Design Engineer (UI design, React, AI-first role, NOT DEV ROLE) - Fulltime - Overlap EST -

They are looking for a Design Engineer - a hybrid profile who can both design and build highly polished, pixel-perfect frontend experiences.

This is not a traditional software engineering role and not a pure design role. We are specifically looking for someone who owns the full interface experience end to end: design, frontend implementation, motion, micro-interactions, copy, and overall product polish.

Your work will be judged by what you ship, not by coding tests.

Important: This is not a standard developer role. Candidates with purely software engineering backgrounds without strong design ownership are unlikely to be a fit.

Responsibilities

End-to-End Interface Ownership

• Own screens from design through shipped production code
• Design layouts, hierarchy, spacing, and visual structure
• Build polished, premium, consumer-facing product experiences

Frontend Implementation

Implement production-ready frontend experiences Ship pixel-perfect user-facing interfaces Connect frontend experiences to real product behavior and data

Motion & Interaction Design

Build animations and micro-interactions Design smooth transitions, hover states, loading states, error states, and interaction feedback

Product Craft

Maintain a very high bar for aesthetic quality and interface polish Obsess over typography, spacing, consistency, alignment, and small details Refine interface copy so the product feels cohesive and intentional

AI-Native Execution

Use AI coding tools fluently to ship quickly Work independently while managing multiple parallel workstreams

Required Skills

React Next.js TypeScript Tailwind CSS Framer Motion JavaScript Modern CSS architecture Production frontend development

Strong portfolio of products you personally designed and implemented end to end Strong design taste and exceptional attention to UI quality and detail Experience building polished consumer-facing products Strong understanding of animations, micro-interactions, and frontend polish Experience shipping live production applications Ability to work autonomously with minimal onboarding Daily fluency using AI-assisted development tools Excellent written and verbal English communication

Consumer SaaS Fintech Privacy / Security products Productivity software Mobile-first applications

Preferred titles:

Design Engineer UX Engineer Design Technologist Creative Developer Frontend Design Engineer

We may consider adjacent profiles if their work demonstrates strong design + engineering overlap.

Not a Fit

Generally not a fit if background is primarily:

Traditional Frontend Engineering without design ownership Pure Product Design without coding implementation Agency or marketing website development Brand / print design Game UI B2B enterprise dashboards

Portfolios that feel visually busy, template-driven, marketing-oriented, or overly flashy will likely not be a fit.

Role Details

Contract engagement Begins with a two-week trial High autonomy and accountability Fast-moving AI-native team Multiple concurrent workstreams ⓘ View potential timezone restrictions East Coast timezone overlap required