Product Designer, Family Experience

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer, Family Experience

Company: Hera

Location: New York City, New York, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-08-28

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the design of the 0→1 family experience, defining the initial touchpoint for families interacting with Hera during critical life moments.

• Own and develop family-related workflows within the Hera Platform, ensuring seamless integration between the family interface and internal care team operations.

• Elevate the company's design system and quality standards to uphold Hera's brand promise of trust and clarity as the organization scales.

• Drive the reinvention of human-agent interaction, exploring novel modalities for real-time guidance and coordination in healthcare.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a critical early hire, indicated by "second designer on the team" and "founding team" status, suggesting significant ownership and impact on product direction. The emphasis on "0→1 family product" and "human-agent interaction" points to a highly ambiguous and innovative design challenge, requiring strong strategic thinking and execution capabilities. The "On-site" requirement in NYC is firm and crucial for close collaboration.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and iterate on the primary interface through which families discover and engage with Hera, particularly during stressful healthcare events like diagnoses, discharges, or emergencies.

• Translate complex healthcare navigation challenges into intuitive, trustworthy, and empathetic user experiences for aging parents and their families.

• Collaborate closely with engineering to ensure the fidelity and quality of shipped products, acting as a bridge between design intent and technical implementation.

• Develop and maintain components within Hera's design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and adherence to high craft standards across all user-facing surfaces.

• Define and optimize workflows for patient onboarding and family support within the internal Hera Platform, directly impacting the operational efficiency of Heroes and care teams.

• Conduct user research, usability testing, and data analysis to inform design decisions and continuously improve the family experience.

• Contribute to product strategy by identifying unmet needs and opportunities within the senior care and healthcare navigation landscape.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description emphasizes "owning" the end-to-end family experience and "a slice of Hera Platform," implying significant autonomy and responsibility. The mention of "reinvented in real time (think Instinct, Grok bot)" suggests an experimental and forward-thinking approach to human-agent interaction design, which is a key differentiator for this role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating a deep understanding of UX/UI principles, interaction design, and visual design is paramount. A background in HCI, design, computer science, or a related field is beneficial.

Experience: 5-10 years of experience in product design, with a proven track record of shipping successful digital products from concept to launch. Experience in a startup environment or on a founding team is highly valued.

Required Skills:

• Product Design: Demonstrated ability to take ambiguous problems, define sharp solutions, and deliver high-quality software with minimal direct product management support.

• Visual Design & Interaction Design: Strong aesthetic judgment, a high standard for interaction design, and the ability to articulate the rationale behind design choices.

• Design Systems: Experience building, expanding, or significantly contributing to a design system, treating it as a product in itself.

• User Experience (UX): Proven ability to design for trust and empathy, especially in high-stakes or emotionally charged contexts such as healthcare, finance, or caregiving.

• Prototyping: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes to test concepts and communicate design intent.

• Collaboration: Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with engineering, product, and other cross-functional teams.

• Problem Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to tackle complex user needs and business challenges.

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain design decisions clearly and persuasively.

Preferred Skills:

• Front-end Development Familiarity: Comfort working closely with engineering and understanding of modern codebases to ensure design fidelity.

• Healthcare Industry Experience: Prior experience designing for healthcare, senior care, or similar sensitive industries.

• Human-Agent Interaction Design: Experience or a strong interest in designing interfaces for AI-driven agents or conversational interfaces.

• Copywriting: Ability to craft clear, concise, and empathetic copy for user interfaces.

• Product Strategy: Experience contributing to product strategy and roadmap development.

• Stakeholder Management: Ability to manage expectations and collaborate effectively with various internal stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "comfortable in the code" requirement suggests that candidates with some front-end knowledge or a strong understanding of technical constraints will be highly regarded. The emphasis on designing for trust in "high-stakes contexts" is a critical differentiator for this role, particularly given Hera's mission.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Product Design Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing your process from problem discovery to shipped solution, focusing on the "family experience."

• Design System Development: Include examples of your work on design systems, highlighting how you've treated it as a product, managed its evolution, and ensured its adoption.

• High-Stakes Context Design: Present projects where you specifically designed for trust and empathy in sensitive domains (healthcare, finance, etc.), explaining the rationale and outcomes.

• 0→1 Product Examples: If available, showcase projects where you were involved in defining a new product or feature from its inception, demonstrating your ability to navigate ambiguity.

• Collaboration & Iteration: Evidence of close collaboration with engineering and product teams, with examples of how you iterated based on feedback and technical constraints.

Process Documentation:

• Problem Definition & User Research: Clearly articulate how you identified user problems and conducted research to inform your design decisions for the family experience.

• Solution Design & Iteration: Detail your design process, including wireframing, prototyping, usability testing, and how you iterated based on findings.

• System Implementation: Explain how you ensured your designs were implemented accurately and how you contributed to or leveraged a design system.

• Impact Measurement: Demonstrate how you measured the success of your designs, ideally with quantitative data or qualitative insights related to user trust, clarity, or engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio should strongly emphasize the "family experience" and "0→1 product" aspects. Given the role's focus on human-agent interaction, any examples showcasing innovative interface design or conversational UI would be a significant plus. The ability to demonstrate how design decisions build trust is paramount.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior Product Designers with 5-10 years of experience in New York City, especially in a high-growth startup environment, the estimated salary range is $150,000 - $190,000 annually. This range accounts for the critical nature of the role, the founding team status, and the high cost of living in NYC.

Benefits:

• Equity Ownership: As a founding team member, significant equity ownership in Hera.

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents.

• Generous Paid Time Off: Flexible PTO policy to encourage work-life balance.

• 401(k) Plan: Retirement savings plan with potential company match.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, including conferences, workshops, and training.

• Relocation Assistance: Support for candidates willing to relocate to New York City.

• Team Events & Retreats: Opportunities for team building and social engagement.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected given the startup environment and the critical nature of the work. The emphasis is on output and impact rather than strict adherence to hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on data from reputable sources for similar roles in NYC tech startups, considering the experience level and the "founding team" designation. Equity is a significant component of compensation given the early-stage nature of Hera.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare Technology / Senior Care Tech. Hera operates at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and social services, aiming to disrupt the fragmented and complex landscape of senior care. The company is focused on leveraging technology to provide a human-centered solution for families navigating healthcare challenges.

Company Size: Early-stage startup, likely less than 50 employees, with a strong emphasis on a cohesive founding team. This size fosters a dynamic, fast-paced environment where individual contributions have a significant impact.

Founded: Hera was founded with a mission to address the significant gap in personalized guidance within the U.S. healthcare system, particularly for seniors. The company has secured substantial funding ($34M from Accel and Bain Capital Ventures), indicating strong market validation and growth potential.

Team Structure:

• The design team currently consists of the Head of Design (Ellen) and this role as the second designer.

• The broader team includes co-founders with experience from Palantir and Headway, suggesting a strong technical and operational foundation.

• Clinical advisors include the Chief of Geriatrics at Weill Cornell and the Director of Geriatrics at NYU Langone, underscoring a commitment to clinical expertise and patient outcomes.

• Collaboration is expected to be highly cross-functional, involving product, engineering, operations (Heroes), and clinical advisors. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Leveraging data from user interactions and operational metrics to inform product development and strategy.

• Agile Development & Iteration: A fast-paced approach to product development, with continuous iteration and rapid deployment cycles.

• Human-Centered Design: Prioritizing empathy, user needs, and trust in all design and product decisions.

• Mission-Oriented Culture: A strong focus on the company's mission to improve senior care and support families.

Company Website: https://hellohera.com/about

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is heavily influenced by its mission ("Worthy of our parents," "Celebrate human") and the challenges of its industry. The "Attack" value suggests a proactive, results-oriented approach, common in high-growth startups. The "Enjoy the uphill" value highlights the expectation that employees are motivated by solving difficult problems.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is designated as a Senior Product Designer, signifying a mid-to-senior level position within the design function. It requires a high degree of autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to mentor or guide less experienced designers as the team grows. The "founding team" aspect offers a unique opportunity for significant influence on the company's trajectory.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will report directly to the Head of Design (Ellen), working in close partnership. This close reporting line allows for direct mentorship and alignment on design vision.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer will have a profound impact on Hera's core value proposition by shaping the primary interface through which families access care and support. Success in this role directly influences user acquisition, retention, and the overall perception of Hera as a trusted guide in healthcare. The role is instrumental in translating the company's mission into a tangible, user-friendly product.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a Design Lead or Manager role as the design team expands.

• Product Strategy Influence: Contribute significantly to product roadmap and strategic decisions due to early involvement and ownership.

• Specialization in Healthcare UX: Deepen expertise in designing for complex, high-stakes healthcare scenarios and human-agent interactions.

• Cross-Functional Growth: Develop a strong understanding of business operations, clinical workflows, and engineering challenges by working across departments.

• Equity Growth: Benefit from the potential appreciation of equity as the company scales and achieves milestones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant growth potential beyond traditional design responsibilities, including product strategy and potential leadership. The "founding team" status implies a high level of responsibility and the opportunity to shape the company's culture and direction.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hera is an in-person company based in New York City. This suggests a collaborative office environment designed to foster close teamwork and spontaneous interactions.

Office Location(s): New York City, NY. Specific details about the office space or neighborhood would typically be provided during the interview process, but candidates should be prepared for an urban work setting.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: An office setting designed to encourage direct communication, brainstorming, and rapid problem-solving among team members.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design and collaboration tools necessary for high-quality product development. Expect standard industry tools for design, prototyping, and project management.

• Team Interaction: Frequent interaction with co-founders, engineering, product, and other design team members, promoting a shared sense of purpose and ownership.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is expected to be full-time, approximately 40 hours per week. However, given the startup nature and the critical mission, flexibility and a willingness to go the extra mile during peak periods may be required. The focus is on achieving outcomes rather than adhering to rigid hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "in person in NYC" requirement is a non-negotiable aspect of this role, emphasizing the company's commitment to a collaborative, hands-on work environment. This is crucial for early-stage companies aiming to build strong team cohesion and accelerate innovation.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

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

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A deep dive into your portfolio with the Head of Design (Ellen), focusing on relevant case studies. This may be followed by a design challenge that simulates a real-world problem Hera faces, assessing your problem-solving approach, design thinking, and ability to articulate your process.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with co-founders and/or engineering leads to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and strategic thinking.

• Culture Fit Interview: A discussion focused on Hera's values and your alignment with the team's mission and work ethic.

• Final Round: Potentially a final discussion with one of the co-founders to confirm fit and discuss overall expectations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight "Family Experience" & "0→1" Projects: Prioritize case studies that demonstrate your ability to design for the core family journey or build new product experiences from scratch.

• Emphasize Trust & Empathy: Clearly articulate how your design decisions fostered trust and addressed emotional needs, especially in healthcare contexts.

• Showcase Design System Work: Detail your contributions to design systems, explaining their impact on consistency and scalability.

• Explain Your "Why": Be prepared to articulate the rationale behind your design decisions, linking them to user needs, business goals, and your understanding of the healthcare domain.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Show examples of how you worked with engineering and other stakeholders, including how you navigated technical constraints.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics or clear qualitative feedback to demonstrate the impact of your work.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Hera's Mission: Deeply research Hera's product, target audience, and the problem it's solving in senior care.

• Focus on Human-Agent Interaction: Consider how you might design intuitive interfaces for AI-driven guidance in healthcare.

• Emphasize Process & Rationale: Be ready to explain your thought process, not just the final output. Focus on how you would approach an ambiguous problem.

• Prepare Questions: Develop thoughtful questions about Hera's product strategy, design challenges, and team dynamics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess not only design skills but also the candidate's ability to thrive in an ambiguous, high-impact startup environment. The portfolio review is critical, and candidates should be prepared to present detailed case studies that align with Hera's specific needs.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, industry standard for collaboration and design systems), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite.

• Prototyping Tools: InVision, Principle, ProtoPie (for more advanced interactions).

• Design System Management: Figma (component libraries, design tokens), Storybook (if applicable for code integration).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics (for user behavior tracking).

• User Feedback Tools: UserTesting.com, Hotjar, or in-house survey tools.

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Looker, or internal dashboarding tools for performance tracking.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce, HubSpot (likely used for sales/customer operations, though not directly for design).

• Project Management/Collaboration: Jira, Asana, Trello, Slack, Notion.

• Engineering Collaboration: Git, GitHub/GitLab (for understanding code integration).

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools are not listed, candidates should be proficient in modern design tools like Figma, which is standard for collaborative design system work. Familiarity with user analytics platforms is also beneficial for understanding product usage and informing design decisions. The ability to work closely with engineering implies some understanding of how designs translate into code.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Worthy of Our Parents: A commitment to high quality, ethical practices, and deep empathy, ensuring that all decisions are made with the well-being of seniors and their families at the forefront. This translates to rigorous design standards and a focus on patient safety and dignity.

• Collaboration as an Accelerant: A belief that teamwork and open communication enhance productivity and innovation. This means actively seeking input, sharing knowledge, and working inclusively across disciplines.

• Celebrate Human: A core value emphasizing empathy, humanity, and the importance of human connection. This drives decisions related to user experience design, hiring, and team interactions, fostering a supportive and mission-driven environment.

• Enjoy the Uphill: An appreciation for tackling difficult challenges and finding joy in the process of problem-solving. This value attracts individuals who are motivated by complexity and are resilient in the face of obstacles.

• Attack: A proactive, offensive mindset towards problem-solving and achieving goals. This encourages initiative, strategic thinking, and a relentless pursuit of impactful solutions.

Collaboration Style:

• Direct & Transparent: Expect open communication channels, with a focus on constructive feedback and shared problem-solving.

• Mission-Driven Alignment: Collaboration is often centered around the shared goal of improving senior care, uniting diverse perspectives towards a common objective.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are expected to work seamlessly with engineering, product, and clinical teams, acting as a bridge between user needs and technical execution.

• Iterative & Experimental: A willingness to try new approaches, learn from failures, and continuously refine solutions based on feedback and data.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values are deeply ingrained and central to its identity. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how they embody these values in their work and interactions, particularly "Worthy of Our Parents" and "Celebrate Human," which are critical for a healthcare-focused company.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Ambiguity in a 0→1 Product: Creating a novel user experience for a service that doesn't yet exist, requiring significant exploration and definition of interaction models.

• Balancing Human-Agent Interaction with Human Touch: Integrating AI/agent capabilities seamlessly with human support ("Heroes") to provide an optimal, empathetic experience without feeling impersonal.

• Navigating Complex Healthcare Ecosystems: Designing for users (seniors and their families) who are often under duress, dealing with complex medical information, and potentially varying levels of tech savviness.

• Scaling Design Systems for Rapid Growth: Ensuring the design system can support rapid product development and maintain quality as the company scales its user base and feature set.

• Building Trust in a Sensitive Domain: Earning and maintaining user trust in a high-stakes environment where errors can have significant consequences.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Pioneering Human-Agent Interaction Design: Opportunity to define best practices in a cutting-edge area of UX.

• Deep Expertise in Healthcare UX: Become a specialist in designing for vulnerable populations and complex healthcare journeys.

• Founding Team Member Growth: Direct influence on product strategy, company culture, and potential for significant career advancement and equity growth.

• Mentorship from Experienced Leaders: Learning directly from the Head of Design and other experienced co-founders.

• Exposure to High-Growth Startup Dynamics: Gaining invaluable experience in fast-paced product development, fundraising, and scaling operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are significant but also represent the core opportunities for growth and impact. Candidates should frame their interest in these challenges as motivators rather than deterrents.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach designing the initial touchpoint for a family who has just received a serious diagnosis for a loved one, and what are the key trust-building elements you'd prioritize?" (Focus on 0→1, trust, empathy, healthcare context)

• "Describe your process for building or expanding a design system. How do you balance consistency with the need for flexibility in a rapidly evolving product?" (Focus on design systems, product lifecycle, collaboration)

• "Imagine we're exploring a new AI-powered agent to help families navigate post-hospital care. What are the critical design considerations for ensuring this agent feels like a trusted guide rather than just a chatbot?" (Focus on human-agent interaction, trust, healthcare complexity) Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Hera's values—'Worthy of Our Parents,' 'Celebrate Human,' 'Enjoy the Uphill,' etc.—resonate with your own work philosophy and how have you demonstrated these in past roles?" (Focus on values alignment, mission-driven work)

• "What excites you most about the mission of improving senior care, and what challenges do you anticipate in designing for this specific demographic?" (Focus on mission alignment, user empathy, industry understanding)

• "Describe a time you had to collaborate closely with engineers to ship a product. How did you ensure the final product met your design standards while respecting technical constraints?" (Focus on collaboration, engineering partnership, execution) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Case Studies: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, design, testing), the solution, and the impact/outcomes.

• Emphasize "Why": Be ready to explain the rationale behind every significant design decision. Link your choices to user needs, business objectives, and company values.

• Showcase Your Design System: If applicable, dedicate time to showing how you've contributed to or utilized design systems, highlighting modularity and consistency.

• Highlight Trust & Empathy: Specifically call out how your designs address the emotional needs of users and build trust, especially in healthcare-related projects.

• Be Prepared for Ambiguity: For the "0→1" aspect, be ready to discuss your approach to defining problems and solutions when there's no existing blueprint.

• Interactive Elements: If presenting digitally, consider interactive prototypes or elements that allow for exploration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a deep understanding of Hera's mission, strong design thinking, and the ability to thrive in an early-stage, high-impact environment. Emphasize your experience in high-stakes contexts and your passion for solving complex problems in healthcare.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 key case studies that best showcase your experience in end-to-end product design, particularly focusing on user-facing experiences, design systems, and high-stakes environments. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates your process, rationale, and the impact of your work.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight relevant experience in product design, UX/UI, design systems, and any work in healthcare, finance, or caregiving. Use keywords from the job description, such as "family experience," "0→1 product," "human-agent interaction," and "design systems."

• Prepare Your Narrative: Be ready to discuss your design philosophy, your approach to ambiguous problems, and how you embody Hera's core values during interviews. Practice articulating your design decisions and their impact.

• Research Hera: Thoroughly understand Hera's mission, product offering, target audience, and recent funding news. Prepare thoughtful questions about their product strategy, design challenges, and team culture.

⚠️ 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.