About the Role
We are hiring an Advancing Product Designer to join Zeraki's internal product design team. You will report to the Product Design Lead and contribute across our product suite as needs surface. The role sits in a product trio with a PM and a Tech Lead, owning features end-to-end from problem framing through to post-release review. You will work inside the Discovery v3.2 process with mentorship from the design lead and a clear path to the next level through Zeraki's performance framework.
What You'll Do
● User research and discovery. Run user interviews, contextual observation, and usability testing with senior support. Maintain a live assumption log per project. Turn field evidence into design decisions.
● Interaction design and information architecture. Design end-to-end mobile-first flows that handle the happy path, edge cases, and failure recovery. Map dependencies across products where they exist.
● Visual design and design system. Work fluently within the Zeraki Design System. Flag gaps with specific recommendations rather than working around them. Maintain consistency across multi-screen flows.
● Prototyping and tools. Build low to mid-fidelity prototypes in Figma. Move to high-fidelity when validation calls for it. Use components, variants, and auto-layout fluently.
● Collaboration and handoff. Walk tech leads through full Figma files before sprint planning. Produce handoffs that engineering can build from without follow-up questions. Defend design decisions in trio reviews.
● Outcomes. Connect design decisions to user outcomes, not just deliverables. Contribute to post-release usability reviews 2-4 weeks after each ship.
Requirements
What We’re Looking For
1-2 years of product design experience, including at least two features owned through to dev handoff.
Strong fluency in Figma, including component creation, auto-layout, and working inside a shared design system.
Mobile-first design instincts with awareness of low-bandwidth and shared-device contexts.
Ability to frame a user problem before reaching for a solution.
Clear written and verbal communication. Comfortable defending a design position with evidence.
Curiosity about the African school context and the people who run, attend, and pay for these schools.
Bachelor's Degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Fine Arts, or any related courses
Nice to Have
Exposure to user testing or usability research.
Background working with schools or education systems in Africa.
What we offer
Why Zeraki?
Zeraki is transforming education in Africa building tools for the real challenges schools face every day. Our designers don’t just create beautiful screens. We solve problems that matter. We work fast, think collaboratively, and care deeply about outcomes.
What You’ll Gain
● A high-impact mission - Help schools operate better and deliver education more effectively.
● A dynamic, supportive team - Join a group of designers, engineers, and PMs who love feedback, clarity, and working fast.
● Clear growth pathways - Advance your career through Zeraki’s performance framework, mentorship, and hands-on feature ownership.
● Autonomy with accountability - Lead small features end-to-end, contribute to critiques, and shape what good design looks like.
● Real-world learning - Design for mobile-first, offline, and low-literacy contexts. It’s challenging, but rewarding.
● Flexibility - Remote-friendly environment with async collaboration practices and protected focus time.
Our culture
At Zeraki, our strength is rooted in our vibrant culture, driven by a shared commitment for integrity, learning, and excellence. Our environment demands the highest standards and focuses on delivering results. We hire and develop the best, manage through trust, value empathy, and practice having a backbone in all our dealings. We are a team that thrives on freedom, responsibility, and the pursuit of excellence. Joining us means being part of a community dedicated to growth, innovation, and transformation.
About the Company
Zeraki is a Kenyan EdTech company serving over 7,000 schools across East Africa. Our products cover school performance analytics, fee management, student learning, and financial collections. We design for mobile-first, low-bandwidth, real-world African school contexts. Our designers solve operational problems for bursars, teachers, parents, and students, and we measure success by adoption and outcomes, not deliverables.