Design Lead

Knowunity GmbH; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A forward-thinking education technology company in the UK is seeking a Product Designer to lead the design of a product used by millions of students. You will mentor a design team, drive quality across the platform, and create impactful user experiences. The ideal candidate has over 4 years of B2C startup experience and strong design leadership skills. This role offers competitive compensation and benefits, including equity options.

Benefits

Competitive salary and equity

28 days annual leave + 1 extra day per year

40 days work from anywhere

Personal development budget

Mental health support

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in product design within a fast-paced B2C startup.
• Proven ownership of the design function with strategic and hands-on experience.
• Ability to mentor and develop a high-performing design team.

Responsibilities

• Lead product design quality and identify UX opportunities.
• Mentor and scale a design team focused on craft and product thinking.
• Design key product experiences from exploration to execution.

Skills

Product design

UX/UI design

B2C startup experience

Entrepreneurial mindset

Fluent English

Job description

ABOUT US

We are building a future where every student on the planet can access, enjoy, and benefit from the highest quality education. Since founding Knowunity straight out of high school in 2020, we've been committed to revolutionising how students learn.

Millions of students already use our AI learning companion weekly. We just raised €27m from strong Investors - one of Europe’s largest education rounds in the past years. The AI learning market is at an inflection point, finally enabling true personalisation at scale, and we're determined to build the first AI learning unicorn in this space.

You will join a truly driven team of 60 hands‑on builders serving 1 billion students worldwide. If we execute on our product vision, you will have built something that transforms education globally.

This is your chance to be part of building a generational company.

Your mission

The problem you’ll solve: You’ll lead and elevate the design of a product used daily by millions of students – transforming it into a world‑class learning experience that’s intuitive, beautiful, and deeply impactful.
Your ownership:

• Own and drive product design quality across the board – identifying UX opportunities, raising the visual bar, and ensuring exceptional implementation in partnership with engineering.
• Mentor, develop, and scale a high‑performing design team, guiding them on craft, clarity, and product thinking.
• Design key product experiences hands‑on, from early exploration through polished execution—shaping how students interact with and love our app.

Why this matters: Design is central to how students experience Knowunity. As we scale to 1 billion learners, your work will define how usable, delightful, and effective our product feels – boosting retention, engagement, and impact on real educational outcomes.
What success looks like: You’ll quickly raise the bar on visual and interaction design across the app, helping your team ship work that’s both functional and joyful. You’ll put better review processes in place, mentor designers to grow in both craft and confidence, and make design a first‑class force within the product org. Over time, Knowunity’s design will be seen as a true differentiator – and you’ll be the one who made that happen.

Your story

Your mindset
You're the type of person who:

• Thinks in systems, sweats the pixels – you zoom out to shape the user journey and zoom in to perfect the details
• Leads by doing – you drive design strategy, but you’re also the first to open Figma and push a screen live when needed
• Designs with intent – you make every decision in service of the user and the business, not for aesthetics alone
• Thrives in ambiguity – you move fast with 80% context, take ownership, and iterate toward excellence
• Leverages AI – as a force multiplier in everything you do
• Values excellence over comfort – mediocrity isn’t in your vocabulary

Your track record
You’ve led design in a B2C startup environment, owning everything from UX to UI, and bringing product ideas to life through delightful, high‑performing interfaces. You know how to balance creative ambition with business impact, and you’ve seen first‑hand how great design can move key metrics. Whether designing a growth experiment, onboarding flow, or gamified feature – you're fluent in translating user needs into product success.

Must-haves

• 4+ years of experience in product design, including in a fast‑paced B2C startup
• Proven ownership of the design function (strategic + hands‑on)
• Entrepreneurial mindset and strong business/product intuition
• Fluent English; German is a plus
• Ready to work from our Berlin office 5 days/week (with some flexibility!)

Nice to have

• Experience as a (co‑founder or early team member) in a funded startup
• Background in gaming, gamification, or playful interface design
• Familiarity with animation, motion, or micro‑interactions
• Previous coding experience

What we offer

Not for everyone, everything for the right ones.

• Competitive compensation and equity: We’re building Knowunity to dominate the global AI learning market. Your compensation package includes competitive salary paired with meaningful equity in a company with genuine unicorn potential. Team members who help us reach that goal will be rewarded accordingly.
• Elite team and true ownership: You’ll work alongside 60 exceptional people who match your ambition within a flat hierarchy – direct access to founders and leadership without bureaucratic middle layers. You'll own entire areas from conception to delivery with real decision‑making authority.
• Meaningful impact at scale: Your work will have immediate, measurable impact on education globally and directly improve how millions of students learn.
• Benefits: 28 days annual leave +1 extra day per year with Knowunity, 40 days work from anywhere, personal development budget, mental health support via Nilo, Urban Sports Club, monthly become1 retail vouchers, team and company events

We’re not here to coast - we are building something exceptional. We’re a lean team of ambitious people who push hard, move fast, and constantly raise the bar. The real perk is not standard benefits – it’s joining 60 amazing people who challenge you to level up daily. If you’re hungry, thrive under pressure and ready to go the extra mile, this is where you will accelerate your career faster than anywhere else.

How to apply

Ready to help build the AI learning unicorn?
Click “Apply for this job” and submit your CV and LinkedIn profile.
We encourage applications from exceptional talent regardless of traditional background requirements.

At Knowunity, we actively foster an inclusive and diverse workplace that ensures equal opportunity for all qualified applicants, regardless of nationality, ethnic or national origin, skin color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or marital status. Please refrain from including your picture and age with the application.