Senior/Principal Product Designer, Public Transit Operations (Multiple Roles)

Via; New York (NY); On-site; USD 175,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401(k) with company match

Parental leave (fully paid)

Job summary

Via is redesigning a complex, mission-critical dispatch and booking platform for public transit. You’ll lead end-to-end product design across on‑demand, paratransit, school bus, and fixed‑line services, embedding usability and accessibility at scale.

You’ll collaborate with product, analytics, and engineering, run research and usability tests, evolve the design system, and explore how AI changes the design process from research to production-ready code.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in digital product design, with a portfolio showing concept-to-launch leadership on complex products.
• Systems-thinking mindset for dense, data-rich, high-stakes workflows.
• A POV on how AI changes the design process and the curiosity to push it forward.
• Comfort prototyping beyond Figma and moving work toward production code.
• High bar for craft and strong Figma and prototyping skills; motion/interactions are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the redesign of our dispatch and booking platform across all services (on-demand, paratransit, school bus, fixed-line).
• Make every workflow insights-first so data surfaces the right decision at the right moment.
• Design for diverse user groups including eligibility managers, call center agents, dispatchers, riders, caregivers, and students.
• Incorporate rider eligibility and disability aids to ensure dignified, accessible trips.
• Drive design-team collaboration with AI from research to rapid prototypes to production-ready code.
• Spend time with agencies and engineers, test ideas against real operations, and ship with the team.
• Run research and usability testing; partner with analysts to turn data into design decisions.
• Own details from concept to pixel-perfect execution; evolve the design system as we scale.

Skills

Product design leadership

Systems thinking

AI in design

Figma prototyping

Cross-functional

Communication

Empathy for users

Education

Degree in Design, HCI, or related field

Tools

Figma

Prototype tools

Job description

Redesign the operating system for public transit.

Via is a global leader in smart public transportation, using technology to change how the world moves. Our Transit Operations platform powers on‑demand, paratransit, school bus, and fixed‑line service for public agencies, reaching hundreds of thousands of riders every week. For many of them, public transit isn't a convenience. It's how they get to a job, a hospital, or a classroom.

Checklists are where public‑sector software starts. They shouldn't be where it stops. The real test is whether a dispatcher can fix a missed pickup in seconds, or whether a rider with a disability can book a trip without a phone call. Our users span paratransit eligibility managers, call center agents, dispatchers, and agency leaders, plus the riders, caregivers, and students on the other end. Each one deserves a product that's insights‑first, obvious to use, and delightful, especially the communities with the fewest alternatives.

This is your chance to redesign a complex, mission‑critical platform with usability and delight as the bar. You'll also drive how design itself can be AI‑led, moving from static mockups to rapid prototypes to production‑ready code, working side by side with engineers. This isn't AI for AI's sake. It's a way to democratize great design and ship better real‑world outcomes for the people who rely on transit most.

The Product org is investing in Design and is looking for multiple candidates with varying degree of experience - this is a fast and growing team!

What You'll Do:

• Lead the redesign of our dispatch and booking platform, unifying the experience across on‑demand, paratransit, school bus, and fixed‑line service.
• Make every workflow insights‑first, so data surfaces the right decision at the right moment instead of sitting in a report.
• Design for the full cast of people who make transit work: eligibility managers, call center agents, dispatchers, riders, caregivers, and students, each with journeys that feel purposeful and efficient.
• Design around rider eligibility, special conditions, and disability aids so every trip is dignified and easy, especially for riders with the fewest alternatives.
• Drive how our design team works with AI, from synthesizing research and exploring concepts to building rapid prototypes and production‑ready code.
• Work in a forward‑deployed way: spend time with agencies and engineers, test ideas against real operations, and ship alongside the team.
• Run research and usability testing, and partner with analysts to turn data into design decisions.
• Own the details, from concept to pixel‑perfect execution, and make tradeoffs explicit.
• Evolve our design system deliberately as we scale.
• Partner closely with product, analytics, and engineering across the full project lifecycle.

What you Bring:

• 7+ years in digital product design, with a portfolio showing concept‑to‑launch leadership on complex products.
• A systems‑thinking mindset and experience designing dense, data‑rich, high‑stakes workflows.
• A point of view on how AI changes the design process, and the curiosity to keep pushing it.
• Comfort prototyping beyond Figma and moving work toward production code (or a strong drive to learn).
• A high bar for craft and strong Figma and prototyping skills. Motion and interaction design is a plus.
• Clear communication and the ability to explain the "why" behind your decisions.
• Ownership, independence, and pragmatism about timelines, scope, and technical constraints.
• Empathy for riders who depend on public transit and a real interest in equitable mobility.
• A degree in Design, HCI, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Compensation And Benefits

• Final salary will be determined by the candidate’s experience, knowledge, and skills. Salary reflected does not include equity or variable pay, where applicable.
• Salary Range: $175,000-$230,000
• Comprehensive health coverage, with low‑cost dental and vision plans
• A 401(k) with a generous company match and vesting
• Fully paid parental leave for new parents, with extended leave options
• Additional benefits (mental health, pet insurance, and other wellness perks)
• 20 days of paid time off (PTO) annually