Founding Design Engineer
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 30, 2026. First seen by Alion on Oct 26, 2026.
About Skiffra
Skiffra is building the intelligence layer for operational decision-making in physical industries.
We're developing AI-native orchestration systems that turn complex, high-stakes operations into intelligent, adaptive workflows. We're starting with mining and natural resources, where decisions move people, equipment and capital, and where the consequences of getting them wrong are real.
Our ambition extends well beyond mining. We're building a platform designed to change how physical industries make decisions.
The Role
We're hiring our founding Design Engineer: a deeply skilled senior frontend engineer with exceptional product design instincts. You'll own the experience end to end, from understanding the problem in the field to designing the solution, writing production code and shipping it.
As our first dedicated design hire, you'll set the foundations: the design system, the interaction patterns and the quality bar every Skiffra product after this one is built on.
The hardest problem you'll work on is trust. Our users are experienced operators, planners and site leaders who have seen plenty of software come and go. Your job is to make AI-driven recommendations clear enough to act on, honest about what they don't know, and easy to question or override.
You'll spend real time on site with the people who use what you build. You'll learn how mines actually run, then turn that understanding into software that feels simple, fast and dependable.
If you're equally at home shaping an experience in Figma and building it in React and TypeScript, we'd love to talk.
What You'll Do
Own frontend development and product design for Skiffra's products, taking features from first concept through production
Design how people work with AI: surfacing recommendations, showing confidence and uncertainty, explaining the reasoning behind a suggestion, and keeping humans in control of the final call
Turn complex operational workflows and real-time data into interfaces that help planners, site leaders and operators make better decisions quickly
Build Skiffra's design system, reusable component library and frontend standards from the ground up
Design for the full range of environments our users work in, from administrative offices and control rooms to site conditions with unreliable connectivity and time-sensitive decisions
Spend regular time on site with operators and our field teams, observing real workflows, testing prototypes and bringing what you learn back into the product
Work closely with product, engineering and field teams to prototype, ship and keep improving what we've built
What We're Looking For
5+ years building and shipping complex production frontends
Strong production-level React, TypeScript, JavaScript, HTML and CSS, with the ability to independently build and ship complex frontend applications
Exceptional product design and UX judgment, strong visual design skills and fluency in Figma
Hands-on daily use of AI tools like Claude Code or Codex to prototype and ship faster, with the depth to review, debug and own everything that goes to production
A track record of owning products or significant features end to end, from design through engineering and deployment
Experience designing complex workflows or data-rich applications, such as dashboards, planning tools or decision-support software, and making them intuitive
Experience designing AI-driven or data-driven products where users need to understand, trust and act on what the system tells them
Experience building 0→1 products, including establishing a design system and frontend standards where none existed
A solid grasp of frontend architecture, component libraries, responsive design, accessibility and performance
Curiosity about how physical operations really work, and a willingness to go to site to find out
A builder's mentality: comfortable with ambiguity, quick to move, clear on when something is good enough to ship, and proud of the quality of what you ship
Nice to Have
Experience in mining, resources, energy, logistics or other industrial settings
Experience with offline-first, mobile or field-based applications
Experience with real-time data or agentic workflows
Experience as an early hire at a startup
How We Work
We value speed, clarity, and technical rigor. We favor simple systems over clever ones, prototypes over over-planning, and ownership over handoffs. You’ll work directly with founders and ship things that matter quickly.
Location & Work Model
This is a hybrid role with regular in-person collaboration in Los Angeles or the San Francisco Bay Area. We are not a remote-only company.
Work Authorization
Candidates must be authorized to work in the country where this role is based. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
Benefits & Eligibility
This position is eligible for Skiffra’s standard benefits, including health insurance and retirement plans, and may also qualify for participation in the Company’s bonus and incentive programs.
Equal Opportunity
Skiffra is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.