Staff Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer

Company: Heidi

Location: New York, New York, United States / San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations Enablement

Date Posted: March 02, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior / Staff Level (Implied 2-5 years minimum)

Remote Status: On-site (Requires presence in New York or San Francisco offices)

🚀 Role Summary

• Product Craftsmanship: Focus on delivering exceptionally high-quality user experiences that evoke feeling and emotional connection, going beyond standard UX flows.

• End-to-End Design Ownership: Design, prototype, and ship features directly, working collaboratively with engineers without traditional handoffs, and actively contributing to code-level polish.

• AI-Powered Software Innovation: Explore and define the future look and feel of AI-driven clinical software, pushing boundaries beyond existing functionalities.

• Design System Stewardship: Contribute to and leverage a robust design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency through components, tokens, and patterns.

• Operational Efficiency: Drive efficiency by directly fixing CSS and pushing code for polish, reducing reliance on lengthy development cycles for minor improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role, while titled "Product Designer," has significant implications for GTM Operations enablement. The emphasis on shipping features, owning design quality, direct coding contributions (CSS, code pushing), and building a scalable design system directly impacts the speed, consistency, and overall effectiveness of Go-To-Market strategies by ensuring a polished and reliable user experience for clinicians. The "Staff" title implies a level of autonomy and influence expected in operations enablement roles.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own and champion design quality across the entire product suite, proactively identifying and rectifying inconsistencies before they reach production.

• Collaborate directly with engineers to design, prototype, and ship new features, maintaining a seamless integration from concept to deployment.

• Investigate and conceptualize innovative design directions for AI-powered clinical software, focusing on user experience and emotional resonance.

• Actively contribute to the evolution of the company's design system, developing and refining components, design tokens, and reusable patterns.

• Directly implement minor code fixes and polish, particularly in CSS, and push pull requests for immediate improvements to enhance user experience.

• Engage in early-stage work sharing, provide constructive and honest critique to peers, and consistently elevate the team's overall standard of design craft.

• Explore and define the optimal user interface and interaction patterns for AI-driven clinical workflows, ensuring intuitiveness and efficiency.

• Champion a user-centric approach, ensuring that the product's design not only functions effectively but also delights and supports clinicians in their daily tasks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on, deeply integrated role with engineering. The expectation to "push code" and "fix CSS" is a significant differentiator, suggesting a hybrid designer-engineer role that directly impacts the speed of GTM execution by enabling rapid iteration and polish on customer-facing features. This also implies a need for a strong understanding of front-end development principles and their impact on user experience and operational efficiency.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent knowledge and practical experience in design principles and front-end development is paramount.

Experience: Minimum of 2-5 years of professional experience in product design, with a proven track record of shipping features and contributing to design systems. Experience in a high-growth startup environment is highly advantageous.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio of Visible Craft: A compelling portfolio showcasing work that demonstrates emotional resonance, high-fidelity design execution, and a deep understanding of user experience principles.

• Figma Proficiency: Expert-level skills in Figma for designing, prototyping, and collaborating on complex user interfaces.

• Code Contribution Capability: Demonstrated ability to design and ship features in code, specifically using tools like Cursor or Claude for pushing real fixes and improvements (e.g., CSS, basic front-end implementation).

• Design System Acumen: Experience contributing to, or building, design systems, including components, tokens, and pattern libraries.

• Critical Thinking & Problem Solving: Ability to analyze complex problems, articulate strong design opinions (while remaining open to feedback), and propose elegant solutions.

• Attention to Detail: Meticulous focus on details such as spacing, alignment, and edge-case testing that contribute to a polished and cohesive product experience.

• Proactive Issue Resolution: A demonstrated habit of identifying and directly fixing production issues rather than solely filing tickets.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the healthcare technology sector or with AI-powered products.

• Familiarity with front-end frameworks and methodologies beyond basic CSS.

• Understanding of information architecture principles for complex applications.

• Experience working in fast-paced, agile startup environments.

• Ability to articulate design decisions based on principles of good design, not solely on user testing data.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "shipping in code" and "pushing CSS fixes" is a critical requirement for operations-focused roles, as it directly translates to faster deployment of product improvements and a more polished GTM experience. This indicates a need for candidates who can bridge the gap between design and development, accelerating the execution of product roadmaps.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Craftsmanship: Showcase projects where the visual design and emotional impact are as critical as the user flow.

• End-to-End Project Showcase: Include case studies detailing your process from problem identification through to shipping, highlighting your direct contributions to the final product.

• Code Integration Examples: If possible, include examples or descriptions of how your designs were implemented in code, or how you directly contributed to code-based polish.

• Design System Contributions: Detail your involvement in design system development, including examples of components, patterns, or tokens you've created or refined.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Optimization: Demonstrate how you've improved design and development workflows, particularly in how design is integrated with engineering for faster shipping.

• System Scalability: Explain how your contributions to design systems ensure scalability and consistency across a growing product.

• Performance Measurement: While not explicitly stated, be prepared to discuss how you measure the success of your design work, potentially linking it back to user engagement or adoption metrics.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role emphasizing direct code contributions and design system work, the portfolio should not only showcase visual design but also highlight the candidate's ability to translate designs into functional code and their understanding of scalable design systems. This is crucial for GTM operations, as it ensures that product releases are consistent and efficiently delivered.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $190,000 - $235,000 USD per year. This range reflects a Staff-level Product Designer position in high-cost-of-living areas like New York and San Francisco, aligning with industry benchmarks for experienced design professionals in tech startups.

Benefits:

• Serious Equity: Significant stock options or grants, reflecting the startup's growth potential and the value placed on employee contribution.

• Generous Development Budget: An annual budget of $500 for professional development, encouraging continuous learning and skill enhancement relevant to design and technology.

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage (assumed standard for US-based roles).

• Paid Time Off: Generous PTO policy to support work-life balance and employee well-being.

• Remote Work Flexibility (Conditional): While the role is primarily on-site, the company expresses a willingness to "make it work" for exceptional candidates outside of Sydney/Melbourne (note: original description mentioned Sydney/Melbourne, but US locations are primary for this posting), indicating potential for remote or hybrid arrangements in specific circumstances.

Working Hours: Assumed standard 40-hour work week, with a strong emphasis on outcomes over inputs. The company values mental health and adapts to schedules, encouraging flexibility as long as performance and deliverables are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a Staff Product Designer in these major tech hubs. The emphasis on "serious equity" and a development budget points to a growth-oriented startup that invests in its key talent. The "outcomes > inputs" philosophy suggests a flexible work environment that is highly valued by operations professionals who often manage complex projects with variable demands.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare Technology / AI Software. Heidi is positioned as a rapidly growing AI startup focused on revolutionizing healthcare through an AI Care Partner, specifically targeting clinician documentation and patient interaction.

Company Size: Small to Medium-sized (Implied fast-growing startup, likely between 50-200 employees given the "scale-up game" and rapid growth mentioned). This size offers opportunities for high impact and broad responsibility.

Founded: Founded approximately 18 months prior to the job posting (as of March 2026), indicating a mature product-market fit and aggressive growth phase.

Team Structure:

• Flat Hierarchy: The description implies a relatively flat organizational structure where designers work directly with engineers and leadership.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Strong emphasis on close collaboration between Design, Engineering, and potentially Product Management.

• Outcome-Oriented: A culture that values tangible results and impact over process for its own sake.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: Likely employs agile methodologies, given the focus on shipping features, rapid iteration, and collaboration.

• Data-Informed Design: While not explicitly stated, the company's AI focus and rapid growth suggest a data-driven approach to product development and decision-making.

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of clinicians, aiming to "strengthen the human connection."

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Heidi's culture is characterized by rapid growth, a mission-driven approach to solving significant problems in healthcare, and a hands-on, collaborative work environment. For operations professionals, this means an opportunity to influence a product with massive distribution and to work in a dynamic, results-oriented setting.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Staff Product Designer. This level signifies a senior individual contributor with significant autonomy, influence over product direction, and a deep understanding of design craft and implementation. It suggests a path towards Principal Designer or Design Lead roles.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Head of Design, VP of Product, or a founding team member. The role involves direct collaboration with engineering leads and product managers.

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts Go-To-Market operations by ensuring the product is consistently polished, user-friendly, and evolves rapidly to meet clinician needs. High-quality, intuitive software reduces friction for sales, support, and customer success teams, and directly contributes to user adoption and retention.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into leading design initiatives, mentoring junior designers, and shaping the future of the design team and its processes.

• Product Strategy Influence: Contribute significantly to product strategy by exploring new AI-powered features and defining the user experience for a growing platform.

• Technical Skill Expansion: Opportunity to deepen front-end development skills through direct code contributions and working closely with engineers.

• Industry Expertise: Develop deep expertise in healthcare AI, a rapidly growing and impactful field.

• Scale-Up Experience: Gain invaluable experience in scaling a product and a company from a strong product-market fit to mass adoption.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" title and the emphasis on direct contribution and exploration indicate a significant growth trajectory. For operations professionals, this role offers the chance to influence product strategy that directly supports GTM efforts and to develop a unique skill set at the intersection of design, technology, and healthcare.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site. The company has offices in New York and San Francisco, indicating a preference for in-person collaboration and team cohesion. The description explicitly states the role is based in these locations.

Office Location(s): New York, New York, United States and San Francisco, California, United States.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative: The environment is built for close collaboration between designers and engineers, fostering a "no handoffs" culture.

• Tool-Rich: Access to modern design and development tools (Figma, Cursor, Claude) and the expectation to use them effectively.

• Mission-Driven: The workspace is infused with the company's mission to improve healthcare, providing a sense of purpose.

• Fast-Paced: Expect a dynamic, agile environment typical of a rapidly scaling startup.

Work Schedule: While a standard 40-hour week is implied, the company emphasizes flexibility and outcomes over strict hours. This allows for adaptation to project needs and personal well-being, a common trait in operations-focused roles where project timelines can be demanding.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in major tech hubs suggests a vibrant, collaborative workspace designed to foster innovation. For operations professionals, this environment typically means direct access to colleagues and resources, facilitating quicker problem-solving and execution.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of application and portfolio to assess craft, experience, and alignment with required skills.

• Portfolio Deep Dive: A session focused on your portfolio, discussing specific projects, your design process, decision-making rationale (including non-user-testing justifications), and contributions to code/design systems.

• Design Challenge/Exercise: Likely a practical exercise or case study, potentially involving a design problem related to AI in healthcare, or a task related to improving existing UI elements for consistency or polish.

• Engineering Collaboration Simulation: A discussion or exercise simulating collaboration with engineers, focusing on your ability to work directly on code-level improvements and push PRs.

• Behavioral & Cultural Fit: Questions assessing your passion for the company's mission, your approach to problem-solving, your opinions on design quality, and your fit within a fast-paced, outcome-driven culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Ensure your portfolio visually communicates the quality and emotional impact of your work. Use high-fidelity mockups, prototypes, and clear descriptions.

• Highlight Code Contributions: If you've pushed code (CSS, etc.) or directly contributed to implementation, make this a prominent part of your case studies. Explain the impact of these contributions.

• Design System Focus: Clearly articulate your role in building or maintaining design systems, showcasing components, tokens, and patterns you've developed.

• Justify Decisions: Be prepared to defend your design choices, especially those not directly tied to user testing data, emphasizing principles of good design, consistency, and craft.

• "Why it's Good": For each project, clearly articulate why your solution is good, what problems it solves, and what impact it had.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with AI in healthcare, clinical workflows, and the challenges clinicians face.

• Focus on Consistency & Polish: Prepare to address how you would maintain and improve design consistency and polish within a complex product.

• Embrace Direct Contribution: Think about how you would approach fixing a CSS issue or implementing a small UI tweak directly, and be ready to discuss that mindset.

• Articulate Mission Alignment: Connect your design philosophy and motivations to Heidi's mission of strengthening the human connection in healthcare.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical application, direct contribution, and a deep understanding of design craft and implementation. Candidates should be ready to demonstrate not just design thinking but also a tangible ability to impact the product through code. This is crucial for roles supporting GTM operations, where speed and quality of delivery are paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design and prototyping tool for creating interfaces, components, and user flows.

• Cursor/Claude (or similar IDEs): Used for writing and pushing code, particularly CSS fixes and front-end polish. This highlights a hybrid role.

• Version Control (e.g., Git): Essential for managing code contributions and collaborating with engineers.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Pendo): Likely used to understand user behavior, track feature adoption, and inform design decisions, though not explicitly mentioned as a requirement for the designer.

• Data Visualization Tools (e.g., Tableau, Looker): Potentially used for understanding broader business and user trends, indirectly influencing design strategy.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot): While not directly used by designers, understanding how the product integrates with or supports CRM functionalities can be beneficial for GTM context.

• Workflow Automation Tools: The product itself is an AI automation tool for clinicians; understanding its automation capabilities is key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Cursor/Claude alongside Figma is a significant indicator of the role's hybrid nature. This requires designers to be comfortable with a development environment, which is highly relevant for operations roles focused on rapid deployment and product iteration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craftsmanship: A deep respect for the quality, detail, and emotional resonance of software.

• Mission-Driven: A commitment to solving real problems in healthcare and improving the lives of clinicians and patients.

• Collaboration & No Handoffs: A belief in working closely and seamlessly with engineering, fostering shared ownership.

• Proactive Problem Solving: Taking initiative to fix issues directly and improve the product without waiting for formal processes.

• Outcome-Oriented: Valuing tangible results and impact over busywork or adherence to process for its own sake.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Designers and engineers work as a single unit, sharing responsibility for feature development and quality.

• Direct Communication: Open and honest feedback is encouraged, with a focus on raising the collective bar.

• Shared Ownership: A collective responsibility for the product's success, from concept to shipping and beyond.

• "All Hands on Deck": Willingness to contribute where needed, embodying the "take the bins out" mentality.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes a high degree of autonomy, ownership, and direct contribution. This aligns well with the expectations for operations professionals who often need to be proactive, collaborative, and results-focused to drive GTM success.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Bridging Design and Code: The primary challenge is effectively managing the dual responsibilities of high-level design and direct code implementation, ensuring both quality and speed.

• Healthcare AI Complexity: Navigating the unique challenges and ethical considerations of designing AI-powered software in the sensitive healthcare domain.

• Rapid Scaling: Keeping pace with the company's rapid growth while maintaining design quality and consistency across an expanding product.

• Defining "AI Software Feel": Establishing a novel and effective user experience for AI-driven clinical tools that goes beyond traditional software paradigms.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX/UI for AI: Deepen expertise in designing for artificial intelligence, particularly in specialized fields like healthcare.

• Front-End Development Skills: Enhance coding abilities through daily practice and collaboration with experienced engineers.

• Product Strategy Influence: Gain experience in shaping product roadmaps and contributing to strategic business decisions in a high-growth startup.

• Design System Leadership: Develop skills in building and scaling robust design systems that support rapid product iteration.

• Healthcare Industry Immersion: Become an expert in the intricacies of healthcare systems and clinician workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges and growth opportunities are significant, offering a chance to develop a unique skill set at the forefront of AI and healthcare technology. For operations professionals, this role provides a platform to directly influence product strategy and execution that impacts Go-To-Market capabilities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you ensure design consistency across a product where designers and engineers are pushing code directly?" Prepare to discuss your approach to design systems, component libraries, and collaborative code reviews.

• "Describe a time you disagreed with an engineer about a design implementation. How did you resolve it?" Focus on your communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, highlighting your ability to find practical solutions.

• "If you saw an inconsistent spacing issue in production, what would be your immediate steps to address it?" Demonstrate your proactive mindset and comfort with directly fixing code.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you drawn to Heidi's mission to 'strengthen the human connection at the heart of healthcare'?" Connect your personal values and professional interests to the company's mission.

• "What does 'craftsmanship' mean to you in the context of software design, especially AI software?" Articulate your philosophy on design quality, detail, and emotional resonance.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Frame your case studies as narratives, clearly outlining the problem, your process, your specific contributions (especially code), and the outcome.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data or metrics to demonstrate the impact of your work, even if it's qualitative feedback or adoption rates.

• Highlight Hybrid Skills: Explicitly point out where you contributed code or influenced implementation, explaining the value added beyond traditional design deliverables.

• Showcase Design System Work: Dedicate time to explaining your contributions to design systems and how they enable efficient and consistent product development.

• Be Prepared for Technical Deep Dives: Expect questions about your code snippets, CSS choices, and development workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of design thinking, technical capability (especially in front-end), and a proactive, collaborative attitude that aligns with Heidi's culture and operational needs.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Apply through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features projects demonstrating exceptional craft, direct contributions to code (especially CSS), and experience with design systems. Highlight how your work has shipped and impacted users.

• Tailor Your Resume: Emphasize keywords related to product design, UI/UX, Figma, CSS, code pushing, design systems, AI software, and healthcare technology. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to articulate your design philosophy, your passion for Heidi's mission, and your experience in fast-paced, collaborative environments. Practice discussing your portfolio projects, focusing on your direct contributions and the "why" behind your design decisions.

• Research Heidi: Understand their product, their mission, their rapid growth, and the challenges within the healthcare AI space. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. While every effort has been made to provide a comprehensive overview, candidates should verify all details directly with Heidi during the application and interview process. The emphasis on code contribution is a key differentiator for this role.