Senior / Staff Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior / Staff Product Designer

Company: Clera

Location: Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design (with AI/SaaS focus)

Date Posted: August 01, 2026

Experience Level: Senior / Staff (5-10 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the design of intuitive and trustworthy agentic AI capabilities within a B2B SaaS procurement intelligence platform.

• Develop novel interaction patterns for AI-human collaboration, focusing on trust, transparency, and user comprehension.

• Drive product craft and coherence across a rapidly scaling engineering and product organization.

• Translate complex procurement workflows and AI outputs into user-friendly experiences for non-technical users.

• Collaborate closely with product management, engineering, and domain experts to deliver impactful product enhancements.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically focused on integrating AI, particularly agentic AI, into a B2B SaaS product for procurement professionals. The emphasis is on making AI accessible and useful for non-technical users, requiring a strong blend of AI interaction design, UX/UI expertise, and a deep understanding of complex enterprise workflows. The "Senior/Staff" designation suggests a need for significant autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to mentor or influence junior designers.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and design the user experience for agentic AI features, from initial user engagement to the presentation of AI-generated insights and actions.

• Craft interaction models that foster trust and transparency in AI-driven recommendations and automated processes.

• Develop and iterate on short-horizon (3-6 month) product vision artifacts, including prototypes and tangible design specifications, to guide engineering and product teams.

• Elevate the overall product design quality and ensure visual and interaction consistency across the platform as it scales.

• Contribute to the final implementation of designs by working directly with code for last-mile polish and interaction refinement.

• Partner with Product Management, Engineering, and Procurement Domain Experts to deeply understand user needs and translate them into intuitive product solutions.

• Evolve and maintain the company's design system and component libraries to ensure scalability, consistency, and efficiency in design and development.

• Conduct user research, including usability testing and interviews, with non-technical procurement professionals to validate design decisions and gather actionable feedback.

• Champion best practices in AI design, focusing on explainability, control, and user empowerment within the procurement workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a proactive approach to AI integration, requiring the designer to not just execute but to actively shape how AI is perceived and utilized. The mention of "working directly in code for last-mile polish" indicates a hands-on role that bridges design and development, common in more senior or specialized design positions. The focus on "short-horizon vision work" suggests a need for rapid iteration and tangible output that directly influences development sprints.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: 5-10 years of experience in product design, with a proven track record of shipping B2B SaaS products, particularly those involving complex workflows or data-intensive applications.

Required Skills:

• Senior-level product design expertise with a robust portfolio showcasing shipped B2B SaaS products, complex workflows, or data-heavy applications.

• Broad skill set encompassing visual design, interaction design, product thinking, and prototyping, with practical experience beyond standard design tools.

• Proven ability to build runnable prototypes that effectively communicate design intent and user interaction behavior.

• Proficiency in Figma and familiarity with complementary design and collaboration tools such as FigJam, Sketch, or InVision.

• Demonstrated experience in defining, implementing, and maintaining design systems and component libraries.

• Strong user research and usability testing capabilities, with a clear process for translating findings into design improvements.

• Excellent cross-functional collaboration skills, with experience working effectively with product management, engineering, and data science teams in a fast-paced environment.

• Well-articulated perspectives on AI integration in products, specifically concerning trust, transparency, and appropriate automation levels.

• Active user of AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor) for research, ideation, and prototyping.

• Comfort and proficiency in operating within ambiguous environments and developing novel interaction patterns for complex, emerging problems. Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for non-technical users in specialized B2B domains such as procurement, manufacturing, supply chain management, or ERP-adjacent systems.

• Prior hands-on experience designing and shipping agentic or autonomous AI features.

• Background in enterprise software companies, with exposure to platforms like SAP, Celonis, or similar process-intelligence solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a "block-shaped" skill set (broad and deep) is crucial. It signifies that this role is not for a specialist but for a versatile designer capable of handling the entire design lifecycle from strategy to execution, including code-level contributions. The emphasis on practical prototyping beyond static mockups and the active use of AI tools are key differentiators for this role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing shipped B2B SaaS products, with a particular focus on complex workflows or data-heavy applications.

• Detailed case studies demonstrating your end-to-end design process, from problem definition and user research to solution design, prototyping, and implementation.

• Evidence of your ability to define and maintain design systems and component libraries, illustrating their impact on consistency and scalability.

• Examples of how you have translated complex user needs and technical constraints into intuitive and effective product experiences.

• Demonstrations of your prototyping capabilities, including runnable prototypes that clearly communicate interaction design and behavior.

• Case studies that highlight your experience with AI integration, explaining your approach to trust, transparency, and user control. Process Documentation:

• Clearly articulated design process, from discovery and research to ideation, prototyping, testing, and implementation.

• Examples of how you have conducted user research and usability testing, detailing methodologies and how findings informed design decisions.

• Documentation of your approach to design system management, including how you ensure adoption and maintain consistency.

• Case studies that illustrate your problem-solving methodology for complex UX challenges, particularly those involving AI or data.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirement is heavily weighted towards "shipped product work" and "complex workflows," indicating that practical experience and demonstrable impact are paramount. The inclusion of AI integration case studies and the ability to prototype beyond static tools are critical. For a role involving AI and B2B SaaS, showcasing how designs lead to tangible business outcomes (e.g., cost savings, efficiency gains) will be highly advantageous.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior/Staff Product Designers in Munich, Germany, with a focus on B2B SaaS and AI, a competitive salary range is estimated between €80,000 and €110,000 annually. This range is subject to variation based on the candidate's specific experience, qualifications, and interview performance.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and potential for equity/stock options.

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage (German statutory or private options).

• Generous paid time off (vacation days, public holidays).

• Professional development budget for conferences, courses, and workshops.

• Opportunities for career advancement and skill development in a rapidly growing AI startup.

• Regular team events and social activities to foster a strong company culture.

• Modern office space in Munich with amenities for a comfortable work environment.

• Support for continuous learning and experimentation with new technologies, including AI tools.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with flexibility to accommodate project needs and individual work styles, within the framework of German labor laws.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on research for comparable Senior/Staff Product Designer roles in Munich's tech sector, considering the specialized nature of AI integration and B2B SaaS. Benefits are typical for a well-funded Series A startup in Germany, with an emphasis on professional growth and a supportive work environment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Software / AI Procurement Intelligence. Clera operates at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Procurement, and Supply Chain Management, a critical sector for industrial companies seeking cost optimization and efficiency.

Company Size: Well-funded (Series A), fast-growing startup. This implies a dynamic, agile environment where individual contributions have a significant impact, but also requires adaptability and a willingness to navigate evolving processes.

Founded: [Company Founded Date - If available, otherwise note as a growing startup]. As a Series A company, Clera is likely in a phase of rapid expansion, focusing on scaling its product, customer base, and team.

Team Structure:

• A small, senior design team working closely with product managers and engineers. This suggests a collaborative, high-ownership environment where design is integrated early in the product development lifecycle.

• Close collaboration with AI/Data Science teams to understand the nuances of agentic AI capabilities.

• Direct interaction with procurement domain experts to ensure product relevance and usability for the target audience.

• A flat or semi-flat hierarchy, common in startups, allowing for direct access to leadership and cross-functional teams. Methodology:

• Data-driven product development, leveraging user research, analytics, and AI insights to inform decisions.

• Agile development methodologies, emphasizing rapid iteration, continuous feedback, and flexible planning.

• Focus on building robust and scalable design systems to support product growth.

• Emphasis on AI-human collaboration and designing for trust and transparency.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on AI procurement intelligence for industrial companies is a niche but high-impact area. The "fast-growing" nature of a Series A startup means the designer will be instrumental in shaping not just the product but also the design culture and processes. The emphasis on AI and non-technical users is a key differentiator for this company.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior/Staff Product Designer. This level indicates a significant degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and the expectation to lead complex design initiatives. Staff level often implies mentorship or leadership of specific product areas and a contribution to design strategy at a higher organizational level.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Head of Design, Design Lead, or potentially a Head of Product, working directly with Product Managers and Engineering Leads. The small senior design team structure implies close mentorship and peer collaboration.

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts the core value proposition of Clera by making sophisticated AI capabilities accessible and actionable for procurement professionals. Successful design will lead to measurable cost savings, increased efficiency, and improved decision-making for customers, directly contributing to Clera's revenue growth and market position.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Design Lead or Manager role as the team expands.

• Specialization: Deep expertise development in designing for AI, agentic systems, and complex B2B workflows.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the future product roadmap and design strategy for a cutting-edge AI product.

• Mentorship: Ability to mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth of the design function.

• Industry Expertise: Becoming a recognized expert in designing user experiences for AI-driven procurement and supply chain solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" designation implies the candidate is expected to operate with a high degree of independence and potentially influence design direction across multiple product areas or even the entire product. Growth opportunities are geared towards leadership, specialization in a high-demand field (AI design), and strategic input into the company's product vision.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site role in Munich, Germany. This indicates a traditional office-based work environment designed to foster collaboration and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): Munich, Bavaria, Germany. A major European tech hub known for its innovation and quality of life, offering a vibrant ecosystem for tech professionals.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative office environment conducive to brainstorming, design reviews, and cross-functional alignment.

• Access to modern design tools and technology, including advanced prototyping software and potentially specialized AI hardware or platforms for testing.

• Opportunities for spontaneous interaction with product managers, engineers, and domain experts, facilitating rapid feedback loops and problem-solving.

• A culture that values direct communication and in-person collaboration, crucial for complex problem-solving and innovation.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time schedule with the expectation of on-site presence, offering opportunities for structured workdays and team integration. While flexibility might exist, the on-site requirement prioritizes in-person collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Munich is a significant factor. It suggests a company culture that values in-person collaboration, team building, and the serendipitous interactions that can drive innovation. For candidates not already in Munich, relocation would be necessary, and visa sponsorship is explicitly not offered.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess qualifications and experience alignment.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A deep dive into the candidate's portfolio, focusing on specific projects, design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Expect detailed questions about AI integration, complex workflows, and shipped products.

• Design Challenge/Workshop: A practical exercise, potentially a take-home assignment or an in-person/virtual workshop, simulating a real-world design problem. This could involve analyzing a complex workflow, designing an AI interaction, or improving an existing feature.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Management, Engineering Leads, and potentially other designers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Discussion with senior leadership (e.g., Head of Product, CEO) to evaluate strategic thinking, vision, and overall fit for the company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Impact: Quantify the impact of your designs whenever possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced task completion time, cost savings for clients).

• Focus on AI & Complexity: Highlight projects involving AI integration, complex B2B workflows, or data-heavy products. Detail your approach to trust, transparency, and user control in AI interactions.

• Demonstrate Process: Clearly articulate your design process, from research and ideation to testing and implementation. Explain why you made certain decisions.

• Code Proficiency: If applicable, showcase how you've used code for last-mile polish or to create functional prototypes.

• Storytelling: Frame your projects as narratives that highlight the problem, your role, your process, the solution, and the outcome.

• Company Alignment: Tailor your presentation to Clera's focus on AI procurement intelligence and non-technical users.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research procurement, supply chain management, and common AI applications in these fields.

• AI Interaction Design: Prepare to discuss principles of designing for AI, including explainability, user control, error handling, and building trust.

• Complex Workflow Design: Practice breaking down intricate processes into manageable user flows and identifying areas for AI-driven optimization.

• Prototyping in Code: If a code-based challenge is expected, ensure you are comfortable with relevant languages or frameworks for rapid prototyping.

• Communicate Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss design decisions and the trade-offs you considered, especially concerning AI and user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely rigorous, emphasizing practical design skills, strategic thinking, and the ability to work with complex AI-driven products. The portfolio review is critical, and candidates should be prepared to discuss their process and impact in detail, with a strong emphasis on AI and B2B SaaS experience. The mention of "working directly in code" suggests that technical design skills will be assessed.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (primary), FigJam (collaboration), Sketch, InVision (familiarity).

• Prototyping Beyond Figma: Tools for building runnable prototypes (e.g., Framer, React-based prototyping, custom code).

• AI Tools: Regular use of AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor for research, ideation, and workflow enhancement.

• Design Systems: Tools and methodologies for creating and maintaining scalable component libraries.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to understand user behavior and product performance.

• Tools for data visualization to interpret user research and product metrics. CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how design integrates with CRM and automation platforms to support sales and customer success workflows would be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma is standard, but the explicit mention of "prototyping beyond Figma" and "working directly in code" indicates a need for designers who can create more dynamic and functional prototypes, bridging the gap between design and engineering. Active use of AI tools is a requirement, not just a preference.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: Deep empathy for non-technical procurement professionals, ensuring product usability and value.

• Data-Driven Innovation: Leveraging data and AI insights to drive product strategy and design decisions.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication and teamwork across product, engineering, and domain expert teams.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: A commitment to high-quality design execution and a polished user experience.

• Bias for Action & Iteration: Embracing agile methodologies, rapid prototyping, and continuous improvement.

• AI Ethics & Trust: Designing AI systems that are reliable, understandable, and trustworthy.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are embedded within product teams, working hand-in-hand with PMs and Engineers from ideation to launch.

• Open Feedback Loops: A culture of constructive critique and regular design reviews to refine work.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, research findings, and design techniques across the team.

• Proactive Communication: Actively engaging with stakeholders to ensure alignment and manage expectations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values likely emphasize innovation, collaboration, and a strong focus on delivering tangible value through AI in a complex B2B context. The collaborative style is expected to be highly integrated, reflecting the startup environment where teams work closely to achieve common goals.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Ambiguity: Creating intuitive interfaces for novel AI capabilities where established patterns may not exist.

• Building Trust in AI: Overcoming user skepticism and ensuring AI outputs are perceived as reliable and valuable by non-technical users.

• Balancing Automation and Control: Finding the right equilibrium between AI-driven automation and user agency, ensuring users feel in control.

• Scaling Design Systems: Maintaining design consistency and efficiency as the product and team grow rapidly.

• Translating Complex Data: Effectively visualizing and presenting complex procurement data and AI insights in an understandable format.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Becoming a leader in the emerging field of AI-human interaction design.

• Domain Expertise: Deepening knowledge in procurement and supply chain operations.

• Technical Skill Enhancement: Opportunities to improve coding skills for prototyping and last-mile polish.

• Strategic Product Influence: Contributing to high-level product strategy and roadmap planning.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Developing leadership skills by guiding junior designers and influencing design direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenges revolve around the novelty of AI integration and the need to translate complex technical concepts into user-friendly experiences for a non-technical audience. Growth opportunities are strongly tied to specializing in AI design and taking on more strategic responsibilities within a growing company.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing the user experience for an agentic AI that automates invoice processing, focusing on building trust with procurement managers who have never used AI before?" (Focus on process, trust, transparency, error handling).

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex workflow for non-technical users. What were the key challenges, and how did you ensure usability and adoption?" (Focus on empathy, simplification, user journey mapping).

• "Imagine Clera is developing a feature that uses AI to predict supply chain disruptions. How would you design the interface to communicate the AI's confidence level and provide actionable next steps to the user?" (Focus on data visualization, AI explainability, decision support). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What are your thoughts on the ethical implications of AI in procurement, and how would you address them in your design work?" (Assesses AI ethics awareness).

• "How do you typically collaborate with engineers and product managers on complex features, especially when dealing with new technologies like agentic AI?" (Assesses teamwork and communication).

• "How would you contribute to Clera's design system and ensure its evolution as the product scales?" (Assesses understanding of design systems and scalability). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio around key projects, using a clear problem-solution-impact framework for each.

• AI Focus: Dedicate sections or specific examples to your experience with AI design, detailing your approach to trust, transparency, and user control.

• Code Contribution: If you have examples of contributing to code for the last-mile polish or functional prototypes, highlight them.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs.

• Engage: Be prepared to discuss your thought process, design decisions, and how you would adapt your approach to Clera's specific challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions will heavily probe your understanding of AI interaction design, your ability to handle complex B2B workflows, and your experience with user research for non-technical audiences. Be ready to discuss your portfolio with a focus on impact, process, and how you've tackled ambiguity and trust in AI.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior/Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight your most relevant B2B SaaS, complex workflow, and AI design projects. Emphasize case studies that demonstrate your end-to-end process and quantifiable impact.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your experience with Figma, design systems, user research, and any relevant coding proficiency. Highlight achievements related to shipping products and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving methodologies, and your vision for AI in products. Be ready to present your portfolio and discuss your experience with AI tools and complex workflows.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Clera's product, mission, and the procurement intelligence industry. Understand their focus on agentic AI and non-technical users, and prepare to discuss how your skills align with their needs.

⚠️ 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.