Founding Design Engineer

Role overview GovWell seeks a Founding Design Engineer to join its New York, NY office. As one of the first hires, this role works closely with the founding team to create and refine engineering solutions for clients. The position combines design, development, and hands-on implementation. What you will do Collaborate with founders to influence product direction and make key technical choices Design and build solutions that address specific client requirements Implement features and adjust quickly in response to feedback

Founding Designer at Garage (Y Combinator W24)About GarageGarage is revolutionizing the way local governments acquire and exchange essential equipment—from radios to fire trucks. Our platform has successfully facilitated the purchase of equipment and vehicles that serve millions of citizens across all 50 states, empowering municipalities to optimize their budgets.Backed by $18 million in funding from prominent investors like Y Combinator and Initialized Capital, we are a dynamic team of high achievers with backgrounds from Twitter, Ramp, Goldman Sachs, PayPal, Honey, and Mem AI, all based in New York City. As our Founding Designer, you will work closely with the founders and the CTO to drive our design vision.At Garage, we believe that outstanding design is integral to our success. In a crowded market, we aim to establish a new standard of excellence and create the marketplace of the future.Role Overview:Lead and expand the design function for both brand identity and product development.Oversee the visual design of our products, focusing on seamless buyer and seller interactions within the marketplace.Develop engaging sales and marketing materials (both static and video) that will reach hundreds of thousands of users nationwide.Collaborate closely with marketing and engineering teams to deliver high-fidelity designs.Engage with customers and leverage data, research, and iterative feedback to enhance user experiences.Contribute to building our design team and delve into areas of personal interest as the company grows.Willingness to work in-person in our NYC office.Who We Are Seeking:An innovative designer who thrives in a fast-paced, high-performing startup environment.Expertise in UX design, with a strong grasp of user flows, interaction design, and usability principles.A keen eye for aesthetics and meticulous attention to detail.What We Offer:Attractive salary, stock options, and opportunities for professional growth.Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

About PhoebeAt Phoebe, we are revolutionizing the home healthcare landscape in America by providing a seamless coordination layer for one of the nation's largest labor markets. Join us on this transformative journey!Your RoleLead the user experience design for our flagship operations product and an innovative mobile talent agent.Craft intuitive software that users love to interact with.Engage in rapid development cycles to iterate and improve our offerings.Conduct user interviews, perform UX audits, and translate feedback into actionable design enhancements.Embed our core design principles into every product:Efficient cycle times: You prioritize speed and iteration.Commitment to quality: Your designs are polished and impactful.Your ProfileA minimum of 2 years of experience in product design.Demonstrated experience in designing functional software that users rely on.Strong aesthetic judgment with the ability to discuss design quality eloquently.An acute awareness of user experience, both positive and negative, in everyday design.A portfolio showcasing your best work, reflecting your design journey.Design ToolsProficient in Figma for design processes.Experience with advanced prototyping tools like Cursor or similar AI-driven solutions.What We OfferAn opportunity to shape the design language of a rapidly growing company.Competitive salary paired with equity options above market standards.A small, dynamic team where your contributions make a direct impact on customers.Work in-person in vibrant NYC (Chinatown / Lower East Side).Learn from seasoned founders in the field - Justin (CEO) previously sold Bayes (YC S19) to Airtable, while Dave developed and sold Kamana, a travel nursing app.

About GovWellAt GovWell, we believe that every citizen and taxpayer deserves an efficient and effective government. Currently, navigating government services can be a cumbersome experience. Our mission is to revolutionize this by creating an AI operating system that enhances how local agencies serve their communities.We are replacing outdated software systems used by municipalities and counties, enabling public servants to drastically improve public service delivery and reduce internal processing times for permits and licenses by up to 90%.Founded in 2023, GovWell has already facilitated over 5,000 critical processes for agencies across more than 30 states, impacting millions of residents. With $10M in seed funding from Work-Bench and Bienville Capital, our team collaborates in-person at our headquarters in New York City. Learn more about our journey in TechCrunch.

Join Packz as Our Founding Product DesignerPackz is an innovative and leading platform for gamified collectibles. Users can open digital packs to receive physical trading cards, which they can either keep or sell back instantly. In just six months since our launch, we've achieved remarkable success with over $15 million in packs opened and tens of thousands of cards shipped. Our company has garnered support from some of the most reputable investors in the industry, including those who have previously funded renowned companies like DraftKings, StockX, and The Athletic.Our web platform has been operational since October and is experiencing strong traction. We are excited to launch our iOS app this month. Joining our small, dedicated team presents a unique opportunity to be a key player in a market projected to exceed $100 billion.Your RoleAs our first full-time designer, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the user experience across both our web and iOS platforms. We are seeking an outstanding product designer who will take ownership of the user experience from concept through to launch, defining the visual and functional aspects of Packz as we grow.Your design contributions will be crucial, as our product needs to create excitement, foster trust, clearly communicate value, and simplify complex user flows on both web and iOS. You will collaborate closely with the founders and engineering team, influencing the product from initial ideas to final execution.Key ResponsibilitiesLead the product design process from inception to completion across Packz's web and iOS platforms.Design the core customer journey, encompassing pack discovery, purchasing, opening, reveal moments, collection management, redemption, and cash-out.Simplify complex product mechanics into intuitive and trustworthy user experiences.Work collaboratively with founders, engineers, and cross-functional teams to prioritize tasks and rapidly prototype ideas.Utilize AI-assisted tools, prototyping, and lightweight coding to explore user flows and enhance interfaces.Conduct targeted user research and usability testing to gain insights into customer behavior.Develop and refine Packz's design system to maintain consistency and quality across all platforms.

At August, we are pioneering an innovative AI platform tailored specifically for law firms, focused on enhancing their practices. Unlike existing solutions aimed at the AmLaw 100, our mission centers around midsized firms, where efficiency, exceptional client service, and competitive edge are crucial.Our advanced platform empowers lawyers to draft, review, and analyze documents with remarkable speed, transforming tasks that once took hours into mere minutes. We are trusted by progressive law firms across the United States, Australia, and Asia, and we are supported by prominent investors (NEA, Pear VC, Stanford Law) as we expand our global reach.At August, we prioritize agility, learning directly from our clients, and we are excited about the transformative potential of AI in the legal field.The OpportunityAugust is on a mission to develop AGI for the legal sector. Our intelligent agents replicate legal reasoning, research, and drafting capabilities, and so far, our workflows have demonstrated superior performance in independent assessments. We are targeting mid-market law firms, automating their legal processes, and enabling them to deliver our cutting-edge tools to their clients. As a Founding Designer at August, you will play a pivotal role in defining our design function—crafting the product experience, enhancing our brand identity, and establishing a vibrant design culture. Collaborating closely with founders, engineers, and legal professionals, you will create intuitive interfaces for complex AI workflows and develop a brand that resonates with law firms globally.

Join Concourse as a Founding Designer and play a pivotal role in shaping our brand from the ground up. You will be at the forefront of our design initiatives, contributing to both product and marketing efforts while collaborating closely with our founding team. This is a unique opportunity to help define the visual identity and user experience of a groundbreaking platform.

About MosaicMosaic is an innovative AI-driven deal modeling platform tailored for the private markets, utilized by top-tier investors and advisors such as Warburg Pincus, CVC, New Mountain, and Evercore. Our platform revolutionizes core deal analyses—encompassing LBOs and DCFs—enabling investment teams to accelerate their processes, minimize spreadsheet errors, and dedicate more time to strategic investment decisions.With a unique blend of deterministic calculations and AI-enhanced workflows, Mosaic delivers replicable and audit-ready outputs that private equity, credit, and investment banking teams can rely on for billion-dollar transactions.At Mosaic, we are on a mission to establish the AI-powered operating system for the world’s most discerning investors and their advisors. As we experience rapid growth, we are expanding our teams across engineering, product, customer enablement, and go-to-market sectors.If you are passionate about the convergence of finance and technology, this is a unique opportunity to influence how the industry will operate for years to come.

About UsAt Endex, we are at the forefront of revolutionizing the finance industry through advanced AI technology. We envision a future where financial institutions leverage AI analysts to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency. Our cutting-edge digital coworker, expertly integrated into Excel, is designed to transform how financial professionals interact with AI. Backed by significant funding from OpenAI, we are committed to shaping the future of finance with our innovative solutions.Role OverviewLocation: New York CityCommitment: 5-6 days in-personAs the Founding Designer at Endex, you will play a pivotal role in defining the user experience for financial professionals utilizing AI in critical workflows. You will create intuitive interfaces for our agentic AI technology, develop a scalable design system, and establish a visually compelling identity for our groundbreaking product. This is a unique opportunity to influence how Wall Street engages with AI.Your ResponsibilitiesUser Experience Design: Design comprehensive user journeys for AI interaction in Excel, focusing on intuitive interfaces for complex tasks such as prompting, reviewing, and iterating on AI outputs.Onboarding Experience: Develop an engaging onboarding process that transforms new users from uncertainty to dependency on our AI solutions.Design System Development: Build and maintain a cohesive design system from the ground up.Brand Visual Identity: Establish Endex's brand through our products, marketing platforms, and other materials, ensuring a sophisticated and cutting-edge visual language.Collaborative Efforts: Partner with Engineering and Product teams to implement designs, balancing user needs with technical limitations, particularly within the Excel add-in framework.Conversion Optimization: Design effective signup flows, pricing pages, and upgrade prompts to enhance user conversion rates.Your ProfileProduct Design Expertise: A strong portfolio showcasing your ability to execute end-to-end product design, from research to high-fidelity prototypes and launched features.Collaboration Skills: Proven experience working in cross-functional teams to deliver compelling design solutions.Problem-Solving Mindset: Ability to navigate complex design challenges and propose innovative solutions.

About Finch LegalAt Finch, we are dedicated to ensuring that every household in America has the access to legal counsel during life’s pivotal moments. We are innovating the legal framework to make justice more accessible than ever. Our contemporary take on consumer law simplifies administrative tasks, allowing us to prioritize our clients' needs, starting with personal injury cases.Since our inception in April, we have seen a remarkable growth of 10x, currently facilitating pre-litigation processes for leading law firms nationwide. Our unique approach merges expert operators with tailored AI technology, streamlining everything from intake and claim openings to medical records and lien management.Supported by prominent investors including Sequoia and Redpoint, along with founders and CEOs from industry giants like DoorDash and Ironclad, we are fundamentally transforming how legal services assist everyday Americans. We are on the lookout for exceptional talent to help us expand our vision across the country.Your RoleAs the Founding Designer at Finch Legal, you will play a crucial role in humanizing our product, which impacts individuals at their most vulnerable moments. You will be our inaugural design hire, working closely with leadership and having significant input on the product's evolution.Key ResponsibilitiesYou will take charge of design across all aspects of Finch's operations—from product and brand to emerging AI experiences. This position is dynamic and will evolve as the company grows, allowing you to define its scope while executing your vision.Develop internal case management tools to enhance the efficiency of our legal operations team.Create law firm-facing portals that provide partners with real-time visibility and control over their cases.Design client experiences that simplify the complexities of legal processes.Shape Finch's public image, including branding, marketing website, and visual identity.Establish our foundational design system to foster a common language of quality among product, design, and engineering teams.Ideal CandidateWe are looking for a visionary designer capable of setting the design standards from the ground up. You should possess a broad skill set, strong conviction, and the agility to work quickly without compromising quality.Essential Qualifications4+ years as a founding or sole designer, or 7+ years in a senior/lead design position with comprehensive ownership.Proven experience in creating user-centered designs that effectively communicate complex information.Strong portfolio showcasing a range of design projects.Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams and communicate design concepts to stakeholders.Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.

Role overview Smith Engineering is seeking a Director of Design Engineering to lead its design team in New York City. This leader will oversee the development of engineering solutions that meet client requirements and comply with industry standards. The role involves shaping project direction and supporting the growth of a skilled group of engineers. What you will do Guide and manage the design engineering team Drive the creation of efficient, high-quality engineering designs Ensure all work aligns with client needs and industry standards Mentor and develop engineering talent within the team Influence the direction of engineering projects at Smith Engineering

Role overview govwell is looking for a Founding Software Engineer to join its platform team in New York, NY. As one of the first engineers, this person will influence technical decisions and help build core systems that support government agencies. What you will do Design and develop scalable systems for the govwell platform Collaborate with teammates in engineering, product, and other areas Help define technical direction and set standards for the platform Build solutions that improve public services Impact This position shapes the technology foundation at govwell and advances the goal of empowering government agencies through stronger software.

Join Highbeam in revolutionizing business banking and cash management!Our innovative platform integrates AI-driven agents, automated financial workflows, and seamless financial products, designed to help businesses save valuable time and resources.Trusted by industry leaders such as Cuts, Tushy, and NYON, our customers have generated billions in sales.Our talented team includes alumni from prestigious companies like Shopify, Square, Toast, and McKinsey, and we have successfully raised $42M in equity from top investors including Acrew, FirstMark, Mayfield, and Two Sigma Ventures.

Founding Backend EngineerCompany Overviewfuku is an innovative and rapidly expanding social shopping platform co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni. With a user base exceeding 350,000 and an impressive 90% retention rate, fuku is at the forefront of transforming online shopping through community engagement, personalized experiences, and AI-driven recommendations. Join our dynamic, mission-oriented founding team and play a key role in defining the future of social commerce.Key Job Information- Location: New York City (relocation support provided)- Work Type: On-site, full-time- Required Experience: 3+ years- Salary Range: $160,000 – $200,000 per year- Visa Sponsorship: Available for H-1B, O-1, OPTRole SummaryIn the role of Founding Backend Engineer, you will take ownership of and enhance fuku's data infrastructure, essential for powering search, personalization, and recommendations. Collaborating closely with the CTO and machine learning engineers, you'll design robust data pipelines, architect backend systems, and establish best practices for backend engineering. This is a unique founding opportunity where you will have substantial product and technical ownership.Responsibilities- Design and implement backend systems for fuku's recommendation engine and shopping experience.- Develop and maintain data pipelines for processing large-scale datasets from diverse sources.- Create reusable APIs and microservices for core product functionalities.- Collaborate with the ML team to integrate machine learning models into production.- Ensure system reliability, scalability, and maintainability across the backend stack.- Set and uphold backend engineering standards and technical best practices.Requirements- At least 3 years of backend engineering experience.- Strong expertise in Python and cloud platforms (AWS/GCP).- Practical experience in building data pipelines and microservices architectures.- Familiarity with Airflow, gRPC, GraphQL.- In-depth knowledge of search and vector database technologies, including: - HNSW (Hierarchical Navigable Small World) - OpenSearch / Elasticsearch - Approximate Nearest Neighbor (ANN) frameworks- Exceptional system design and problem-solving capabilities.- Willingness to work in-person in New York City (relocation assistance provided).Benefits & Perks- Competitive salary with equity in the company.- Comprehensive health, vision, and life insurance.- 401(k) plan with company matching.- Complimentary daily lunches, snacks, and late-night Ubers.- Opportunity to work closely with founders and early team members, influencing product and technical direction.Interview Process1. Introductory chat with the Head of Recruiting2. Technical interview3. Coding assessment4. CTO interview5. Onsite interview (technical + cultural fit)6. Offer extended7. Onboarding

Join OuterSignal as a Founding Software EngineerAt OuterSignal, we are pioneering the customer intelligence layer for commerce. While brands track orders, they often miss the larger picture, seeing only about 5% of the complete narrative. We provide insights into the remaining 95%, revealing not just who purchased, but also key information about those individuals — including executives, influencers, journalists, retail buyers, investors, and loyal customers who can become a brand’s strongest advocates. Our innovative platform enhances every order in real-time with both professional and personal signals, enabling smarter outreach, improved analytics, and better business development leads. In just six months, we've partnered with over 150 brands and are experiencing a monthly growth rate of 50%. Our small, high-performing team is committed to building a category-defining platform for e-commerce customer intelligence, supported by a world-class group of investors.Your Responsibilities:Design and manage core systems that handle millions of orders via APIs and LLM pipelines.Develop queue-based microservices utilizing Redis, Node.js, TypeScript, PostgreSQL, Docker/Kubernetes, and Vercel.Integrate vector databases and RAG pipelines to enhance customer profiles, making them smarter, faster, and more searchable in real-time.Deliver features end-to-end: from APIs to dashboards and integrations (including Shopify, Klaviyo, Slack, Zapier, and Gorgias).Ensure compliance with privacy regulations and best practices.Collaborate closely with the founding team on product vision, roadmap, and future hiring of engineers.Your Profile:5+ years of engineering experience, particularly in backend infrastructure and distributed systems.Proven experience in a fast-paced startup environment or a strong willingness to adapt to dynamic work conditions.Proficient in JavaScript/TypeScript (Node), with additional familiarity in Python and Machine Learning being a plus.Experience with vector databases (such as Pinecone, Weaviate, pgvector) and RAG architectures.Comfortable designing schemas and scaling PostgreSQL databases.Bonus if you have experience building applications around LLMs, Shopify, or data privacy frameworks.Above all, you desire ownership of your work. You thrive in rapid development environments, enjoy tackling complex challenges, and are not deterred by the chaos that often accompanies early-stage projects.

Join Savvy as a Founding Platform Engineer, where you will play a pivotal role in building innovative solutions that power our platform. As a key member of our team, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to design, implement, and optimize our backend systems. Your expertise will help shape the technological backbone of our services, ensuring scalability and reliability.

Join us as a Founding Software Engineer with extensive full-stack development expertise to shape the future of our innovative AI platform tailored for market due diligence. You will take full ownership of developing features from the ground up—spanning AI-driven backend systems to sleek frontend interfaces utilized by investment professionals in Private Equity, Hedge Funds, Private Credit, and Corporate M&A to guide billion-dollar decisions.About DiligenceSquaredDiligenceSquared revolutionizes commercial due diligence for Private Equity funds. Backed by Y Combinator, we recently secured a substantial Seed round, and our clientele includes some of the largest PE funds globally.The market is valued at over $10 billion annually, with PE funds investing $500,000 to $1 million per report with firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain. Our AI solutions provide these services faster, more cost-effectively, and with superior accuracy compared to traditional methods.Our founders have firsthand experience in this domain, having traded these reports while holding senior positions at Blackstone and BCG. We possess profound insights into the workflows and are now focused on automating these processes.Your Responsibilities:Develop new product features and user experiences end-to-end, from database schemas to API endpoints, and integrate them with UI components for our web application and AI Voice Agent.Design and build AI-powered modules from scratch (e.g., market sizing, competitive analysis) that will be integral to our research platform.Establish and manage product foundations across the stack, including AI agent orchestration, voice AI pipelines, interactive data visualizations, application and API performance, and intelligent automations.Incorporate lessons learned from every project into the product development, ensuring continuous incremental improvements (the Law of Compounding is critical, especially for a company founded by investment experts).Qualifications:Minimum of 3 years of professional full-stack development experience.Strong command of React/TypeScript and Python.Experience in developing intelligent systems using LLM platforms (e.g., Anthropic, OpenAI).Extensive hands-on experience with LLMs in production, focusing on building reliable intelligent systems.Proficient with PostgreSQL and SQL database architecture.Familiarity with modern frontend architecture, state management, and API design.

Overview: Spur is the AI QA Engineer for every company.Location: New York CityAt Spur, we create groundbreaking technology designed to redefine quality assurance: autonomous browser agents that think, explore, validate, and self-heal like actual users. We aren’t just another testing tool; we are revolutionizing the way digital teams deliver with confidence.The market response has been resounding. Leading brands such as Alo Yoga, Living Spaces, HelloFresh, Nextdoor, and Abercrombie & Fitch are actively engaging with us. Demand is skyrocketing, sales cycles are swift, and our product delivers — teams can go live in days, not months.Our elite team comprises builders from DeepMind, Figma, and former founders who are producing at a pace that larger companies cannot match.Our Mission: We aim to empower our customers to deliver exceptional digital experiences.Explore our Manifesto: https://www.spurtest.com/founders-letterThe RoleAs the founding engineer specializing in infrastructure and backend, you will design the core architecture of Spur’s platform—defining, building, and scaling critical infrastructure that powers our web agents.You will oversee our entire stack from top to bottom, orchestrating vast fleets of browsers and web agents in the cloud while optimizing them for massive scale. Collaborating closely with the founders, you will tackle pioneering infrastructure challenges that have a direct impact on our customers and set the benchmark across our stack, from low-level infrastructure to the user experience delivered by our agents.What You Will DoBuild and scale our core infrastructure to deploy and manage thousands of browser and web agents daily.Design, implement, and maintain our clusters, CI/CD processes, observability, and best practices.Rapidly iterate in collaboration with product, engineering, and the founders.Bonus PointsExperience with distributed task queues and optimizing performance/scalability.A history of generating impact in small teams and scaling infrastructure from the ground up.You Will Excel Here If YouHave 5+ years of experience designing, deploying, and managing infrastructure at scale.Possess deep expertise in Docker and cloud technologies.

About Sailor HealthSailor Health is dedicated to addressing the urgent mental health crisis affecting older adults. In the U.S., seniors are the demographic with the highest suicide rates but often lack adequate mental health services. With projections indicating that by 2030, over 65 million seniors will represent nearly a quarter of the U.S. population, this issue demands immediate attention.We are developing an innovative platform focused on senior mental health, facilitating connections between older adults, therapists, healthcare professionals, and insurance providers. Our AI-driven operating system enhances care coordination, provides real-time clinical insights, and simplifies insurance billing, allowing therapists to dedicate more time to compassionate care.Our rapid growth and partnership with Medicare enable us to deliver exceptional and affordable psychotherapy to hundreds of patients. We are proud to have the support of distinguished founders from Ramp, Nourish, Headway, Charlie Health, and Spring Health.⭐ About the RoleLocation: HQ - New York City - Remote.We are seeking a Founding Full-Stack Engineer who will spearhead the development of our AI-enhanced platform from its architectural design through to launch. You will collaborate closely with our co-founders to establish the systems and AI infrastructure that drive our platform, including tools for therapists and care navigation support.This is a unique opportunity to create and launch an AI-first product from the ground up at a startup that has achieved exceptional product-market fit. You will be responsible for significant technical decisions, influence our engineering culture, and rapidly bring innovative ideas to fruition. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and seek to make a meaningful impact through your coding, we want to connect with you.

Join Noto as a Founding Engineer!At Noto, we are revolutionizing the way after-school businesses operate by creating an AI-native operating system tailored for tutoring centers, music schools, and sports academies. Our goal is to empower the 150,000 after-school businesses across the U.S. with a seamless platform that modernizes outdated tools and eliminates the chaos of spreadsheets.With our recent funding of $3.8M seed from esteemed investors like Base10 Partners and South Park Commons, we are poised for rapid growth.Founded by visionary technical leaders, AJ Ding (CEO) and Steve Wang (CTO), we are based in NYC and are in the process of building a passionate team dedicated to quality, user experience, and making a significant impact.Become part of our mission to empower small-business owners within local communities!(Our team enjoying karaoke with a valued customer)Meet Our Founders AJ Ding (CEO) - A second-time founder with a background in AI recruiting and experience as a machine learning engineer and data scientist at Quora, Lyft, and Meta. AJ holds a degree in Statistics from Yale and has a personal connection to small business ownership.Steve Wang (CTO) - Previously the Head of Engineering at Nitra, Steve has extensive experience in data science and engineering at Lyft. He studied math at Harvard and has Canadian roots.Work Environment 4 days in-office (Union Square area)1 day remote per week1 week per quarter to work from anywhereOpportunities for occasional travel for team off-sites and client visitsOur Company Culture Strong Team Spirit: We collaborate closely and celebrate our shared achievements.Impact-Driven: We prioritize meaningful work that makes a difference.