Product Designer (Principal-Level) in London

Product Designer (Principal-Level) in London

London Full-Time 80000 - 100000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
Synthesia

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead high-impact design initiatives and shape product direction at Synthesia.
  • Company: Join the world’s leading AI video platform, valued at $4 billion.
  • Benefits: Flexible remote work, 25 days annual leave, and generous referral scheme.
  • Other info: Opportunity for significant career growth and influence within a collaborative team.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact on a market-defining product in a dynamic environment.
  • Qualifications: Proven track record in leading complex design projects and mentoring designers.

The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.

Synthesia is the world’s leading AI video platform for business, used by over 90% of the Fortune 100. Founded in 2017, the company is headquartered in London, with offices and teams across Europe and the US. As AI continues to shape the way we live and work, Synthesia develops products to enhance visual communication and enterprise skill development, helping people work better and stay at the center of successful organizations.

Following our recent Series E funding round, where we raised $200 million, our valuation stands at $4 billion. Our total funding exceeds $530 million from premier investors including Accel, NVentures (Nvidia's VC arm), Kleiner Perkins, GV, and Evantic Capital, alongside the founders and operators of Stripe, Datadog, Miro, and Webflow.

Location: Europe remote or London hybrid

The role: We're looking for a Principal Product Designer (L7) to lead design across Synthesia's most complex and high-impact product surfaces. This is a senior IC role - you won't be managing a team, but you'll be operating at the highest level of individual craft and strategic influence, shaping direction across product domains and setting the standard for what great design looks like at Synthesia.

This role sits at the intersection of product strategy, systems thinking, and exceptional craft. You'll define design direction for large, ambiguous problem spaces, anticipate risks before they become blockers, and reframe problems in ways that unlock better outcomes for customers, product teams, and the business.

We're building a video platform for everyone - not a specialist tool - and we see a future where Synthesia sits alongside word processors, presentation software, and spreadsheets as a daily staple. Getting there requires design leadership that goes beyond execution: someone who helps the company make the right bets, raises the craft bar across the whole team, and builds the conditions for great design to thrive at scale.

In this role you will:

  • Lead large, complex, or ambiguous design initiatives across teams and surfaces - owning direction, success criteria, and long-term UX vision, not just execution.
  • Reframe problems, anticipate downstream risks, and bring clarity to spaces where product direction is still forming.
  • Operate as a strategic partner to Product and Engineering leads: helping define the right problems to solve, shaping long-term product bets, and bringing fresh insight to prioritisation decisions.
  • Prototype and test interaction models quickly, knowing when to go high-fidelity and when a rough concept moves things faster.
  • Drive alignment across teams and stakeholders beyond your immediate group - communicating complex ideas with confidence, clarity, and empathy, and helping leadership make sense of ambiguity.
  • Raise the craft bar across the design team: setting new standards in at least one design discipline and actively elevating the work of those around you.
  • Mentor and coach Senior Designers, contribute to evolving design team culture, and get involved in hiring and planning.
  • Help expand the design team's influence and reputation - inside the org, across the company, and ideally beyond it.

You should apply if you bring:

  • A track record of leading high-impact design work across large, ambiguous, or cross-functional problem spaces - and delivering outcomes that meaningfully shift product quality, clarity, or direction.
  • Recognised excellence in craft, in at least one design discipline, with a history of raising the standard for those around you.
  • Comfort operating without perfect clarity: you turn ambiguous problem spaces into crisp direction, and you don't wait to be handed a well-defined brief.
  • Systems thinking: you understand how product architecture, AI capabilities, and organisational constraints shape what's possible in the UX - not just what looks good on screen.
  • Strong strategic instincts: you frame the right problems, challenge assumptions, and contribute meaningfully to roadmap and prioritisation decisions.
  • Experience aligning diverse stakeholders and cross-functional teams around design decisions - communicating with confidence and empathy at every level.
  • Experience mentoring senior designers and contributing to team culture, hiring, or practice-building.
  • A genuine point of view on where product design is heading - and the credibility and communication skills to bring others along.

At Synthesia we expect everyone to:

  • Put the Customer First
  • Own it & Go Direct
  • Be Fast & Experimental
  • Make the Journey Fun

You can read more about this in this public Notion page: How we work at Synthesia

Benefits:

  • A flexible, remote friendly role based out of Europe or one of our hubs in London, Copenhagen, Munich, or Zurich.
  • 25 days of annual leave + public holidays in the country where you are based.
  • A generous referral scheme.
  • Work from home set up.
  • At Synthesia, you can work from anywhere (within reason) in the world for up to 60 days per year!
  • A huge opportunity for career growth as you’ll help shape a market-defining product.

Product Designer (Principal-Level) in London employer: Synthesia

At Synthesia, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that champions innovation and creativity in the AI video space. Our flexible, remote-friendly work culture allows you to thrive from anywhere in Europe or in our vibrant London hub, while our commitment to employee growth ensures that you will have ample opportunities to shape your career alongside a market-defining product. With generous benefits like 25 days of annual leave, a supportive team environment, and a focus on putting customers first, Synthesia is the perfect place for passionate individuals looking to make a meaningful impact.

Synthesia

Contact Details:

Synthesia Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Product Designer (Principal-Level) in London

Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in your industry on LinkedIn or at design meetups. A friendly chat can lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised yet.

Tip Number 2

Show off your work! Create a portfolio that highlights your best projects, especially those that align with the role at Synthesia. Make it easy for hiring managers to see your skills in action.

Tip Number 3

Prepare for interviews by practising common design challenges and questions. Think about how you’d tackle ambiguous problems and be ready to share your thought process.

Tip Number 4

Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive about their job search.

We think you need these skills to ace Product Designer (Principal-Level) in London

Design Leadership
Strategic Thinking
Systems Thinking
Prototyping
User Experience (UX) Design
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Stakeholder Communication

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Principal Product Designer role. Highlight your experience in leading complex design initiatives and how you've raised the craft bar in previous roles. We want to see how you fit into our vision!

Showcase Your Craft:Include a portfolio that demonstrates your design excellence. Focus on projects where you've tackled ambiguous problems and delivered impactful outcomes. We love seeing your thought process, so don't hold back on sharing your insights!

Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, keep it straightforward. Use clear language to communicate your ideas and experiences. We appreciate clarity, especially when it comes to complex concepts, so make sure your application reflects that.

Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you're keen on joining our team at Synthesia!

How to prepare for a job interview at Synthesia

Know Your Craft Inside Out

As a Principal Product Designer, you need to showcase your expertise in design. Be prepared to discuss your past projects in detail, highlighting how you've raised the standard for design quality and clarity. Bring along a portfolio that not only shows your work but also explains your thought process and the impact of your designs.

Embrace Ambiguity

Synthesia values individuals who can navigate complex and unclear problem spaces. During the interview, demonstrate your ability to turn ambiguity into actionable insights. Share examples of how you've reframed problems in the past and the strategies you used to clarify direction for your teams.

Communicate with Confidence and Empathy

You’ll be working with diverse stakeholders, so it’s crucial to communicate complex ideas clearly. Practice articulating your design decisions and the rationale behind them. Use examples from your experience to show how you’ve aligned cross-functional teams around design choices while maintaining empathy for different perspectives.

Show Your Strategic Thinking

Highlight your strategic instincts by discussing how you frame the right problems and contribute to product roadmaps. Prepare to talk about how you’ve influenced prioritisation decisions in previous roles. This will show that you’re not just a designer but a strategic partner who understands the bigger picture.