Product Designer (UX)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer (UX)
Company: Bjak
Location: New York, New York, United States
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: Product Design / UX Design
Date Posted: January 04, 2026
Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)
Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end design process for innovative AI-powered consumer applications, translating complex technology into intuitive and user-centered experiences.
• Shape core user flows, interaction models, and product direction in an early-stage, high-ownership environment, directly influencing product strategy.
• Design comprehensive user journeys that foster discovery, build trust, and ensure value realization within AI-driven products.
• Collaborate closely with product, engineering, and AI teams to bring frontier technology to life through thoughtful, usable, and human-centered design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The original job description is for a "Product Designer (UX)" at "Bjak". However, the description extensively details work at "A1", an "AI group" operating in stealth, backed by "BJAK". For clarity, this enhancement will refer to the company as "A1 (backed by Bjak)" and focus on the AI product development context provided. The role is explicitly about designing AI-driven consumer applications, a niche that requires deep understanding of user interaction with intelligent systems.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Drive the complete design lifecycle for one or more AI product surfaces, from initial concept ideation through to production readiness.
• Architect key user flows that simplify advanced AI capabilities, making them feel natural, intuitive, and highly usable for a broad consumer audience.
• Foster close partnerships with product management, engineering, and AI research teams to collaboratively explore complex problems, rigorously test innovative ideas, and maintain a fast iteration cycle.
• Develop a range of design artifacts, including wireframes, detailed user flows, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs for both web and mobile platforms.
• Rapidly prototype and iterate on novel interaction models, with a specific focus on user experiences tailored for AI-driven functionalities.
• Conduct regular usability testing sessions, analyze findings, and synthesize insights to iteratively refine and improve product direction and user experience.
• Contribute to the definition, development, and ongoing evolution of A1’s design system to ensure speed, consistency, and scalability across all product touchpoints.
• Act as a strong advocate for user needs and experience quality, while effectively balancing the demands of product velocity and technical constraints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight an end-to-end design ownership, emphasizing the "zero-to-one" nature of product development in an AI context. This requires a designer to not only execute but also to define and strategize, which is typical for early-stage roles.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is implicitly expected through the portfolio and experience requirements.

Experience: Minimum of 3 years of dedicated experience in product design and UX design, with a proven track record demonstrated through a comprehensive portfolio showcasing work on both web and mobile products.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated proficiency in leading end-to-end product design processes for digital products.
• Strong command of Figma and other rapid prototyping tools for quick ideation and iteration.
• Solid understanding of fundamental design principles, including interaction design, information hierarchy, visual systems, and user-centered design methodologies.
• Proven experience in close collaboration with engineering and product management teams within fast-paced, agile environments.
• Ability to effectively design and iterate on products with incomplete inputs and evolving requirements, a common trait in AI product development.
• Experience in creating detailed wireframes, user flows, and high-fidelity mockups.
• Aptitude for conducting usability testing and synthesizing user feedback into actionable design improvements.

Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience designing AI-powered products or applications dealing with significant data complexity.
• Familiarity with qualitative research methods and best practices for usability testing.
• Experience working within early-stage product teams or startup environments.
• A keen interest in emerging UX patterns and interaction models specific to AI, automation, or intelligent systems.
• Experience contributing to or establishing design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize practical experience and a portfolio over formal education. The distinction between required and preferred skills highlights a desire for candidates with direct experience in AI or data-heavy products, recognizing the unique challenges of designing for these domains.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product design projects, demonstrating ownership from problem identification to shipped solution.
• Include case studies that highlight the process of designing for AI-driven features, emphasizing user interaction with intelligent systems.
• Present examples of designing for both web and mobile platforms, illustrating versatility and adaptability.
• Clearly articulate the user problems addressed, design decisions made, and the resulting impact or outcomes.

Process Documentation:

• Detail the user research and ideation phases, including how complex AI concepts were explored and simplified.
• Illustrate the iterative design process, including wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing, especially for novel interaction models.
• Demonstrate collaboration with engineering and AI teams, showing how technical constraints and AI capabilities were integrated into the design.
• Present how design systems were utilized or contributed to, ensuring consistency and scalability.

📝 Enhancement Note: For an AI product design role, a portfolio is crucial for demonstrating not just aesthetic skill but also the ability to grapple with complex, novel interaction paradigms. The emphasis should be on the process of designing for AI, not just the final UI.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: For a Mid-Level Product Designer (2-5 years experience) in New York, NY, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between $110,000 - $150,000 annually. This range reflects the high cost of living in New York City, the demand for experienced UX designers, and the specialized nature of AI product design within a stealth startup environment.

Benefits:

• High ownership and autonomy, allowing for significant impact on core product experiences.
• Founding-level influence on product design and overall UX direction.
• Remote-first flexibility, enabling work from anywhere within the United States.
• High-impact scope, contributing to the core user experience of a global consumer AI product.
• Competitive compensation package, including performance-based bonuses.
• Backing from a profitable US$2B group, providing stability alongside startup agility.
• Comprehensive insurance coverage.
• Flexible time off policy for work-life balance.
• Global travel insurance for any necessary business travel.

Working Hours: The role is listed as full-time, typically implying around 40 hours per week. However, given the startup environment and high-impact nature, flexibility and dedication are expected, with potential for occasional extended hours during critical project phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on industry benchmarks for Product Designers in New York City with 2-5 years of experience, considering the specialized AI product focus and the early-stage nature of the company. The benefits package emphasizes autonomy and impact, which are key attractors for roles in stealth startups.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Consumer Technology. The company is focused on building a new global consumer AI application, operating within the rapidly evolving AI landscape.

Company Size: Early-stage, "small, senior, high-performance team." This indicates a lean, agile structure where each member has a significant impact and works closely with leadership.

Founded: A1 is a self-funded AI group operating in full stealth, backed by Bjak. The founding date isn't specified, but the context implies a recent establishment focused on developing a novel AI product.

Team Structure:

• Composed of a dense, senior, and high-performance team, likely comprising founders, lead engineers, AI specialists, and key design personnel.
• The reporting structure is likely flat, with direct interaction with founders and leadership being common.
• Cross-functional collaboration is paramount, with designers working hand-in-hand with product, engineering, and AI teams to define and build the product.

Methodology:

• Values clarity, speed, craftsmanship, and relentless ownership.
• Operates with the speed and focus of a startup, emphasizing building, shipping, and iterating rapidly.
• Adheres to a high technical bar, suggesting a focus on quality and robust engineering practices.
• Focuses on creating meaningful, high-impact problems and solutions.

Company Website: https://bjak.my/en/about-us (This is the parent company Bjak's website; A1 operates in stealth and likely has a separate, unlisted presence).

📝 Enhancement Note: The description of "A1" as a stealth AI group backed by Bjak is crucial. The culture emphasizes a "founder mentality," high performance, and direct impact, typical of early-stage ventures aiming for significant disruption.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level Product Designer (2-5 years experience) with significant growth potential into a senior or lead design role. The emphasis on "high ownership and autonomy from day one" and "founding-level influence" suggests that career progression is tied to impact and responsibility rather than just tenure.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report directly to product leadership or potentially a founder, given the small, senior team structure. Collaboration will be peer-to-peer with engineering and AI specialists.

Operations Impact: The designer's work will have a direct and profound impact on the core user experience of a global consumer AI application. They will be instrumental in defining how users understand, adopt, and engage with AI technology, directly influencing product success and market adoption.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: As the product and team scale, there will be opportunities to step into a lead design role, mentoring junior designers and shaping the overall design strategy.
• Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for AI, interaction patterns for intelligent systems, and potentially contributing to the company's broader AI product strategy.
• Impact-Driven Advancement: Career growth will be accelerated by demonstrating significant contributions to product success, user adoption, and innovation in AI-driven UX.
• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gain deep experience working with cutting-edge AI technologies and high-caliber engineering teams, broadening skill sets beyond core UX.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "growth opportunities" are framed less around traditional corporate ladders and more around increasing scope, influence, and specialization, which is highly attractive to ambitious individuals in early-stage tech companies.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a "Remote-first" organization, meaning there is no central physical office for daily operations. Work is conducted entirely remotely.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote and based in the United States, the parent company Bjak has operations in Malaysia. However, for this specific role at A1, the focus is on remote work within the US.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the culture emphasizes close collaboration. This likely involves extensive use of digital collaboration tools, virtual meetings, and asynchronous communication.
• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design and collaboration tools (e.g., Figma, prototyping software, communication platforms like Slack or Teams) will be provided. The environment will support rapid iteration and digital asset sharing.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for team interaction will be through virtual means, likely involving regular stand-ups, design critiques, and team-building activities to foster connection and maintain team cohesion.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, with the expectation of approximately 40 hours per week. Remote work offers flexibility in structuring the workday, but consistent availability for team collaboration and responsiveness during core working hours (likely aligned with US time zones) will be essential.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "remote-first" nature is a key differentiator. The "workspace context" focuses on how remote collaboration is facilitated, highlighting the digital tools and communication strategies necessary for a distributed, high-performance team.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role's requirements, particularly in AI product design.
• Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a take-home design challenge or present a deep dive into one of your portfolio case studies, focusing on your process, decision-making, and problem-solving approach for complex AI interactions.
• Team Interviews: Interviews with product, engineering, and AI team members to evaluate collaboration style, technical understanding, and cultural fit.
• Founder/Leadership Interview: A final discussion with the founders or senior leadership to assess strategic thinking, ownership mentality, and long-term vision alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on AI/Complex Problems: Highlight projects where you tackled complex user problems, especially those involving data, AI, or novel interactions. Explain why your design choices were made.
• Showcase Your Process: Detail your methodology from research and ideation through to iteration and final design. Emphasize how you translated complex requirements into user-friendly solutions.
• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics or evidence of the impact of your designs (e.g., user engagement, task completion rates, feedback).
• Demonstrate Collaboration: Include examples or descriptions of how you partnered with engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders.
• Tailor to AI: Explicitly address how your skills and experience are relevant to designing AI-powered consumer products.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand AI Interaction: Research current trends and challenges in UX for AI, focusing on areas like trust, transparency, control, and explainability.
• Problem-Solving Framework: Be prepared to articulate your approach to ambiguous problems and how you would break them down.
• Rapid Iteration: Demonstrate an understanding of fast iteration cycles and the ability to make quick, informed design decisions.
• Communication: Practice clearly articulating your design rationale and process, especially when explaining complex technical or AI concepts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not just design skills but also a strategic, problem-solving mindset crucial for building novel AI products. The portfolio review is a critical component, requiring candidates to demonstrate their ability to navigate ambiguity and design for cutting-edge technology.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is a core requirement.
• Rapid Prototyping Tools: Experience with tools beyond Figma (e.g., Principle, ProtoPie, InVision) is beneficial for quickly testing interaction models.
• User Research & Testing Platforms: Familiarity with tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, or similar platforms for conducting usability studies.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Analytics Platforms: While not a primary design tool, understanding how to interpret data from platforms like Google Analytics, Amplitude, or Mixpanel can inform design decisions and measure impact.
• A/B Testing Tools: Familiarity with A/B testing methodologies and platforms (e.g., Optimizely) to validate design hypotheses.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the core responsibilities of a Product Designer, but an understanding of how user data flows from design into CRM or automation systems can be beneficial for context.
• Design System Management Tools: If A1 uses specific tools for managing their design system (e.g., Zeroheight, Storybook), familiarity would be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is heavily weighted towards design and prototyping tools, with Figma being explicitly called out. The emphasis is on tools that enable rapid iteration and collaboration in a remote setting.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Clarity: Emphasis on clear communication, well-defined problems, and straightforward solutions.
• Speed: A commitment to rapid iteration, fast shipping, and efficient development cycles.
• Craftsmanship: A dedication to high-quality design and a strong attention to detail in execution.
• Relentless Ownership: Taking full responsibility for projects from inception to completion, driving outcomes proactively.
• Excellence: A drive to achieve the highest standards in both product and personal performance.
• Building Real Systems: A passion for creating tangible, functional products rather than theoretical concepts.

Collaboration Style:

• Dense, Senior, High-Performance: Expect to work with highly skilled individuals who are driven and focused.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Close partnerships with Product, Engineering, and AI teams are fundamental, requiring open communication and shared problem-solving.
• Process Review & Feedback: A culture of constructive feedback and iterative improvement is likely present, essential for refining complex AI products.
• Knowledge Sharing: In a remote, high-performance environment, effective asynchronous and synchronous knowledge sharing is crucial for team alignment and progress.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values are geared towards a startup environment that prioritizes output, quality, and individual accountability. The collaboration style emphasizes deep integration with technical teams, which is critical for AI product development.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Ambiguity: Navigating the inherent uncertainty of building a new AI product in a stealth environment, where requirements and user behaviors are not yet fully defined.
• Simplifying Complexity: Translating sophisticated AI capabilities into intuitive, easily understandable user experiences for a broad consumer base.
• Building Trust in AI: Designing interactions that foster user trust and confidence in an AI system, addressing potential concerns about data privacy, bias, or reliability.
• Rapid Iteration vs. Quality: Balancing the need for speed and rapid iteration with the requirement for high-quality, robust design solutions.
• Remote Collaboration: Effectively collaborating and maintaining strong team cohesion in a fully remote setting.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI UX Specialization: Deepen expertise in the emerging field of AI-driven user experiences, becoming a go-to expert in this niche.
• Product Strategy Influence: Gain significant experience in shaping product strategy and direction from the ground up.
• Working with Frontier Tech: Directly engage with and design for cutting-edge AI technologies.
• Startup Growth Experience: Develop valuable experience in a high-growth, early-stage tech company environment.
• Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from founders and senior team members with deep industry experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the unique nature of AI product development and the early-stage startup context. The growth opportunities focus on specialization and high-level strategic impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• How would you approach designing a user interface for a generative AI tool that needs to balance creative freedom with user control and safety?
• Describe a time you had to design for a highly technical or complex system. What was your process for making it user-friendly?
• How do you balance user needs with business goals and technical feasibility, especially when dealing with novel AI capabilities?

Company & Culture Questions:

• What excites you about designing for AI products, and what are your biggest concerns or challenges regarding AI user experience?
• How do you ensure effective collaboration and communication within a remote, high-performance team?
• How do you embody "relentless ownership" in your design work?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation around 1-2 key case studies that best demonstrate your ability to handle complex problems and AI-related challenges.
• Narrative: Tell a compelling story about the problem, your process, your design decisions (and the rationale behind them), and the outcome.
• AI Focus: Clearly articulate how your design choices specifically addressed the challenges of AI interaction, trust, and usability.
• Collaboration: Be ready to discuss how you worked with engineers and product managers, highlighting your collaboration skills.
• Q&A: Prepare for in-depth questions about your process, decisions, and how you'd approach potential challenges at A1.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a strategic mindset, problem-solving skills, and a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities in designing for AI products within a fast-paced startup.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer (UX) position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.
• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects that showcase your end-to-end design process, particularly any work involving complex systems, data, or AI. Tailor your case studies to highlight how you address user needs and translate technical capabilities into intuitive experiences.
• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize keywords relevant to Product Design, UX Design, AI products, Figma, prototyping, interaction design, and collaboration in fast-paced environments. Quantify achievements where possible.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and how you handle ambiguity. Be ready to discuss your portfolio in detail and prepare thoughtful questions about A1's product vision and design challenges.
• Company Research: Deeply understand A1's mission and the challenges of building a consumer AI product. Research the broader AI UX landscape and be prepared to discuss your perspective.

⚠️ 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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