Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Resolve AI

Location: San Francisco, CA

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / AI / Software Engineering

Date Posted: 2026-04-13

Experience Level: 5+ Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive end-to-end product design for critical components of Resolve AI's autonomous AI Production Engineer.

• Conceptualize and prototype novel interaction patterns for AI-driven production environments, establishing new industry standards.

• Collaborate intensely with engineering and product management to ensure cohesive product evolution and seamless implementation of design solutions.

• Conduct continuous user research, including direct customer interviews and incident analysis, to inform design decisions and product strategy.

• Elevate the overall design craft and user experience through meticulous attention to detail in typography, hierarchy, motion, and visual design.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a senior Product Designer with a strong emphasis on innovation in the emerging field of AI for production engineering. The "0-to-1" stage implies a significant opportunity to shape the product's foundational design principles and user experience, requiring a blend of strategic thinking and hands-on execution. The expectation is to define new interaction patterns, which suggests a need for candidates comfortable with ambiguity and pioneering new design territories.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design process for key product surfaces, from initial user problem definition and conceptualization through to pixel-perfect execution and launch.

• Develop rapid prototypes to explore, test, and validate design concepts with internal teams and external users, iterating quickly based on feedback.

• Define and document new interaction paradigms for how AI operates within complex production systems, creating playbooks where none currently exist.

• Foster a strong, collaborative partnership with engineering and product teams, actively participating in discussions to shape product direction and ensure design integrity.

• Proactively engage with end-users through research, shadowing production incidents, and product dogfooding to gather actionable insights that drive design improvements.

• Champion high standards of visual design, typography, information hierarchy, animation, and overall user experience to ensure a polished and intuitive product.

• Contribute to the development and ongoing refinement of the company's design system to maintain consistency and scalability across the product.

• Leverage AI as a co-pilot in the design process, accelerating exploration, enhancing quality, and articulating the rationale behind design choices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a full-stack design role, from deep problem framing and user research to detailed craft and system contribution. The emphasis on "AI as a thinking and making partner" suggests a need for designers who are not only proficient in traditional design tools but also open to exploring AI-assisted design workflows. This requires a proactive approach to learning and experimentation.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: 5+ years of professional experience in product design, with a significant portion focused on complex software products. Experience in technical, developer-facing, or AI-centric domains is highly advantageous.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in interaction design principles and information architecture for complex systems.

• Proven ability to translate intricate user needs and technical challenges into intuitive and effective user flows.

• Strong command of visual design fundamentals, including typography, color theory, and hierarchy.

• Proficient in rapid prototyping using tools like Figma, Framer, or similar, to quickly iterate on ideas.

• Experience conducting user research, including interviews, usability testing, and synthesizing findings into actionable design recommendations.

• Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively in a fast-paced, 0-to-1 startup environment.

• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and their rationale clearly.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for Observability, data tooling, infrastructure management, or AI products.

• Familiarity with data visualization techniques and best practices.

• Experience with model content design or AI-driven user interfaces.

• Fluency with design engineering toolsets such as React, Tailwind CSS, or Framer, enabling the creation of high-fidelity prototypes or direct implementation.

• Contribution to or experience with evolving design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5+ years" combined with "0-to-1 stage" implies a need for seasoned designers who can establish foundational design practices rather than just executing existing ones. The preference for technical or developer-facing domains strongly suggests that candidates should be comfortable with complex, often abstract, technical concepts and user workflows. Proficiency in tools like Figma is expected, but the bonus of design engineering toolset fluency indicates a desire for designers who can bridge the gap between design and development.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated selection of case studies showcasing end-to-end product design ownership, from problem definition to shipped product.

• Demonstrations of how you translated complex user needs and technical requirements into elegant, functional designs.

• Examples of rapid prototyping and iterative design processes, illustrating how you tested and refined concepts.

• Evidence of contributions to or creation of design systems, highlighting consistency and scalability.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase your approach to user research, including methodologies used and how insights directly influenced design decisions.

• Detail your process for defining and solving complex interaction challenges, particularly in novel or undefined product areas.

• Illustrate your collaboration process with engineering and product teams, emphasizing how you ensured alignment and successful implementation.

• Provide examples of how you leveraged data or user feedback to iterate and improve designs post-launch.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on defining new interaction patterns in AI for production engineering, the portfolio should emphasize innovation and strategic thinking. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate not just the "what" of their designs, but the "why" and "how," particularly in tackling uncharted territory. Case studies that highlight a bias towards action and the ability to quickly prototype and test ideas will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers in San Francisco, CA with 5+ years of experience, and considering the high funding and founder pedigree of Resolve AI, an estimated annual salary range would be $150,000 - $200,000 USD.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance.

• Monthly Housing Stipend, acknowledging the high cost of living in San Francisco.

• Flexible (Unlimited) Paid Time Off, promoting work-life balance and autonomy.

• Visa Sponsorship & Immigration Support, indicating a commitment to hiring globally.

• 401(k) Plan for retirement savings.

• Parental Leave, supporting new parents.

• Discretionary Tech Benefit Stipend, for professional development or equipment.

• Daily in-office Lunches and Dinners, fostering team cohesion and convenience.

Working Hours: Full-time role, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected given the startup environment and the nature of on-site work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on publicly available data for similar roles in San Francisco, factoring in the company's funding stage, location, and the seniority of the position. The extensive benefits package, including housing stipends and visa sponsorship, reflects a competitive offering designed to attract top talent to a demanding, high-impact role in a high-cost-of-living area.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: AI / Software / Production Engineering / Observability. Resolve AI operates at the cutting edge of AI-driven solutions for complex software production environments, a sector experiencing rapid growth and innovation.

Company Size: Early-stage startup, likely comprising a tight-knit team of highly experienced professionals. This implies a dynamic, agile environment where individual contributions have a significant impact.

Founded: Founded by industry veterans Spiros Xanthos and Mayank Agarwal, former core creators of OpenTelemetry and leaders at Splunk Observability. This background suggests a culture rooted in deep technical expertise, a strong understanding of developer needs, and a proven track record of building successful, impactful products.

Team Structure:

• The design team is likely small and highly collaborative, working directly with a lean, experienced engineering and product team.

• Reporting structure is probably flat, with designers working closely with founders and engineering leads.

Methodology:

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

• Agile development methodologies, emphasizing rapid iteration, continuous learning, and adaptability.

• A strong focus on solving complex, high-impact problems that require innovative solutions.

• Emphasis on craft and quality, with a desire to build products that are not just functional but also delightful to use.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's founding team's pedigree in OpenTelemetry and Splunk Observability suggests a deep understanding of the pain points in software maintenance and production troubleshooting. This indicates a company culture that values technical excellence, user empathy, and a pragmatic approach to solving complex problems through AI. The early-stage nature means a high degree of autonomy and direct influence for team members.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is for a Senior Product Designer, indicating a level of autonomy, strategic input, and ownership over significant product areas. It's a "0-to-1" phase role, meaning the designer will be instrumental in shaping the product's core experience from its inception.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report directly to a Head of Product, CTO, or potentially one of the co-founders, given the startup's size and the founders' technical backgrounds. This close proximity to leadership offers high visibility and direct impact.

Operations Impact: The designer will have a direct and profound impact on the company's success by defining the user experience of a novel AI product. Their work will shape how engineers interact with AI for production issues, directly influencing customer adoption, retention, and the overall value proposition of Resolve AI.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing AI-powered products and complex technical systems, becoming a go-to expert in this niche.

• Leadership: Potential to grow into a Design Lead or Head of Design role as the company scales, building and mentoring a design team.

• Product Strategy: Contribute significantly to product strategy and roadmap development due to the early-stage nature and direct involvement in defining core product value.

• Industry Influence: Shape the future of AI in production engineering and observability, potentially influencing industry best practices and standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "0-to-1" nature of this role presents a unique growth trajectory. While not a traditional "operations" role in the sense of Sales Ops or Rev Ops, the impact on how the product operates and is perceived by its users (engineers) is significant. The opportunity for rapid career advancement is high, contingent on the successful definition and execution of the product's design.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Primarily an on-site role in San Francisco, CA. This suggests a collaborative, in-person work environment fostering spontaneous interactions and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California, United States. This places the designer in a major tech hub, offering access to talent, resources, and networking opportunities.

Workspace Context:

• A dynamic startup office environment designed to facilitate close collaboration between design, product, and engineering teams.

• Access to modern design tools and potentially cutting-edge AI-assisted design technologies.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with founders and senior leadership, promoting rapid learning and feedback loops.

• The company provides daily in-office lunches and dinners, encouraging a strong team culture and minimizing external logistical distractions.

Work Schedule: While a full-time role (approx. 40 hours/week), the startup environment often necessitates flexibility. The emphasis on on-site collaboration suggests a core set of working hours where team members are present, with the understanding that dedication to project success may extend beyond strict hours, balanced by the flexible PTO policy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in San Francisco, combined with provided meals, indicates a company that prioritizes in-person collaboration and team building. This environment is conducive to rapid iteration and strong working relationships, essential for a 0-to-1 product development phase.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

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

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A presentation of your portfolio, focusing on relevant case studies. This may be followed by a design exercise or a deep dive into a specific problem.

• Team Interviews: Meetings with engineering and product team members to evaluate collaboration style, technical understanding, and design thinking.

• Founder/Leadership Interview: A final discussion with co-founders or senior leadership to assess strategic alignment, vision, and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the problem you solved, your role, the process you followed, and the measurable impact of your design solutions.

• Highlight 0-to-1 Experience: Showcase projects where you defined new products or features from scratch, demonstrating your ability to navigate ambiguity.

• Showcase Technical Empathy: For this role, emphasize designs for technical or developer-facing products, demonstrating an understanding of complex workflows and user needs.

• Illustrate AI Collaboration: If possible, include examples or discuss how you envision AI playing a role in your design process or in the product's user experience.

• Prototype & Iterate: Detail your prototyping process and how you used it to test assumptions and gather feedback.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a design challenge that involves a complex, potentially ambiguous problem related to AI in production engineering.

• Focus on your problem-framing, user research, and iterative design approach.

• Clearly articulate your assumptions, design choices, and how you would measure success.

• Practice presenting your thought process clearly and concisely, as if to a mixed audience of designers, engineers, and product managers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only design skills but also the candidate's ability to thrive in a high-growth, innovative startup environment. Emphasis will be placed on understanding how candidates approach uncharted territory and collaborate effectively with technical teams. Preparing a portfolio that specifically addresses technical product design and any experience with AI or complex systems will be crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly expected), Framer (bonus), Sketch (potential).

• Collaboration: Slack, Zoom, Google Workspace.

• Design Systems: Experience with building or contributing to design systems is a plus.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

Bonus Tools:

• Design Engineering: React, Tailwind CSS, HTML/CSS. Experience here allows designers to prototype more effectively or even contribute to implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core tools will revolve around design and prototyping, with Figma being the industry standard. The "bonus" mention of design engineering tools like React and Tailwind CSS is significant. It suggests that Resolve AI values designers who can bridge the gap between design and code, enabling faster iteration and more robust prototyping. This is particularly relevant for a role defining new interaction patterns where tangible prototypes are key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Pioneering: A drive to create entirely new solutions and define new categories, especially in the AI production engineering space.

• User-Centricity: Deep empathy for users (engineers) and a commitment to solving their most challenging problems.

• Collaboration & Trust: A highly collaborative environment where team members trust each other to deliver high-quality work and contribute to shared goals.

• Bias for Action & Iteration: A culture that encourages moving fast, experimenting, and learning through doing, rather than waiting for perfect information.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: A dedication to high standards in all aspects of product development, from code to design.

Collaboration Style:

• Embedded Teams: Designers work closely and continuously with product managers and engineers, often sitting together (virtually or physically).

• Open Communication: Frequent, transparent communication through tools like Slack and in-person discussions.

• Feedback-Rich: A culture that encourages constructive feedback at all stages of the design and development process.

• Cross-Functional Problem Solving: Encouraging all disciplines to contribute ideas and solutions to product challenges, with design playing a central role in translating these into user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "0-to-1," "AI in production," and the founders' backgrounds suggests a culture that is technically sophisticated, fast-paced, and focused on groundbreaking innovation. Designers are expected to be proactive, collaborative, and comfortable with ambiguity while maintaining a strong focus on user needs and design quality.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Defining Novel Interactions: Creating intuitive and effective user interfaces for AI-driven production systems where no established patterns exist.

• Technical Complexity: Designing for highly technical users and complex underlying systems requires a deep learning curve and strong technical empathy.

• Rapid Iteration: The fast-paced startup environment demands quick design cycles and the ability to adapt to changing priorities.

• Balancing Craft and Speed: Maintaining high design quality and attention to detail while moving quickly to meet product development timelines.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Cutting-Edge AI Design: Gaining unparalleled experience in designing for AI applications in critical enterprise environments.

• Product Strategy Influence: Direct involvement in shaping the core product strategy and vision for a company at the forefront of its field.

• Mentorship from Founders: Learning from industry leaders with a proven track record of building successful tech companies.

• Building a Design Function: Opportunity to help establish and grow the design practice as the company scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is pioneering new design territory. This is also the biggest growth opportunity, offering a chance to build a unique skillset and influence a nascent field. Candidates who are motivated by tackling complex, unsolved problems will find this role exceptionally rewarding.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex user flow for a technical audience. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on problem framing, user research, and iteration.)

• "How would you approach designing an interface for an AI system that needs to fix production issues autonomously? What are the key user concerns you'd address?" (Demonstrate your understanding of AI interaction, trust, and user control.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Resolve AI's mission to create an autonomous AI Production Engineer?" (Show genuine interest in the company's vision.)

• "How do you envision your role in a fast-paced, 0-to-1 startup environment?" (Emphasize adaptability, proactivity, and collaboration.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each case study, clearly outline the Problem, Your Role, Solution, Process, and Results/Impact.

• Highlight Innovation: Emphasize projects where you defined novel solutions or tackled ambiguous problems.

• Show Collaboration: Detail how you worked with engineers and PMs, and how you incorporated their feedback.

• Visual Storytelling: Use clear visuals, mockups, and prototypes to illustrate your design thinking and final solutions.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviews will likely probe your ability to think strategically, handle ambiguity, and collaborate effectively within a technically demanding environment. Be prepared to discuss your design philosophy, your approach to user research, and your experience with complex systems. Showing an understanding of AI's potential and limitations in a production context will be a significant advantage.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight 2-3 case studies that best demonstrate your experience with complex software, technical/developer-facing products, and any 0-to-1 product development. Emphasize your process and impact.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your 5+ years of experience, relevant skills (Interaction Design, Prototyping, User Research, Technical Domains), and achievements, using keywords from the job description.

• Prepare for Design Challenge: Anticipate a design exercise that will test your problem-solving skills for a complex, AI-related production scenario. Practice articulating your thought process.

• Research Resolve AI: Understand the company's mission, founders' backgrounds (OpenTelemetry, Splunk), and the challenges of AI in production engineering. Be ready to discuss why you are passionate about this specific problem space.

⚠️ 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.