Design Engineer

Sgff.Org; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Lean In & The Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation is seeking a Design Engineer to own experiences end to end—from research and design to production-ready code. This rare hybrid role blends taste and craft with engineering rigor, giving you autonomy and influence over the experiences we ship to our community.

You will design the web and mobile experiences, build design systems, implement accessible front-end experiences with modern JavaScript, and collaborate with product and data teams.

Qualifications

• 3+ years across design and engineering or deep experience in one with demonstrated ability in the other.
• Portfolio showing user-centered thinking and strong execution.
• Expert proficiency in Figma, including components, variants, auto-layout, and design systems.
• Strong front-end skills: modern JavaScript frameworks, HTML5, and CSS3.
• Working back-end proficiency and comfort building RESTful APIs.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Design, or related field, or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end design process for web and mobile, from research to prototypes.
• Build and evolve design systems and patterns that scale across products.
• Develop responsive, accessible front-end experiences using modern JavaScript frameworks.
• Write clean, maintainable code and troubleshoot across the stack.
• Partner with product, data, and leadership to translate user needs into shipped solutions.

Skills

Frontend development

UI/UX design

Figma

Accessibility

RESTful APIs

Python/Node.js

Communication

Education

Bachelor's in CS or Design

Tools

Figma

JavaScript

HTML/CSS

REST APIs

Python/Node.js

Job description

About Lean In & The Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation

The Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation (SGBFF) works to build a more equal and resilient world. We bring people together to support each other through four initiatives: LeanIn.Org, LeanInGirls.Org, OptionB.Org, and the Dave Goldberg Scholarship Program.

Through our community, research-based content, and programs, we help women and allies build the skills, confidence, and networks they need to reach their full potential. We believe a more equal world is possible – and that it will take us working together to create it. While the majority of your work will focus on Lean In, this role offers the opportunity to drive impact across multiple mission-driven initiatives.

THE ROLE

We're hiring a Design Engineer – a rare hybrid who both designs and builds. You'll own experiences end to end: research and design the interface, then write the code that brings it to life. As AI collapses the distance between idea and implementation, the most valuable people are those who move fluidly across the whole arc of a product – taste and craft on one side, engineering rigor on the other. You'll have real autonomy, direct influence on the experiences we put in front of our community, and room to grow alongside the team and platforms you help shape.

Design the experience

• Lead the end-to-end design process – research, concept, and prototypes for web and mobile.
• Build and evolve design systems and patterns that stay consistent and scale across products.
• Spot opportunities to make the user experience better and proactively propose thoughtful solutions.

Build the product

• Take features from design concept to production release.
• Develop responsive, accessible front-end experiences using modern JavaScript frameworks.
• Write clean, maintainable, well-tested code, and troubleshoot and debug across the stack.

Own the craft

• Partner with product, data, and leadership to translate user needs into shipped solutions.
• Optimize performance, accessibility, and security across everything you build.
• Help shape engineering and design standards as the team grows.

Qualifications

• 3+ years across design and engineering – or deep experience in one with demonstrated ability in the other.
• A portfolio that shows user-centered thinking and strong execution.
• Expert proficiency in Figma, including components, variants, auto-layout, and design systems.
• Strong front-end skills: modern JavaScript frameworks, HTML5, and CSS3.
• Working back-end proficiency (Python, Node.js, Ruby, Java, etc.) and comfort building RESTful APIs.
• A strong foundation in interaction design, visual design, and information architecture.
• Deep understanding of responsive design, accessibility standards, and inclusive design principles.
• Fluency with – or strong curiosity about – AI-assisted design and development tools.
• A self-starter who thrives with autonomy and drives projects forward with minimal direction.
• Strong communication and presentation skills, and the ability to collaborate across a small team.
• A bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Design, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• A deep commitment to Lean In's mission to inspire and equip women to lead.
• Alignment with the Sandberg Bernthal Family Foundation's initiatives, including building resilience and driving social impact.

The Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity without regard to age, race, ethnicity, gender, protected veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion.

It's important to us that people of all identities and backgrounds see themselves represented and included in our work, so we actively encourage people of all identities and experiences to apply.