Principal Designer

Are you looking

To make meaningful changes at the fastest-growing tech company in Japan?
For a fair, highly flexible, inclusive working environment where anyone, regardless of their background, can make an impact?
To build the next bold idea in customer acquisition and revenue growth through conversational commerce technology?
For a place where things are not just fast - but they happen now?

We Are Zeals - “Designing conversations. Driving conversions.”

Zeals is not another chatbot. Our automated chat solution and conversational technology change how consumers purchase or act online. Zeals converts customers who appear "unengaged" to become "valuable" through designed chat on Messaging Apps. Using AI-powered, human-designed conversation flows across chat platforms, Zeals enables brands to build personalized, automated conversations with their consumers and develop a deeper understanding of their preferences while creating a delightful, seamless shopping experience. Our last 3 years have been phenomenal. We have captured the heart of many businesses in Japan, with over 480 enterprises relying on our chat commerce offering to boost their mobile business.

The goal is simple: to “revolutionize hospitality on the Internet” by unlocking digital customer service experiences that were limited to physical stores previously.

Just Getting Started…

With more than 480 enterprise companies worldwide already utilizing our product, we are perfectly poised to seize market share and fuel exponential growth in the US market, with an eye on global expansion. Investors have taken note of our potential, leading us to recently secure nearly $40 million in funding, backed by Salesforce Ventures.

As our Design Director

As a Principal Designer at Zeals, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our products and user experiences. You will focus on high-level strategy, process improvement, and design operations, guiding our design and UX research teams toward greater efficiency, cohesion, and impact.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Lead and mentor a team of product designers and UX researchers, focusing on fostering a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Drive the evolution and consistency of our design system across multiple products and features, ensuring the highest quality and alignment with business objectives.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners, including product managers, engineering, and UX researchers, to establish and prioritize design initiatives that enhance user experiences and drive business growth.
• Take ownership of strategic UX research initiatives, working closely with product managers and lead UX researchers to identify insights and opportunities that inform our product roadmap.
• Lead internal design operations and process improvement projects aimed at advancing our design capabilities, streamlining workflows, and optimizing resource allocation.

What You’ll Need

• Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• 10+ years of experience in product design, with a strong portfolio showcasing your strategic thinking, leadership, and impact on design operations.
• Proven track record of leading and mentoring a team of product designers and/or UX researchers, actively helping build a collaborative and high-performing environment.
• Deep understanding of design principles, methodologies, and best practices, with the ability to develop and implement design standards and processes at scale.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively engage and influence cross-functional stakeholders to drive design initiatives forward.
• Experience working in an agile environment, with a demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects while meeting deadlines and business objectives.
• Proficiency in Figma is a must, and familiarity with design operations tools for workflow management and optimization.

What Makes You Stand Out

• Japanese language proficiency at a business or native level
• Understanding of cultural differences
• Knowledge and experience in chatbots, AI, marketing, and SaaS products

Don’t just take our word for it

Zeals has received the LinkedIn Top Startups award twice in a row. We believe this is a testament to our growth and our ability to attract great talents–who could potentially be your colleague!

Ready to roll up our sleeves

We obsess over bringing hospitality to everyone–be it our customers or you! You’re an individual with unique needs. So, while we can’t attract you with ping-pong tables or all-you-can-drink espresso bars, we promise you a once-in-a-lifetime experience and co-workers that you can brag about to your friends, family, or anyone you meet the next time you go out for a party! As an employer, we are ready to roll-up our sleeves and change the status quo if it means to make your experience better!

Salary Range: competitive (performance review every 6 months)
Performance review: twice a year
Holidays: 10 days paid holidays during the first year, weekends off, national holidays, summer and winter break.
Visa support: We sponsor visas for the right candidates. You can expect full visa support from our professional HR team.
Education support: Udemy, Frontend Masters
Flexible working: Highly flexible, remote-first international organization
For Japanese residence: Work from anywhere, interim work from overseas, full flex time
Housing allowance (within 1.5KM away from office)
Club activity allowance
Shuffle Lunch allowance (Cross department lunch)
Zeals Bar (bi-monthly free flow beer party)