Software Product Design Engineer
About the role
Build polished, thoughtful product experiences at YC. Y Combinator builds the software that runs YC — internal tools used by partners and founders, public products used by the broader startup ecosystem, and AI-powered systems that automate complex workflows. Our team is small, the impact is large, and we ship real product to real users frequently.
Responsibilities
- Design compelling, clear UI/UX and produce high-quality mocks that demonstrate strong product taste.
- Turn design mocks (yours or others’) into pixel-perfect, production-ready frontends using modern web tech.
- Iterate on existing interfaces by improving layout, interaction quality, motion, and design consistency.
- Work closely with engineers, partners, and stakeholders — you’ll own the design and implementation of features end-to-end.
- Rapidly prototype and “vibe code” to explore ideas, gather feedback, and iterate quickly.
- Contribute to design systems, component libraries, and patterns that raise the bar for frontend quality across YC.
- Stay close to users: talk to them, watch how they use the product, and improve the experience based on real signals.
Requirements
- Strong UX and visual design skills with proven taste and craftsmanship.
- Frontend engineering experience — comfort building real UI in React, TypeScript, and modern CSS.
- A “get things done” mindset: you ship quickly, iterate based on feedback, and take ownership.
- Someone who cares deeply about polish — from typography and spacing to micro-interactions and transitions.
- Comfort with ambiguity: you’ll often define your own scope and drive things forward with little direction.
Nice to have
- Experience building or maintaining design systems.
- Contributions to open source UI libraries or design resources.
- Background in internal tools, admin dashboards, or developer-facing products.
Benefits
Our full benefits package includes medical, vision, and dental plans, infertility benefit, STD/LTD, life insurance, commuter benefits, flexible spending account, health savings account, 401(k) + 4% matching, generous parental leave, paid holidays, and flexible paid time off policy.
Pay
$250K to $500K base salary, depending on experience. YC has a profit-sharing program, which is comparable to equity in an early-stage startup or carry in a VC fund.
Schedule
This is an in-person role at YC's campus in Dogpatch, San Francisco. This is where our users (founders, partners, and employees) are five days a week, so it’s optimal for you to be here with them. You must live in the SF Bay Area or be willing to relocate. We offer generous relocation support for those who want to move to SF to work here.