# Design Engineer

**Company:** [Orthogonal](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-companies/orthogonal)
**Location:** San Francisco, CA
**Work mode:** On-site
**Seniority:** Mid
**Employment type:** Full Time
**Category:** Software
**Listed:** 2026-11-02

[View and apply on Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/orthogonal/design-engineer-119909)

## What you'll do

- Build and maintain a design system and component library
- Turn Figma designs into production-ready UI
- Prototype new interactions and ship them yourself
- Own front-end quality and review UI pull requests
- Improve performance and accessibility across product surfaces

## What you need

- 5+ yrs building production front-end interfaces
- React and TypeScript proficiency
- Figma fluency and design-to-code translation
- Data structures, system design, and API design
- Based in SF or willing to relocate

## Job description

[**Orthogonal**](https://www.orthogonal.com/)is the discovery, orchestration, and payment layer for the internet. Through a single integration, agents can discover new capabilities, access services instantly, and pay for them seamlessly.

Founded by a team that built at the intersection of payments, APIs, infrastructure, and AI at Coinbase, Vercel, Google, and Amazon Robotics. We've raised a [$4.3 million seed round](https://www.orthogonal.com/blog/orthogonal-raises-4-3-million-seed-round), led by Pantera Capital and backed by Y Combinator, Pioneer Fund, Decasonic, Blast, Outbound, Surreal by Premise, and other strategic investors.

**What you'll do**

You would be one of the first engineering hires, working directly with the founders—You will sit between design and engineering.

-   Build and maintain a design system and component library in React and TypeScript
    
-   Turn Figma designs into production-ready UI, with close attention to typography, motion, and accessibility
    
-   Prototype new interactions and product ideas in code, then ship them yourself
    
-   Partner with engineers to keep the front end fast and maintainable
    
-   Own front-end quality: review UI pull requests, catch visual regressions, and raise the bar
    
-   Improve performance and accessibility across product surfaces
    
-   Document patterns and tooling so the team can build consistently without you in the loop
    

**What we're looking for**

-   5+ years building production front-end interfaces, ideally in a design-engineering or design-systems role
    
-   Background in startups or fast-paced product environment
    
-   Strong command of HTML, CSS, JavaScript/TypeScript, and modern frameworks such as React
    
-   Fluency in Figma and comfort translating design intent
    
-   Solid grasp of data structures, system design, and API design
    
-   Bias toward ownership, curiosity, and delivering simple solutions to complex problems
    
-   Based in SF or willing to relocate
    
-   Value autonomy over process
    

**Benefits**

-   Generous equity grant vested over 4 years
    
-   Flexible work schedule and open vacation policy
    
-   Access to medical, dental, and vision plans
    
-   Wellness and commute stipends
    
-   All the tools you need (laptop, monitor, etc.)
    

**Interview Process:**

1.  Intro conversation with our recruiting team
    
2.  Conversation with a Co-Founder
    
3.  Technical interview
    
4.  Work trial / Onsite
    
5.  Offer

## Other open roles at Orthogonal

- [Growth Lead](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/orthogonal/growth-lead-119907) — San Francisco, CA
- [Senior Software Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/orthogonal/senior-software-engineer-119905) — San Francisco, CA

---
*Source: [Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com), the job board for space, defense, AI, robotics and frontier-tech companies.*