Principal Product Designer, SeekrGuard

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Product Designer, SeekrGuard

Company: Seekr

Location: Austin, Texas, United States; Reston, Virginia, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-06-12T22:23:41

Experience Level: 8-12+ years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office per week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end design vision and execution for SeekrGuard, an AI model evaluation and certification solution, focusing on complex SaaS and technical platform products.

• Define and own systems-level UX, including information architecture, interaction patterns, and reusable UX frameworks for AI model risk assessment.

• Drive user discovery and research to synthesize findings into validated UX strategies, interaction models, and product directions for technical and non-technical users.

• Leverage AI-assisted design tools to accelerate ideation, prototyping, and iteration cycles while maintaining high design quality and product judgment.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management and Engineering to influence roadmap, shape technical constraints, and ensure high-quality implementation of design specifications.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the original listing is for a Product Designer, the depth of responsibility, focus on technical users, and the "Principal" title strongly suggest this role operates within the realm of GTM Operations by enabling the product that drives go-to-market strategy for AI governance solutions. The emphasis on user discovery, workflow definition, and cross-functional influence aligns with operationalizing product value.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Drive the complete product design lifecycle for SeekrGuard, from initial discovery and concept development through detailed design, delivery, and iterative improvements.

• Establish and maintain scalable information architecture, interaction patterns, and reusable UX frameworks across evaluation, scoring, risk profiling, and certification workflows.

• Conduct user discovery and research with both technical (ML engineers, data scientists) and non-technical stakeholders to inform UX strategy and product direction.

• Utilize AI tools to enhance design execution speed, compressing ideation and prototyping while applying critical design judgment.

• Contribute to and extend the Seekr design system to ensure consistency and support new SeekrGuard capabilities and enterprise governance use cases.

• Act as the primary design authority for SeekrGuard, influencing product direction, roadmap decisions, and technical constraints through high-quality work and persuasive communication.

• Translate complex AI model risk concepts into clear, intuitive user interfaces and experiences for diverse user personas.

• Collaborate with Engineering teams to deliver detailed design specifications and prototypes, ensuring successful and high-fidelity implementation.

• Champion user-centered design principles and best practices within the product development team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for strategic thinking in defining complex workflows and information architecture, which are core to operations enablement. The emphasis on "systems-level UX" and "reusable UX frameworks" points to the need for scalable solutions, a hallmark of effective operations design.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience. Experience:

• 8 to 12+ years of product design experience, with a strong focus on complex SaaS or technical platform products.

• Proven experience in end-to-end product ownership, from discovery to delivery and iteration.

• Demonstrated ability to operate autonomously and lead design efforts for a product as the sole designer. Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including extensive experience working within and evolving shared design systems.

• Active and fluent use of AI-assisted design and prototyping tools to compress execution cycles.

• Strong product judgment and the ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.

• Expertise in systems-level design, including complex workflows, information architecture, and scalable interaction frameworks.

• Experience leading discovery research, including defining personas, mapping workflows, and validating solutions through usability testing.

• Proven track record of successful collaboration with Engineering teams through implementation, including detailed spec delivery and navigation of technical constraints.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and tradeoffs to both technical and executive stakeholders.

• Residency near Austin, TX or Reston, VA, with the ability to work in the office 3 days per week. Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for highly technical users such as ML engineers, developers, data scientists, or MLOps practitioners.

• Familiarity with AI/ML concepts, including model evaluation, benchmarking, bias and reliability testing, LLMs, RAG, agents, or MLOps platforms.

• Experience designing platform surfaces related to governance, compliance, access controls, administration, or multi-tenant systems.

• Proficiency in data visualization, analytics dashboards, or real-time monitoring interfaces.

• Background in high-growth startups or early-stage platform product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on technical users and AI/ML concepts is crucial for operations roles in this domain. Understanding how to visualize data, manage governance, and integrate systems is vital for creating efficient operational workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate end-to-end ownership of major product areas, ideally including 0-to-1 or early-stage work.

• Showcase clear problem-solving depth and high-quality craft in design execution.

• Include case studies that illustrate the process of defining complex workflows and information architecture for technical products.

• Highlight examples of how AI tools were leveraged to accelerate design processes and improve outcomes.

• Present evidence of contribution to or management of design systems, demonstrating scalability and reusability of design patterns. Process Documentation:

• Case studies should detail the user research and discovery process, including insights gathered and how they translated into design decisions.

• Examples of systems-level UX design, such as comprehensive workflow diagrams, information architecture maps, and interaction pattern libraries.

• Demonstrate the ability to translate complex technical requirements into intuitive and actionable user interfaces.

• Show how design decisions were validated through usability testing and iterative feedback loops.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations roles, a portfolio is critical for demonstrating practical application of design thinking to solve complex operational challenges. The focus should be on scalability, efficiency, and how design directly impacts user workflows and business outcomes in technical environments.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• The compensation for a Principal Product Designer with 8-12+ years of experience in a technical SaaS company, located in Austin, TX or Reston, VA, typically falls within the range of $170,000 - $220,000 annually. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for principal-level design roles in technology hubs, considering the specialized nature of AI/ML product design and the company's stage (high-growth startup).

• Actual compensation will be determined by the candidate's experience, skills, and qualifications, and may include performance-based bonuses or commission plans depending on the specific role structure. Benefits:

• Meaningful Mission & Impact: Opportunity to solve significant AI challenges with a talented, collaborative team.

• Equity Ownership: Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) providing direct participation in Seekr's long-term success and growth.

• Generous Time Off: Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) combined with 14 paid company holidays for work-life balance and recharging.

• Flexible Hybrid Work Environment: A hybrid model with offices in Reston, VA, and Austin, TX, allowing for a blend of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility.

• Competitive Total Rewards: A comprehensive compensation structure, potentially including base salary, bonuses, or commission, tailored to the role.

• 401(k) with Company Match: Retirement savings plan with employer matching contributions to support long-term financial planning.

• Comprehensive Health & Wellness: Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance coverage provided from day one for employees and their families.

• Paid Parental Leave: Paid leave to support employees welcoming a new child through birth, adoption, or foster placement.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time working hours are assumed to be approximately 40 hours per week.

• The hybrid work environment offers flexibility, but the role requires 3 days per week in the designated office location (Austin or Reston).

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimation is based on provided location (Austin, TX/Reston, VA) and experience level (8-12+ years for Principal level) for a tech company in the AI/SaaS space. Benefits are directly extracted from the provided text.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Explainable AI (XAI) / AI Governance & Trust

Company Size: The provided information does not explicitly state the company size, but the context of a "high-growth startup" and "early-stage platform products" suggests a dynamic, growing organization likely in the range of 50-250 employees.

Founded: The founding date is not explicitly provided, but the description implies Seekr is an established leader in its niche, developing mature products like SeekrFlow™ and SeekrGuard.

Team Structure:

• The Principal Product Designer will operate within a "fast-moving product org" and will be the "sole designer for a product."

• Close partnership is expected with Product Management and Engineering teams.

• The role requires influencing cross-functional stakeholders, including technical and executive leadership. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The company emphasizes building "explainability and transparency into the entire AI lifecycle," suggesting a strong reliance on data and evidence for decision-making.

• Outcome-Oriented: A core value is being "driven by outcomes—our customers' success is what we strive for every day."

• Innovation & Progress: Seekr believes "innovation drives progress" and is focused on building technologies for critical societal systems.

• Responsibility & Trust: A strong emphasis is placed on taking "responsibility to deliver secure AI" and building "trust."

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is deeply rooted in trust, transparency, and innovation within the critical field of AI. For operations professionals, this means a focus on rigorous processes, clear communication, and measurable impact. The "sole designer" aspect indicates a need for self-sufficiency and strong initiative.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level:

• This role is positioned at a Principal level, signifying a senior individual contributor with significant autonomy and influence. It requires a depth of experience (8-12+ years) and the ability to set strategic direction for a product area. The "Principal" title implies leadership in design thinking, process definition, and cross-functional collaboration, even without direct reports. Reporting Structure:

• The Principal Product Designer will report within the product organization, likely to a Head of Product, Director of Product Design, or VP of Product.

• They will operate with a high degree of autonomy, directly partnering with Product Managers and Engineering Leads responsible for the SeekrGuard product. Operations Impact:

• As the design owner for SeekrGuard, the Principal Product Designer's work directly impacts the usability, adoption, and effectiveness of a solution crucial for enterprise and government AI governance.

• Their designs will translate complex AI model risk concepts into actionable insights for users, thereby enabling more trustworthy AI deployments and supporting critical business/mission outcomes.

• By improving the clarity and accessibility of model risk data, the role directly contributes to operationalizing AI governance, reducing compliance risks, and building customer trust. Growth Opportunities:

• Deep Specialization: Opportunity to become a deep expert in the rapidly evolving field of AI/ML product design and governance.

• Leadership & Influence: Potential to grow into design leadership roles, mentor junior designers, or take on broader product strategy responsibilities within the company.

• Foundational Impact: Contribute to building foundational design systems and UX frameworks that can scale across other Seekr products.

• Industry Exposure: Gain significant experience working with enterprise and government clients in high-stakes AI applications.

• Startup Growth: Participate in the growth trajectory of a high-potential startup, with opportunities for career advancement as the company scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, this role offers a pathway to influence product strategy and operationalize complex AI governance solutions. The "Principal" title suggests a significant impact on how the company's product is perceived and utilized, driving operational efficiency for their clients.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type:

• Seekr offers a flexible hybrid work environment with physical offices located in Reston, VA, and Austin, TX. This indicates a model that balances in-person collaboration with individual work flexibility. Office Location(s):

• Austin, Texas, United States

• Reston, Virginia, United States

• Employees are required to reside near one of these locations to fulfill the 3-day per week in-office requirement. Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model suggests a collaborative office space designed to foster teamwork and cross-functional interaction, particularly with Product and Engineering teams.

• Expect access to standard design tools and technologies, including advanced Figma capabilities and AI-assisted design software.

• The environment is described as "fast-moving," implying a dynamic and agile workplace where rapid iteration and problem-solving are common.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with technical users (ML engineers, data scientists) and executive stakeholders will be frequent, facilitating a deep understanding of user needs and business context. Work Schedule:

• The role is full-time, with an assumed standard of approximately 40 hours per week.

• The hybrid arrangement requires a minimum of 3 days per week in the designated office. The remaining days offer flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature and requirement to be near specific offices are key operational considerations for candidates. The "fast-moving" environment suggests a need for adaptability and efficient workflow management.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the role's requirements and experience level.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager (likely a Head of Product or Design Lead) focusing on your background, design philosophy, and experience with complex technical products.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: A session where you will present your portfolio, showcasing end-to-end ownership and problem-solving depth. This may also include a focused design challenge or exercise related to SeekrGuard's domain (e.g., designing a workflow for AI model risk assessment).

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers and Engineering Leads to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to navigate constraints.

• Executive/Leadership Interview: A final conversation to assess strategic thinking, cultural fit, and overall alignment with Seekr's vision and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate end-to-end ownership, systems-level thinking, and experience with technical or complex SaaS products.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (discovery, ideation, iteration, delivery), the solutions you designed, and the measurable outcomes or impact achieved.

• Showcase Process: Detail your user research methods, how you defined information architecture and interaction patterns, and how you leveraged AI tools.

• Highlight Technical Nuance: If applicable, include projects that show experience with technical audiences (ML engineers, data scientists) or complex platform features (governance, dashboards).

• Design System Contribution: If you have experience building or significantly contributing to design systems, highlight this clearly.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, tradeoffs made, collaboration with engineering, and how you handle ambiguity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Seekr's mission and the SeekrGuard product. Research AI model evaluation, risk scoring, and governance concepts.

• Practice articulating complex design problems and solutions concisely.

• Be ready to discuss how you would approach designing for technical users and complex data visualizations.

• Prepare to discuss how you leverage AI in your design workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio demonstrating "end-to-end ownership" and "systems-level design" is critical. For operations roles, this means showcasing how your design work has streamlined processes, improved efficiency, or enabled better decision-making within complex technical systems.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency required for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration within a shared design system. This is the core design tool.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Active and fluent use is expected for compressing ideation, prototyping, and execution loops. Examples might include tools for AI-powered wireframing, content generation, or design system automation, though specific tools are not named.

• Prototyping Tools: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes within Figma or other integrated tools to validate user flows and interaction models.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a requirement for the designer, experience with or understanding of data visualization and analytics dashboards is a strong plus, particularly for designing interfaces that present model risk scores, evaluation results, and compliance metrics. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this design role, but understanding how design impacts user adoption and workflow efficiency within platforms that may integrate with CRM or automation tools is beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and AI-assisted design tools is key. For operations roles, understanding how these tools can be leveraged to create efficient design processes and scalable UX frameworks is paramount. The "plus" for data visualization indicates the need to design interfaces that support operational reporting and decision-making.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity & Outcomes: "Driven by outcomes—our customers' success is what we strive for every day." This means designs must directly contribute to user success and business value in AI governance.

• Trust & Transparency: "We believe trust is earned, which is why we build explainability and transparency into the entire AI lifecycle." Designs should reflect this by making complex AI model risk legible and understandable.

• Responsibility & Security: "We take our responsibility to deliver secure AI seriously." Design considerations must include security and compliance aspects inherent in AI governance.

• Innovation & Progress: "We believe innovation drives progress—we are building the technologies that power the systems our society depends on." This encourages a proactive, forward-thinking approach to design challenges.

• Collaboration & Influence: Operating as the "sole designer" requires earning influence through craft and judgment, fostering a collaborative spirit even when working independently.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Close collaboration with Product Management and Engineering is essential, requiring strong communication and the ability to translate design intent into actionable specifications.

• Influence-Based Alignment: The role necessitates earning alignment and shaping product direction through the quality of design work and persuasive articulation of decisions.

• Autonomous Execution with Feedback Loops: While autonomous, the designer must actively seek and incorporate feedback from users, product, and engineering to ensure designs are validated and implemented effectively.

• Design System Stewardship: Contributing to and extending the design system implies a collaborative approach to maintaining consistency and shared best practices across the product organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values highlight a strong emphasis on impact, integrity, and innovation. For operations professionals, this translates to a need for designs that are not only functional but also ethically sound, transparent, and drive tangible business outcomes in the AI governance space.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Translating intricate AI model evaluation, risk scoring, and governance concepts into intuitive user experiences for diverse technical and non-technical audiences.

• Ambiguity and Fast Pace: Operating autonomously in a fast-moving product environment with evolving requirements and technical constraints.

• Sole Designer Responsibility: Owning the entire design lifecycle for a critical product area without direct design team support.

• AI/ML Domain Nuance: Developing a deep understanding of AI/ML concepts, model evaluation methodologies, and the regulatory landscape for AI governance.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Gaining buy-in and influencing roadmap decisions from Product and Engineering stakeholders.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep AI/ML Expertise: Becoming a subject matter expert in designing for AI/ML evaluation, trust, and governance platforms.

• Product Strategy Influence: Growing influence over product strategy and roadmap through demonstrated design leadership.

• Design System Expansion: Contributing significantly to the development and scaling of Seekr's design system.

• Mentorship Potential: As a Principal designer, opportunities may arise to mentor junior designers or contribute to establishing design best practices within the company.

• High-Growth Startup Experience: Gaining invaluable experience in a scaling technology company, with potential for career advancement as the organization grows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior individual contributors in specialized tech fields. For operations roles, framing these challenges as opportunities to build robust systems, streamline complex processes, and drive efficiency is key.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you took a complex technical product from 0 to 1. What was your process, and what were the key challenges in defining the user experience?" (Focus on your end-to-end ownership, discovery, and systems-level design approach.)

• "How do you leverage AI tools in your design workflow to improve efficiency and outcomes? Can you provide a specific example?" (Prepare to discuss your practical application of AI-assisted design.)

• "SeekrGuard helps organizations govern AI models. How would you approach designing an interface for a user to define a 'customizable risk profile' for an AI model?" (Be ready to sketch out a potential workflow or information architecture, focusing on clarity and user control.)

• "Imagine you need to present the 'bias and reliability scores' of multiple AI models to an executive stakeholder. How would you visualize this data effectively?" (Prepare to discuss data visualization strategies for complex metrics.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on our mission and values, how would you ensure your design decisions for SeekrGuard embody 'trust and transparency'?" (Connect your design philosophy to Seekr's core values.)

• "As the sole designer for SeekrGuard, how will you collaborate with Product and Engineering to ensure alignment and successful implementation?" (Discuss your communication strategies and methods for earning influence.)

• "How do you stay current with AI/ML trends and translate them into user-centered design solutions?" (Showcase your proactive learning and domain interest.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure your presentation: Start with an overview of SeekrGuard and its importance. Then, dive into 2-3 key projects. For each project:

  • Context: Clearly state the problem and your role.
  • Process: Detail your discovery, research, ideation, and design iterations. Emphasize systems-level thinking and how you handled complexity.
  • Solution: Showcase the final designs and key interaction patterns. Explain the rationale behind your decisions.
  • Outcome: Quantify impact where possible (e.g., improved user efficiency, reduced errors, successful adoption).

• Highlight AI Tool Usage: Point out specific instances where AI tools accelerated your process or improved the quality of your work.

• Engage your audience: Be prepared for questions and encourage discussion. Frame your work in terms of solving business/operational problems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The questions are designed to probe the candidate's ability to handle complexity, leverage new technologies (AI), and operate strategically within a collaborative, yet autonomous, role. For operations, emphasize how your design work drives efficiency and clarity for users managing critical AI systems.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Seekr careers portal (https://www.seekr.com/careers/?gh_jid=4705650005).

• Curate your portfolio: Select projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end ownership, systems-level design skills, experience with complex SaaS/technical products, and proficiency with Figma and AI design tools. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your process, your solution, and the impact.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight experience aligning with the required qualifications, specifically emphasizing your work on complex platforms, technical users, and your ability to operate autonomously. Integrate keywords like "systems-level UX," "information architecture," "AI-assisted design," and "design systems."

• Prepare your portfolio presentation: Practice walking through your selected projects, focusing on storytelling, design rationale, and measurable outcomes. Be ready to discuss your approach to user discovery, collaboration with engineering, and leveraging AI tools.

• Research Seekr: Understand Seekr's mission, values, and the SeekrGuard product. Familiarize yourself with concepts in AI governance, model evaluation, and trustworthy AI to better articulate your design thinking and cultural fit.

⚠️ 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.