UX Product Designer, National Security

Skydio, Inc.; San Mateo (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity (stock options)

Relocation assistance

Health insurance

Paid vacation

401K savings plan

Job summary

Skydio is seeking a UX Designer to craft intuitive interfaces for autonomous flying robots, translating complex AI hardware into trustworthy, reliable experiences across Web, Mobile, and Ground Control Stations.

This onsite role at Skydio HQ in San Mateo, CA partners with Design Leadership, Product Managers and Engineers to map Critical User Journeys and ship high‑fidelity prototypes. A portfolio showing complex systems, AI workflows, and tactile operator workflows is preferred.

Qualifications

• 3–6 years of hands-on UX/UI product design experience translating requirements into clear concepts.
• First-principles problem solving in ambiguous spaces with prototyping and user studies.
• Uncompromising craftsmanship in visual design and systems thinking.
• Comfort designing for complex technical tools used in real-world scenarios.
• AI fluency and ability to blend product, engineering, and design workflows.
• Prototyping chops to prove concepts before engineering work.

Responsibilities

• Design for trust by building interfaces for autonomous robots that reinforce reliability and transparency.
• Address unsolved problems with pragmatic, innovative interfaces for remote sensing and AI-driven missions.
• Communicate user needs clearly and defend design decisions with data and logic.
• Elevate craft with high-fidelity prototypes and rapid iteration including AI-assisted tooling.
• Learn from field visits to translate chaotic environments into design decisions.

Skills

UX/UI product design

Prototyping

Research & user studies

AI tools

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

AI tools

Job description

San Mateo, California, United States- Full-time

The Challenge

Our products are used by professionals with a lot on the line, operating in rugged environments where every second counts. Their mission is clear: find the missing person, get the lights back on, keep the roads open, and keep the good guys safe. Our mandate is to solve one of the most complex problems of our time: how to build autonomous flying robots that help our customers get the job done, no matter what.

If reading that excites you, we want to talk to you.

Skydio isn’t just building drones; we are defining the future of autonomous robotics. To win, our products must be more than just capable, they must be undeniably reliable. We are looking for a UX Product Designer who understands that trust isn't a buzzword; it's built through absolute system transparency, pragmatic workflows, and giving the operator a clear handle to grab when things get chaotic.

Our UX Product Designers are inventing the interfaces of the future. You will not be designing generic dashboards. You will be helping to design the critical trust-bridge between human operators and advanced AI hardware, translating extreme technological complexity into intuitive, reliable, and beautiful experiences.

About the Role

As a UX Designer, you are a passionate craftsperson who embraces how technology is shifting the design discipline. You are comfortable taking ownership of complex features, collaborating effectively with Design Leadership and Product Managers, and executing with an incredibly high bar for detail.

You will work closely with Design Leadership, Product Managers, and Engineers to map out Critical User Journeys (CUJs) and build cross-platform experiences (Web, Mobile, Ground Control Stations) that our customers in the national security/defense vertical will implicitly trust.

You will be instrumental in designing intuitive, high-quality user interfaces that bridge complex autonomous systems with streamlined tactical workflows, improving operator decision-making.

Location:

This position is based onsite at least 3 days/week at Skydio HQ in San Mateo, CA. We offer relocation assistance if needed.

How You'll Make an Impact:

Design for Trust:

Own the UX execution for key features on our core platforms (including remote operations). You will build interfaces for autonomous flying robots that make the operator trust the job will get done, ensuring every interaction reinforces confidence, reliability, and system transparency.

Solve Unsolved Problems:

Tackle complex challenges where there is no existing playbook. You will think pragmatically and creatively to design interfaces for remote hardware sensing, 3D spatial awareness, and AI-driven missions.

Communicate & Defend Rationale:

Effectively communicate user needs and frame complex problems. You will present your design solutions clearly, defending your rationale with user data and system logic to align with Engineering and Product Management.

Elevate the Craft:

Bring an uncompromising attention to detail and craftsmanship to the team. You will build high-fidelity prototypes to test assumptions quickly, leveraging AI tools as a seamless part of your daily process to move faster and explore wider.

Learn from the Field:

Participate in on-site visits with our customers to deeply understand their chaotic, high-stress environments. Bring that "ground truth" back to the studio to inform your design decisions.

What Makes You a Great Fit (Your Superpowers):

Proven Execution: 3-6 years of hands-on UX/UI product design experience, including translating product requirements into clear design concepts and specifications that Engineering has built and shipped.

First-Principles Problem Solver: You are an out-of-the-box thinker, doer, and builder who loves operating in ambiguous spaces where no existing design patterns exist. You actively explore solutions by conducting research, building prototypes, and running user studies to get continuous feedback.

Uncompromising Craftsmanship: You have a portfolio of work that clearly demonstrates an exceptionally high bar for visual design, complex systems architecture, and attention to detail.

Comfortable with Complexity: You have experience designing for technical tools being used in the real world. We'd love to see portfolios featuring: mapping or navigation apps, tools that connect to physical devices (IoT/hardware), or complex, multi-step workflows.

AI Fluency & Boundary-Blurring: You actively integrate AI into your daily workflow, but more importantly, you are excited by how AI is blurring the traditional lines between the functional roles of Product, Engineering, and Design. You use these tools to operate as a true hybrid product thinker, leveraging AI to rapidly build prototypes, accelerate user studies, and tell a more compelling product story to drive outsized impact.

Prototyping Chops ("You Build to Think"): You can quickly mock up interactive prototypes to prove out concepts before Engineering writes a line of production code.

Compensation:

At Skydio, our compensation packages for regular, full-time employees include competitive base salaries, equity in the form of stock options, and comprehensive benefits packages. Compensation will vary based on factors, including skill level, proficiencies, transferable knowledge, and experience. Relocation assistance may also be provided for eligible roles. The annual base salary range for this position is $150,000 - $200,000*. Fundamentally, we believe that equity is the key to long-term financial growth, and we ensure all regular, full-time employees have the opportunity to significantly benefit from the company's success. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to enroll in the Company’s group health insurance plans. Regular, full-time employees are eligible to receive the following benefits: Paid vacation time, sick leave, holiday pay and 401K savings plan. This position and all associated benefits are subject to applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as the Company’s policies and eligibility criteria.

*Compensation for certain positions may vary based on the position’s location.

At Skydio we believe that diversity drives innovation. We have created a multidisciplinary environment that embraces the power of diverse perspectives to create elegant solutions for complex problems. We are committed to growing our network of people, programs, and resources to nurture an inclusive culture.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by federal, state or local anti-discrimination laws.

For positions located in the United States of America, Skydio, Inc. uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/

Skydio provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Skydio is a federal contractor or subcontractor subject to certain governmental recordkeeping and reporting requirements for the administration of civil rights laws and regulations. Employment decisions are made on the basis of job-related criteria without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, genetic information, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

We invite all applicants to voluntarily self-identify their race, ethnicity, and gender. Submission of the information on this form is strictly voluntary and refusal to provide it will not subject you to any adverse treatment. Information obtained will be retained in a confidential file and separate from personnel records. This information may only be used in accordance with the provision of applicable federal laws, executive orders, and regulations. If you want more information about any of the sections, please check with a company representative.