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
• • 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