Hadrius Seeks Senior+ Product Designer to Shape AI-Powered Compliance Platform

Hadrius, a Y Combinator W23 graduate building AI-powered securities compliance automation for investment firms, is seeking a Senior+ Product Designer to join their New York team. The role offers a competitive salary range of $170,000-$225,000 plus 0.05%-0.15% equity, targeting candidates with 6+ years of experience who can help shape the future of regulatory technology.

The Compliance Challenge Hadrius Solves

Investment firms face an increasingly complex regulatory landscape, with compliance requirements spanning emails, text messages, marketing materials, investment accounts, and regulatory filings. Traditional compliance software hasn't evolved significantly in decades, creating inefficiencies and compliance gaps. Hadrius addresses this by using AI to analyze millions of data points across these channels to identify potential regulatory violations before they become problems.

The company has achieved remarkable traction since its launch, with over 300 financial institutions managing more than $4 trillion in assets under management (AUM) relying on their platform. This growth has positioned Hadrius as the fastest-growing company in the securities compliance space and an emerging category leader.

Design Philosophy: Integration and Speed

Hadrius is taking an unconventional approach to product design that reflects broader shifts in how design teams operate. Rather than traditional Figma-centric workflows, the company is integrating design directly into the codebase, with designers working alongside engineers. This approach emphasizes:

• Hard skills over pure design craft: Light coding abilities, speed, and technical proficiency are increasingly valued
• Rapid feedback loops: Design iterations are expected to happen within 24 hours, making slow feedback cycles unacceptable
• Code-based design: Design decisions are implemented directly in the codebase rather than through traditional design tools

The company cites mercury.com as their benchmark for design excellence and craftsmanship, setting a high bar for visual and interaction quality.

What Success Looks Like

Hadrius has structured the role around clear milestones that demonstrate the impact expected from the Senior+ Product Designer:

First Week:

• Complete platform walkthrough with Founding Product Designer Anushriya
• Set up coding environment with IDE, coding agents, and MCPs
• Lead first customer call to understand user challenges firsthand
• Deep dive into a core platform module
• Learn about the company's core problem, ideal customer profile, value proposition, and product roadmap

First Month:

• Ship first major design project that raises quality standards
• Create and begin implementing the Hadrius Design System
• Establish core design rituals and processes (critiques, user research cadence)
• Become primary design partner to the CTO on product strategy and roadmap planning

First 3 Months and Beyond:

• Own end-to-end design for complex, ambiguous 0-to-1 product initiatives
• Scale the design function and play a key role in hiring future team members
• Act as the primary voice of the customer in strategic conversations
• Visibly raise the bar for product quality across the entire company

The Ideal Candidate

Hadrius is looking for someone who embodies several key characteristics:

Mastery of Craft: A seasoned designer with a portfolio demonstrating strategic, systems-level thinking and exceptional visual and interaction design skills. The candidate should have both breadth and depth from many years of experience.

Strategic Partnership: Someone who doesn't just execute on a vision but helps create it. The role requires a player-coach mentality who elevates everyone around them.

Comfort with Ambiguity: The ability to thrive when faced with complex, loosely defined problems and create clarity from chaos.

All-In Commitment: This isn't a traditional 9-5 role. Building a category-defining company requires immense focus and dedication.

Strategic Ownership: Complete ownership of the user experience and its business impact, from high-level strategy down to individual pixels.

Technical Requirements and Qualifications

The role requires:

• 6+ years of professional experience in Product Design
• Portfolio showcasing work on complex, shipped products
• Experience leading design from 0-to-1 or navigating significant redesigns
• Experience building and maintaining design systems
• Expert communication skills for articulating design strategy to engineers, executives, and customers
• Deep proficiency in Figma and modern design/prototyping tools
• (Preferred) Experience in B2B SaaS, enterprise software, and fintech

Interview Process

Hadrius has optimized their interview process for speed and availability:

1. Introduction (20 min): Chat with CTO Allen Calderwood, who leads engineering, product, and design
2. Design Culture Fit (30 min): Conversation with a designer to assess cultural alignment
3. Onsite Final (2-3 hours): In-person meetings with co-founders, engineers, design team, and PMs

Benefits and Compensation

Beyond the competitive salary and significant equity package, Hadrius offers:

• 401(k) with 100% match up to 6%
• Premium healthcare, dental, and vision insurance
• Opportunity to build the design function and culture at a world-class company
• $18,000/year housing stipend for those living near the lower Manhattan office

The Bigger Picture

Hadrius represents an interesting case study in how design roles are evolving in AI-native companies. By integrating design directly into the codebase and emphasizing technical skills alongside traditional design craft, they're betting that the future of product design requires a hybrid skill set that bridges design and engineering.

For the right candidate, this role offers the opportunity to shape not just a product but an entire design philosophy at a company that's defining a new category in financial technology. The combination of strong traction, world-class team, and innovative approach to design makes this a compelling opportunity for experienced designers looking to make a significant impact in fintech.

Apply to Hadrius