Senior Product Designer, Learner App (m/f/d)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer, Learner App (m/f/d)

Company: Berlitz

Location: Germany

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-10-02

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Remote OK (Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, Netherlands)

🚀 Role Summary

• Owns the end-to-end design of core learner journeys within the Berlitz mobile application, encompassing onboarding, daily learning, AI-powered practice, tutor booking, and progression from free to paid tiers.

• Focuses on designing for habit formation and sustained engagement, identifying user drop-off points and motivators for continued use, and translating these insights into product features.

• Shapes the user experience for AI-driven language practice, including conversational interfaces, real-time feedback mechanisms for speaking and writing, and seamless handoffs between AI and human tutors.

• Leverages AI design tools and agentic workflows to accelerate exploration, prototyping, and content generation, while maintaining critical human oversight for quality assurance and brand alignment.

• Collaborates closely with Product Management, Engineering, and AI/Learning Experience teams to refine product requirements, identify edge cases, and ensure the design effectively addresses user needs and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a significant transformation for Berlitz, moving from a traditional classroom model to a digital-first mobile application. The Senior Product Designer will be instrumental in shaping this new digital learning experience, with a strong emphasis on AI integration, habit formation, and user retention for a professional learner base. The role demands a blend of strong UX/UI craft, strategic thinking around user engagement, and proficiency with emerging AI design tools.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and iterate on core learner journeys across iOS and Android platforms, from initial user onboarding and placement assessments to daily practice modules, AI-driven exercises, and tutor booking flows.

• Develop strategies to foster learner habit and momentum, analyzing user behavior data and conducting research to understand retention drivers and drop-off factors, then implementing design solutions.

• Create intuitive and effective conversational interfaces for AI-powered speaking and writing practice, ensuring natural interactions and valuable, real-time feedback.

• Utilize AI design tools and agentic workflows to rapidly prototype and iterate on design concepts, maintaining a high bar for quality, accessibility, localization, and brand consistency in AI-generated outputs.

• Critically evaluate Product Requirement Documents (PRDs), proactively identifying gaps, challenging assumptions, and collaborating with Product Managers to sharpen problem definitions before design execution.

• Maintain and evolve Berlitz's shared design system, focusing on mobile patterns, micro-interactions, and motion design to enhance the daily user experience and ensure consistency across the application.

• Conduct hands-on user research, including interviews, usability testing, and analysis of application analytics, to inform design decisions and validate product changes through experimentation.

• Design and optimize conversion funnels, including free trial sign-ups, paywalls, upgrade prompts, and reminder systems, ensuring revenue generation without compromising user trust.

• Adapt designs for corporate learners, addressing employer-paid access, entitlement management, and corporate progress tracking needs without compromising the overall user experience.

• Ensure designs are inherently localized and accessible, considering text expansion, right-to-left scripts, and diverse international market requirements from the outset.

• Collaborate closely with engineering teams throughout the development lifecycle, ensuring efficient implementation and meticulous attention to detail post-launch.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong focus on user lifecycle management within the app, from acquisition to retention and monetization. The emphasis on AI design tools and agentic workflows indicates a forward-thinking approach to product development, requiring designers to be both creative and technically adept. The requirement to design for both B2C (individual learners) and B2B (corporate clients) learners adds a layer of complexity, necessitating a nuanced understanding of different user needs and stakeholder motivations.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: Several years of experience designing and shipping consumer mobile applications with a strong portfolio showcasing native iOS and Android craft.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience designing and shipping consumer mobile apps with a strong portfolio demonstrating native iOS and Android craft.

• Demonstrated ability to move product metrics such as retention, engagement, or conversion, with clear methodologies for measuring success.

• Strong interaction and visual design skills, with a keen understanding of how mobile interfaces feel in hand, including motion, feedback, and pacing.

• Hands-on experience conducting user research, including interviews, usability testing, and leveraging A/B tests and analytics for design decision-making.

• Understanding of B2B product dynamics, particularly how product design adapts when the payer differs from the user.

• Practical experience with AI design tools (e.g., Claude Design) and agentic workflows, including examples of critical evaluation and refinement of AI-generated outputs.

• Experience working within and extending existing design systems.

• Clear communication skills and the confidence to articulate reasoned pushback to PMs, engineers, and senior stakeholders.

• Fluent English. Preferred Skills:

• Background in a learning, language, or content app, or a product focused on daily habits (e.g., fitness, audio).

• Experience with freemium and subscription models, including app store payment flows.

• Experience designing for markets in Latin America or South Asia.

• Experience taking work from AI design tools through to code integration, including pushing front-end changes and verifying work in simulators.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "native iOS and Android craft" in the portfolio is critical, indicating a need for deep understanding of platform-specific design patterns and best practices, not just a general mobile app design background. The emphasis on "evidence that your design work moved retention, engagement, or conversion" signals a data-driven approach, where candidates must demonstrate quantifiable impact. The explicit mention of "Claude Design" and "agentic workflows" points to a specific technology stack and a need for designers to be early adopters and proficient users of AI in their design process.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end design projects for native iOS and Android consumer mobile applications.

• Include case studies demonstrating how your design work has measurably improved key product metrics like retention, engagement, or conversion.

• Present detailed examples of your interaction and visual design skills, highlighting your attention to motion, feedback, and pacing.

• Provide evidence of hands-on user research and experimentation, including usability testing, A/B tests, and analytics-informed decisions.

• Demonstrate experience working within and extending a design system, showcasing your understanding of scalable design patterns and component libraries.

• Include examples of how you've designed for B2B contexts, considering the needs of both end-users and paying organizations.

• Feature projects where you've utilized AI design tools and agentic workflows, explaining your process and how you refined AI outputs. Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to user research, including methods for conducting interviews, usability tests, and analyzing quantitative data.

• Explain your process for iterating on designs based on user feedback and performance metrics, with examples of A/B testing and data-driven adjustments.

• Illustrate your workflow for collaborating with Product Managers and Engineers, from initial requirement gathering to final implementation and post-launch analysis.

• Document your experience in contributing to or extending design systems, outlining your process for ensuring consistency and scalability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily weighted towards demonstrating quantifiable impact and a data-driven, research-informed design process. Specific emphasis on AI tool usage and B2B considerations suggests that candidates should curate projects that directly address these areas. The "process documentation" aspect implies a need for candidates to articulate not just what they designed, but how they arrived at those designs and collaborated with others.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in Germany with 5-10 years of experience, and considering the "remote-first flexibility" within Germany, a competitive salary range can be estimated. For a Senior Product Designer role in Germany, the typical range could be between €70,000 and €95,000 annually. This figure is an estimate and would depend on the candidate's specific experience, skills, and the final negotiation.

Benefits:

• Remote-first flexibility, allowing for work from home or co-working spaces.

• Access to a global network of human tutors and learning resources, fostering continuous professional development.

• Opportunities for significant professional development and career growth within a company undergoing a major digital transformation.

• A product that directly impacts users' careers and personal development by enabling language acquisition.

• Real ownership and autonomy over significant parts of a young, evolving product.

• A unique combination of established learning methodology, human instruction, and cutting-edge AI technology.

• The chance to contribute to the rebuilding and modernization of a 150-year-old global brand.

Working Hours: The role specifies a standard full-time employment, which typically translates to approximately 40 hours per week. The "remote-first flexibility" suggests potential for some autonomy in managing daily work schedules, provided core responsibilities and collaboration needs are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on publicly available data for Senior Product Designer roles in Germany, considering the specified experience level and the remote work arrangement. Benefits are derived directly from the job description, highlighting unique aspects of working at Berlitz and within a transformative digital product team. The mention of "remote-first flexibility" implies a trust-based work environment where focus is on output and collaboration rather than strict hour-logging, though a standard full-time commitment is expected.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Education Technology (EdTech), Language Learning, Digital Transformation. Berlitz is leveraging its 150-year legacy in language education to build a new, global digital presence through its mobile application.

Company Size: Berlitz is a well-established global organization, though the specific size of the digital product team is not explicitly stated. Given the ambition to rebuild and launch a global app market-by-market, it suggests a significant, growing digital division within a larger corporate structure. This implies a dynamic environment with the stability of an established company.

Founded: 1871. Berlitz has a long and rich history in language instruction, providing a foundation of expertise and brand recognition that is now being modernized with technology.

Team Structure:

• The Senior Product Designer will report to the Staff Product Designer for their area of the business, indicating a hierarchical structure within the design team.

• They will partner as an equal with Product Management, Engineering, and the AI and Learning Experience teams, emphasizing cross-functional collaboration.

• The team is likely composed of individuals passionate about education, technology, and global communication, working in a fast-paced, transformation-oriented environment. Methodology:

• A strong emphasis on user-centric design, driven by research, analytics, and experimentation (A/B testing, usability testing).

• Integration of AI-native design workflows and tools to accelerate development and enhance product capabilities.

• Commitment to building and maintaining a robust, shared design system to ensure consistency and efficiency.

• A hybrid approach to B2C and B2B product design, catering to both individual learners and corporate clients.

• A culture of continuous improvement and adaptation, as the company undergoes a significant digital transformation.

Company Website: https://berlitz.careers/

📝 Enhancement Note: The "global company undergoing a significant transformation" aspect is key. This suggests an environment that is both established and innovative, offering the chance to influence new processes and products while benefiting from the stability and resources of a large organization. The blend of traditional educational expertise with cutting-edge technology (AI, mobile apps) defines the unique operational context.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as a "Senior" Product Designer, indicating a mid-to-late career stage. It implies a significant level of autonomy, responsibility for core product areas, and the expectation to mentor or guide others implicitly through design system contributions and collaboration. The role is focused on delivering high-impact features within a rapidly evolving digital product.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer reports to a Staff Product Designer, suggesting a clear career progression path within the design function. The Staff Product Designer likely provides mentorship, strategic direction, and oversight for complex design initiatives.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on revenue generation through conversion and retention design, and on user success by shaping the core learning experience. The success of the learner app is critical to Berlitz's strategic shift towards digital learning, making this role pivotal to the company's future. The designer's work directly influences user acquisition, engagement, and monetization.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design, habit formation, or specific market localization within the EdTech space.

• Leadership: Potential to move into Staff or Lead Product Designer roles, managing larger product domains or leading design initiatives.

• Cross-functional Expertise: Develop stronger skills in Product Management, AI/ML integration, and learning science through close collaboration.

• Design System Evolution: Play a key role in shaping and expanding the design system, potentially leading its adoption or contributing to its strategic direction.

• Impactful Product Development: Contribute to a product that has a tangible, positive impact on users' careers and lives, offering significant professional satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title, coupled with reporting to a "Staff" designer, suggests a clear path for advancement within the design team. The emphasis on shaping a "young" product offers substantial opportunity for impact and growth, as the designer can influence foundational elements and see their work evolve. The role is positioned to be a key contributor to Berlitz's strategic pivot, offering significant career development through exposure to new technologies and business models.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as "Remote-first flexibility," with specific location requirements in Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, or the Netherlands. This indicates a distributed team structure where in-person collaboration is not the primary mode, but likely facilitated through virtual tools and potentially occasional in-person meetups.

Office Location(s): While remote, candidates must be based in Germany, Switzerland, Hungary, or the Netherlands. This suggests that Berlitz may have legal entities or operational hubs in these countries to facilitate employment, payroll, and compliance.

Workspace Context:

• A digital-first environment where collaboration relies heavily on communication and design tools like Figma, Claude Design, and project management software.

• Opportunities for deep collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, and AI/Learning Experience teams, fostering a multidisciplinary approach.

• A focus on iterative design and rapid prototyping, supported by efficient workflows and AI-assisted tools.

• Exposure to a diverse, global user base and market requirements, fostering an international perspective.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, approximately 40 hours per week. The "remote-first flexibility" suggests that while core working hours for collaboration will exist, there may be some degree of autonomy in structuring the workday, allowing for efficient task completion and personal flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "remote-first" aspect implies a modern work environment focused on asynchronous communication and digital collaboration tools. The requirement to be based in specific European countries suggests a structured approach to remote employment, likely to comply with local labor laws and tax regulations. The emphasis on collaboration with diverse, cross-functional teams suggests a dynamic and engaging work environment for operations professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of application, resume, and portfolio against the stated requirements. Emphasis will be placed on mobile app design experience, quantifiable impact, and AI tool proficiency.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, focusing on key case studies that demonstrate their skills in user research, interaction/visual design, A/B testing, and their ability to drive product metrics. A design challenge may be given, focusing on a specific problem within the learner app, potentially involving AI elements or habit formation.

• Team & Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with Product Management, Engineering, and other designers to assess collaboration skills, communication, problem-solving abilities, and cultural fit. Questions will probe understanding of B2B/B2C dynamics and experience with AI design tools.

• Final Interview: Likely with senior leadership (e.g., Head of Product, Staff Product Designer) to discuss strategic alignment, long-term vision, and final fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Quantifiable Impact: Clearly articulate the problem, your solution, and the measurable results (e.g., "Increased conversion by X%", "Reduced drop-off by Y%"). Use data and analytics to support your claims.

• AI Integration: Showcase projects where you've leveraged AI design tools or designed AI-powered features. Explain your process, the challenges, and how you maintained human oversight.

• Mobile Craft: Ensure your portfolio demonstrates strong native iOS and Android design patterns, micro-interactions, and a deep understanding of mobile UX.

• B2B Nuances: If applicable, include case studies that illustrate your understanding of designing for professional users and corporate clients, highlighting how you balanced different stakeholder needs.

• Process Transparency: Walk through your design process clearly, from research and ideation to iteration and final implementation. Highlight collaboration points.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Learner App: Research Berlitz's current digital offerings and the competitive landscape of language learning apps.

• Focus on Core Themes: Be prepared for challenges related to habit formation, AI interaction, onboarding, and conversion optimization.

• Think AI-First: Consider how AI can be integrated into solutions, but always with a human-centered approach.

• Data-Driven Justification: Be ready to explain how you would measure the success of any proposed solution.

• Communicate Clearly: Practice articulating your thought process, design decisions, and rationale concisely and persuasively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to be rigorous, focusing on practical application of skills, measurable results, and adaptability to new technologies like AI. The portfolio is paramount, and candidates must be prepared to deeply discuss their contributions and the impact of their work, especially concerning mobile design and AI tool usage.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (standard for UI/UX design and collaboration), Claude Design (explicitly mentioned for AI design and agentic workflows), Paper (likely a prototyping tool or alternative AI design interface).

• AI Tools: Claude Code (for AI coding assistance), other AI-assisted design and development tools.

• Design System: Shared design system for mobile patterns, motion, and micro-interactions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Analytics Platforms: Tools for tracking user behavior, engagement, and conversion within the mobile app (specifics not mentioned, but common tools include Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics for Firebase).

• A/B Testing Tools: Platforms for running experiments to validate design changes and optimize performance (e.g., Optimizely, Firebase A/B Testing).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: While not directly a designer's tool, understanding how user data flows from the app to CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot, or specialized EdTech CRMs) can be beneficial for context, especially regarding corporate learners.

• Integration Tools: Understanding how different systems (app, backend, AI services, CRM) connect is valuable, though direct hands-on experience with integration tools might be less critical for a designer.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Claude Design and Claude Code, alongside Figma, is a strong indicator of the current and future technology stack. Proficiency with these AI-driven design tools is not just preferred but likely essential for this role. The emphasis on a shared design system suggests its central importance in maintaining product consistency and enabling efficient workflows, especially when incorporating AI outputs.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of learners, both individuals and corporate clients.

• Innovation & Transformation: Embracing new technologies (especially AI) and methodologies to drive the company's digital evolution.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Working effectively across Product, Engineering, and AI teams, sharing knowledge and providing constructive feedback.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Relying on research, analytics, and experimentation to inform design choices and measure impact.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: Maintaining high standards for visual design, interaction design, accessibility, and localization.

• Efficiency & Speed: Utilizing AI tools and robust design systems to deliver high-quality work at pace.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Close working relationships with Product Managers to define problems and solutions, and with Engineers for seamless implementation.

• AI Integration: Collaborative approach to defining how AI can best serve learners, with designers acting as the human "in the loop" to ensure quality and alignment.

• Design System Advocacy: Actively contributing to and promoting the use of the shared design system to ensure consistency and efficiency across the product.

• Feedback Culture: Openness to giving and receiving feedback, fostering continuous improvement in both product and processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture appears to be a blend of innovation driven by digital transformation and AI integration, balanced with the established principles of user-centric design and quality craftsmanship. The collaborative style is crucial, given the multidisciplinary nature of building a complex digital learning product.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Bridging the Old and New: Integrating a 150-year-old learning methodology into a modern, AI-powered mobile app requires careful translation and user education.

• AI Design Maturity: Working with rapidly evolving AI design tools and workflows means adapting quickly and setting high standards for AI output.

• Habit Formation: Designing for daily habit in a competitive app market is inherently challenging and requires deep user understanding and iterative design.

• B2B vs. B2C Balance: Effectively serving both individual professional learners and corporate clients within a single app requires nuanced design solutions.

• Global Localization: Designing for diverse markets and languages from the ground up presents significant localization and accessibility challenges.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Become a leader in leveraging AI tools for product design and explore agentic workflows.

• EdTech Domain Expertise: Deepen knowledge in language learning, pedagogy, and the specific needs of professional learners.

• Product Strategy: Gain experience in shaping product strategy through close collaboration with Product Management and business stakeholders.

• Cross-functional Skill Development: Enhance understanding of AI/ML, engineering constraints, and data analytics through daily teamwork.

• Leadership Potential: Opportunities to mentor junior designers, lead design initiatives, and potentially move into more senior or managerial roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are significant but directly tied to the growth opportunities. Overcoming these challenges will provide invaluable experience in a rapidly evolving field, particularly in AI-driven product development and the EdTech sector.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing an onboarding flow that effectively assesses a learner's proficiency and motivates them to start their first lesson?" (Focus on habit formation, assessment, and early wins).

• "Describe a time you used AI design tools to accelerate your workflow. What were the benefits, and what were the limitations or critical points where you intervened?" (Assess AI tool proficiency and critical thinking).

• "How would you design the experience for AI-powered speaking practice to feel both helpful and natural, and when would you recommend handing over to a human tutor?" (Probe understanding of AI interaction design and user experience).

• "Imagine a corporate client wants to track employee progress in the app. How would you design features to meet their needs without alienating individual users?" (Test B2B/B2C design thinking).

• "Walk us through how you would use A/B testing and analytics to improve the conversion rate of a free trial to a paid subscription." (Assess data-driven design and conversion optimization skills). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Berlitz's transformation from a traditional language school to a digital-first app?" (Gauge understanding of the company's strategic shift).

• "How do you approach working within a design system, and how would you contribute to evolving it for a product that heavily uses AI?" (Assess design system experience and adaptability).

• "Describe your experience collaborating with Product Managers and Engineers on complex features. How do you handle disagreements or differing perspectives?" (Evaluate collaboration and communication skills).

• "What are your thoughts on designing for habit formation in a learning app?" (Probe understanding of behavioral design principles). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio around 2-3 key case studies that best represent your experience in mobile app design, quantifiable impact, and ideally, AI integration or habit formation.

• Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, iteration), your design solutions, and the measurable outcomes. Use visuals effectively.

• Quantify Impact: For each project, highlight the specific metrics you influenced and how you measured success.

• AI/B2B Focus: If possible, select projects that demonstrate your experience with AI design tools or designing for professional/corporate users.

• Conciseness: Be prepared to present your work within a set timeframe, focusing on the most impactful aspects. Anticipate questions about your design decisions and rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions will likely be highly practical, focusing on real-world problem-solving, measurable results, and proficiency with specific tools and methodologies relevant to Berlitz's digital strategy. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process, impact, and collaborative approach with concrete examples.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight experience with consumer mobile apps (iOS/Android), quantifiable impact on retention/conversion, and any relevant AI design tool usage.

• Case Study Selection: Choose 2-3 strong case studies that best showcase your skills in user research, interaction/visual design, A/B testing, and your ability to drive product metrics. Ensure they align with Berlitz's focus on habit formation and AI.

• Prepare for AI Discussion: Be ready to discuss your experience with AI design tools like Claude Design and agentic workflows, including specific examples of how you've used them and critically evaluated their output.

• Research Berlitz's Digital Strategy: Understand their transition to a mobile-first, AI-enhanced learning platform and articulate why your skills are a strong fit for this transformation.

⚠️ 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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