Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Adaptive

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-18

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end design and delivery of impactful, user-centric product features and AI agents within the construction industry's operating system.

• Partner closely with Product Managers and Engineering counterparts to translate user needs and business goals into intuitive and scalable design solutions.

• Contribute to the evolution and maintenance of a robust design system, ensuring consistency and efficiency across the platform.

• Conduct user research and usability testing to validate design decisions and continuously improve the user experience, with a focus on AI-native product development.

• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to align user needs, business objectives, and the overarching product vision in a fast-paced startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "Product Designer," its emphasis on driving product features end-to-end, collaborating with product and engineering, and contributing to an AI-native product suggests a strong connection to Go-To-Market (GTM) operations by ensuring the product effectively meets market needs and user adoption. The focus on user-centric design and research directly impacts how the product is perceived and utilized by customers, which is a critical GTM function.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and ship new product features and AI agents from concept to delivery, working collaboratively with product management and engineering teams.

• Execute user research, including interviews and usability testing, to gather insights that inform design decisions and validate solutions.

• Contribute to the development, maintenance, and evolution of the design system, ensuring design consistency, scalability, and efficiency across the Adaptive platform.

• Collaborate with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders to define product requirements, align on user needs, and ensure successful product launches.

• Champion user-centered design principles throughout the product development lifecycle, advocating for the needs of small-business builders nationwide.

• Translate complex business requirements and AI functionalities into intuitive and user-friendly interfaces.

• Participate in design critiques and provide constructive feedback to peers to foster a collaborative design culture.

• Help define and refine product workflows and user journeys that optimize for efficiency and adoption within the construction industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a "full-stack" design role within a startup context. The emphasis on "end-to-end" design, "owning projects," and "shipping features" indicates a need for a designer who can not only conceptualize but also execute and deliver. The inclusion of "AI agents" and "AI-native product" suggests a requirement for designers comfortable with emerging technologies and their user experience implications.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: 3–5 years of professional product design experience, with a strong preference for candidates who have worked in SaaS or fast-paced startup environments.

Required Skills:

• UX/UI Design: Proven expertise in creating intuitive, user-friendly interfaces and compelling user experiences.

• User Research: Demonstrated ability to plan, conduct, and analyze user research and usability testing to inform design decisions.

• Design Systems: Experience in contributing to, maintaining, and evolving design systems for consistency and scalability.

• End-to-End Project Ownership: Ability to take ownership of design projects from initial concept through to final delivery and iteration.

• Communication & Storytelling: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

• SaaS/Startup Experience: Familiarity with the challenges and pace of working in software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies or startup environments.

• AI Product Understanding: Comfort and curiosity in designing for AI-native products and understanding their unique UX considerations.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for the construction industry or other complex, multi-stakeholder verticals.

• Proficiency in modern design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite).

• Experience with front-end development concepts and how they relate to design implementation.

• A strong portfolio showcasing a range of product design projects with measurable impact.

• Familiarity with agile development methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of "2-5 years" as identified by AI analysis aligns with the "3-5 years" stated in the job description, suggesting a mid-level position. The emphasis on "AI-native product" and "fast-evolving processes" points to a need for adaptability and a forward-thinking approach to design challenges.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies that demonstrate your process from problem identification to solution delivery. Each case study should clearly outline the challenge, your role and process, design decisions, and the impact of your work.

• UX/UI Examples: Include visual examples of user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes for web or mobile applications.

• Design System Contribution: If possible, provide examples or descriptions of your contributions to design systems, highlighting how you ensured consistency and scalability.

• User Research Integration: Illustrate how user research and testing informed your design decisions and led to tangible improvements in user experience or product outcomes.

• AI Product Design Examples (if applicable): Showcase any work that involved designing for AI-driven features or products, explaining the unique considerations and solutions.

Process Documentation:

• Problem Definition: Clearly articulate the user problem or business challenge you aimed to solve.

• User Journey Mapping: Demonstrate how you mapped out user journeys to understand pain points and opportunities.

• Iterative Design: Show evidence of an iterative design process, including feedback loops and design refinements based on testing and stakeholder input.

• Collaboration Evidence: Highlight how you collaborated with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders throughout the design process.

• Outcome Measurement: Quantify the impact of your design solutions using metrics (e.g., conversion rates, task completion time, user satisfaction scores).

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Product Designer role, especially in a startup, the portfolio is paramount. It serves as tangible proof of design thinking, execution capability, and the ability to drive product impact. Emphasizing end-to-end ownership and measurable outcomes is crucial for demonstrating GTM relevance.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $160,000 - $180,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive Salary: Base salary aligned with industry standards and experience level.

• Meaningful Equity: Opportunity to be a significant owner in a rapidly scaling startup.

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage to support employee well-being.

• 401(k) Match: Financial planning support for long-term savings.

• Flexible PTO Policy: Encourages work-life balance and personal time off.

• Seat at the Table: Opportunity to influence strategy and product direction in a growing company.

• Unlimited Professional Growth: Ample opportunities for skill development, career advancement, and leadership.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, with an expectation of 4 days per week in the New York office. The role likely requires flexibility to meet project deadlines and collaborate effectively with a distributed team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated salary range of $160,000 - $180,000 USD for a Product Designer with 3-5 years of experience in New York City is within the typical market range for such roles, especially in high-cost-of-living areas. The inclusion of "meaningful equity" is a significant component for startup roles and should be a key consideration. The hybrid model, requiring 4 days in-office, is also a specific detail for compensation package evaluation.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Vertical AI, Construction Technology (ConTech), SaaS. Adaptive is at the forefront of digitizing and optimizing the $2 trillion U.S. construction industry through AI. This positions them in a critical, underserved market ripe for innovation.

Company Size: ~50 employees. This indicates a relatively small, agile team where individual contributions have a significant impact. It suggests a culture of high ownership, direct communication, and rapid iteration.

Founded: The company has raised $26m, indicating a growth stage with established product-market fit and significant investment for scaling operations.

Team Structure:

• Reporting: The Product Designer will report to the Lead Designer.

• Collaboration: Day-to-day collaboration will be with a dedicated Product Manager and engineering counterparts, forming a product pod or squad.

• Cross-functional Interaction: Close collaboration with stakeholders across product, engineering, and potentially go-to-market teams is expected to align user needs with business goals.

Methodology:

• AI-Native Product Development: The company is building an "agentic operating system," which implies a deep integration of AI and automation into core product functionalities. Designers will need to understand and design for these AI capabilities.

• Data-Driven Design: While not explicitly stated, the company's focus on data generation from managed processes suggests a strong inclination towards data-informed decision-making in product development.

• Agile Processes: The startup environment and focus on shipping features quickly typically imply agile or lean development methodologies.

Company Website: https://www.adaptive.build/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on a massive, underserved market ("construction industry," "least digitized industries") and its AI-native approach ("agentic operating system") are key differentiators. For a Product Designer, this means opportunities to shape a category-defining product with cutting-edge technology, requiring adaptability and a strong understanding of complex workflows.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Product Designer (3-5 years of experience). The designer is expected to be largely independent in executing design tasks, owning features, and contributing to the design system. They will work closely with a Lead Designer but are not expected to manage others at this stage.

Reporting Structure: Reporting to the Lead Designer provides mentorship and guidance, while direct day-to-day collaboration with a Product Manager and engineers signifies integration into core product development squads. This structure allows for both specialized design leadership and hands-on product contribution.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is directly tied to the success of the product. By designing user-centric features and AI agents that solve real problems for construction businesses, they directly influence customer adoption, retention, and ultimately, revenue growth. A well-designed product is a critical component of the Go-To-Market strategy, enabling sales and customer success teams.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deeper expertise in AI product design, complex vertical SaaS, and user research methodologies.

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Senior Product Designer role, taking on more complex projects, mentoring junior designers, and contributing more significantly to design strategy.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Opportunity to lead design initiatives for specific product areas or features, influencing product roadmap and strategy.

• Impactful Contributions: Direct involvement in shaping a category-defining product in a massive, underserved market.

• Startup Growth: Experience in a rapidly scaling company provides exposure to various business functions and potential for rapid career advancement as the organization expands.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "unlimited opportunities for professional growth and leadership" mentioned in the benefits section, combined with the company's growth trajectory, suggests a strong potential for career advancement. For a designer, this could mean moving into senior individual contributor roles, leading design for new product initiatives, or even transitioning into product management or design leadership positions as the company scales.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This role requires a hybrid work arrangement, with a mandate to work from the company's Union Square office Monday through Thursday. This suggests a collaborative in-office culture with opportunities for face-to-face interaction, brainstorming, and team building.

Office Location(s): Union Square, New York. This is a prime location in Manhattan, offering excellent accessibility via public transportation and a vibrant urban environment.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid mandate indicates a preference for in-person collaboration, likely involving whiteboarding sessions, design critiques, and quick syncs with product and engineering teams.

• Tools & Technology: Employees can expect access to modern design tools (likely Figma, given industry trends) and the necessary hardware to support design and product development workflows.

• Team Interaction: The office environment will foster regular interaction with design, product, and engineering teams, promoting a cohesive product development culture.

Work Schedule: While specific hours aren't detailed, a typical full-time schedule (e.g., 9 AM - 5 PM) is expected. The hybrid model allows for one day of remote work, offering some flexibility. The overarching expectation is that work is completed effectively, regardless of exact hours, with a focus on delivering features and meeting project timelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "In-office mandate" requiring 4 days per week in Union Square is a significant detail. This signals a company that values in-person collaboration, team cohesion, and spontaneous interactions, which can be beneficial for design-heavy roles. Candidates should consider how this fits with their preferred work style.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter or hiring manager to assess basic qualifications, interest, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review & Design Exercise: A more in-depth discussion of your portfolio, likely involving a presentation of 1-2 case studies. This may be followed by a take-home design challenge or an in-person whiteboard exercise focused on problem-solving and design thinking.

• Team Interviews: Meetings with the Lead Designer, Product Manager, and engineering counterparts to evaluate design skills, collaboration style, and technical understanding.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a co-founder or senior leader to discuss company vision, strategic alignment, and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, key decisions, and the outcome. Use visuals to support your story.

• Highlight Your Process: Emphasize your thinking, research methods, iterative steps, and how you arrived at your solutions. This is as important as the final designs.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. Focus on business outcomes and user benefits.

• Tailor to Adaptive: If possible, show an understanding of the construction industry or AI-driven products, and how your skills align with Adaptive's mission.

• Be Ready for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design choices, challenges faced, and how you handle feedback.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Problem: Thoroughly analyze any design challenge prompt. Ask clarifying questions.

• Think Out Loud: If it's a live exercise, articulate your thought process, assumptions, and potential solutions.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a structured approach to problem-solving, even if you don't reach a perfect final solution.

• Consider Constraints: Acknowledge business goals, technical limitations, and user needs.

• Present Clearly: Organize your thoughts and present your solution concisely and effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "AI-native product" and "fast-evolving processes" mentioned in the job description suggest that interviewers will be looking for candidates who can demonstrate adaptability, a proactive approach to learning, and the ability to design for novel technological challenges. Questions may probe how you approach ambiguity and rapid change.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma (highly probable given modern SaaS startups), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, and prototyping tools like InVision or Principle.

• User Research Platforms: Familiarity with tools for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, SurveyMonkey).

• Collaboration Tools: Experience with tools like Slack, Jira, Confluence, and Asana for team communication and project management.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Familiarity with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics to understand user behavior and product usage.

• Data Visualization: While not a primary design tool, an understanding of how data is presented in dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Looker) can inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a designer's tool, an understanding of how CRM systems (like Salesforce) and marketing automation tools impact user journeys and data flow can be beneficial for holistic product design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "AI-native product" context suggests that designers might also interact with or need to understand tools related to AI model integration, data pipelines for AI training, or platforms that facilitate AI agent interactions, even if they are not directly using them for design. Proficiency in Figma is almost a given for this type of role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: Focus on delivering tangible results and solving real problems for customers, contributing directly to the company's growth and mission.

• User-Centricity: Deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of construction professionals, ensuring the product is intuitive and valuable.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication, shared ownership, and a willingness to work together across functions to achieve common goals.

• Innovation & Adaptability: Embracing new technologies (like AI), iterating quickly, and being comfortable with evolving processes in a dynamic startup environment.

• Expertise & Domain Knowledge: Valuing deep understanding of the construction industry alongside technical and design fluency.

Collaboration Style:

• Product Pods: Working in close-knit teams with Product Managers and Engineers, fostering a shared sense of ownership and rapid iteration.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Proactive communication and collaboration with stakeholders to ensure designs align with business objectives and market needs.

• Design Critiques: A culture of constructive feedback and peer review to elevate design quality and foster learning.

• Data-Informed Discussions: Utilizing user research and product analytics to inform design decisions and facilitate productive debates.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to "orchestrate multi-stakeholder workflows" and build an "agentic operating system" implies a culture that values complexity, integration, and seamless user experiences across different user types and operational processes. Designers will need to be adept at understanding and simplifying these complex interactions.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for a Complex Vertical: The construction industry has unique workflows, terminology, and user needs that require significant learning and adaptation.

• AI Integration Complexity: Designing user experiences for AI agents and AI-native products can be challenging, requiring clear communication of AI capabilities and limitations.

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively translating complex business requirements and technical constraints into user-friendly designs within a fast-paced startup.

• Evolving Processes: Adapting to and helping shape the design processes and systems in a rapidly scaling company.

• Data Scarcity (initially): While the company aims to generate data, early-stage products may have limited historical user data, requiring more reliance on qualitative research and informed hypotheses.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Construction Tech: Gaining expertise in a massive, underserved industry and its operational challenges.

• AI Product Design Mastery: Becoming a specialist in designing for AI-driven products and agentic systems.

• Design System Leadership: Contributing significantly to and potentially leading the evolution of a scalable design system.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Developing strong collaboration and communication skills to influence product strategy and roadmap.

• Startup Growth Experience: Gaining invaluable experience in a high-growth environment with exposure to various business functions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical of innovative B2B SaaS startups, particularly those leveraging emerging technologies like AI. The growth opportunities are directly linked to overcoming these challenges and contributing to the company's success in a rapidly evolving market.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a complex, multi-stakeholder workflow. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on process, user research, and impact)

• "How would you approach designing an AI agent that automates a specific back-office task for construction businesses? What are the key considerations?" (Assess understanding of AI UX, problem decomposition, and user empathy)

• "Tell us about a challenging design decision you had to make. How did you arrive at it, and how did you communicate it to your team?" (Evaluate problem-solving, decision-making, and communication skills) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about Adaptive's mission to digitize the construction industry with AI?" (Assess alignment with company vision)

• "How do you stay updated on the latest trends in product design, AI, and SaaS?" (Gauge proactivity and continuous learning)

• "Describe your ideal collaboration dynamic with Product Managers and Engineers." (Evaluate teamwork and communication style) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each case study, frame it as a narrative: the problem, your journey, the solution, and the impact.

• Highlight Your Role: Be specific about your contributions, especially if it was a team project.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes) to illustrate your process and final designs.

• Quantify Results: Present metrics that demonstrate the success of your work (e.g., increased conversion, reduced task time, improved satisfaction).

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, trade-offs, and challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on AI and fast-evolving processes, interviewers will likely probe your comfort level with ambiguity, your learning agility, and your ability to adapt your design approach to new technological paradigms. Be ready to discuss how you've handled uncertainty or learned new technologies quickly.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your resume and a link to your online portfolio through the provided application link.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio clearly showcases your UX/UI skills, user research methodologies, design system contributions, and end-to-end project ownership. Tailor the case studies to highlight relevant experience in SaaS or complex workflows.

• Resume Optimization: Highlight achievements and responsibilities using keywords from the job description (e.g., "Product Design," "UX/UI," "User Research," "Design Systems," "SaaS," "AI Product Design"). Quantify your impact with metrics.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and the impact of your work. Prepare to discuss your portfolio and any potential design challenges.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Adaptive's mission, the construction industry's challenges, and their AI-native approach. Understand how your design skills can contribute to their GTM strategy and product success.

⚠️ 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.