Sr. UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr. UX Designer

Company: Prosper

Location: San Francisco, CA

Job Type: Full-Time Employee

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-07-31

Experience Level: 8-10+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end UX design for core platform services, including authentication and payments, ensuring consistency and accessibility across Prosper's fintech portfolio.

• Collaborate deeply with engineering teams through the implementation phase, leveraging AI-assisted tools and maintaining high design fidelity.

• Develop and maintain comprehensive design documentation to support asynchronous decision-making, legal review, and cross-team alignment within a regulated environment.

• Contribute to broader UX initiatives, including component infrastructure and design system evolution, impacting the entire product organization.

• Mentor junior UX designers on AI-assisted workflows, research-to-design best practices, and system-level design thinking.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a "Foundations" team, indicating a focus on core, reusable components and services that underpin multiple products. The emphasis on active collaboration with engineering through implementation and the use of AI-assisted tooling suggests a highly integrated and modern design-to-code workflow, typical of forward-thinking tech organizations. The fintech context necessitates a strong understanding of compliance and security.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the complete UX design lifecycle for critical platform services such as authentication, payments, and other foundational fintech systems, from initial discovery and user research to final delivery.

• Actively partner with UX researchers by generating prototypes, applying design thinking methodologies, and creating supporting artifacts to facilitate robust research across the platform.

• Serve as a strategic thought partner for Product Managers, Engineers, and Security stakeholders, influencing problem framing and solution ideation at a systemic level.

• Create and maintain meticulous design documentation, including user flows, wireframes, and specifications, to facilitate asynchronous decision-making, streamline legal and compliance reviews, and ensure cross-team alignment.

• Navigate complex legal and compliance approval processes for features that intersect with financial regulations, stringent security requirements, or sensitive data handling protocols.

• Define and drive the design vision for key Foundations features, such as universal login and unified payment flows, while ensuring the integrity and scalability of underlying system-level design patterns.

• Engage in continuous collaboration with engineering teams throughout the development cycle, meticulously reviewing production output against design intent and proactively identifying and addressing fidelity issues.

• Leverage advanced AI-assisted development tools, including Cursor and Figma MCP (Model Context Protocol), to optimize repetitive design tasks and enhance the efficiency of design-to-code workflows.

• Contribute to cross-functional UX initiatives, including the development and maintenance of component infrastructure, extending the impact of the Foundations team's work beyond its immediate scope.

• Provide mentorship and guidance to other UX team members, focusing on the effective adoption of AI-assisted workflows and best practices for translating research insights into high-fidelity designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of individual contribution and team leadership, with a strong emphasis on platform-level thinking and cross-functional collaboration. The explicit mention of "legal and compliance approval workflows" and "financial regulation" underscores the importance of domain expertise in fintech. The expectation of actively working with AI tools and collaborating through implementation is a significant differentiator.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience: 8-10+ years of progressive product design experience, with a significant focus on design systems, platform UX, or the development and maintenance of component libraries.

Required Skills:

• Deep end-to-end UX design expertise, covering user research, information architecture, interaction design, and visual design for complex systems.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, encompassing mastery of prototyping capabilities, auto-layout for responsive design, intricate component architecture, and systematic design token management.

• Hands-on experience working within AI-assisted development environments, such as Cursor, GitHub Copilot, or similar generative AI tools for design and development.

• A demonstrated systems-oriented design approach, evidenced by a portfolio showcasing the ability to design for scale, promote reuse, and ensure consistency across multiple products and user interfaces.

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to articulate design decisions and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product management, and security.

• Confidence and experience operating within a fintech or similarly regulated product environment, understanding the unique challenges and requirements. Preferred Skills:

• Direct experience with Figma MCP (Model Context Protocol) or other advanced design-to-code pipeline tooling.

• Front-end development fluency, sufficient to comfortably read, discuss, and understand React-based code alongside engineering partners.

• A strong background in accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) as they apply to financial products and diverse user bases.

• Prior experience designing or contributing to internal tooling, developer-facing design surfaces, or platform infrastructure.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement is substantial, indicating a need for a senior individual contributor who can operate with significant autonomy. The emphasis on Figma and AI-assisted tools points to a modern, technically adept design practice. The "Extra Credit" section provides clear signals for candidates who can bring specialized, highly relevant skills.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 comprehensive case studies demonstrating end-to-end UX design ownership for complex platform features or systems, ideally within a regulated industry.

• Clearly articulate the problem statement, your specific role, the design process followed, key challenges encountered, and the ultimate impact of your solutions.

• Highlight experience with design systems, component architecture, and ensuring design consistency and scalability across multiple products or user journeys.

• Include examples of system-level thinking, demonstrating how your designs integrate with existing infrastructure or establish new, reusable patterns.

• Quantify impact where possible, using metrics related to user adoption, efficiency gains, conversion rates, or reduction in support tickets. Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of detailed design documentation, such as user flow diagrams, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups, that facilitated clear communication and alignment with engineering and stakeholders.

• Demonstrate experience in documenting design tokens, component specifications, and interaction patterns for a design system or platform.

• Include evidence of navigating or contributing to processes involving legal, compliance, or security reviews for product features.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Designer role, particularly one focused on platform and systems, the portfolio is critical. It needs to go beyond individual feature design to demonstrate strategic thinking, system-level impact, and collaboration within complex organizational structures, especially in a regulated domain. The inclusion of AI tool usage in case studies would be highly beneficial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $135,000 - $169,000 annually.

Benefits:

• Performance-based bonus opportunities.

• Comprehensive and generous benefits package, likely including health, dental, vision insurance, retirement savings plans (e.g., 401k), paid time off (PTO), and potentially stock options or equity.

• Access to cutting-edge AI-assisted design and development tools.

• Opportunities for professional development and mentorship.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours, typically around 40 hours per week, with flexibility expected for project deadlines and cross-functional collaboration across different time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a Senior UX Designer in San Francisco, reflecting the experience level and the specialized nature of platform and fintech design. The "generous benefits" and "bonus" indicate a well-rounded compensation package. The mention of "location" as a factor in salary determination suggests that candidates in higher cost-of-living areas may be closer to the upper end of the range.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech (Financial Technology) – Prosper operates in the lending and credit space, providing a platform for consumers to borrow money and investors to fund those loans. This industry is characterized by high regulatory scrutiny, a strong emphasis on security, and a drive for technological innovation to improve user experience and operational efficiency.

Company Size: Prosper is a well-established fintech company, likely falling into the mid-to-large enterprise category. This size typically means having dedicated teams for specialized functions like UX, engineering, product management, legal, and compliance, but also maintaining a degree of agility and innovation.

Founded: Prosper was founded in 2005. This long history in the fintech space suggests a mature organization with established processes, a deep understanding of the market, and a significant product evolution over time.

Team Structure:

• The Foundations team is a specialized unit within the broader product and engineering organization, focusing on core platform services.

• Design is likely integrated within product teams but also has a strong central function or community for design systems and best practices.

• Collaboration is expected across Product Management, Engineering (React-based frameworks), Security, Legal, and potentially other UX teams.

• This role will report into a Design leadership position, likely a Director or Head of Product Design. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is paramount in fintech, with a strong reliance on user research, A/B testing, and performance analytics.

• Agile development methodologies are standard, with an emphasis on iterative design and development cycles.

• The use of AI-assisted tooling (Cursor, Figma MCP) indicates a commitment to leveraging advanced technology for efficiency and innovation.

• Design systems and component-based architecture are key to ensuring consistency and scalability in a multi-product environment.

Company Website: prosper.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Prosper's long tenure in fintech means candidates should be prepared for a structured, compliance-aware environment. The "Foundations" team concept is central to understanding the role's impact on the entire organization's product ecosystem. The integration of AI tools suggests a modern, forward-thinking approach to design and development.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level individual contributor role. As a Sr. UX Designer on the Foundations team, the scope of influence extends beyond individual product features to the core systems that enable all of Prosper's user-facing products. This positions the role as a strategic contributor with significant impact on the overall user experience and technical architecture.

Reporting Structure: The role reports into a Design leadership position, likely a Director or Head of Product Design. Day-to-day collaboration will be extensive with Product Managers and Engineers on the Foundations team, as well as stakeholders in Security, Legal, and potentially other UX/design system teams.

Operations Impact: The work directly impacts the consistency, security, and accessibility of Prosper's entire product suite. By designing universal login, payment flows, and core platform services, this role ensures a seamless and trustworthy experience for millions of users and underpins the company's ability to innovate rapidly and securely. This also has a direct impact on engineering efficiency through reusable components and clear design patterns.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in design systems, platform UX, AI-assisted design workflows, and front-end development integration.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Grow into a lead designer role on the Foundations team or mentor junior designers across the organization.

• Strategic Influence: Contribute to the strategic direction of Prosper's product design and technology stack, influencing future tooling and methodologies.

• Cross-Functional Advancement: Potentially transition into Product Management or Technical Program Management roles due to the systems-level understanding and cross-functional collaboration required.

• Industry Recognition: Contribute to advancements in AI-assisted design and platform UX, potentially leading to speaking engagements or publications.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential for a designer who thrives on complex, systemic challenges and wants to influence product strategy at a foundational level. The emphasis on AI and platform work positions candidates for future-forward career paths in design and technology.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Prosper is operating in a hybrid model. This suggests a blend of remote work and in-office days, likely for collaborative sessions, team meetings, and focused design sprints. The San Francisco office will serve as a central hub for in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s): San Francisco, CA. This location is a major tech hub, offering access to a vibrant ecosystem of talent and innovation.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model and the nature of platform work necessitate strong collaboration. Expect regular virtual and in-person meetings, design critiques, and pairing sessions with engineers and product managers.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-leading design tools (Figma), AI-assisted development environments (Cursor, Figma MCP), and potentially other collaboration and project management software.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities to engage with a diverse team of experienced designers, engineers, product managers, and stakeholders across different departments. The role also involves mentorship, fostering a supportive learning environment.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time, with the expectation of flexibility to accommodate project timelines, cross-functional team needs, and potential collaboration with individuals in different time zones. The hybrid nature allows for some degree of autonomy in managing one's schedule, balancing remote focus time with in-office collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work arrangement is a key aspect. Candidates should be comfortable with structured in-office days for collaboration and remote days for focused individual work, with strong communication skills being essential for both.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screen: A brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, role fit, and interest.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into your experience, design philosophy, and approach to platform/systems design, likely with the Design Manager.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: A core part of the process will involve presenting your portfolio, focusing on case studies that demonstrate your skills in design systems, platform UX, and regulated environments. You may also be given a design exercise or a problem-solving scenario to work through, potentially involving AI tools.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with key stakeholders from Engineering, Product Management, and potentially Security or Legal to assess collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to navigate complex requirements.

• Final Round: Often with senior leadership, focusing on strategic thinking, cultural fit, and long-term vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Systems: Emphasize case studies showcasing your ability to design for scale, consistency, and reuse across multiple products or surfaces. Highlight your experience with design systems, component architecture, and design tokens.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your specific contributions, the process, and the impact. Use visuals to illustrate your design decisions and iterations.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Include examples of how you worked with engineering, product, and other stakeholders. Highlight your ability to communicate complex ideas effectively.

• Fintech/Regulated Context: If possible, showcase experience within regulated industries, detailing how you addressed compliance, security, or legal requirements in your designs.

• AI Tool Integration: If you have case studies where you effectively used AI-assisted tools (Cursor, Copilot, Figma MCP) to improve efficiency or outcomes, be sure to highlight this.

• Conciseness and Clarity: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio efficiently, focusing on the most relevant projects and insights.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the "Foundations" Concept: Be ready to discuss how you approach designing for core platform services that impact multiple products.

• Systems Thinking: Practice articulating how you break down complex problems into manageable components and design reusable solutions.

• AI Tool Familiarity: Be prepared to discuss your experience with AI in design and potentially use these tools in a practical exercise.

• Fintech Nuances: Brush up on common UX challenges and best practices within the fintech industry, including security, trust, and compliance.

• Collaboration Scenarios: Prepare examples of how you have successfully collaborated with engineers, product managers, and other cross-functional partners, especially when dealing with technical constraints or regulatory hurdles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is rigorous and designed to assess not just design skills but also strategic thinking, collaboration, and adaptability to a regulated, tech-forward environment. The portfolio presentation and potential design challenge are critical opportunities to demonstrate hands-on capabilities, especially with AI tools.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and component management. Deep expertise in its advanced features (auto-layout, variants, components, design tokens) is essential.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Cursor (IDE with AI features), Figma MCP (Model Context Protocol), GitHub Copilot, or similar AI tools for enhancing design and development workflows.

• Prototyping Tools: Integrated Figma prototyping, or potentially specialized tools if used for specific advanced interactions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not directly a design tool, understanding how user behavior is tracked and analyzed is crucial. Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel, or internal analytics platforms would be beneficial for informing design decisions. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the UX Designer role, but awareness of how user data flows through CRMs (like Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms can provide context for user journeys. Other Potential Tools:

• Jira/Confluence: For project management, documentation, and collaboration with engineering teams.

• Zeplin/Abstract: (Less likely with Figma's dominance, but possible) for design handoff and version control.

• Accessibility Testing Tools: Such as WAVE, AXE, or built-in browser developer tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and AI-assisted tools like Cursor and Figma MCP is a strong indicator of the expected technology stack. Proficiency in these areas is not just a plus but a requirement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of Prosper's users, ensuring a secure, accessible, and intuitive experience.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication and a willingness to work closely with engineering, product, and other stakeholders, fostering an environment of shared ownership and clear decision-making.

• Innovation & Efficiency: Embracing new technologies, such as AI-assisted tooling, to drive improvements in design processes and product quality, while maintaining a focus on scalable and reusable solutions.

• Integrity & Compliance: Upholding the highest standards of security, data privacy, and regulatory adherence, especially critical within the fintech industry.

• Continuous Improvement: A mindset of learning and adaptation, seeking feedback, and refining processes and designs to achieve optimal outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The Foundations team operates at the intersection of design, engineering, and product. Collaboration is highly integrated, with designers working hand-in-hand with engineers from concept through implementation.

• Design System Advocacy: A proactive approach to promoting and evolving the design system, encouraging its adoption and ensuring consistency across the organization.

• Feedback-Driven: A culture that values constructive feedback, both giving and receiving, to elevate the quality of design work and foster professional growth.

• Async-Friendly Documentation: Emphasis on creating clear, comprehensive documentation to facilitate effective communication and decision-making, especially in a hybrid or remote work environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes a modern, collaborative approach to design within a structured, regulated industry. The integration of AI tools suggests a forward-thinking team that values efficiency and innovation.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Systemic Complexity: Designing for core platform services means dealing with intricate interdependencies and ensuring that changes don't negatively impact other products or user flows.

• Balancing Innovation with Compliance: The need to innovate rapidly in the fintech space while adhering to strict financial regulations and security standards presents a constant balancing act.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Securing buy-in and maintaining alignment across diverse stakeholders (engineering, product, legal, security) for platform-level changes can be challenging.

• Adoption of New Technologies: Successfully integrating and leveraging new AI-assisted tools requires continuous learning, adaptation, and buy-in from the team and engineering partners.

• Maintaining Design Fidelity Through Implementation: Ensuring that production code accurately reflects design intent, especially in complex systems, requires rigorous collaboration and attention to detail.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Mastering Design Systems & Platform UX: Deepen expertise in creating and managing scalable design systems and architecting complex platform experiences.

• AI in Design: Become a leader in leveraging AI tools for design ideation, prototyping, and design-to-code workflows.

• Fintech Domain Expertise: Gain in-depth knowledge of financial regulations, security best practices, and the unique user needs in the fintech sector.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Develop leadership skills through mentoring junior designers and contributing to strategic design initiatives.

• Advanced Prototyping & Collaboration: Explore cutting-edge prototyping techniques and advanced collaborative workflows with engineering.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is ideal for a designer who enjoys tackling complex, foundational problems and is eager to work at the forefront of design technology, particularly with AI. The challenges are significant but directly tied to substantial growth opportunities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed a core platform service or component that was adopted across multiple products. What was your process, and what were the key challenges in ensuring consistency and scalability?" (Focus on systems thinking, process, and impact.)

• "How do you approach collaborating with engineering teams to ensure design fidelity from concept through production, especially when using AI-assisted tools?" (Highlight your partnership approach, communication skills, and familiarity with AI workflows.)

• "Walk us through a complex design problem you solved in a regulated industry like fintech. How did you balance user needs with compliance and security requirements?" (Demonstrate problem-solving, domain awareness, and risk management.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Prosper's mission and the fintech industry specifically?" (Show genuine interest and understanding of the company's domain.)

• "How do you see AI-assisted tools like Cursor or Figma MCP changing the way UX designers work, and how would you leverage them in this role?" (Demonstrate forward-thinking and practical application of new technologies.)

• "Describe your experience working in a hybrid environment. How do you ensure effective collaboration and communication with your team and stakeholders?" (Assess your adaptability and communication strategies for hybrid work.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role and responsibilities, your design process (emphasizing systems thinking and AI tool usage), key decisions and trade-offs, and the measurable impact.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Explicitly point out how your designs promoted reusability, scalability, and consistency. Show examples of component architecture or design system contributions.

• Showcase AI Integration: If applicable, demonstrate how AI tools aided your process, whether in ideation, prototyping, or design-to-code workflows.

• Emphasize Collaboration: Detail how you partnered with engineers, PMs, and other stakeholders, especially when navigating technical or regulatory constraints.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about your design choices, the rationale behind them, and how you would iterate or improve upon them.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, deep technical proficiency with Figma and AI tools, and a strong understanding of platform and systems design within a regulated context.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Sr. UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.lever.co.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your 8-10+ years of experience, emphasizing your work in design systems, platform UX, and AI-assisted development environments. Use keywords from the job description such as "Figma," "Cursor," "systems thinking," and "fintech." Quantify achievements whenever possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that best showcase your experience with complex platform services, design systems, and potentially regulated industries. Ensure these examples clearly demonstrate your end-to-end design process and impact.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio with a focus on systems thinking, AI tool integration, and collaboration. Be ready to articulate your design decisions and their rationale clearly and concisely.

• Research Prosper: Understand Prosper's mission, products, and its position in the fintech market. Familiarize yourself with their design system if publicly available, and consider how your skills align with their stated values and challenges.

⚠️ 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.