Lead Product Designer (AI Builder)

• We’re a small, fast-moving team rethinking how people learn languages with AI. We’re looking for an experienced product designer to take over hands-on design leadership: shaping the product’s direction, running discovery, and getting work delivered
• This is a design leadership and mentoring role, not a people management role. You’ll guide the craft and direction of the design team. Speed, precision and quality are how we work. You’ll set the pace. You’ll work AI-first, using various ways to test ideas quickly and turning the best ones into experiences that are ready to hand off
• Lead design across discovery and delivery, owning key design decisions for AI-first language learning experiences
• Design AI-powered learning experiences. Shape how learners interact with AI, from conversation and voice to feedback that stays clear and trustworthy even when the AI gets things wrong
• Work as an AI builder. Use AI tools first to speed up research, exploring ideas, prototyping and delivery
• Prototype in code. Build prototypes in SwiftUI and HTML to test ideas and produce vision prototypes that are ready to hand off
• Design with Claude Code and Figma together. Figma is one tool among several here, not where every project starts
• Coach and mentor the small, experienced design team, who also work as AI builders, and help them share one set of AI-first design principles
• Work across disciplines with engineers, product managers, linguists and language learning specialists
• About Babbel Labs
• Babbel Labs is building the future of language learning. We are an AI-first, independent company within the Babbel group, based in Berlin. Our teams bring AI, research and product together to ship experiences that set a new standard for how people learn
• The role
• How you’ll make an impact
• Your skills and qualifications
• Proven design leadership. Solid experience leading product design, with a record of shipping work that users actually adopted
• Excellent UI craft and motion design. Learning happens moment by moment, so polished interfaces and purposeful motion are essential to a great learning experience
• Hands-on prototyping in code. You’re comfortable in SwiftUI and HTML/CSS/JS and can build things people can use and test
• AI fluency. You use AI tools like Claude Code as a real part of how you design, not an add-on
• Design systems know-how. A working knowledge of design systems and how they make teams faster and more consistent
• A coaching mindset. Experience coaching designers and raising a team’s standards through example, feedback and shared practices
• Clear communication. You work well with technical and non-technical partners, including specialists like linguists and learning designers
• Comfort with ambiguity. You thrive on fast iteration and figuring things out as you go
• What you’ll get
• Room to learn new tools as they arrive. Try them on real work as soon as they come out, and help decide what the team adopts
• A consumer product used around the world. Design for a live product that real learners use every day, globally
• A competitive salary. Salary range: TBD. Pay that reflects the level of the role and the impact you’ll have on the product and the team
• What success looks like:
• Delivery-ready prototypes. Prototypes that give engineering and stakeholders a clear vision to build from
• Faster, better design work. Quality and speed improve through AI tools and design systems
• An aligned design team. A team that is coached, confident and aligned on AI-first design principles

Benefits

• 30 vacation days and flexible working hours
• BVG card or Swapfiets bike
• Jobbatical and Sabbatical options
• Many internal & external learning opportunities to choose from
• A yearly Learning & Development budget
• Visa and relocation assistance
• Full access to Babbel & Babbel Live classes
• Modern office in the heart of buzzing Berlin equipped with a family, music, faith and nap room
• Various internal communities to be part of including the Femgineers, DEI Ambassadors, Accessibility & Disability Group and more- Clear communication. You work well with technical and non-technical partners, including specialists like linguists and learning designers
• Design systems know-how. A working knowledge of design systems and how they make teams faster and more consistent
• Excellent UI craft and motion design. Learning happens moment by moment, so polished interfaces and purposeful motion are essential to a great learning experience
• A coaching mindset. Experience coaching designers and raising a team’s standards through example, feedback and shared practices
• Comfort with ambiguity. You thrive on fast iteration and figuring things out as you go
• Proven design leadership. Solid experience leading product design, with a record of shipping work that users actually adopted
• AI fluency. You use AI tools like Claude Code as a real part of how you design, not an add-on
• Hands-on prototyping in code. You’re comfortable in SwiftUI and HTML/CSS/JS and can build things people can use and test
• We are a learning company, inside and out, and we encourage you to apply even if you do not fit all the technical requirements — all candidates are assessed based on skills, qualifications, and our business need