<h2>About the Role</h2>We are looking for a Product Design Lead to lead design across Zeraki's products. Reporting to the CEO and working day to day with the CPTO, Product Managers and Engineering, you will set the UX/UI direction across products, define and enforce interface quality standards, partner with product and tech leads to shape the product vision, and coordinate UX/UI alignment across every product team — while leading and growing the designers who deliver it. In Zeraki's Product Design Growth and Performance Management Framework, the Lead Designer is the designer who drives direction: visionary and persuasive, with a strong sense of responsibility for team outcomes. Leads set systems and standards, and coach others to execute with consistency and intent across teams. Moving from Senior to Lead is the step from craft leader to team enabler — your impact will come through cross-team influence, the standards you set and the designers you grow, while you still take on the problems that matter most.<h2>Requirements</h2> What You Will Do 01 Outcome Orientation · 25% of role Good looks like: every significant piece of design work has a clear user goal, a business outcome and evidence that it worked. <ul><li>Lead product direction from the user lens: define the purpose of every major feature and how success will be measured.</li><li>Shape product OKRs with design influence, working with the CPTO and Product Managers.</li><li>Mentor teams in outcome-first thinking, and close the loop after launch with feedback and metrics.</li></ul>Lead product direction from the user lens: define the purpose of every major feature and how success will be measured.Shape product OKRs with design influence, working with the CPTO and Product Managers.Mentor teams in outcome-first thinking, and close the loop after launch with feedback and metrics. 02 Leadership &amp; Strategy · 20% of role Good looks like: everyone knows the design vision, the standard and their next step. <ul><li>Shape the design vision across products, and set design standards and strategy company-wide.</li><li>Guide the design roadmap and team planning: staffing, priorities and capacity against the product roadmap.</li><li>Hire, coach and grow designers through one-on-ones, critiques and fair, evidence-based reviews under the framework.</li></ul>Shape the design vision across products, and set design standards and strategy company-wide.Guide the design roadmap and team planning: staffing, priorities and capacity against the product roadmap.Hire, coach and grow designers through one-on-ones, critiques and fair, evidence-based reviews under the framework. 03 Contextual Relevance · 15% of role Good looks like: Zeraki works beautifully on a shared phone in a rural school with a weak connection. <ul><li>Embed contextual principles into product strategy: mobile-first, low-bandwidth, offline-tolerant and low-literacy-friendly.</li><li>Scale localization practices across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and new markets.</li><li>Set the UX quality bar for African education environments, grounded in time spent in schools with real users.</li></ul>Embed contextual principles into product strategy: mobile-first, low-bandwidth, offline-tolerant and low-literacy-friendly.Scale localization practices across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and new markets.Set the UX quality bar for African education environments, grounded in time spent in schools with real users. 04 Usability &amp; Interaction Design · 10% of role Good looks like: users complete key tasks quickly and confidently, without help, in every product. <ul><li>Set UX patterns across products, and align teams on them for consistency and quality.</li><li>Mentor others on UX problem-solving, and make sure major launches are usability-tested before release.</li></ul>Set UX patterns across products, and align teams on them for consistency and quality.Mentor others on UX problem-solving, and make sure major launches are usability-tested before release. 05 Visual Craft &amp; Systems Thinking · 10% of role Good looks like: one recognisable, polished Zeraki, built from one system. <ul><li>Define the visual direction for product areas, and ensure consistent visual execution company-wide.</li><li>Partner with the design-systems team and front-end engineers to scale the visual language, components and tokens across web and mobile.</li></ul>Define the visual direction for product areas, and ensure consistent visual execution company-wide.Partner with the design-systems team and front-end engineers to scale the visual language, components and tokens across web and mobile. 06 Collaboration &amp; Delivery · 10% of role Good looks like: designs ship as designed, on time, with little rework. <ul><li>Define design delivery processes across product teams — briefing, reviews, handoff and design QA.</li><li>Ensure design QA and velocity at scale, and coach the team in reducing design–development friction.</li></ul>Define design delivery processes across product teams — briefing, reviews, handoff and design QA.Ensure design QA and velocity at scale, and coach the team in reducing design–development friction. 07 Collaboration &amp; Communication · 10% of role Good looks like: Product, Engineering, Support and Commercial teams understand and trust design decisions. <ul><li>Set communication standards for design work company-wide.</li><li>Drive cross-functional alignment and manage communication across multiple stakeholders, bringing the user's voice into product and company decisions.</li></ul>Set communication standards for design work company-wide.Drive cross-functional alignment and manage communication across multiple stakeholders, bringing the user's voice into product and company decisions. Ownership &amp; Execution carries no weight at Lead, because it is assumed: you oversee delivery across the design team, make sure systems and people are accountable, and manage through ambiguity and risk. What Success Looks Like First 90 days <ul><li>Time in schools with teachers, bursars, principals and parents, and with Support and Account Management</li><li>An audit of the experience across all five products: usability, visual consistency, contextual fit and accessibility</li><li>Design principles and the interface quality bar agreed with the CPTO and Product</li><li>Design critique, review and QA rituals running</li><li>Every designer assessed against the framework, with a development plan</li></ul>Time in schools with teachers, bursars, principals and parents, and with Support and Account ManagementAn audit of the experience across all five products: usability, visual consistency, contextual fit and accessibilityDesign principles and the interface quality bar agreed with the CPTO and ProductDesign critique, review and QA rituals runningEvery designer assessed against the framework, with a development plan First six months <ul><li>Every major feature shipped with a defined success measure, and launches usability-tested</li><li>A prioritised plan to unify UX patterns and visual language across products, with visible progress</li><li>Design shaping product OKRs in every product team</li><li>Measurable reduction in design–development rework</li><li>A fair, evidence-based review cycle completed using the framework</li></ul>Every major feature shipped with a defined success measure, and launches usability-testedA prioritised plan to unify UX patterns and visual language across products, with visible progressDesign shaping product OKRs in every product teamMeasurable reduction in design–development reworkA fair, evidence-based review cycle completed using the framework First 12 months <ul><li>Zeraki recognisably one experience across products</li><li>Design-led improvements with measurable effect on adoption, task success or support volume</li><li>Contextual and localization standards embedded in every product</li><li>A stronger team: key hires made, designers progressing up the ladder, at least one Senior ready to step up</li><li>Design trusted by the CEO, CPTO and Product as a driver of outcomes, not a service</li></ul>Zeraki recognisably one experience across productsDesign-led improvements with measurable effect on adoption, task success or support volumeContextual and localization standards embedded in every productA stronger team: key hires made, designers progressing up the ladder, at least one Senior ready to step upDesign trusted by the CEO, CPTO and Product as a driver of outcomes, not a service What You Bring Experience <ul><li>5–7 years in product design (UX/UI), including at least 2 years leading designers or a design practice.</li><li>A portfolio that shows end-to-end product work — from problem framing and research to shipped, measured outcomes — on complex, multi-user products.</li><li>Experience setting design standards, UX patterns and visual direction across more than one product or team.</li><li>Experience designing for constrained contexts: mobile-first, low-bandwidth, emerging markets or low-literacy users.</li><li>Strong working relationships with Product Managers and engineers, and comfort presenting to executives.</li><li>Fluency in Figma (components, variables, auto layout) and modern design tooling; working knowledge of front-end constraints.</li><li>A degree in design, HCI, computer science or a related field — or equivalent experience.</li></ul>5–7 years in product design (UX/UI), including at least 2 years leading designers or a design practice.A portfolio that shows end-to-end product work — from problem framing and research to shipped, measured outcomes — on complex, multi-user products.Experience setting design standards, UX patterns and visual direction across more than one product or team.Experience designing for constrained contexts: mobile-first, low-bandwidth, emerging markets or low-literacy users.Strong working relationships with Product Managers and engineers, and comfort presenting to executives.Fluency in Figma (components, variables, auto layout) and modern design tooling; working knowledge of front-end constraints.A degree in design, HCI, computer science or a related field — or equivalent experience. What we are looking for <ul><li> Visionary and persuasive — you set a direction and bring people with you.</li><li> Accountable for team outcomes — you care as much about what the team ships as about your own work.</li><li> Outcome-driven — you measure design by what users achieve and what the business gains.</li><li> Context-aware — you design for the real conditions of African schools, not for the office.</li><li> A systems thinker — you see patterns across products and build things that scale.</li><li> A coach — designers get better because they work with you.</li><li> AI-fluent and values-led — you use AI to move faster, with human judgment on top.</li></ul> Visionary and persuasive — you set a direction and bring people with you. Accountable for team outcomes — you care as much about what the team ships as about your own work. Outcome-driven — you measure design by what users achieve and what the business gains. Context-aware — you design for the real conditions of African schools, not for the office. A systems thinker — you see patterns across products and build things that scale. A coach — designers get better because they work with you. AI-fluent and values-led — you use AI to move faster, with human judgment on top. Where you might be coming from You may be a Lead Product Designer, Design Lead, Design Manager or Senior Product Designer who already leads other designers — in SaaS, fintech, EdTech or a consumer platform, ideally one serving African or emerging markets. Your title matter s less than your portfolio and the designers you have grown.<h2>What We Offer</h2>● A chance to contribute to a mission-driven company that's making a real difference in education across Africa.● A collaborative, inclusive, and dynamic work environment where your input is valued.<h2>Our Culture</h2>At Zeraki, our culture defines how we work, how we make decisions, and how we succeed together. We are united by eight core values: Integrity, Love of Learning, Highest Standards, Deliver Results, Hire &amp; Develop the Best, Manage Through Trust, Empathy, and Have Backbone; Disagree &amp; Commit. We act with integrity, doing what is right and taking ownership of our actions. We have a love of learning, staying curious and continuously seeking to improve. We hold ourselves to the highest standards, continually raising the bar in the quality of our work, and we deliver results by taking ownership, acting with urgency, and following through on our commitments. We hire and develop the best, surrounding ourselves with exceptional people and creating opportunities for them to grow and excel. We manage through trust, giving people the context, freedom, responsibility, and accountability to do their best work. We lead with empathy, creating an environment where people are respected, supported, and able to thrive. And we have backbone, disagree and commit - we speak up when we disagree, challenge ideas respectfully, and once a decision is made, commit fully to making it successful. Together, these values create a culture of freedom and responsibility, high performance, continuous learning, and meaningful impact, empowering every Zerakian to Be Extraordinary.