Senior/Principal Product Designer

About this role

Senior/Principal Product Designer

Via, New York City, USA

Public services

Why this work matters

Via's TransitTech software helps cities and agencies modernize public transit networks, reducing car dependency and improving equitable access to affordable transportation globally.

View the full listing and apply →Listed 30 Oct 2026Applications are handled by Via, not by Hard Problems.

About Via

Via is a global technology company that builds smart public transportation software, powering on-demand, paratransit, school bus, and fixed-line transit services for public agencies. Its Transit Operations platform reaches hundreds of thousands of riders every week, including people who depend on transit to get to work, medical appointments, and school. The company is investing in its design team and hiring multiple designers at varying levels of seniority.

The role

This role exists to redesign Via's mission-critical dispatch and booking platform, raising the bar for usability and delight across a complex, multi-user product. You would work within a growing Product and Design organisation, partnering closely with engineers, product managers, and analysts. The team is expanding and this is one of several open positions.

What you would do

• Lead the redesign of the dispatch and booking platform, unifying the experience across on-demand, paratransit, school bus, and fixed-line services.
• Make every workflow insights-first, so data surfaces the right decision at the right moment rather than sitting in a separate report.
• Design for the full range of users who make transit work: eligibility managers, call center agents, dispatchers, riders, caregivers, and students.
• Design around rider eligibility, special conditions, and disability aids so every trip is dignified and accessible, especially for riders with the fewest alternatives.
• Drive how the design team works with AI, from synthesising research and exploring concepts to building rapid prototypes and production-ready code.
• Spend time with agencies and engineers in a forward-deployed way, testing ideas against real operations and shipping alongside the team.
• Run research and usability testing, and partner with analysts to turn data into design decisions.
• Own the details from concept to pixel-perfect execution, making tradeoffs explicit.
• Evolve the design system deliberately as the product scales.
• Partner with product, analytics, and engineering across the full project lifecycle.

What they are looking for

• 7 or more years in digital product design, with a portfolio showing concept-to-launch leadership on complex products.
• A systems-thinking mindset and experience designing dense, data-rich, high-stakes workflows.
• A clear point of view on how AI changes the design process, and the curiosity to keep developing it.
• Comfort prototyping beyond Figma and moving work toward production code, or a strong drive to learn.
• Strong Figma and prototyping skills; motion and interaction design is a plus.
• Clear communication and the ability to explain the reasoning behind design decisions.
• Ownership, independence, and pragmatism about timelines, scope, and technical constraints.
• Empathy for riders who depend on public transit and a genuine interest in equitable mobility.
• A degree in Design, HCI, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Working arrangements

The role is based in New York City. Candidates must currently live in the Greater NYC area or be open to relocating independently. Via supports visa sponsorship for candidates who require it.

Pay and benefits

Salary range: $175,000 - $230,000 (final salary determined by experience, knowledge, and skills; does not include equity or variable pay).

• Comprehensive health coverage, with low-cost dental and vision plans.
• 401(k) with a generous company match and vesting.
• Fully paid parental leave for new parents, with extended leave options.
• Additional benefits including mental health support, pet insurance, and other wellness perks.
• 20 days of paid time off (PTO) annually.

Details

Location : New York City, USA

Salary : $175,000 - $230,000

Sector : Public services

Role : Product design

Seniority : Senior

Organisation : For-profit

This job is listed on the Hard Problems job board, but details come from the employer’s own listing and may have changed — always check the original posting.