Y Combinator · 3 weeks ago
Software Product Design Engineer
San Francisco Bay Area
Full-time
Onsite
Mid Level
$250K/yr - $500K/yrY Combinator builds software that runs internal tools and public products for the startup ecosystem. They are seeking a Software Product Design Engineer to design user experiences and translate mocks into production code while collaborating closely with engineers and stakeholders.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Augmented RealityFinanceFinancial ServicesRoboticsVenture Capital
Responsibilities
Design compelling, clear UI/UX and produce high-quality mocks that demonstrate strong product taste
Turn design mocks (yours or others’) into pixel-perfect, production-ready frontends using modern web tech
Iterate on existing interfaces by improving layout, interaction quality, motion, and design consistency
Work closely with engineers, partners, and stakeholders — you’ll own the design and implementation of features end-to-end
Rapidly prototype and “vibe code” to explore ideas, gather feedback, and iterate quickly
Contribute to design systems, component libraries, and patterns that raise the bar for frontend quality across YC
Stay close to users: talk to them, watch how they use the product, and improve the experience based on real signals
Qualification
Required
Strong UX and visual design skills with proven taste and craftsmanship
Frontend engineering experience — comfort building real UI in React, TypeScript, and modern CSS
Ability to move fluidly between design tools (Figma, etc.) and frontend code
A “get things done” mindset: you ship quickly, iterate based on feedback, and take ownership
Someone who cares deeply about polish — from typography and spacing to micro-interactions and transitions
Comfort with ambiguity: you'll often define your own scope and drive things forward with little direction
Preferred
Experience building or maintaining design systems
Contributions to open source UI libraries or design resources
Background in internal tools, admin dashboards, or developer-facing products
Benefits
Medical, vision, and dental plans
Infertility benefit
STD/LTD
Life insurance
Commuter benefits
Flexible spending account
Health savings account
401(k) + 4% matching
Generous parental leave
Paid holidays
Flexible paid time off policy
Company
Y Combinator
Y Combinator is a startup accelerator that invests in a wide range of startups.
Founded in 2005
51-200 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Y Combinator has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2024 (1)
2022 (2)
2021 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageLeadership Team
Garry Tan
President & CEO
Aaron Epstein
General Partner
Recent News
TheRecursive.com
2026-01-25
Venture Capital Firms
2026-01-24
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