Meet DeepL

DeepL is a global communications platform powered by Language AI. Since 2017, we’ve been on a mission to break down language barriers. Our human-sounding translations and intelligent writing suggestions are designed with enterprise security in mind. Today, they enable over 100,000 businesses to transform communications, reach new markets, and improve productivity. And, empower millions of individuals worldwide to make sense of the world and express their ideas.

Our goal is to become the global leader in Language AI, building products that drive better communication, foster connections, and make a real-life impact. To achieve this, we need talented individuals like you to join our exciting journey. If you're ready to work with a dynamic team and build your career in the fast-moving AI space, DeepL is your next destination.

What sets us apart

What sets us apart is our blend of modern technology, competitive benefits, and an open, welcoming work culture that enables our people to thrive. When we share what it's like to work at DeepL, the reactions are overwhelmingly positive. This may be because of our products that have helped countless people worldwide or our shared mission to improve communication for individuals and businesses, bringing cultures closer together. What we know for sure is this: being part of DeepL means joining a team dedicated to innovation and employee well-being. Discover what our teams have to say about life at DeepL on LinkedIn, Instagram and our Blog.

As the Director of Product Design team, you will lead new product development, talent recruitment and development, collaboration and design processes across the entire product portfolio. Together with product and engineering leadership, you will shape the business’ product strategy and leverage user research insights to shape business opportunities. Clear communication of company strategy and balancing business and user needs will be essential. You will lead your team to establish the highest levels of craftsmanship and ensure the maximum impact across our teams.

Your responsibilities

• Lead product design across a large established product organisation of 40+ teams

• Nurture, grow, and develop design talent in the team

• Foster collaborative culture and develop and improve design processes across the organization

• Champion brand, copy and design standards

• Support and promote the development of a company wide design system and ensure their use

• Partner with Product and Engineering to define product strategy

• Ensure impact of the craft across the business

• In collaboration with user research, develop and promote a deep understanding of users and their needs company wide

• Shape product and business opportunities.

• Communicate company strategy to their team and help navigate business and user needs tradeoffs

• Ensure the highest level of design craftsmanship and impact of the whole design team

Qualities we look for

• 10+ years of product/UX design

• At least 5 years of successful management of designers in multidisciplinary teams.

• Experience setting product design vision in a product area of multiple teams/platforms.

• Business leadership acumen - you set high expectations for the craft and commercial awareness within our teams.

• Experience with driving the whole product lifecycle – research, prototyping, iterative development and testing, launch, and continuous improvement.

• Extensive knowledge of design processes.

• You base your decisions on facts, not opinion, and always seek to validate your assumptions.

• Solution-oriented and result-driven.

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

• Resilient and able to deal with uncertainty.

• Fluent in English.

What we offer

• Diverse and internationally distributed team: joining our team means becoming part of a large, global community with people of more than 90 nationalities. We're more than just colleagues; we're a group of professionals with a shared mission to connect diverse cultures. Our global presence is growing–we've doubled in size nearly every year, with our employees based in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, the US, and Japan, and we continue to expand our network.

• Open communication, regular feedback: as a language-focused company, we value the importance of clear, honest communication. We value smooth collaboration, direct and actionable feedback, and believe that leading with empathy makes us better together.

• Hybrid work, flexible hours: we offer a hybrid work schedule, with team members coming into the office twice a week. This allows you to engage directly with your team and experience the unique energy of our workspace, while still enjoying the flexibility and comfort of working from home. With flexible working hours and trust in your productivity, we are in sync with your team’s general locations and time zones to foster effective and seamless collaboration.

• Regular in-person team events: we bond over vibrant events that are as unique as our team, from local team and business unit gatherings, to new-joiner onboardings, to company-wide events that bring us all together–literally.

• Monthly full-day hacking sessions: every month, we have Hack Fridays, where you can spend your time diving into a project you're passionate about and get the opportunity to work with other teams–we value your initiatives, impact, and creativity.

• 30 days of annual leave: we value your peace of mind. With 30 days off (excluding public holidays) and access to mental health resources, we make sure you're as strong mentally as you are professionally.

• Annual learning budget: because we never stop learning, we’ve set up an annual budget for your professional development—pick a learning path which contributes to your career development and we'll back you up.

We are an equal opportunity employer

You are welcome at DeepL for who you are—we appreciate authenticity here. Our product is for everyone, and so is our workplace. The more voices we have represented and amplified in our business, the more we will all succeed, contribute, and think forward! So bring us your personal experience, your perspectives, and your background. It’s in our diversity that we will find the power to break down language barriers in the world.