Founding Design Engineer

Searchability®; Miami (FL); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Searchability® in Miami is seeking a founding design engineer to own product design and development from 0 to 1. You will blend UI/UX design with full-stack engineering, shaping how a product looks, feels, and functions.

Join early, work directly with founders, and take complete ownership from Figma concepts to production-ready applications using React, Next.js, TypeScript and Node.js in a hybrid setup.

Qualifications

• Strong UI/UX principles and interaction design for product development.
• Experience designing and shipping products from concept to production.
• Proficient in React, Next.js and TypeScript with hands-on backend APIs using Node.js.
• Excellent portfolio of interfaces and products built by you.
• Startup/early-stage experience and ability to work in a hybrid environment in Miami.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end design and engineering of new products from 0 to 1.
• Design exceptional user interfaces with Figma and interactive prototypes.
• Build frontend applications with React, Next.js and TypeScript.
• Develop backend APIs and integrations using Node.js.
• Create design systems, reusable components and frontend architecture.
• Develop polished animations and intuitive user journeys.
• Collaborate with founders to shape product direction and technical strategy.
• Prototype, test and launch features quickly based on user feedback.

Skills

UI/UX design

Full-stack engineering

React

Next.js

TypeScript

Figma

Design systems

Tools

Framer Motion

GSAP

Three.js

Express.js

NestJS

PostgreSQL

Job description

Salary: Up to $230,000 Base + Equity

Employment: Full-time, Permanent

The Opportunity

Searchability is recruiting for an ambitious, early-stage technology startup in Miami looking to hire a Founding Design Engineer who can take products from 0 to 1.

We're looking for someone who combines exceptional UI/UX design skills with hands-on full-stack engineering experience, particularly across React, Node.js, TypeScript and Figma.

This is an opportunity to join at the earliest stages, work directly with founders and take complete ownership of how a product looks, feels and functions.

You'll be responsible for turning ideas into beautifully designed, fully functional products, from initial Figma concepts and interactive prototypes through to production-ready applications.

This isn't a traditional designer or frontend developer position. We're looking for someone who can design, code and ship exceptional products independently.

What You'll Be Doing

• Own the end-to-end design and engineering of new products, taking ideas from 0 to 1.
• Design exceptional user interfaces and experiences using Figma.
• Build responsive, high-performance frontend applications using React, Next.js and TypeScript.
• Develop backend functionality, APIs and integrations using Node.js.
• Create interactive prototypes, wireframes, user flows and high-fidelity UI designs.
• Build and maintain design systems, reusable UI components and frontend architecture.
• Develop polished animations, micro-interactions and intuitive user journeys.
• Work directly with founders to shape product direction, design decisions and technical strategy.
• Rapidly prototype, test and launch new features based on user feedback.

What We're Looking For

• Strong commercial experience in Design Engineering, UI Engineering, Frontend Engineering or Full-Stack Product Engineering.
• Advanced Figma skills, including UI design, prototyping, components and design systems.
• Strong understanding of UI/UX principles, visual design, interaction design and user-centred product development.
• Proven experience building and launching products from 0 to 1.
• Ability to independently take a product from Figma design through to full-stack implementation.
• Strong experience with HTML, CSS, Tailwind CSS and responsive design.
• Experience building backend APIs, services and integrations using Node.js.
• A strong portfolio showcasing beautifully designed interfaces and products you've personally built.
• Previous experience in startups, scale-ups or fast-moving product environments.
• Excellent attention to detail, strong product instincts and the ability to move quickly.
• Based in Miami or within commuting distance and comfortable with hybrid working.

Nice to Have

• Previous experience as a Founding Design Engineer or early-stage engineering hire.
• Experience building AI-native SaaS products or modern web applications.
• Experience with Framer Motion, GSAP, Three.js or other animation libraries.
• Experience with Express.js, NestJS, PostgreSQL or similar backend technologies.
• Experience establishing UI design systems and component libraries from scratch.
• Experience using AI-assisted development tools such as Cursor, Claude Code or similar.
• Personal projects, startup experience or independently launched products.

Why Apply?

• Base salary up to $230,000 + Equity.
• Join an ambitious early-stage startup with genuine ownership and influence.
• Work directly with founders to shape the product and technical direction.
• Take products from initial Figma concepts through to production.
• Own both UI/UX design and full-stack engineering.
• Opportunity to establish the company's design systems, frontend architecture and product experience.
• Work with modern technologies in a fast-moving, creative environment.
• Long-term career progression as the business scales.