Staff Product Designer, Product Infrastructure

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer, Product Infrastructure

Company: Valon Tech

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / Product Infrastructure

Date Posted: April 30, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (based on 3+ years requirement)

Remote Status: Fully Remote (within the United States)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the comprehensive end-to-end design of foundational platform capabilities, reusable patterns, and the company's design system to enhance usability and accelerate product development across Valon.

• Drive product strategy by contributing a strong user-centered perspective, identifying and prioritizing critical initiatives for the Product Infrastructure team.

• Conduct in-depth user research, utilizing both quantitative and qualitative methods to deeply understand the needs of mortgage servicing operators, deployment strategists, and technical teams.

• Foster a collaborative environment by mentoring junior designers and cross-functional partners, consistently elevating the standard of product quality and design craft.

• Partner effectively with various internal product teams to identify shared requirements, deliver generalized tools and systems that reduce redundancy and promote consistency.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Staff Product Designer," the responsibilities and required experience (3+ years) suggest a role that bridges senior individual contribution with emerging leadership and strategic influence. The focus on "Product Infrastructure" implies a foundational, systems-level design approach crucial for scaling the company's SaaS offering.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the design of core platform components and reusable UI elements that form the backbone of Valon's evolving SaaS product.

• Develop and maintain a robust design system, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and scalability across all product lines and teams.

• Translate complex business requirements and user needs into intuitive, elegant, and effective design solutions for both internal users and external clients.

• Execute user research methodologies, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, to gather actionable insights and validate design decisions.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and other stakeholders to define product roadmaps, contribute to feature prioritization, and ensure successful product launches.

• Advocate for the user throughout the product development lifecycle, ensuring that design decisions are grounded in user empathy and validated by data.

• Mentor and guide other designers, fostering a culture of design excellence, shared learning, and continuous improvement within the design team.

• Contribute to product strategy by providing design perspectives on market opportunities, competitive landscapes, and emerging technology trends.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "Product Infrastructure" and "reusable patterns" indicates a need for a designer with strong systems thinking capabilities, capable of designing for scale and broad applicability rather than isolated features. This role requires balancing the needs of multiple internal product teams and external servicer clients.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong foundation in design principles acquired through formal education (e.g., Bachelor's in Design, HCI, or related field) or equivalent practical experience is expected.

Experience: 3+ years of dedicated product design experience, with a preference for those who have worked in a D2C fintech environment. Demonstrated success in shipping end-to-end product experiences is crucial.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in end-to-end product design, from concept ideation through to post-launch iteration.

• Strong portfolio showcasing exceptional design fundamentals, systems thinking, and a user-centered approach to complex problem-solving.

• Experience in designing and implementing design systems and reusable components for scalable applications.

• Proficiency in user research methodologies, including quantitative and qualitative analysis, to drive user understanding.

• Ability to thrive in ambiguous environments, bringing clarity, structure, and strategic thinking to evolving product areas.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

• A strong understanding of product strategy and the ability to contribute meaningfully to roadmap discussions.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with LLM (Large Language Model) and Generative AI tools and their application in product design.

• Experience designing complex workflows, internal tools, or B2B SaaS products.

• Practical experience with user research techniques, usability testing, and leveraging data to inform design decisions.

• Experience in the mortgage servicing or broader fintech industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" level designation, combined with the requirement for 3+ years of experience and the focus on foundational platform design, suggests that candidates should demonstrate not only strong execution skills but also strategic thinking, mentorship potential, and the ability to influence product direction. The portfolio is explicitly called out as a critical requirement.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product design case studies that highlight problem definition, user research, ideation, prototyping, and final shipped solutions.

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of systems thinking, particularly in how foundational platform capabilities and reusable patterns can scale and benefit multiple product teams.

• Include examples of how you've applied a user-centered approach to solve complex problems, with a focus on impact and outcomes.

• Feature projects that illustrate your experience with design systems, component libraries, and ensuring design consistency across a product suite.

Process Documentation:

• Case studies should clearly articulate the design process followed, including methodologies used for research, ideation, and validation.

• Demonstrate how you collaborated with engineers, product managers, and other stakeholders to bring designs to life, including any iteration cycles.

• Provide evidence of how your designs have led to measurable improvements in user experience, product adoption, or business metrics.

• For platform or systems design, illustrate how your work has enabled other teams to move faster or with greater quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's focus on "Product Infrastructure" and "design systems," the portfolio should strongly emphasize projects demonstrating scalability, reusability, and the ability to impact multiple product lines. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how their design work has enabled efficiency and consistency across a broader product ecosystem.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $197,000 - $232,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Compensation: Competitive salary, meaningful equity stake in the company, and a 401k plan.

• Health & Well-being: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits.

• Commuter Benefits: Pre-tax deductions for public transportation, rideshare services, and parking.

• Growth & Development: Company-wide orientation, regular performance reviews with 360-degree feedback, and other learning and development opportunities.

• Team Engagement: Quarterly budgets for team and company outings (e.g., team swag, cooking classes, dinners).

• Time Off: Generous and flexible paid time off, sick days, and 11 company holidays.

• Family Support: 12 weeks of fully paid baby bonding time for both birthing and non-birthing parents.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range ($197,000 - $232,000 USD) is for the United States, specifically New York. This range is competitive for a Staff Product Designer role in a high-cost-of-living area like New York, especially within a well-funded tech company like Valon. The note in the job description ("The base salary range reflects multiple levels. We assess level based on a combination of past experience and interview performance") suggests that the actual offer will be determined by the candidate's qualifications and performance during the interview process, potentially aligning them with a more senior interpretation of "Staff" or a slightly less senior placement within that band.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Technology (Fintech), specifically focused on transforming mortgage servicing through an AI-native operating system. Valon is disrupting a traditionally complex and often inefficient industry.

Company Size: Series C funded company, indicating significant growth and a substantial employee base, likely in the range of 200-500 employees. This size suggests a dynamic startup environment with established processes but still room for agility.

Founded: Valon was founded with a mission to rebuild trust in the mortgage industry by simplifying complexity and empowering users. The company operates its own mortgage servicing business to gain deep industry understanding, which then informs their software development.

Team Structure:

• The Product Infrastructure team is core to Valon's mission, building the foundational elements that enable scalability and efficiency.

• Designers on this team work closely with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other product teams to ensure cohesive development.

• The design team itself likely includes a mix of individual contributors and potentially leads, fostering a collaborative and supportive environment.

Methodology:

• Valon emphasizes an AI-native approach, leveraging data and technology to improve operations.

• The company's operational model, building and running its own servicing business, highlights a deep commitment to understanding and optimizing complex processes.

• Design is viewed as integral to simplifying complexity, building trust, and improving user experience and business efficiency.

• Data-driven design decisions are encouraged, supported by user research and performance metrics.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Valon's unique approach of building its own servicing business to develop software provides a strong foundation for its operations and product development. This suggests a culture that values deep domain expertise, pragmatic problem-solving, and a willingness to tackle highly regulated and complex industries. The "AI-native" focus indicates an forward-thinking approach to technology adoption.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Staff Product Designer," indicating a senior individual contributor role with significant influence. It sits above a standard Product Designer and below a Design Lead or Director. The responsibilities include end-to-end ownership, strategic contribution, mentoring, and driving foundational elements of the product.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Staff Product Designer typically reports to a Design Manager, Director of Product Design, or Head of Product. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering leads within the Product Infrastructure team.

Operations Impact: The Product Infrastructure team's work directly impacts Valon's ability to scale its SaaS product and serve a broader range of servicers. The Staff Product Designer's contributions to foundational capabilities, reusable patterns, and the design system will have a ripple effect, enabling other product teams to move faster and with higher quality. This role is critical for operational efficiency and the long-term success of Valon's platform.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership & Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and influence design practices across the organization, developing leadership skills.

• Strategic Influence: Play a key role in shaping the strategy and direction of product infrastructure, impacting the core architecture of Valon's offerings.

• Domain Expertise: Deepen expertise in fintech, mortgage servicing, and AI-driven product development, becoming a valuable specialist in a high-growth sector.

• Career Progression: Potential to grow into a Design Lead or Managerial role within Valon, or to specialize further in platform design or systems architecture.

• Skill Expansion: Exposure to B2B SaaS and internal tooling design, alongside D2C fintech, broadens the designer's skillset significantly.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" title implies a significant level of autonomy and responsibility. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience in leading design initiatives, influencing product strategy, and mentoring others. The growth opportunities are substantial, particularly for those looking to make a strategic impact on a company's core product infrastructure.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job is listed as "TELECOMMUTE" with "Remote OK" status, indicating a fully remote work environment for candidates within the United States. This offers flexibility and the ability to work from a home office.

Office Location(s): While remote, the company has derived locations including New York, New York, United States and San Francisco, California, United States. This suggests that while remote, the company may have a presence or aim to build a presence in these key tech hubs.

Workspace Context:

• Flexibility: A fully remote setup allows designers to create their optimal workspace, promoting work-life balance.

• Tools & Technology: Expect access to industry-standard design and collaboration tools necessary for remote work and product development.

• Collaboration: While remote, the culture emphasizes strong collaboration through virtual meetings, shared documentation, and design critiques. The role requires proactive engagement with remote colleagues.

• Startup Pace: Being a Series C startup, the environment is likely fast-paced, requiring adaptability and a proactive approach to communication and task management.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours/week) are expected, with flexibility inherent in a remote role, though alignment with core team hours will be necessary for effective collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature within the US presents an opportunity for candidates outside of major tech hubs to access a senior-level role. However, successful remote collaboration requires strong self-discipline, proactive communication, and comfort with virtual tools.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of your resume and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess qualifications and fit.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A dedicated session to walk through your portfolio, discussing your design process, decision-making, and impact on past projects. Expect questions about systems thinking and foundational design.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and alignment with team values.

• Staff-Level Discussion: Interviews focusing on strategic thinking, problem-solving in ambiguous situations, mentorship capabilities, and your approach to product infrastructure design.

• Final Round: May involve a discussion with senior leadership or a final assessment of cultural fit and overall candidacy.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Prioritize case studies showcasing your ability to design scalable, reusable components and foundational platform capabilities. Emphasize how your work has enabled consistency and efficiency across multiple products or teams.

• Demonstrate Process Clarity: Clearly articulate your design process for each case study, focusing on user research, problem definition, ideation, and how you navigated trade-offs.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics or outcomes that demonstrate the impact of your design solutions on user experience, business goals, or operational efficiency.

• Showcase Collaboration: Include examples of how you've worked effectively with engineering, product management, and other stakeholders.

• Tailor to Valon: Research Valon's mission and product. If possible, subtly hint at how your design philosophy aligns with their goals of simplifying complex regulated industries.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for design challenges that might involve abstract problems related to platform architecture, design systems, or workflow optimization for internal tools.

• Practice articulating your design decisions clearly and concisely, especially when discussing trade-offs and strategic considerations.

• Anticipate questions about how you would approach designing for ambiguity and how you would mentor or guide other team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is a critical component. Candidates should focus on showcasing projects that demonstrate their ability to design at a foundational level, with a strong emphasis on systems thinking, scalability, and impact beyond a single feature. Be ready to discuss how you approach complex, regulated environments.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, as it's the industry standard for collaborative design), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• Prototyping Tools: InVision, Principle, ProtoPie (for more advanced interactions).

• User Research Platforms: UserTesting.com, Maze, Lookback, or internal tools for conducting qualitative and quantitative research.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Asana, Jira, Trello, Confluence, Slack.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly within the scope of a Product Designer's primary tools, but understanding CRM principles (like Salesforce) and workflow automation concepts can be beneficial, especially for B2B SaaS and internal tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is almost a given for modern product designers. Familiarity with user research platforms and project management tools is essential for effective collaboration in a remote, fast-paced environment. Understanding how to leverage data from analytics tools to inform design decisions will be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User Empathy & Advocacy: A deep commitment to understanding and representing user needs in every design decision, ensuring products are intuitive and effective for mortgage servicing operators, deployment strategists, and technical teams.

• Strong Communication & Collaboration: Valuing open dialogue, clear articulation of design decisions, and effective teamwork with cross-functional partners (Product, Engineering, etc.).

• Critical Thinking & Thought Partnership: Encouraging thoughtful input on product and design strategy, with a focus on long-term impact and alignment with Valon's mission.

• Humble & Growth-Oriented Mindset: A culture of continuous learning, self-improvement, and a willingness to contribute to team success through constructive feedback and adaptation.

• Balanced Approach: Caring about the "big picture" vision while maintaining meticulous attention to detail in design execution.

• Startup Mindset: Excitement for working in a fast-paced, evolving environment where agility, urgency, and adaptability are key.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Designers are expected to be embedded within product teams, working closely with PMs and Engineers to co-create solutions.

• Process Review & Feedback: A culture that encourages regular design critiques, peer reviews, and constructive feedback loops to elevate product quality.

• Knowledge Sharing: Emphasis on sharing learnings, best practices, and insights across the design and broader product teams to foster collective growth.

• Data-Informed Decision Making: Collaboration heavily relies on user research, data analysis, and iterative testing to validate design hypotheses.

📝 Enhancement Note: The listed values strongly suggest a culture that is user-centric, collaborative, and driven by a desire for continuous improvement and impact. The "Startup Mindset" is a crucial element, indicating a need for individuals who are comfortable with rapid change and proactive problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Tackling the inherent complexity of regulated financial industries like mortgage servicing requires deep user understanding and careful consideration of compliance and operational workflows.

• Balancing Reusability and Specificity: Designing foundational platform capabilities and design system elements that are general enough to be broadly applicable while still meeting the specific needs of diverse product teams and user groups.

• Navigating Ambiguity: As part of a rapidly evolving startup and a core infrastructure team, designers will encounter evolving requirements and priorities, necessitating adaptability and proactive problem-solving.

• Scaling Design Impact: Ensuring that design quality and user focus are maintained as the company and product scale, particularly through robust design systems and effective mentorship.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Operations & Fintech Specialization: Gaining deep expertise in mortgage servicing, B2B SaaS, and AI-driven product development within a regulated environment.

• Platform & Systems Design Mastery: Developing advanced skills in designing scalable, reusable components and foundational product infrastructure.

• Mentorship & Leadership Development: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and influence design strategy, building leadership capabilities.

• Exposure to AI/LLM: Potential to work with cutting-edge AI technologies, as indicated by the "Bonus Points" section.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to learning and development opportunities to stay current with design trends and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical of senior roles in growing tech companies, particularly those in complex industries. The growth opportunities are significant, offering a chance to shape a core product offering and develop specialized expertise.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing a reusable component that needs to serve multiple, potentially conflicting, use cases across different product teams?" (Focus on systems thinking, abstraction, and stakeholder alignment.)

• "Describe a time you had to design for a highly regulated or complex industry. What were the key challenges and how did you address them?" (Highlight user empathy, research rigor, and attention to detail.)

• "How do you balance the need for speed and iteration in a startup environment with the importance of delivering high-quality, well-considered design?" (Discuss agile design methodologies, trade-offs, and prioritization.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Valon's mission to transform regulated finance industries?" (Showcase research and genuine interest in the company's vision.)

• "How do you see your role as a Staff Product Designer contributing to Valon's culture of continuous improvement and user advocacy?" (Connect your values and experience to their stated culture.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process, your specific contributions, the solution, and the outcome/impact.

• Emphasize Systems Thinking: Dedicate time to explaining how your design work on foundational elements or design systems created scalability, consistency, or efficiency for the broader product.

• Showcase User Research: Detail your research methodologies and how user insights directly influenced your design decisions.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Expect questions about specific design choices, trade-offs made, and alternative solutions considered.

• Articulate Your "Why": Clearly explain the rationale behind your design decisions, demonstrating strategic thinking and a deep understanding of user needs and business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating not just design craft, but also strategic thinking, systems thinking, and leadership potential. Be ready to discuss how you operate within a team, mentor others, and contribute to product strategy, especially in a complex, regulated domain.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application directly through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features case studies demonstrating end-to-end product design, with a strong emphasis on systems thinking, platform capabilities, or design system work. Tailor your presentation to highlight how your skills align with Valon's mission and the Product Infrastructure team's goals.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your 3+ years of product design experience, highlighting achievements in D2C fintech, B2B SaaS, or complex workflow design. Use keywords like "systems thinking," "design systems," "user-centered design," and "product strategy."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and the impact of your work. Prepare to discuss your experience with user research, collaboration, and mentorship. Rehearse your portfolio walkthrough.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Valon's mission, products (ValonOS), industry (mortgage servicing, fintech), and company culture. Understand their unique approach to building software by operating their own business. Consider how your design philosophy aligns with their values.

⚠️ 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.