Lead Designer

Lead DesignerAalo Atomics is pioneering a new era in clean energy with factory-fabricated microreactors designed to deliver affordable, scalable, and reliable nuclear power. Our mission is to make nuclear energy globally accessible, starting with the Aalo-1, a 10 MWe reactor leveraging cutting-edge safety, modularity, and efficiency. Based in Austin, TX, we're rapidly growing as we work to deploy the world's first fleet of advanced XMRs. Join us and help revolutionize energy for a sustainable future.The Lead Designer will play a key role propelling this effort by bringing cohesion and simplicity to internal products and documents, digital user experiences and interfaces, and external brand materials.You'll operate like an independent design agency within Aalo: scouting across Marketing, AI/Internal Software, Engineering, and Operations for opportunities to apply design thinking to streamline workflows, clarify information systems, and bring coherence to Aalo's growing array of digital and physical projects. You'll also be the connective tissue between a world-class nuclear brand (building on a foundation already established with external agencies) and the touchpoints where that brand is expressed. Over time we expect the design team to grow, and you will set the culture of that team.We are a startup, and folks at Aalo often wear many hats. We are looking for a world-class designer who excels in multiple domains, including: web design (we use Webflow), graphic design, user experience design, brand design, motion graphics and animation, and information architecture. Beneath your skillset, we are looking for someone with a deeply studied knowledge of design methodologies and how to apply them to any task – and an ability to educate the organization on how to implement effective design methodologies into existing workflows and practices.What You'll DoBreath Life into the Brand: Take the foundational brand identity (currently under wraps and being revealed soon) and build out an asset library that a fast-moving company needs: animations, illustrations, architectural renderings, motion graphics, sales decks, and marketing collateral that feels like Aalo—a company that moves fast, stays positive (Aalo means "the light"), and is deeply thoughtful.Streamline UX of Internal Tools: Our teams are building an ever-growing constellation of internal software tools. Many were stood up quickly with AI-assisted code (Claude, Codex) and have functional but unrefined interfaces. You'll bring real UX rigor to these tools — rethinking information architecture, simplifying workflows, improving clarity, and driving adoption by making these tools genuinely pleasant to use and interconnecting them between departments.Own & Extend Our Web Presence: Manage and evolve our Webflow site. Prior Webflow experience a plus; willingness to learn quickly a must. Ability to build with AI a plus. Beyond the simple site—we imagine building out marketing assets as websites. Standalone microsites that could, for instance, educate the public about our projects and products.Set Design Culture: As the first dedicated Design hire, you'll have an opportunity to set the standard for how design works at Aalo – establishing the patterns, templates, and processes that helps every team produce better work.Operate Semi-independently: Operate like a design agency within Aalo, collaborating often with marketing, AI/internal software, and engineering teams.Qualifications10+ years of professional design experience across multiple disciplines (brand, UX/UI, web, motion, marketing collateral)Strong portfolio demonstrating range — from brand systems and component libraries to motion pieces, sales decks, and product interfacesExperience designing for both external audiences (marketing, brand, web) and internal users (tools, dashboards, workflows)Enough full-stack literacy to collaborate effectively with the Head of AI to contribute directly to internal web tools – bonus if you can build functional prototypes or simple apps with AI-assisted coding toolsDemonstrated ability to work autonomously — scoping, prioritizing, and shipping work with minimal directionProficiency in Figma (or equivalent), Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects / Motion), and AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, Image-gen AIs, etc.)Experience building or maintaining design systemsBachelor's degree in design, visual communication, HCI, or a related field — or equivalent professional experiencePreferred ExperienceWebflow experience (or demonstrated ability to quickly pick up new no-code/low-code platforms)Experience working in high-growth environment where you were the sole or first designer; that is, experience leading a design team or agencyMotion graphics and animation beyond simple UI transitions — explainer videos, brand animations, schematics and engineering visualizationsA track record of experimentation or implementation of AI projectsInformation architecture or systems thinking background, particularly for complex, cross-departmental internal toolingExperience in energy, deep tech, hardware, or other industries where design must bridge highly technical subject matter and broad public audiencesInterest or familiarity with nuclear energyExperience with print production, environmental graphics, and physical signage Requirements:Based in the United StatesWilling to work on-site in Austin, TXShare link to portfolio below, or provide in Cover Letter spaceWhat We Offer:Competitive salaryHealth, Dental, Vision InsurancePaid Time OffCorporate Gym MembershipAdditional Information:Aalo Atomics provides a collaborative and supportive work environment, opportunities for professional growth, intellectually challenging careers, and competitive compensation. Aalo Atomics is an equal opportunity employer and considers all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Persons in compliance with 10 CFR Part 810 and may not hold non-compliant foreign citizenships.Direct applicants only. No recruiters or staffing agencies, please.