Product Designer, MarianaOS

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer, MarianaOS

Company: Mariana Minerals

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / GTM Operations Interface

Date Posted: 2026-08-11

Experience Level: 5-10 Years (Mid-Senior to Senior Specialist)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and simplify complex, data-dense workflows within MarianaOS, ensuring an intuitive and efficient user experience for internal employees.

• Grow and own the company's design system, including coded components, to accelerate the development of user interfaces with agentic tools.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineers from initial problem framing through to shipped UI, actively participating in the entire product development lifecycle.

• Drive short-horizon design direction (weeks to months) to maintain coherence for a fast-shipping engineering team.

• Conduct lightweight user research and synthesize feedback from customers and internal stakeholders to ensure product alignment with user needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is for a "Product Designer," its emphasis on simplifying complex, data-heavy workflows, owning a design system that integrates with engineering, and collaborating deeply with PMs and engineers positions it as a critical interface role for GTM and internal operations. The focus on "simplifying complexity" and "data-dense workflows" directly impacts how operations teams within Mariana Minerals utilize their internal software, MarianaOS, making it highly relevant to operations professionals seeking to understand the tools that support their work. The emphasis on AI fluency and prototyping in code also suggests a forward-thinking approach to product development that impacts operational efficiency.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Translate highly complex, data-intensive operational workflows within MarianaOS into clear, user-friendly information architecture and intuitive user flows, enhancing daily usability for hundreds of employees.

• Develop, maintain, and expand the MarianaOS design system, ensuring it includes both Figma assets and production-ready coded components to empower engineers in rapidly building user interfaces with agentic capabilities.

• Act as a key design partner to Product Managers and Engineers, engaging from the earliest stages of problem definition and ideation through to the final implementation and release of user interfaces.

• Provide and solicit rapid, constructive design feedback across the product and engineering teams to elevate the visual quality and ensure the delivery of valuable, usable products for end-users.

• Utilize direct code-based prototyping as a primary method for rapid validation and iteration, fostering close collaboration with engineers by working live rather than solely handing off static mockups.

• Define and communicate short-term (weeks to months) design direction, ensuring alignment and coherence for a fast-paced engineering team focused on iterative development.

• Execute and synthesize lightweight user research initiatives and feedback loops with both external customers and internal stakeholders to ensure product design is firmly rooted in identified user needs and validated through feedback.

• Establish and document best practices for design processes and team ways of working, setting the foundational tone for how design will operate and scale within the company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong focus on internal operational efficiency through software design. The emphasis on "data-dense workflows," "internal employees," and "complex, data-heavy products" indicates that this role is crucial for optimizing the internal GTM and operational technology stack, specifically MarianaOS. The expectation to prototype in code and work closely with engineers suggests a deep understanding of how design impacts development velocity and operational deployment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: 5-10 years of dedicated experience in product design, with a proven track record of designing for complex, data-heavy, or operational products. Experience as a first designer at a startup or in a similar high-impact, early-stage role is highly desirable.

Required Skills:

• Simplifying Complexity: Demonstrated ability to take highly complicated products, datasets, or workflows and translate them into clear, intuitive, and easy-to-use interfaces. This is the paramount skill.

• Complex Product Design: Proven experience designing for non-trivial products, with the ability to articulate trade-offs made during the design process. Preference for experience with technical, operational, or data-heavy products over consumer applications.

• Opinionated Visual Design: A strong, forward-looking perspective on visual design that moves beyond standard SaaS aesthetics, aiming for a modern and vision-aligned look without compromising usability and operational outcomes.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Expertise in partnering effectively with Product Managers and Engineers, participating actively in problem-solving sessions from early framing to final implementation.

• AI Fluency & Adaptability: Proficiency in using AI tools (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, v0, Replit) within the design process, comfort with prototyping in code, and an adaptive approach to evolving design methodologies.

• Information Architecture: Skill in structuring and organizing complex information to create clear navigation and user flows.

• Design Systems: Experience in growing and maintaining design systems, including understanding of coded components.

• Prototyping: Ability to create functional prototypes, with a strong preference for code-based prototyping.

• User Research: Experience in conducting lightweight user research and synthesizing feedback to inform design decisions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience as the first dedicated designer at a startup.

• Experience designing for operational software or internal tools.

• Familiarity with the mining, minerals, or supply chain industries.

• Ability to write production-level code for design system components.

• Experience with data visualization techniques for complex datasets.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "simplifying complexity" and "complex product experience" is central to this role, especially for an operations-focused software like MarianaOS. The requirement for AI fluency and prototyping in code highlights a modern approach to product development that directly impacts the speed and efficiency of operational tool deployment. The preference for prior experience as a "first designer" suggests a need for someone who can establish design practices and operate with a high degree of autonomy and strategic influence.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Complex Workflow Simplification: Showcase at least one project where you took a genuinely complicated, data-heavy workflow and successfully simplified it into an intuitive user experience. Detail the problem, your approach, the trade-offs made, and the measurable impact.

• Design System Ownership: Present examples of your work on design systems, ideally including coded components or a clear understanding of how design translates into engineering implementation. Highlight your role in growing or maintaining such a system.

• Cross-functional Collaboration Case Study: Provide a project demonstrating deep collaboration with engineering and product management. Explain your role in problem framing, iterative design, and how you worked together to ship a product.

• AI-Assisted Design Process: Include a project where you leveraged AI tools in your design or prototyping workflow. Explain how these tools enhanced your process and outcomes.

• Opinionated Visual Design: Ensure your portfolio reflects a distinct and forward-looking visual design perspective, demonstrating an ability to create aesthetically compelling interfaces that align with a modern, innovative brand identity.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Be prepared to discuss how you approach understanding and mapping complex user workflows, identifying bottlenecks, and designing solutions that optimize efficiency for operational tasks.

• System Implementation & Automation: Demonstrate an understanding of how design systems and coded components facilitate faster and more consistent UI development, especially in environments utilizing agentic tools and automation.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Articulate how you gather and synthesize user feedback and operational data to measure the success of your designs and inform future iterations, focusing on impact rather than just output.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily geared towards demonstrating the ability to handle complexity and integrate design directly into the engineering and operational workflow. For an operations-focused role, showcasing how designs lead to tangible improvements in efficiency, data clarity, and user adoption within complex systems like MarianaOS is critical.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $180,000 - $210,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Equity: Opportunity to own a part of the company's future.

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

• 401(k) Plan: Retirement savings plan.

• Generous PTO: Paid time off to ensure work-life balance.

• Professional Development: Support for learning and growth, including conferences and training relevant to design and operations technology.

• On-site Perks: Potential for catered lunches, snacks, and a collaborative office environment in San Francisco.

Working Hours: Standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility expected for a fast-paced startup environment. Collaboration may require occasional adjustments to align with global or cross-functional team needs, though the primary focus is on delivering results.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a senior Product Designer role in San Francisco, especially for a specialized position with high impact on internal operations. The benefits package is standard for a tech startup, with equity being a significant component. The mention of "fast-paced startup environment" and "delivering results" implies that while a 40-hour week is standard, dedication to project success is paramount, which is typical for roles impacting critical operational systems.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software-first, vertically integrated minerals company. Mariana Minerals is at the intersection of the mining industry and advanced technology, focusing on critical minerals for modern energy, AI, and defense.

Company Size: The company is likely in a growth phase, with an existing strong team of engineers, product managers, and end-users, but is now hiring its first dedicated design hire. This suggests a team size that is substantial enough to have complex internal systems but still agile and lean.

Founded: Founded with a mission to modernize the minerals supply chain through software and automation. The company values a combination of deep industry expertise and cutting-edge technological application.

Team Structure:

• The design function is nascent, with this role being the first dedicated designer.

• This individual will work closely with a strong existing team of engineers and product managers.

• There's a high engineer-to-designer ratio, indicating engineers are deeply involved in product development and potentially UI implementation.

• Collaboration will be cross-functional, involving product, engineering, and end-users of MarianaOS. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Core to the company's approach in reimagining the minerals supply chain.

• Software & Automation Focus: Utilizing advanced software and automation to drive efficiency and innovation.

• Engineer Out Requirements, then Automate: A principle that emphasizes simplifying processes before automating them, directly impacting the need for clear, usable design.

• Extreme Ownership: A culture of taking full responsibility for outcomes and driving solutions relentlessly.

• Share Your Legos: Encourages open collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Company Website: https://marianaminerals.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is heavily influenced by its mission to modernize a traditional industry through technology. The emphasis on "Engineer Out Requirements, then Automate" and "Extreme Ownership" directly translates to the need for a designer who can not only create user-friendly interfaces for complex operational software but also take ownership of the design process and collaborate effectively with a technically-minded team. The "Share Your Legos" principle points to an open and collaborative environment.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a significant opportunity to establish and lead the design function for MarianaOS, the company's core operational software. As the first dedicated designer, this individual will have a high degree of autonomy and influence, setting design standards and processes. It's a specialist role with the potential to grow into a design leadership position as the company scales.

Reporting Structure: The candidate will likely report to a Head of Product, CTO, or a senior Product Manager, given the absence of an existing design team. This structure provides direct access to leadership and a clear line of sight into strategic decision-making.

Operations Impact: The designer's work on MarianaOS will directly impact the efficiency, productivity, and data accuracy of hundreds of internal employees. By simplifying complex operational workflows, the designer will contribute to faster decision-making, reduced errors, and improved overall operational performance in a critical industry. The role bridges the gap between complex data and actionable insights for operations.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunity to build and lead a design team as the company grows, defining its structure, processes, and culture.

• Product Strategy Influence: Significant input into the strategic direction of MarianaOS, shaping its evolution based on user needs and operational requirements.

• Domain Expertise: Deepen understanding of the minerals supply chain, critical minerals, and how technology can transform traditional industries.

• Skill Expansion: Develop expertise in designing for complex, data-intensive operational environments, AI-assisted workflows, and code-based prototyping.

• Early-Stage Startup Impact: Experience the rapid growth and evolution of a software-first company in a foundational industry, contributing to its core product.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique "first designer" opportunity with substantial growth potential. The impact on operational efficiency and the chance to shape design culture and strategy are key selling points for ambitious operations professionals who understand the critical role of internal tools. The role is positioned for someone who can not only execute but also strategize and build.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is on-site in San Francisco, indicating a collaborative office environment designed to foster teamwork and innovation.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, California, United States. This location offers access to a vibrant tech ecosystem and talent pool.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The office setting is designed for close interaction between engineers, product managers, and the new design hire, facilitating rapid iteration and problem-solving.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design tools and potentially advanced development environments that support code-based prototyping and AI integration. Engineers will be available to support coded component development.

• Cross-functional Interaction: Daily opportunities to engage with diverse teams, ensuring designs are grounded in real-world operational needs and technical feasibility.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected, but the dynamic nature of a fast-growing startup, especially one focused on rapid iteration and shipping, may require flexibility. The emphasis is on delivering impactful results rather than strictly adhering to hours. The role requires close alignment with the engineering team's pace.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in San Francisco suggests a preference for in-person collaboration, which is beneficial for a role that requires deep dives into complex problems and close partnership with engineering and product. The workspace context implies an environment where design is integrated rather than isolated, supporting the operational goals of the company.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief conversation to assess basic qualifications, alignment with the company's mission, and initial fit.

• Portfolio Review & Design Exercise: A session where the candidate presents their portfolio, focusing on projects that demonstrate the ability to simplify complexity and design for data-heavy workflows. This may include a small, targeted design exercise or discussion around a specific problem.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers and Engineers to assess collaboration style, problem-solving approach, and ability to integrate design into the development process.

• Leadership Interview: A final discussion with a company leader (e.g., CTO, CEO, Head of Product) to evaluate strategic thinking, cultural fit, and long-term vision for design at Mariana Minerals.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Complexity: Prioritize showcasing projects where you successfully tackled highly complex, data-intensive problems. Clearly articulate the "before" state and the "after" impact of your design solutions.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., reduction in task completion time, decreased error rates, increased user adoption for MarianaOS features).

• Show Your Process: Detail your thought process, research methodologies, iterative steps, and the rationale behind your design decisions, especially when collaborating with technical teams.

• Highlight AI & Code: Explicitly demonstrate how you've used AI tools or prototyped in code. Explain the benefits this brought to your workflow and the project outcomes.

• Visual Design Nuance: Present your visual design skills, but ensure they are framed within the context of solving complex operational problems and not just aesthetic appeal.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand MarianaOS: Research the company's mission, industry, and the likely nature of MarianaOS as an internal operational tool. Think about the types of complex data and workflows it might handle (e.g., supply chain logistics, resource management, production tracking).

• Practice Articulating Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss difficult design decisions and the compromises you made, explaining your reasoning based on user needs, technical constraints, and business objectives.

• Prepare for "Design in the Open": Consider how you would approach working in an environment where designs are shaped collaboratively and iteratively, rather than being fully specified upfront. Think about how you'd manage feedback and maintain coherence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical application of design skills to complex problems and integration with engineering. Candidates should prepare to deeply discuss their portfolio, particularly projects involving operational software and data simplification, and demonstrate adaptability in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (for general design and collaboration), with a strong emphasis on code-based prototyping. Tools like Claude Code, Cursor, v0, or similar AI-assisted design/coding tools are expected.

• Design System Management: Tools that support both visual asset management and coded component development.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly stated for the designer, familiarity with how user behavior and operational data are tracked and analyzed within MarianaOS will be crucial for informing design decisions. This may involve tools used by PMs or data analysts. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the designer's core tools, but understanding how MarianaOS interfaces with or supports broader CRM and automation strategies within Mariana Minerals could be beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of AI tools and code-based prototyping is a key differentiator for this role. Candidates must be comfortable moving beyond traditional Figma-only workflows and engaging directly with code to validate designs and accelerate development, a critical aspect for optimizing operational software.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Extreme Ownership: Take full responsibility for design outcomes, proactively identifying and solving problems within MarianaOS, and driving the design process to completion.

• Engineer Out Requirements, then Automate: Apply this principle to design by simplifying complex operational needs into clear requirements, and then ensuring designs facilitate automation and efficiency within MarianaOS.

• Share Your Legos: Foster an open, collaborative environment by actively sharing design knowledge, feedback, and learnings with product and engineering teams.

• Data-Driven Design: Use insights from user research and operational data to inform design decisions, ensuring MarianaOS is not just intuitive but also effective in supporting business objectives.

• Efficiency & Simplicity: A core value reflected in the mission to simplify complexity, which should permeate all design work on MarianaOS.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Partnership: Work hand-in-hand with PMs and engineers, participating in problem framing and iterative development, rather than operating in a silo.

• Direct Feedback Culture: Be comfortable giving and receiving fast, direct feedback to accelerate learning and improve design quality.

• Knowledge Sharing: Actively contribute to the team's collective understanding of user needs, design best practices, and technical possibilities.

• Agile & Iterative: Embrace a fast-shipping mindset, where designs are continuously refined based on real-world usage and feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's core values are directly applicable to the operational context of MarianaOS. The designer is expected to embody these values in their daily work, particularly in simplifying complexity for operational efficiency and collaborating closely with technical teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing Design Practice: As the first designer, you'll need to define design processes, standards, and tools for MarianaOS, potentially from scratch, in a heavily engineering-driven environment.

• Simplifying Extreme Complexity: MarianaOS likely handles highly intricate data and workflows inherent to the minerals industry, requiring significant effort to distill into user-friendly interfaces.

• Balancing Usability with Technical Depth: Creating visually appealing designs that are also highly functional and efficient for complex operational tasks, without compromising usability or performance.

• Rapid Iteration & AI Integration: Adapting to a fast-paced development cycle that leverages AI and code-based prototyping, requiring continuous learning and process evolution.

• High Engineer-to-Designer Ratio: Managing design efforts effectively with limited design resources relative to engineering capacity, requiring strong prioritization and communication.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Design System Mastery: Opportunity to build and own a robust design system from its foundational stages.

• Industry Expertise: Gain deep knowledge of the critical minerals supply chain and the operational challenges within this sector.

• AI-Powered Design: Become a leader in applying AI tools and code-based prototyping to product design challenges.

• Foundational Design Leadership: Develop skills in establishing design culture, processes, and potentially building a team in a high-growth startup.

• Strategic Product Influence: Directly impact the core operational software of a company revolutionizing a major industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a "first hire" in a specialized role within a growing tech company, particularly one focused on complex operational software. The growth opportunities are significant, offering a chance to shape a function and gain unique domain expertise.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you took a highly complex, data-intensive workflow and made it simple and intuitive for users. What was your process, what were the key trade-offs, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on process, simplification, and impact).

• "How do you approach building and evolving a design system, especially when you're the first designer and need to collaborate closely with engineers who can also build components?" (Focus on system thinking, collaboration, and technical integration).

• "Given our company's principle 'Engineer Out Requirements, then Automate,' how would you apply this to your design process for MarianaOS?" (Focus on understanding company values and translating them into design strategy). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Mariana Minerals' mission to modernize the minerals supply chain?" (Focus on alignment with company vision and industry).

• "How do you see design contributing to a company culture that values 'Extreme Ownership' and 'Share Your Legos'?" (Focus on cultural fit and collaborative approach).

• "Describe your experience working in a high engineer-to-designer ratio environment. How do you ensure design quality and impact?" (Focus on navigating resource constraints and collaboration). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Structure your portfolio presentation around a clear narrative for each project: the problem, your role, your process (emphasizing complexity simplification and AI/code usage), the solutions, and the measurable impact.

• "Show, Don't Just Tell": For complex projects, use interactive prototypes or detailed walkthroughs to illustrate how users navigate and interact with your designs.

• Articulate Trade-offs: Be prepared to discuss the difficult decisions you made, why you made them, and what alternatives you considered. This is crucial for demonstrating strategic thinking.

• Highlight AI & Code: Dedicate specific time to showcase how AI tools and code-based prototyping were integral to your process and outcomes. Explain the benefits clearly.

• Connect to Mariana Minerals: For each project, briefly explain how the skills and experience demonstrated are relevant to the challenges and opportunities at Mariana Minerals and with MarianaOS.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a deep understanding of complexity, a pragmatic approach to design within an engineering-centric environment, and a willingness to embrace modern tools and collaborative methods. Candidates need to show they can not only design but also strategically influence product direction and establish design practices.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 key projects that best showcase your ability to simplify complex, data-dense workflows and your experience with AI-assisted design or code-based prototyping. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your approach, and the measurable impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience relevant to designing complex operational software, working cross-functionally with engineering and product, and any experience with design systems or AI tools. Use keywords from the job description like "simplifying complexity," "data-dense workflows," and "code-based prototyping."

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio with a focus on articulating your design process, the trade-offs you made, and the outcomes achieved. Be ready to discuss how your skills align with Mariana Minerals' values and the specific needs of MarianaOS.

• Research Mariana Minerals: Understand their mission, the critical minerals industry, and the potential scope of MarianaOS. Consider how design can drive operational efficiency and innovation in this sector.

⚠️ 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.