Product Designer

About the role

Cradle builds software that allows biologists to apply machine learning to protein design without needing to become ML specialists. The work involves translating highly technical scientific workflows into a single coherent product experience. You will own features from initial problem framing through to shipped screens, partnering closely with platform engineers throughout.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Take features from early problem definition through research, concept development, implementation, and iteration
• Maintain and grow the design system, adding new components when patterns justify them
• Define edge cases, error states, and content variability so handoffs are clear and buildable
• Collaborate daily with platform engineers to ensure shipped work matches the design intent
• Partner with user research to understand how scientists actually work and where friction exists

Requirements

• Portfolio demonstrating designs that survived engineering implementation, not just polished mockups
• Experience designing complex, data-heavy product surfaces and simplifying unfamiliar domains into understandable flows
• Track record building and maintaining a design system with good judgment on when consistency matters more than perfect structure
• Strong Figma skills including auto-layout, variables, and component architecture
• Ability to work closely with engineers and design solutions that are practical to build
• Openness to feedback and willingness to iterate toward the best outcome
• Comfort moving from ambiguous problems to concrete flows without detailed specifications

Nice to have

• Experience designing software for scientists or researchers
• Familiarity with TypeScript, React, or CSS
• Comfort with developer tools such as Git
• Interest in or background in computational biology, bioinformatics, or machine learning

Skills & tools

• Figma (auto-layout, variables, component architecture)
• Design systems
• User research collaboration
• Data-dense interface design

Practical notes

• Cradle has offices in Amsterdam, Boston, and Zurich with some remote colleagues
• Competitive salary, generous equity, and a range of benefits and career growth opportunities
• All candidates evaluated on merit with a human-led review process
• Job offers are made only after in-person meetings at the Zurich or Amsterdam office