Product Design Lead

Fuel50, a global leader in workforce transformation solutions, is seeking a seasoned Product Design Lead to join their fully remote team. This dynamic organisation leverages AI-driven technology to empower businesses in understanding their workforce's capabilities, fostering skill development, and enabling internal mobility. Their innovative products integrate skills intelligence, talent marketplace experiences, and responsible AI, guiding both individuals and organisations towards their next professional milestones.

About the Role

This is a pivotal "player-coach" position, requiring an individual who can both lead and actively contribute to the design process. You will be instrumental in nurturing and developing Fuel50's product design team, offering guidance, mentorship, and support to facilitate their professional growth. Simultaneously, you will remain closely involved in the hands-on aspects of design, setting a clear strategic direction, shaping the product roadmap, and bringing new ideas to life through prototyping. The ultimate goal is to ensure the delivery of exceptionally high-quality user experiences across Fuel50's suite of products.

The successful candidate will take ownership of several key areas, including:

• **Team Leadership and Development:** Lead, manage, and coach a team of product designers, focusing on their individual development and helping them achieve their career aspirations within the organisation.
• **Design Vision and Strategy:** Establish and articulate a compelling product design vision that underpins Fuel50's offerings in skills intelligence, talent mobility, and AI-powered experiences.
• **Prototyping and Ideation:** Drive the design direction for products and actively prototype new concepts to make them tangible and testable.
• **Cross-Functional Collaboration:** Forge strong partnerships with Product and Engineering teams, collaborating closely from the initial discovery phases through to product delivery.
• **Human-Centred AI Design:** Champion the design of AI-driven experiences that are intuitive, effective, and centred around user needs.
• **Technical Contribution:** Enhance Fuel50's design engineering capabilities. This includes being comfortable building and shipping functional prototypes or even code, demonstrating technical fluency.
• **Design System Evolution:** Continuously improve and maintain Fuel50's design system, ensuring it remains robust, scalable, and compliant with accessibility standards (WCAG).
• **Team Growth and Structure:** Play a strategic role in shaping the future design team structure and contributing to hiring efforts as the organisation continues to expand.

What They're Looking For

To excel in this role, candidates will possess a strong foundation in product design and leadership, with a proven track record in the SaaS or technology sectors. Essential qualifications and experience include:

• A minimum of seven years of experience in product design within a SaaS or technology environment.
• At least two years of demonstrable experience in leading, managing, or coaching design teams.
• Exceptional craft in product design, encompassing all stages from discovery and interaction design to visual design.
• Experience in designing sophisticated systems tailored for multiple user personas.
• The ability to think strategically and envision future possibilities, while also maintaining a pragmatic approach to execution and delivery.
• Confidence and skill in engaging with and influencing senior stakeholders across the business.
• Technical fluency, including the ability to create prototypes using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Hands-on experience with AI coding and design tools.
• A solid understanding of accessibility principles and WCAG compliance.

This remote position offers the opportunity to join a forward-thinking company with a global presence and a culture that values continuous feedback and recognition. Fuel50's commitment to innovation and workforce transformation makes this an exciting prospect for a design leader looking to make a significant impact.

• 7+ years of experience in product design in a SaaS or technology environment.
• 2+ years leading, managing or coaching designers.
• Strong product design craft across discovery, interaction design, and visual design.
• Experience designing complex systems for multiple personas.
• Ability to think big while being pragmatic about execution.
• Confidence in working with senior stakeholders.
• Technical fluency and the ability to prototype using HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
• Hands-on experience with AI coding and design tools.
• Working knowledge of accessibility and WCAG compliance.