Front End (UX) Design Engineer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Front End (UX) Design Engineer

Company: Obin AI

Location: NYC-Metro (On-site)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design & Frontend Engineering

Date Posted: 2026-02-05

Experience Level: 5-10 years

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the development and maintenance of a scalable design system, focusing on a reusable component library for data-intensive financial applications.

• Translate complex customer pain points and manual workflows from financial institutions into interactive prototypes that clearly demonstrate product value.

• Collaborate closely with AI Engineers to bridge sophisticated LLM and RAG-driven data outputs into intuitive, high-fidelity visual components.

• Integrate AI-assisted development tools and agentic workflows to accelerate frontend delivery and enhance development efficiency.

• Define and set the user experience (UX) and design-engineering standards for Obin AI as a foundational member of the design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a hybrid of UX Design and Frontend Engineering, emphasizing a "designer who codes" profile. The core focus is on building user interfaces for AI-driven financial applications, requiring a strong understanding of both aesthetic design and functional implementation.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Architect and build a comprehensive, reusable component library to form the foundation of Obin AI's design system.

• Conduct user research and stakeholder interviews within major financial firms to deeply understand existing manual workflows and pain points.

• Develop high-fidelity, interactive prototypes that effectively communicate product value propositions and proposed solutions.

• Translate complex AI outputs, including LLM responses and RAG-driven data, into user-friendly, visually appealing, and technically sound frontend components.

• Implement AI-assisted development tools and agentic workflows to streamline the frontend development lifecycle and improve delivery speed.

• Establish and document design-engineering standards, best practices, and guidelines for the company's user experience.

• Work cross-functionally with AI Engineers and Product leadership to ensure seamless integration of design and backend logic.

• Iterate rapidly on user interfaces based on feedback, prioritizing functional shipping and continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on approach to both design and development, with a significant emphasis on bridging the gap between complex AI technology and user experience in a sensitive domain like finance.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for roles requiring this level of technical and design expertise.

Experience: 5–10 years of professional experience in UX/Product Design, with a significant portion dedicated to Frontend Engineering.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in UX/Product Design, including user research, wireframing, prototyping, and visual design.

• Deep proficiency in Frontend Engineering, with a strong command of React and its ecosystem.

• Hands-on experience with AI-powered coding agents and development workflows to build and deploy production-ready code.

• Direct experience designing and building user interfaces for AI/ML products, specifically addressing challenges like streaming text, multi-step agent reasoning, and model transparency.

• Strong visual design skills with a keen eye for detail, aesthetic excellence, and user intuition for enterprise users.

• Demonstrated ability to translate abstract design concepts into responsive, functional, and high-fidelity code.

• A proactive, iterative mindset focused on shipping functional features quickly and iterating based on feedback.

• Excellent communication skills, particularly in articulating design intent and technical constraints to cross-functional teams.

• Experience with Figma or similar advanced design and prototyping tools.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with user research methodologies and UX evaluation techniques.

• Background in Fintech, credit systems, or enterprise risk management tools.

• Experience building custom internal tools or "agent playgrounds" for AI engineers.

• Familiarity with building and maintaining component libraries and design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a rare blend of advanced UX/UI design skills, robust frontend development capabilities, and direct experience with AI technologies in a financial context. The "hunger to iterate fast" suggests a startup environment where rapid prototyping and deployment are key.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 significant projects demonstrating a strong UX/Product Design background.

• For each project, clearly articulate the user problem, your design process, design decisions, and the final implemented solution.

• Include examples of interactive prototypes created using tools like Figma.

• Highlight projects where you have directly implemented frontend code (preferably React) for the designs presented.

• Demonstrate experience in building or contributing to a design system or component library.

• Include case studies that specifically address UI/UX challenges related to AI/ML products, such as handling complex data, explaining AI outputs, or managing user interactions with AI agents.

Process Documentation:

• Candidates should be prepared to discuss their design and development process in detail.

• Be ready to explain how you translate user needs and business requirements into actionable design and engineering tasks.

• Articulate your approach to collaborating with engineers and stakeholders throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Describe your methodology for iterating on designs and code based on user feedback and performance metrics.

• Explain how you leverage AI tools in your design and development workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is critical for this role, as it serves as direct evidence of the candidate's ability to perform both design and frontend engineering tasks, especially with AI-related products. The emphasis on "implementing" designs into code means the portfolio should lean heavily on live examples or detailed walkthroughs of implemented features.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a UX Design Engineer with 5-10 years of experience in the NYC-Metro area, especially in a high-demand field like AI and Fintech, the estimated salary range is typically between $140,000 - $200,000 annually. This can vary based on the candidate's specific experience, the company's funding stage, and the exact nature of equity compensation.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and potential for equity in an early-stage startup.

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• Paid time off (PTO) and holidays.

• Opportunities for professional development and continuous learning in cutting-edge AI and design technologies.

• Flexible work arrangements (as the role is listed as TELECOMMUTE, though some on-site collaboration may be expected).

• Direct impact and ownership in a fast-growing AI company.

Working Hours: The standard full-time work week is typically 40 hours. However, in a startup environment, there may be expectations for flexibility and dedication to meet project timelines, especially given the emphasis on rapid iteration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given Obin AI is an early-stage company, compensation likely includes a base salary plus equity. The salary estimate is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in the NYC area, considering the specialized skillset and experience level. The "TELECOMMUTE" location type combined with "NYC-Metro" suggests a hybrid model or a remote role with expectations for occasional on-site meetings in the metropolitan area.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically focused on developing AI solutions for the financial sector (Fintech).

Company Size: Early-stage startup (likely under 50 employees, given the "earliest hires" context). This means a highly dynamic, fast-paced environment with significant opportunities for impact.

Founded: Obin AI is a relatively new company, founded by experienced individuals (ex-Google), aiming to disrupt financial workflows with AI.

Team Structure:

• Small, agile team comprising founders, AI Engineers, and early hires like this UX Design Engineer.

• Direct collaboration with founders (ex-Google) and experienced AI Engineers.

• Flat hierarchy, encouraging direct communication and cross-functional teamwork.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making, heavily reliant on AI and ML.

• Rapid prototyping and iterative development cycles.

• Focus on user-centric design informed by direct customer feedback from financial firms.

• Integration of AI-assisted development tools to enhance productivity and speed.

• Building scalable and robust solutions for complex financial applications.

Company Website: Obin AI (domain inferred as obin.ai, though not explicitly provided).

📝 Enhancement Note: As an early-stage AI startup, Obin AI likely fosters a culture of innovation, speed, and ownership. The small team size and direct involvement of founders suggest a collaborative environment where individual contributions have a significant impact. The "ex-Google" founders imply a strong technical foundation and a high bar for execution.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is for a senior individual contributor, acting as the foundational UX Design Engineer. It's a pivotal role that will shape the product's user experience and the company's design-engineering practices from the ground up.

Reporting Structure: The UX Design Engineer will likely report directly to one of the founders or a lead engineering/product manager. Given the early stage, direct access to leadership is expected.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct and substantial impact on Obin AI's success by:

• Defining the usability and adoption of their AI financial products.

• Ensuring complex AI technology is accessible and trustworthy for enterprise users.

• Accelerating product development through efficient design and frontend implementation.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven UI/UX, advanced frontend frameworks, and design systems for complex applications.

• Leadership Potential: As the company grows, there's potential to build and lead a design team, becoming a Design Lead or Head of Product Design.

• Broader Product Influence: Gain in-depth knowledge of AI, LLMs, RAG, and the Fintech industry, evolving into a product-focused role or a hybrid AI/UX strategist.

• Startup Equity Growth: Benefit from potential significant equity appreciation as the company scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: This is a high-impact, high-growth opportunity for a candidate who thrives in an early-stage environment. The "founding design engineer hire" status suggests significant autonomy and the potential to shape the company's future.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The "NYC-Metro" location with "TELECOMMUTE" suggests a hybrid work model or a remote-first approach with occasional in-person collaboration required in the New York City metropolitan area. This allows for flexibility while maintaining team cohesion.

Office Location(s): Specific office location within NYC-Metro is not detailed, but accessibility for occasional team meetings or collaboration sessions would be a consideration.

Workspace Context:

• Highly collaborative environment where designers and engineers work closely together.

• Access to modern design and development tools, including AI-assisted development platforms.

• Expected to work with data-heavy financial applications, requiring a focus on clarity, accuracy, and trust.

• Dynamic startup atmosphere with a focus on rapid iteration and problem-solving.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with founders and key technical team members.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours/week), with potential for flexibility to accommodate project deadlines and rapid development cycles. Emphasis on output and impact over strict time tracking.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid/remote aspect for an NYC-Metro based role indicates a modern approach to work, balancing flexibility with the need for in-person collaboration, especially critical in an early-stage startup for building culture and fostering rapid ideation.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

2. Technical/Portfolio Review: A deep dive into your portfolio with a focus on UX/UI design principles, frontend implementation (React), and experience with AI/ML products. Expect to walk through specific projects and discuss your design and development process.

3. Design & Engineering Challenge: A take-home assignment or live coding session to assess your skills in Figma, React, and potentially your approach to integrating AI tools or handling complex data visualization. This might involve designing a small feature or implementing a component based on provided requirements.

4. Founder/Team Interviews: Discussions with founders and key AI Engineers to evaluate strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, communication skills, and cultural alignment with the startup environment. Expect questions about your approach to building design systems, handling enterprise UX, and your vision for AI-driven interfaces.

5. Final Round: Potentially a final discussion to confirm fit and discuss offer details.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Focus on visually demonstrating your work. Include high-quality mockups, interactive prototypes, and links to live implementations or code repositories (e.g., GitHub).

• Detail Your Process: For each project, clearly outline the problem, your role, the steps you took (research, ideation, design, development, testing), and the outcome.

• Highlight AI/Fintech Experience: Specifically call out any projects involving AI/ML, LLMs, RAG, or the Fintech domain. Detail the unique challenges and solutions you implemented.

• Emphasize Implementation: Since this is a hybrid role, showcase your frontend engineering skills. Show code snippets or explain how your designs were translated into functional React components.

• Quantify Impact: If possible, provide metrics on how your designs improved user experience, efficiency, or business outcomes.

• Tailor to the Role: Ensure your portfolio prominently features skills relevant to Obin AI's needs: design systems, enterprise UX, AI interfaces, and rapid iteration.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a design challenge that might involve creating a UI for a complex data visualization or an interactive element for an AI agent.

• For coding challenges, refresh your knowledge of React, component-based architecture, and potentially state management.

• Practice articulating your thought process clearly and concisely, as you'll need to explain your design and coding decisions.

• Familiarize yourself with common AI/ML UI patterns and challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will likely be rigorous, testing both design craft and engineering execution. A portfolio that clearly bridges these two domains, with a focus on AI and enterprise applications, will be paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (primary for UI design, wireframing, and interactive prototyping).

• Frontend Development: React (core framework), JavaScript, HTML, CSS.

• AI/ML Integration: Experience with LLM outputs, RAG data interpretation, and potentially AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, agentic workflow tools).

• Version Control: Git, GitHub/GitLab/Bitbucket.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly mentioned for this role, familiarity with analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude) for understanding user behavior post-launch would be beneficial.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this role's core responsibilities, but understanding how design and frontend implementation integrate with broader Go-To-Market (GTM) operations and CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) can be a plus.

• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines for frontend deployment.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and React is non-negotiable. The key differentiator will be hands-on experience with AI-generated content and the ability to implement it effectively into user interfaces. Companies in this space are increasingly adopting AI coding assistants.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation: A drive to create cutting-edge AI solutions for finance.

• User-Centricity: Deep focus on understanding and solving customer pain points.

• Speed & Agility: Commitment to rapid iteration and quick delivery in a startup environment.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on cross-functional teamwork between design, engineering, and founders.

• Ownership: Encouraging individuals to take responsibility for outcomes and drive projects forward.

• Trustworthiness: Building reliable and transparent AI products for enterprise clients.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, with frequent interaction between design and engineering teams.

• Open communication channels, encouraging direct feedback and knowledge sharing.

• Cross-functional problem-solving where designers and engineers work together to overcome technical and UX challenges.

• Emphasis on collective responsibility for product success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is likely to be fast-paced, demanding, and rewarding, with a strong emphasis on innovation and teamwork. Candidates should be comfortable with ambiguity and a high degree of autonomy.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Bridging AI Complexity with UX Simplicity: Translating intricate AI logic (LLM, RAG) into interfaces that are intuitive and trustworthy for financial professionals.

• Rapid Iteration in a Startup: Balancing the need for speed with maintaining high design and code quality, especially for enterprise-grade financial applications.

• Defining New UX Paradigms: Establishing novel design patterns for AI-driven workflows in a domain that traditionally values conservatism and precision.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring seamless integration and communication between design, AI engineering, and product strategy.

• Building from Scratch: Establishing a design system and core UI components for a new product suite.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Cutting-Edge AI Technologies: Gaining deep practical experience with LLMs, RAG, and agentic AI systems.

• Fintech Domain Expertise: Developing a nuanced understanding of financial workflows and compliance requirements.

• Design System Development: Leading the creation of a scalable design system from inception.

• Startup Growth: Experiencing the growth trajectory of an early-stage AI company, potentially leading to future leadership roles.

• Advanced Frontend Techniques: Staying abreast of the latest in React and related frontend technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are significant but directly align with the growth opportunities, making this an attractive role for ambitious professionals looking to make a substantial impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for translating a complex user problem, like a manual financial workflow, into an interactive prototype." (Focus on user research, ideation, Figma prototyping, and stakeholder validation.)

• "How would you approach building a design system for a data-heavy financial application with AI components? What are the key considerations for reusability and scalability?" (Discuss component architecture, visual language, documentation, and collaboration with engineers.)

• "Imagine you're given the output of an LLM that's providing financial analysis. How would you design a React component to display this information clearly and build user trust?" (Focus on data visualization, transparency, error handling, and user feedback mechanisms.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in Obin AI and our mission to apply AI to finance?" (Research Obin AI's specific product, target market, and founders' backgrounds.)

• "How do you handle rapid iteration and changing priorities in a startup environment?" (Emphasize adaptability, problem-solving, and a focus on outcomes.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio by project, clearly stating the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the impact.

• Highlight Key Projects: Focus on 2-3 most relevant projects that showcase your hybrid UX/Frontend skills, AI/Fintech experience, and design system contributions.

• Demonstrate Interaction: Use interactive prototypes or screen recordings to bring your designs to life.

• Explain Code Implementation: For at least one project, discuss how you translated your designs into functional code, showcasing your React expertise.

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, present metrics or user feedback that demonstrate the success of your work.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design decisions, technical implementation, and problem-solving approaches for each project.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should heavily emphasize demonstrating the fusion of design and engineering skills, with a clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities in applying AI to the financial sector.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Front End (UX) Design Engineer position at Obin AI:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.gem.com.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects demonstrating your expertise in UX/Product Design, Frontend Engineering (React), design systems, and any experience with AI/ML products or Fintech. Tailor your presentation to highlight how your skills align with Obin AI's mission.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your 5-10 years of experience, emphasizing your hybrid skillset. Use keywords like "UX Design Engineer," "Figma," "React," "Design System," "AI Prototyping," "LLM," "RAG," and "Fintech." Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design and development process, prepare to discuss your portfolio projects in detail, and research Obin AI's company, founders, and mission. Be ready to answer strategic questions about AI UX and enterprise design.

• Company Research: Understand Obin AI's specific focus within AI and finance. Familiarize yourself with their potential target customers and the challenges they aim to solve. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.