Senior Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Product Designer

Company: Avantos AI

Location: New York City, NY, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-06-13

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (Remote within the United States)

🚀 Role Summary

• Own the end-to-end design strategy and execution for critical AI-native platform surfaces, including the Avantos Mobile App and the Journey Builder.

• Drive the creation and evolution of platform-shaped native mobile patterns for iOS and Android, ensuring a seamless and intuitive user experience.

• Contribute to the development and expansion of a robust design system, translating patterns across mobile and web interfaces.

• Conduct user research to inform design decisions and validate product concepts, ensuring a user-centric approach to problem-solving.

• Shape the culture, craft, and operational rituals of a growing design team, fostering a collaborative and high-performance environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Senior Product Designer," the responsibilities strongly indicate a need for deep expertise in native mobile design (iOS/Android) and workflow/orchestration tools, suggesting a specialized UX/UI role with a focus on platform-level design systems and AI-driven product features. The "Hybrid" work arrangement implies a requirement for some in-office presence in New York City, despite remote work being permitted within the US.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the complete design lifecycle for the Avantos Mobile App, collaborating closely with mobile engineering to implement platform-shaped patterns that ensure a native user experience.

• Take full ownership of the Journey Builder interface, partnering with engineering to define and refine the flow logic and step-orchestration patterns central to advisor workflows.

• Strategically determine design parity versus divergence between mobile and web experiences, making informed decisions on pattern reuse and platform-specific adaptations.

• Actively contribute mobile-specific and journey-orchestration patterns to the company's design system, working in tandem with the Principal Designer to ensure consistency and scalability.

• Integrate lightweight user research methodologies into the design process to gather insights, validate concepts, and iteratively improve user experiences.

• Play a key role in shaping the design team's culture, elevating the standard of craft, and establishing effective design rituals and processes.

• Design and prototype AI-native features, exploring novel interaction models that leverage artificial intelligence to enhance user productivity and decision-making.

• Develop and maintain design documentation, including user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes for both mobile and web platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on mobile and web design, with a strong emphasis on platform consistency and the development of a cohesive design system. The involvement in user research and shaping team culture indicates a senior-level role with leadership potential.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: No specific educational requirements are listed, but a strong portfolio demonstrating design expertise is essential.

Experience:

• Minimum of 4+ years of progressive product design experience, with a significant portion dedicated to native mobile design (iOS, Android, or both).

• Proven track record of owning adjacent design surfaces end-to-end, demonstrating the ability to manage complexity and context-switching between mobile interactions and web orchestration problems.

• Demonstrated expertise in product design generalism, capable of handling diverse design challenges across different platforms and functionalities. Required Skills:

• Deep native mobile design expertise (iOS Human Interface Guidelines, Material Design principles) with the judgment to apply and adapt them effectively.

• Proficiency in Figma for design creation, prototyping, and design system management.

• Strong understanding and practical experience with design systems, including the ability to create, maintain, and scale them across platforms.

• Proven ability to own design surfaces end-to-end through periods of ambiguity and iterative development.

• Comfort and experience with prototyping in code, and a genuine interest in leveraging AI tooling and principles in the design process.

• Experience conducting lightweight user research to inform design decisions and gather user feedback.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to partner effectively with engineering teams and product leadership. Preferred Skills:

• Fluency in designing for B2B SaaS or complex fintech environments; prior financial services experience is a plus.

• Experience at consumer-grade mobile companies, where a high bar for interaction craft and user experience is maintained.

• Specific experience designing AI-native or agentic features, and a proven ability to rethink familiar patterns around AI capabilities.

• Experience designing workflow automation or orchestration tools, understanding the nuances of complex process design.

• Previous experience in a startup or small team environment, demonstrating a scrappy, ownership-driven, and adaptable approach to design challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "real native mobile depth" and "platform-shaped patterns" indicates that candidates with only responsive web experience will likely not meet the core requirements. The preference for B2B SaaS/Fintech and AI-native design experience suggests a strategic focus for the company.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated selection of case studies demonstrating end-to-end ownership of complex design projects, with a strong focus on native mobile applications.

• Clear articulation of design challenges, user research methodologies employed, design decisions made, and quantifiable outcomes achieved.

• Examples showcasing your ability to design for both mobile and web platforms, highlighting how you ensure consistency and platform-specific optimization.

• Demonstrations of your experience with design systems, including contributions to or utilization of established systems.

• Case studies that exhibit your comfort and experience with prototyping in code and designing for AI-native features. Process Documentation:

• Showcase your approach to user research, including how you integrate findings into the design process and iterate on solutions.

• Provide examples of your workflow for transforming complex requirements into intuitive user interfaces and flows, particularly for orchestration or builder tools.

• Illustrate your collaboration process with engineering teams, demonstrating how you hand off designs and ensure successful implementation.

• Include examples of how you contribute to or manage design system components, ensuring scalability and consistency.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to walk through their portfolio, focusing on specific examples that highlight their native mobile expertise, design system contributions, and experience with AI-driven product features or workflow tools. The ability to articulate the "why" behind design decisions and their impact will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

For a Senior Product Designer with 5-10 years of experience in New York City, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between $150,000 and $200,000 annually, plus equity.

📝 Enhancement Note: This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for senior-level design roles in high-cost-of-living areas like New York City, considering the company's funding (Bessemer Ventures, MIT investment arm) and the specialized nature of AI and fintech product design. Actual compensation will vary based on individual experience, specific skills, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation package.

• Meaningful equity in a rapidly growing AI startup.

• Opportunity to shape the foundational design of a greenfield AI platform.

• Influence the craft bar, design rituals, and overall design operational framework.

• A rare chance to apply service design thinking to scale, transforming advice and servicing delivery in major financial institutions.

• A culture that prioritizes craft, focus, deep work, and ownership, where design is integral to product strategy. Working Hours:

• Full-time position, typically requiring approximately 40 hours per week.

• The company culture emphasizes focus, deep work, and ownership, suggesting a flexible approach to daily schedules as long as responsibilities are met and collaboration needs are satisfied.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "focus, deep work, and ownership" suggests that while a standard 40-hour week is expected, the company values results and efficiency over strict adherence to hours, potentially offering flexibility in scheduling.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services Technology (Fintech) with a strong AI focus.

Company Size: Early-stage startup, likely with a small to medium-sized team. This means opportunities for significant impact and direct influence on product direction.

Founded: Avantos AI is a relatively new venture, supported by prominent investors like Bessemer Ventures and MIT's investment arm, indicating a strong potential for growth and innovation.

Team Structure:

• The design team is growing, with a Principal Designer already in place. This Senior Product Designer will be a key early member, helping to define how design operates.

• Cross-functional collaboration is central, with close partnerships expected between Design, Engineering (including mobile and AI specialists), and Product Management.

• The founding team includes individuals from top institutions and successful tech companies, suggesting a culture of high execution, intellectual curiosity, and a drive for innovation. Methodology:

• Design prototyping is done in code, indicating a highly technical and integrated design process.

• The company actively builds its own AI tooling, suggesting an internal focus on innovation and custom solutions.

• A willingness to re-evaluate and adapt processes quickly is core to their operational model, mirroring the rapid pace of AI advancements.

• Emphasis is placed on understanding deep industry challenges and building technology that empowers users.

Company Website: https://avantos.ai/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's AI-native approach and focus on financial services suggest a complex and data-rich environment. The early-stage nature implies a fast-paced, iterative, and highly collaborative culture where individual contributions are highly visible and impactful.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Product Designer role, signifying a mid-to-senior level position. It requires independent contribution, ownership of significant product areas, and the ability to mentor or influence junior team members (though perhaps not directly manage). The role demands strong generalist product design skills combined with specialized native mobile expertise.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Product Designer will likely report to a Head of Design, Principal Designer, or potentially a Head of Product in this early-stage company. Close collaboration with engineering leads and product managers for the mobile app and Journey Builder is expected.

Operations Impact: The Senior Product Designer will have a direct and substantial impact on the core user experience of Avantos AI's platform. By owning critical surfaces like the mobile app and Journey Builder, their design decisions will directly influence user adoption, workflow efficiency for financial advisors, and the overall perceived intelligence and usability of the AI-native system. Their work will be instrumental in differentiating the product in the competitive fintech landscape.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunity to grow into a Lead Product Designer or Design Manager role as the team expands, influencing design strategy and team growth.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven design, workflow automation tools, and native mobile platform patterns, becoming a recognized expert in these areas.

• Product Strategy: Gain significant exposure to product strategy and business development within the fintech and AI sectors, potentially influencing the product roadmap.

• Cross-functional Influence: Develop strong relationships and influence across engineering, product, and business teams, becoming a key voice in product development.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and contribute to shaping the design culture and best practices within Avantos AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "greenfield AI platform" aspect presents a unique opportunity for a designer to build and define systems from the ground up, offering significant growth in terms of establishing design foundations and strategic influence.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. While remote work within the US is permitted, the "Hybrid" designation and the company's location in New York City suggest that occasional or regular in-office presence may be expected or highly encouraged for collaboration and team building.

Office Location(s): New York City, NY, United States. This implies access to a major tech and finance hub, with potential for in-person meetings with clients, partners, and team members.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on partnering with engineering and shaping team culture points to a highly collaborative workspace, both virtually and potentially in-person.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools (Figma) and potentially internal AI tooling and custom development environments. The company's approach to "prototyping in code" suggests a tech-forward setup.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for close interaction with engineers, product managers, and other designers, fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas and problem-solving.

Work Schedule: While the role is full-time (estimated 40 hours/week), the company culture values "craft, focus, deep work, and ownership." This suggests a degree of flexibility in daily schedules, with an emphasis on delivering high-quality work and meeting collaborative needs, rather than strict adherence to a 9-to-5 schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should clarify expectations regarding in-office presence for the hybrid model. The New York City location offers advantages for networking and client engagement within the financial services industry.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager/Design Lead Interview: A deeper dive into your experience, design philosophy, and approach to problem-solving. This may involve discussing your portfolio and specific case studies.

• Design Exercise/Challenge: A take-home or live design challenge, likely focusing on a problem relevant to the mobile app or Journey Builder. This assesses your practical design skills, problem-solving abilities, and approach to ambiguity.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with engineering and product team members to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to work within a cross-functional team.

• Final Interview: Typically with founders or senior leadership to discuss overall fit, strategic thinking, and long-term vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Native Mobile: Dedicate significant space to your strongest native mobile design projects. Clearly articulate your understanding of iOS Human Interface Guidelines and Material Design.

• Showcase End-to-End Ownership: For each case study, detail the problem, your role, the process (research, ideation, design, testing), your specific contributions, and the impact/outcomes.

• Highlight Design System Contributions: If you have experience building or contributing to design systems, showcase this clearly. Explain how you ensured consistency and scalability.

• Address AI/Workflow Experience: If you have experience designing AI-native features or workflow/orchestration tools, make these prominent. Explain your approach to these complex problem spaces.

• Prototype in Code: Be prepared to discuss any experience you have with prototyping in code, or your willingness and ability to learn this skill.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased user engagement, improved task completion rates, reduced error rates).

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives that highlight your problem-solving journey and decision-making process.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Problem: Thoroughly analyze the prompt of any design challenge. Identify the core user needs and business objectives.

• Embrace Ambiguity: Recognize that startups often operate with incomplete information. Your ability to make reasoned decisions and propose solutions despite ambiguity is key.

• Think Platform: Consider how your design would translate across mobile and web, and how it fits within a broader design system.

• Focus on AI Integration: If the challenge involves AI, think about how to represent AI capabilities in an intuitive and trustworthy way for users.

• Present Clearly: Prepare a concise and well-structured presentation of your solution, highlighting your process and rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "prototyping in code" and "AI tooling" suggests that candidates who can demonstrate technical aptitude and a forward-thinking approach to design will be highly valued. Be ready to discuss your thought process for complex, AI-driven features.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Expected to be the primary tool for UI design, prototyping, and design system management. Proficiency is a must.

• Design Systems: Experience with building, maintaining, or contributing to design systems is critical.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's capabilities, experience with prototyping in code (e.g., using libraries or frameworks) is a significant advantage.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as a designer's tool, an understanding of how user behavior is tracked and analyzed (e.g., through analytics platforms like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or custom solutions) is beneficial for informing design decisions. CRM & Automation:

• While this role is design-focused, familiarity with the concepts of CRM and workflow automation tools (like the Journey Builder being designed) will be advantageous for understanding the user context and the product's purpose within financial services.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "prototyping in code" is a key differentiator. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience or willingness to adopt this practice, as it indicates a move towards more integrated and efficient design workflows.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Craft & Detail: A strong emphasis on high-quality design execution, sweating the details that make a product exceptional.

• Focus & Deep Work: An environment that supports concentrated effort on complex problems, minimizing distractions.

• Ownership: A culture where individuals take full responsibility for their areas and drive them to success.

• Innovation: A commitment to tackling deep industry challenges and building cutting-edge AI technology.

• User Impact: A dedication to creating technology that genuinely empowers users and transforms workflows.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close partnership between Design, Engineering, and Product is fundamental, with shared goals and open communication.

• Iterative Process: A willingness to rapidly prototype, test, and iterate on designs based on feedback and evolving requirements.

• Shared Learning: The team is likely to foster a culture of continuous learning, sharing insights from user research, technical advancements, and industry trends.

• Design as a Core Function: Design is not an afterthought but a foundational element of product development, integral to shaping the product's direction and success.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "craft, focus, deep work, and ownership" suggests a demanding but rewarding environment for designers who thrive on autonomy and high standards.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI: Translating complex AI capabilities into intuitive, trustworthy, and actionable user experiences. This requires rethinking traditional UI patterns.

• Balancing Platform Consistency: Ensuring a cohesive experience across mobile and web surfaces while respecting platform-specific conventions and user expectations.

• Ambiguity in a Startup: Navigating evolving product requirements and a rapidly changing landscape inherent in an early-stage company.

• Defining Design Processes: As an early member of the design team, you'll help establish and refine design methodologies, tools, and rituals.

• Complex Domain: Understanding the intricate workflows and regulatory landscape of the financial services industry.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Product Design: Gaining deep expertise in designing for AI-native applications and agentic features.

• Service Design at Scale: Applying service design principles to transform complex financial advisory and servicing workflows.

• Platform Design Systems: Contributing to and evolving a design system for a sophisticated AI platform.

• Fintech & AI Industry Knowledge: Developing a deep understanding of the financial technology sector and the impact of AI.

• Startup Growth: Experiencing the rapid growth and evolution of a venture-backed startup, offering broad exposure to business operations and product strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are significant but also represent substantial opportunities for professional growth and skill development in high-demand areas like AI design and fintech product innovation.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for two distinct but related platforms (e.g., mobile and web). How did you ensure consistency while respecting platform differences?" (Focus on your process for platform-specific patterns and design system usage.)

• "How would you approach designing a feature that leverages AI to automate a complex financial advisory workflow? What are the key considerations for user trust and transparency?" (Prepare to discuss your understanding of AI ethics, user education, and iterative design for AI.)

• "Imagine you're given a vague requirement for a new mobile feature. How would you proceed to define the problem, conduct research, and develop design solutions?" (Highlight your ability to handle ambiguity, your research methods, and your iterative design process.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Avantos AI's mission and our approach to AI in financial services?" (Research the company's website, investor backing, and the problems they aim to solve.)

• "How do you see your role in shaping the culture and craft of a growing design team?" (Discuss your values related to collaboration, feedback, and design excellence.)

• "Given our focus on AI and financial services, what do you see as the biggest design challenges and opportunities?" (Demonstrate your understanding of the industry and your strategic thinking.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem statement, your specific role and responsibilities, your design process (research, ideation, iteration, testing), your key design decisions and rationale, and the measurable impact of your work.

• Emphasize Native Mobile & AI: Dedicate time to showcasing your strongest native mobile projects and any experience with AI-native or workflow design. Explain the specific challenges and solutions.

• Showcase Design System Thinking: Clearly illustrate your understanding and application of design systems, particularly how you contribute to or leverage them across platforms.

• Be Prepared for Technical Questions: Discuss your comfort with prototyping in code and how you collaborate with engineers.

• Engage and Discuss: Treat the portfolio review as a conversation. Be ready to answer questions about your decisions, thought process, and any trade-offs you made.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to discuss how you've approached designing for complex, regulated industries like finance, and how you've integrated emerging technologies like AI into your design solutions. Your ability to articulate strategic design thinking will be as important as your visual craft.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 4+ years of product design experience, with a specific focus on native mobile (iOS/Android) expertise, design systems, and any experience with AI, B2B SaaS, or fintech. Quantify achievements with metrics where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best showcase your end-to-end design process, native mobile depth, platform thinking, and ideally, any experience with workflow tools or AI. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates your role and impact.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on problem-solving, design decisions, collaboration with engineering, and measurable outcomes. Be ready to discuss your approach to ambiguity and AI.

• Research Avantos AI: Understand their mission, target market (financial services), and their AI-native approach. Familiarize yourself with their investors and founding team's background to better align your application and interview responses with their vision.

⚠️ 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.