[Hiring] Head of Product Design @n8n

Role Description

n8n is the open workflow orchestration platform built for the new era of AI. We give technical teams the freedom of code with the speed of no-code, so they can automate faster, smarter, and without limits. This is a foundational hire with a real mandate and direct exec partnership.

What you'll do

• Own the quality bar:
  • Set a clear, consistent quality bar that the team can orient around and build toward.
  • Build review processes and critique rituals for shared language on quality.
  • Evolve the design system and QA practices as the team grows.
  • Lower the steep learning curve for new users without losing power for experienced builders.
• Drive design's strategic influence:
  • Shape product strategy and surface user problems early.
  • Lead n8n's expansion toward a broader audience.
  • Build relationships with Product, Engineering, and leadership.
• Build and grow the team:
  • Lead a team of around 14 designers.
  • Shape team structure, career framework, and progression paths.
  • Create a culture of high standards and honest feedback.
  • Own hiring and headcount planning for the department.
• Build research into how we make decisions:
  • Establish a continuous research practice.
  • Make customer insight and community feedback a live input to product decisions.
  • Connect research to key decisions: activation, adoption, retention.
• Help the team work in new ways:
  • Champion practical AI adoption inside the design org.
  • Help the team stay curious and current with evolving tools and patterns.
  • Model a thoughtful, adaptive working style.

Qualifications

• Product design leadership experience.
• Complex product systems experience.
• Craft authority in design quality.
• Strategic influence in product conversations.
• Structured problem-solving under ambiguity.
• AI-era product judgment.
• Research literacy.
• Data-informed decision making.
• Org design and performance management skills.

Requirements

• Must-haves:
  • Experience managing design teams and making performance calls.
  • Led design across complex or developer-facing products.
  • Ability to identify and maintain quality standards.
  • Experience making design a co-equal in product conversations.
  • Ability to navigate unclear problems and create plans.
  • Understanding of the AI and automation landscape.
  • Experience integrating research into product development.
  • Use of analytics and customer evidence for decision making.
  • Skills in designing team structures and handling performance conversations.
• Nice-to-haves:
  • Experience with open-source or community products.
  • Design engineering credibility.
  • Experience with remote-first operating systems.
  • Experience with growth surfaces like activation and onboarding.
  • Potential for a rising Design Manager profile.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation.
• Ownership with equity options.
• Work/life balance with generous vacation policies.
• Health & wellness benefits tailored to local norms.
• Future planning with pension contributions or 401(k) plans.
• Financial security with disability and life insurance.
• Career growth support with a yearly budget for skill development.
• A passionate team with regular hackathons.
• Remote-first work environment with team bonding activities.
• Support for open-source projects.
• Transparency in company operations.