design engineer

⚠️ Please read first

• This is a full-time, in-person role based in San Francisco (Presidio) - we work from the office 5 days a week.

• You must be based in the Bay Area or willing to relocate before starting.

• We require US work authorisation, but are open to O-1 visa sponsorship for truly exceptional candidates.

About Wordware

Wordware is an IDE for building AI agents using natural language.

It looks and feels like Notion, but lets you design, test, and deploy AI systems in real time - without writing code.

Our mission is to bring structure and joy to human–AI collaboration.

We’re building a generational company that empowers the next billion knowledge workers to create with AI - not by writing code, but by expressing intent.

We’re backed by Spark Capital, Felicis, and Y Combinator ($30M seed round - the largest in YC history).

We work hard, move fast, and don’t take ourselves too seriously. It’s intense, but it’s also fun - at Wordware, you’ll do the best work of your life alongside people you genuinely like.

design engineering @ wordware

tl;dr we need someone who can both design and code interfaces that make complex AI development feel intuitive. you'll create and implement UI/UX for our editor that balances power with simplicity.

the bigger picture: we're building an IDE that feels like Notion but has the power of VSCode. our users range from developers to non-technical domain experts. our interface needs to make AI development accessible without sacrificing functionality.

what you'll actually be doing:

• designing and implementing interfaces for our text editor and IDE

• creating micro-interactions that make the experience fluid and intuitive

• building with TypeScript/Next.js, not just making designs

• balancing simplicity with power in every interface decision

• implementing keyboard shortcuts and UI affordances that feel natural

• turning complex AI workflows into intuitive experiences

you should probably:

• have both technical skills and design sensibility

• be comfortable with TypeScript and React

• understand what makes developer tools actually usable

• care deeply about user experience and interaction design

• be able to implement your own designs in code

• have experience building complex front-end interfaces

it's a bonus if you:

• have a formal background in both design and computer science

• have experience with text editors or IDE development

• understand collaborative editing challenges

real talk:

• this role requires both design and coding skills - not just one

• you'll work directly with the founding team

• your work will shape how people build with AI

• we need thoughtful, practical solutions, not just pretty mockups