Founding Designer PM (Product / UI / UX)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Founding Designer PM (Product / UI / UX)

Company: Clera

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design & Management (with a strong emphasis on GTM Operations)

Date Posted: 2026-08-06

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end product design practice, from user discovery to final delivery, within a fast-paced Applied AI startup environment.

• Establish and maintain a scalable design system and reusable component library from inception.

• Translate user insights (qualitative and quantitative) into actionable product decisions and concrete design solutions.

• Collaborate closely with founders and engineering teams to define scope, user flows, and technical requirements for weekly product releases.

• Assume significant Product Management responsibilities, including writing product specifications, prioritizing features, and ensuring team alignment on product strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is unique in its hybrid nature, blending deep product design expertise with core product management functions. The "Founding" aspect implies a significant opportunity to shape the product's initial direction and operationalize design processes from the ground up. The emphasis on "Applied AI" and "generative AI" suggests a need for designers who can translate complex technological capabilities into intuitive user experiences for short-form video content creation.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the complete product design lifecycle, encompassing user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and UX refinement for both web and mobile platforms.

• Develop, document, and champion a comprehensive design system and a robust component library to ensure consistency, scalability, and efficiency across all product touchpoints.

• Conduct continuous user interviews, usability testing, and market research to gather insights that inform product strategy, feature development, and user experience enhancements.

• Partner with engineering and leadership to meticulously define product requirements, scope new features, and establish clear design specifications for implementation.

• Actively contribute to product management duties, including feature prioritization, roadmap input, user story creation, and ensuring clear communication of product vision and strategy to the team.

• Drive iterative product development cycles, participating in daily stand-ups and weekly release planning to ensure timely and high-quality delivery of product updates.

• Collaborate with data scientists and engineers to understand the impact of AI models on user experience and to design interfaces that effectively leverage these capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "ship weekly" indicates a need for agile design processes and efficient workflows. The explicit mention of "PM responsibilities" suggests that candidates will be evaluated on their ability to manage product backlogs, define scope, and make strategic prioritization decisions, not just execute design tasks.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 5-10 years of progressive experience in end-to-end product design for software products, with a proven track record of delivering impactful user experiences.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in designing and maintaining comprehensive design systems with reusable UI components.

• Strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end product UI/UX design for software applications, highlighting problem-solving and user-centric design approaches.

• Proficiency in user research methodologies, including user interviews, usability testing, persona development, and journey mapping.

• Experience with modern frontend technologies (e.g., Next.js, React Native) to effectively inform design decisions and collaborate with engineering teams.

• Ability to create high-fidelity prototypes and mockups using industry-standard design tools.

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and product vision clearly to diverse stakeholders. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in early-stage startups (pre-seed to seed) with a high tolerance for ambiguity and a strong sense of ownership.

• Familiarity with generative AI technologies and their application in creative content generation.

• Experience with product management frameworks and tools for requirement gathering, prioritization, and roadmap planning.

• Strong data analysis skills to interpret quantitative user data and translate it into design improvements.

• Experience in designing for short-form video content creation or social media platforms.

• Ability to think commercially and design solutions that drive user adoption and revenue.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "dealbreakers" for end-to-end product design experience and a strong portfolio are critical. The requirement for familiarity with frontend tech stacks suggests that the company values designers who can bridge the gap between design and development, understanding technical constraints and opportunities.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase at least 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating end-to-end product design ownership for software products.

• Clearly articulate the problem statement, your role, the design process followed, key challenges encountered, and measurable outcomes or impact.

• Include examples of user research, wireframes, user flows, high-fidelity UI designs, and prototypes.

• Highlight your contribution to or creation of a design system and reusable component library, demonstrating scalability and consistency.

• Present examples of how you translated qualitative and quantitative user feedback into concrete design decisions. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate experience in establishing and documenting design processes, including user research protocols, design critique sessions, and UI handoff procedures.

• Provide evidence of creating and maintaining design system documentation, style guides, and component libraries.

• Showcase your ability to define product requirements and specifications, outlining a clear process for their creation and refinement.

• Illustrate how you managed design iterations and incorporated feedback within a fast-paced development cycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "Founding Designer" role means the portfolio should not only showcase design skills but also a proactive approach to defining and implementing design processes and systems from scratch. The ability to demonstrate commercial thinking and user adoption metrics will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Up to $300,000 USD annually (exact salary determined by experience and qualifications).

Benefits:

• Early-stage equity in a pre-seed Applied AI company, offering significant upside potential.

• Opportunity to shape the product vision and design culture of a rapidly growing startup.

• Collaborative and dynamic work environment with direct access to founders and engineering leadership.

• Exposure to cutting-edge generative AI technologies and their application in product development.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week) with the expectation of flexibility and dedication common in early-stage startup environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a senior-level, hybrid design/PM role in San Francisco. The equity component is a significant part of the overall compensation for a founding team member. The "exact floor DOE" indicates negotiation is expected and experience will be the primary driver of the final offer.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Applied AI, Software Development, Creative Technology. Clera operates at the intersection of artificial intelligence and creative intelligence, focusing on tools for short-form video content creation and distribution.

Company Size: Pre-seed startup. This implies a small, agile team where every member has a significant impact and direct influence on the company's direction.

Founded: The company is pre-seed, meaning it is in its earliest stages of development, likely founded very recently with a focus on building its core product and team.

Team Structure:

• The team is small and consists of founders and early hires. This role will be the sole designer initially, working directly with the founding team (likely with technical or business backgrounds) and engineers.

• Reporting structure is flat, with direct access to and collaboration with the founders.

• Cross-functional collaboration is paramount, requiring constant interaction between design, engineering, and product leadership. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making, leveraging both qualitative user feedback and quantitative metrics to guide product development.

• Agile development methodology with a focus on rapid iteration and weekly releases.

• Emphasis on building a scalable design system and robust infrastructure from the outset.

• A culture of ownership, speed, and high tolerance for ambiguity, typical of early-stage startups.

Company Website: https://www.getclera.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The "pre-seed Applied AI startup" context is crucial. It means the company is likely iterating quickly, exploring new technologies, and requires individuals who are comfortable building processes and products from the ground up with limited established structures.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a "Founding" level position, equivalent to a Senior Product Designer or Product Manager with significant strategic influence. It offers the opportunity to define the design function and its operational processes within the company.

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the founders, with a highly collaborative relationship across all functions.

Operations Impact: The Founding Designer PM will have a direct and substantial impact on the company's product strategy, user acquisition, retention, and ultimately, its commercial success. They are instrumental in shaping the core user experience that drives value proposition and market adoption.

Growth Opportunities:

• Opportunity to build and lead the design team as the company scales.

• Develop deep expertise in Applied AI and generative AI product development.

• Gain extensive experience in product management and strategic decision-making within a high-growth startup environment.

• Potential for significant career advancement and equity appreciation as the company grows.

• Become a key opinion leader within the company for all things product and user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Founding" title signifies a pivotal role in shaping the company's future. Growth opportunities are tied to the company's success and the individual's ability to scale their responsibilities from individual contributor to potential team lead or director.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site role requiring in-person collaboration. This suggests a physical office space designed to foster collaboration among the founding team.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, CA, USA. This location offers access to a vibrant tech ecosystem and talent pool.

Workspace Context:

• A highly collaborative and fast-paced environment where cross-functional teams work closely together.

• Access to modern design and development tools and technologies.

• An environment that values rapid prototyping, iterative design, and direct user feedback loops.

• Close proximity to founders and engineers, facilitating quick decision-making and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: While standard full-time hours are expected, the nature of a startup often involves flexibility and a willingness to go the extra mile to meet critical deadlines and product milestones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "on-site" requirement emphasizes the company's value for in-person collaboration, crucial for a small founding team building a complex AI product. This environment will likely be dynamic and demanding, requiring adaptability.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Resume and portfolio review to assess foundational qualifications and design experience.

• Hiring Manager/Founder Interview: Discussion about your background, experience, motivations, and initial thoughts on Clera's product vision. This stage will heavily focus on your understanding of product strategy and design systems.

• Design Challenge/Case Study Presentation: A practical exercise to assess your design thinking, problem-solving skills, and ability to articulate your design process and decisions. This may involve critiquing an existing product or proposing solutions for a defined problem.

• Team/Engineering Collaboration Interview: An interview focused on assessing your ability to collaborate effectively with engineers and other team members, discussing technical feasibility and cross-functional teamwork.

• Final Interview: Likely with the CEO/Founders, focusing on cultural fit, long-term vision alignment, and overall suitability for a founding role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate your portfolio to highlight 2-3 of your strongest, most relevant projects. Prioritize projects that demonstrate end-to-end product design ownership, design system creation, and product management thinking.

• For each project, clearly define the problem, your specific role and contributions, the design process, key decisions, and quantifiable outcomes. Use visual aids effectively.

• Be prepared to discuss your design rationale, trade-offs made, and how you incorporated user feedback and technical constraints.

• For the design system aspect, be ready to show examples of components, guidelines, and how you ensured scalability and consistency.

• Showcase your ability to think commercially – how your designs contributed to business goals or user adoption. Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Clera's product space (Applied AI, generative AI for video content). Research their website and any available information thoroughly.

• Prepare to discuss how you would approach building a design system from scratch for a new AI-powered product.

• Be ready to articulate your user research and discovery process for a product in a nascent market.

• Practice articulating your product management approach, including prioritization frameworks and requirement definition.

• Think about how to design for emerging technologies like generative AI and potential user challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize both design craft and product strategy acumen. The portfolio is paramount, and candidates must be able to articulate their process, impact, and strategic thinking, especially regarding design systems and product management responsibilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), InVision, ProtoPie (or similar for advanced prototyping).

• Design Systems: Figma (for component libraries and design system management), Storybook (for frontend component documentation, though the designer might not directly manage this).

• User Research & Testing: UserTesting.com, Maze, Hotjar, Google Analytics, SurveyMonkey, Typeform.

• Project Management & Collaboration: Jira, Asana, Trello, Notion, Slack.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Hotjar (for heatmaps and session recordings).

• Ability to interpret data from these tools to inform design decisions. CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how user data flows from acquisition through product usage will be important. Familiarity with tools that integrate with product usage data is beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is highly probable given its industry dominance for design systems. Familiarity with tools that support rapid prototyping and user feedback loops is essential for a role focused on weekly releases. Understanding how to leverage analytics to drive design decisions is critical.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Speed & Iteration: A commitment to moving fast, shipping frequently, and iterating based on feedback.

• Ownership: A strong sense of responsibility and accountability for the product's success, from concept to delivery.

• User-Centricity: A deep focus on understanding and serving user needs through thoughtful design.

• Collaboration: A belief in the power of cross-functional teamwork and open communication.

• Commercial Acumen: Designing solutions that not only delight users but also drive business value and revenue.

• Technical Fluency: Understanding the technical landscape and collaborating effectively with engineers to build feasible and innovative products.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, with daily interaction and feedback loops between design, product, and engineering.

• Open communication channels (Slack, in-person meetings) are expected for rapid problem-solving.

• A culture of constructive critique and shared learning, where feedback is welcomed and acted upon.

• Emphasis on clear documentation and specifications to ensure alignment across the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize a blend of creative execution and business pragmatism, essential for a founding role in a startup aiming for market traction. The collaborative style will be intense and direct, reflecting the small team size and high-stakes environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Building from Scratch: Establishing the entire design practice, design system, and core product experience with limited existing frameworks.

• Ambiguity & Rapid Change: Navigating a fast-evolving AI landscape and startup environment where priorities can shift quickly.

• Balancing Design Craft and PM Duties: Effectively managing time and cognitive load between deep design work and product management responsibilities.

• Technical Complexity: Designing intuitive interfaces for cutting-edge AI technologies that may be complex for users to understand.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent vision and execution across design, engineering, and business objectives in a small team.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep dive into Applied AI and generative AI product development, becoming an expert in a rapidly growing field.

• Develop robust product management skills, including strategic planning, roadmap development, and prioritization.

• Opportunity to mentor and shape future design hires as the company grows.

• Gain invaluable experience in building a company from its foundational stages.

• Continuous learning through exposure to new technologies, user feedback, and market dynamics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is the "founding" nature of the role – building something significant from the ground up. Growth opportunities are directly tied to the individual's ability to adapt, learn, and contribute to the company's overall success and scaling.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach building a design system for an early-stage AI product from scratch? What are the key components and considerations?" (Focus on process, scalability, and collaboration)

• "Describe a time you had to make a difficult prioritization decision between user needs and business goals. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Assesses PM skills and commercial thinking)

• "Walk us through your process for translating complex technical capabilities (like generative AI) into simple, intuitive user experiences." (Focuses on AI design and user empathy)

• "How do you ensure your designs are not just aesthetically pleasing but also drive user adoption and commercial success?" (Evaluates commercial mindset) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Clera's mission and the generative AI space?" (Tests genuine interest and understanding)

• "How do you handle ambiguity and rapid changes in project scope or direction?" (Assesses adaptability and startup fit)

• "Describe your ideal collaboration style with engineering and product leadership." (Evaluates teamwork and communication)

• "What does 'ownership' mean to you in a founding team context?" (Probes for accountability and commitment) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure your presentation around 2-3 compelling case studies, starting with the problem and ending with the impact.

• Clearly articulate your specific role and contributions, especially in areas like design systems or PM responsibilities.

• Be prepared to deep-dive into your design process, user research findings, and the rationale behind key design decisions.

• Use visuals effectively to showcase your UI/UX skills and the evolution of your designs.

• Quantify impact wherever possible (e.g., increased conversion, reduced churn, improved user satisfaction metrics).

• Be ready to discuss trade-offs and challenges encountered and how you overcame them.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to demonstrate not only design proficiency but also strategic thinking, product management capabilities, and a strong understanding of the AI/startup landscape. The interview will be rigorous, assessing both hard skills and cultural fit.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided Ashby link.

• Customize your resume: Highlight experience in end-to-end product design, design systems, user research, and any product management responsibilities. Use keywords from the job description (e.g., "Founding Designer," "UI/UX," "Product Management," "Design System," "Applied AI").

• Curate your portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best showcase your ability to own product design from discovery to delivery, build design systems, and think commercially. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates your process and impact.

• Prepare for the interview: Research Clera thoroughly. Anticipate questions about your design process, experience with AI, ability to build from scratch, and your approach to product management. Practice presenting your portfolio and articulating your strategic thinking.

• Craft a compelling cover letter (if applicable): Briefly explain why you are excited about this specific role, Clera's mission, and how your unique blend of design and product management skills makes you an ideal founding team member.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.