Founding Product Designer

Crossing Hurdles; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

High Ownership

Leadership Path

Fast Growth

Job summary

A global recruitment firm is looking for a Founding Product Designer to lead the design for a complex data intelligence platform. Located in Arlington, VA, this role offers a hybrid work environment and a compensation range of $160K – $225K plus equity. The ideal candidate will have 3–6+ years of experience in product design, particularly within enterprise SaaS. You will be responsible for establishing design principles, engaging with customers, and driving usability in a complex landscape while having a direct impact on product strategy.

Qualifications

• 3–6+ years of experience as a Product Designer working on enterprise/B2B SaaS products.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end ownership in complex or data-heavy products.
• Experience designing for analytics platforms, dashboards, or workflow-heavy systems.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end product design for a complex, data-heavy platform.
• Establish design principles, systems, and processes as the first design hire.
• Translate complex data workflows into intuitive user experiences.

Skills

Product Design

Collaboration Skills

Data Analysis

Usability Focus

Figma

Job description

Crossing Hurdles is a global recruitment firm partnering with a fast-growing, venture-backed data intelligence company that is transforming how defense acquisition and government programs are understood, tracked, and executed.

The company is building a powerful platform that maps the entire acquisition landscape budgets, programs, stakeholders, and relationships, into a unified, actionable system. This enables organizations to navigate complex government ecosystems with clarity and speed. Backed by leading national security investors and experiencing rapid growth, the company is scaling its product and design function at a critical stage.

Role: Founding Product Designer (IC)

Compensation: $160K – $225K + meaningful equity

Location: Arlington, VA (Hybrid)

Experience: 3–6+ years Product Design

Platform: Enterprise SaaS, data intelligence, B2B workflows, analytics-heavy systems

About The Role

• Own the end-to-end product design for a complex, data-heavy platform, from early research and wireframing to high-fidelity UI and developer handoff.
• Act as the first design hire, establishing design principles, systems, and processes from the ground up.
• Work closely with product, engineering, and leadership to shape product direction in a fast-moving, high-ownership environment.
• Translate highly complex, ambiguous data workflows into intuitive, enterprise-grade user experiences.
• Design scalable systems for handling large datasets, dashboards, and analytical tools.
• Build and maintain a robust design system to ensure consistency as the product and team scale.
• Engage directly with customers to understand pain points and validate design decisions.
• Drive clarity and usability in a domain that requires strong product thinking and structured problem-solving.

Requirements

• 3–6+ years of experience as a Product Designer working on enterprise/B2B SaaS products.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end ownership, especially in complex or data-heavy products.
• Experience designing for analytics platforms, dashboards, or workflow-heavy systems.
• Ability to work in 0 → 1 environments, building products and systems from scratch.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and making decisions with incomplete information.
• Strong collaboration skills across engineering, product, and stakeholders.
• Proficiency in modern design tools (Figma, components, design systems).
• Strong product thinking with a focus on usability, scalability, and long-term vision.

Why You Should Consider

• Founding Impact: Be the first designer and shape the entire design function and product experience.
• High Ownership: Direct influence over product strategy, roadmap, and user experience.
• Real-World Complexity: Solve meaningful problems in a highly complex, data-rich domain.
• Fast Growth: Join a rapidly scaling startup with strong traction and momentum.
• Leadership Path: Opportunity to grow into a design leadership role as the team expands.
• Mission-Driven Work: Build technology that impacts critical national-level operations and decision-making.