What You'll Do
Guide the vision and growth of the design and research function, ensuring it plays a central role in shaping product strategy. Work closely with product leadership to align design initiatives with business goals and define a clear, actionable roadmap. Establish what excellence looks like for the team and how it advances company-wide objectives.
Drive maturity in design practices by refining quality standards, expanding the component library into a scalable design system, and creating playbooks that ensure consistency and efficiency. Lead the thoughtful integration of AI into workflows—defining where automation adds value and where human insight remains essential. Promote fluency with emerging tools while preserving the integrity of design craft.
Empower designers and researchers to influence product and AI strategy through user-centered insight. Champion design thinking across the product lifecycle, from ideation to execution. Identify cross-product opportunities that improve the overall user experience and balance leadership expectations with team capacity to focus on high-impact work.
Invest in your team’s growth through regular coaching, mentorship, and structured feedback. Develop clear career paths and support continuous learning, adaptability, and professional development. Cultivate an environment of emotional safety, inclusion, and innovation.
Requirements
You bring a solid understanding of both design and research, with proven experience leading multidisciplinary teams. You’ve helped build or mature design functions by establishing processes, systems, and ways of working from the ground up. You’re passionate about growing people, elevating craft, and demonstrating the strategic value of design to leadership.
You communicate effectively across disciplines, translating design impact into terms that resonate with product, engineering, and executives. You’re comfortable navigating complex stakeholder dynamics with empathy and clarity. Curiosity about AI’s role in design and research is essential—you don’t need to be an expert, but you’re eager to explore it alongside your team.
Your leadership style is compassionate and proactive, fostering trust and psychological safety. You view feedback as a tool for growth and model that mindset for others. You’re committed to equity, inclusion, and building teams where diverse perspectives thrive.
Benefits
- Fully remote work with flexible hours—choose when and where you work best
- Option to use co-working spaces or work from offices in Mannheim, Berlin, or Sydney
- Annual global team gathering for collaboration and connection
- Regular local meetups to strengthen team relationships
- Access to Headspace for mindfulness and mental well-being
- Support through BetterHelp for professional counseling and therapy
- Opportunities for personal and professional development
- Up to three additional days off per year dedicated to personal growth
- Five weeks of bonus vacation after five years of employment
- Take your birthday off each year—on us
- Flexible schedule to support work-life balance
Work Environment
This role is fully remote with team members spread globally. You’ll have the freedom to work from any location, with optional access to physical workspaces in Mannheim, Berlin, and Sydney. The culture emphasizes transparency, collaboration, lifelong learning, and mutual respect. We value diverse perspectives and are committed to creating an inclusive environment where everyone can contribute meaningfully.
