Stratus

Compensation

Full Description

The Opportunity: Staff Designer As a Staff Product Designer at Stratus, you will define and elevate the user experience for the next generation of construction technology. You’ll lead design strategy across core product areas, translating complex industrial processes into elegant, intuitive digital workflows. This is a pivotal role—our first dedicated UX hire—offering both the autonomy to shape design as a strategic function and the opportunity to influence the future of an entire industry. You’ll work closely with Product, Engineering, and Data teams to build experiences that empower MEP contractors through clarity, speed, and precision. You’ll balance hands-on design craft with systems thinking and product leadership, ensuring every interaction drives measurable business and customer impact. Key Responsibilities Strategic Design Leadership Define Stratus's design vision that differentiates us in the construction technology market Establish design strategy that drives customer acquisition, engagement, and retention Build design culture from scratch, educating the organization on design's strategic value Position design as a business driver, not just a feature factory—connecting UX improvements to ARR growth, operational efficiency, and competitive positioning Cross-Functional Influence & Collaboration Partner with leadership to integrate design thinking into business strategy and product roadmap Drive consensus across Product, Engineering, Sales, and Customer Success on design priorities and trade-offs Lead design reviews with stakeholders, articulating design decisions in business terms Advocate for user needs while balancing technical constraints and business objectives Design Systems & Platform Strategy Architect unified design systems that scale across our Project Management, Fabrication, and Field Operations products Establish design operations including tools, processes, and standards that enable rapid, consistent execution Create design language that speaks to construction professionals while maintaining modern software standards Drive platform coherence by identifying and solving cross-product experience gaps User Research & Market Understanding Develop deep expertise in construction workflows, MEP contractor needs, and industry pain points Lead strategic research initiatives that inform product direction and competitive positioning Build customer empathy across the organization through research synthesis and stakeholder communication Identify market opportunities where superior UX can drive business differentiation Hands-On Design Excellence Design critical user experiences for complex B2B workflows spanning desktop, tablet, and mobile contexts Leverage AI-powered design tools to accelerate iteration and enhance design quality Create high-fidelity prototypes that communicate vision and facilitate stakeholder alignment Maintain design craft while scaling strategic impact across the organization What You'll Bring Strategic Leadership Experience 7+ years in product design including end-to-end ownership of complex B2B or technical software experiences. Proven track record of establishing design culture at early-stage or design-immature organizations Strategic thinking that connects user experience to competitive advantage and revenue growth B2B/Technical Design Expertise Deep experience designing complex B2B SaaS platforms, ideally for technical or industrial users Systems thinking for organizing and simplifying complex workflows without losing functionality Understanding of enterprise software requirements including permissions, data governance, and multi-user workflows Mobile-first responsive design for field workers with varying technical comfort levels Cross-Functional Leadership Stakeholder management across Product, Engineering, Sales, and executive teams Change management experience driving adoption of new design processes and standards Clear communication that translates user insights into business strategy and technical requirements Collaborative approach to design that builds consensus rather than imposing solutions Design Systems & Operations Design system architecture from strategy to component implementation and organizational adoption Tool expertise in Figma, including advanced prototyping, design tokens, and team collaboration AI-assisted design workflow using tools like Figma AI, Claude for prototyping, and emerging UX automation Design operations experience scaling design across multiple products and stakeholders Bonus Points Construction technology experience or other complex, workflow-heavy industries (manufacturing, logistics, healthcare) Founding/early design hire experience at B2B SaaS companies Revenue/business impact from design initiatives you've led Design team building and hiring experience Technical understanding of APIs, databases, or front-end development Success in Year One Establish Foundation (0-90 days) Complete comprehensive user research across all major customer segments Audit current UX and identify top 3 strategic improvement opportunities Build relationships with key stakeholders and establish design review processes Define design principles and vision that align with business strategy Drive Impact (3-12 months) Launch unified design system and drive adoption across engineering teams Ship 2-3 major UX improvements with measurable business impact Establish design culture through regular stakeholder education and success stories Build hiring plan and requirements for expanding the design team Scale Strategy (12+ months) Position Stratus as UX leader in construction technology market Establish design-driven competitive advantages that support sales and retention Build design team and operations to support 3x business growth Create scalable design processes that maintain quality as the platform expands Why Join Stratus? Compensation & Benefits Competitive salary: $150,000-$170,000.00 USD Options package with high growth potential Comprehensive benefits including health, dental, vision, and 401k matching Remote-first culture with flexible work arrangements Top-tier equipment and tools including latest design software and hardware Strategic Impact Define design strategy for a market-leading construction technology platform Build competitive moats through superior user experience in an underserved market Drive measurable business impact in a company experiencing rapid growth and expansion Professional Growth Founding design leader opportunity with significant equity upside Direct access to executive leadership and input on company strategy Build and lead the design function as the company scales Cutting-edge tools and technology including AI-powered design workflows Market Opportunity Large, underserved market with massive potential for UX-driven disruption Mission-driven work improving how critical infrastructure gets built Fast-growing, well-funded company with strong product-market fit Collaborative culture that values design thinking and user advocacy