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At Rec (rec.us), we're reimagining how the world plays, trains, competes, explores and gets outside. Our mission is to empower the entire recreation community to thrive, and our vision is bold: power recreation worldwide.
Booking a tennis court? Signing your kid up for swim lessons? Trying to find an open rec league? It shouldn't feel like filing your taxes. We're partnering with parks & rec departments, golf courses, campgrounds, gyms and more to transform a $105B industry stuck in the Stone Age.
We're not just putting recreation online — we're redesigning it from the ground up, for the mobile-first, AI-powered world we live in.
Who We AreWe're a team with outsized ambition. We've built products and led teams at places like Google, Amazon, Uber Eats, MasterClass, The Athletic and more.
Our AI StrategyRec is the system of record for recreation. Every registration, booking, program, permit, and payment flows through our platform — and we're building AI directly into that surface. That means this isn't just about making existing flows prettier. It's about designing entirely new kinds of experiences: AI-assisted registration, intelligent staff workflows, agents that handle the operational grunt work so parks & rec staff can focus on their communities.
As Lead Designer at Rec, you'll be at the center of that work — figuring out what AI-powered product experiences actually feel like for a family booking swim lessons, or a parks director trying to understand why enrollment is down.
About the RoleThis is a Staff+ IC role, which means we're looking for someone who sets the bar — not just clears it. You'll own design across our most complex and consequential surfaces: the staff-side tools that run recreation facilities day-to-day, the consumer experiences that families interact with, and the design system that ties it all together.
You'll work closely with a small but talented design team, and while you won't have direct reports, you'll naturally elevate the people around you — through great taste, sharp feedback, and a point of view worth following.
What You'll DoOwn end-to-end design across staff-side admin tools, consumer-facing booking and registration experiences, and the design system that scales both.
Lead the design of AI-powered product features — defining what it looks like, feels like, and how it should behave when AI is doing the work.
Build and steward Rec's design system: the components, patterns, and principles that create coherence across a fast-moving product.
Partner tightly with Product and Engineering from problem definition through launch.
Lead user research and testing across both consumer and staff audiences, and translate findings into clear design direction.
Raise the design bar across the team — through critique, mentorship, and the kind of high-craft work that others want to replicate.
10+ years designing products, with meaningful depth in both consumer-facing and complex operational/admin tools.
Experience designing AI-powered features — you've thought seriously about how to make AI feel useful, trustworthy, and human.
A systems thinker. You design components and patterns, not just screens, and you care about how everything fits together.
Strong ownership instincts — you drive work forward without needing a lot of hand-holding, and you know when to align vs. when to just decide.
A natural collaborator and informal leader — people come to you for feedback, and your opinions make the work better.
Deeply user-grounded. Whether it's a parks & rec staff member juggling ten programs at once or a parent trying to register their kid on a phone, you understand your users and design for their reality.
High craft standards — you care about the details, the edge cases, and the moments nobody else notices.
A clear, confident communicator.
Be Relentless. Move fast. Own it. Ship real value early and often.
Win Together. Speak up, go beyond the boundaries of your role. That's how we win.
Take Pride. Treat this like it's yours — because it is.
Compensation: $180,000–$250,000 base + meaningful equity (final offer will be based on your background, experience and skillset)
Benefits: Flexible PTO, top-tier health/dental/vision, and a 401(k) plan to support your future.
Work location: San Francisco — in-office most days at our downtown SF office.
Ready to build something real? Something fun? Something big? We're ready for you.
Skills Required
- 10+ years designing products
- Experience designing AI-powered features
- Design for consumer-facing and operational/admin tools
What We Do
Rec is building the operating system for the activity economy. Every day, millions of people look for ways to play, learn, move, compete, and connect in their communities. Yet the technology powering recreation has been largely ignored for decades. modernizing the $105B activity industry – parks & recreation departments, golf courses, campgrounds, gyms, and play agencies. Our platform powers registrations, facility reservations, instructor marketplaces, payments, permits, and operations for cities and recreation organizations across the country. While much of the tech industry is focused on capturing attention, we're focused on creating more opportunities for people to spend time away from screens via more youth sports, more recreation classes, more community events, and more ways to stay active and connected.
Why Work With Us
We're applying Silicon Valley talent and AI innovation to one of the largest, least-modernized industries in the world to create more play, movement and connection in the real world. If you get fired up by making tech that actually matters to families, coaches, and kids all over the country, come join us.
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