Staff Design Engineer, UK in Oxford

Staff Design Engineer, UK in Oxford

Oxford Full-Time 138000 - 224000 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
Ashby

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Redesign mobile web apps and build flexible design components for powerful user experiences.
  • Company: Join Ashby, a forward-thinking tech company focused on innovative design solutions.
  • Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, unlimited PTO, and a generous education budget for your growth.
  • Other info: Be part of a dynamic culture that values ownership, collaboration, and sustainable work hours.
  • Why this job: Make a real impact by creating approachable yet powerful software for users.
  • Qualifications: Experience in software design and a passion for usability and collaboration.

The predicted salary is between 138000 - 224000 £ per year.

Ashby is hiring for a role that blends design and software engineering. The candidate will tackle challenging design problems, expand and enhance the in-house design system, and consult on bespoke work to help others improve their designs. The team aims to build approachable products that are powerful for power users, grounded in code and design practice.

Responsibilities

  • Redesign mobile web app by talking with customers, wireframing new flows, implementing the design system, and turning wireframes into a working product.
  • Build flexible, composable components in the design system to enable engineers to create custom autocompletes with filters and record-creation options.
  • Improve information hierarchy and scannability of designs to aid quick parsing of data by recruiters and other stakeholders.
  • Collaborate across product, design, and engineering teams to deliver end-to-end solutions, scalable design tokens, and reusable components.

What We’re Building

We create software that helps TA teams work more efficiently with intelligent tooling and a strong design system. Our products are crafted to be approachable for beginners but extendable for power users, with a focus on productive, information-rich interfaces.

Requirements & Qualifications

  • Ability to design and build software, with experience designing complex interfaces and collaborating with engineers.
  • Strong fundamentals in software development and an interest in design systems and usability.
  • Tech stack familiarity or openness to TypeScript (frontend & backend), React, GraphQL API, Node.js, Postgres, Redis.
  • Willingness to learn and adapt across a fast-paced engineering culture that values ownership and collaboration.

Engineering Culture

Our culture emphasizes minimal process with ownership, natural collaboration, and deliberate communication. Engineers own their projects end-to-end, with PMs and designers providing strategy, research, and problem briefs. We value focus time and sustainable work hours.

Benefits

  • Competitive salary and equity.
  • 10-year exercise window for stock options.
  • Unlimited PTO and generous paid parental leave (minimum 12 weeks). For non-U.S. employees, leave aligns with regional requirements.
  • Generous equipment, software, and office furniture budget.
  • $100/month education budget for professional development and conferences with manager approval.
  • Comprehensive health insurance for U.S. employees and dependents; high-quality international coverage for other countries, fully covered.

Diversity & Equal Opportunity

Ashby provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We are committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Compensation

Compensation Range: £138K - £224K

Staff Design Engineer, UK in Oxford employer: Ashby

At Ashby, we pride ourselves on fostering a dynamic work environment where creativity and collaboration thrive. As a Staff Design Engineer, you'll not only tackle exciting design challenges but also benefit from our commitment to employee growth through generous professional development budgets and a culture that values ownership and innovation. With competitive salaries, unlimited PTO, and a focus on work-life balance, Ashby is an exceptional employer for those seeking meaningful and rewarding careers in the heart of the UK.

Ashby

Contact Details:

Ashby Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Staff Design Engineer, UK in Oxford

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 Ashby 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 Ashby.

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 Ashby.

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 Ashby 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 Staff Design Engineer, UK in Oxford

Design Skills
Software Development
User Interface Design
Collaboration
Wireframing
Component Development
Information Architecture

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 Ashby.

Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Ashby 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 Ashby

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 Ashby 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.