Design Engineer (Irvine)

ROLE OVERVIEW

We seek a Design Engineer to own the entire product roadmap for our innovative social application currently in beta. Reporting to our Technical Delivery Manager, you'll drive product strategy and execution in a lean, high-performance environment. This role demands an experienced product leader who can independently manage complex social features, community dynamics, and engagement systems while working closely with our design and engineering teams.

WHAT YOULL OWN

Product Strategy & Roadmap

Define and own the complete product roadmap for our social application

Drive product vision and strategic recommendations to technical leadership

Balance user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints in feature prioritization

Navigate product decisions for a beta-stage application targeting significant scale Execution & Delivery

Write comprehensive product specifications and user stories for engineering teams

Manage product development cycles within lean agile methodology

Coordinate closely with Lead UX / UI Designer and Design Director on feature development

Drive product decisions across a focused engineering team of under 12 developers User & Market Focus

Conduct user research and analyze feedback to inform product decisions

Understand and leverage online native culture and community behaviors

Design and optimize community features, social mechanics, and engagement systems

Drive product decisions around monetization features including cosmetics and financial mechanisms Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner with engineering leadership to balance product ambitions with technical feasibility

Collaborate extensively with design team to ensure coherent user experience

Interface with broader company leadership on product performance and strategy

Communicate product vision and progress across the organization

REQUIREMENTS

Product Management Excellence

7+ years product management experience with demonstrated success scaling digital products

Proven track record managing products serving 50K+ users or designed for that scale

Experience owning end-to-end product strategy and execution

Strong background in lean agile methodologies and startup / scale-up environments

Domain Expertise

Deep experience with social products, gaming, or community-driven applications

Understanding of engagement systems, user progression, and social mechanics

Experience with monetization features, virtual goods, or digital economies

Familiarity with online culture and digital native communities

Technical & Analytical Skills

Sufficient technical depth to collaborate effectively with engineering teams

Strong analytical skills for user research, data analysis, and performance measurement

Experience writing detailed product specifications and requirements

Understanding of modern development practices and technical constraints Leadership & Communication

Proven ability to work independently while collaborating across teams

Strong stakeholder management and communication skills

Experience making product decisions in fast-paced, resource-constrained environments

Track record of driving consensus and alignment across design and engineering teams

IDEAL BACKGROUND

We're seeking candidates with experience in :

Social platforms with novel engagement models and community features

Gaming applications, virtual worlds, or digital social experiences

Products with sophisticated monetization through virtual goods or cosmetics

Scale-up environments where product managers wear multiple hats

Beta or early-stage products that achieved significant user adoption

WHAT WE OFFER

Ownership of product strategy for an innovative social application

Direct collaboration with experienced design and engineering leadership

Opportunity to shape the future of social interaction and community building

Competitive compensation package including equity participation

Work at the intersection of technology and culture in a distinctive creative environment

TO APPLY : Submit :

1. Examples of products you've managed from concept through significant user adoption

2. Specific experience with social features, community building, or engagement systems

3. Your approach to balancing user needs with business objectives in resource-constrained environments

We're building a social application that challenges conventional platform design. We need a product manager who can navigate complexity, drive independent decisions, and execute at the pace required for beta-stage innovation.