Founding Design Engineer

About Big Shot Pictures

Big Shot Pictures is a next-generation animation company building the franchises of tomorrow. We take a digital-first approach to everything we do — from storytelling to tooling — creating worlds that extend across film, games, streaming, and beyond. Backed by Sony Pictures and top-tier investors, we operate like a startup with real scale and ambition.

About the Role

We’re looking for a Design Engineer who lives in code.

You don’t think of yourself as a designer who hands things off, or an engineer who implements specs. You design by building. Your medium is React, not static mockups. Your instinct is to open an editor, not a design file.

You care deeply about how things feel . Not just how they look, but how they respond, how they guide, how they get out of the way. You notice friction others miss, and you fix it.

This role is about building tools for creative people: animators, marketers, producers — where the quality bar is higher, not lower. Internal tools, but with the polish and clarity of the best consumer products.

You will take ideas from rough concepts to fully realized products. No handoffs. No silos. Just tight loops between thinking, building, and refining.

What You’ll Do

• Design in code: prototype, iterate, and ship using React/Next.js as your primary tool
• Turn complex, messy workflows into simple, usable, and well-crafted product experiences
• Obsess over interaction details — timing, feedback, edge cases, and states most people ignore
• Build whatever is needed to make the experience real: frontend, backend, APIs, integrations
• Use AI as a material — integrating models (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) into workflows in ways that actually help
• Work directly with users, watching how they use what you build and refining it quickly
• Use agentic tools to collapse the distance between idea and implementation

What We’re Looking For

• You’ve built and shipped products where the quality of the experience was your responsibility
• You’re highly fluent in React/Next.js and can produce production-quality UI without relying on others
• You’re comfortable going up and down the stack when needed (ex. Figma, APIs, data models, and integrations), even if it’s not your primary focus
• You have taste: strong opinions about what makes software feel good (and what doesn’t)
• You think in flows, systems, and interactions — not just screens
• You move quickly, but you don’t compromise on craft
• You use AI tools as part of how you think and build, not just as an add-on

What a Great Candidate Might Have Built

Some combination of the following, or something equally thoughtful and well-crafted:

• A browser-based video or animation tool with thoughtful timeline interactions, responsive controls, and real-time feedback
• An internal tool that turned a complex operational workflow into something fast, intuitive, and even enjoyable to use
• A React-based product where the details stand out. Loading states, transitions, keyboard interactions, and edge cases all feel intentional
• A design system implemented in code that balances consistency with flexibility and speed
• An AI-powered feature that actually improves a user’s workflow (not just a demo) — e.g. assisted editing, smart asset generation, or contextual automation
• A collaborative interface (multiplayer editing, shared workspaces, live updates) that feels smooth and predictable
• A side project or tool where you explored interaction ideas directly in code rather than static mocks

Strongly Preferred

• Experience in design engineering, creative tooling, or frontend-heavy product roles
• Experience building tools for creative or non-technical users
• A portfolio that shows interaction quality, not just visual design
• Familiarity with modern AI patterns (RAG, agents, etc.)

Nice to Have

• Motion or interaction design experience
• Experience with collaborative or real-time products
• Interest in animation, storytelling, or creative workflows