Product Designer, Defense

About the role

You will own the end-to-end design strategy for developer tools that underpin critical defense and autonomy missions. This role places you at the forefront of physical AI, where your work directly influences mission success and national security outcomes. You will architect user experiences for sophisticated software platforms that enable the development, testing, and deployment of autonomous systems in demanding operational environments. Your responsibilities include navigating the intersection of hardware, software, and real-time simulation to create intuitive interfaces for complex command and control applications. You will partner with engineers and defense experts to ensure the products you build are not only functional but also resilient and reliable under pressure. A core part of your role will involve advocating for rigorous testing and research methodologies to validate that the products meet stringent user needs. Ultimately, you will define the standard for how defense personnel interact with cutting-edge autonomy technology through thoughtful and precise design.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Lead the end-to-end design process from concept to launch, including user research, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and visual design for defense-focused products.
• Translate complex operational requirements and technical constraints into elegant, user-centric design solutions that address the needs of military and commercial defense customers.
• Develop high-fidelity mockups and interactive prototypes that effectively communicate design ideas, facilitate stakeholder feedback, and validate usability in simulated environments.
• Conduct immersive user research with both commercial and defense personnel to deeply understand their workflows, pain points, and operational needs in mission-critical scenarios.
• Collaborate iteratively with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and defense subject matter experts, to refine designs and ensure alignment with technical feasibility.
• Contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a consistent design system that ensures usability, scalability, and coherence across multiple products and touchpoints.
• Advocate for the user throughout the product development lifecycle, ensuring that products remain intuitive, efficient, and reliable under demanding and high-stakes conditions.
• Partner with enables engineers to explore emerging technologies and translate technical possibilities into practical design opportunities for defense applications.
• Define and own key interaction flows for real-time simulation, geospatial data visualization, and 3D environments within the context of defense and autonomy platforms.
• Establish research frameworks and testing protocols to gather qualitative and quantitative insights that inform design decisions and validate product hypotheses.
• Synthesize complex user needs and technical requirements into clear design specifications and documentation for engineering teams.
• Continuously evaluate competitor and industry solutions to identify best practices and opportunities for innovation in the defense technology space.
• Work closely with product managers to prioritize features and design initiatives based on user impact, technical constraints, and mission objectives.
• Ensure all design outputs are aligned with security requirements and compliance standards relevant to defense and government clients.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen.
• Must hold or be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.
• Possess 4+ years of professional experience as a Product Designer, UX Designer, or similar role focused on complex software applications.
• Demonstrate experience working on automotive products, video game UX, or similar interactive, real-time simulation interfaces that demand complex input schemes and visual feedback.
• Present a strong portfolio that showcases a solid understanding of user-centered design principles, interaction design, and visual design across a range of form factors, including desktop and mobile.
• Show proficiency with industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Figma.
• Exhibit excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions to diverse audiences including technical and executive stakeholders.
• Demonstrate the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative, and technically demanding environment while managing multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• Have direct experience establishing, running, and collating user research to drive design decisions in complex systems.
• Display a deep commitment to designing for safety, reliability, and usability in environments where failure is not an option.
• Understand the challenges of designing for users operating in high-stress, time-sensitive, and mission-critical contexts.
• Have a proven track record of collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams, including engineering, product management, and domain experts.
• Be comfortable working within structured processes while maintaining the creativity needed to solve complex design problems.
• Show an understanding of the unique constraints and requirements inherent in defense and government technology projects.

Nice to have

• Experience with 3D visualization, geospatial data, or real-time data display.
• Knowledge of military operations, doctrines, or specific defense technologies.
• Active U.S. Government security clearance.

Practical notes

This is an in-office role, and the expectation is that employees work primarily from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, flexibility is recognized, allowing for occasional remote work, such as starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier to accommodate family commitments. Applicants must be willing to work from the Sunnyvale office as the primary location. Travel may be required in connection with business needs. This role requires U.S. citizenship and the ability to maintain a U.S. security clearance. Only candidates who meet the security requirements will be considered.