Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer
Company: Fern
Location: United States (On-site in Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Product Design / Developer Experience
Date Posted: January 7, 2026
Experience Level: 4+ Years
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is at the nexus of Product Design, Developer Experience (DX), and Brand strategy, focusing on creating intuitive systems and interfaces for engineers.
• You will be instrumental in shaping the visual and interactive design of Fern's core product offerings, including its Dashboard, SDKs, and documentation.
• A significant aspect of this position involves leading the redesign of Fern's marketing website to enhance brand perception and clearly articulate value propositions.
• You will take ownership of evolving Fern's design system, ensuring consistency, accessibility, and scalability across all product touchpoints.
• This is a high-impact, hands-on role where design directly influences product adoption, user trust, and overall usability within a hyper-growth startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the primary focus is Product Design, the emphasis on Developer Experience (DX) and the target audience being engineers positions this role within a critical GTM (Go-To-Market) support function, requiring a deep understanding of user needs in technical contexts. The "On-site" requirement in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is a key detail for candidates to consider, especially with the proximity bonus.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design user-centric systems and experiences for developers and platform teams, translating customer pain points into scalable, opinionated design solutions.
• Lead the redesign of Fern's marketing website to align with a new brand identity, effectively communicate value, and establish a high standard for design quality in developer tooling.
• Elevate the user experience of Fern's developer documentation platform, aiming to set a benchmark above competitors through strong information architecture and interaction design.
• Develop intuitive self-service product experiences within the Dashboard for Docs and SDKs, aiming to reduce friction and empower teams to accelerate their integration processes.
• Own, evolve, and scale the design system for Fern's Dashboard, ensuring consistency, accessibility, and increased development velocity as the product expands.
• Collaborate closely with engineering to explore and advance AI capabilities within Fern, defining new interaction models that enhance how developers learn, integrate, and debug APIs.
• Deeply understand customer workflows and pain points through direct user interaction, informing design decisions and product strategy.
• Contribute to product strategy by identifying opportunities for design to drive adoption, improve usability, and enhance overall customer satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic product design, brand evolution, and tactical execution within a developer-focused environment. The emphasis on "customer obsession" and direct user interaction is a hallmark of effective product roles supporting GTM efforts.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and design proficiency is expected.

Experience:

• A minimum of 4 years of professional experience in designing product experiences is required, with a preference for candidates who have worked in B2B SaaS or developer tools environments.
• Proven experience in designing complex systems, such as dashboards, platforms, or intricate workflows, rather than solely marketing pages.

Required Skills:

• Product Thinking: Ability to connect user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints to create effective design solutions.
• Visual Design: Excellent aesthetic sensibilities and a high standard for visual craft and polish.
• Interaction Design: Proficiency in designing intuitive and efficient user flows and interactions for complex applications.
• Information Architecture: Skill in organizing information logically and structuring complex systems for ease of navigation and understanding.
• Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to work effectively and closely with engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders.
• Communication: Clear and concise verbal and written communication skills, capable of articulating design decisions to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Preferred Skills:

• Developer-Facing Products: Experience designing products specifically for developers, such as documentation platforms, APIs, SDKs, CLIs, or technical dashboards.
• Design Systems: Experience building, maintaining, or significantly contributing to a scalable design system.
• DX/API Tooling: Familiarity with documentation platforms, API tooling, or broader developer experience (DX) concepts.
• AI/Data-Dense Products: Comfort and experience designing for AI-powered features or data-intensive products.
• Startup Environment: Previous experience working in a fast-paced startup or early-stage product team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "complex systems" and "developer-facing products" suggests a need for candidates who can handle intricate problem spaces and understand the nuances of technical user requirements, crucial for roles supporting B2B SaaS and GTM strategies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 significant product design projects that demonstrate your ability to solve complex problems with elegant and user-centered solutions.
• Projects should highlight your end-to-end design process, from initial research and problem definition to wireframing, prototyping, visual design, and final implementation considerations.
• Include case studies that detail the problem statement, your design approach, the challenges faced, and the impact of your solutions, using quantifiable metrics where possible.
• Demonstrate experience with designing complex systems, dashboards, or platforms, illustrating your capability to handle intricate user flows and data structures.
• Provide examples of your contribution to or creation of design systems, showcasing your understanding of component-based design, scalability, and consistency.

Process Documentation:

• For each portfolio piece, clearly articulate your design methodology, including user research techniques, ideation processes, and iterative design practices.
• Detail how you collaborated with engineering and product teams throughout the design lifecycle, emphasizing communication and feedback loops.
• Explain how you considered technical constraints and business goals in your design decisions.
• If applicable, showcase how your designs improved key metrics such as user adoption, task completion rates, or reduction in support requests.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Product Designer role, particularly one focused on developer tools, the portfolio is paramount. It should illustrate not just aesthetic skill but also strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and an understanding of technical user needs and complex system design, aligning with GTM objectives of adoption and usability.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• The provided salary range is $170,000 - $230,000 USD annually. This range is competitive for a Product Designer with 4+ years of experience in a high-growth, venture-backed startup located in a major tech hub like New York City. The specific compensation within this band will depend on the candidate's experience, skills, and the outcome of the interview process.

Benefits:

• Proximity Bonus: $18,000 annually for living close to the office in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This incentivizes on-site presence and collaboration.
• Full Meals: Free breakfast, lunch, and dinner provided at the office, fostering a community-driven environment and reducing employee expenses.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Health, dental, and vision insurance plans to support employee well-being.
• Unlimited Vacation: A flexible approach to time off, promoting work-life balance and employee autonomy.
• Flexible WFH Policy: While the role is primarily on-site, there's a stated flexibility, indicating a hybrid approach might be possible or that the policy is adaptable.
• Team Offsites: Domestic and international team offsites, including past events in Costa Rica, to foster team bonding and strategic alignment.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week. The company emphasizes "few meetings and bureaucracy" and values "autonomy," suggesting a focus on efficient work rather than strict time-tracking, but a consistent presence is implied by the on-site requirement and proximity bonus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is substantial and reflects the demand for experienced product designers in competitive markets, especially for roles that directly impact product adoption and customer satisfaction. The benefits package is generous, with unique offerings like the proximity bonus and free meals, reinforcing the company's commitment to employee well-being and fostering a strong in-office culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically focusing on Developer Tools and API enablement. Fern positions itself as a provider of essential toolkits for software companies to offer world-class APIs and developer experiences. Company Size: Series A stage, raised over $10M, with a team primarily composed of ex-Palantir engineers and founders. This suggests a lean, experienced, and highly capable team focused on rapid innovation. The "hyper-growth startup" description indicates a dynamic and evolving environment. Founded: Founded by ex-Palantir engineers and founders, implying a strong technical foundation and a culture inspired by Palantir's customer-centric and problem-solving approach.

Team Structure:

• The team is small but highly experienced, with a background from Palantir and previous founder experience.
• Collaboration is expected to be close-knit, with a focus on direct interaction between design, engineering, and product leadership.
• The reporting structure is likely flat, emphasizing autonomy and direct impact rather than rigid hierarchy.

Methodology:

• Customer Obsession: A core tenet, drawing from Palantir's approach, meaning direct engagement with users to solve real problems.
• Speed and Agility: Prioritizing shipping fast and investing in developer experience toolchains to enable rapid iteration.
• Autonomy and Ownership: High trust is placed in individuals to take ownership of meaningful projects and influence product direction.
• Data-Informed Decisions: While not explicitly stated for design, the company culture implies a data-driven approach to product development.
• Async Communication: Emphasis on thoughtful asynchronous communication to minimize unnecessary meetings.

Company Website: https://buildwithfern.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is heavily influenced by its Palantir heritage, suggesting a rigorous, problem-solving-oriented environment with a strong emphasis on customer needs and technical excellence. This context is crucial for a designer to understand how their work will be perceived and integrated.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Product Designer with significant ownership and impact, suitable for individuals with 4+ years of experience. It's not an entry-level position but offers substantial opportunity for growth within a fast-scaling company. Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a Head of Product or a similar senior leadership role. Close collaboration with engineering leads is also a key aspect of the reporting dynamic, emphasizing cross-functional integration. Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is direct and significant, influencing the usability, adoption, and perceived quality of Fern's products. By improving developer experience and brand perception, the role directly contributes to customer acquisition, retention, and overall GTM success. Designing self-serve experiences and best-in-class documentation reduces friction for new users, accelerating their onboarding and time-to-value.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership in Design: Opportunity to shape and scale the design function as the company grows, potentially leading design initiatives or building out a design team.
• Specialization in DX: Deepen expertise in designing for developer audiences, a niche but high-demand area within B2B SaaS.
• Product Strategy Influence: Contribute meaningfully to product strategy through user insights and design vision, moving beyond execution to strategic input.
• Founding Experience: Exposure to all facets of a hyper-growth startup provides invaluable experience for those aspiring to found their own companies in the future.
• Technical Acumen: Working closely with experienced engineers will enhance understanding of technical constraints and possibilities, broadening design capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for growth, moving from a hands-on design contributor to a strategic influencer and potential design leader within a rapidly expanding tech company. The focus on DX and early-stage startup experience is a significant differentiator for career development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company operates from a prime office location in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This suggests a modern, potentially creative workspace designed to foster collaboration and innovation. The emphasis on free meals and a proximity bonus indicates a culture that values in-office presence and shared experiences. Office Location(s): Williamsburg, Brooklyn, United States. This is a vibrant and accessible area known for its creative and tech scene. Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office setup, combined with the emphasis on team offsites and free meals, points to a culture that encourages strong team cohesion and interpersonal interaction.
• Tools and Technology: While not explicitly detailed, expect a modern tech stack supporting design and development, including industry-standard design software (e.g., Figma) and collaboration tools.
• Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders is a given, facilitated by the on-site work policy.

Work Schedule:

• While full-time hours are expected, the company culture emphasizes autonomy and efficiency, suggesting a flexible approach to the workday as long as core responsibilities and collaboration needs are met. The "Flexible WFH policy" also indicates some adaptability, though the on-site nature of the role is primary.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Williamsburg office location is a key differentiator. The combination of a desirable urban setting, generous perks like free meals and a proximity bonus, and a culture that values in-person collaboration creates a unique work environment designed to attract and retain talent.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Phone Screen: Initial conversation with a Fern engineer to assess technical aptitude and basic fit.
• Technical Interviews: Three distinct interviews:
  • Coding Interview: Evaluates programming skills and problem-solving abilities, crucial for understanding technical feasibility.
  • System Design Interview: Assesses the ability to architect complex systems, relevant for designing scalable product experiences.
  • Behavioral Interview: Explores past experiences, work style, and cultural fit, focusing on collaboration and problem-solving approaches.
• On-site Visit: A final stage involving coming to the Williamsburg office to meet and work with the team. This is a critical step for assessing team dynamics and cultural alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Process: Clearly articulate your design process for each project. Explain why you made certain decisions, not just what you designed. Use diagrams, flowcharts, and annotations to guide the reviewer.
• Showcase Impact: Quantify the impact of your designs whenever possible. Use metrics related to user adoption, task completion rates, conversion improvements, or reduction in support load. If direct metrics are unavailable, articulate the hypothesized impact and how you would measure it.
• Focus on Complexity: Since the role involves designing complex systems (dashboards, workflows), ensure your portfolio includes examples that demonstrate this capability. Show how you handle data density, intricate user flows, and multi-stage processes.
• Tailor to Developer Experience: If possible, include projects related to developer tools, APIs, or technical documentation. Showcase your understanding of the target user (engineers) and their specific needs and workflows.
• Demonstrate Collaboration: Be prepared to discuss how you collaborated with engineers and product managers. Use examples that show your ability to integrate feedback and work effectively within a cross-functional team.

Challenge Preparation:

• System Design Thinking: Brush up on common system design principles, especially those relevant to web applications and user-facing platforms. Think about scalability, performance, and maintainability.
• Coding Fundamentals: Be prepared for a coding assessment. Review fundamental data structures and algorithms, and practice problem-solving in a language commonly used in web development.
• Behavioral Questions: Prepare STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) responses for common behavioral questions. Focus on examples that highlight your problem-solving skills, collaboration, initiative, and adaptability.
• Company Research: Understand Fern's mission, product, target market, and company culture. Be ready to articulate why you are specifically interested in this role and company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is robust, involving both technical and behavioral assessments, culminating in an on-site visit. The emphasis on system design and coding indicates a technically demanding environment. Portfolio review will be critical, requiring candidates to demonstrate not just design skill but strategic thinking and an understanding of technical user needs.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD is essential. Figma is particularly common in collaborative, fast-paced environments.
• Prototyping Tools: Experience with tools like InVision, Principle, or Framer for creating interactive prototypes to test user flows and gather feedback.
• Design Systems: Experience with or ability to contribute to a design system using tools that facilitate component management and documentation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary responsibility for a designer, understanding how to interpret analytics from tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or Amplitude can inform design decisions and help measure the impact of design changes.

CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with CRM systems (like Salesforce) or marketing automation platforms is generally not a direct requirement for this role, but an understanding of how user data flows and is utilized within a B2B SaaS context can be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core tools will be design and prototyping software, with a strong emphasis on collaborative platforms like Figma. Experience with design systems is a key plus. While not directly using analytics tools, understanding their output to measure design impact is valuable.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Obsession: A foundational value, driving a focus on solving real customer problems and ensuring user success. This translates to empathy and a deep understanding of user needs in design.
• Speed and Agility: A commitment to moving quickly and iterating rapidly. Designers are expected to contribute to this pace without compromising quality.
• Autonomy and Ownership: Trust and empowerment are key. Designers are encouraged to take initiative, own their projects, and make impactful decisions.
• Technical Excellence: A culture that values deep technical understanding and problem-solving, requiring designers to engage with and respect engineering constraints and possibilities.
• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on teamwork and cross-functional partnerships, particularly between design, engineering, and product.

Collaboration Style:

• Direct and Transparent: Communication is likely direct and candid, fostering a high-trust environment where feedback is given and received constructively.
• Cross-functional Integration: Designers work hand-in-hand with engineers and product managers, participating in discussions about strategy, technical feasibility, and user needs from the outset.
• Async-First, In-Person When Needed: While async communication is prioritized for efficiency, the on-site policy suggests that in-person collaboration is highly valued for brainstorming, problem-solving, and building team cohesion.
• Iterative Feedback Loops: Expect regular opportunities to share work, receive feedback, and iterate on designs based on input from various team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values a blend of individual contribution and collaborative effort, underpinned by a strong customer focus and a drive for rapid innovation. Designers should be comfortable with direct feedback and proactive in their collaboration with technical teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Developers: Understanding and empathizing with the unique needs, workflows, and technical expectations of software engineers requires specialized insight.
• Balancing DX and Brand: Effectively integrating the often-technical nature of developer tools with a compelling brand narrative and marketing presence.
• Scaling a Design System: Evolving a design system to support rapid product growth while maintaining consistency, accessibility, and performance.
• AI Interaction Design: Exploring and defining novel interaction models for AI-powered features, which is a nascent and rapidly evolving field.
• Hyper-Growth Pace: Adapting to the demands and rapid changes inherent in a hyper-growth startup environment, where priorities can shift quickly.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep DX Expertise: Become a specialist in designing for developer audiences, a highly valuable skill in the B2B SaaS market.
• Product Strategy Contribution: Gain significant experience in shaping product direction and strategy through hands-on design work and user insights.
• Design System Leadership: Opportunity to own and lead the development of a critical design system, enhancing leadership and technical design skills.
• AI Design Innovation: Contribute to cutting-edge AI product development from a design perspective.
• Startup Acumen: Develop a comprehensive understanding of how to build and scale a technology company from the ground up, preparing for future entrepreneurial endeavors.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are significant but offer substantial opportunities for professional growth. Successfully navigating these will build a designer's expertise in a high-demand niche and provide experience valuable for future leadership roles.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Be prepared to discuss how you would approach designing a complex dashboard for technical users, focusing on information hierarchy, data visualization, and efficient workflows.
• Articulate your process for translating user pain points into actionable design solutions, using specific examples from your portfolio.
• Discuss how you would balance the need for a strong brand presence with the technical requirements of developer-facing products.
• Explain your philosophy on design systems: their importance, how you approach building/maintaining them, and how they contribute to product velocity and consistency.

Company & Culture Questions:

• Research Fern's mission, product, and recent funding rounds. Be ready to explain why you are excited about their specific mission and market.
• Discuss your experience working in fast-paced environments and how you handle ambiguity or shifting priorities.
• Prepare examples that demonstrate your ability to collaborate effectively with engineers and product managers, highlighting instances where you influenced technical or product decisions through design.
• How do you approach understanding and advocating for technical users (developers)?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each case study, frame it as a narrative: the problem, your journey to the solution, the challenges, and the outcome.
• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the measurable impact of your designs. If metrics are not available, explain the intended impact and how you would measure success.
• Showcase Your Process: Walk through your end-to-end design process, from research and ideation to iteration and final design. Use visuals (wireframes, prototypes, user flows) to illustrate your steps.
• Highlight Collaboration: Be ready to discuss specific instances of collaboration with engineers and product managers, detailing how you integrated their feedback and worked together to achieve project goals.
• Prepare for Technical Questions: Anticipate questions about technical feasibility, scalability, and how your designs interact with underlying systems, especially if discussing developer tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes a deep understanding of design strategy, technical user needs, and collaborative problem-solving. Your portfolio presentation should be a masterclass in demonstrating these capabilities, not just showcasing aesthetics.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.
• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features 3-5 of your strongest product design case studies, with a clear emphasis on complex systems, user-centric problem-solving, and demonstrable impact. Tailor your presentation to highlight any experience with developer tools, B2B SaaS, or design systems.
• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your 4+ years of relevant experience, emphasizing skills in product thinking, visual and interaction design, and cross-functional collaboration. Use keywords from the job description such as "developer experience," "complex systems," and "design systems."
• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly review the "Interview Preparation" section above. Practice articulating your design process and case studies using the STAR method, and prepare to discuss your experience with technical users and collaborative environments.
• Company Research: Gain a deep understanding of Fern's product, mission, and market position. Be ready to articulate why you are a strong fit for their specific culture and goals, particularly their focus on developer experience and hyper-growth.

⚠️ 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.

---