ABOUT CREEM

Creem was born from a simple observation: the financial backbone for digital businesses needed a serious upgrade. While others were tinkering at the edges, we decided to rebuild the engine that powers online ventures from the ground up.

Look around—it's never been easier to create software and build online. AI is changing the game for developers, but we see something bigger happening. Rather than one-person unicorns (cool as that sounds), we're betting on fluid organizations where partners, creators, and contributors come together in new ways. These dynamic teams need better ways to handle money, share rewards, and coordinate efforts—that's exactly the problem we're solving.

Every successful team needs great ways to work together, whether it's through compensation, equity, or workflows. Our mission is to create tools that bring transparency and programmability to these coordination mechanisms, helping tomorrow's digital businesses operate with the sophistication of enterprises but the speed of startups.

We build by solving real problems alongside our customers—no ivory tower product development. We prioritize tackling the tough, meaningful challenges over quick wins, hype and flashy features. Our Customer success directly drives our roadmap, and we iterate our product alongside them.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Founding Design Engineer at Creem, you'll be at the intersection of design excellence and technical innovation, crafting the visual and functional identity that defines our brand. This pivotal role goes beyond traditional design—you'll architect our API aesthetics, create cohesive user experiences across our dashboard and developer tools, and build the components that make our financial infrastructure both powerful and intuitive.

You'll lead the development of our design language from first principles, implementing customer-facing elements and libraries that empower developers to seamlessly integrate Creem's capabilities into their workflows. Your work will span our entire ecosystem—from our dashboard and documentation to our social presence and developer SDKs—creating a unified experience that resonates with technical and business audiences alike.

In this foundational position, you'll have extraordinary latitude to innovate, with the opportunity to leverage AI automation to amplify your impact. We envision you building and orchestrating a suite of AI agents that extend your capabilities within your domain, allowing you to focus on the highest-value creative and strategic work.

Customer empathy will be central to your process—you'll engage directly with users, translating their challenges into elegant solutions, and serve as a key voice of our brand across digital platforms. This role carries founder-level responsibility and influence, as your vision and execution will establish Creem's design foundation for years to come.

WHAT WE VALUE

• Autonomy with Impact: We don't dictate tasks—team members choose work based on customer impact potential.

• Problem Solvers: Our defining features are still ahead of us. We need people who act fast, innovate, and iterate.

• In-Person Culture: For year one, we're maintaining an office-first approach to build a strong culture.

• Remote Evolution: Over time, we'll thoughtfully add exceptional remote talent that fits our organization.

• Technical Excellence: We prioritize high talent density and technical innovation across all roles.

• AI-First Mindset: Every team member contributes to our AI approach through automation and technical innovation.

• Talent Framework: We are looking for level 5 superstars for the first 10 hires

OUR PRINCIPLE

Keep It Simple, Ship with Quality

We move fast, but not at the cost of poor product experiences. We embrace the KISS principle to reduce complexity and scope where possible, but never compromise on quality.

Do Your Life's Work

We want people who pour their heart into what they build. We love the work and push the envelope of creativity and productivity.

Autonomy & Accountability

We prioritize autonomy and domain ownership. Early team members have outsized impact and responsibility.

Get Shit Done

You need to thrive in ambiguity, move fast, and get things done. We operate on trust—when team members commit to delivering something, we know they will follow through.

Customer Obsession

We exist because of our customers and for our customers. Every line of code, every design decision, and every feature we ship is crafted with their success in mind.

REQUIREMENTS

• Technical Prowess: You bring expertise with modern technologies like React, JavaScript/TypeScript.

• Design Tool Proficiency: You are comfortable around design software such as Figma, Photoshop, Canvas, Davinci Resolve, Adobe Premier or others. We don't have a defined design software, and these are examples.

• Builder's Mindset: You've created something meaningful from the ground up—whether leading a project, founding a venture, or crafting an impressive side project that demonstrates your initiative.

• Communication Excellence: You articulate ideas clearly and document thoroughly, understanding that transparent communication is fundamental to our collaborative approach.

• Bias for Action: You move with purpose and velocity, driving for impact rather than perfection. You're comfortable making decisions and stepping on toes when necessary to achieve results.

• Design Sensibility: You're passionate about creating exceptional user experiences that balance aesthetics with functionality, paying attention to the details that elevate products.

• Problem-Solving Aptitude: You approach challenges with creativity and pragmatism, finding elegant solutions that balance technical constraints with user needs.

Bonus Qualifications

• Entrepreneurial Experience: You've built and monetized your own projects or ventures, bringing firsthand understanding of the entire product lifecycle.

• Craftsmanship: You obsess over the details—from delightful animations to thoughtful edge-case handling—and create user-friendly experiences.

• Fintech/DevTools Background: Previous experience with payments infrastructure, billing systems, or developer tooling gives you valuable domain knowledge.

• Execution Focus: While you appreciate great design, you prioritize shipping and iterating over endless conceptualizing.

OUR OFFER TO YOU

• Exceptional Compensation: We offer a highly competitive salary package that reflects your expertise and the impact you'll have on our mission.

• Relocation Support: We provide comprehensive relocation assistance, handle your visa process if needed, and cover your first month of rent to ensure a smooth transition.

• Equity Ownership: Join our journey with meaningful equity that gives you real skin in the game as we build something extraordinary together.

• Learning & Development: Dedicated budget for continuous growth through courses, conferences, and resources that expand your horizons.

• Flexible Time Off: We trust you to manage your energy and take the time you need to recharge and perform at your best.

• Team Adventures: Regular team gatherings in exciting locations to strengthen bonds, share ideas, and envision our collective future.

• Creative Freedom: A fast-paced environment where you'll have the autonomy to experiment, innovate, and make meaningful decisions that shape our product.

PROCESS

At Creem, our hiring process is designed to be thorough yet efficient, giving both you and us the clarity needed to make the right decision. Here's what you can expect:

• Initial Application Review: We carefully evaluate your submission to understand your background, skills, and alignment with our needs.

• Introductory Call: A brief conversation with each of our founding team to discuss your experience and our vision for Creem.

• Team Interaction: You'll meet key team members for in-depth discussions about your expertise and how you might contribute.

• Paid Work Trial: Our signature 3-day collaborative experience where you'll work alongside the team on real projects in-person (we'll cover expenses).

• Feedback Session: We'll discuss your work trial experience, share observations, and answer any remaining questions.

• Reference Check: We'll speak with professional contacts who can provide insights into your working style and capabilities.

• We make an offer to you joining Creem 🍦