-related projects. Be prepared for questions about product strategy and ownership.

⚠️ 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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