-- Design Engineer London, UK

Granola inc; London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative firm in London is seeking a Design Engineer to merge creativity with engineering. In this pivotal role, you will craft seamless AI interfaces that enhance user experiences. Collaborate with a passionate team dedicated to quality, while pushing the boundaries of design and technology. Enjoy a vibrant office culture, competitive compensation, and unique perks like a team house in sunny Majorca. If you're ready to make an impact in a fast-paced startup environment, this opportunity is for you.

Benefits

Private health insurance

Relocation assistance

25 days paid time off

Employer pension matching

Team house in Majorca

Flexible work-from-home options

Design-obsessed team culture

Bright office in Shoreditch

Above-market compensation

Collaborative environment

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in design engineering or frontend engineering with design skills.
• Strong proficiency in React, TypeScript, and modern frontend architecture.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain a scalable design system in Figma and code.
• Prototype and ship high-quality UI with attention to detail.

Skills

React

TypeScript

Tailwind

Figma

Prototyping

Interaction Design

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Design or Engineering

Tools

Figma

React

Tailwind

Job description

Invent and build polished, useful AI interfaces

We're looking for a Design Engineer to bridge the gap between design and engineering, helping us craft polished, delightful, and technically excellent user experiences. You'll be a hybrid thinker and maker, comfortable working in both Figma and code, and you'll play a critical role in evolving how Granola feels in the hands of our users.

Why This Role is Special

• Own the craft: You won't just hand off designs to engineers or code up specs you didn't influence. You'll be both designing and building the Granola interface.
• Push the boundaries: We're inventing new AI-powered workflows. This means prototyping, testing, and refining interactions that don't yet have established patterns.
• Join a design-obsessed founding team: You'll work closely with Sam (co-founder & designer), our founding designer, and our talented engineering team, all of whom care deeply about product quality. You'll have space and support to push for exceptional user experiences.

In this role, you will:

• Build and maintain a robust, scalable design system in both Figma and code (React, Tailwind etc.)
• Prototype and ship high-quality, production-ready UI that nails the details — from typography and color to motion and microinteractions
• Collaborate closely with product, design, and engineering to bring new features to life, from early concept to polished implementation
• Maintain consistency as we grow across multiple platforms (Mac, Windows, iOS)
• Identify and fix gaps between design and engineering, raising the quality bar across the product
• Help invent new interaction patterns for AI-driven tools

You might be a good fit if:

• You have 5+ years of experience working as a design engineer, frontend engineer with strong design skills, or designer with strong engineering skills
• You're highly proficient with React, TypeScript, Tailwind and have a solid grasp of modern frontend architecture
• You have strong visual and interaction design skills — you care deeply about details, polish, and making things feel "just right"
• You're a natural prototyper who's comfortable exploring in Figma, code, or AI tools, depending on what's fastest
• You've worked on (or are drawn to) design systems and component libraries, and know how to balance consistency with flexibility
• You thrive in a fast-paced, iterative startup environment where experimentation is encouraged

About the Opportunity

We are living in the most exciting time for tool builders since Engelbart's demo in 1968, and we want to assemble the best crew to build this future together, here in London. Our compensation philosophy is to pay slightly above market on salary and above market on equity.

We do our best work in person, so our team spends time together five days per week in our bright, spacious office at Old Street. We're happy to offer relocation assistance to candidates moving to London to join us.

Lastly, we believe amazing talent comes from all kinds of life journeys and experiences. If what's written above speaks to you — even if you don't look like a perfect match on paper — please reach out.

We'll review your application and get back to you within a week

Flexible, parent-friendly culture We default to in-person, but feel free to WFH when you need to

A beautiful, light-filled office full of plants and good vibes in Shoreditch

Casa Granola: use our team house in sunny Majorca (yes, you read that right). It's a space for offsites, going deep on a project with a small group, or just inviting friends/family for a holiday

Private health insurance Free for you, subsidised for your family

Above-market compensation Competitive salary, a generous option grant on employee-friendly terms, employer pension matching, and 25 days (plus bank holidays) of paid time off