User Interface Developer (Hybrid UX Engineer / Interactive Systems Developer)

About the job User Interface Developer (Hybrid UX Engineer / Interactive Systems Developer)


User Interface Developer (Hybrid UX Engineer / Interactive Systems Developer)
Compensation: $150K-$250K base + equity (no bonus)
Location: San Francisco, CA
Hiring Target: 1
Work Policy: 5 days/week in-office
Sponsorship: Visa transfers supported (not open to OPT)
Stage: Seed-stage surgical robotics company | $14M raised

Who Are We?
Were building autonomous surgical robots designed to dramatically shorten the learning curve for complex procedures. By combining robotics, ML, computer vision, and intuitive human-machine interfaces, were redefining how surgeons interact with advanced surgical systems.

Our mission is bold and tangible: make high-quality surgical care more accessible worldwide by lowering the technical barrier for surgeons. Were well-funded, commercially progressing, and building a team that blends creativity with deep technical execution.

What's in It for You?
Work on real-world products that directly impact patient outcomes.
Design and build interfaces that control surgical robots in real time.
Join a fast-moving, well-funded seed-stage company with strong commercial traction.
High autonomy and influence in a small frontend team (2 people).
Competitive base salary plus meaningful equity.
Relocation assistance ($5K-$10K).
Opportunity to grow into technical leadership as the team scales.

What Will You Do?
Design and implement intuitive UI/UX for robotic control systems on touchscreen devices (iPads and similar).
Build interactive 2D/3D visualizations and simulations using frameworks such as Three.js, Unity, Unreal, or Babylon.js.
Gather user requirements directly from surgeons and clinical stakeholders.
Conduct hands-on user research and translate findings into product decisions.
Prototype rapidly and iterate on interfaces blending gaming, robotics, and real-time systems.
Develop performant web applications in TypeScript using modern frontend frameworks.
Integrate real-time data streams, sensor input, and control systems into interactive interfaces.
Travel up to once per month to observe product use in surgical settings.

What Will You Need?
Hybrid profile: designer who can code OR engineer with strong UX instincts.
Strong user research and requirements gathering experience.
Hands-on experience shipping interactive products (internal tools acceptable; research prototypes alone are not sufficient).
Experience with game development or interactive 3D systems (Unity, Unreal, or similar).
Strong TypeScript and modern frontend experience (React, Vue, Lit, Web Components, HTML/CSS).
Familiarity with 2D/3D rendering libraries or engines (Three.js, Babylon.js, Godot, Pixi.js).
Motion/animation experience.
Comfort viewing live surgical procedures during site visits.

Strongly Preferred
Human Machine Interface (HMI) or Human Robot Interface (HRI) experience.
Robotics/device control interface design.
Understanding of real-time systems, WebSockets, or streaming data.
Experience with physics engines (PhysX, Bullet, Box2D).
3D modeling experience.
Mobile platform experience (React Native, SwiftUI, Flutter).
Startup experience.
CS degree.

Must Not Have
Research-only focus with minimal shipped product.
Pure designer with no ability to implement.
Pure frontend engineer with no UX instincts.

Role Balance
Approximately 60% design / 40% coding (flexible depending on candidate strength).
Portfolio must demonstrate both design thinking and implemented work.