Founding Designer

Digital Waffle; London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading VC-backed tech company is seeking a Founding Designer to shape user experience strategy in a high-growth environment. This role demands a seasoned professional with deep experience in product design, handling complex user journeys and collaborating cross-functionally. You'll drive impactful design decisions that align user needs with business goals, while working remotely with occasional team meetups in London.

Benefits

Competitive salary depending on experience

Career development and mentorship

Regular in-person meetups in London

Qualifications

• 10+ years’ experience in product/UX design.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating research-led design.
• Skilled in modern prototyping tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end design including research and prototyping.
• Build scalable information architectures.
• Champion accessibility and user advocacy.

Skills

Research-led design

User-centric design

Stakeholder influencing

Tools

Figma

Job description

A VC-backed, California-based tech company in the AI-powered product discovery space is looking for a Founding Designer to take charge of its user experience strategy. If you're used to the pace and ambiguity of a start-up—and thrive on solving complex design problems in fast-moving environments—this is your chance to make a lasting impact in a business that’s scaling fast.

You’ll own the full UX lifecycle—from customer research and journey mapping to high-fidelity design and prototyping. Working closely with product, engineering, and commercial teams, you’ll bring structure to complexity and lead design thinking across a powerful, AI-enabled platform.

This is a UK-based, heavily remote, but requires face-to-face time. With access to Regus office spaces nationwide and face-to-face collaboration days in London a few times per month.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Lead end-to-end design—from research and IA to prototyping and testing
• Build scalable information architectures to support complex workflows
• Plan and conduct user research to inform product decisions
• Drive discovery sessions to identify opportunities and validate ideas
• Design intuitive interfaces that balance usability and business outcomes
• Collaborate across functions to align UX with product and engineering strategy
• Champion accessibility, inclusivity, and user advocacy at every stage

What They’re Looking For

• 10+ years’ experience in product/UX design, with 3+ years in a senior or lead role
• Strong portfolio demonstrating research-led, user-centric design
• Skilled in Figma, plus experience with other modern prototyping tools
• Proven ability to work on complex systems or B2B/enterprise platforms
• Familiarity with AI-enabled design tools and workflows
• Comfortable working in pre–Product Market Fit, high-growth settings
• Strong communication and stakeholder influencing skills
• UK-based with ability to join in-person team sessions in London several times per month

What’s on Offer

• Competitive salary, depending on experience
• Regular in-person meetups in London with the team
• Room to shape the design function and influence product strategy
• Work alongside a globally distributed, fast-moving product and engineering team
• Career development, learning support, and mentorship

This role is perfect for a design leader who’s energised by early-stage challenges, eager to build standout experiences, and ready to play a core role in a VC-backed, high-growth tech company.

Ready to take the lead? Apply now or get in touch to learn more.