Speak Principal Product Designer at Speak leads design for major parts of the consumer experience, focusing on growth or core learning. The role involves inventing novel AI tutor interactions and partnering closely with cross-functional teams.
Responsibilities
You’ll lead design for a major part of Speak’s consumer experience, either growth (activation, engagement, discovery) or core learning (AI tutoring, speaking practice, feedback, progression). We’ll pick the focus together based on your strengths.
We don’t use seniority titles internally, but elsewhere this would be a Principal Product Designer: a hands-on IC who sets direction for a product area, drives our most consequential work, and helps other designers do their best work.
Set the experience vision for your area, grounded in empathy for learners across cultures and levels
Spot opportunities at the intersection of learner needs, product insights, and new AI capabilities, and make them tangible through prototypes that shape strategy with Product and Engineering
Invent interaction patterns for AI-powered learning that go beyond generic AI templates
Prototype and iterate quickly in AI tools, code, or interactive tools
Lead across team boundaries so the holistic experience feels cohesive
Use qualitative and quantitative signals to decide what to explore, ship, and improve
Qualification
Consumer design leadershipClose to usersProduct judgmentAI-native workflowTaste and craft at speedInfluence and mentorshipExperience in language learningWhy work at SpeakJoin a fantasticGlobal in nature
Required
Consumer design leadership. Likely 10+ years, including shaping a major consumer product area hands-on through shipping and iteration. Scope, craft, and impact matter more than years.
Close to users. You seek out real people, not just data, and test early with prototypes.
Product judgment. You frame the problem first and turn ambiguity into a clear vision others can build toward.
AI-native workflow. You use AI throughout your own workflow and build systems to unlock speed and quality in your creative and strategic work.
Taste and craft at speed. You have a point of view on great experiences and set the bar for the team. You also know when to stay scrappy vs when to spend time in polish.
Influence and mentorship. You build trust across teams, help groups reach decisions, and make other designers better.
Experience in language learning, education, or cross-cultural products
Contributions to design systems that scale beyond one team
Why work at Speak
Join a fantastic, tight-knit team at the right time: we're growing very quickly, we've most recently raised our Series C from some of the top investors in the valley, and we've achieved product-market fit in our initial markets. You'd join at a magical time when a single person could significantly change the course of the company.
Do your life's work with people you’ll love working with: we care strongly about our craft and want every person at Speak to feel like they're growing every day. We believe in the idea that working with people you both enjoy and have respect for makes everything better. We hire thoughtfully and only work with people we admire deeply.
Global in nature: We're live in over 40 countries and launching in a number of new markets soon. We have dedicated offices in San Francisco, Ljubljana, Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei, and you’ll have the opportunity to talk to users in each of these regions on a regular basis as well as travel.
