Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: Translucent

Location: New York City near Union Square, NY, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-07-24

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site (Office-based in New York City preferred)

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and refine user interfaces for an AI-powered financial platform specifically targeting the healthcare industry, focusing on transforming complex data and workflows into intuitive experiences.

• Collaborate closely with Product Engineering and the Founding Designer, taking ownership of the design process from initial concept through to final production, ensuring design intent is accurately implemented.

• Conduct thorough design Quality Assurance (QA) to uphold standards in typography, spacing, interaction, and overall product polish, ensuring a seamless user experience.

• Contribute to the development and utilization of a robust design system, ensuring consistency and scalability across the product as it evolves.

• Emphasize a deep understanding of end-user empathy, particularly for healthcare finance operators, to solve critical pain points and improve operational efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is positioned as a hands-on, craft-focused Product Designer, emphasizing detail orientation and close collaboration rather than high-level strategic design setting. The focus on "paper cuts," edge cases, and design QA indicates a need for a designer who can execute meticulously and ensure product completeness and polish.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Partner with Product Engineering and the Founding Designer to drive design projects from ideation to successful shipment, minimizing hand-offs and ensuring end-to-end ownership of design details.

• Proactively identify and address user experience friction points ("paper cuts"), refining key screens, flows, and edge-case states (empty, loading, error) to create a polished and complete product experience.

• Execute comprehensive design QA, meticulously reviewing implemented features against design specifications to ensure fidelity in typography, spacing, interaction, and overall aesthetic quality.

• Formalize complex concepts into clean, well-organized design files, developing reusable components that enhance efficiency and maintain consistency within the design system.

• Actively contribute to and leverage the company's design system, ensuring pattern consistency and scalability as the product suite expands and evolves.

• Integrate feedback from product management, customer interactions, and live usage data to iteratively improve and refine product designs.

• Design for data-heavy, workflow-driven use cases, translating intricate financial and operational processes into clear, accessible, and actionable user interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on execution, detail, and quality assurance, typical of a mid-to-senior level Product Designer in a fast-paced startup environment. The need to "hunt down paper cuts" and own "design QA" suggests a role that values meticulousness and a commitment to product polish beyond core feature delivery.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent experience and proficiency in design principles is expected.

Experience: 5–8 years of experience designing high-quality digital products, with a preference for SaaS, analytics platforms, or AI-powered tools.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in UX and interaction design, with the ability to simplify complex financial and operational workflows into intuitive user experiences.

• Strong visual design sensibility, with a keen eye for typography, hierarchy, spacing, and layout principles.

• Demonstrated experience designing for data-intensive and workflow-driven applications.

• Proficiency in producing production-ready designs and prototypes efficiently.

• Strong product sensibility, with the ability to consider the holistic user experience beyond individual screens.

• Deep end-user empathy, particularly for understanding the workflows and pain points of healthcare finance operators.

• Adaptability and resilience in a startup environment, willing to pivot priorities, wear multiple hats, and contribute where needed.

• Excellent collaborative skills, with the ability to work fluidly with product managers and engineers, articulating design decisions clearly.

• Strong communication skills, capable of engaging effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders. Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for financial analytics, enterprise workflows, or specifically for healthcare users.

• Familiarity with conversational interfaces, AI copilots, agents, or generative AI UX patterns.

• Experience in maintaining and evolving design systems and component libraries in a production environment.

• Prior hands-on experience in a startup setting, demonstrating ownership of execution.

• Basic coding proficiency (even a little) to better understand technical constraints and possibilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement (5-8 years) combined with the description of owning "meaningful surface area" and partnering with the Founding Designer suggests a role that is not entry-level strategic but requires a seasoned individual contributor with strong execution capabilities and a mature product sense. The emphasis on "startup realist" and "wearing multiple hats" is a key indicator of the expected mindset.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase of end-to-end product design projects, demonstrating ownership from concept to launch, with a focus on simplifying complex workflows.

• Examples of how you've translated intricate data and financial processes into clear, usable interfaces.

• Case studies highlighting your process for addressing edge cases, loading states, and error handling to ensure product completeness.

• Demonstrations of your ability to work with and contribute to design systems, including reusable components and pattern consistency.

• Evidence of strong visual design craft, including examples of typography, spacing, and layout within a digital product context. Process Documentation:

• Clearly articulate your design process, from user research and ideation to prototyping, user testing, and final implementation oversight.

• Document how you approach design QA, including your methods for ensuring design fidelity and catching implementation discrepancies.

• Illustrate your experience in working with and evolving design systems, detailing how you maintain consistency and scalability.

• Provide examples of how you've incorporated user feedback and live usage data into design iterations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on hands-on execution, design QA, and design system contribution, the portfolio should strongly highlight detailed execution, process refinement, and the ability to produce polished, production-ready designs. Case studies demonstrating the simplification of complex data-heavy workflows and attention to detail in edge cases will be particularly impactful.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $140,000 - $200,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Equity: Opportunity to own a stake in a rapidly growing startup.

• [Specific benefits related to healthcare/SaaS startups would be added here if known, e.g., comprehensive health insurance, 401k matching, generous PTO, professional development stipends, etc.]

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with the expectation of flexibility and dedication common in a startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range of $140,000-$200,000 USD for a Product Designer with 5-8 years of experience in New York City is competitive and aligns with industry benchmarks for experienced professionals in high-cost-of-living urban centers, especially within the tech sector. The inclusion of equity is a standard and significant component of compensation for early-stage startups.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare Technology (AI-powered financial platform for healthcare providers).

Company Size: Early-stage startup (Founded in 2024), backed by significant venture capital (GV, NEA, FPV, Virtue). This implies a lean, agile, and fast-paced environment.

Founded: 2024, indicating a company with recent product-market validation and a strong growth trajectory.

Team Structure:

• Small, collaborative team with close proximity between design, product, and engineering.

• Direct partnership with the Founding Designer, indicating a mentorship and learning opportunity.

• Cross-functional collaboration is core, with designers working "shoulder-to-shoulder" with engineers. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making informed by user feedback and live product usage.

• Agile development process focused on rapid iteration and shipping features quickly.

• Emphasis on AI-driven solutions for complex operational challenges.

• Iterative design approach, continuously refining based on feedback and performance.

Company Website: https://www.translucent.co/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is characteristic of a well-funded, early-stage tech startup. This means a high degree of autonomy, rapid decision-making, a strong emphasis on impact, and a need for individuals who thrive in ambiguity and fast-paced change. The specific focus on healthcare finance and AI agents suggests a culture that values deep domain understanding and cutting-edge technology.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is for an experienced individual contributor, likely at a mid-to-senior level within the design function. While not setting overall design strategy solo, the designer is expected to own significant areas of the product and drive execution with high autonomy. The role offers substantial opportunity to influence the product's user experience and visual polish.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will report to the Founding Designer and work very closely with Product Engineering. This close working relationship provides direct mentorship and exposure to high-level design thinking.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer will have a direct and tangible impact on the usability and effectiveness of Translucent's AI financial platform. By transforming complex healthcare finance workflows into intuitive experiences, the designer will directly contribute to the company's mission of empowering healthcare providers, improving financial decision-making, and ultimately impacting healthcare operational efficiency and financial health.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for AI, conversational interfaces, and complex financial/healthcare workflows.

• Design System Leadership: Potentially take on more responsibility for the growth and governance of the design system as the company scales.

• Product Influence: Gain significant experience in shaping product direction and user experience within a high-growth startup.

• Leadership Potential: As the design team grows, opportunities for team lead or management roles may emerge for high performers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Experience Level" section in the job description explicitly states the role is about owning "meaningful surface area" and partnering with the Founding Designer, rather than setting solo direction. This positions it as a senior individual contributor role with significant execution responsibility and learning opportunities under experienced guidance.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is primarily office-based in New York City, with the company preferring candidates who can work from their physical location. This suggests a collaborative, in-person work environment.

Office Location(s): New York City, specifically near Union Square, indicating a vibrant, accessible urban workspace.

Workspace Context:

• A highly collaborative environment where designers work closely with product engineers and the founding designer.

• Access to standard design tools and technologies necessary for digital product design.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with the team, fostering a strong sense of shared mission and rapid problem-solving.

• An environment that encourages "sweating the details" and a craft-focused approach to design.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with an expectation of flexibility and dedication common in startup environments. While core hours are likely, the pace may require adaptability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on an "office location - New York City (preferred)" and working "shoulder-to-shoulder" with engineers strongly indicates a preference for an on-site or hybrid model where in-office collaboration is key. This is typical for early-stage startups needing tight-knit teams for rapid iteration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a review of your resume and portfolio to assess fit with the core requirements.

• Portfolio Presentation/Design Challenge: A session where you'll present your portfolio, focusing on specific projects that demonstrate your ability to handle complex workflows, data-heavy design, and your design process. A design challenge, potentially focused on a specific problem related to healthcare finance or AI interfaces, may be given.

• Engineering/Product Collaboration Interview: An interview with Product Engineering and possibly the Founding Designer to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and how you translate design intent into production-ready assets.

• Cultural Fit/Startup Readiness: A discussion to gauge your fit with the startup environment, your adaptability, problem-solving approach in ambiguous situations, and end-user empathy.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase End-to-End Ownership: Highlight projects where you took ownership from concept to launch, demonstrating your ability to manage the entire design lifecycle.

• Simplify Complexity: Select case studies that best illustrate your skill in transforming complex data, financial processes, or operational workflows into clear, intuitive user experiences.

• Detail & Polish: Emphasize projects where you meticulously addressed edge cases, loading states, error handling, and ensured high standards of visual craft (typography, spacing).

• Design System Contribution: Include examples of how you've worked with or contributed to design systems, showcasing your understanding of reusability and consistency.

• Explain Your Process: Clearly articulate your thought process, the rationale behind your design decisions, and how you incorporated feedback and data.

Challenge Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with the challenges of healthcare finance and AI agent interfaces.

• Be prepared to articulate your design process for simplifying complex data and workflows.

• Practice presenting your portfolio concisely, focusing on impact and problem-solving.

• Be ready to discuss how you approach design QA and ensure production-ready quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: The job description emphasizes owning details and design QA. Therefore, the portfolio review will likely focus heavily on the execution and polish of your work, not just high-level concepts. Be prepared to discuss the "why" behind every detail, especially in the context of complex financial data and AI interactions.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Figma is highly probable given industry trends and the emphasis on collaboration and design systems. Other possibilities include Sketch or Adobe XD.

• Prototyping Tools: InVision, Figma's prototyping features, or similar tools for creating interactive mockups.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not directly a designer's tool, familiarity with how analytics platforms (e.g., Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics) are used to track user behavior and inform design decisions would be beneficial. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the Product Designer role, but understanding how the platform integrates with or supports CRM functionalities within healthcare finance could be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on design systems and production-ready designs, proficiency in a collaborative design tool like Figma is almost certainly expected. The ability to create detailed mockups and prototypes efficiently is paramount.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craftsmanship & Detail: A strong emphasis on producing high-quality, polished, and error-free designs.

• User Empathy: Deep commitment to understanding and solving the real pain points of healthcare finance operators.

• Collaboration: Working fluidly and effectively with product and engineering teams.

• Agility & Adaptability: Thriving in a fast-paced startup environment with evolving priorities.

• Impact-Driven: Focused on delivering tangible value and improving operational efficiency through design.

Collaboration Style:

• "Shoulder-to-shoulder" partnership with Product Engineering, implying close, real-time collaboration.

• Open communication and clear articulation of design rationale to technical and non-technical team members.

• A culture that values feedback and iteration as integral parts of the design process.

• Collaborative problem-solving to overcome design and implementation challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core values are centered around execution excellence, user-centricity within a complex domain, and highly integrated teamwork, all within the dynamic context of a well-funded startup.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Simplifying Extreme Complexity: Designing intuitive interfaces for intricate healthcare financial data and AI-driven workflows presents a significant challenge.

• Balancing Detail and Pace: Maintaining a high bar for design quality and polish while operating at the rapid pace of a startup.

• AI UX Nuances: Designing effective and trustworthy user experiences for AI agents and conversational interfaces requires navigating new UX paradigms.

• Domain Specificity: Quickly gaining a deep understanding of healthcare finance workflows and terminology to design effectively.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI/Conversational Design Expertise: Develop specialized skills in designing for advanced AI features.

• Healthcare Finance Domain Knowledge: Gain in-depth understanding of a critical and complex industry.

• Design System Growth: Contribute to the evolution of a scaling design system.

• Product Impact: Experience the direct impact of design decisions on a growing user base and company mission.

• Startup Experience: Develop resilience, adaptability, and broad skill sets valuable in any tech career.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenges revolve around the inherent complexity of the domain and the AI technology, coupled with the demands of a fast-paced startup environment. Growth opportunities are substantial, particularly in specialized areas of AI and complex enterprise SaaS design.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you simplified a highly complex workflow or data set through design. What was your process, and what were the outcomes?" (Focus on process, problem-solving, and impact.)

• "How do you ensure design intent is accurately translated into production, especially when working with engineers on tight deadlines? Discuss your approach to design QA." (Highlight your attention to detail, communication, and quality control.)

• "Imagine you're designing an AI agent for a healthcare finance team. What are the key UX considerations and potential pitfalls you'd anticipate?" (Demonstrate your understanding of AI UX and domain empathy.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in working at the intersection of AI and healthcare finance?" (Show your understanding of Translucent's mission and market.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with engineers and product managers, especially in a fast-paced startup environment?" (Emphasize your teamwork and communication skills.)

• "Describe a situation where you had to make trade-offs on design details due to project constraints or shifting priorities. How did you decide?" (Illustrate your pragmatism and decision-making under pressure.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Curate for Relevance: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your ability to handle complex data, workflow simplification, and your craft in visual and interaction design. Prioritize SaaS or data-heavy applications.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, the challenges faced, your solutions, and the impact/outcomes.

• Highlight Details: Be prepared to zoom in on specific UI elements, interaction patterns, and design decisions, especially those related to edge cases, states, and visual polish.

• Design System Context: If applicable, explain your involvement with design systems, showing how you ensured consistency and reusability.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Expect questions about your rationale for specific design choices, how you handled feedback, and how you ensured quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the job description's emphasis on detail, craft, and design QA, be prepared for in-depth questions about specific design decisions and your process for ensuring a high-quality, polished final product.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select projects that exemplify your ability to simplify complex financial or data-heavy workflows, showcase your visual design craft, and demonstrate your process for handling edge cases and ensuring product polish.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 5-8 years of relevant experience in SaaS, analytics, or AI product design, emphasizing skills in UX, interaction, and visual design, as well as your experience in fast-paced environments.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your selected portfolio projects, clearly articulating your problem-solving approach, design rationale, and the impact of your work, with a specific focus on attention to detail and collaboration.

• Research Translucent: Understand their mission, the healthcare finance industry challenges they address, and their AI-driven approach to gain insights into their product and potential design needs.

⚠️ 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.