Head of Design

About Hilo by Aktiia

High blood pressure is the world’s most common disease, causing 18M deaths each year. At Hilo by Aktiia, our vision is a world where no lives are lost or damaged from the effects of high blood pressure. Our mission is to make this a reality by developing tech to help people control their blood pressure.

We are a venture-backed scale-up company, having raised over $96M from investors in Europe and the United States. Our technology - rooted in 18 years of research at the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM) - is the world’s only medically accurate, continuous blood pressure monitor that is cuffless in daily life in the consumer space. Validated through extensive clinical trials and CE Marked as a Class IIa medical device, our solution is now available in 12 countries. We are a hybrid/remote-first company, with Headquarters in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, united by our passion for impact and innovation.

Role Overview

We are looking for an exceptional Head of Design to define how Hilo works, feels, and delights across every product touchpoint. This is a senior, strategic role: you will own the end-to-end design vision, craft, and quality for both digital and physical experiences, setting the design standard for the entire company.

You will guide and inspire our product designers, shaping the hardware, app, and digital experiences while establishing a culture of excellence and attention to detail. This role is about how our products function, interact, and resonate with users - from motion and interaction design to materials, form, and tactile experience.

As the guardian of Hilo’s design integrity, you will translate complex product challenges into elegant, cohesive, and human-centered solutions. You will ensure that every touchpoint, from wearable devices to digital interfaces, is thoughtful, intuitive, and a delight to use, making design a key driver of our mission to improve cardiovascular health worldwide.

This is a role for a designer who balances strategic vision with a meticulous eye for craft, elevates the work of others, and leaves a visible imprint on everything the company creates.

Core Responsibilities

End-to-End Experience Design

• Shape the look, feel, and behaviour of our digital and physical product experiences
• Ensure a seamless and cohesive experience across app, web, device, and all customer interactions
• Obsess over detail - from motion and interaction design to layout, typography, and visual systems
• Partner closely with product and engineering to bring high-quality experiences to life

Hardware & Physical Product Sensibility

• Contribute to the design direction of physical products, including materials, form factor, and finishes
• Ensure consistency between hardware design and broader product and brand experiences
• Bring a strong point of view on how physical and digital experiences come together

Design Leadership & Quality Bar

• Act as the primary owner of design decisions across the company
• Provide clear creative direction and feedback to designers and cross-functional teams
• Raise the overall standard of design through strong taste, critique, and hands-on guidance
• Step in hands-on when needed to ensure critical work meets the highest quality standards

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with product, engineering, marketing, and leadership teams
• Ensure design is fully integrated into product development and company decision-making
• Work in tandem with our Brand Manager to ensure execution is robust across all endpoints, marketing materials, and outward-facing products
• Note: We are currently undergoing a product design refactor, and you will need to work in a strongly collaborative fashion during this transformation process

Building the Design Function

• Shape how design operates as a function within the company
• Establish clear principles, processes, and ways of working that support high-quality output
• Foster a culture of craft, attention to detail, and continuous improvement