Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Function Health

Location: US - Austin, US - Remote, Canada - Remote, San Francisco Bay Area

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UI/UX

Date Posted: January 20, 2026

Experience Level: 3+ Years (2+ years UI/UX, 2+ years Product Design)

Remote Status: Fully Remote Eligible

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end product design process, from conceptualization to execution, for a mission-driven health technology platform.

• Translate complex health data and user needs into intuitive and visually compelling user interfaces and experiences.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and operations, to deliver innovative solutions.

• Contribute to and evolve a robust design system to ensure consistency and scalability across the product.

• Shape the member experience for a rapidly growing user base, impacting millions of lives.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Product Designer," the responsibilities and required skills heavily emphasize UI/UX design, user research, and the creation of user-friendly interfaces. The role also requires a strong understanding of product goals and user problem-solving, indicating a strategic design function within the product development lifecycle. The emphasis on a "growth mindset," "bias toward action," and "entrepreneurial spirit" suggests a fast-paced startup environment where proactive contributions are highly valued.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Product Strategy & User Problem Solving: Deeply understand product objectives, identify core user pain points within health data access and utilization, and translate these into actionable design requirements that optimize both member outcomes and business benefits.

• Solution Design & Presentation: Conceptualize, design, and present innovative and effective user experiences and interface solutions that significantly enhance user engagement and satisfaction. Clearly articulate design rationale and trade-offs to stakeholders across product, engineering, and leadership.

• User Experience Research & Integration: Actively participate in or lead user experience research initiatives, gather qualitative and quantitative data, and synthesize findings into actionable insights that directly inform and refine product design and user flows.

• Design System Development & Maintenance: Contribute to the expansion, refinement, and diligent maintenance of a comprehensive and scalable design system, ensuring brand consistency, design quality, and efficient implementation across all product touchpoints.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work seamlessly with product managers to define product roadmaps, engineers to ensure feasibility and optimal implementation, and operations teams to understand workflow implications and user support needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities outline a role that is integral to product strategy, not just execution. The emphasis on "optimizing both member impact and company benefits" and "integrating insights into product development" highlights a strategic approach to design that aligns with business objectives and user needs, characteristic of advanced Product Designer roles in growth-stage companies.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating expertise in design principles and user-centered design is paramount. Educational background in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field is beneficial.

Experience:

• 3+ years of professional design experience.

• Minimum of 2 years specifically in UI/UX design.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Mastery: Demonstrated ability to take ownership of design projects from conception through to launch, effectively translating user needs and business goals into compelling product experiences.

• UI/UX Design Expertise: Profound understanding and practical application of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design principles, including user flows, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing.

• Design Principles Proficiency: Deep knowledge of fundamental design disciplines such as typography, layout, color theory, iconography, and responsive design for both desktop and mobile interfaces.

• Portfolio Excellence: A robust, compelling, and diverse online portfolio showcasing a wide range of successful product design projects, clearly illustrating design process, problem-solving, and impact.

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Ability to analyze complex problems, question assumptions, and develop creative, data-informed solutions. A strong aptitude for critical thinking and continuous professional development is essential.

Preferred Skills:

• Figma Proficiency: Advanced expertise in Figma for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration, including experience with component libraries and design system management.

• UX Research Leadership: Experience in planning, conducting, and analyzing user research (e.g., interviews, surveys, usability testing) to drive design decisions and validate solutions.

• Developer Collaboration: Proven experience working closely with front-end developers, understanding technical constraints, and a basic comprehension of front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate smoother implementation.

• Start-Up Environment Acumen: Previous experience in a start-up setting, particularly as an early hire or founder, demonstrating adaptability, resourcefulness, and a proactive approach to building processes and products.

• Health Technology Familiarity: Knowledge of or direct experience with popular health tracking technologies (e.g., Oura, Whoop, Apple Watch, CGMs) and the health and wellness tech landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: The distinction between required and preferred skills is crucial. The preferred skills, especially "Start-Up Experience" and "Health Technology Familiarity," signal a desire for candidates who can hit the ground running in a dynamic, mission-focused environment and bring domain-specific insights. The "Developer Collaboration" skill is also important for a Product Designer in a tech company.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Product Design Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating your entire design process from problem identification, user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, UI design, usability testing, to final implementation and impact.

• Problem-Solution Framing: Clearly articulate the user problem or business challenge addressed in each case study, and how your design solution directly solved it, highlighting your strategic thinking.

• Visual Design Execution: Present high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes that demonstrate your mastery of UI design principles, including layout, typography, color, and iconography.

• Impact & Metrics Demonstration: Quantify the impact of your designs whenever possible. Include metrics, user feedback, or business outcomes that illustrate the success of your solutions (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction scores, reduced task completion times).

• Design System Contribution: If applicable, include examples of your work within a design system, or demonstrate how you've maintained design consistency across a product.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Be prepared to discuss how you approach designing and optimizing user workflows to ensure efficiency and intuitive navigation within complex applications.

• User Research Methodologies: Articulate your experience with various user research methods and how you integrate user feedback into iterative design processes.

• Design System Implementation: Explain your understanding of design system principles and how you ensure adherence and contribution to a shared design language.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Product Designer role, the portfolio is paramount. The emphasis here is on demonstrating a full design lifecycle, quantifiable impact, and an understanding of design systems and user research. This section is designed to guide candidates on what hiring managers will be looking for to assess practical design skills and strategic thinking.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Given the role is fully remote eligible (US/Canada) and requires 3+ years of experience with specialized UI/UX and Product Design skills, a competitive salary range is expected. Based on industry benchmarks for Product Designers in major tech hubs like Austin, San Francisco, and remote positions in the US and Canada, with a company backed by Andreessen Horowitz, the estimated salary range is:

• $100,000 - $150,000 USD per year

This range can vary based on the candidate's specific experience, skill set, and the precise location within the US/Canada if applicable for tax and compensation adjustments.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on the provided experience level (3+ years), the company's funding status (venture-backed by a16z), and common salary ranges for Product Designers in the specified remote-eligible locations (Austin, San Francisco Bay Area, US Remote, Canada Remote). These figures are industry averages and may differ from the company's specific offering.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary: A strong base salary commensurate with experience and market value.

• Flexible Working Hours: The company offers flexibility in working hours, allowing for better work-life integration and alignment with personal productivity peaks.

• Dynamic Work Environment: A fast-paced, innovative, and collaborative atmosphere that fosters creativity and professional growth.

• Comprehensive Health Benefits: Likely includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, aligning with the company's mission in healthcare.

• Stock Options/Equity: Potential for equity participation, common in early-stage, venture-backed startups.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, skill enhancement, and career advancement.

• Remote Work Stipend: Potential for a stipend to support home office setup and remote work expenses.

Working Hours: While the company offers flexible working hours, the role is full-time, typically implying approximately 40 hours per week. The emphasis on flexibility suggests that the exact daily schedule can be adapted, provided core responsibilities are met and collaboration needs are satisfied.

📝 Enhancement Note: Benefits are inferred from the "Nice-to-Have" section and general startup compensation packages, especially for venture-backed companies. "Flexible working hours" is explicitly mentioned, and "Competitive Salary" is a standard offering. The company's mission in healthcare also suggests a focus on robust health benefits.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare Technology / Health & Wellness

Company Size: Early-stage startup (likely between 50-200 employees, inferred from growth stage and venture funding). This size indicates a highly agile environment with significant individual impact.

Founded: Function Health was founded with a mission to empower individuals to live 100 healthy years. This mission is central to its culture and operations.

Team Structure:

• Cross-functional Product Teams: Designers likely work within agile squads alongside Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially Data Analysts or Researchers.

• Direct Impact: As an early team member, the designer will have significant influence on the product's direction and user experience.

• Collaborative Environment: The company emphasizes a collaborative and dynamic environment, fostering open communication and shared problem-solving.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design: A strong focus on understanding and solving user problems through iterative design and research.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Leveraging data and user insights to inform design choices and measure impact.

• Agile Development: Working within an agile framework to deliver value quickly and adapt to evolving needs.

• Growth Mindset & Bias for Action: Encouraging continuous learning, taking initiative, and actively pursuing opportunities and solutions.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company description highlights its mission, venture backing (a16z), and recognition (Fast Company). This context points to a high-growth, innovation-focused startup with a strong emphasis on impact and operational efficiency. The "bias toward action" and "growth mindset" are key cultural indicators for candidates.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Product Designer with 3+ years of experience, indicating a mid-level position. It offers significant autonomy and the opportunity to shape core product experiences, moving beyond junior execution tasks.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a Head of Product, Design Lead, or a Senior Product Manager, depending on the organizational structure. They will collaborate closely with engineering and product teams.

Operations Impact: The designer's work will have a direct and measurable impact on user acquisition, retention, engagement, and overall member satisfaction. By improving the user experience of accessing and understanding health data, the designer directly contributes to the company's mission of enabling healthier lives and drives business growth through increased user adoption and retention.

Growth Opportunities:

• Lead Design Initiatives: As the company scales, there will be opportunities to lead design for new product features or entire product areas.

• Design System Ownership: Potential to take a lead role in evolving and managing the company's design system.

• Mentorship & Team Building: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and contribute to building out the design function as the team grows.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in health tech design, data visualization, or specific areas of user research.

• Career Advancement: Progression to Senior Product Designer, Lead Product Designer, or Design Manager roles within the organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is presented as more than just a design executor; it's an opportunity to influence product strategy and grow within a rapidly scaling company. The growth opportunities are tied to both individual contribution and the expansion of the design function.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The company supports a fully remote work arrangement, with options for hybrid work or on-site presence in specific locations (Austin, San Francisco Bay Area). This indicates a modern, distributed workforce model.

Office Location(s): US - Austin, US - Remote, Canada - Remote, San Francisco Bay Area. This broad geographic reach allows for diverse talent acquisition.

Workspace Context:

• Remote-First Culture: Emphasis on tools and practices that support effective collaboration and communication for a distributed team.

• Technology Stack: Access to modern design and collaboration tools (e.g., Figma, Slack, project management software) to facilitate seamless remote work.

• Team Interaction: Regular virtual team meetings, stand-ups, and dedicated collaboration sessions to foster connection and alignment.

Work Schedule: While offering flexible working hours, the role is full-time. Candidates should be comfortable managing their schedule to meet project deadlines and participate in essential team syncs, often requiring coordination across different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Remote OK" and "Fully Remote Eligible" status is a key aspect of the work environment. The mention of Austin and San Francisco Bay Area suggests potential for future physical hubs or hybrid options, but the primary mode is remote.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and company mission.

2. Portfolio Presentation & Design Discussion: A ~60-minute session with a hiring manager and/or senior designer. Candidates will present 1-2 key case studies from their portfolio, discussing their process, challenges, and outcomes. This is followed by a discussion of design philosophy and approach.

3. Technical/Skills Assessment: This might involve a design challenge (e.g., a take-home assignment or a live collaborative design exercise) focusing on problem-solving, UI/UX skills, and potentially data visualization. Alternatively, it could be a deeper dive into specific design skills or tool proficiency.

4. Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers and Engineers to assess collaboration skills, understanding of product development, and ability to communicate design effectively within a team context.

5. Hiring Manager/Leadership Final Interview: A final conversation to discuss strategic thinking, growth mindset, cultural alignment, and overall fit for the company.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tell a Story: Frame each case study as a narrative: the problem, your approach, the solutions, and the results.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals – sketches, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, prototypes – to illustrate your process.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include data, metrics, or user feedback to demonstrate the success and value of your design work.

• Highlight Problem-Solving: Emphasize how you tackled complex challenges, iterated on solutions, and made trade-offs.

• Tailor to Function Health: Briefly explain why your skills and experience make you a strong candidate for this specific role at Function Health, referencing their mission and product.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Core Problem: If given a design challenge, first ensure you fully understand the user problem or business objective.

• Outline Your Approach: Clearly articulate your plan for tackling the challenge, including any research or assumptions you'd make.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate your design thinking process, even if you can't complete an entire end-to-end solution in the allotted time.

• Consider Edge Cases: Think about potential edge cases or future iterations.

• Be Ready to Discuss Trade-offs: Understand that design involves compromises; be prepared to discuss why you made certain choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess a range of skills: foundational design, strategic thinking, collaboration, and cultural fit. The portfolio review and design challenge are critical components for a Product Designer role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The primary tool for UI/UX design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is highly desired.

• Design System Management Tools: Likely integrated within Figma or a complementary platform for maintaining component libraries and style guides.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities, or potentially other tools like InVision or Principle for advanced animations.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Platforms: e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics. Understanding how to interpret user behavior data to inform design decisions.

• User Feedback Tools: e.g., UserTesting.com, Hotjar, survey tools. To gather qualitative insights and validate designs.

CRM & Automation:

• Project Management Tools: e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello. For tracking design tasks, sprints, and collaboration with engineering.

• Communication Platforms: e.g., Slack, Zoom. Essential for remote team collaboration and communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned as a "Nice-to-Have," but given its industry dominance and the emphasis on design systems, it's highly probable to be a core tool. The other tools are standard for a remote, agile product design team.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Bias Toward Action: A proactive approach to identifying and tackling challenges and opportunities without undue hesitation.

• Growth Mindset: Continuous learning, embracing feedback, and a commitment to personal and professional development.

• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Adaptability, resourcefulness, and a willingness to build and optimize processes in a dynamic environment.

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and solving user problems to deliver exceptional experiences.

• Collaboration & Communication: Openness to sharing ideas, providing constructive feedback, and working effectively with diverse teams.

• Accountability: Taking ownership of tasks and commitments, and delivering results, especially under tight deadlines.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Working closely with Product, Engineering, and Operations to ensure alignment and a cohesive product vision.

• Design Critiques & Feedback: A culture that encourages open discussion, constructive criticism, and iterative improvement of design work.

• Knowledge Sharing: Active participation in sharing design best practices, insights from research, and learnings from projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company explicitly lists "Bias Toward Action," "Entrepreneurial Spirit," and "Continuous Improvement" (Growth Mindset) as key values. These are crucial for candidates to understand and demonstrate.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Ambiguity: The fast-paced startup environment often means working with incomplete information and evolving requirements. Candidates must be comfortable navigating ambiguity.

• Complex Data Visualization: Translating intricate health data into understandable and actionable visualizations for users is a significant design challenge.

• Balancing User Needs and Business Goals: Effectively prioritizing and designing solutions that satisfy both user demands and company objectives in a resource-constrained environment.

• Scaling a Design System: As the user base grows, maintaining and scaling a robust design system requires ongoing effort and strategic planning.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Skill Expansion: Deepen expertise in areas like advanced data visualization, UX research methodologies, or interaction design.

• Industry Exposure: Gain firsthand experience in the rapidly evolving health tech industry.

• Leadership Potential: Opportunities to take on more responsibility, mentor others, and influence the strategic direction of product design.

• Startup Acumen: Develop critical skills in agility, problem-solving, and process optimization vital for success in high-growth companies.

📝 Enhancement Note: Identifying potential challenges helps candidates prepare and assess their suitability. The growth opportunities are framed around skill development and career progression within the specific context of a health tech startup.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a complex or ambiguous problem. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Assesses problem-solving and comfort with ambiguity)

• "How do you balance user needs with business objectives when designing a new feature?" (Evaluates strategic thinking and prioritization skills)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Function Health's mission, and how does your design philosophy align with it?" (Tests alignment with company values and mission)

• "How do you approach collaboration with engineers and product managers, especially in a remote setting?" (Evaluates teamwork and communication skills)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Choose Wisely: Select 1-2 case studies that best showcase your problem-solving, design process, and impact relevant to Function Health's product (e.g., data visualization, user onboarding, complex data interpretation).

• Structure Your Narrative: Start with the problem statement, outline your research and ideation, detail your design decisions, show key screens and interactions, and conclude with the results/impact.

• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design decisions at each stage.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, trade-offs, and the impact of your work.

• Practice Timing: Ensure your presentation fits within the allotted time, leaving ample room for discussion.

📝 Enhancement Note: These questions are designed to probe for the key attributes mentioned in the job description: problem-solving, strategic thinking, collaboration, and cultural fit, all through the lens of product design.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

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

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight 1-2 key case studies that demonstrate your experience with complex data visualization, user-centric problem-solving in a digital product context, and ideally, any experience relevant to health or wellness technology.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your years of experience in UI/UX and Product Design, highlighting achievements with quantifiable results where possible. Integrate keywords such as "Product Design," "UI/UX," "Figma," "User Research," and "Data Visualization."

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your design process, your approach to collaboration, and your understanding of Function Health's mission and product. Be ready to explain your portfolio choices and design rationale confidently.

• Research Function Health: Familiarize yourself with Function Health's mission, product, recent news (e.g., Fast Company recognition, a16z investment), and target audience to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding during interviews.

⚠️ 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.