Principal Product Designer

We want to make work and study more efficient and enjoyable, by providing the best digital paper solution possible. We plan to be the go-to tool for all forms of notes. Our digital paper and learning ecosystem inspires anyone to take notes, share what they know, collaborate with others, and learn as a community.

We're searching for an exceptional Principal Product Designer to join our team. In this pivotal role, you'll own the design of Goodnotes' holistic user experience. As a design leader, you'll bring strategic vision and creative passion to craft innovative, user-centric solutions that enhance the Goodnotes experience for millions of users worldwide.

This role is a cornerstone of our mission to create the best medium for human and AI collaboration. You will be working in a dedicated team focused on enhancing and refining our holistic product experience, ensuring Goodnotes remains a leader in the productivity space. By continually advancing our design standards, your work will directly shape how millions of users engage with Goodnotes, fostering innovation and impact across the globe.

Our team is spread between Asia and Europe. You're welcome to work remotely from anywhere, with at least 4 hours overlap with the people you'd be working closely with, or you can join us in our Hong Kong or London office. Due to the asynchronous nature of working that Goodnotes has adopted, any time difference will not impact your work-life balance.

As Principal Product Designer, you will lead efforts to create a seamless and innovative product experience that deeply resonates with users. This role combines strategic oversight with hands-on design work, ensuring the Goodnotes experience is cohesive across platforms while leveraging emerging technologies to deliver meaningful solutions.

Your responsibilities include shaping the design vision, solving complex challenges, and bringing direction and clarity to cross-functional teams. You will be instrumental in aligning stakeholders and ensuring simplicity, consistency, and delight in every aspect of the product experience.

Strategic Vision

• Take ownership of a product area, driving its future vision while ensuring it complements a cohesive Goodnotes experience across all platforms (iOS, macOS, Android, Web).
• Solve complex, ambiguous challenges, creating clarity and actionable strategies for the design team and stakeholders.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to integrate generative AI, machine learning, and other emerging technologies into the product experience, proactively identifying opportunities for innovation and collaboration.

Hands-On Design

• Create high-fidelity wireframes, prototypes, and interaction patterns that exemplify best-in-class user experience.
• Deeply understand our users by leading, facilitating, and proactively planning research sessions, synthesising data and insights, and running lightweight studies to ensure solutions address real needs and problems effectively.

Team Collaboration and Leadership

• Lead by example as an experienced IC design leader, mentoring and inspiring designers across the organisation while guiding complex, strategic projects to completion.
• Regularly collaborate with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders, ensuring their involvement throughout the design process to foster alignment and shared goals.
• Advocate for design excellence at Goodnotes, helping raise the bar for the team's practices through mentoring, feedback, and contributing to a culture of collaboration.

• At least 10–12 years of experience in product design, with a proven track record of serving as an IC design leader (Staff or Principal level) who has led significant, high-impact design initiatives at scale across complex organisations.
• Strong portfolio showcasing holistic design thinking, from strategic vision to high-quality execution.
• Expertise in UX design, interaction design, and visual design, with a strong understanding of how to work with design systems.
• Experience designing and working with cutting-edge technologies such as AI and machine learning to create innovative and user-friendly solutions.
• Exceptional communication and facilitation skills, with the ability to align diverse stakeholders and translate complex ideas into actionable designs.
• Ability to coach and mentor designers, fostering a culture of collaboration, creativity, and continuous improvement.
• Deep understanding of user research methodologies and the ability to synthesise insights into impactful design solutions.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to zoom in for detail and zoom out to see the bigger picture, complemented by strong product and technical knowledge to ensure alignment with business goals and technological feasibility.

This role requires demonstrated design leadership experience, including:

• Prior experience successfully operating as an IC (Individual Contributor) at a Staff or Principal level, where you have led strategic, high-impact projects and driven measurable outcomes.
• Vision-setting, solving ambiguity, and delivering scalable design strategies that influence organisational goals and cross-functional collaboration, while proactively leading projects and communications to connect disciplines and ensure alignment across initiatives.
• Focused leadership in shaping holistic product experiences and aligning efforts across the entire company to elevate overall design quality.

What else would help you, but is not required:

• Experience in fast-paced startup environments.
• Familiarity with front-end development principles.
• Thought leadership in the design community, such as speaking at conferences or publishing articles.

Even if you don't meet all the criteria listed above, we would still love to hear from you Goodnotes places a lot of value on learning and development and will support your growth if needed.

• An introductory call with someone from our talent acquisition team. They want to hear more about your background, what you are looking for, and why you'd like to join GoodNotes.
• A one hour call with our Head of Design. You'll be expected to walk through your portfolio and give an overview of your experience as a designer during this call.
• A one hour portfolio review with our team.
• A 1.5 hour whiteboard session with our design team where we co-ideate and see how we can work together.
• A 45 minute call with our Director of Product.

• Meaningful equity in a profitable tech-startup.
• Budget for things like noise cancelling headphones, setting up your home office, personal development, professional training, and health & wellness.
• Sponsored visits to our Hong Kong or London office every 2 years.
• Company wide annual offsite.
• Flexible working hours and location.
• Medical insurance for you and your dependents.

Dream big
—Be visionary, strategic, and open to innovation.
Build great things
—Work in service of our users, always improving and pushing higher.
Take ownership
—Take responsibility with bold decision-making and bias for action.
Win like a sports team
—Be trusting and collaborative while empowering others.
Learn and grow fast
—Never stop learning and iterate fast.
Share our passion
—Share ideas and practice enthusiasm and joy.

Note: Employment is contingent upon successful completion of background checks, including verification of employment, education, and criminal records.

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