Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: SteerBridge

Location: Vienna, VA

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UI/UX Design (with GTM Operations implications)

Date Posted: 2026-08-24

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-4 years preferred, early-career considered)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and develop high-fidelity UI prototypes within Figma for complex, data-rich aviation readiness platforms, ensuring seamless user experiences.

• Contribute to the maintenance and expansion of a robust design system, ensuring consistency and efficiency across product features and workflows.

• Translate intricate research findings, operational workflows, and technical requirements into clear, production-ready product experiences, directly impacting Go-To-Market (GTM) enablement through intuitive user interfaces.

• Collaborate closely with UX researchers, engineers, data teams, product stakeholders, and aviation subject-matter experts to drive product innovation and operational effectiveness.

• Execute design tasks and tickets within an Agile framework, utilizing Jira to manage priorities and track progress, ensuring timely delivery of design assets for development.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is primarily focused on Product Design, the nature of the platform (aviation readiness, logistics, maintenance planning) and the emphasis on translating operational workflows into user experiences suggest a strong connection to GTM operations. Effective product design in this context directly influences how efficiently end-users (operators, logisticians, planners) can leverage the system, thereby impacting operational readiness and strategic decision-making. The role requires a blend of strong UI craft and an understanding of how design supports complex operational processes, which is a key consideration for GTM success in enterprise software.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and build high-fidelity prototypes in Figma, transforming wireframes, user flows, research findings, and technical requirements into polished, production-ready interfaces for aviation readiness platforms.

• Develop complex data-driven workflows and interfaces that support critical functions such as fleet readiness monitoring, maintenance planning, supply chain coordination, logistics forecasting, and operational planning support.

• Convert UX research insights, subject-matter expert input, operational workflows, and technical specifications into actionable product concepts and detailed production-ready designs.

• Actively support and contribute to the team’s design system, ensuring correct usage of existing components and tokens, and identifying opportunities for new patterns to enhance design efficiency and consistency.

• Execute assigned design tasks and tickets within a fast-paced Agile environment, prioritizing and estimating work across sprints under the direction of a senior product designer.

• Manage multiple concurrent design tasks, ensuring timely and accurate delivery of design specifications, including states, edge cases, interaction details, and expected behaviors for engineering teams.

• Conduct design Quality Assurance (QA) on shipped features, meticulously verifying that implemented designs align with Figma specifications, states, and interaction details to ensure high-quality user experiences.

• Foster strong collaboration with product stakeholders, engineers, UX researchers, data teams, and aviation subject-matter experts to ensure designs are technically feasible, operationally aligned, and consistent with product goals.

• Actively participate in design reviews and critique sessions, providing constructive feedback and incorporating feedback from peers and stakeholders into design iterations.

• Apply consistent visual and interaction design standards across all screens, workflows, and features, ensuring a cohesive and intuitive user experience.

• Clearly communicate design rationale and decisions to cross-functional teams, including designers, engineers, and product stakeholders, to ensure alignment and understanding.

• Proactively escalate blockers and incorporate feedback and direction received between check-ins to maintain project momentum and design integrity.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities outline a clear expectation for the designer to not just create interfaces but to deeply understand and translate complex operational requirements into usable product experiences. This involves a significant degree of problem-solving that directly impacts the operational efficiency and decision-making capabilities of end-users. The emphasis on "production-ready interfaces," "developer-ready prototypes," and "design QA" highlights the importance of a disciplined, execution-oriented approach that is crucial for GTM success and product adoption.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience.

Experience: 2–4 years of professional UI or product design experience preferred; exceptional early-career candidates with strong portfolios will be considered.

Required Skills:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.

• Active Secret security clearance or the ability to obtain one is mandatory.

• Demonstrated proficiency in Figma, including advanced features such as components, variants, auto layout, and interactive prototyping for complex workflows.

• Solid understanding of design systems principles, including the relationship between components, tokens, and patterns, and their practical application and extension.

• Strong foundational UI design skills encompassing typography, visual hierarchy, layout principles, spacing, and color theory to create aesthetically pleasing and functional interfaces.

• Proven ability to translate wireframes, user flows, or requirements into high-fidelity, developer-ready prototypes that accurately represent intended user interactions.

• Working knowledge of Section 508 compliance and WCAG accessibility standards, with the ability to apply these principles to UI design for inclusive product experiences.

• Experience utilizing Jira or similar Agile project management tools for task management, prioritization, and progress tracking within development sprints.

• Excellent communication skills, with a demonstrated openness to receiving design direction, constructive critique, and mentorship from senior team members. Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing data-rich applications, dashboards, enterprise software, decision-support tools, or other complex interfaces that present significant amounts of information.

• Proven ability to present complex data, system states, dependencies, alerts, operational status, and similar information in a clear, digestible, and actionable manner for end-users.

• Working knowledge of foundational UX principles, including usability heuristics, information architecture, and interaction design, enabling informed questioning about user flows and proactive flagging of usability concerns.

• Familiarity with HTML/CSS to understand implementation feasibility and facilitate effective communication with engineering teams regarding design execution.

• Experience contributing to or actively maintaining a design system component library, ensuring its growth and adherence to standards.

• Experience participating in Agile/Scrum ceremonies, such as sprint planning, backlog refinement, and retrospectives, to align design work with development cycles.

• Prior experience supporting U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), federal government clients, or working within aviation, logistics, fleet management, or related sectors.

• Basic motion or interaction design skills to enhance user experience and convey complex interactions effectively.

• Experience leveraging AI-assisted design, prototyping, or development tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT/Codex) to enhance workflow efficiency and ideation.

• Ability to utilize rapid prototyping techniques to effectively demonstrate interactions and product concepts beyond static screen designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a Secret security clearance and U.S. citizenship, coupled with the focus on government clients and sensitive data (aviation readiness), indicates a high level of trust and responsibility. The preference for experience with data-rich applications and complex interfaces, along with specific mention of presenting complex data and system states, points to a role where clarity and accuracy are paramount for operational decision-making. This directly impacts the GTM strategy by ensuring the product is perceived as reliable and effective in high-stakes environments.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing strong UI craft, evidence of design system contributions or usage, and the ability to organize complex information into intuitive, multi-step user workflows.

• Demonstrable examples of translating research findings, operational workflows, or technical requirements into polished, high-fidelity prototypes and production-ready designs.

• Case studies that highlight the process of designing for complex data-rich interfaces, including challenges faced and solutions implemented to improve user comprehension and operational efficiency.

• Visual documentation of design system components, patterns, and tokens, illustrating how they were applied to ensure consistency and scalability across a product or suite of products. Process Documentation:

• Evidence of documenting design specifications for engineering handoff, including detailed annotations for states, edge cases, interaction details, and expected behaviors to minimize ambiguity and ensure accurate implementation.

• Examples of participation in design QA processes, showing how issues were identified, documented, and resolved to ensure adherence to design specifications and maintain a high-quality user experience.

• Workflow diagrams or process maps that illustrate the designer's involvement in understanding and translating operational requirements into user flows and interface designs.

• Examples of how feedback from UX research, stakeholder reviews, and usability testing was incorporated into design iterations, demonstrating a continuous improvement process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio demonstrating "strong UI craft, design system work, and the ability to organize complex information and design multi-step user workflows" is critical. For a GTM context, this translates to a product that is not only visually appealing but also highly functional and easy to adopt. The ability to "present and walk through a previously designed user flow" during the interview process underscores the need for clear communication of design rationale, which is essential for stakeholder buy-in and successful product rollout.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $115,000 - $135,000 per year. This range reflects the mid-level experience requirement, the specialized nature of the work (aviation readiness, government contracts), and the location in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, which has a higher cost of living and competitive tech salaries.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance

• Dental Insurance

• Vision Insurance

• Life Insurance

• 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer matching contributions to support long-term financial planning.

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) to promote work-life balance and employee well-being.

• Paid Federal Holidays, recognizing national observances.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a mid-level Product Designer in the Washington D.C. area, particularly for roles requiring security clearances and specialized domain knowledge. The inclusion of a 401(k) match and comprehensive health benefits are standard but valuable components for attracting and retaining talent in the technology sector. The mention of "hybrid" work arrangement suggests a need for clear communication and coordination, which is a key aspect of GTM operations.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, Government Contracting, Defense Technology, Aviation Technology. SteerBridge operates at the intersection of modern technology solutions and U.S. Government needs, with a specific focus on mission-critical applications in the aviation sector. This context means a strong emphasis on reliability, security, and operational impact.

Company Size: The LinkedIn data indicates a company size of 51-200 employees. This suggests a dynamic, potentially agile environment where individuals can have a significant impact, but also one that is established enough to have structured processes and dedicated teams.

Founded: Founded in 2018. This indicates a relatively young company that is likely still growing and evolving, offering opportunities for individuals to shape processes and contribute to the company's trajectory.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will join the Experience Design team, working under the day-to-day direction of a senior product designer.

• This small team likely collaborates closely with dedicated UX researchers, software developers, data architects, data scientists, product stakeholders, and aviation subject-matter experts.

• The structure emphasizes integration across disciplines, fostering a collaborative environment where diverse expertise converges to solve complex problems. Methodology:

• SteerBridge leverages agile methodologies, with product designers managing tasks and tickets in Jira across sprints.

• The company applies proven patterns such as Medallion Architecture for data structuring and operationalization within its aviation analytics platforms.

• Design work is research-informed, translating findings from UX researchers and operational workflows into practical product experiences.

• A strong emphasis is placed on clear communication, regular feedback, and iterative design processes.

Company Website: steerbridge.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company’s focus on serving the U.S. Government, particularly in mission-critical areas like aviation readiness, implies a culture that values precision, security, and a deep understanding of user needs in high-stakes environments. The "cultivating talent" aspect, especially for veterans, suggests a supportive and growth-oriented environment. The size and founding date point to a company that is past its startup phase but likely retains an innovative and adaptable spirit.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Product Designer. It starts with executing defined design work under mentorship and is expected to evolve into greater ownership of product workflows and features over time. This trajectory offers a clear path for skill development and increased responsibility within the design discipline.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer reports to a Senior Product Designer for day-to-day direction and mentorship, indicating a supportive learning environment. Beyond this direct reporting line, collaboration will be extensive with cross-functional teams (engineers, researchers, data scientists, product stakeholders, SMEs), providing exposure to various aspects of product development and GTM strategy.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's work directly influences the usability and effectiveness of critical aviation readiness platforms. By translating complex data and operational workflows into intuitive interfaces, the designer empowers users (maintainers, logisticians, planners) to make better, faster decisions, directly impacting operational readiness, efficiency, and mission success. This role is integral to the successful Go-To-Market (GTM) of SteerBridge's solutions by ensuring they are not only technically sound but also highly adoptable and effective in the field.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in designing for complex, data-rich enterprise applications, particularly within the aviation and defense sectors.

• Design System Leadership: Potential to take on more responsibility in the maintenance, evolution, and governance of the AIRES design system.

• Product Ownership: Progression towards owning larger product features or workflows, moving from execution to strategic design input.

• Mentorship: Developing mentoring skills by supporting future junior designers or interns as the team grows.

• Cross-functional Exposure: Gaining a deeper understanding of data architecture (Medallion Architecture), AI/ML applications in aviation, and federal acquisition processes through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of the role growing "from executing defined design work to taking greater ownership of product workflows and features" is a strong indicator of career progression. This is particularly relevant for a mid-level role, suggesting a clear path for advancement within SteerBridge's design team and potentially into more senior or lead design positions. The connection to government contracts and specialized domains like aviation readiness also offers a unique niche for career development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as Hybrid, indicating a blend of on-site work at the Vienna, VA office and remote work. This setup aims to balance the benefits of in-person collaboration and team cohesion with the flexibility of remote work.

Office Location(s): The primary office location is Vienna, VA. This area is part of the Washington D.C. metropolitan region, known for its concentration of government contractors, technology companies, and federal agencies, offering a dynamic professional ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model necessitates a workspace designed for effective collaboration, whether in person or remotely. Expect opportunities for in-person design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and team meetings at the Vienna office.

• Tools and Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, project management software like Jira, and potentially AI-assisted design tools. The environment is geared towards supporting efficient digital workflows.

• Cross-functional Interaction: Opportunities to interact closely with UX researchers, engineers, data architects, data scientists, and subject-matter experts, fostering a rich learning environment and cross-pollination of ideas. The focus on mission-critical systems means interactions are often goal-oriented and driven by operational needs.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week) are expected. The hybrid arrangement offers flexibility, but core collaboration hours may be established to ensure team synchronicity. This flexibility is important for operations roles that may require focused work time outside of scheduled meetings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role is a key factor. For operations professionals, understanding the balance between on-site and remote expectations is crucial for managing workflow and communication. The Vienna, VA location places the role within a hub of government contracting and technology, which can offer unique networking and career development opportunities.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of resume and portfolio for qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation: A key step will involve presenting a previously designed user flow, explaining design decisions, constraints, and tradeoffs. This will be a critical assessment of your design thinking and communication skills.

• Design Challenge/Exercise: Potentially a practical exercise or case study related to designing for complex data or operational workflows, possibly evaluated in real-time or as a take-home assignment.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with UX Researchers, Engineers, Product Managers, and potentially Subject Matter Experts to assess collaboration style, technical understanding, and domain comprehension.

• Hiring Manager/Senior Designer Interview: Final discussion focused on role fit, career aspirations, and cultural alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your UI craft, design system experience, and ability to handle complex, data-rich interfaces for operational tasks. Prioritize projects that align with SteerBridge's domain (aviation, government, logistics).

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your role and responsibilities, the design process (research, ideation, iteration), key design decisions and rationale, challenges faced, and the final outcome or impact.

• Highlight Design System Work: If you have experience with design systems, dedicate a section or specific examples to show how you've used, contributed to, or extended them, emphasizing consistency and efficiency.

• Showcase Data Visualization: If possible, include examples of how you've presented complex data, system states, or operational status in a clear and actionable way.

• Prepare for a Walkthrough: Be ready to verbally walk through a user flow from one of your projects, explaining your design choices, constraints, and trade-offs in detail. Practice this to ensure clarity and conciseness.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with aviation readiness, logistics, maintenance planning, and government contracting contexts. Research common challenges and user needs in these areas.

• Practice Data Interpretation: Be prepared to analyze provided data or scenarios and translate them into design solutions. Focus on clarity, hierarchy, and actionable insights.

• Design System Application: If a challenge involves extending or using a design system, be ready to apply its principles consistently.

• Communicate Your Process: Clearly articulate your thought process, assumptions, and decision-making criteria during any design exercise.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on presenting a user flow and explaining design decisions is a direct indicator of how SteerBridge evaluates candidates. This process is crucial for GTM roles, as it assesses the candidate's ability to translate complex requirements into user-centric solutions that drive adoption and operational efficiency. The portfolio should explicitly demonstrate this capability.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency in its advanced features (components, variants, auto layout, interactive prototypes) is essential.

• Jira: Used for managing design tasks, tickets, sprint planning, and tracking progress within the Agile development cycle.

• AI-assisted Design Tools: Tools such as Claude, ChatGPT/Codex are preferred for enhancing workflow efficiency, ideation, and potentially generating design concepts or code snippets.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a primary tool for the designer, understanding how data is used and presented is key. This could involve interacting with dashboards or reports generated by data teams. Familiarity with how design impacts data interpretation for users is beneficial. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the Product Designer's core responsibilities but may be part of the broader product ecosystem. Understanding how user feedback or product usage data might be captured and fed back into product development is relevant. Other Relevant Software:

• Microsoft Office Suite & Collaboration Tools: Standard tools for communication, documentation, and general productivity.

• Potential for UX Research Tools: Familiarity with tools used by UX researchers for user testing and feedback gathering.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and Jira aligns with standard industry practices for product design and Agile development. The inclusion of "AI-assisted design tools" suggests SteerBridge is embracing modern technologies to enhance productivity, a forward-thinking approach that may appeal to candidates looking to work with cutting-edge tools. This also indicates a potential for efficiency gains that could be highlighted in GTM messaging.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Focused Excellence: A strong commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable solutions that directly support critical government and aviation missions. This translates to a focus on detail, accuracy, and impact in design work.

• Collaboration & Teamwork: Emphasis on integrated, multidisciplinary teams where designers work closely with engineers, researchers, data scientists, and subject-matter experts. Open communication and mutual respect are key.

• Continuous Learning & Improvement: An environment that encourages growth, mentorship, and the adoption of new technologies and methodologies, such as AI-assisted design.

• User-Centricity within Operational Constraints: Designing for users in high-consequence environments means balancing usability with strict operational requirements, security, and data integrity.

• Veteran Support & Professional Development: A culture that values the unique skills veterans bring and is committed to cultivating meaningful career pathways for all employees.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Design Process: Designers are embedded within product teams, working hand-in-hand with engineers, researchers, and product stakeholders throughout the development lifecycle.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Active participation in design reviews, critique sessions, and regular check-ins to incorporate feedback and refine designs.

• Clear Communication: A focus on clearly articulating design rationale, technical constraints, and operational implications to ensure alignment across diverse team members.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement to share insights and learnings, particularly in the context of complex data visualization and operational workflow design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values, particularly "Mission-Focused Excellence" and "User-Centricity within Operational Constraints," are highly relevant to GTM success. They indicate that the product's design must not only be functional but also trusted and effective in mission-critical scenarios, a key selling point for enterprise solutions.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Translating intricate operational workflows, vast datasets, and system states in aviation readiness into clear, intuitive user interfaces requires significant problem-solving and strategic design thinking.

• Balancing User Needs with Strict Requirements: Ensuring designs are user-friendly while adhering to stringent government regulations, security protocols (Secret clearance), and technical constraints.

• Navigating Evolving Technologies: Keeping pace with advancements in AI, data architecture, and design tools to maintain competitive and innovative solutions.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent understanding and execution of design vision across diverse teams (engineering, data science, product, aviation SMEs) with varying technical perspectives.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Domain Expertise: Deep dive into aviation readiness, logistics, and government contracting domains, gaining invaluable industry-specific knowledge.

• Advanced Design System Practice: Opportunity to contribute to and influence the growth of a design system for complex enterprise applications.

• Exposure to Data Architecture: Learn about Medallion Architecture and its implications for data-driven product design.

• AI Integration in Design: Explore and implement AI-assisted tools for design ideation, prototyping, and workflow optimization.

• Mentorship and Career Progression: Benefit from guidance from senior designers and clear pathways for growth into more senior or specialized roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the demanding yet rewarding nature of the role. Successfully navigating these will lead to significant professional development, particularly in specialized areas that are highly valued in the government contracting and defense technology sectors. These challenges also present opportunities for innovation that can be leveraged in GTM strategies.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex data-rich interface you designed. What were the primary challenges in organizing information, and how did you ensure users could quickly understand and act upon it?" (Focus on process, data visualization, and operational impact)

• "Walk us through a user flow you designed for a multi-step workflow. Explain your design decisions, the constraints you faced (technical, user, operational), and the trade-offs you made." (Emphasize communication, problem-solving, and iterative design)

• "How do you approach translating user research findings and operational requirements into tangible design solutions? Provide an example." (Highlight research-to-design translation and user-centricity) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about SteerBridge's mission, particularly in the aviation readiness domain, and how do you see your design skills contributing to that mission?" (Demonstrate understanding of company mission and domain relevance)

• "Describe your experience working in an Agile environment. How do you manage your workload, prioritize tasks, and collaborate with engineering teams on sprint goals?" (Showcase Agile proficiency and collaboration)

• "How do you ensure your designs are accessible and compliant with standards like Section 508 and WCAG?" (Assess commitment to inclusive design and regulatory adherence) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Clarity: Organize your presentation logically, starting with the problem and ending with the solution and impact. Use clear headings and transitions.

• Focus on Rationale: For each design decision, explain the "why" – how it addressed the problem, met user needs, or adhered to design system principles.

• Quantify Impact (if possible): If you have metrics (e.g., improved task completion time, reduced errors, positive user feedback), present them to demonstrate the value of your work.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific UI elements, interaction patterns, or your design process.

• Showcase Figma Skills: Be prepared to navigate your Figma files to demonstrate component usage, prototyping capabilities, and design system adherence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice is tailored to assess not just design skills but also the candidate's strategic thinking, communication abilities, and understanding of operational contexts—all crucial for GTM success. The emphasis on explaining design rationale and walking through user flows directly tests the candidate's ability to articulate value and solve problems effectively.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on jobs.lever.co.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight experience with Figma, design systems, complex data-rich interfaces, and any relevant domain experience (aviation, government, logistics). Use keywords from the job description such as "UI design," "prototyping," "Jira," and "Agile."

• Curate your portfolio: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your UI craft, design system work, and ability to design complex, data-driven workflows. Be prepared to present a user flow and explain your design decisions in detail. Ensure your portfolio demonstrates adherence to accessibility standards.

• Prepare for a user flow walkthrough: Practice presenting a previously designed user flow, articulating your design rationale, constraints, and trade-offs clearly and concisely. Be ready to discuss your process and decisions under scrutiny.

• Research SteerBridge: Understand their mission, their work with the U.S. Government, and their focus on aviation readiness. Familiarize yourself with their company culture and values, especially regarding veteran support and innovation.

⚠️ 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.