Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer
Company: Harmattan AI
Location: Remote (United States)
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Product Design / UX/UI
Date Posted: October 12, 2025
Experience Level: 7-10 Years
Remote Status: On-site Preferred (Washington DC)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design and user experience for Harmattan AI's Command Control platform, focusing on real-time mission and telemetry systems.
• Drive user research initiatives, including operator interviews and usability studies, to deeply understand pain points and workflow challenges in high-pressure environments.
• Translate complex mission requirements into intuitive wireframes, interactive prototypes, and robust design systems.
• Ensure the usability, consistency, and accessibility of interfaces across desktop and tablet platforms.
• Foster strong collaboration with Product Management and Engineering teams to align on product vision, roadmap, and execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job is posted as "Remote (United States)", the "Location and Commitments" section specifies "Washington DC (on-site preferred)". This indicates a strong preference for candidates willing to work from their Washington DC office, even if remote work is technically an option. Candidates should clarify this expectation during the application process.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth user research, including contextual inquiries and interviews with defense operators, to identify critical workflows, usability bottlenecks, and user needs within complex operational scenarios.
• Develop comprehensive user personas and journey maps to represent the target operator's experience and inform design decisions.
• Create detailed wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups using Figma to visualize and test design concepts.
• Design and maintain a scalable, component-based design system in Figma, ensuring visual consistency and adherence to accessibility standards (WCAG).
• Optimize interaction models and UI elements for speed, clarity, and ease of use under stressful conditions, particularly for mission-critical and real-time data displays.
• Collaborate closely with Product Managers to define Minimum Viable Product (MVP) scope, prioritize features, and contribute to the product roadmap.
• Partner daily with Frontend Engineering teams to ensure design fidelity, validate implementation, and resolve any technical challenges during the development lifecycle.
• Advocate for an operator-first design philosophy, ensuring that user needs and operational realities are central to all design outcomes.
• Contribute to the visual design and user interface elements of geospatial data displays and other complex data-heavy systems.
• Ensure compliance with accessibility best practices across all designed interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "defense operators," "real-time mission and telemetry systems," and "autonomous systems" suggests a need for designers experienced in high-stakes, mission-critical environments where precision, speed, and reliability are paramount. The role requires translating complex technical requirements into usable interfaces for users operating under significant pressure.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Human Factors, or a related field.

Experience:

• 7–10 years of progressive experience in UX Product Design, with a strong focus on complex, data-heavy systems.
• Proven track record of designing for demanding sectors such as aerospace, defense, financial trading platforms, or healthcare systems.
• Experience translating intricate mission requirements into user-friendly interfaces.

Required Skills:

• User Research: Expertise in conducting qualitative and quantitative user research, including interviews, usability testing, and contextual inquiries.
• Prototyping & Wireframing: Advanced proficiency in tools like Figma for creating detailed wireframes, interactive prototypes, and user flows.
• Interface Design: Strong ability to design intuitive and efficient user interfaces for complex data visualization and operational control.
• Design Systems: Experience in developing, maintaining, and scaling component-based design systems.
• Accessibility: Deep understanding and practical application of accessibility best practices (e.g., WCAG standards) in UI design.
• User Empathy: A demonstrated ability to deeply understand and advocate for end-users, particularly in high-stress environments.
• Problem-Solving: Pragmatic and effective problem-solving skills applied to complex design challenges.

Preferred Skills:

• Geospatial UI Design: Experience designing interfaces that incorporate and visualize geospatial data effectively.
• Real-time Systems Design: Familiarity with the unique challenges and requirements of designing for real-time data streams and mission-critical applications.
• Human Factors Engineering: Understanding of human factors principles and their application in system design.
• Collaboration Tools: Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools often used in engineering environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The 7-10 years of experience requirement, coupled with the specific industry demands (defense, aerospace, trading), indicates a senior-level role. Candidates should highlight projects where they managed significant design ownership, influenced product strategy, and demonstrably improved user outcomes in complex, safety-critical, or high-stakes environments.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Workflow Simplification: Showcase demonstrable examples of how your designs have simplified complex workflows, particularly in real-time or mission-critical interfaces. Quantify the impact where possible (e.g., reduced task completion time, decreased error rates).
• Complex Data Visualization: Include case studies demonstrating your ability to design effective interfaces for visualizing and interacting with data-heavy systems, such as telemetry, geospatial, or operational dashboards.
• User-Centered Process: Detail your design process, emphasizing how user research (interviews, usability studies) directly informed your design decisions and led to improved user experiences.
• System Design: Present examples of your contribution to or creation of design systems, component libraries, and style guides, highlighting their role in ensuring consistency and scalability.
• Problem/Solution Framework: Clearly articulate the user problem or business challenge, your design approach, the solutions you developed, and the outcomes achieved.

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of structured user research methodologies, including interview protocols, usability testing plans, and analysis of findings.
• Documentation of wireframing, prototyping, and user flow creation processes, illustrating the evolution of designs.
• Examples of design system documentation, including component specifications, usage guidelines, and rationale for design choices.
• Case studies articulating the impact of your design work on user efficiency, task completion, or operational effectiveness.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, a portfolio is paramount. It should not just showcase aesthetic appeal but deeply illustrate strategic thinking, a rigorous user-centered design process, and a proven ability to solve complex problems within demanding technical environments. The focus should be on demonstrating impact and understanding of operational context.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $145,000 - $185,000 per year

Benefits:

• Equity: Opportunity to own a stake in a rapidly growing defense technology company.
• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Includes health, dental, vision, and potentially other insurance benefits.
• Professional Development: Potential for growth and learning in a cutting-edge AI and robotics environment.

Working Hours:

• Full-time employment with an expectation of dedication to achieve ambitious goals. While a standard 40-hour work week is typical, the role may require going the extra mile to ensure operational excellence and meet critical deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range of $145K-$185K USD is competitive for a senior Product Designer role in the US, especially within the specialized defense technology sector. The inclusion of equity is significant, indicating a strong alignment between employee success and company growth. The note about "going the extra mile" suggests a demanding but potentially highly rewarding work environment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Defense Technology / Artificial Intelligence / Robotics
Company Size: Early-stage startup, likely small to medium-sized given the "steep growth trajectory" and "next-generation prime" description. This suggests a dynamic, fast-paced environment where individual contributions have significant impact.
Founded: Information not provided, but the description implies a relatively new company focused on leveraging recent AI and robotics advancements.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will be a key member of the product development team, working closely with Product Managers and Frontend Engineers.
• Close collaboration with defense operators is explicitly mentioned, suggesting a strong feedback loop between users and the design/engineering teams.
• The company culture is described as "highly technical," driven by "rigorous engineering developments," and focused on "pushing boundaries" and achieving "ambitious goals."

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: The role requires translating "mission requirements" and "operator needs" into designs, implying a data-informed approach to product development.
• Agile Development: Collaboration with Product and Engineering on MVP scope and roadmap suggests an agile or iterative development process.
• User-Centricity: A core tenet is being the "voice of the operator," ensuring user needs are paramount in design decisions.

Company Website: https://www.harmattan.ai/

📝 Enhancement Note: Harmattan AI operates in a highly specialized and critical sector. Candidates should expect a culture that values technical expertise, rigorous problem-solving, and a strong sense of mission. The startup environment implies a degree of ambiguity, a need for self-direction, and the opportunity to shape processes and products from early stages.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, a critical individual contributor position within the product development lifecycle. The responsibility for leading research, design, and advocating for the user places it at a high level of influence for a non-management role.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, the role likely reports to a Head of Product, Director of Product, or potentially a CTO, given the company's early stage and technical focus. Direct collaboration is expected with Product Managers and Engineering leads.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is directly tied to the usability and effectiveness of Harmattan AI's Command Control platform. By making complex systems usable under pressure, the designer directly enables defense operators to perform their missions more effectively and safely. This has direct implications for operational success and the company's ability to deliver on its defense system goals.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Opportunity to become an expert in designing for defense, AI, and robotics applications, a highly sought-after niche.
• Product Ownership: Potential to take on greater product ownership and influence strategic direction as the company scales.
• Leadership in Design: As the team grows, opportunities may arise to mentor junior designers or lead design initiatives.
• Cross-Functional Expertise: Develop deep understanding of AI/robotics engineering and defense operational requirements, broadening skill set beyond pure design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "steep growth trajectory" and "ambitious goals" suggests that career advancement could be rapid for high performers. Candidates should consider how their skills align with the company's mission and growth phase.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job description states "Washington DC (on-site preferred)" but also lists the role as "Remote (United States)". This suggests a hybrid or flexible on-site arrangement might be possible, but preference is for an office-based presence in Washington DC.

Office Location(s): Washington DC. This location is significant for defense contractors and government relations.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Daily collaboration with Product and Engineering teams is expected, implying an open and communicative workspace.
• Technical Focus: The environment will be highly technical, dealing with advanced AI, robotics, and defense systems.
• Operator Proximity: The emphasis on user research suggests opportunities to interact with or observe operators, providing direct context for design work.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with an expectation of dedication. While specific hours aren't detailed, the nature of defense systems development and startup environments can sometimes necessitate flexibility to meet project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should clarify the exact expectations regarding on-site work in Washington DC. The "on-site preferred" note is a strong indicator that a hybrid model with significant office presence is desired, even if full remote is technically an option.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience and fit.
• Portfolio Presentation: Expect to present your portfolio, detailing case studies that showcase your approach to complex problems, user research, design process, and impact. This is critical for demonstrating your ability to handle data-heavy, mission-critical systems.
• Technical/Design Interviews: Discussions with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers to assess your design skills, technical understanding, and collaborative approach.
• Behavioral/Cultural Fit Interviews: Evaluation of your mindset, empathy, problem-solving approach, and alignment with Harmattan AI's mission and culture.
• Operator/Subject Matter Expert (SME) Interaction: Potentially an opportunity to discuss your approach with individuals who understand the operational context.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the problems you solved, your process, and the measurable outcomes of your designs. For this role, focus on how your designs improved operator efficiency, reduced cognitive load, or enhanced mission success.
• Showcase Process: Detail your user research methodologies, wireframing stages, prototyping iterations, and how feedback was incorporated.
• Highlight Complexity: Emphasize projects involving complex data, real-time systems, or high-stakes environments to align with Harmattan AI's domain.
• Demonstrate Tools: Clearly show your proficiency with Figma and any other relevant design or research tools.
• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives that guide the reviewer through the challenge, your solution, and the results.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for potential design exercises or take-home challenges that simulate the type of complex problems encountered in defense systems.
• Practice articulating your design decisions clearly and concisely, especially when explaining rationale under pressure.
• Research Harmattan AI's mission, the defense technology landscape, and the challenges of designing for autonomous systems and command control platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily weigh your portfolio and your ability to articulate how your design experience translates to the specific challenges of defense technology and autonomous systems. Demonstrating a deep understanding of user needs in high-pressure, mission-critical scenarios is key.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned as a required skill for developing component libraries and interface design. Expect advanced usage for prototyping and design system management.
• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is core, familiarity with other prototyping tools might be beneficial.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed, understanding how to interpret user analytics and performance data from deployed systems will be crucial for informing iterative design improvements.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the Product Designer role, but understanding how user feedback is collected and managed within the organization could be helpful.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is a non-negotiable requirement. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with Figma's advanced features for component libraries, variants, and collaborative workflows.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to Harmattan AI's mission of building autonomous defense systems. Expect dedication and a sense of purpose.
• Rigorous Engineering: Emphasis on high-quality, technically sound development and design.
• Boundary Pushing: A culture that encourages innovation and tackling challenging problems.
• Collaboration: Daily interaction and partnership with Product and Engineering teams.
• Operator-Centricity: Prioritizing the end-user experience of defense operators in all decisions.
• Pragmatism: A focus on practical, effective problem-solving.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Close daily work with Product Managers and Engineers to ensure alignment on vision and execution.
• Iterative Design: Expect a process where designs are continuously refined based on feedback from users and development teams.
• Advocacy: The designer is expected to be a strong advocate for the operator's perspective within the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values appear to be a blend of startup dynamism (pushing boundaries, ambitious goals) and the rigor required for defense technology (rigorous engineering, mission-driven, pragmatic problem-solving). Candidates should demonstrate an ability to thrive in this dual environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for High-Stakes Environments: Translating complex mission requirements into usable interfaces for operators under extreme stress and time constraints.
• Balancing Innovation and Reliability: Creating cutting-edge designs while ensuring absolute reliability and safety in defense applications.
• Rapid Iteration in a Startup: Adapting quickly to changing requirements and evolving product strategies in a fast-paced growth environment.
• Bridging Technical and User Needs: Effectively communicating complex technical capabilities and constraints to users, and translating user needs back into actionable design requirements for engineers.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Domain Expertise: Gain specialized knowledge in defense technology, AI, and robotics design.
• Influence Product Strategy: Opportunity to shape the direction of a critical platform in a growing company.
• Mentorship: Potential to learn from experienced engineers and product leaders.
• Industry Exposure: Working on problems that are at the forefront of defense innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a significant opportunity to gain specialized expertise in a high-impact, cutting-edge field. The challenges are substantial but offer immense learning potential for ambitious designers.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Process for Complex Systems: "Walk me through your process for designing a highly complex, data-intensive interface for users operating under high-stress conditions. How do you ensure accuracy and efficiency?" (Prepare a case study focusing on this).
• User Research in Niche Domains: "How would you approach user research for defense operators who may have unique operational constraints or limited availability for interviews? What alternative methods could you employ?"
• Design System Evolution: "Describe a time you developed or significantly contributed to a design system. How did you ensure its scalability and adoption across a team, especially when dealing with diverse system components?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• Mission Alignment: "What specifically about Harmattan AI's mission to build autonomous defense systems resonates with you? How do you see your role contributing to this mission?"
• Startup Environment: "Describe your experience working in a fast-paced, growth-oriented startup environment. How do you handle ambiguity and shifting priorities?"
• Collaboration: "How do you typically collaborate with product managers and engineers? Provide an example of a successful cross-functional collaboration that led to a better product outcome."

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select Relevant Case Studies: Prioritize projects that showcase your experience with complex data, real-time systems, workflow simplification, and user research in demanding environments.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., reduced task time, increased adoption, fewer errors).
• Articulate Your 'Why': Clearly explain the problem, your design rationale, the trade-offs you considered, and the final outcome.
• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Expect questions about specific design decisions, user research findings, and technical constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to discuss your experience with designing for government, defense, aerospace, or similarly critical sectors. Your ability to demonstrate empathy for specialized users and a structured, data-informed approach to design will be critical.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Ashby link.
• Customize Your Resume: Highlight experience in complex systems, user research, Figma proficiency, and any relevant industry experience (defense, aerospace, etc.). Use keywords from the job description.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best demonstrate your ability to tackle complex design challenges, simplify workflows, and work with data-heavy interfaces. Ensure your process and impact are clearly articulated for each.
• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to walk through your portfolio with confidence, articulating your problem-solving approach, design decisions, and the results achieved for each case study.
• Research Harmattan AI: Understand their mission, technology, and the defense tech landscape. This will help you tailor your responses and show 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.

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