--- title: 'Head of Design, AI Builder (all genders) at Babbel' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/head-of-design-ai-builder-all-genders-babbel-berlin-7n6w53fzhgha' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-13' --- # Head of Design, AI Builder (all genders) at Babbel - **Company:** Babbel - **Location:** Berlin, Germany - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** hybrid - **Posted:** 2026-10-02 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-13 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/babbel/dd99c522-b820-4bca-a779-648138bba47d ## Job description ## About Babbel Labs Babbel Labs is building the future of language learning. We are an AI-first, independent company within the Babbel group, based in Berlin. Our teams bring AI, research and product together to ship experiences that set a new standard for how people learn. ## The role We're a small, fast-moving team rethinking how people learn languages with AI. We're looking for an experienced product designer to take over hands-on design leadership: shaping the product's direction, running discovery, and getting work delivered. This is a design leadership and mentoring role, not a people management role. You'll guide the craft and direction of the design team. Speed, precision and quality are how we work. You'll set the pace. You'll work AI-first, using various ways to test ideas quickly and turning the best ones into experiences that are ready to hand off. ## How you'll make an impact - Lead design across discovery and delivery, owning key design decisions for AI-first language learning experiences. - Design AI-powered learning experiences. Shape how learners interact with AI, from conversation and voice to feedback that stays clear and trustworthy even when the AI gets things wrong. - Work as an AI builder. Use AI tools first to speed up research, exploring ideas, prototyping and delivery. - Prototype in code. Build prototypes in SwiftUI and HTML to test ideas and produce vision prototypes that are ready to hand off. - Design with Claude Code and Figma together. Figma is one tool among several here, not where every project starts. - Coach and mentor the small, experienced design team, who also work as AI builders, and help them share one set of AI-first design principles. - Work across disciplines with engineers, product managers, linguists and language learning specialists. ## Your skills and qualifications - Proven design leadership. Solid experience leading product design, with a record of shipping work that users actually adopted. - Excellent UI craft and motion design. Learning happens moment by moment, so polished interfaces and purposeful motion are essential to a great learning experience. - Hands-on prototyping in code. You're comfortable in SwiftUI and HTML/CSS/JS and can build things people can use and test. - AI fluency. You use AI tools like Claude Code as a real part of how you design, not an add-on. - Design systems know-how. A working knowledge of design systems and how they make teams faster and more consistent. - A coaching mindset. Experience coaching designers and raising a team's standards through example, feedback and shared practices. - Clear communication. You work well with technical and non-technical partners, including specialists like linguists and learning designers. - Comfort with ambiguity. You thrive on fast iteration and figuring things out as you go. ## What you'll get - Room to learn new tools as they arrive. Try them on real work as soon as they come out, and help decide what the team adopts. - A consumer product used around the world. Design for a live product that real learners use every day, globally. - A competitive salary. What success looks like - Delivery-ready prototypes. Prototypes that give engineering and stakeholders a clear vision to build from. - Faster, better design work. Quality and speed improve through AI tools and design systems. - An aligned design team. A team that is coached, confident and aligned on AI-first design principles. Ways of working This is a hands-on design leadership role on a small, experienced design team that works AI-first. AI tools are built into how the whole team works every day, from discovery to delivery. It is hybrid: a mix of time together in the office and working remotely. Diversity at Babbel As part of our ongoing journey towards building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive company, we welcome everyone to apply, especially individuals who are underrepresented in tech. We are a learning company, inside and out, and we encourage you to apply even if you do not fit all the technical requirements — all candidates are assessed based on skills, qualifications, and our business needs. Please state your pronouns in your application, and let us know if you'd like to be addressed by a name other than the one appearing on your official documents. If you have a disability or special need, feel welcome to inform us so we can provide proper assistance in the application process. ## About Babbel ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Babbel is a subscription-based language learning platform that offers self-paced lessons, live classes, and AI-powered conversation practice across 14 languages. - **Entity Type**: Private (Privately Held) - **Headquarters**: Berlin, Germany (with an office in New York City, USA) - **Founded**: 2007 - **Founders**: Thomas Holl, Markus Witte, Lorenz Heine, Toine Diepstraten ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: E-Learning / Language Education - **Target customers**: B2C (individual learners) and B2B (Babbel for Business for corporate training) - **Mission or purpose statement**: “Creating mutual understanding through language” ## Products & Services - **[Babbel App](https://www.babbel.com/)**: Award-winning self-study app with over 60,000 lessons in 14 languages. Includes speech recognition, interactive dialogues, and progress tracking. - **[Babbel Live](https://www.babbel.com/live)**: Instructor-led live group classes for real-time conversation practice. - **[Babbel Speak](https://www.babbel.com/speak)**: AI-powered conversation partner that guides users through realistic scenarios without pressure. - **[Babbel for Business](https://www.babbel.com/business)**: Corporate language training solution for teams and enterprises. - **[Babbel Podcasts & Magazine](https://www.babbel.com/magazine)**: Free cultural and language‑learning content, including podcasts and articles. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (private company) - **Key Metric**: Over 25 million subscriptions sold; 1,299 total employees (per Built In) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not disclosed in sources consulted - **Growth Signals**: - Named to GSV 150 list of most transformational digital learning companies (2025) - Fast Company’s Most Innovative Language Learning Company (2023) - 92% of users improved proficiency in 2 months (internal study) - Proven effectiveness studies with Yale University, City University of New York, and Michigan State University - Employee base of 1,000+ representing 80+ nationalities ## Competitive Advantages - **Content moat**: All lessons created in‑house by 200+ linguists, ensuring high quality and pedagogical rigor. - **Proven methodology**: Backed by academic studies showing real‑world speaking confidence. - **AI integration**: Babbel Speak offers stress‑free, AI‑driven conversation practice, blending technology with human expertise. - **First‑mover**: Pioneered online language learning in 2007 and remains one of the most recognized brands in the space. ## Strategic Focus - Expanding AI capabilities (Babbel Speak) to personalize and accelerate learning. - Growing B2B segment (Babbel for Business) and live class offerings. - Deepening content library across 14 languages and all proficiency levels. - Maintaining leadership in digital learning innovation (consistent awards and recognitions). ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Diverse, international team (80+ nationalities) based in Berlin and New York. Emphasis on mutual understanding and inclusion. - **Work policy**: On‑site presence expected (offices in Berlin and NYC); not fully remote. - **Employee ratings**: 3.5/5 on LinkedIn (Work‑Life: 4.4, Culture: 3.8, Compensation: 3.0, Career: 3.3). - **Notable perks**: Opportunity to work on a mission‑driven product used by millions; access to language learning resources; modern offices in central locations. ## Sources 1. [Babbel Careers](https://jobs.babbel.com/en) 2. [Babbel About Us](https://www.babbel.com/about-us) 3. [Babbel LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/babbel-com) 4. [Built In Babbel Profile](https://builtin.com/company/babbel) 5. 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