Описание

IDEO San Francisco is looking for a Senior Software Design Lead to architect human and technical systems for digital products and AI experiences, build production-like prototypes, and serve as a trusted technical voice for client CTOs.

Responsibilities

Work with product designers, product strategists, and design researchers on 8-12+ week digital product engagements, spanning from product vision to end-to-end build
Play a key role in turning human insights into technical architecture: data, APIs, integrations, and the agentic layer
Build early prototypes with real data, models, and integrations to facilitate quick learning and lower risk
Advise client executives and engineering teams on tech stack choices, build-vs-buy decisions, evaluating APIs and LLMs, and feasibility
Design how agents and systems behave on a human's behalf, including guardrails, failure states, and system legibility for people and machines
Raise the craft bar inside IDEO, create reusable starter kits and toolkits, and coach designers who prototype in code
Help shape proposals and scope technical work in business development

Requirements

6-8+ years as a software engineer shipping production software, ideally at growth-stage or established tech companies where speed and scale both mattered, taking products from concept to launch
1-2+ years as an engineering lead or solutions architect: scoping, estimating, and planning projects, and making architecture decisions others build on, with a systems-level thinking approach
Deep software fundamentals, including systems design, data modeling, APIs, and tradeoffs around performance, security, and scale
Fluency in a modern stack (e.g., TypeScript, React, Python, Node; AWS, GCP, Azure)
Hands-on building with LLMs (tool use, agents, retrieval, evals) and advanced prototyping, turning concepts into working software quickly with real data and integrations, maintaining quality beyond vibe coding
A track record of working closely with product, design, and data
Curiosity about people and a desire to learn how the craft of software intersects with product and design
Use prototypes as a way to think, not just to deliver
Strong communication and storytelling: architecture diagrams, system maps, and presentations that make technical recommendations clear and persuasive to executives and engineering leaders

Nice to have

Comfort with Figma, design systems, and front-end craft
Client-facing or consulting experience, or taking part in UX research
Experience with hardware or connected devices (Arduino, IoT)

We offer

Opportunity to learn design from a leading design and innovation firm
Work across many problem spaces and industries
Shape the question from day one instead of receiving a spec
Base salary range for this role is $130,000-150,000 USD
Full-time position eligible for employee benefits
Hybrid model: Team members based in the San Francisco Bay Area are expected to work in the studio on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with flexibility based on client travel, project needs, and deliverables
Candidates based outside the Bay Area are not expected to be in the studio regularly, but should be available to travel as needed for IDEO and client work
Health Benefits: Vision, Dental, Healthcare
Financial Benefits: 401K with Employer Contribution
Family & Caregiving: Parental Leave, Adoption Assistance, Fertility Assistance, Transgender Medical Assistance, Breastmilk shipment, Back-up/Dependent Care, Pet Insurance
Other Benefits: Flexible Work, Flexible Time Off, Paid Holidays, Annual Education Stipend, Home Office Stipend, Commuter Reimbursement, and Phone & Internet Reimbursement

Hiring process

Submit a Résumé, LinkedIn + Cover Letter (Optional)
Submit GitHub or two to three work samples (code, architecture docs, side projects or technical writing)
Provide a short response of about 300 words to: "Tell us about a technical decision you made that shaped how people experienced a product. What were the tradeoffs, and what would you do differently today?”