UX Product Designer, National Security

Skydio•San Mateo, CA

9d•$150,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Skydio is seeking a UX Product Designer to join their team, focusing on autonomous flight technology for national security applications. This role involves designing critical interfaces that bridge human operators and advanced AI hardware, translating complex technology into intuitive, reliable, and beautiful user experiences. The designer will be responsible for creating trust-based interactions for professionals operating in high-stakes environments, ensuring system transparency and operator confidence. The position requires a passionate craftsperson comfortable with complex features, cross-platform experiences (Web, Mobile, Ground Control Stations), and a high bar for detail. The designer will collaborate closely with Design Leadership, Product Managers, and Engineers to map out Critical User Journeys (CUJs) and design interfaces that improve operator decision-making in tactical workflows.

Requirements

3-6 years of hands-on UX/UI product design experience.
Experience translating product requirements into clear design concepts and specifications for engineering.
Ability to operate in ambiguous spaces where no existing design patterns exist.
Experience exploring solutions through research, building prototypes, and running user studies.
Portfolio demonstrating exceptionally high bar for visual design, complex systems architecture, and attention to detail.
Experience designing for technical tools used in the real world (e.g., mapping or navigation apps, tools connecting to physical devices, complex multi-step workflows).
Actively integrate AI into daily workflow and excitement for AI blurring traditional role lines.
Ability to rapidly build prototypes to prove out concepts before engineering writes code.

Nice To Haves

Experience designing for the national security/defense vertical.
Experience with mapping or navigation apps.
Experience with tools that connect to physical devices (IoT/hardware).
Experience with complex, multi-step workflows.

Responsibilities

Own the UX execution for key features on core platforms, including remote operations.
Build interfaces for autonomous flying robots that foster operator trust, confidence, reliability, and system transparency.
Tackle complex challenges with no existing playbook, designing interfaces for remote hardware sensing, 3D spatial awareness, and AI-driven missions.
Effectively communicate user needs and frame complex problems, presenting design solutions with user data and system logic.
Bring uncompromising attention to detail and craftsmanship, building high-fidelity prototypes and leveraging AI tools.
Participate in on-site customer visits to understand high-stress environments and inform design decisions.