Emerge Career Seeks Founding Product Designer – YC S22 Hiring Announcement

Why This Role Matters

Emerge Career is on a bold mission to break the cycle of poverty and incarceration by providing an all‑in‑one, tech‑powered workforce‑development platform for justice‑impacted individuals. Backed by Y Combinator’s S22 batch, the company has already demonstrated outsized impact: an 89% graduation rate and 92% employment placement for its alumni, far surpassing federal program averages.

As a Founding Product Designer, you will shape the user experience for thousands of learners, directly influencing their ability to secure high‑paying jobs and rebuild their lives. This is more than a design job—it’s a chance to embed empathy, data‑driven insights, and rapid prototyping into a product that delivers real‑world second chances.

Role Overview & Core Responsibilities

The Founding Product Designer will work hand‑in‑hand with co‑founder Gabriel Saruhashi and the engineering team to translate complex human challenges into intuitive digital experiences.

• Conduct deep user research with justice‑impacted students—interviews, usability tests, and field observations.
• Define product vision and design systems that align with Emerge’s mission and growth roadmap.
• Rapidly prototype in Figma and React/TypeScript, iterating based on real‑time feedback.
• Own the end‑to‑end design lifecycle: from concept sketches to high‑fidelity mockups, to production‑ready components.
• Collaborate with data scientists to embed analytics that measure graduation and employment outcomes.
• Partner with the Workflow automation studio to streamline onboarding flows and support ticket triage.
• Mentor junior designers and help build a design culture rooted in empathy and impact.

The role blends product design, research, and light engineering—perfect for designers who “design by building” and thrive in fast‑moving startup environments.

Emerge Career’s Mission & Measurable Impact

Founded in 2022 by Uzoma “Zo” Orchingwa and Gabriel Saruhashi, Emerge Career grew out of the award‑winning nonprofit Ameelio, which pioneered secure communication for incarcerated individuals. Leveraging that experience, Emerge built a unified platform that replaces fragmented brick‑and‑mortar job centers with a single, AI‑enhanced solution.

Key impact statistics (2023‑2024):

These outcomes demonstrate that thoughtful design—paired with data‑driven interventions—can dramatically improve life trajectories for people who have been historically excluded from the labor market.

“Good design can inspire a person to invest in their own future.” – Gabriel Saruhashi, Founder

By joining as the founding designer, you become a catalyst for scaling these life‑changing results nationwide.

What’s in It for You?

Emerge Career offers a compensation package that reflects both market standards and the social impact of the role.

• Base salary: $120K – $200K (commensurate with experience).
• Equity: 0.25% – 1.00% in a high‑growth YC‑backed startup.
• Full visa sponsorship for eligible candidates.
• Health, dental, and vision benefits.
• Professional development budget—access to AI tools like OpenAI ChatGPT integration and Chroma DB integration for rapid prototyping.
• Opportunity to shape a product that directly reduces recidivism and labor shortages.
• Mentorship from YC partners such as UBOS partner program alumni and industry veterans.

Beyond compensation, you’ll gain unparalleled experience in impact‑first product design, a niche skill set that is increasingly sought after by mission‑driven enterprises and social‑impact investors.

How to Apply

The hiring process is transparent and fast‑paced, reflecting the urgency of the mission.

1. Submit your portfolio and resume via the official YC job posting.
2. 15‑minute intro chat to discuss motivation and cultural fit.
3. Technical screen (60 min) focusing on design thinking, rapid prototyping, and user research methodology.
4. Deep‑dive interview (60 min) with the co‑founders to explore past impact projects.
5. Paid work trial (2‑5 days, $500/day) where you’ll tackle a real‑world design challenge.
6. Reference checks and final offer.

Emerge values authenticity—references should reflect real collaboration, not just polished testimonials.

Helpful UBOS Resources for Aspiring Designers

While you prepare your application, explore these UBOS assets that showcase cutting‑edge AI‑driven product development:

• UBOS homepage – a quick glance at the AI platform powering modern SaaS products.
• UBOS platform overview – understand the low‑code environment that can accelerate your design iterations.
• UBOS templates for quick start – jump‑start UI kits that align with accessibility standards.
• AI marketing agents – see how AI can personalize onboarding flows, a technique you’ll apply at Emerge.
• Enterprise AI platform by UBOS – learn about scaling AI services, useful when Emerge expands nationwide.
• Web app editor on UBOS – a visual builder that can help you prototype faster.
• UBOS portfolio examples – real‑world case studies of design‑first AI products.
• AI SEO Analyzer – a template that demonstrates data‑driven UI decisions.
• AI Chatbot template – explore conversational UI patterns you could adapt for student support.
• Your Speaking Avatar template – an example of multimodal interaction that could enrich Emerge’s learning modules.

These resources illustrate how modern AI platforms can empower designers to move from concept to production in days rather than months—a core advantage for a fast‑growing startup like Emerge Career.

Take the Next Step

If you are a product designer who thrives on solving human‑centric problems, loves rapid iteration, and wants to see your work translate into measurable social impact, the Founding Product Designer role at Emerge Career is your next career milestone.

Apply today through the YC job posting and become a pivotal part of a mission‑driven team that’s redefining workforce development for the nation’s most underserved talent.

Join Emerge Career, shape the future of re‑entry employment, and build a product that truly changes lives.