Design Engineer

Lapel, Inc

$100K — $150K *
Consumer Technology
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 3+ years of experience in building product interfaces with ownership of both design and frontend aspects
  • Proficiency in React, JavaScript/TypeScript, and component-based architecture
  • Strong design sensibility, particularly in typography, spacing, and visual hierarchy
  • Fluent in Figma for high-fidelity design and prototyping workflows
  • Ability to understand and implement effective motion design
  • Experience shipping production quality code used by real users
  • Collaborative mindset with a focus on quality execution
  • Passionate about usability and creating delightful user experiences

Responsibilities

  • Own end-to-end implementation of product interfaces from Figma to production-ready code
  • Design and develop a scalable design system with reusable components
  • Collaborate closely with product founders to shape UX and iterate in designs
  • Build polished and responsive interfaces with attention to detail
  • Create interactive prototypes to test and validate design decisions
  • Write clean and maintainable frontend code using modern tools and practices
  • Ensure every interface prioritizes performance and accessibility

Benefits

  • Competitive salary with meaningful early-stage equity
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, vision coverage, and a 401(k) plan
  • Generous time-off policy including numerous holidays and coordinated team breaks
  • Daily office meals including lunch and dinner, along with snacks
  • Promotes a healthy team culture with regular off-sites and fast feedback loops
Full Job Description
About This Role

This is a role for someone who cares as much about how it looks as how it's built, and won't let either one slip. You'll own Lapel's interfaces from concept through implementation, build the design system the product scales on, and be expected to bring craft and technical rigor to everything you touch.

What You'll Do
  • Own end-to-end implementation of product interfaces from Figma to production-ready code
  • Design and build a scalable design system with reusable, accessible components
  • Collaborate closely with founders and product to shape UX, iterating in both Figma and code
  • Build polished, responsive interfaces with strong attention to typography, spacing, motion, and interaction
  • Create interactive prototypes to validate design decisions before full implementation
  • Write clean, maintainable frontend code using React, TypeScript, and modern styling approaches
  • Ensure performance and accessibility are built into every interface
  • Set and uphold a high bar for craft, quality, and user experience across the product
  • Ship quickly from concept to production while maintaining high standards
Our Stack

Lapel is built end-to-end in TypeScript in a single monorepo.
  • React, Vite, and Tailwind on the frontend;
  • Node.js and Postgres on the backend;
  • Temporal and Pulsar to power orchestration.

We ship quickly, and care about creating a developer experience where anyone can prototype, experiment, and get ideas into production fast.

You'll Thrive in This Role If You
  • Have 3+ years of experience building product interfaces with both design and frontend ownership
  • Are highly proficient in React, JavaScript/TypeScript, and component-based architecture
  • Have strong design sensibility (typography, spacing, color, hierarchy, visual polish)
  • Are fluent in Figma, including high-fidelity design, prototyping, and design systems
  • Understand and implement motion design effectively (animations that enhance UX)
  • Have shipped production code used by real users
  • Think in systems and build scalable, reusable components (not one-offs)
  • Are opinionated about quality but collaborative in execution
  • Move fast while maintaining attention to detail and craft
  • Care deeply about usability, accessibility, and creating delightful experiences


The Process

We aim to hire with intention, respect your time, and offer feedback along the way.
  1. Initial conversation (20 minutes) We'll explore your motivations, share what we're building, and answer your questions.
  2. In-depth interview (45 minutes) We'll go deeper into your craft and experience. No live coding. No prep work necessary.
  3. Take-home project (2-4 hours) You'll complete a short, well-scoped exercise that mirrors the kind of work you'd do here.
  4. On-site visit (1-2 days) Join us in the office to review your take-home, grab lunch, and work on something real.


Compensation and Benefits

We believe great people build great companies - and we invest accordingly.
  • Competitive salary + meaningful early-stage equity
  • Full benefits: medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and commuter benefits
  • Generous time off: many company holidays and coordinated team-wide breaks throughout the year to focus and recharge
  • Office perks: lunch and dinner provided daily, in-office snacks, and health & wellness benefits
  • Team culture: regular off-sites, tight feedback loops, and a bias toward action


Lapel works in person in San Francisco, five days a week, at our office on Market Street. We hire people who'd be restless anywhere else.

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