Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Lightyear

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design / Marketing Design Support

Date Posted: May 07, 2026

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

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive end-to-end product feature development, from initial concept through to launch, in close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers.

• Contribute to and maintain the company's design system within Figma, with direct contributions to the codebase for system updates.

• Provide essential marketing and brand design support, including website updates, ad creative, and collateral for internal teams and events.

• Leverage and evaluate AI tooling to enhance design workflows, accelerate ideation, research, prototyping, and asset creation.

• Act as a key early member of the design team, influencing design processes, standards, and the future of design at Lightyear.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Product Designer," the role has a significant 15% allocation towards marketing and brand design. This hybrid nature requires a candidate comfortable with both UI/UX for SaaS products and visual/brand design principles for marketing collateral. The emphasis on AI tooling and code-fluent collaboration indicates a forward-thinking, technically adept design team.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the design lifecycle for new product features, from user research and wireframing to high-fidelity mockups and final implementation, ensuring seamless integration with existing product areas.

• Conduct and lead design reviews, actively soliciting and incorporating feedback from customers, product managers, and engineers to drive iterative improvements.

• Maintain and evolve the company's design system in Figma, ensuring consistency and scalability, and directly contribute to the codebase (e.g., via Pull Requests) for design system updates.

• Develop a range of marketing assets, including website landing pages, digital ad creatives (LinkedIn, Reddit), presentation templates, and event collateral, aligning with brand guidelines.

• Experiment with and integrate AI design tools (e.g., Claude, Cursor, v0, Figma AI) to optimize the design process, from initial concept generation to final asset production.

• Collaborate with engineering teams to understand technical constraints and opportunities, acting as a peer in technical discussions and prototyping in code when efficient.

• Support internal teams with brand asset creation and updates, ensuring visual consistency across all company communications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to directly contribute to the codebase for design system updates (opening PRs) is a significant differentiator for this role. It implies a need for a designer who is not only proficient in design tools but also comfortable with frontend code principles and version control.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design (Graphic, Web, Interaction, HCI, or related field), or equivalent professional experience.

Experience: 3 to 5 years of professional product design experience, with a strong emphasis on B2B SaaS environments. Experience with fintech, devtools, or vertical SaaS is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in end-to-end product design for B2B SaaS platforms.

• Proficiency in Figma for UI/UX design, prototyping, and design system management.

• Demonstrated ability to contribute to and refine design systems.

• Experience with AI design tools (e.g., Claude, Cursor, v0, Figma AI) and a proactive approach to integrating them into workflows.

• Ability to read frontend code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript frameworks) and make small, scoped code edits for design system updates or tweaks.

• Strong visual design skills with a portfolio showcasing both product UI and marketing/brand-adjacent work.

• Excellent communication, collaboration, and critique-handling skills.

Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience in a solo or founding designer role at a startup.

• Agency or prior brand/visual design experience.

• Familiarity with the telecom industry.

• Experience prototyping directly in code.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "code-fluent collaboration" and the ability to open PRs for design system updates suggests that candidates with some frontend development exposure or a strong understanding of how design translates to code will have a significant advantage. This goes beyond typical UI/UX roles.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end product design case studies for B2B SaaS products, detailing problem definition, user research, ideation, design iterations, and final shipped solutions.

• Include examples of marketing-adjacent design work, such as landing pages, ad creative, pitch decks, or brand system elements, demonstrating visual range and versatility.

• Highlight contributions to design systems, including how you've managed, evolved, or implemented design tokens, components, and spacing guidelines.

• Present case studies that demonstrate your experience with AI tooling and how it was leveraged to improve design outcomes or efficiency.

Process Documentation:

• Detail your process for conducting design reviews, including how you solicit, deliver, and act upon feedback.

• Explain your methodology for contributing to and maintaining a design system, including version control and collaboration with developers.

• Describe your approach to iterating on shipped products, demonstrating a commitment to continuous improvement and data-driven refinement.

• Illustrate your workflow for creating marketing assets, showing how you balance brand consistency with specific campaign objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on code contributions and design systems, the portfolio should ideally include examples that showcase the technical implementation of design elements or a clear understanding of how design systems translate into code. Demonstrating the ability to create and maintain these systems in a collaborative coding environment is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $120,000 - $150,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive Cash Compensation

• Equity Compensation

• Full-time employment benefits (details not specified but standard for full-time roles)

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility inherent in a fully remote, early-stage startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stated salary range of $120k-$150k for a Product Designer with 3-5 years of experience in New York, NY (even for a remote role based there) aligns with industry benchmarks for mid-level to senior product designers in major tech hubs. This range accounts for the B2B SaaS experience and the unique requirement for code-fluent collaboration.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Technology (specifically Telecom Management Software)

Company Size: Early Stage Startup (implied by "second designer on the team," "small design team," and significant funding rounds).

Founded: Information not explicitly provided, but the company has raised substantial funding, indicating a relatively established presence in its niche.

Team Structure:

• The design team is small and growing, with this role being the second designer and first hire in years.

• Close collaboration with Product Management and Engineering is central to the workflow.

Methodology:

• Fast-paced iteration and rapid development cycles.

• Data-driven decision-making, informed by customer feedback and product analytics.

• Emphasis on leveraging AI tools to accelerate and enhance design output.

• Collaborative approach to design system development and maintenance.

Company Website: https://lightyear.ai/

📝 Enhancement Note: As an early-stage, well-funded startup, Lightyear likely fosters a culture of high ownership, rapid execution, and direct impact. The small design team implies a flat hierarchy and direct access to leadership. The focus on AI and code integration suggests a technically sophisticated and forward-thinking environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Mid-Level Product Designer, with potential to grow into a Senior Product Designer role as the company scales. The emphasis on "meaningful ownership" and "real influence" suggests a fast track for impactful contributors.

Reporting Structure: Reports to the Head of Product Design.

Operations Impact: The designer will have a direct impact on the user experience of Lightyear's core enterprise software platform, influencing customer adoption, satisfaction, and retention. Contributions to marketing design will also support lead generation and brand perception.

Growth Opportunities:

• Opportunity to shape the future of design at Lightyear by contributing to processes, standards, and the design system.

• Deepen expertise in B2B SaaS product design and potentially specialize in areas like design systems or AI-driven design workflows.

• Develop leadership skills by mentoring future design hires and influencing product strategy.

• Gain exposure to the full product development lifecycle in a high-growth startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "first design hire in years" aspect is crucial. This role offers a unique opportunity to significantly influence the design function's trajectory, moving beyond execution to strategic input and team building.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote.

Office Location(s): While based in New York for salary benchmarking, the role is fully remote, allowing candidates across the US to apply.

Workspace Context:

• A fully remote setup requires self-discipline, strong communication skills, and proficiency with remote collaboration tools.

• The environment is likely fast-paced, demanding adaptability and proactive problem-solving.

• Access to cutting-edge AI design tools and a modern tech stack is a given.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40/week), with flexibility expected in a startup setting. Effective time management is key for balancing product and marketing design responsibilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature, combined with the early-stage startup environment, suggests a need for high autonomy, proactive communication, and a strong ability to manage one's own workload and time effectively.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio, focusing on B2B SaaS experience, visual range, and AI tool usage.

• Design Exercise/Challenge: Likely a take-home or live design problem assessing problem-solving skills, process, and ability to deliver within constraints. May involve a component related to design systems or marketing collateral.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: Deep dive into selected case studies, discussing design decisions, impact, collaboration with PMs/engineers, and experience with AI and code.

• Team/Cultural Fit Interview: Conversation with the Head of Product Design and potentially other team members to assess collaboration style, values, and alignment with the company’s fast-paced culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Clearly articulate your role and contributions in each project, especially differentiating between product and marketing design work.

• For product design cases, detail the problem, your process, trade-offs made, and measurable outcomes.

• For design system contributions, show examples of components, tokens, and how you managed updates.

• Highlight your experience with AI tools, explaining how you used them and the impact on your workflow or output.

• Be prepared to discuss your code familiarity and how you collaborate with engineering, potentially showing examples of direct code contributions or prototypes.

Challenge Preparation:

• Study Lightyear's product and target market to understand their user needs and business goals.

• Prepare to articulate your design process, focusing on efficiency and data-informed decisions.

• Practice explaining complex design choices concisely and justifying them with user-centric and business-oriented reasoning.

• Be ready to discuss how you would approach integrating new AI tools into an existing workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on code-fluent collaboration means interviewers will likely probe deeply into how candidates interact with engineers and their comfort level with code. Portfolio pieces demonstrating this interaction or direct code contributions will be highly beneficial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Core tool for UI/UX design, prototyping, and design system management. Advanced proficiency expected.

• AI Design Tools: Claude, Cursor, v0, Figma AI, and other emerging AI platforms for ideation, research, prototyping, and asset generation.

• Version Control (Git): Implicitly required for direct codebase contributions (opening PRs). Familiarity with platforms like GitHub or GitLab is likely.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tools for tracking product usage and user behavior (specifics not mentioned but common in SaaS).

CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) may be beneficial for understanding user data flow.

• Understanding of marketing automation tools for campaign creative.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency with Figma is a given, but the explicit mention of multiple AI design tools and the need to open Pull Requests for design system updates points to a highly tech-forward environment. Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience with these specific tools and their approach to integrating AI into design workflows.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• High Craft & Low Ego: Commitment to pixel-perfect execution and iterative improvement, paired with the humility to accept and act on critique.

• Curiosity & Continuous Learning: Staying abreast of design trends and new technologies (especially AI) without blindly following them, forming independent opinions.

• Collaboration & Peer Interaction: Working closely with PMs and engineers as an equal partner, contributing to a shared understanding and execution.

• Ownership & Impact: Taking full responsibility for shipped work and actively seeking opportunities to drive business value through design.

• Efficiency & Velocity: Moving fast, iterating quickly, and leveraging tools (including AI) to maximize output and deliver value to customers.

Collaboration Style:

• Design as a Peer: Collaborating with engineering and product management as a technical peer, not just an order-taker.

• Feedback-Driven Iteration: Actively seeking and incorporating feedback from all stakeholders to refine designs.

• Knowledge Sharing: Contributing to the design system and sharing learnings about AI tools and best practices with the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "high craft, low ego" and "curious and stays at the edge of the field" values suggest a team that values both technical excellence and intellectual curiosity. The emphasis on peer collaboration highlights a desire for designers who can operate effectively in a cross-functional engineering-centric environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Product and Marketing Design: Effectively managing time and context switching between core product features and marketing/brand collateral.

• Rapid Iteration in an Early-Stage Environment: Adapting to fast-paced development cycles and evolving product requirements.

• Integrating and Evaluating AI Tools: Determining the most effective uses of AI in design and differentiating between hype and genuine value.

• Building a Design System from a Growing Foundation: Contributing to and scaling an existing design system within a rapidly developing product.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Becoming an expert in leveraging AI for design workflows, potentially influencing the company's strategy in this area.

• Design System Architecture: Gaining deep experience in building and scaling robust design systems for B2B SaaS.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Developing skills in influencing product strategy and collaborating effectively with engineering and product leadership.

• Exposure to High-Growth Startup Dynamics: Learning how design functions within a fast-scaling, venture-backed technology company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents a unique challenge in defining the future of design at Lightyear. Candidates who thrive on ambiguity, enjoy building processes, and are excited by emerging technologies like AI will find significant growth opportunities here.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to balance competing priorities between product design and marketing design. How did you manage your time and ensure both areas were successful?"

• "How do you approach incorporating AI tools into your design workflow? Can you share an example of how AI helped you solve a specific design problem or accelerated your process?"

• "Walk us through your process for contributing to or maintaining a design system. How do you ensure consistency and collaborate with engineers on updates?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Lightyear's mission and the telecom management industry?"

• "How do you handle constructive criticism on your designs? Can you give an example of a time you received feedback that significantly changed your approach?"

• "How do you stay current with design trends and new technologies, particularly in the AI space?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio by case study, clearly labeling each as Product Design or Marketing/Brand Design.

• Narrative: For each case study, tell a compelling story: problem, your role, process, challenges, solutions, and impact (quantified where possible).

• AI & Code Emphasis: Explicitly call out where and how you used AI tools, and be ready to discuss your code familiarity and collaboration with engineers. Showcase any direct code contributions or code-based prototypes.

• Visual Range: Ensure your presentation clearly demonstrates your ability to excel in both UI/UX and visual/brand design.

• Conciseness: Be prepared to present key projects within allocated timeframes, focusing on the most impactful work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be ready to discuss your understanding of frontend code and how you translate designs into functional components. Demonstrating proficiency with Git and the ability to open PRs will be a significant advantage. Prepare specific examples of how you've used AI tools to improve design output or efficiency.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application, resume, and a link to your portfolio via the provided application link.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features B2B SaaS product design case studies, marketing design examples, and specific details on your use of AI tools and design system contributions.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight experience with Figma, AI tooling, code-fluent collaboration, and B2B SaaS environments. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, showcasing your ability to collaborate with engineering, and be ready to discuss your experience with AI and design systems in detail.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Lightyear's product, target market, and company values to articulate your fit and enthusiasm during the interview process.

⚠️ 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.

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