UX Engineer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Engineer

Company: Tyto Athene, LLC

Location: Remote (United States)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX Engineering / Frontend Development

Date Posted: May 27, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive design and interaction standards across Tyto's Acceleration Lab for Operational Needs (TALON) portfolio through high-fidelity prototyping and component library development.

• Serve as the primary liaison between design and engineering teams, translating product vision into tangible, interactive artifacts and polished demos.

• Leverage modern AI tools to enhance prototyping speed, explore design directions, and elevate the quality of frontend deliverables.

• Establish and maintain a shared component library in React and TypeScript, ensuring consistency in visual design, interaction patterns, and accessibility across all products.

• Own the polish and presentation layer for critical demos, including executive briefings, board meetings, customer engagements, and trade events.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a horizontal enabler, meaning the UX Engineer will support multiple product teams rather than being embedded within a single one. This requires strong cross-functional collaboration and the ability to influence without direct authority, a common characteristic of senior operations and enablement roles. The emphasis on AI tools suggests a forward-thinking approach to development and design processes.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop high-fidelity, interactive prototypes using React and TypeScript to rigorously validate product directions and proactively identify potential issues before they impact budgets, timelines, or customer trust.

• Take ownership of the "polish layer" for all executive, board, customer, and trade event demonstrations, ensuring products are presented with a level of visual and interactive quality that matches their functional performance.

• Initiate, build, and expand a shared component library in React and TypeScript, defining and enforcing the portfolio's standards for visual design, interaction, and accessibility.

• Collaborate directly with product owners, designers, and engineering leads across various product teams to transform ambiguous product requirements into actionable, working artifacts that clarify objectives.

• Ensure all elements that graduate from prototype to shared infrastructure meet Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 AA conformance standards.

• Integrate modern AI tools (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, v0, Figma Make, and their successors) into daily workflows, demonstrating their utility for accelerating personal work and modeling best practices for AI-augmented design and frontend engineering for the wider team.

• Navigate a matrixed organizational structure where product teams manage delivery, while this role focuses on owning the cross-cutting craft and quality layer.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "Maintain Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 AA conformance" indicates a strong focus on accessibility and compliance, critical for government and enterprise clients. This is a key differentiator for roles supporting such sectors. The expectation to "model what AI-augmented design and frontend engineering looks like" positions this role as a thought leader and internal evangelist for new technologies.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong portfolio demonstrating both design and coding proficiency is paramount. Equivalent experience and demonstrated skill will be highly valued.

Experience: 5+ years of professional experience operating at the intersection of design and frontend engineering.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in designing within Figma and shipping production-ready code with React and TypeScript.

• A strong visual design sensibility, capable of producing work that meets executive and investor standards without extensive post-production refinement.

• Demonstrated track record of horizontal or cross-team contributions, having successfully worked across multiple product teams or business units.

• Fluency in React and TypeScript, enabling the rapid development of polished prototypes within days.

• Proficiency with modern AI coding assistants (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, or similar) and the ability to articulate how they improve speed and quality.

• Deep understanding of CSS, including layout, motion, typography, and design tokens.

• Competence in coding for accessibility, including ARIA, keyboard navigation, and focus management.

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing both interaction design skills and shipped code examples.

Preferred Skills:

• Previous experience contributing to or owning a shipped component library or design system.

• Familiarity with Federal or DoD software development environments and Section 508 compliance requirements.

• Background in developing operator-facing tools, such as SOC consoles, network management systems, or command-and-control interfaces, particularly in dense data environments.

• Experience in producing high-impact demos for investors, boards, customers, or trade events.

• Experience within Private Equity (PE)-backed, growth-stage, or matrixed organizations, where horizontal roles require building influence through demonstrated value.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "5+ years working at the intersection of design and frontend engineering" and the requirement for "Track record of horizontal or cross-team work" strongly suggest a mid-to-senior level role. The preference for PE-backed or matrixed organization experience highlights the need for adaptability and influence-building skills, crucial in fast-paced, results-oriented environments common in operations and GTM enablement functions.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrations of high-fidelity, interactive prototypes built with React and TypeScript, showcasing complex user flows and problem-solving.

• Examples of shipped code that highlight proficiency in React, TypeScript, and CSS, with a focus on maintainability and performance.

• Case studies illustrating how design and frontend skills were applied to solve specific product challenges or improve user experiences.

• Evidence of cross-team collaboration and the ability to influence design and engineering decisions across different product areas.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase examples of component library development, including design token implementation, accessibility considerations, and documentation for other engineers.

• Present case studies of how prototypes were used to validate product directions and influence key product decisions.

• Detail the process for polishing and preparing demos for high-stakes presentations (executive, board, customer), emphasizing attention to detail and user experience.

• Illustrate the approach to ensuring Section 508 and WCAG 2.1 AA conformance in delivered code.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio that "demonstrates both interaction design and shipped code" is critical. For operations roles, this translates to showcasing not just the "what" (final output) but the "how" (process, tools, methodology) and the "why" (impact, ROI). Candidates should be prepared to walk through their portfolio, explaining the design thinking, technical implementation, and impact of their work.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $160,000 - $175,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance.

• 401(k) with company match.

• Paid Time Off (PTO).

• Short-Term Disability (STD), Long-Term Disability (LTD), and Life Insurance.

• Referral Bonuses.

• Professional Development Reimbursement.

• Parental Leave.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week. Given the remote nature and the demands of supporting multiple teams and high-stakes demos, flexibility may be required, especially around critical deadlines or customer engagements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is typical for a senior-level UX Engineer role in the US, especially in a remote capacity. The inclusion of comprehensive benefits like 401(k) match, disability, and professional development reimbursement are standard for established tech companies. The explicit mention of "parental leave" indicates a commitment to employee well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: IT Services and Solutions, specializing in Digital Transformation, Network Modernization, Hybrid Cloud, Cybersecurity, and Enterprise IT. The company serves Defense, Intelligence, Space, National Security, Civilian, Health, and Public Safety clients.

Company Size: Tyto Athene is a significant player in its niche, supporting clients across the US and worldwide. While the exact employee count isn't stated, the scope of their operations suggests a mid-to-large enterprise.

Founded: Over 50 years of experience, indicating a stable and established organization with deep industry knowledge.

Team Structure:

• This role is part of TALON (Tyto’s Acceleration Lab for Operational Needs), a horizontal function supporting all of Tyto Athene's capabilities.

• The UX Engineer will work "across practices rather than inside one," implying a central enablement team focused on cross-functional impact.

• Collaboration will occur with product owners, designers, and engineering leads from multiple product teams.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on rapid prototyping and validation to inform product decisions early.

• Focus on high-quality demos to secure executive, board, and customer buy-in.

• Development of reusable components and design systems for consistency and efficiency.

• Proactive integration and modeling of AI tools to drive innovation and productivity.

• Commitment to accessibility standards (Section 508, WCAG 2.1 AA) for compliance and inclusivity.

Company Website: https://gotyto.com

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on government and defense sectors means that adherence to strict compliance standards (like Section 508) and security protocols is likely paramount. The "TALON" lab structure suggests an internal innovation hub, where this UX Engineer will play a pivotal role in shaping the user experience across a diverse portfolio of mission-critical solutions.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior individual contributor role, acting as a specialist and enabler across multiple teams. It requires a blend of deep technical skill (React, TypeScript) and strong design acumen, coupled with the ability to influence and collaborate in a matrixed structure. It's a "horizontal craft layer" ownership role.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly detailed, the role's horizontal nature suggests reporting into a central R&D, innovation, or product enablement function within TALON, rather than a specific product team. The engineer will collaborate closely with various product team leads.

Operations Impact: The UX Engineer's impact is directly tied to enhancing the perceived and actual quality of Tyto Athene's product portfolio. By creating compelling prototypes, polished demos, and a robust component library, this role directly influences:

• Customer Acquisition & Retention: High-quality demos can win deals, and well-designed products retain customers.

• Product Development Efficiency: A shared component library and validated prototypes reduce rework and accelerate delivery cycles for individual product teams.

• Investor Confidence: Polished presentations and innovative prototypes can bolster confidence among investors and stakeholders.

• Brand Perception: Consistent high-quality design elevates the overall perception of Tyto Athene's technological capabilities.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-augmented development, advanced React patterns, or specific areas of UI/UX for complex systems.

• Design System Leadership: Grow into a lead role for the design system, defining its strategy and roadmap.

• Internal Advocacy: Become a go-to expert and trainer for AI tools and best practices in design and frontend development across the organization.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Expand influence across more product lines or contribute to strategic product roadmap discussions based on UX insights.

• Potential for Management: While currently an IC role, successful demonstration of leadership and strategic impact could open doors to team lead or management positions within TALON or product development leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role's horizontal nature and focus on enabling multiple teams positions it as a strategic contributor. Growth here is less about climbing a traditional product team ladder and more about expanding influence, expertise, and impact across the organization's technology offerings.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, allowing for flexibility in work location within the United States.

Office Location(s): Remote, United States. This implies that candidates should be authorized to work in the US.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect frequent virtual collaboration via video conferencing, chat, and collaborative design/coding tools. The role requires active engagement with distributed teams.

• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design tools (Figma), development environments (React, TypeScript), AI coding assistants, and potentially collaborative platforms like Jira, Confluence, or Slack.

• Team Interaction: Regular interaction with product managers, designers, engineers, and potentially executives. This requires strong communication skills and the ability to articulate technical and design concepts clearly.

Work Schedule: While typically 40 hours per week, the remote and cross-functional nature may necessitate flexibility. Critical deadlines for demos or prototype validation might require extended hours or focused work periods. The company supports professional development, suggesting an environment that values continuous learning.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a remote role, self-discipline, proactive communication, and effective time management are critical. The success of this role hinges on the ability to build rapport and drive impact virtually, which is a key skill for many modern operations and enablement professionals.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a recruiter screen to assess basic qualifications, experience alignment, and cultural fit.

• Technical/Portfolio Review: A deep dive into the candidate's portfolio, focusing on both design artifacts and code samples. Expect discussions about specific projects, design decisions, technical implementation, and the impact of the work. This stage will heavily scrutinize the blend of design and engineering skills.

• Technical Interview(s): May include coding challenges (live or take-home) focusing on React/TypeScript, or in-depth discussions about CSS, accessibility, and prototyping techniques.

• Cross-Functional/Stakeholder Interviews: Conversations with product owners, design leads, and engineering managers to assess collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to navigate a matrixed environment. Questions will likely probe how you've influenced others and driven adoption of standards.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Final discussion to assess overall fit, strategic thinking, and alignment with the TALON lab's objectives.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase the blend of high-fidelity Figma design, interactive React/TypeScript prototypes, and any shipped code or component library contributions.

• Highlight Horizontal Impact: Emphasize projects where your work benefited multiple teams or established cross-cutting standards.

• Demonstrate AI Integration: Clearly articulate how AI tools were used in specific projects, the benefits gained (speed, quality, exploration), and how you'd advocate for their use.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, use metrics to demonstrate the value of your work (e.g., reduced development time due to component library, improved demo conversion rates, successful validation of product direction).

• Explain Your Process: Be prepared to walk through your thought process for design decisions, technical implementation choices, and accessibility considerations. For prototypes, explain the user flows and validation goals.

• Showcase Communication: Practice presenting your work concisely and engagingly, as you'll need to communicate effectively with diverse technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Challenge Preparation:

• Prototyping Challenge: Be ready for a prompt to quickly prototype a specific feature or user flow, focusing on interactivity and adherence to design principles.

• Code Refactoring/Improvement: You might be asked to improve a piece of React/TypeScript code for performance, readability, or accessibility.

• Design System Thinking: Prepare to discuss how you would approach building or extending a component library, including considerations for design tokens, variants, and documentation.

• Scenario-Based Questions: Expect questions about handling conflicting stakeholder demands, prioritizing work across multiple teams, and advocating for design/accessibility standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio demonstrating "both interaction design and shipped code" is paramount. Candidates should treat their portfolio as a primary artifact that proves their multi-disciplinary capability, similar to how an operations professional might present a case study demonstrating process improvement and ROI.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (expert proficiency expected).

• Frontend Framework: React (expert proficiency).

• Programming Language: TypeScript (expert proficiency).

• Styling: CSS (deep knowledge of layout, motion, typography, design tokens).

• AI Development Tools: Claude Code, Cursor, v0, Figma Make, and successors (daily usage and advocacy expected).

Analytics & Reporting: While not explicitly listed for this role, understanding how user interaction data or prototype feedback informs design decisions will be beneficial. Familiarity with tools that track component usage or user engagement within prototypes could be advantageous.

CRM & Automation: Not directly applicable to this role, but understanding how design and frontend deliverables integrate into broader product development workflows (potentially managed via tools like Jira) is important.

Accessibility Tools:

• ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications).

• Knowledge of browser developer tools for accessibility auditing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of AI tools like Claude Code, Cursor, v0, and Figma Make is a significant indicator of the company's investment in cutting-edge development practices. Proficiency and enthusiasm for these tools will be a key differentiator. This mirrors how proficiency with specific CRM or automation platforms is crucial for Sales Ops or Rev Ops roles.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Agility: Embrace modern tools like AI to accelerate development and explore new possibilities. The TALON lab environment suggests a culture that values experimentation.

• Quality & Polish: A commitment to high-fidelity design and interaction, ensuring products are presented professionally and perform exceptionally.

• Collaboration & Enablement: A horizontal role that thrives on partnering with and enabling other teams, acting as a force multiplier.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Utilizing prototypes to validate product directions, reducing guesswork and aligning development efforts with user needs and business objectives.

• Accessibility & Compliance: A core tenet, particularly given the client base, ensuring that all work meets stringent standards.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership-Oriented: Working closely with product, design, and engineering leads to achieve shared goals.

• Influential: Driving adoption of standards and best practices through expertise and demonstrated value, rather than direct authority.

• Communication-Focused: Clear and concise communication is essential for articulating complex ideas, presenting work, and managing stakeholder expectations in a remote, matrixed environment.

• Proactive: Taking initiative to identify opportunities for improvement, model new workflows, and contribute to the shared foundation of the organization’s products.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "earning influence rather than command it" in PE-backed or matrixed organizations is a key cultural insight. This means the UX Engineer needs strong interpersonal skills, persuasive communication, and a consistent delivery of high-value work to build trust and drive change.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity & Competing Priorities: Balancing the needs of multiple product teams and stakeholders with potentially conflicting demands and varying levels of design maturity.

• Driving Adoption of Standards: Influencing diverse teams to adopt the shared component library and design/accessibility standards without direct authority.

• Rapidly Evolving Tooling: Staying current with and effectively leveraging rapidly advancing AI tools and frontend technologies.

• Matrixed Environment: Achieving impact and collaboration without direct reporting lines to the teams being supported.

• Maintaining High-Quality Demos: Consistently delivering polished, impactful presentations under tight deadlines for critical audiences.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Tool Mastery: Become a leading expert within Tyto Athene on AI-assisted design and development workflows.

• Design System Leadership: Gain experience in scaling and governing a comprehensive design system across a large organization.

• Cross-Functional Strategy: Develop a deeper understanding of various product domains (Cybersecurity, Hybrid Cloud, etc.) and contribute strategically to their UX.

• Federal/DoD Compliance Expertise: Deepen knowledge of Section 508 and WCAG for government contracting environments.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior engineers or designers interested in UX engineering principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the need for strong problem-solving, negotiation, and strategic thinking skills, which are hallmarks of successful operations professionals. The growth opportunities are focused on deepening specialized expertise and expanding influence, aligning with a career path in technical enablement and strategic execution.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to influence multiple engineering teams to adopt a new design standard or component library. What was your approach, and what were the results?" (Focus on influence, communication, and standardization).

• "How do you balance the need for rapid prototyping with ensuring accessibility and production-readiness from the outset?" (Focus on process, tools, and compliance).

• "Walk us through a complex product challenge where you used both Figma and React/TypeScript to create a solution. What was your process, and what was the impact?" (Focus on the blend of skills and outcome).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Tyto Athene's mission and the sectors we serve (Defense, Intelligence, etc.)?" (Research the company's mission and values).

• "How do you approach collaboration in a remote, matrixed environment where you don't have direct reporting authority over the teams you support?" (Focus on collaboration style and influence).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with Impact: Begin each project with a clear statement of the problem, your role, and the key outcome or impact.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use interactive prototypes or code snippets where possible. For static examples, be very clear about the intended interaction.

• Narrate Your Process: Explain the "why" behind your design and technical decisions. How did you use Figma? What were the trade-offs in React? How did AI assist?

• Highlight Horizontal Contributions: Explicitly call out projects that demonstrate cross-team impact or the establishment of standards.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions on specific design choices, code implementation, accessibility features, and the use of AI tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparing for this role is akin to preparing for a senior operations role where demonstrating strategic thinking, process ownership, and the ability to drive change across departments is key. The portfolio is your "process portfolio"—it needs to showcase not just your skills but your methodology and impact.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Engineer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on careers-gotyto.icims.com.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that clearly demonstrate your expertise in Figma, React, TypeScript, CSS, and your ability to work collaboratively across teams. Ensure your portfolio highlights interactive prototypes and any shipped code or component library contributions.

• Tailor Your Resume: Emphasize keywords from the job description, such as "React," "TypeScript," "Figma," "AI Coding Assistants," "Section 508," "WCAG 2.1 AA," "component library," and "cross-team collaboration." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare for Technical & Portfolio Discussions: Practice presenting your portfolio, articulating your design process, technical implementation choices, and the impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your experience with AI tools and accessibility standards.

• Research Tyto Athene: Understand their mission, the sectors they serve, and their commitment to innovation and digital transformation. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.