Design Engineer — Base UI

Help us make Base UI the most intuitive, accessible, and powerful open-source UI library for React.

From the creators of Radix, Material UI, and Floating UI, Base UI is an unstyled React component library for building accessible user interfaces. Our focus is on accessibility, performance, and developer experience. Our goal is to provide a complete set of open-source UI components, with a delightful developer experience, in a sustainable way.

The Base UI team is a small group of engineers, designers, and product people, working to solve incredibly complex and challenging UI problems on the web. In our work, we value craft, flexibility, and accessibility.

We're looking for an experienced Design Engineer to join the team at Staff–Senior Staff level. You will help us improve the library across the board, including API design, performance, a11y, testing workflows, docs, support, and implementing components.

We're looking for someone who enjoys wearing many hats. Think less about spending many months implementing a single component, and more about leading developer experience, API design, a11y, docs, and maintaining overall product quality.

You will have a lot of autonomy to push for improvements. We are looking for someone who is passionate about UI design, with an exceptional eye for detail, and great taste in both visual design and API design.

• Report to our OSS Engineering Manager.

• Contribute to the component design process through a11y research, user research, writing design specs, collaborating with engineers, and exploring UI design patterns on both web and mobile.

• Contribute to the API design process at both the component level and the library level. Work to ensure APIs are intuitive, configurable, and consistent.

• Lead the docs design and user experience. Design and implement new features, new content, a11y enhancements, and visual language enhancements.

• Build and maintain the Base UI website.

• Build out our test environment by composing and styling component examples, then rigorously testing them in many different environments including desktop, mobile, and screen readers.

• Create a healthy feedback loop with the engineering team, pushing for iterative improvements to accessibility, usability, and performance.

• Champion Base UI both internally and externally, contributing to marketing efforts through social media, blogs, conference talks, podcasts, and other communication channels.

• Help out with developer support on both Github and Discord.

• We are targeting 7+ years of web development experience.

• Working knowledge of React, TypeScript, Next.js, MDX, Git, Figma, and other popular tools in the React, JavaScript, and design ecosystems.

• Expert knowledge of CSS, including familiarity with common CSS tooling, and knowledge of bleeding-edge CSS features.

• Deep familiarity with the headless UI ecosystem. Strong opinions on the pros and cons of API design choices across headless UI libraries.

• Expert knowledge of a11y, including deep familiarity with ARIA guidelines, WCAG success criterion, and screen reader technologies.

• Advanced understanding of design principles.

• A passion for craft, a keen eye for detail, and exquisite taste.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Experience working remotely and communicating asynchronously.

• $200k–$290k USD base salary.

• Subsidized healthcare package (dependent on employment path and location).

• Flexible time-off. We provide 33 days of paid time-off globally.

• 100% remote. Our entire company is globally distributed.

• Company retreats. We meet up every 8 months for a week of work and fun.

• Office equipment. We let you choose the hardware of your choice.

• 20% development time. Allocate 20% of your time towards personal and professional development.

• Education budget. We provide mentorship and send you to events that help you build your network and skills.

The actual salary will be determined by skill-level, experience, and location. More information about the specific compensation package will be shared during the hiring process.

The hiring process will consist of 6 stages:

1. Resume review.

2. 45 minute Phone screen.

3. React challenge (asynchronous).

4. 60 minute meeting with Product lead.

5. 90 minute meeting with the Base UI team.

6. 60 minute culture-fit interview.