Founding Design Engineer

About Big Shot PicturesBig Shot Pictures is a next-generation animation company building the franchises of tomorrow. We take a digital-first approach to everything we do — from storytelling to tooling — creating worlds that extend across film, games, streaming, and beyond. Backed by Sony Pictures and top-tier investors, we operate like a startup with real scale and ambition.About the RoleWe’re looking for a Design Engineer who lives in code.You don’t think of yourself as a designer who hands things off, or an engineer who implements specs. You design by building. Your medium is React, not static mockups. Your instinct is to open an editor, not a design file.You care deeply about how things feel. Not just how they look, but how they respond, how they guide, how they get out of the way. You notice friction others miss, and you fix it.This role is about building tools for creative people: animators, marketers, producers — where the quality bar is higher, not lower. Internal tools, but with the polish and clarity of the best consumer products.You will take ideas from rough concepts to fully realized products. No handoffs. No silos. Just tight loops between thinking, building, and refining.What You’ll DoDesign in code: prototype, iterate, and ship using React/Next.js as your primary toolTurn complex, messy workflows into simple, usable, and well-crafted product experiencesObsess over interaction details — timing, feedback, edge cases, and states most people ignoreBuild whatever is needed to make the experience real: frontend, backend, APIs, integrationsUse AI as a material — integrating models (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.) into workflows in ways that actually helpWork directly with users, watching how they use what you build and refining it quicklyUse agentic tools to collapse the distance between idea and implementationWhat We’re Looking ForYou’ve built and shipped products where the quality of the experience was your responsibilityYou’re highly fluent in React/Next.js and can produce production-quality UI without relying on othersYou’re comfortable going up and down the stack when needed (ex. Figma, APIs, data models, and integrations), even if it’s not your primary focusYou have taste: strong opinions about what makes software feel good (and what doesn’t)You think in flows, systems, and interactions — not just screensYou move quickly, but you don’t compromise on craftYou use AI tools as part of how you think and build, not just as an add-onWhat a Great Candidate Might Have BuiltSome combination of the following, or something equally thoughtful and well-crafted:A browser-based video or animation tool with thoughtful timeline interactions, responsive controls, and real-time feedbackAn internal tool that turned a complex operational workflow into something fast, intuitive, and even enjoyable to useA React-based product where the details stand out. Loading states, transitions, keyboard interactions, and edge cases all feel intentionalA design system implemented in code that balances consistency with flexibility and speedAn AI-powered feature that actually improves a user’s workflow (not just a demo) — e.g. assisted editing, smart asset generation, or contextual automationA collaborative interface (multiplayer editing, shared workspaces, live updates) that feels smooth and predictableA side project or tool where you explored interaction ideas directly in code rather than static mocksStrongly PreferredExperience in design engineering, creative tooling, or frontend-heavy product rolesExperience building tools for creative or non-technical usersA portfolio that shows interaction quality, not just visual designFamiliarity with modern AI patterns (RAG, agents, etc.)Nice to HaveMotion or interaction design experienceExperience with collaborative or real-time productsInterest in animation, storytelling, or creative workflows