Senior UX Design Engineer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Design Engineer

Company: Orbital

Location: London, United Kingdom

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / Engineering

Date Posted: 2026-10-02

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead complex product design challenges within a fast-paced AI and legal tech startup environment, driving solutions from initial customer conversations through to shipped product.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, legal engineers, and AI engineers to design intuitive user interfaces for AI agents, focusing on trust, usability, and effective task completion for legal and real estate professionals.

• Leverage AI coding tools to build and deploy interface changes directly into the product codebase, bridging the gap between design and engineering.

• Contribute to the evolution of the company's design system, ensuring product coherence across contributions from various team members, including engineers, legal engineers, product people, and AI coding agents.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is "Senior UX Design Engineer," the core responsibilities and emphasis on building and shipping code directly suggest a hybrid role that blends advanced UX design with front-end engineering capabilities, particularly leveraging AI coding tools. This is a significant departure from traditional UX roles and requires candidates to be comfortable with both design strategy and direct implementation. The role is positioned within the "Product Design / Engineering" category due to this blend.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth user research, including customer conversations and mapping workflows within law firms and property businesses, to deeply understand user needs and challenges.

• Design sophisticated interactions for AI agents, focusing on how users hand over tasks, verify AI outputs, understand AI reasoning, and intervene when necessary, adapting to evolving AI capabilities.

• Employ a "solve first, then refine" approach, rapidly developing rough, working prototypes to test with users and iterate based on feedback before adding polish.

• Build and ship interface changes directly into the product codebase using AI coding tools, demonstrating engineering depth or a strong aptitude for rapid development.

• Maintain product consistency by contributing to the design system, defining clear, reusable rules for interface development, and guiding others to make informed design decisions.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product managers, legal engineers, and AI engineers, to translate complex legal and real estate workflows into user-friendly product experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a hands-on, iterative, and collaborative approach to product development. The emphasis on "building and shipping interface changes yourself, using AI coding tools" is a critical differentiator for this role. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate not just design thinking but also practical implementation skills.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: No specific degree is mandated, emphasizing practical skills and experience over formal education, aligning with the "new kind of role" for design engineering.

Experience: 5-10 years of experience in product design, with a proven track record of owning and shipping product design work. Experience in early-stage or fast-scaling startups is highly desirable.

Required Skills:

• Exceptional UX design skills, including mastery of hierarchy, layout, typography, copy, states, navigation, and flow.

• Strong product sense and the ability to identify and prioritize valuable features.

• Proven ability to conduct user research and translate insights into actionable design solutions.

• Comfort with ambiguity and a willingness to form hypotheses, test them with users, and iterate based on feedback.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions clearly and write reusable rules for codebases and design systems.

• Proficiency or strong aptitude for using AI coding tools for development and implementation.

• Experience designing for expert users who possess deep domain knowledge.

• A proactive, ownership-driven mindset, focused on solving hard problems and ensuring user adoption and reliance. Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing AI-powered products, specifically with features like explaining reasoning, signalling confidence, and enabling user steering of agents.

• Background in legal tech, fintech, compliance, or other fields requiring high precision and accountability.

• Demonstrated experience with side projects, hackathons, or independent building initiatives.

• Familiarity with design systems and a strong understanding of accessibility best practices.

• Experience in establishing processes and workflows in a startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of design excellence, product strategy, user empathy, and practical implementation skills, particularly with AI coding tools. The "design engineering" aspect means candidates with a strong portfolio showcasing both design thinking and hands-on building will be highly favored.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate ownership of complex product design problems from conception to launch, clearly articulating the problem, your process, and the impact of the solution.

• Showcase examples of user research methodologies used and how insights directly informed design decisions.

• Include case studies of designing interactive AI agent experiences, highlighting how trust, transparency, and user control were addressed.

• Present evidence of building and shipping UI components or features, ideally with examples using AI coding tools or demonstrating a strong understanding of implementation.

• Provide examples of contributions to or creation of design systems, illustrating how consistency and scalability were maintained. Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to user research, including how you engage with customers to understand their workflows and pain points in expert domains.

• Illustrate your iterative design process, from initial rough concepts and prototypes to refined, shippable product features.

• Explain your methodology for ensuring product coherence and consistency, especially in environments where multiple contributors (including AI) are building interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role, as it needs to showcase not just design thinking but also the ability to execute and build. Candidates should be prepared to walk through a problem they've solved, emphasizing their process, the rationale behind their decisions, and the tangible outcomes, ideally including examples of direct implementation or code.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Given the "Senior" title, 5-10 years of experience, and London location, a competitive salary range for a Senior UX Design Engineer is estimated to be between £75,000 - £100,000 per annum. This is based on industry benchmarks for similar roles in London's tech sector, factoring in the specialized nature of design engineering and AI integration.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary.

• Equity options in a fast-growing startup, offering potential for significant financial upside.

• Generous holiday allowance: 25 days of annual leave plus bank holidays.

• Personal development budget of £1,000 for learning opportunities, courses, and conferences.

• Comprehensive company benefits including pension, healthcare, eye care, and enhanced parental leave.

• Perks such as free lunch on Wednesdays, a Deliveroo budget for late nights, and a cycle-to-work scheme.

• Opportunities for team off-sites, shared lunches, and social events.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours (approximately 40 hours per week), with an expectation of flexibility given the startup environment and the nature of product development. The hybrid model requires 3 days per week in the London office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary estimate is based on general market data for senior-level design and engineering roles in London, UK. Specific compensation will depend on the candidate's exact experience, skills, and performance during the interview process. The benefits package is comprehensive and typical for a well-funded tech startup.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Legal Tech / AI Platform for Real Estate Legal Work. Orbital operates at the intersection of AI, real estate, and legal services, aiming to streamline complex transactions.

Company Size: Fast-scaling startup, having recently raised a $60m Series B. This indicates a dynamic, growth-oriented environment with a significant number of employees, likely in the range of 50-200, but rapidly expanding.

Founded: Orbital was founded to address the complexities in real estate transactions. The company's founding was driven by former practicing real estate lawyers, embedding deep domain expertise from the outset.

Team Structure:

• The design team is currently small and growing, with three designers, and the candidate will join this team.

• Designers work embedded within product teams alongside product managers and a mix of legal engineers (former real estate lawyers) and AI engineers.

• Cross-functional collaboration is a cornerstone, with engineers, legal engineers, product managers, and AI agents all contributing to interface development. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: User research and customer conversations are foundational to understanding needs and validating designs.

• Iterative Development: A "solve first, then refine" approach emphasizes rapid prototyping and user testing to quickly arrive at effective solutions.

• AI-Augmented Development: The company actively uses AI coding tools for interface development, integrating them into the workflow to accelerate shipping and allow designers to build their own creations.

Company Website: https://www.orbital.tech/

📝 Enhancement Note: Orbital's culture is built on innovation, deep domain expertise (real estate law), and leveraging cutting-edge AI. The emphasis on "legal-grade precision" and serving demanding legal professionals suggests a culture that values rigor, accuracy, and user trust. The "design engineering" role reflects a forward-thinking approach to product development.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior UX Design Engineer. This level implies significant autonomy, ownership of complex problems, and the ability to influence product direction and design standards. It sits at a senior individual contributor level, bridging design and engineering.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into the design team, which is growing. The candidate will work closely with product managers and engineers within cross-functional product teams. Direct reporting lines are not specified but would likely be to a Head of Design or Product Lead.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the usability and trustworthiness of Orbital's AI platform. By improving how users interact with AI agents and trust their outputs, the Senior UX Design Engineer will directly contribute to faster, clearer, and less manual real estate transactions, thereby increasing user adoption and customer satisfaction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for AI agents and complex expert domains like legal tech.

• Leadership: Grow into a lead design engineering role, mentoring junior designers and engineers, and shaping design strategy.

• Cross-functional Mastery: Develop a strong understanding of product management, legal engineering, and AI development, becoming a versatile product creator.

• Skill Expansion: Enhance coding and AI tool proficiency, potentially leading to more significant engineering contributions or leadership in the design-tech integration space.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and the emphasis on ownership and innovation suggest significant opportunities for career advancement. The unique nature of "design engineering" at Orbital means growth can occur both in traditional design leadership and in pioneering new ways of product development at the intersection of design, engineering, and AI.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, requiring presence in the London office several days a week. This suggests a collaborative, in-person work environment balanced with remote flexibility.

Office Location(s): London, United Kingdom. Specific details about the office space are not provided, but it's implied to be a modern workspace conducive to collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• The office environment is designed to foster collaboration, with opportunities to work closely with product managers, legal engineers, and AI engineers.

• Access to modern tools and technologies, including AI coding tools, will be integral to the daily workflow.

• Frequent interaction with colleagues is expected, particularly for discussions around design problems, user feedback, and product development strategies.

Work Schedule: Full-time, with a hybrid arrangement. While core hours may exist, the nature of startup product development suggests flexibility, with potential for focused work sessions and collaborative meetings integrated throughout the week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model emphasizes the value Orbital places on in-person collaboration for problem-solving and team cohesion, while still offering flexibility. This balance is crucial for a role that involves close interaction with diverse teams and direct product building.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Recruiter Call: An initial screening call to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest in the role and company.

• Hiring Manager Call: A 30-minute video call to delve deeper into experience, motivations, and suitability for the Senior UX Design Engineer position.

• Design Task: Candidates will be given a design task to complete, likely assessing their problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to leverage AI tools.

• Panel Interview: A 90-minute session where candidates will present their design task solution to a panel representing various departments (e.g., design, engineering, product, legal). This assesses communication, collaboration, and ability to articulate design rationale.

• CTO Conversation: A final discussion with the Chief Technology Officer to assess strategic thinking, technical alignment, and overall fit within the company's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process & Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your specific role, the research and design process, the challenges faced, your solutions, and the tangible outcomes or impact (user adoption, efficiency gains, etc.).

• Showcase "Design Engineering": Highlight projects where you've not only designed but also built or implemented features, ideally using code or AI tools. Demonstrate your ability to bridge the design-development gap.

• Explain Your "Why": Be prepared to defend your design decisions with clear rationale, user insights, and business objectives.

• Prepare for the Task: Understand the likely nature of the design task (e.g., solving a specific user problem, designing an AI interaction) and practice articulating your thought process.

• Tailor to AI & Experts: Emphasize any experience designing for expert users or AI-driven products, as this is central to Orbital's work.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Orbital's Domain: Research real estate legal work, AI in professional services, and the challenges of due diligence and transaction complexity.

• Practice AI Collaboration: Be ready to discuss how you would design for or use AI coding tools in a product development context.

• Articulate Design Systems: Prepare to discuss your philosophy on design systems, consistency, and scalability, especially in a multi-contributor environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The multi-stage interview process, including a design task and panel interview, is typical for senior product roles. The emphasis on walking through the task and meeting cross-functional teams highlights the importance of collaboration and communication skills. The portfolio is the primary tool for demonstrating "design engineering" capabilities.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, or similar industry-standard tools for wireframing, prototyping, and visual design.

• AI Coding Tools: Proficiency or strong aptitude for using AI-powered coding assistants (e.g., GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT for code generation) to build UI components directly.

• Prototyping Tools: Tools for creating interactive prototypes to test user flows and interactions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics to track user behavior, feature adoption, and key performance indicators.

• User Feedback Platforms: Tools for gathering and analyzing qualitative user feedback.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: While not directly mentioned for this role, understanding how user data is managed is beneficial.

• Project Management: Tools such as Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing tasks and workflows within product teams.

• Design System Tools: Tools for managing and documenting design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The inclusion of AI coding tools as a primary "tool" is a significant aspect of this role. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience or willingness to learn and leverage these tools for direct product implementation.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Ownership and Impact: A strong emphasis on taking ownership of problems and driving them to resolution, with work judged by user adoption and reliance.

• User-Centricity: Deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of expert users (lawyers, property professionals) with empathy and respect.

• Innovation and AI Forward: Genuine excitement about AI's potential and a proactive approach to designing and building with AI tools.

• Collaboration and Transparency: Openness to working closely with diverse teams, sharing knowledge, and explaining decisions to enable others to make informed calls.

• Precision and Professionalism: A culture that values accuracy, rigor, and accountability, reflecting the demands of the legal and real estate industries.

Collaboration Style:

• Embedded and Cross-Functional: Designers work within product teams, collaborating daily with product managers, legal engineers, and AI engineers.

• Guidance over Authority: An approach that favors explaining rationale and guiding decisions rather than simply overruling, fostering a culture of shared understanding and ownership.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: Regular engagement with users and internal stakeholders to gather feedback and refine solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture values proactive individuals who can navigate ambiguity, drive solutions, and contribute to a collaborative, AI-forward product development process. The emphasis on "legal-grade precision" and serving experts shapes the team's approach to quality and user empathy.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI: Creating intuitive and trustworthy interfaces for complex AI agents that perform real work. This involves challenges in transparency, explainability, and user control.

• Expert User Needs: Designing for highly knowledgeable professionals who have specific workflows and high expectations for accuracy and efficiency.

• Rapid Development Environment: Adapting to a fast-paced startup where processes are evolving and shipping code with AI tools is common.

• Maintaining Product Coherence: Ensuring a consistent user experience when multiple contributors, including AI agents, are building interface elements.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Becoming a leader in designing human-AI interactions within professional services.

• Domain Expertise: Gaining deep knowledge of real estate legal processes and transactions.

• Design Engineering Mastery: Developing advanced skills in bridging design and code, leveraging AI tools for rapid product creation.

• Product Strategy Influence: Contributing significantly to the product roadmap and design vision of a rapidly scaling company.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and collaborate with experienced legal and AI engineers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenges revolve around the novel aspects of designing for AI in a complex professional domain, requiring continuous learning and adaptation. Growth opportunities are significant, tied to the company's innovative approach and rapid scaling.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Tell me about a time you owned a difficult product design problem from start to finish. What was the problem, how did you approach it, what was the outcome, and what did you learn?" (Focus on ownership, process, and impact).

• "How would you design the interaction for an AI agent that needs to verify legal documents? What are the key considerations for user trust and transparency?" (Assess AI design thinking and domain empathy).

• "Describe a situation where you had to ensure design consistency across multiple contributors or systems. How did you approach it, and what role did a design system play?" (Evaluate design system thinking and collaboration). Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you excited about Orbital's mission and the legal tech/AI space?" (Gauge interest and alignment with company goals).

• "How do you approach working with expert users who know their field better than you do?" (Assess user research and empathy skills).

• "What are your thoughts on the future of AI in product development, and how do you see yourself contributing to it at Orbital?" (Evaluate forward-thinking and AI enthusiasm). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: Structure your portfolio walkthroughs like a narrative, highlighting the problem, your journey, and the resolution.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively, but be prepared to dive into the details of your process and decision-making.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs.

• Emphasize "Design Engineering": Clearly articulate your contributions to building and implementing features, particularly if AI tools were involved.

• Be Ready for Questions: Anticipate questions about your choices, trade-offs, and how you would handle specific scenarios relevant to Orbital's product.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of strategic design thinking, hands-on execution capabilities (especially with AI tools), strong user empathy for expert users, and alignment with Orbital's innovative, collaborative culture.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Design Engineer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience in product design, user research, AI product design, and any experience with coding or using AI development tools. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select projects that best showcase your ability to solve complex problems, design for expert users, and ideally, demonstrate your "design engineering" capabilities through implementation or direct building. Ensure clear articulation of your process and impact.

• Prepare for the Design Task: Understand the typical scope of design tasks for senior roles and practice articulating your thought process under time constraints.

• Research Orbital: Familiarize yourself with Orbital's mission, product, target users (real estate lawyers, property professionals), and their approach to AI and design engineering. This will be crucial for demonstrating genuine interest and alignment.

⚠️ 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.

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