Design Engineer

The Role

As a Design Engineer II within the Labs team, you will improve the experience of Tinder by bringing new feature ideas, approaches, and technologies to life through rapid prototyping. We work as a part of a cross-functional team that explores and shapes innovative, exciting ideas into realized concepts. This role requires a deep passion for exploring the pioneering of technology, a love of design, and an ability to strategically navigate sophisticated UX problems with a cross-functional team.

Where you’ll work:

This is a hybrid role and requires in-office collaboration two times per week.

In this role, you will:

• Work on projects that explore new experiences in the dating app space. 
• Develop innovative prototypes using Swift, React, and other sophisticated technologies to simulate responsive and intuitive user experiences. 
• Engage in the full lifecycle of prototyping, from concepting with the team, through user testing, balancing fidelity and speed at each phase. 
• Foster a deep understanding of user needs through iterative design and rapid prototyping, ensuring prototypes meet practical and innovative standards. 
• Use systems thinking to ensure prototypes are scalable and seamlessly integrate with existing Tinder features. 
• Collaborate cross-functionally, communicating prototype goals and design rationale to Product, Design, Research, Analytics, and Engineering teams.
• Serve as a bridge between Design and Engineering, by exploring the limits of “what’s possible.” 
• Continuously explore and integrate new technologies and design trends into prototype development. 
• Take full ownership, demonstrating leadership in setting high standards for collaboration, innovation, and user-centered design within the team. 
• Share progress using tools like JIRA and Monday.com, ensuring transparent communication and effective agile project management. 

You’ll need:

• 2+ years of experience building native iOS and/or React prototypes. 
• A strong background in Design Engineering, with expertise in Swift and/or React, and have worked with lower complexity prototyping tools, such as ProtoPie or Play. 
• A proven track record of developing and iterating on innovative prototypes that significantly impact user engagement and satisfaction. 
• An eye for design details, knowing how to tweak interactions until they shine. 
• Creative problem-solving skills, excelling in overcoming technical and design challenges, developing multiple solutions to sophisticated problems. 
• Work as an excellent teammate, building strong partnerships across various functions, including Design, Product, Research, and Engineering. 
• Articulate sophisticated design and technical concepts clearly to diverse partners. 
• A flexible and adaptable approach, quickly adjusting to changing priorities and embracing new challenges with passion. 
• A mentality that helps foster a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and inclusivity within your team and the broader organization.

Preferred qualifications:

• A portfolio that showcases prototyping projects, including those that explore uncharted territories in the social app space. 
• Experience with sophisticated prototyping tools such as ProtoPie, Framer, or Origami Studio for high-fidelity prototype development. 
• Active participation in the tech community, sharing insights and takeaways related to prototype development and user-centered design. 
• Contributions to developing internal tooling that streamlines the prototyping and design process, improving efficiency for the team. 
• A strong understanding of accessibility and inclusivity standard processes, ensuring your prototypes cater to a diverse user base. 
• An analytical mentality that demonstrates both qualitative and quantitative research to advise design decisions and prototype iterations. 
• Intellectual curiosity that drives continuous learning and exploration of new areas beyond your strengths, contributing to Tinder's innovative culture. 

Commitment to Inclusion

At Tinder, we don’t just accept difference, we celebrate it. We strive to build a workplace that reflects the rich diversity of our members around the world, and we value unique perspectives and backgrounds. Even if you don’t meet all the listed qualifications, we invite you to apply and show us how your skills could transfer. Tinder is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace where we welcome people of all sexes, gender identities, races, ethnicities, disabilities, and other lived experiences. Learn more here: https://www.lifeattinder.com/dei