Internal Tools Engineer Jobs in Austin, TX (NOW HIRING)

Base is America’s next-generation power company. We’re rebuilding the foundation of modern civilization–electricity–by deploying a vast network of distributed batteries that is transforming today’s fragile, centralized grid into a resilient and abundant system. We are engineers, operators, and creatives solving some of the most complex, interdisciplinary challenges of our time.

We're looking for a Senior Product Designer to own the experience of the internal tools our teams use every day.

You'll work closely with Operations and Engineering to design software that helps our teams move faster, make better decisions, and scale the business. You'll be expected to develop a deep understanding of how our teams work by shadowing users, observing workflows, and identifying opportunities to improve the product before they're requested.

This role goes beyond designing individual features. We're looking for someone who thinks in systems, not just screens. You'll own the design system, interaction patterns, and product foundations that make it possible for engineers, product managers, and AI coding tools to build consistent, high-quality experiences without requiring design involvement in every implementation. Success in this role isn't measured by how many screens you design. It's measured by the quality of the systems you create and how effectively they enable others to build.

You’ll also be comfortable moving between design and code, using AI coding tools to rapidly prototype ideas, ship production-ready UI, and continuously improve the platform our internal products are built on.

• Design intuitive internal tools that improve workflows across Operations, Deployments, Growth, and other teams across Base.

• Spend time with the people who use our software every day by shadowing workflows, interviewing users, and uncovering opportunities to improve the product.

• Proactively identify product opportunities and propose thoughtful solutions based on user needs, operational challenges, and business impact.

• Work across multiple efforts at once and drive clarity in ambiguous problem spaces.

• Own and evolve our internal design system, creating reusable components, interaction patterns, and documentation that scale across products.

• Design systems that enable engineers, product managers, and AI coding tools to build consistent, high-quality products without requiring design involvement in every implementation.

• Use AI coding tools to rapidly prototype ideas, contribute production-ready UI, and ship pull requests alongside engineering.

• Partner closely with Operations and Engineering from early discovery through implementation, ensuring solutions are both thoughtful and practical.

• Look for opportunities to replace one-off solutions with scalable systems that improve speed, consistency, and long-term maintainability.

• Raise the quality bar across our internal products through thoughtful product design, strong visual craft, and a systems-first approach.

• 5+ years of experience designing digital products, with a portfolio demonstrating strong product thinking, interaction design, and visual craft.

• Experience designing internal tools, operational software, or other workflow-heavy products.

• Strong systems thinker who naturally looks beyond individual features to build reusable patterns, scalable frameworks, and durable product foundations.

• Strong product instincts with the ability to identify problems, conduct user research, and turn insights into thoughtful product improvements.

• Comfortable balancing multiple projects while bringing structure and clarity to ambiguous problems.

• Experience building and maintaining design systems that help teams move faster while maintaining a high quality bar.

• Comfortable using AI coding tools to prototype ideas, contribute production-ready UI, and collaborate directly in a frontend codebase through pull requests.

• Strong understanding of modern product development, with the ability to work effectively across Design, Operations, and Engineering.

• Excellent communication skills and a bias toward ownership.

The Internal Tools team builds the software that powers how Base operates. From deploying batteries and supporting members to enabling field operations and internal workflows, the products we build are used by employees across the company every day.

Our goal isn't just to ship features. We're building the platform that allows Base to scale. That means investing in thoughtful product design, strong design systems, and software that makes complex work feel simple. The best solutions aren't the ones that require constant design involvement. They're the ones that create the right structure, patterns, and guardrails so great products can be built consistently as the company grows.

If you're excited by designing systems instead of one-off screens, enjoy working closely with users to solve real operational problems, and want to help shape how software gets built at Base, we'd love to hear from you.

Please note: Base is a startup, which means priorities shift and evolve quickly. Your role may expand or change based on the needs of the business at any given time, so the responsibilities listed may not be exhaustive.

• First Principles Thinking: Question assumptions. Principles > rules.

• Operate at Base Pace: Focus on what matters, act quickly, and learn by doing.

• Give & Get Feedback: Be direct, be humble, and maintain a growth mindset.

• Everyone’s an Owner: Follow through on commitments and own results.

• Strong Opinions, Loosely Held: Drive clarity and make calls with imperfect information.

• Committed to the Mission: Rebuilding the grid is a big challenge. We work hard because we care deeply about the impact we’re creating. We work in‑person. It’s not a 9‑to‑5. We are all‑in.

• Fun & Optimism Coexist with Grit: Collaboration and celebration coincide with the intensity of building real things.