UX Product Designer

About this role

Skydio is the leading US drone company and the world leader in autonomous flight, the key technology for the future of drones and aerial mobility. The Skydio team combines deep expertise in artificial intelligence, best-in-class hardware and software product development, operational excellence, and customer obsession to empower a broader, more diverse audience of drone users, from utility inspectors https://www.skydio.com/solutions/energy-and-utilities to first responders https://www.skydio.com/solutions/public-safety, soldiers in battlefield scenarios https://www.skydio.com/solutions/national-security/tactical-isr, and beyond https://www.skydio.com/solutions.

THE CHALLENGE

Our products are used by professionals with a lot on the line, operating in rugged environments where every second counts. Their mission is clear: find the missing person, get the lights back on, keep the roads open, and keep the good guys safe. Our mandate is to solve one of the most complex problems of our time: how to build autonomous flying robots that help our customers get the job done, no matter what.

If reading that excites you, we want to talk to you.

Skydio isn’t just building drones; we are defining the future of autonomous robotics. To win, our products must be more than just capable, they must be undeniably reliable. We are looking for a UX Product Designer who understands that trust isn't a buzzword; it's built through absolute system transparency, pragmatic workflows, and giving the operator a clear handle to grab when things get chaotic.

Our UX Product Designers are inventing the interfaces of the future. You will not be designing generic dashboards. You will be helping to design the critical trust-bridge between human operators and advanced AI hardware, translating extreme technological complexity into intuitive, reliable, and beautiful experiences.

About the Role

As a UX Designer, you are a passionate craftsperson who embraces how technology is shifting the design discipline. You are comfortable taking ownership of complex features, collaborating effectively with Design Leadership and Product Managers, and executing with an incredibly high bar for detail.

You will work closely with Design Leadership, Product Managers, and Engineers to map out Critical User Journeys (CUJs) and build cross-platform experiences (Web, Mobile, Ground Control Stations) that our customers implicitly trust.

You will be instrumental in designing intuitive, high-quality user interfaces that bridge complex autonomous systems with streamlined tactical workflows, improving operator decision-making.

About the Role:

As a UX Product Designer, you are a passionate craftsperson who embraces how technology is shifting the design discipline. You are comfortable taking ownership of complex features, collaborating effectively with Design Leadership and Product Managers, and executing with an incredibly high bar for detail.

You will work closely with Design Leadership, Product Managers, and Engineers to map out Critical User Journeys (CUJs) and build cross-platform experiences (Web, Mobile, Ground Control Stations) that our customers implicitly trust.

Location: This position is based onsite at least 3 days/week at Skydio HQ in San Mateo, CA. We offer relocation assistance if needed.

How You'll Make an Impact:

- Design for Trust: Own the UX execution for key features on our core platforms (including remote operations). You will build interfaces for autonomous flying robots that make the operator trust the job will get done, ensuring every interaction reinforces confidence, reliability, and system transparency.

- Solve Unsolved Problems: Tackle complex challenges where there is no existing playbook. You will think pragmatically and creatively to design interfaces for remote hardware sensing, 3D spatial awareness, and AI-driven missions.

- Communicate & Defend Rationale: Effectively communicate user needs and frame complex problems. You will present your design solutions clearly, defending your rationale with user data and system logic to align with Engineering and Product Management.

- Elevate the Craft: Bring an uncompromising attention to detail and craftsmanship to the team. You will build high-fidelity prototypes to test assumptions quickly, leveraging AI tools as a seamless part of your daily process to move faster and explore wider.

- Learn from the Field: Participate in on-site visits with our customers to deeply understand their chaotic, high-stress environments. Bring that "ground truth" back to the studio to inform your design decisions.

What Makes You a Great Fit (Your Superpowers):

- Proven Execution: 3-6 years of hands-on UX/UI product design experience, including translating product requirements into clear design concepts and specifications that Engineering has built and shipped.

- First-Principles Problem Solver: You are an out-of-the-box thinker, doer, and builder who loves operating in ambiguous spaces where no existing design patterns exist. You actively explore solutions by conducting research, building prototypes, and running user studies to get continuous feedback.

- Uncompromising Craftsmanship: You have a portfolio of work that clearly demonstrates an exceptionally high bar for visual design, complex systems architecture, and attention to detail.

- Comfortable with Complexity: You have experience designing for technical tools being used in the real world. We'd love to see portfolios featuring: mapping or navigation apps, tools that connect to physical devices (IoT/hardware), or complex, multi-step workflows.

- AI Fluency & Boundary-Blurring: You actively integrate AI into your daily workflow, but more importantly, you are excited by how AI is blurring the traditional lines between the functional roles of Product, Engineering, and Design. You use these tools to operate as a true hybrid product thinker, leveraging AI to rapidly build prototypes, accelerate user studies, and tell a…