Staff Product Designer, Hazel AI

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer, Hazel AI

Company: Altruist

Location: San Francisco, CA

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design (with a focus on AI and Workflow Automation)

Date Posted: May 27, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in-office per week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and own end-to-end AI-driven agentic workflows for financial advisors, focusing on core administrative tasks such as note-taking, meeting management, inbox organization, and task completion.

• Develop innovative interaction patterns that blend AI automation, user suggestions, and direct human control to minimize cognitive load and enhance user trust within complex workflows.

• Translate user needs and AI capabilities into functional prototypes using front-end code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript/TypeScript, React) and collaborate closely with engineering teams to deliver production-ready features.

• Contribute to and uphold Altruist's design system (Ethos), ensuring pixel-perfect implementation and consistent interaction patterns across the Hazel AI platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Staff Product Designer," the core responsibilities and requirements strongly indicate a role deeply embedded within the product development lifecycle, requiring a blend of design expertise and technical proficiency in front-end development. This role is crucial for translating advanced AI capabilities into usable, impactful tools for financial advisors, emphasizing the operational efficiency and user experience within the wealth management sector. The "AI Platform" and "Agentic Workflows" keywords highlight a specialization that is increasingly critical in GTM and operations technology.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design Agentic Workflows: Own the complete user experience for Hazel's Admin AI across note-taking, meetings, inbox, and task management surfaces, focusing on how the AI captures context, summarizes information, follows up, and takes action predictably and transparently.

• Innovate Interaction Patterns: Invent and implement novel interaction models for AI-assisted work that go beyond traditional UI paradigms, effectively integrating automation, suggestions, and user control to reduce cognitive load while maintaining essential context.

• Prototype and Ship in Code: Build functional prototypes using real front-end code (e.g., HTML/CSS/JavaScript/TypeScript, React) and work directly with engineers to refine interaction details and ship features from concept through successful production launch.

• Iterate with Evolving AI: Design, test, and refine user experiences in rapid feedback loops as Hazel's AI capabilities advance, adapting designs to accommodate new model improvements and growing product surface area.

• Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Partner with Product Marketing, Brand, Engineering, Research, and directly with users to implement features, explore AI behaviors, and pressure-test design solutions.

• Elevate Design Craft: Contribute to and evolve the Ethos design system, ensuring high-fidelity implementation and consistent interaction patterns across Hazel and the broader Altruist platform, with a keen eye for details that ensure calm, fast, and reliable admin tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "shipping in code" and "owning features from concept through launch" suggests this role requires a strong understanding of the development process and the ability to contribute technically, bridging the gap between design and engineering. This is a key differentiator for senior product design roles in technology companies, especially those focused on complex software like AI platforms.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

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

Experience:

• 10+ years of professional experience in product design, with a proven track record of owning complex, multi-step workflows from discovery through launch.

Required Skills:

• Interaction Design Mastery: Strong interaction design fundamentals and a proven ability to ship real products, not just conceptual prototypes.

• Front-end Development Proficiency: Ability to prototype and build in functional code (HTML/CSS/JavaScript/TypeScript, React, or similar) and comfort working directly within front-end codebases.

• Systems Thinking: A strong systems-level mindset for designing cohesive experiences across interconnected features like notes, meetings, inbox, and tasks within an agentic framework.

• High Design Craft: Exceptional taste and execution in interaction design, UX writing, and visual hierarchy, demonstrable through a robust portfolio.

• Ambiguity Tolerance: Comfort designing in ambiguous problem spaces with evolving constraints and rapidly changing AI capabilities.

• Collaboration & Communication: Clear, low-ego communication and strong collaboration skills with Product, Engineering, and Research teams.

• End-to-End Ownership: Demonstrated ability to manage the entire product design lifecycle for features.

Preferred Skills:

• AI/Agentic Product Design: Experience designing or building AI-powered or agentic products, particularly those that automate or assist with complex knowledge work.

• Productivity & Workflow Tools: Background in productivity tools, admin workflows, or software specifically for advisors/knowledge workers.

• Design Systems: Familiarity with design systems and front-end component libraries, ideally within a React ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit requirement to "prototype and build in code" and the preference for experience with AI/agentic products significantly shape the ideal candidate profile. This isn't just about UX/UI; it demands a designer who can actively contribute to the technical implementation and understands the nuances of AI-driven automation. The "7 years minimum" requirement, despite the "10+ years" title, suggests a slightly broader range but still emphasizes senior-level expertise.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Shipped Product Work: A portfolio showcasing clear, high-quality examples of shipped product work, demonstrating real-world impact and problem-solving. Static mockups alone are insufficient; evidence of implemented features is crucial.

• Code Prototypes: Inclusion of functional prototypes built with front-end code (HTML/CSS/JavaScript/TypeScript, React, etc.) to illustrate interaction design and technical execution.

• Workflow Design: Case studies detailing the design of complex, multi-step workflows, highlighting how user needs were met and cognitive load was reduced.

• AI Integration Examples: If possible, showcase projects involving AI-powered features, agentic systems, or automation of knowledge work, explaining the design decisions made.

• Portfolio Access: Provide any necessary passwords for full access to portfolio content; incomplete or inaccessible portfolios cannot be reviewed.

Process Documentation:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Document the full design process, from initial discovery and user research through iteration, prototyping, coding, and final launch, emphasizing owned features.

• Problem Framing: Clearly articulate the problem space, user pain points, and business objectives addressed by your design solutions.

• Design Rationale: Explain the thinking behind key design decisions, particularly concerning interaction patterns, AI integration, and workflow optimization.

• Metrics and Impact: Quantify the impact of your work using relevant metrics, demonstrating how your designs improved efficiency, reduced cognitive load, or achieved business goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The stringent portfolio requirements, especially the emphasis on "shipped product work" and "building in code," underscore the hands-on, engineering-adjacent nature of this role. Candidates must be prepared to demonstrate not just design thinking, but also technical execution and a portfolio that reflects tangible product contributions.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $225,000 - $275,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Hybrid Work Schedule: Promotes strong in-person collaboration with 3 days in the San Francisco office.

• Premium Healthcare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans (HMO and PPO options).

• Retirement Savings: 401k savings plan with an immediate vesting 4% company match.

• Generous Paid Leave: 16 weeks of paid parental leave after one year of employment.

• Professional Development: Annual L&D budget allocation for each employee, professional growth programs, and an employee mobility program.

• Work Flexibility: One month "work from anywhere" policy (with certain exceptions).

• Equity: Stock Options (ISOs) for eligible positions, contributing to total compensation.

• Additional Perks: Company perks program (discounts on pet insurance, fitness, cell phone plans, travel, etc.) and a financial guidance program offering counseling on debt, savings, and financial planning.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are assumed (approximately 40 hours per week), with a hybrid work arrangement requiring 3 days in the San Francisco office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to San Francisco, CA, and is competitive for a Staff Product Designer role with extensive experience and technical requirements in a high-cost-of-living area. The benefits package is robust, emphasizing work-life balance, professional development, and financial well-being, which are valuable to senior-level operations and product professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Wealth Management Technology / Financial Technology (FinTech)

Company Size: Altruist is a rapidly growing company, indicated by its active recruitment and presence across multiple locations. The company aims to transform the multi-trillion dollar wealth management industry.

Founded: Altruist was founded with a mission to make financial advice better, more affordable, and accessible. The company emphasizes innovation and challenging the status quo.

Team Structure:

• AI Product Design Team: This role reports to the AI Product Design Manager, indicating a specialized team focused on the Hazel AI platform.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Close partnerships are expected with Product, Engineering, Research, Product Marketing, and Brand teams.

• Individual Contributor Role: The position is an individual contributor, emphasizing direct impact and ownership of design execution.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: The company's mission implies a focus on using data to inform product development and drive better outcomes for financial advisors.

• Agile Development & Iteration: The emphasis on "iterating quickly," "tight feedback loops," and "shipping in code" suggests an agile development environment where rapid experimentation and deployment are key.

• User-Centric Approach: The focus on advisor needs and delivering superior outcomes highlights a strong user-centric methodology.

Company Website: https://altruist.com/join-altruist/

📝 Enhancement Note: Altruist is positioned as a disruptor in the FinTech space, leveraging AI to enhance wealth management. The company culture is built around core values of Kindness, Brilliance, and Grit, suggesting a collaborative, growth-oriented, and resilient team dynamic. The hybrid model and emphasis on individual contributor impact are key cultural indicators.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Staff Product Designer. This is a senior individual contributor role, indicating significant autonomy, ownership, and influence over product direction and execution. It requires deep expertise in design craft, interaction design, and technical implementation within a specific product domain (AI-driven workflows).

Reporting Structure: Reports directly to the AI Product Design Manager, suggesting a focused path for career development within the AI product group.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct impact on the operational efficiency and effectiveness of financial advisors by designing the Hazel AI platform. By reducing cognitive load and automating administrative tasks, the designer contributes to advisors' ability to grow their businesses, optimize time, and deliver better client outcomes, directly influencing the company's mission.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing and building AI-powered agentic systems and complex workflows, becoming a go-to expert in this niche.

• Design Leadership: Influence the evolution of Altruist's design system (Ethos) and mentor junior designers through collaboration and code contributions.

• Product Strategy: Contribute to the strategic direction of the Hazel AI platform by identifying new opportunities for AI-driven automation and user experience improvements.

• Career Progression: Potential advancement to Principal Product Designer, Group Design Manager, or leadership roles within product development as the company scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" title signifies a level of expertise where the individual is expected to operate with significant independence and contribute to strategic product decisions, not just execute tasks. The combination of design craft and front-end coding skills positions this role at the intersection of design and engineering, offering unique growth pathways.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model with a requirement of 3 in-office days per week. The offices are described as "stunning, amenity-filled" and "intentionally designed for comfort, collaboration, and productivity."

Office Location(s): San Francisco, CA (Financial District) is the primary location for this role. Other offices are located in Culver City, CA, and Dallas, TX.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The San Francisco office serves as a hub for in-person collaboration, team meetings, and cross-functional brainstorming, especially important for the hybrid nature of the role.

• Tools & Technology: While not explicitly listed for the workspace, it's implied that modern design and development tools, along with robust infrastructure, are available to support the hybrid work model and the complex technical requirements of the role.

• Team Interaction: The 3-day in-office requirement facilitates direct interaction with product managers, engineers, researchers, and other designers, fostering a cohesive team environment.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) with a hybrid arrangement designed to balance focused individual work with collaborative team engagement. The "one month work from anywhere" policy offers additional flexibility outside of the regular hybrid schedule.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key feature, balancing the benefits of remote work flexibility with the need for in-person synergy in a complex product development environment, particularly for AI and code-heavy roles. The San Francisco location places the role within a major tech hub.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio, focusing on shipped product work and front-end coding capabilities.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A deep dive into portfolio case studies, discussing design decisions, user research, problem-solving approach, and specifically the implementation of AI workflows and front-end coding contributions. Be prepared to discuss challenges faced and how they were overcome.

• Technical Interview: Assessment of front-end coding skills (HTML, CSS, JavaScript/TypeScript, React) and ability to prototype in code.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Discussions with Product Managers, Engineers, and Researchers to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to work within a cross-functional team.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Final discussion focusing on role fit, career aspirations, and alignment with Altruist's values and mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Focus on shipped products and real-world impact. Clearly articulate your role and contributions in each project.

• Highlight Process & Rationale: Detail your thought process, user research methods, design iterations, and the rationale behind key decisions, especially for AI and complex workflows.

• Demonstrate Technical Skills: Include examples of code prototypes or contributions to codebases. Be ready to discuss your coding process and challenges.

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved efficiency, reduced error rates, increased user adoption).

• Address Ambiguity: Showcase how you tackle ambiguous problems and adapt to evolving requirements, particularly relevant for AI product development.

• Provide Access: Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible with any necessary passwords provided upfront.

Challenge Preparation:

• Workflow Design Exercise: Be prepared for a hypothetical scenario involving designing an AI-assisted workflow for a knowledge worker. Focus on user needs, AI capabilities, interaction patterns, and potential technical constraints.

• Code Prototyping: Practice building simple interactive prototypes in React or similar front-end technologies to demonstrate your coding proficiency.

• AI/Agentic Concepts: Brush up on concepts related to AI agents, conversational interfaces, and automating complex tasks.

• Systems Thinking: Be ready to discuss how different components of an AI system or workflow interact and how to ensure a cohesive user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process strongly emphasizes practical application, particularly the ability to code and demonstrate shipped work. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process with a technical lens and be ready to discuss the nuances of designing for AI agents.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (assumed for general design workflow).

• Front-end Development: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript.

• JavaScript Frameworks: React (highly emphasized for prototyping and shipping).

• Version Control: Git (essential for code collaboration).

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: Tools like Mixpanel, Amplitude, or Google Analytics for tracking user behavior and feature adoption (assumed for understanding product performance).

• Data Visualization: Tools for creating dashboards and reports to communicate insights (e.g., Tableau, Looker, or internal tools).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Salesforce, HubSpot (likely used by advisors, understanding their integration points is beneficial).

• Workflow Automation Tools: Internal tools or platforms that Hazel AI integrates with or automates.

• Integration Platforms: Understanding how different software systems connect and exchange data.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of React, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and TypeScript indicates that proficiency in these front-end technologies is not just preferred but essential for this role, blurring the lines between traditional product design and front-end engineering.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Kindness: Approach interactions with empathy, listen to understand diverse perspectives, and engage in open, honest, and respectful debate.

• Brilliance: Cultivate a growth mindset, take ownership, leverage unique skills collaboratively, and embrace collective success and failure. Humility is a key attribute.

• Grit: Maintain laser focus on the mission, find ways forward through challenges, demonstrate nimbleness, and adapt swiftly to change and obstacles.

Collaboration Style:

• Team-Oriented: Works closely with Product, Engineering, and Research, emphasizing shared ownership and collective goals.

• Open Communication: Encourages healthy debate and honest feedback, fostering an environment where ideas can be pressure-tested.

• Iterative & Adaptable: Comfortable working in fast-paced environments with evolving constraints, requiring flexibility and responsiveness.

• Design System Contribution: Actively participates in and contributes to the company's design system, promoting consistency and shared standards across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated values of Kindness, Brilliance, and Grit are central to its culture. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how they embody these values in their work, particularly Brilliance (growth mindset, ownership) and Grit (resilience, adaptability), which are crucial for a role involving complex AI development and iterative product launches.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI Ambiguity: Navigating the inherent uncertainty and evolving capabilities of AI models to create predictable, trustworthy user experiences.

• Complex Workflow Automation: Designing intuitive interfaces for intricate administrative tasks that require a deep understanding of user needs and AI's potential.

• Bridging Design & Code: Effectively translating design concepts into functional code and collaborating seamlessly with engineering teams on implementation details.

• Rapid Iteration Cycles: Adapting designs quickly based on new AI model improvements and user feedback in a fast-paced development environment.

• Raising Design Craft Bar: Maintaining high standards for interaction design, UX writing, and visual hierarchy while pushing the boundaries of AI-assisted tools.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Product Specialization: Become a subject matter expert in designing AI-powered agentic systems and advanced workflow automation.

• Front-end Development Enhancement: Deepen practical coding skills in React and other front-end technologies through hands-on project work.

• Design System Evolution: Contribute to the strategic development and expansion of Altruist's Ethos design system.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gain deeper insights into product management, AI research, and engineering processes through close collaboration.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and learn from experienced product leaders within Altruist.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role presents significant challenges at the forefront of AI product design and front-end implementation. Successfully navigating these challenges offers substantial growth opportunities in a high-demand specialization within the tech industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex, multi-step workflow you designed and how you approached simplifying it for users, especially considering AI assistance." (Focus on process, problem-solving, and user empathy).

• "How would you design an AI agent to manage a financial advisor's inbox, ensuring transparency and trust while automating tasks?" (Focus on AI interaction patterns, trust, and autonomy).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you embody 'Brilliance' and 'Grit' in your design process?" (Align your experiences with Altruist's core values).

• "How do you ensure a high design craft bar, especially when working with evolving AI capabilities and tight deadlines?" (Demonstrate your commitment to quality and adaptability).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically, starting with the problem, your role, the solution, your process (including research, ideation, prototyping, coding), and the impact/results.

• Code Integration: Clearly show where your code contributions or prototypes fit into the project. Be prepared to demo or discuss specific code snippets if asked.

• AI Focus: Emphasize your thinking around AI integration, agentic behaviors, and user trust within your case studies.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the tangible outcomes of your work.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time; focus on the most impactful projects and key takeaways.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should heavily lean into demonstrating the unique blend of advanced design thinking and practical front-end coding skills, framed within the context of AI and workflow automation. Be ready to articulate your process for designing trustworthy AI interactions.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Altruist's careers page.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful projects that showcase end-to-end ownership, complex workflow design, and ideally, experience with AI or front-end coding. Ensure clear, high-quality examples of shipped product work.

• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight your 10+ years of experience, specific achievements in product design, and any mention of front-end coding (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React) or AI-related projects. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Portfolio Walkthrough: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on your process, design rationale, technical contributions, and quantifiable results. Be ready to discuss your approach to designing AI agentic workflows.

• Research Altruist & Hazel AI: Understand their mission, values (Kindness, Brilliance, Grit), and the specific challenges faced by financial advisors that Hazel AI aims to solve. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate cultural fit.

⚠️ 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.