Design Engineer

ABOUT RETELL AI

Retell AI is using first-principles thinking to reimagine the call center with cutting-edge voice AI. Thousands of companies now use Retell's AI voice agents to handle sales, support, and logistics calls that once required large teams of human agents. Backed by Y Combinator, Alt Capital, and other leading investors, we've scaled to $80M in ARR with a team of 50, up from $5M at the start of 2025, and are now valued at over $1.5B.

Our vision for 2026 is to build a modern CX platform where entire contact centers are powered by AI. Instead of basic automation that needs constant human tuning, we're creating intelligent AI “workers” that act as frontline agents, QA analysts, and managers, continuously executing, monitoring, and improving every customer interaction.

We're growing fast and looking for ambitious builders who want to tackle hard technical problems, move quickly, and have a real impact on one of the fastest-growing voice AI companies in the world.

Let's build the future together.

Recent recognition:

• No. 1 Best Places to Work in the Bay Area, San Francisco Business Times 2026 https://finance.yahoo.com/technology/ai/articles/voice-ai-startup-retell-ai-145200025.html

• Top 50 AI Apps, a16z (2025) https://a16z.com/the-ai-application-spending-report-where-startup-dollars-really-go/

• #3 Fastest-Growing Software Company, G2 Best Software Awards 2026 https://company.g2.com/news/g2s-2026-best-software-awards

• Best Agentic AI Software, G2 Best Software Awards 2026 https://www.retellai.com/blog/retell-ai-recognized-as-the-best-agentic-ai-software-by-g2

• #4 Fastest-Growing Software Vendor, Brex Benchmark 2025 https://www.brex.com/journal/brex-benchmark-december-2025

• Enterprise Tech 30 Class of 2026, Nasdaq & Wing VC https://www.nasdaq.com/videos/retell-ai

• Top-Ranked Startup, Lean AI Leaderboard https://leanaileaderboard.com/

• Backed by Y Combinator https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/retell-ai

 

ABOUT THE ROLE

Retell AI transforms customer experience with voice AI for enterprises, including customers like CVS/Aetna, American Airlines, Lenovo, and Grab. We have more customer stories than we can tell!

Retell is hiring a Design Engineer to own the bridge between design and code.

You will build and maintain our design system, prototype in code, implement UI primitives, and ensure that what ships looks exactly like what was designed. AI tools are a first-class part of how you work, not a side experiment. You will collaborate closely with our product designer and work across the engineering team to raise the quality bar on every product surface.

This is a role for someone who cares as much about the craft as the output. You ship real components to a real product used by thousands of companies running AI voice agents at scale.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work AI-first: use Cursor and Claude Code as your starting point for component work, with your own judgment refining quality

• Build and own the Retell design system: component library, Storybook, design tokens, and Figma variables

• Prototype in React and TypeScript and test with real users before full systemization

• Translate Figma designs into production-grade components with pixel-level accuracy

• Own design-code parity across Retell's core product: dashboard, agent config, CRM views

• Review frontend PRs for visual quality, not just functionality

• Document and share AI-native prompts and workflows with the design and engineering team

• Partner with the product designer to evolve the visual language as the product scales

 

YOU MIGHT THRIVE IF

• You have built or significantly contributed to a design system at a real product

• You are fluent in Figma and know how to maintain a component library at scale

• You write clean React + TypeScript and care about component API design

• You actively use Cursor, Claude Code, or similar tools and have clear opinions on how to get good output

• You prototype in code rather than waiting for pixel-perfect specs

• You notice when spacing is off and can't leave it alone

• Designers and engineers both love working with you

• You thrive in fast-moving products where specs evolve mid-build

 

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Must have

• Strong Figma skills: component library, variables, auto layout

• Solid frontend: HTML, CSS, React, TypeScript

• Experience building and maintaining UI component libraries

• Design systems knowledge: tokens, spacing, visual consistency at scale

• Active use of AI coding tools with clear opinions on where they help and where they don't

• Has shipped real components to production products

Nice to have

• Experience with Storybook

• Motion and interaction design sensibility

• Familiarity with accessibility standards

• Background at a design-forward SaaS company

• Interest in mentoring others on AI-native workflows

HOW WE EVALUATE

We care less about where you went to school and more about:

• Whether you have actually owned a design system, not just contributed to one

• Whether your components are clean, reusable, and visually accurate

• Whether you use AI tools fluently and can show us how

• Whether designers and engineers both want to work with you

• Whether you sweat the details that make products feel polished

JOB DETAILS

• Cash: 180k - 300k

• Equity: Equity Provided

• Location: Redwood City, CA, US

• US Visas: Retell AI is open to sponsoring work authorization for qualified candidates, including H1B/H-1B, TN, L-1, E-3, F-1 (OPT/CPT), and O-1 visas.

OTHER BENEFITS

• 100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision insurance

• $70/day DoorDash credit for unlimited breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks

• $200/month wellness reimbursement (gym, fitness classes, etc.)

• $300/month commuter reimbursement (gas, Caltrain, etc.)

• $75/month phone bill reimbursement

• $50/month internet reimbursement

 

COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY

• Best Offer Upfront: Choose from three cash-equity balance options; no negotiation needed.

• Top 1% Talent: Above-market pay (top 5 percentile) to attract exceptional builders.

• High Ownership: Small teams, >$1M revenue/employee, and significant equity.

• Performance-Based: Offers tied to interview performance, not experience or past salaries.

 

INTERVIEW PROCESS

• Stage 1: Recruiter intro call (30 min)

• Stage 2: Hiring manager experience screening + portfolio review (45 min)

• Stage 3: Live technical exercise, component build and walkthrough (60 min)

• Stage 4: Final onsite with cross-functional team (2 hours)