Design Lead
We're seeking a dynamic Design Lead who will provide both strategic leadership and hands-on execution. You'll join a small but mighty design team delivering exceptional user experiences while also helping to build an innovative design culture throughout the company. Note: This is a remote consulting position on a long-term basis (ideally based in Italy). Your Impact You'll drive measurable transformation across our design function:
- Design new features and incremental platform improvements while re-imagining the next version of the platform
- Reduce design-to-development cycles through AI-powered workflows
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- Expand design systems that cut prototype creation time by 60%
- Lead teams to achieve 40% faster time-to-market on new features
What You’ll Do Strategic Leadership (40%)
- Define and execute a comprehensive design roadmap aligned with business objectives, in partnership with the PM and the CTO
- Mentor high-performing design team members
- Champion a design culture across the organization
Hands-On Design Excellence (60%)
- Lead critical design projects from conception to launch, ensuring exceptional quality
- Prototype innovative solutions using cutting-edge AI productivity tools
- Collaborate directly with product and engineering teams on complex design challenge
What You Bring Essential Qualifications
- 8-10 years of design leadership experience
- Portfolio demonstrating transformation of user experiences with measurable business impact
- Ability to translate business priorities into design requirements
- Track record of implementing design systems that significantly reduce production time
AI-First Mindset
- Genuine passion for AI's transformative potential in design workflows
- Proficiency in AI-powered design tools (Midjourney, Figma AI, Adobe Sensei, etc.)
- Experience integrating AI productivity tools to accelerate design processes, eg Lovable, Claude, Cursor etc
- Vision for how AI will reshape design practices over the next 24 months
- Ability to evaluate and adopt emerging AI technologies within quarterly cycles
Leadership Philosophy
- Proven ability to inspire teams while maintaining hands-on involvement in critical work; Natural mentorship abilities
- Experience scaling design operations without sacrificing quality or innovation
- Strong conviction in user-centered design
- Startup mentality and comfortable working in rapidly changing environments
What Sets You Apart You'll join a company at the forefront of AI innovation, where AI amplifies human creativity rather than replacing it. Our remote-first approach means you'll work with exceptional talent across time zones while maintaining deep connections with our Italy-based team. You’ll possess a global perspective essential for world-class design and must demonstrate:
- Collaborative Excellence: Thrive in cross-functional environments, building bridges between design, product, and engineering
- Continuous Learning: Embrace rapid skill development, particularly in AI applications and emerging design technologies
- Quality Obsession: Refuse to compromise on user experience while meeting aggressive timelines
- Remote Leadership: Proven success building strong team dynamics and creative culture in distributed environments
What We Offer
- A full-time, remote freelance position on a long-term basis, ideally based in Italy
- Flexible schedule and flexible location; however, you’ll have to be available in the evenings (5:00 to 8:00 pm CET) for meetings with the West Coast team
- Friendly and innovative work environment
- Potential for growth