UX Lead / Senior Product Designer (Modeling & Simulation)

About Code Metal Code Metal is redefining code translation for mission-critical industries, helping defense partners move more quickly and reliably from algorithm to silicon. Our platform accelerates deployment of DSP, RF, communications, and embedded signal processing algorithms onto heterogeneous compute targets, including GPUs, FPGAs, ASICs, and edge SoCs. We also support automotive, aerospace, and semiconductor partners deploying complex algorithms onto constrained hardware with speed and rigor.

We are hiring a UX Lead / Senior Product Designer who will own the end-to-end design experience for mission critical platforms— translating complex geospatial, simulation, and mission-data workflows into interfaces that operators, analysts, and engineers can actually use.

The Role

This product operates at the intersection of high-fidelity simulation, geospatial data, and real-time decision-making — environments where poor UX has direct operational consequences. We're looking for a UX Lead who can take dense, domain-specific requirements from operators, engineers, and mission planners and turn them into clear, performant, and intuitive workflows.

This is not a pixel-pushing role. You will function as a peer to the Product Manager — shaping how the product works, not just how it looks. You will conduct user research with hard-to-reach domain experts, run design sprints, own the design system, and ensure the frontend team has clear, implementable specifications to build against.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end UX for a complex, data-dense geospatial and simulation platform — from early concept through production-ready design specifications.

• Conduct user research with domain experts including operators, analysts, and mission planners. Surface mental models, workflow requirements, and pain points that users may not be able to articulate directly.

• Translate highly technical, domain-specific requirements into clear interaction patterns, information architectures, and user workflows.

• Build and iterate on prototypes (low to high fidelity) in close collaboration with the Product Manager — moving quickly from concept to testable artifact.

• Own the design system. Define and maintain consistent, implementable UI standards that the frontend engineering team can build against with confidence.

• Partner closely with frontend engineers to ensure design intent is executed correctly. Participate in implementation reviews and catch fidelity gaps early.

• Facilitate design reviews and research readouts with technical and non-technical stakeholders — including engineers, product leads, and customer teams.

• Manage and mentor UI/UX Designers and Researchers as the team grows, setting quality standards and design process.

• Contribute to product strategy. Bring user insight into roadmap conversations and advocate for decisions grounded in research, not assumptions.

• Document design decisions and rationale to support cross-functional alignment and institutional knowledge.

Requirements

• Strong user research skills — proficiency in interviews, contextual inquiry, usability testing, and synthesizing findings into actionable design direction.

• Demonstrated experience designing data-dense or geospatial interfaces — maps, dashboards, operational displays, or similar complex information environments.

• Proficiency in Figma, including prototyping, component libraries, and design system management.

• Ability to work in ambiguous, domain-heavy environments where users cannot always articulate what they need — comfort turning incomplete requirements into clear design hypotheses.

• Excellent communication and facilitation skills. Able to run a design review or research readout with engineers, PMs, and customer stakeholders equally effectively.

• Experience working closely with a Product Manager as a peer — contributing to product thinking, not just executing on specifications.

• Strong written communication skills for documenting design rationale, research findings, and workflow logic.

• Comfort operating with high autonomy in a fast-moving environment with evolving requirements.

• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in UX design, product design, or human factors engineering.

• Experience designing for defense, aerospace, government, or other mission-critical software environments.

• Familiarity with military operator workflows, mission planning interfaces, or command-and-control systems.

• Experience designing for or within classified environments (SCIFs, air-gapped networks) where standard tooling and collaboration methods may be restricted.

• Understanding of accessibility standards in operational or low-light environments.

• Exposure to frontend engineering concepts (React, component libraries) sufficient to communicate implementation constraints with engineers.

• Active U.S. security clearance (Secret or Top Secret).

• Experience building or scaling a design system from early-stage to production.

Benefits

• Pay depends on experience, but we strive to be at the upper end of the salary range

• Health care plan with 100% premium coverage, including medical, dental, and vision

• 401k with 5% matching

• Paid Time Off (uncapped vacation, plus sick and public holidays)

• Flexible hybrid or remote work arrangement

• Relocation assistance for qualifying employees

Wage Transparency - The salary range for this role is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as the final offer amount may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, individual proficiency, skills, experience, and location.

We are an equal opportunity employer. US Citizenship may be required for certain project assignments involving security clearance.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.