At a Glance
- Tasks: Create and ship innovative Flutter features using AI-native tools.
- Company: Join a dynamic team at ANNA, where design meets engineering.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible working, personal growth allowances, and wellbeing support.
- Other info: Collaborate in a small, agile team with excellent career growth opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by owning feature delivery from start to finish.
- Qualifications: Strong Flutter experience and a passion for design and engineering.
The predicted salary is between 55000 - 70000 £ per year.
About the Role
We're looking for Design Engineers who own feature delivery end-to-end - from problem framing to shipped production code. You’ll bridge design and engineering by building production-ready Flutter features within our Barracuda design system. You’ll use AI-native workflows to compress the design → prototype → build → test loop into days, not weeks. This isn’t about producing Figma files or inventing new patterns. It’s about shipping high-quality, real-world solutions using a strong component foundation. You’ll work “on rails” with our design system — focusing on solving problems and delivering outcomes rather than reinventing UI primitives.
What You'll Do
- Understand the problem deeply - clarify user needs, edge cases, and constraints before building
- Build production-ready Flutter applications across iOS, Android, and web
- Prototype quickly using AI-native tools (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) to explore flows and validate ideas
- Own features end-to-end: From rough prototype to production deployment
- Work within the Barracuda design system: Compose and extend components appropriately (core system maintained separately)
- Make design decisions in code: Balance UX quality with pragmatism and velocity
- Collaborate with backend engineers: Implement mock data early, integrate APIs, iterate together
- Test, measure, and refine: Learn from real usage and improve continuously
How We Work (AI-Native Expectations)
We expect you to use AI as a force multiplier, not as a shortcut. That means:
- Generating scaffolding and exploratory prototypes rapidly
- Iterating on flows and UX decisions directly in code
- Using AI to accelerate thinking, not replace judgement
- Reducing handoff cycles by collapsing design and implementation
AI-assisted development is expected and encouraged — but ownership and critical thinking remain yours.
What This Role Isn't
- Not a traditional designer role focused on Figma deliverables
- Not a pixel-perfect handoff role
- Not a blank-canvas pattern creation role
- Not a core design system maintenance role
- Not a role where engineers implement your work — you implement it yourself
Why This Role Exists
ANNA is evolving. We’re building with AI-native tools and a comprehensive cross-platform design system (Barracuda). That changes the shape of both design and engineering. We need builders who:
- Move fast
- Think like designers
- Ship like engineers
- Own outcomes, not artefacts
What You’ll Get
- Significant autonomy over feature areas
- Direct access to product teams, backend engineers, and users
- Modern tools that amplify your capability (Barracuda, AI-native workflows, strong team culture)
- Support adopting AI-native workflows if you’re still learning
- Real, high-impact problems affecting UK small businesses
Your Background Might Look Like
We know this is a unique role, so your path here might be unconventional. You might be:
- A Flutter developer who’s developed strong design sensibilities
- A designer who learned to code and wants to ship independently
- A front-end engineer with strong UX instincts
- Someone already bridging design and engineering informally
- A mobile developer frustrated by handoffs
What matters most is your ability to think like a designer whilst building like an engineer, and your hunger to own shipped features rather than just deliverables.
Team Context
Small, lean team (4 people currently) in the Formations product area. Backend developers currently handling front-end work. Australian front-end developer timezone makes real-time collaboration challenging. You'll be working closely with the Formations team initially. Cross-functional collaboration with product and engineering. Barracuda design system provides your component foundation (maintained by core team).
Tools & Stack
- Primary: Flutter/Dart
- Design System: Barracuda (you'll use and extend, not maintain core)
- AI Tools: Claude Code, Cursor, or similar AI-native development tools
- Version Control: Git/GitHub
- State Management: Riverpod, Bloc, Provider (or demonstrate equivalent experience)
- Design Tools: As needed, but building > designing
Process
- Prototype first
- Implement mock data early
- Integrate APIs collaboratively
- Ship working code
- Iterate based on real usage
- Minimise handoffs
- Own the feature lifecycle
Must-haves:
- Strong Flutter/Dart experience with shipped work to show
- Solid UX fundamentals (information architecture, user flows, interaction patterns)
- Already using AI tools (Claude Code, Cursor, Copilot, v0) in your development workflow
- State management proficiency (Riverpod, Bloc, Provider, or similar)
- Design system literacy — ability to work within constraints and extend appropriately
- Component thinking and understanding of atomic design principles
- Ability to make confident aesthetic and UX decisions independently
- Understanding of accessibility and platform conventions (Material, Cupertino)
- Comfortable with ambiguity — you can fill gaps without perfect requirements
- Proactive and outcome-oriented
- Git and version control workflows
- Comfortable working in AI-assisted development environments
Nice-to-haves:
- Experience with JavaScript/TypeScript
- Background contributing to component libraries or design systems
- Experience in fintech, tax, or compliance products
- Strong visual design sensibility
- Experience in lean, fast-moving start-ups
What We Offer
At ANNA, we celebrate a flat organisational structure. You might be wondering what that means! Well, it’s all about empowering our team by sharing power and decision-making responsibilities, so everyone can feel a sense of ownership.
- Flexible working — focused on trust, autonomy and outcomes
- Hybrid or Remote working, depending on role
- Work from anywhere for up to 3 months
- Support towards home working equipment
- Flexible hours for caregiving responsibilities
- Temporary reduced hours / phased returns when life needs it
- Time off for your child’s first day of school (non-negotiable)
- Employee Growth Share options — because when ANNA grows, you grow too
- Wellbeing (because you’re a human first)
- Trained Mental Health First Aiders
- Perkbox EAP + counselling support
- Online GP access & prescription service
- Bupa private medical insurance
- On-demand wellness content
- Menopause support (policy + practical adjustments that actually help)
- Financial Wellbeing (money matters — we’re ANNA after all)
- Salary sacrifice pension contributions
- Workplace nursery salary sacrifice
- Perkbox discounts & reward points
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Salary sacrifice for Home & Tech (coming April ’26)
- Growth & Self-Direction (invest in you)
- £1k annual personal travel allowance
- £1k annual personal learning allowance (including non-work learning — yes, really)
- Time Off & Life Moments (the important stuff)
- Enhanced parental leave
- Adoption leave
- Pregnancy loss & compassionate family leave
- Emergency dependent leave
- Belonging & Connection (we actually like each other)
- Monthly team brunches
- Regular team-building events
- Free drinks & snacks in the office
Please note that due to a high level of demand in candidates for this role, we're unable to respond to individual emails or questions about the position. We hope that we've been thorough and transparent regarding the requirements and expectations of this role.
Design Engineer in London employer: ANNA Money
ANNA Money is an excellent employer that values creativity and collaboration, offering a supportive work culture in Cardiff. With a competitive starting salary of £25,000 and clear pathways for career advancement, employees are encouraged to grow within the Customer Experience Team while enjoying the flexibility of hybrid working. Join us to be part of a dynamic team that prioritises both customer satisfaction and employee development.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Design Engineer in London
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at ANNA Money or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to ANNA Money.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like ANNA Money.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like ANNA Money that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Design Engineer in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at ANNA Money.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at ANNA Money and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at ANNA Money
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If ANNA Money uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
