Design Manager

At Preply, we are unlocking human potential through learning.

We believe learning with a great tutor is life-changing. That’s why we match online tutors from across the globe with learners and empower them to create live language classes with AI-powered tools and learning materials. This is how we deliver progress, create engagement and keep our global community of learners motivated. So far, over 32,000 tutors have given more than 15 million lessons to learners from over 175 countries.

Design at Preply:

At Preply, we know learning with the right tutor can be life-changing. Helping to change people's lives is an amazing opportunity and a big responsibility. It takes a large, diverse, multidisciplinary team to create a learning product, and Design is at the very heart of that team.

Preply’s Design mission is to deliver the most beautiful language-learning experience in the world. As the poet once wrote, “Beauty is truth. Truth is beauty.” We take this definition to heart. We craft beautiful surfaces that delight our users and inspire them to learn and teach. But we also dive deep and go beyond surface beauty, to uncover the truth behind our users’ needs and motivations. By combining all of this, we create holistic experiences that help our users achieve their goals. 

To achieve our mission, we need the best designers out there. We need creative thinkers, great product "detectives", and people who care about their impact on the world.

Design Management at Preply:

A Design Manager at Preply's primary focus is to cultivate a robust and nurturing environment for the design team, fostering their professional growth and enhancing their ability to contribute effectively to the product. Design Managers work closely with Product Design Leads, not to create the products, but to ensure that designers have the support, guidance, and processes they need to excel within their teams. By prioritizing personal development, iterating on design best practices, and advocating seamless collaboration across functions, you play a vital role in elevating the overall design quality and consistency that Preply offers to its global community of learners and tutors. Without being directly involved in hands-on design work, your strategic facilitation and people-first approach help maintain a culture of excellence and continuous improvement in Preply's product offerings.

What you’ll be doing:

• People Management:
  • Provide leadership and development to Product Designers, guiding their career growth and skill development within their respective squads.
  • Cultivate a supportive environment that aims for high standards in design excellence while encouraging a team philosophy of shared success.
• Technique and Practices:
  • Oversee the design processes within the Design Chapter, ensuring they are scalable, efficient, and tailored to accommodate the diverse needs of projects.
  • Support Product Designers and Leads by offering tools and guidance to implement and adjust the design process, ensuring it meshes with project and squad goals.
• Collaboration and Facilitation:
  • Assist in facilitating effective cross-functional collaboration, ensuring the design team integrates smoothly with other departments.
  • Be an active participant in cross-disciplinary discussions and workshops, share insights, and contribute to a culture of open dialogue and continuous improvement.

What you need to succeed:

• Proven track record of managing and inspiring a team of product designers, with a focus on developing talent.
• Experience in crafting and formalizing design processes, as well as a hands-off approach to mentoring design leads and contributing to high-level discussions.
• Ability to foster a proactive design culture, balancing a meticulous eye for detail with the big picture of the company's design needs.
• Champion an environment that is free from bureaucracy, values diverse opinions, and promotes personal and professional growth.

Why you’ll love it at Preply: 

• An open, collaborative, dynamic and diverse culture;
• A generous monthly allowance for lessons on Preply.com, Learning & Development budget and time off for your self-development;
• A competitive financial package with equity, leave allowance and health insurance;
• Not in Barcelona? We offer an attractive relocation package to join us in our Preply Barcelona Hub;
• Access to free mental health support platforms;
• Access to Gympass-partnered wellness and gym centers throughout Spain to promote and support well-being and physical health;
• The opportunity to shape the lives of learners and tutors through language learning and teaching in 175 countries (and counting!).

Our Principles

• Care to change the world - We are passionate about our work and care deeply about its impact to be life changing.
• We do it for learners - For both Preply and tutors, learners are why we do what we do. Every day we focus on empowering tutors to deliver an exceptional learning experience.
• Keep perfecting - To create an outstanding customer experience, we focus on simplicity, smoothness, and enjoyment, continually perfecting it as every detail matters.
• Now is the time - In a fast-paced world, it matters how quickly we act. Now is the time to make great things happen.
• Disciplined execution - What makes us disciplined is the excellence in our execution. We set clear goals, focus on what matters, and utilize our resources efficiently.
• Dive deep - We leverage business acumen and curiosity to investigate disparities between numbers and stories, unlocking meaningful insights to guide our decisions.
• Growth mindset - We proactively seek growth opportunities and believe today's best performance becomes tomorrow's starting point. We humbly embrace feedback and learn from setbacks.
• Raise the bar - We raise our performance standards continuously, alongside each new hire and promotion. We build diverse and high-performing teams that can make a real difference.
• Challenge, disagree and commit - We value open and candid communication, even when we don’t fully agree. We speak our minds, challenge when necessary, and fully commit to decisions once made.
• One Preply - We prioritize collaboration, inclusion, and the success of our team over personal ambitions. Together, we support and celebrate each other's progress.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Preply is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds can thrive. Different opinions and viewpoints are key ingredients in our success as a multicultural Ed-Tech company. 

Preply will consider all applications for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or veteran status. Together, we are The World Class.