Founding Product Designer

Urban Ridge Supplies • New York, NY

14d • Onsite

About The Position

52 Limited is partnering with a venture-backed hospitality technology startup to hire a Founding Designer for its growing team in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The company is building an AI-native software platform for independent hotels, resorts, and boutique properties to grow revenue, streamline operations, and improve guest experiences.

The Founding Designer will shape both the software hotel operators use and the digital experiences their guests see. The role spans complex product interfaces, consumer-facing websites, reusable website and email templates, and scalable design systems. Working directly with founders, engineers, and customers, the designer will have significant ownership over design direction at an early-stage company.

This is a full-time, onsite opportunity based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with an expectation of working in the office four to five days per week. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. A portfolio link is required and must demonstrate both product UI/UX design and consumer-facing website design, ideally with shipped work and clearly identified individual contributions. Formal credentials are not required.

Requirements

• Strong product design fundamentals, including UX/UI design, information architecture, interaction design, visual design, prototyping, and design systems.
• Exceptional visual design skills and a strong understanding of typography, layout, hierarchy, composition, imagery, and interaction.
• Demonstrated experience designing both complex software products and polished consumer-facing websites.
• Hands-on experience building and launching responsive websites using code or modern website-building platforms.
• A portfolio demonstrating shipped product experiences and compelling web design, with clear examples of individual contributions.
• Experience owning design projects from initial problem definition through launch and iteration.
• Ability to simplify complex workflows while maintaining functionality and usability.
• Strong technical collaboration skills and an understanding of front-end development constraints.
• Experience designing responsive experiences, including navigation, accessibility, loading states, and error handling.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to articulate design decisions and incorporate feedback.
• Comfort working independently in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities.
• Authorization to work in the United States.
• Portfolio link included on the resume or provided with the application, demonstrating product UI/UX and consumer-facing website design and clearly identifying individual contributions.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in hospitality, travel, ecommerce, marketplaces, or consumer technology.
• Experience designing B2B SaaS platforms, operational software, or workflow tools.
• Experience creating configurable website templates, themes, or multi-brand design systems.
• Experience designing and developing responsive HTML email templates.
• Front-end development experience with HTML, CSS, React, or TypeScript.
• Experience with AI-native products, agentic workflows, or AI-assisted design tools.
• Previous startup, founding team, agency, or independent consulting experience.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end product design, from discovery and research through information architecture, interaction design, prototyping, implementation, and iteration.
• Simplify complex hospitality workflows involving revenue, marketing, guest management, and operations into intuitive user experiences.
• Design AI-native interfaces that help users delegate tasks, review outputs, and maintain control over automated workflows.
• Design and build compelling, responsive websites that communicate a brand's story and drive engagement and conversion.
• Develop reusable website templates and components that can be customized across hotel brands, properties, and content.
• Create visually engaging email templates for marketing campaigns and guest communications.
• Establish scalable design systems across software interfaces, websites, and email experiences.
• Collaborate with founders, engineers, and customers to translate business needs into polished, functional experiences.
• Stay involved through development and implementation to ensure design quality carries through to the finished product.
• Use customer feedback and performance data to improve usability, engagement, and conversion.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and meaningful equity participation.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Lunch and fitness stipends.
• Beautiful waterfront office in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
• Direct collaboration with experienced founders and a highly engaged engineering team.
• Significant creative ownership and the opportunity to establish design foundations from the ground up.
• The chance to help shape an AI-native technology platform and the digital experiences of independent hospitality businesses.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed