Sift is the data infrastructure platform for hardware engineering teams. Sift turns high-frequency telemetry into engineering insights for mission-critical systems. Teams use Sift to build and operate rockets, satellites, autonomous vehicles, energy systems, defense platforms, and more.
Founded by former SpaceX engineers who built the tools behind Dragon and Starlink, Sift is building the data infrastructure to herald the AI era for physical systems.
We're looking for a Senior Product Designer to own core user experiences across Sift's platform. You'll design complex, data-rich interfaces that help engineers monitor, analyze, and make decisions about mission-critical hardware systems.
This is a hands-on role spanning user research, interaction design, prototyping, and polished UI execution. You'll work closely with Product Management and Engineering from problem definition through launch, using our design system while helping evolve it.
We're looking for someone who combines strong design craft with systems thinking, enjoys working directly with technical users, and is excited to use AI-assisted tools to explore, build, and iterate faster.
Responsibilities:Own the end-to-end design process for core product experiences, from problem discovery and user research through prototyping, validation, and launch.
Conduct user research, including on-site customer visits, to understand how engineers work with complex telemetry data and translate their needs into intuitive workflows.
Design sophisticated, data-dense interfaces with a high bar for usability, interaction quality, and visual craft.
Partner closely with Product Management and Engineering to define problems, evaluate tradeoffs, and ship improvements based on user feedback and product outcomes.
Use AI-assisted design and development tools, such as Claude Code and Figma MCP, to build interactive prototypes, explore solutions, and accelerate iteration.
Contribute reusable components, interaction patterns, and improvements to Sift's design system.
Participate in design critiques, share new tools and workflows, and help raise the quality of design across the team.
6+ years of experience in product design (UI/UX), with a strong portfolio demonstrating ownership of complex software experiences.
Strong interaction design skills, particularly for technical, data-rich, or workflow-heavy applications.
Ability to work across the full design process, from user research and information architecture to detailed interaction design and polished visual interfaces.
Experience building interactive prototypes to communicate, test, and refine design solutions.
Strong systems thinking, with the ability to simplify complex workflows while maintaining consistency across a product.
Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to explain design decisions, incorporate feedback, and build alignment across teams.
Interest in using AI-assisted tools to improve design workflows, with a willingness to experiment and adopt new approaches.
Ability to work independently, navigate ambiguity, and move quickly without sacrificing design quality.
Experience designing data visualization, observability, monitoring, analytics, or other data-intensive products.
Familiarity with charts, dashboards, real-time data displays, or complex technical workflows.
Experience designing tools for engineers, developers, scientists, or other highly technical users.
Background in aerospace, defense, robotics, industrial systems, or advanced hardware.
Hands-on experience with Claude Code, Figma MCP, or other AI-assisted prototyping and development tools.
Experience working at an early-stage startup and contributing to a growing design system.
Portfolio Required: Please include a link to your portfolio or relevant design work. Applications without visual work samples will not be considered.
Location:Sift’s headquarters is in Marina Del Rey, CA (Next to LAX). We collaborate in person twice a week in our Los Angeles or San Francisco office—on Mondays and Thursdays—and come together for a full week in LA once every quarter. We are open to relocating candidates to work from either office for the right candidate.
Salary range: $160,000 - $230,000 per year. Plus equity and benefits.
Eligibility:U.S. Person Required: Must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident (Green Card Holder), or protected individual such as an asylee or refugee in compliance with ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) / EAR (Export Administration Regulations) regulations.
Skills Required
- 6+ years of experience in product design or UI/UX design
- Strong portfolio demonstrating ownership of complex software experiences
- Strong interaction design skills for technical, data-rich, or workflow-heavy applications
- Experience across user research, information architecture, interaction design, prototyping, and visual interface design
- Experience building interactive prototypes
- Strong systems-thinking ability
- Excellent communication and storytelling skills
- Interest in and willingness to use AI-assisted design and development tools
- Ability to work independently, navigate ambiguity, and move quickly while maintaining design quality
- U.S. Person status: U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or protected individual under ITAR/EAR regulations
- Experience designing data visualization, observability, monitoring, analytics, or other data-intensive products
- Familiarity with charts, dashboards, real-time data displays, or complex technical workflows
- Experience designing tools for engineers, developers, scientists, or highly technical users
- Background in aerospace, defense, robotics, industrial systems, or advanced hardware
- Hands-on experience with Claude Code, Figma MCP, or other AI-assisted prototyping and development tools
- Experience at an early-stage startup and contributing to a growing design system
What We Do
Sift is transforming how modern machines are built and operated. Our platform goes beyond traditional monitoring, enabling automated data review that catches unusual conditions in systems too complex for manual checks. This not only enhances reliability but also dramatically speeds up development cycles. At our core, we provide a unified solution for ingesting, storing, and analyzing vast amounts of machine data. By combining powerful data processing with easy-to-use visualizations, we help engineers make sense of enormous amounts of information. From spacecraft to self-driving cars, Sift is the backbone of innovation for companies pushing technology to new limits. Born from the challenges of spaceflight, Sift aims to accelerate technological progress. We believe that by giving engineers better tools to understand and improve their creations, we can unlock a new era of innovation. Our mission goes beyond solving today's engineering problems; we're building the foundation for a future where the most ambitious machines are developed with confidence, run with precision, and constantly improved. We're also tackling related challenges like simplifying regulatory compliance, and improving manufacturing processes. By connecting data from various sources—from sensors to manufacturing records to regulatory requirements—we're empowering a new generation of engineers to build the technologies that will shape our world. Join us in our journey to usher in this new age of reliable, groundbreaking technology. Whether you're launching rockets, developing autonomous systems, or advancing energy and transportation, Sift is your partner in turning vast amounts of data into insights that drive innovation forward.
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