Design Engineer (f/m/x)

TL;DR — Construction software looks like it was designed in 2000. Because most of it was. As our Design Engineer, you define how alago looks, feels and behaves — and you ship it yourself, in React. Full-time, Munich.
Why this role exists
Construction software looks like it was designed in 2000. Because most of it actually was.
We're building something different. AI-powered, yes. But also: actually intuitive. Actually something a 60-year-old project manager in the office and a 19-year-old worker on site both want to open.
Construction deserves software that doesn't suck. You'll help build it.
alago is a year old — eleven people, 20+ customers, a €1M+ pre-seed from leading construction-tech VCs and one of Germany's largest project developers. You'll define our visual identity in month 12–24 of the company. That window closes fast.
Tasks
What you'll actually do
* Think through user requirements and draft PRDs.
* Prototype new features: In Figma, Claude Design or straight in code, and contribute to the specs so the team ships fast
* Ship production UI: Work directly in our frontend (React, TypeScript, Tailwind, shadcn) to build the interfaces you designed. No handoff, no telephone game.
* Build design system: Components in Figma, tokens and the real ones in code, so every engineer ships cohesive UI faster
* Learn from users: Watch what actually confuses construction teams, then fix it
Requirements
Must-haves
* C1 German: you'll talk to German construction project managers directly
* UX/UI proficiency: components, prototyping, systems thinking
* Real frontend fundamentals: React, TypeScript, Tailwind (or the equivalents you've worked in): component architecture, state, responsive layout, and enough instinct for performance to know when something will break
* A portfolio of complex software UI you both designed and built. Dense, real, hard problems. Not landing pages.
* Obsessive about the details: Alignment, type, motion curves, layout shift
Bonus
* You have strong opinions about products you love and hate, and you notice details other people miss
* Experience with Figma MCP, Cursor or Lovable
* Past work in B2B SaaS or complex enterprise tools
* You've built a design system from zero
Not a match on every line? Apply anyway — show us what you've built.
Benefits
You'll be our first design engineering hire, which means you own critical parts of the product end to end and work directly with the founders. It's early enough that you help decide how the company works, and the path from here goes to either top individual contributor or leading design engineering / product as we grow, depending on where you're strongest. Competive compensation with equity.
Hybrid: three days a week in our central Munich office (WERK1)
Plus: Wellpass, team dinners twice a week, relocation support.
How hiring works
Three stages, no endless loops.
1. A 20-minute intro call to see whether we are on the same page
2. A 30-minute call with Vinzenz, our technical co-founder.
3. An onsite case study in Munich. We send the materials ahead (plan on about 2-3 hours of prep), then we work through it together in the office. This is where we see how you think, design, and debug under real conditions.
Offer decided within 24 hours of the case study, out within 48.