Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Beacon AI

Location: San Carlos, California, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / User Experience

Date Posted: 2026-04-13

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

Remote Status: Hybrid (3+ days onsite)

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and own the complete product design lifecycle for AI-powered pilot assistant tools, ensuring safety-critical clarity and actionability.

• Conduct in-depth user research and usability testing with pilots and aviation professionals to understand complex workflows and mental models.

• Translate sophisticated AI-generated data and alerts into intuitive, instantly understandable interfaces for high-pressure cockpit environments.

• Develop and maintain a scalable design system to ensure product consistency and facilitate rapid iteration.

• Collaborate closely with engineering teams to deliver polished, well-considered user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a technically advanced, safety-critical domain (aviation/aerospace), requiring a Product Designer with a strong aptitude for complex systems and human-AI interaction. The emphasis on "safety-critical clarity" and "high-pressure cockpit environments" indicates a need for designs that prioritize precision, minimal cognitive load, and immediate understanding.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end product design process, from early-stage discovery and user research to the creation of detailed wireframes, interactive prototypes, and final design specifications for engineering handoff.

• Execute user research methodologies, including interviews and usability testing, specifically with pilots and aviation professionals, to gain deep insights into operational workflows, cognitive load, and critical decision-making processes.

• Architect user interfaces that effectively simplify complex AI-driven outputs and alerts, ensuring they are immediately clear and actionable within the demanding context of a flight deck.

• Establish, manage, and evolve a comprehensive and scalable design system, ensuring visual and interactive consistency across all product features and enabling efficient design and development cycles.

• Foster a strong, collaborative partnership with engineering teams, contributing product sense and design expertise to ensure iterative delivery of high-quality, user-centered experiences.

• Assist in shaping the company's brand and visual identity by contributing to marketing materials and web presence as a secondary responsibility, ensuring brand consistency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities highlight a full-stack design role, encompassing strategic user research, detailed UX/UI design, and system-level thinking (design systems). The specific context of aviation and AI necessitates a focus on data interpretation, risk mitigation in design, and close collaboration with domain experts.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent experience in product design, UX design, or a related field is essential. A background in HCI, cognitive psychology, or a related technical field can be advantageous.

Experience: 3+ years of experience in product design, with a preference for roles involving complex, data-intensive, or safety-critical products.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in the end-to-end product design process, from user research and concept development to high-fidelity execution and final specifications.

• Fluency in modern design tools, with a specific requirement for Figma proficiency.

• Demonstrated ability to build, maintain, and scale design systems, ensuring consistency and efficiency.

• Strong user research and usability testing skills, with experience gathering insights from professional users in demanding environments.

• Excellent problem-solving abilities, with a strategic mindset that prioritizes understanding the core problem before designing solutions.

• Ability to ask probing questions ("why") to ensure the right problems are being solved.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for AI-powered products, with an understanding of how to build user trust and intuitive interaction with machine-generated insights.

• Familiarity with aviation, aerospace, defense, medical devices, or other enterprise software domains, especially those with safety-critical considerations.

• Exposure to motion design, micro-interactions, or basic HTML/CSS for a deeper understanding of implementation.

• A genuine curiosity and interest in aviation or aerospace industries.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirements emphasize practical application and a portfolio that showcases the ability to handle complexity. The "bonus points" clearly indicate a preference for candidates with domain-specific experience or exposure to AI interfaces, suggesting these will be highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product design case studies, detailing the problem, your process, your role, and the impact of your solutions.

• Demonstrate proficiency in Figma, including complex UI elements, interactive prototypes, and design system components.

• Include examples of user research synthesis and how insights directly informed design decisions.

• Present at least one case study involving complex data visualization, AI integration, or a safety-critical application.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to user research, including methodologies used, participant recruitment strategies, and how findings were documented and shared.

• Explain your wireframing and prototyping process, emphasizing iterative design and user feedback loops.

• Describe how you translate complex requirements and data into clear, actionable user flows and interface designs.

• Illustrate your collaboration process with engineering and product teams, including handoff procedures and feedback mechanisms.

📝 Enhancement Note: A robust portfolio is critical for this role, given the safety-critical nature of the product. Candidates must be prepared to articulate their design process and demonstrate how they tackled complexity and user needs in previous projects, with a strong emphasis on data-driven decision-making and system thinking.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the location in San Carlos, California, and the mid-level experience requirement (2-5 years) for a Product Designer in a tech startup, a competitive salary range is expected. Based on industry benchmarks for the San Francisco Bay Area, a typical range would be $120,000 - $160,000 annually.

Benefits:

• Healthcare: 100% of employee medical premiums are covered. 25% coverage for dependents.

• Time Off: Generous PTO of 3 weeks per year, plus 13+ paid company holidays.

• Stipends: Monthly stipends for phone usage and wellness activities.

• Retirement: 401(k) plan offered. (Note: Employer match is not currently available but is a future enhancement goal).

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are expected, typically around 40 hours per week. The hybrid work arrangement allows for flexibility on remote days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on market data for Product Designers in the San Francisco Bay Area, considering the specified experience level and the startup environment. The benefits package is competitive for a growing tech company, with a strong emphasis on employee well-being and foundational healthcare coverage. The note about the 401(k) match indicates potential for future improvements.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Artificial Intelligence, Aviation Technology, Aerospace, Defense. Beacon AI operates at the intersection of cutting-edge AI and the highly regulated, safety-conscious aviation sector. This dual focus shapes a culture that values innovation, precision, and rigorous execution.

Company Size: Likely a Series A or B funded startup, indicated by securing "a dozen Department of Defense contracts" and partnerships with "major airlines," alongside a fast-moving, non-siloed operational model. This suggests a team size of perhaps 50-150 employees, allowing for agility and direct impact.

Founded: Founded recently, implied by the "fast-moving team," "shipping quickly," and "pushing boundaries," suggesting a focus on rapid growth and product development.

Team Structure:

• The Product Design role is part of a small, focused team, likely reporting into a Head of Product or a Design Lead.

• Close collaboration with engineering and product management is explicitly stated, indicating a cross-functional, agile team structure.

Methodology:

• Operates with agility, emphasizing rapid iteration and learning ("ship quickly, and learn fast").

• Focuses on end-to-end ownership by small teams.

• Leverages AI to enhance aviation capabilities, implying a data-driven approach to product development and problem-solving.

• Employs a hybrid work model to balance onsite collaboration with remote flexibility.

Company Website: beaconai.co

📝 Enhancement Note: Beacon AI's culture is a blend of startup agility and the rigor demanded by the aviation and defense sectors. Candidates should expect a fast-paced environment where individual contributions have significant visibility and impact. The emphasis on "no silos or heavy processes" points to a preference for proactive, self-directed individuals.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Product Designer, offering significant ownership and end-to-end responsibility. It represents an opportunity to be a foundational member of the design function within a rapidly growing, specialized tech company.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will likely report to a Product Lead or Head of Design. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineers, forming agile, cross-functional squads.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work directly impacts flight safety, efficiency, and capability by shaping how pilots interact with advanced AI systems. This role has a direct line of sight to mission-critical outcomes and significant business impact through securing and executing defense and airline contracts.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in safety-critical design, human-AI interaction, and aviation UX through hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.

• Leadership Potential: As the company scales, there will be opportunities to grow into senior design roles, lead design initiatives, mentor junior designers, and potentially shape the future of the design team and its systems.

• Domain Expertise: Develop profound knowledge in the aviation and aerospace sectors, a highly valuable and specialized area.

• Product Ownership: Gain experience in defining product strategy and roadmap from a design perspective, influencing the direction of a novel AI platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers substantial growth potential for a designer eager to tackle complex challenges in a specialized, high-impact industry. The opportunity to be an early design hire in a growing company provides a unique chance to shape both the product and the design function.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Beacon AI operates a hybrid work model with a physical office presence in San Carlos, CA. The emphasis on "3+ days per week onsite" suggests a focus on collaborative work, team cohesion, and in-person problem-solving.

Office Location(s): San Carlos, California. This location is within the San Francisco Bay Area, offering access to a vibrant tech ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

• The environment is described as "fast-moving" with "no silos or heavy processes," fostering direct communication and agility.

• Expect a dynamic startup atmosphere where collaboration is key to rapid development and problem-solving.

• Access to modern design tools (Figma) and exposure to advanced AI and aviation technologies.

• Opportunities for close interaction with engineering and product teams, facilitating a shared understanding of project goals and challenges.

Work Schedule: A standard full-time schedule (approximately 40 hours/week) is expected, with the hybrid model offering flexibility on remote days. This structure supports focused work, whether in the office for collaboration or at home for deep work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model aims to combine the benefits of in-office collaboration with the flexibility of remote work. Candidates should be comfortable working in a dynamic startup environment that values both individual focus and team synergy.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A quick review of your resume and portfolio to assess basic qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: A deeper dive into your portfolio with a hiring manager or senior designer. Expect to walk through 1-2 key case studies, discussing your process, role, and impact. Be prepared to articulate your design decisions and problem-solving approach.

• Technical/Skills Assessment: This might involve a design challenge (e.g., a take-home exercise or a live whiteboarding session) focused on a relevant problem, or in-depth questions about your Figma proficiency and design system experience.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with engineering and product management to assess collaboration skills, communication style, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a founder or senior leadership to discuss overall fit, vision, and alignment with the company's mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 of your strongest, most relevant case studies. Prioritize those demonstrating end-to-end design, complex problem-solving, and ideally, experience with data-heavy or safety-critical applications.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your specific role and contributions, the challenges faced, your design process, the solutions implemented, and the measurable outcomes or impact (use metrics where possible).

• Show Your Process: Don't just show final screens. Include sketches, wireframes, user flows, research findings, and rationale behind your design decisions.

• Highlight Figma & Design Systems: If you have strong experience, explicitly showcase your Figma work and any design system contributions.

• Tailor to Beacon AI: If possible, subtly align your case studies with Beacon AI's context (e.g., complex data, high-stakes environments, AI interaction).

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a take-home challenge, ensure you fully grasp the problem statement and the constraints. If it's a live session, ask clarifying questions upfront.

• Focus on Process: Even if you can't complete everything, demonstrate your thought process. How would you approach user research? What are the key considerations for this type of interface?

• Time Management: Be mindful of the time allocated. It's better to present a well-reasoned partial solution than a rushed, incomplete one.

• Communicate Clearly: Articulate your thinking step-by-step. Explain your assumptions and trade-offs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to evaluate not only design skills but also the candidate's ability to operate within a demanding, safety-critical domain. A strong, well-articulated portfolio and a clear, logical approach to design challenges will be key differentiators.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is explicitly stated as a required skill and the core tool for design execution, prototyping, and design system management. Proficiency is paramount.

• Prototyping Tools: Likely integrated within Figma, but candidates should be comfortable creating interactive prototypes for user testing and engineering handoff.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly relevant to the Product Designer role, but awareness of how user data is managed and how the product integrates into broader workflows could be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable for this role. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with Figma's advanced features, including collaboration, prototyping, and design system capabilities. Exposure to data visualization principles is also a plus, given the AI-driven nature of the product.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Safety & Precision: Paramount in aviation. This translates to meticulous design, rigorous testing, and a deep understanding of potential failure modes.

• Innovation & Agility: The "fast-moving team" and "ship quickly" ethos points to valuing rapid iteration, experimentation, and a proactive approach to problem-solving.

• Collaboration & Ownership: Small teams owning their work implies a culture of shared responsibility and close cross-functional teamwork.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Essential for an AI company, meaning designs should be informed by user research, testing, and performance metrics.

• Curiosity & Learning: A genuine interest in aviation and a willingness to tackle complex, ambiguous problems are highly valued.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly cross-functional, with designers working hand-in-hand with engineering and product management.

• Open communication is encouraged, with an emphasis on asking "why" and pushing back on briefs that don't solve the right problems.

• Iterative feedback loops are expected, ensuring continuous improvement of the product.

• A culture that likely embraces constructive critique as a means to elevate design quality and product effectiveness.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates who thrive in collaborative, fast-paced environments and possess a strong sense of ownership, coupled with a commitment to safety and precision, will be well-suited for Beacon AI's culture.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Safety-Criticality: Balancing intuitive user experience with the absolute need for clarity, accuracy, and reliability in high-stakes aviation scenarios. This requires a deep understanding of cognitive load and error prevention.

• Human-AI Interaction: Translating complex, potentially opaque AI outputs into trustworthy and actionable information for pilots, ensuring users understand the AI's reasoning and limitations.

• Navigating Ambiguity: Working in a rapidly evolving startup environment, particularly in a complex domain like AI in aviation, means facing undefined problems and evolving requirements.

• Scalability of Design Systems: Ensuring a design system can effectively support a growing product and evolving feature set while maintaining consistency.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Aviation UX: Gain unparalleled experience designing for a highly specialized and safety-conscious industry.

• Mastering Human-AI Interfaces: Become an expert in designing interactions between humans and advanced AI systems, a rapidly growing field.

• Shaping a Product from Inception: Contribute significantly to the foundational design of a novel AI platform in a critical sector.

• Career Progression: Potential to grow into senior or lead design roles as the company expands, influencing the broader design strategy and team development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are significant but also offer immense opportunities for professional growth and skill development in highly sought-after areas of product design.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing an AI-powered alert system for pilots that needs to be both informative and non-disruptive?" (Focus on risk assessment, severity levels, information hierarchy, and user control).

• "Describe a time you had to translate complex data into a simple, actionable interface. What was your process?" (Highlight user research, iterative design, and focus on key user needs).

• "How do you ensure your design system remains scalable and maintainable while supporting rapid product iteration?" (Discuss component architecture, documentation, governance, and collaboration with engineering).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Beacon AI and the aviation/aerospace industry?" (Show genuine curiosity and research into the company's mission).

• "How do you handle feedback from engineers or product managers that might conflict with your design vision?" (Emphasize collaborative problem-solving, understanding constraints, and finding mutually beneficial solutions).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: Start with the problem, your role, and the project goals.

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

• Explain Your "Why": Justify your design decisions based on user research, established design principles, or technical constraints.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, present data or metrics that demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved task completion, reduced errors, user satisfaction scores).

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about specific design choices, research methodologies, and your contributions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on articulating your design process, demonstrating strategic thinking, and showcasing your ability to handle complexity and collaborate effectively, especially within the context of safety-critical systems and AI.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby (jobs.ashbyhq.com).

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio clearly highlights your end-to-end design process, Figma proficiency, and any experience with complex, data-heavy, or safety-critical products. Tailor your case study selection to showcase your ability to solve challenging problems.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize keywords such as "Product Design," "UX/UI," "Figma," "Design Systems," "User Research," "Prototyping," and any relevant domain experience (aviation, AI, safety-critical systems). Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Practice: Prepare to walk through 1-2 key portfolio case studies in detail, focusing on your process, rationale, and impact. Practice answering common design interview questions and be ready to discuss your approach to the specific challenges of designing for aviation AI.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Beacon AI's mission, technology, and recent news. Understand their position in the market and the critical nature of their work in aviation. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.