Product Designer in Huntington Beach, California at Applied Business Software

About Applied Business Software, Inc.,

Applied Business Software, Inc., (ABS), the maker of The Mortgage Office®, is the industry leader in private lending and loan management technology. Since 1978, our software has powered thousands of lenders, including private money firms, municipalities, CDFIs, Tribal Nations, universities, franchisors, third-party servicers and other non-bank lenders, helping them streamline, automate, and scale their lending operations with confidence.

About the role

We're building private lending software with complex automation and AI-native features, and we're looking for a Product Designer to join us in Huntington Beach to work on the tools servicers' use to manage complex, high stakes loans. This is a research-forward role. Our design team already has strength in systems thinking, front-end craft, and shipping polished UI fast. What we need alongside it is someone who obsesses over why servicers' do what they do, where their real workflows diverge from the software, and what the data says about it; then translates that into problem definitions the team can build against, and designs or prototypes to pressure-test the ideas.

Because we're building AI-native features into workflows where trust is non-negotiable, we need someone who thinks hard about what that means before opening Figma, and whose judgment sharpens with every round of discovery. You should apply if you get energized by understanding real user behavior, can navigate business and

technical constraints, and can still bring a design to life once the problem is framed.

What you'll do

• Conduct user interviews, usability sessions, and contextual observation to understand how servicers' actually work, asking behavioral questions and controlling for bias, not just collecting opinions
• Evaluate features and user flows through product analytics (Pendo, PostHog, etc.), using task-flow analysis, error rates, and click velocity to find what to fix and validate that shipped work improved outcomes
• Run competitive analysis and gather community feedback to inform what we build next
• Translate research findings into clear problem definitions and opportunity areas
• Partner with engineers, stakeholders, and customers to shape product vision and roadmaps, not just execute on them
• Design polished, trustworthy interfaces that feel premium
• Rapidly prototype ideas in code (using AI) or other methods to pressure-test concepts and build alignment fast
• Ensure designs and prototypes are complete and well-documented, accounting for edge cases, error states, and responsiveness

Qualifications

• 3+ years (or equivalent experience) as a Professional Designer and/or User Researcher
• Demonstrated depth in user research: interviews, usability sessions, synthesizing qualitative data, and turning behavioral insight into design direction
• Portfolio showing end-to-end product work: problem framing, research, and iteration, not just polished mocks
• Fluency in Figma and the ability to take a framed problem to production-ready UI
• Experience working directly with engineers in a fast-moving environment
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and scoping work with incomplete information
• Strong written communication for specs, tickets, async collaboration, and stakeholder alignment
• Familiarity with analytics tools (Pendo, PostHog, Mixpanel, Amplitude, etc.) and using data to drive decisions
• Ability to tie design decisions to business goals, saving cost or generating revenue
• Understanding of business, resource, and technical constraints when planning feature rollouts
• Ability to prototype in code (Claude Code, React, HTML/CSS, Cursor, etc.)

Nice to Have

• Experience in fintech, mortgage, or B2B SaaS
• Background in behavioral science, cognitive psychology, or HCI research methods
• Exposure to reinventing traditional UI patterns for AI use cases
• Prior experience in Product Management or a hybrid PM/design role

Why Join Us?

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage.
• 401(k) with company funded match.
• Mission-driven company with a 45+ year legacy and industry-leading products trusted by thousands of lenders.
• Collaborative, supportive team known for long tenure, deep expertise, and a culture built on trust and integrity.
• Help modernize and evolve the leading platform in private lending technology.
• Beautiful Huntington Beach office with a tight-knit culture.
• Competitive compensation and room for professional growth.
• Performance-based bonuses.
• Generous PTO.
• Modern workspace with on-site amenities.
• Awesome company Christmas party.