Founding Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Founding Product Designer

Company: Alpaca Health

Location: New York City, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design (Technology/Healthcare)

Date Posted: April 23, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site (5 days/week in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the 0→1 development of a parent-facing experience, transforming a complex journey into a simple, clear, and trustworthy portal for families.

• Drive a significant design overhaul of the provider-facing Electronic Health Record (EHR) system, aiming for a fast, intuitive, consumer-grade experience that clinicians enjoy using.

• Establish the foundational design system and user interface (UI) / user experience (UX) principles for both parent and provider products, ensuring a cohesive and scalable system.

• Leverage AI tools and methodologies to accelerate development, unlock new product capabilities, and enhance workflow automation within the design and development process.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is explicitly for a "Founding" Product Designer, indicating a high degree of ownership, autonomy, and responsibility in establishing design direction and execution from the ground up in a startup environment. The emphasis on "0→1 build" and "company-building" signifies an opportunity to shape product strategy and design directly.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end design lifecycle for the parent-facing portal, from initial concept, user research, and prototyping through to final implementation and iteration.

• Conduct in-depth user research, including interviews with parents, Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs), and clinic staff, to identify critical workflows, pain points, and unmet needs.

• Design and prototype seamless, intuitive user flows for key parent interactions such as intake, scheduling, communication, and payment processing.

• Elevate the provider-facing EHR by redesigning its interface to be more intuitive, faster, and delightful, moving away from traditional clunky healthcare software.

• Rapidly prototype and test user flows, iterating designs based on direct user feedback, usability testing results, and usage data.

• Define product requirements, prioritize features ruthlessly, and collaborate closely with engineering teams to ensure rapid and high-quality product shipping.

• Integrate modern AI tools (e.g., for prototyping assistance, workflow automation, AI copilots) to accelerate design and development cycles and explore innovative product features.

• Build scalable design systems and operational tooling, including onboarding flows, engagement loops, and administrative interfaces, that support long-term growth.

• Partner cross-functionally with operations, clinical, and growth teams to ensure product design directly contributes to key business outcomes like faster start-of-care, improved patient retention, and higher service utilization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a hands-on design role with significant strategic input. The expectation to "define product requirements" and "prioritize ruthlessly" suggests a need for strong product thinking and business acumen beyond just UI/UX execution. The emphasis on "building systems that scale" points towards a need for a designer who can think architecturally about design solutions.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's or Master'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 product design, with a strong track record of shipping successful consumer or enterprise products, particularly in early-stage or high-growth startup environments.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Leadership: Proven ability to own and drive the design process for complex products from concept to launch, with a strong emphasis on user-centered design principles.

• Consumer Product Intuition: Demonstrated ability to translate consumer product best practices and aesthetic sensibilities into enterprise or healthcare applications.

• 0→1 Environment Proficiency: Experience thriving in ambiguous, fast-paced startup environments, comfortable with defining product direction and executing rapidly.

• User Research & Insights: Expertise in conducting qualitative user research (interviews, usability testing) and translating findings into actionable product design decisions.

• Prototyping & Iteration: Fluency with modern prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) and a strong ability to rapidly create, test, and iterate on user flows and interfaces.

• AI Tool Integration: Demonstrated experience and comfort using modern AI tools as a force multiplier in design workflows, such as for AI-assisted prototyping, content generation, or workflow automation.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Excellent communication and collaboration skills to effectively partner with engineering, product management, operations, and clinical teams.

• Execution & Ownership Mentality: A strong bias for action, a track record of shipping high-quality work, and the ability to operate with a high degree of ownership.

Preferred Skills:

• Healthcare/EHR Design Experience: Prior experience designing for healthcare systems, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), or complex clinical workflows.

• Design Systems Development: Experience creating, maintaining, and scaling design systems for consistency and efficiency across products.

• Information Architecture & UX Strategy: Strong understanding of how to structure complex information and design user journeys for optimal usability and engagement.

• Agile Development Methodologies: Familiarity with agile and iterative development processes, effectively collaborating within scrum or Kanban frameworks.

• Data-Driven Design: Ability to utilize product analytics and user data to inform design decisions and measure the impact of design changes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-10 Years" experience level, coupled with "Founding" in the title, suggests this role is for a senior individual contributor who can act as a design leader and strategist within the company. The specific mention of AI tools as a "force multiplier" indicates a need for forward-thinking designers who embrace new technologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating your entire design process from problem identification and user research to solution design, prototyping, and iteration.

• 0→1 Product Development: Highlight projects where you initiated and built a product or significant feature from its inception, demonstrating your ability to navigate ambiguity and define product direction.

• Consumer-Grade Design: Include examples of how you've applied consumer product aesthetics and usability principles to complex or enterprise-level applications, ideally in healthcare or a related regulated industry.

• Impact & Metrics: Clearly articulate the problem statement, your design solutions, and the measurable impact of your work, using quantitative data (e.g., conversion rates, task completion times, user satisfaction scores) and qualitative feedback where possible.

• AI Tool Integration Examples: If possible, showcase how you've leveraged AI tools within your design process to enhance efficiency, explore more solutions, or deliver innovative features.

Process Documentation:

• User Research Synthesis: Demonstrate your ability to clearly document and synthesize user research findings, translating raw insights into actionable design requirements and product strategies.

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Provide examples of how you've mapped, analyzed, and redesigned complex user workflows to improve efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance user experience.

• System Design & Scalability: Showcase your thinking around building scalable design systems, reusable components, and consistent user interfaces that can adapt to future product growth.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a "Founding" role, the portfolio is critical. It needs to prove not just design skill, but also product thinking, ownership, and the ability to build from scratch. The emphasis on "0→1" and "AI tools" means candidates should curate their portfolios to prominently feature these aspects.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $100,000 - $200,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary: A lucrative base salary commensurate with experience and the impact of this foundational role.

• Meaningful Equity: Significant stock options or equity grants, reflecting the early-stage nature of the company and the critical contribution of a founding team member.

• Comprehensive Health Benefits: Robust medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to support employee well-being.

• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO): A generous PTO policy allowing employees to take necessary time off for rest, rejuvenation, and personal needs.

• Dinner Stipend/Reimbursement: Provided when working late, acknowledging the dedication and extra effort often required in a startup environment.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected to meet project deadlines and company needs, particularly given the startup context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is broad, reflecting the significant variance in compensation for a "Founding" role based on experience, negotiation, and equity allocation. The inclusion of equity is a key component for early-stage startups and should be a significant factor in evaluating the total compensation package.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare Technology (HealthTech), specifically focused on enabling clinicians to launch and scale their own practices, particularly in autism care.

Company Size: Early-stage startup, likely between 11-50 employees, indicated by "founding" roles and recent funding rounds.

Founded: Alpaca Health was founded with a mission to empower clinicians and shift power in healthcare away from large consolidated entities.

Team Structure:

• Founding Team: This role is part of the initial core team, working closely with founders and early hires across product, engineering, operations, and clinical domains.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: High degree of collaboration is expected across all departments, with product design acting as a central bridge between user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility.

• Lean & Agile Operations: The company likely operates with a lean, agile methodology, emphasizing rapid iteration and data-driven decision-making.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Product Development: Decisions are informed by user research, product analytics, and business metrics, with a strong focus on iterating based on real-world outcomes.

• User-Centric Design: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of both clinicians and patients, ensuring products are intuitive, effective, and empathetic.

• AI-Augmented Workflows: Proactive adoption of AI tools to enhance productivity, unlock new capabilities, and drive innovation across product development and operational processes.

Company Website: https://www.alpacahealth.io/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to "shift power in healthcare away from large consolidated entities and back to clinicians" is a strong indicator of their values and the type of impact they aim to achieve. This mission should resonate with candidates looking to make a significant difference in the healthcare landscape.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a "Founding Product Designer" role, placing it at a senior individual contributor level with significant strategic influence. It's a pivotal position for shaping the company's product and design trajectory.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports directly to a Head of Product, CTO, or a Founder, depending on the current organizational structure. The role will involve close collaboration with engineering leads and business stakeholders.

Operations Impact: The product designer will have a direct and profound impact on the company's success by shaping the core user experiences that drive clinician adoption, patient engagement, and operational efficiency. Success in this role directly translates to business growth and market differentiation.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Trajectory: Potential to grow into a Head of Design or Product Design Lead role as the company scales, building and managing a design team.

• Product Strategy Influence: Deep involvement in product strategy, roadmap planning, and company-wide decision-making due to the foundational nature of the role.

• Domain Expertise: Develop deep expertise in healthcare technology, particularly in niche areas like autism care, and gain invaluable experience in building a company from its earliest stages.

• Skill Expansion: Opportunity to expand skills beyond traditional design into product management, strategic planning, and even operational process improvement, given the hands-on nature of a founding role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Founding" aspect of this role implies a career path that extends beyond typical design progression. It's an opportunity for significant personal and professional growth in a high-impact, entrepreneurial setting. Candidates should consider this as a chance to build something significant.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role requires 5 days a week in the office, indicating a preference for a highly collaborative, in-person work environment typical of early-stage startups focused on rapid development and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): New York City, New York. This provides access to a vibrant tech and healthcare ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office will serve as a central hub for brainstorming, design sprints, and rapid iteration, fostering close collaboration with engineering, product, and operations teams.

• Agile & Iterative Space: Expect a dynamic workspace that supports quick feedback loops, prototyping sessions, and hands-on development.

• Tooling & Technology: Access to modern design and development tools, including AI-powered software, to facilitate efficient and innovative work.

Work Schedule: While a standard 40-hour work week is implied, the startup environment necessitates flexibility. Expect periods of intense work to meet critical deadlines, balanced by the company's commitment to employee well-being through flexible PTO and other benefits.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit requirement for 5 days a week in the office is a key differentiator. It signals a company culture that values in-person collaboration, spontaneous ideation, and strong team bonds, which is crucial for "0→1" product development.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A conversation with a recruiter or hiring manager to assess overall fit, experience, and initial interest.

• Portfolio Review & Design Exercise: A deep dive into your portfolio, focusing on your process, decision-making, and impact. This may be followed by a take-home design challenge or an in-person design exercise.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with key team members from engineering, product, and operations to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and cultural alignment.

• Founder/Leadership Interview: A final discussion with company leadership to assess strategic thinking, ownership mentality, and long-term vision alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies to tell a clear narrative: the problem, your approach, your solutions, and the outcome.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes) to illustrate your design process and final solutions effectively.

• Highlight "0→1" and AI: Explicitly call out projects where you built from scratch and demonstrate how you leveraged AI tools. Quantify impact wherever possible.

• Focus on Process & Rationale: Explain why you made certain design decisions, referencing user research, data, or strategic goals.

• Tailor to Alpaca Health: Understand Alpaca Health's mission and target users (clinicians, parents) and highlight relevant experience or empathy for their challenges.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the User: Be prepared to deeply consider the needs of both parents navigating care and clinicians providing it.

• Embrace Ambiguity: Expect challenges that require you to define requirements and make assumptions, demonstrating your ability to handle uncertainty.

• Focus on User Flows & Core Journeys: Practice designing key user journeys for scenarios typical in healthcare settings (e.g., onboarding, scheduling, communication).

• Think Scalability: Consider how your solutions can scale with company growth and evolving user needs.

• AI Integration: Be ready to discuss how AI could enhance the proposed solution or your design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to test not only design skills but also strategic thinking, adaptability, and the ability to thrive in an early-stage startup environment. A strong, well-curated portfolio that highlights "0→1" experience and AI tool usage will be paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable given industry standard), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Likely Jira, Asana, or Trello for task tracking and workflow management.

• User Research Platforms: Tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, or even internal tools for conducting and analyzing user interviews and usability tests.

• AI Design Tools: This is a key area. Platforms or plugins for AI-assisted prototyping, generative design, AI copilots for design tasks, or tools for AI-powered workflow automation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics to track user behavior, feature adoption, and engagement metrics.

• Data Visualization: Potentially tools like Tableau or Looker for deeper data analysis, though dashboarding might be handled in collaboration with data teams.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: While not a direct design tool, understanding how the product interfaces with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) or internal customer data platforms is beneficial.

• Integration & Workflow: Familiarity with how different systems integrate and how design can facilitate streamlined workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "AI tools" is a critical requirement. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience and proficiency with specific AI-powered design or productivity tools. Proficiency in Figma is almost a given for modern product design roles.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Clinician Empowerment: A core value driving the mission to put clinicians in control of their practices.

• Patient-Centricity: A deep commitment to improving the lives of patients and their families through accessible and effective care.

• Innovation & AI Adoption: Embracing new technologies, particularly AI, to drive efficiency and create novel solutions.

• Bias for Action & Execution: A culture that values rapid iteration, shipping quickly, and learning from real-world implementation.

• Ownership & Accountability: Each team member is expected to act like an owner, taking responsibility for their work and its impact on the company's success.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Synergy: Strong emphasis on breaking down silos and fostering close collaboration between design, engineering, product, operations, and clinical teams.

• Open Communication & Feedback: A culture that encourages honest, constructive feedback to drive continuous improvement in both product and processes.

• Agile & Iterative: Embracing agile methodologies to work efficiently, adapt to change, and deliver value incrementally.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values are directly tied to its mission. Candidates should demonstrate how their personal values align with these, particularly regarding empowering clinicians, improving patient outcomes, and embracing innovation.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Healthcare Complexity: Designing for a regulated industry with complex workflows, diverse user needs (parents vs. clinicians), and stringent compliance requirements.

• Building from Scratch (0→1): The inherent challenge of defining product vision, strategy, and execution in a nascent stage, requiring constant problem-solving and prioritization.

• Balancing Consumer Appeal with Clinical Depth: Creating an experience that is both intuitive and delightful for parents while also being robust and functional for clinicians.

• Integrating AI Effectively: Identifying and implementing AI tools that genuinely enhance user experience and operational efficiency, rather than becoming a gimmick.

• Rapid Scaling: Designing solutions that are not only functional today but can scale effectively as the company grows its user base and service offerings.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Healthcare Domain Expertise: Gaining unparalleled insight into the operational and clinical aspects of running specialized care practices.

• Company Building Experience: Direct involvement in all facets of early-stage startup growth, from product development to strategic decision-making.

• Advanced AI Application: Becoming proficient in leveraging cutting-edge AI tools for design and product development in a real-world context.

• Leadership Development: The potential to grow into a leadership role, mentoring junior designers and shaping the future of the design function at Alpaca Health.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are significant but come with equally significant growth opportunities. Candidates should view these challenges as chances to learn, develop new skills, and make a tangible impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for tackling a 0→1 product challenge. How do you define requirements and prioritize features when starting from scratch?"

• "How would you approach designing a user experience that needs to be both consumer-friendly for parents and highly functional for clinicians in a healthcare setting?"

• "Tell me about a time you had to make a difficult trade-off in your design process. What was the situation, and how did you decide?"

• "How do you see AI tools impacting the future of product design, and how have you integrated them into your own workflow?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Alpaca Health's mission to empower clinicians?"

• "How do you see your role as a 'Founding Product Designer' contributing to the company's culture and long-term success?"

• "Describe your ideal collaboration style with engineering and product management teams."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": Clearly articulate the business problem and user needs for each case study.

• Showcase Your Process: Walk through your research, ideation, prototyping, and iteration phases, explaining your rationale at each step.

• Highlight Impact: Quantify the results of your designs whenever possible (e.g., improved conversion, reduced task time, higher satisfaction).

• Emphasize 0→1 & AI: Dedicate specific slides or talking points to projects built from scratch and your use of AI tools.

• Be Concise & Engaging: Aim for clarity and brevity, allowing time for discussion and questions. Practice your walkthrough to ensure a smooth flow.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to discuss specific examples of how you've used AI tools in your design process. This is a stated requirement and differentiator for this role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features 2-3 in-depth case studies showcasing your 0→1 product development experience, user research capabilities, and consumer-grade design sensibilities. Explicitly highlight any projects where you leveraged AI tools.

• Tailor Your Resume: Update your resume to emphasize achievements and responsibilities relevant to a founding product designer role in a startup, focusing on impact, ownership, and problem-solving. Integrate keywords like "0→1," "AI tools," "EHR," "healthcare," and "user research."

• Prepare Your Pitch: Be ready to articulate your design philosophy, your approach to ambiguous problems, and your passion for Alpaca Health's mission. Practice presenting your portfolio case studies concisely and effectively.

• Research Alpaca Health: Understand their mission, target market (clinicians, parents), and the challenges within autism care. Prepare thoughtful questions about their product strategy, design challenges, and company culture.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions based on the provided data. All details, especially regarding specific responsibilities, team structure, and interview processes, should be verified directly with Alpaca Health during the application and interview stages.