About Us
Emerge Career’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty and incarceration. We’re not just building software; we’re creating pathways to real second chances. Through an all-in-one platform deeply embedded within the criminal justice system, we recruit, train, and place justice-impacted individuals into life-changing careers. Our vision is to become the country’s unified workforce development system, replacing disconnected brick-and-mortar job centers with one integrated, tech-powered solution that meets low-income individuals exactly where they are. Today, the federal government spends billions annually on education and training programs, yet only about 70% of participants graduate, just 38.6% secure training-related employment, and average first-year earnings hover around $34,708. By contrast, our seven-person team has already outperformed the job centers in two entire states (Vermont and South Dakota) in just the past year. With an 89% graduation rate and 92% of graduates securing training-related employment, our alumni aren’t just getting jobs - they’re launching new lives with average first-year earnings of $77,352. The results speak for themselves, and we’re just getting started. Before Emerge, our founders Zo and Gabe co-founded Ameelio, an award-winning tech nonprofit that is dismantling the prison communication duopoly. Backed by tech luminaries like Reid Hoffman, Vinod Khosla, and Jack Dorsey, and by major criminal-justice philanthropies such as Arnold Ventures and the Mellon Foundation, Ameelio became a recognized leader in the space. Because of this experience both Zo and Gabe understood what it took to create change from within the system. After serving over 1M people impacted by incarceration, they witnessed firsthand the gap in second-chance opportunities and the chronic unemployment plaguing those impacted by the justice system. Emerge Career is committed to solving this issue. Our students are at the heart of our work. Their journeys have captured national attention on CBS, NBC, and in The Boston Globe, and our programs now serve entire states and cities. And we’re not doing it alone: our vision has attracted support from Alexis Ohanian (776), Michael Seibel, Y Combinator, the Opportunity Fund, and public figures like Diana Taurasi, Deandre Ayton, and Marshawn Lynch. All of us believe that, with the right mix of technology and hands-on practice, we can redefine workforce development and deliver true second chances at scale.
Why We Do This:
Emerge Career was designed to tackle two systemic issues: recidivism, fueled by post-incarceration unemployment and poverty, and labor shortages in key industries. Over 60% of formerly incarcerated people remain unemployed a year after incarceration, seeking work but not finding it. The reality is shocking, workforce development programs are severely limited inside prison, with only one-third of incarcerated people ever participating. To worsen, the available prison jobs offer meager wages, often less than $1 per hour, and often do not equip individuals with the skills for long-term stable employment. About the Role We call this a Founding Product Designer role, even three years in and with multiple contracts under our belt, for two reasons. First, you'll be our very first engineer, joining our co-founder, who's built the entire platform solo to date. Second, our growth is now outpacing our systems, and we can't keep up on maintenance alone. We're at a critical juncture: we can either hire someone to simply care for what exists, or we can bring on a talent who believes that, with the right blend of technology and hands-on practice, we can unify the workforce-development system and deliver second chances at true scale. We hope that can be you. This is not a traditional engineering job. You'll build features in React and TypeScript, but your real job is helping students finish. That means understanding the human problem first: why do people disengage? What makes someone choose to keep going when the payoff is months away? You'll answer those questions through direct conversations, usability research, and watching how people actually use what you build. Then you'll prototype fast, ship real software, and measure whether it worked. Some days that looks like code. Other days it looks like a phone call, a support ticket, or a whiteboard session figuring out how to turn a one-off fix into a system that scales. This role blends engineering, product, design, and program operations. We're looking for someone who believes good design can inspire a person to invest in their own future, and who wants to prove it, week after week, by shipping work that measurably helps students succeed. If you want to be close to users, own outcomes end to end, and build something that actually matters, you'll thrive here.
Who You Are:
- You love supporting other people’s growth. This role will feel like case work at times, and you’re drawn to that. You’ve dedicated your life volunteering, working in social impact, or finding ways to make the playing field more fair. You find joy in helping others rise. You don’t hesitate to call, text, or meet with a student who needs you. You show up consistently, personally, and with heart.
- You believe everyone deserves a second chance. You treat everyone with dignity. You know how to meet people exactly where they are - with empathy and compassion - helping create a space where everyone feels seen and valued, regardless of their background..
- You are tech-forward, but not tech-first. You look for ways to automate and scale, but you know not everything should be automated. You believe that with the right builder mindset, one coach can support hundreds of individuals - but you also understand that in a program like ours, many moments require a human touch. You know when to hand it to a system, and when to pick up the phone.
- You are entrepreneurial. You’re scrappy, resourceful, autonomous, and low-maintenance. You know process matters - but at this stage, speed and iteration matter more. You’re comfortable building quickly and changing procedures often to get to the right solution. You roll up your sleeves and solve problems. No job is too small.
- You play to win. You stay optimistic when things get tough and keep moving when others slow down. You’re not rattled by change or new ideas. You don’t need to agree with everything, but you bring a “yes, and” mindset that helps ideas grow instead of shutting them down.
- You work hard. You show up early, stay late, and do what needs to get done - no ego, no excuses. You don’t wait around or ask for permission. This isn’t a 9-to-5. The team puts in 10+ hour days because we care about the mission and each other. If that sounds miserable, this isn’t for you. If it sounds exciting, you’ll fit right in.
- You are a straight shooter. You don’t shy away from hard conversations - internally or externally. You bring clarity, care, and accountability to every interaction.
- You love learning. You understand that recent advancements in AI have shifted the way we work and what it means to be a high performer. You tinker with new tools. You enjoy being an early adopter. You’re always rethinking and optimizing how you work so you can keep leveling up. Nobody needs to tell you to keep upping your game.
- You have an eye for operational detail. This doesn’t mean you’re simply organized. At Emerge, operational excellence isn’t just about efficiency - it’s about protecting the real lives and futures of the people in our programs. You have an almost paranoid attention to detail, because you understand that even small oversights have real, human consequences.
- You are a clear writer. This doesn’t mean you need to craft the next great novel, but you must communicate ideas simply and clearly. You value precision, clarity, and brevity. You understand that good writing reduces confusion, accelerates decisions, and ensures everyone stays aligned, especially in high-stakes environments like ours.
Requirements
- Willing to relocate and work in-person in New York City
- Experience taking a project from 0 to 1. You might have led a project, been a founder previously, built an impressive side project, or been one of the first 10 employees at an early stage startup
- You love working with React and Typescript
- Experience with Figma
- Experience collaborating with operations or support teams
Bonus Points
- Experience in ed-tech
- Experience with UX research
What you will be doing
- Talking to students. Good founding engineers read feedback and iterate quickly. Great founding engineers have users they're friendly with, talk with them frequently, bounce ideas off them, and iterate with them when they ship new things.
- Owning products and features end to end. You won't just take tickets. You'll originate ideas based on user conversations, your own instincts, and our larger strategy. You'll test MVPs in production, iterate based on real feedback, and stay accountable to the long-term success of your work. We build in React and TypeScript. If you like shipping for the sake of it, this role isn't for you. If you like shipping with purpose and ownership, you'll love it here.
- Helping students choose their future, daily. The hardest part of training isn't the content, it's the commitment. Students are betting months of effort on a future they have to imagine. Good design makes that bet feel worth taking. You'll study where students disengage, what triggers doubt, and what reignites momentum. Then you'll design the moments that help someone choose to keep going: an interface, a message, a milestone. This is the classic challenge of long-term fulfillment. How do you make a better life in three months feel worth the sacrifice today? You'll own that problem.
- Prototyping fast and measuring what matters. You'll talk to students directly through calls, usability sessions, and in-person observation, then let what you learn drive what you build. Prototype quickly, ship real software, measure the impact, iterate. Did completion rates go up? Did more students hit the next milestone? Polished decks don't matter here. Working product and proof that it helps do.
- Documenting your work. Our work is complex, spans months, and involves multiple teams. Clear documentation and communication are critical. You'll create awareness when a change impacts operations and help others understand how features affect training and service delivery. Precision matters.
Benefits You’ll Receive link About the interview
- Application
- Cultural fit conversation & technical screen (60 min)
- Getting to know you interview (60 min): A more in-depth discussion about your background, experiences, and goals.
- Reference checks. We will select 3–4 people you’ve worked with and request introductions. We will request these when the time comes. We’re looking for honest and raw references, not flawless ones.
- Paid Work Trial (2-5 days). You’ll come onsite to work on a real project, with access to internal tools and team collaboration. You’ll be paid $500 per day. All travel expenses will be covered.