10+ years of experience designing digital products with minimal direction.
Proficient in AI tools like Cursor and Claude Code, with a track record of shipping prototypes or production code.
Experience in both web and native mobile design, with a mobile-first mindset.
Demonstrated ability to create scalable frameworks or design systems adopted by teams.
Fluency in Figma, including components, auto layout, and visual design principles.
Proactive problem-solver who takes initiative and follows through.
Responsibilities
Lead the renter experience across web and mobile platforms, ensuring quality and coherence.
Balance maintenance of existing features with the development of new innovations.
Establish design standards and patterns for other designers to follow.
Prototype using AI tools, integrating them with existing components for engineering use.
Incorporate AI into daily workflows and adapt to new tools quickly.
Influence product direction based on user data and insights, gaining buy-in from stakeholders.
Mentor fellow designers through critique and collaboration without direct management.
Benefits
Competitive compensation including pre-IPO stock options.
100% medical, dental, and vision premiums covered for employees and dependents.
Unlimited flexible time off plus additional holidays and recharge days.
Home office reimbursement for furniture, supplies, and internet.
Health and wellness reimbursement for gym memberships or qualifying expenses.
Generous parental support and family leave benefits.
401k plan to assist with retirement goals.
Exclusive mortgage rates and expert guidance for homeownership.
Frequent team-building events and company meetups.
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.
Opportunities for mentorship and professional development.
Visibility and impact on strategic initiatives that transform the business.
Full Job Description
The Job
Lead Core, end to end
Lead the renter experience across web, mobile web, and native iOS and Android. You're accountable for its coherence, quality, and direction.
Balance maintenance and invention. Core carries real traffic and real revenue, so you improve what exists as much as you build what's next, and you know which one a given week calls for.
Set the craft bar: visual, interaction, and systems. Create the patterns and standards other senior designers calibrate against.
Build AI-forward
Prototype in Cursor and Claude Code until it's functionally real, not just clickable. Wire it to our actual components, variables, and tokens so engineering builds from your prototype instead of starting over. Engineering drives architecture, performance, and the merge.
Make AI a default part of how you work. Form a point of view on what's working and fold new tools into your process the week they land.
Lead through influence
Bring a point of view on where Core should head, grounded in renters, data, and taste, and get senior product, engineering, and executive partners behind it.
Find problems nobody handed you. Use qualitative and quantitative research and experiments to decide what's worth building, and change your mind when users tell you to.
Mentor without managing. Raise the level of every designer you work with through critique, pairing, and example, and finish what you start.
What makes you right for this
Must Haves
10+ years designing digital products, owning ambiguous, cross-functional problems with minimal direction.
You build with AI in real work. You've shipped working prototypes or production code with tools like Cursor or Claude Code, and you can say what the AI got right, where it fell short, and how you validated it.
You've shipped on both web and native mobile, and you think mobile-first.
Your work has scaled beyond you. A framework, pattern library, starter kit, or standard that other designers or teams adopted. We look at scope, not title.
Craft you can show: Figma fluency (auto layout, components, variables, systems), plus visual design, typography, interaction, and motion that others copy.
You act without being told: you spot problems, decide, follow through to resolution, and know when to say no.
Nice to have
A two-sided marketplace at real scale.
Partnering directly with C-suite leaders on product direction.
A side project taken from idea to launch
Here's the Pay Range:
At Apartment List, we carefully consider a variety of factors to determine compensation for each position, including the role, level, and work. The US base salary range for this position is:
Zone 1: $222,000 - $269,000 TTC (including $195,600 - $237,000 base salary) + equity
Zone 2: $205,000 - $249,000 TTC (including $181,000 - $219,000 base salary) + equity
Zone 3: $189,000 - $229,000 TTC (including $166,000 - $201,000 base salary) + equity
This reflects the compensation target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Please note, the compensation details provided do not include benefits and perks that we offer.
We also rely on market indicators along with considering your work location, job related skills, experience and relevant education and training, to determine compensation that is fair and competitive for you. Apartment List will consider paying compensation near the higher of the range in exceptional circumstances, where candidates have the experience, credentials or expertise that would warrant such consideration. It is always our goal to hire exceptional talent and we would be happy to share more about compensation during the hiring process.
Here's what's in it for you (full-time US based employees only; does not apply to contract roles):
Competitive Compensation: Including annual salary, pre-IPO stock options, and other financial compensation (if applicable)
Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage: 100% of premiums covered for you AND all of your dependents
Unlimited Flexible Time Off: Unlimited FTO in addition to 12 company holidays per year, quarterly "recharge" days, and a week-long holiday break
Home Office Reimbursement: To cover home office furniture and supplies, monthly home internet, and monthly cell phone (if applicable)
Health & Wellness Reimbursement: To cover monthly gym membership or other qualifying expenses
Parental Support: Generous parental and family leave, fertility benefits, and employer-sponsored stipends towards family forming services
401k Plan: To support you in your individual retirement goals
Homeownership & Mortgage Savings: Access exclusive mortgage rates up to 1% below retail lenders and free 1:1 expert guidance.
Team Events: Frequent team-building events, fun team off-sites, and bi-annual company meetups
Commitment to DEI: To prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within our workplace and to stay true to our values and mission
Mentorship and Training: To get you onboard quickly, learn new professional skills, and invest in your career development
Impact and Visibility: To expose you to and provide the opportunity to work on highly strategic initiatives that will transform the business
Encouragement and Empowerment: To explore and adopt new technologies and drive meaningful decisions and outcomes
About Apartment List
Apartment List is a platform that connects renters with apartment listings through an online marketplace. The company was founded in 2011 by John Kobs and Chris Erickson. The platform allows renters to search for apartments based on various criteria such as location, price, and amenities. Apartment List also provides tools for renters to schedule tours, apply for apartments, and pay rent online. The company has raised over $200 million in funding and has partnerships with over 5,000 property management companies. Apartment List has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing companies in the US by Inc. Magazine and Deloitte.
