Head of Product Design

Classera

Position Overview

We are looking for a highly experienced and visionary Design Lead to shape the user experience for our Higher Education (HE) product stack. This individual will be based in Cairo and work cross-functionally with teams spread across continents. The ideal candidate is a design expert with a proven track record of creating elegant, user-centered digital experiences in complex environments.

In this IC3/IC4 level role, you will be responsible for setting and executing the design vision for Classera's Higher Education solutions. This includes guiding UX strategy, design operations, UI consistency, accessibility compliance, and mentoring other designers across the team.

What You Will Do

Lead Design Strategy & Execution

• Own the end-to-end UX and UI design process for Classera's Higher Education products.
• Translate product vision into user-centered design strategies and interfaces.
• Drive UX research initiatives to understand the behaviors, needs, and pain points of adult learners, administrators, and educators.
• Partner with Product Managers and Engineering leads to define goals, scope, and design deliverables for upcoming features.

Design Operations & Systems

• Establish and maintain scalable design systems and pattern libraries tailored for HE.
• Run regular design reviews, critique sessions, and design quality audits.
• Set up and manage workflows using tools like Figma, Zeplin, Adobe XD, InVision, Miro, and Jira.
• Ensure responsive and accessible design standards (WCAG 2.1 compliance) are met across all touchpoints.

Leadership & Mentorship

• Mentor junior and mid-level designers, fostering a culture of design excellence and user empathy.
• Promote collaboration across design, product, engineering, content, and QA teams.
• Advocate for user-centered design principles and practices throughout the organization.
• Provide executive-level reporting and design rationale to stakeholders.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Work closely with content strategists, localization experts, front-end developers, instructional designers, and customer support to deliver cohesive user journeys.
• Participate in agile ceremonies including sprint planning, backlog grooming, and retrospectives.
• Contribute to product OKRs by aligning design work with business impact.

Who You Are

Education

• Bachelor s or Master s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Visual Communication, Interaction Design, or a related discipline.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 5 years of hands-on product design experience with a digital product company.
• At least 2 years in a lead or senior role, preferably in edtech, SaaS, or enterprise software.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating your process and design thinking across responsive web and mobile applications.

Technical Skills

• Deep understanding of UX research methods (surveys, usability testing, personas, journey maps).
• Fluency in modern UI design and prototyping tools: Figma (preferred), Adobe XD, Sketch, InVision.
• Familiarity with front-end development basics: HTML, CSS, and their implications on design.
• Experience working with accessibility standards (ADA/WCAG) and localization challenges.

Soft Skills & Competencies

• Clear, concise, and persuasive communicator.
• Strong leadership and team collaboration instincts.
• Resilient problem-solver who thrives in fast-paced environments.
• Detail-oriented but able to zoom out to high-level vision.
• Passionate about education and digital inclusion.