Job Description

Founding Product Designer
Location: New York City (In-person only)
Type: Full-time
Compensation: Up to $200,000
Equity: Up to 0.5%
About the Role Our client is hiring a Founding Product Designer to help shape the future of a fast-growing startup that's redefining how professionals interact with complex information. This is a rare opportunity to define the design DNA of a product from the ground up--blending craft, clarity, and systems thinking to solve meaningful problems with elegance and precision.
You'll be the bridge between users, product strategy, and engineering execution. From concept to polish, you'll lead the creation of intuitive, intelligent experiences that make deep knowledge accessible and actionable.
If you thrive in early-stage environments, obsess over the details, and want to build something that truly matters--this is your moment.
Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design process: research, ideation, prototyping, and final execution
• Collaborate directly with founders and engineers to shape product vision and UX principles
• Build and maintain a scalable design system that evolves with the product
• Define the visual language across product, web, and brand surfaces
• Conduct user research and translate insights into elegant, intuitive interfaces
• Champion a design culture rooted in clarity, simplicity, and first-principles thinking

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience designing and shipping high-quality digital products
• A portfolio that demonstrates exceptional interaction, visual, and systems design
• Experience at design-forward companies (e.g., Notion, Figma, Stripe, Airbnb, Linear)
• Deep understanding of user-centered design and a sharp eye for detail
• Comfortable operating with autonomy and ambiguity in a fast-paced startup
• Thrive in a collaborative, in-person team culture in NYC
• High taste level, humility, and curiosity--you sweat the small stuff

Why This Role Stands Out

• Founding impact: Define the product and design DNA from day one
• Creative freedom: Full ownership of design direction and experience
• Collaborative team: Work with thoughtful, execution-driven builders
• Equity and ownership: Up to 0.5% equity with real influence on trajectory
• Premium environment: A design culture inspired by the best--Linear, Notion, Figma

Skills Required