Ship Design Remote Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Red Cell Partners is an incubation firm building and investing in rapidly scalable technology‑led companies that are bringing revolutionary advancements to market in three distinct practice areas: healthcare, cyber, and national security. United by a shared sense of duty and deep belief in the power of innovation, Red Cell is developing powerful tools and solutions to address our Nation’s most pressing problems.

We are seeking a Head of Design to lead and execute product design across Red Cell and its portfolio companies. This is a hands‑on role for a design leader who thrives in ambiguity, can operate across the full startup lifecycle, and is equally comfortable drafting early concepts and building scalable design systems.

Product design at Red Cell is not a service function. It is a core operating capability that shapes products, companies, and brands from inception through growth. You will be both a design operator and design leader - setting direction while actively doing the work.

This role will also dedicate up to 25% time to supporting Red Cell’s Marketing, Brand, and Communications team in web development efforts for Red Cell Partners and our incubation companies’ digital presence.

This is a remote role, with travel expectations to attend our bi‑annual All Hands and other travel as needed (~10% or less).

• Partner closely with founders, product, engineering, and leadership to translate ambiguous problem spaces into clear, actionable product design direction.
• Build early concepts and future‑state prototypes to test ideas quickly and inform strategy.
• Create and own overall design concepts for the User Experience, for web/mobile/agents/wearables and other emerging modalities, using the latest research and trends to ensure all interactions and designs are intuitive and easy for customers (& investors) to understand.
• Design and ship high‑quality products and improvements, from early concepts to high‑fidelity prototypes and visuals.
• Personally design and ship work across product UX/UI, prototypes, brand systems, and storytelling.
• Work closely with Marketing on implementing style and branding elements into RCP & its investments’ User Experiences.
• Establish lightweight frameworks, standards, and patterns that enable speed without bureaucracy.
• Help define how design scales as companies mature - from scrappy early builds to durable, repeatable systems.
• Navigate unclear requirements, evolving priorities, and high‑stakes decisions with confidence. Balance speed, quality, and pragmatism in fast‑moving environments.

• 12+ years of experience in product, UX & front‑end design, including leadership roles in high‑growth startups or scale‑ups.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Design, Human‑Computer Interaction (HCI), or related field
• Strong understanding of AI fundamentals and their application in product experiences.
• Expert Figma, Figma Make skills, or equivalent product skills: component libraries, auto‑layout, variants, prototyping, design tokens.
• Deep understanding of responsive, mobile‑first design.
• Demonstrated success designing across multiple phases of company growth - from concept to scaled product.
• Exceptional craft across UX, visual design, systems thinking, and storytelling.
• Strong product intuition and the ability to connect user needs, business goals, and technical constraints.
• Proven ability to develop experiences that meet or exceed the initial proposal of a product or experience, including the development of transformational innovation strategies and the creation of ‘north star’ representations to drive customer‑centric decision‑making

• Area “self‑starter” - aversatile team playerwho thrives in ambiguity and enjoys building clarity where none exists.
• Can frame strong rationales for design decisions and persuade peers and executives.
• Are a systems thinker – able to see the big picture, understanding how various elements of a system are interconnected and influence each other.
• Are passionate about creating simple and intuitive user experiences that resonate with users.
• Enjoy using AI tools to accelerate development and are passionate about experimenting with new technologies.

Base salary of $200,000‑$250,000 plus bonus. This represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience, skills, and other factors.

• Career track opportunity with potential for rapid advancement with strong performance as the firm grows
• 100% employer paid, comprehensive health care including medical, dental, and vision for you and your family.
• Paid maternity and paternity for 14 weeks at employees' normal pay.
• Unlimited PTO, with management approval.
• Opportunities for professional development and continued learning.
• Optional 401K, FSA, and equity incentives available.
• Mental health benefits are available through Tara Mind .
• Cost effective GLP‑1 solutions available through Crux .

We’re an Equal Opportunity Employer: You’ll receive consideration for employment without regard to race, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or on the basis of disability.