Contract UX Designer (3-months)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Contract UX Designer (3-Months)

Company: Tecovas

Location: Austin, TX

Job Type: Contract

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Digital Product Design

Date Posted: January 30, 2026

Experience Level: 5+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end UX design initiatives, from initial research and strategy to detailed wireframes, interactive prototypes, and seamless engineering handoffs.

• Drive user-centered design solutions to enhance customer discovery, shopping, and engagement across Tecovas' digital and omni-channel platforms.

• Conduct rigorous user research, leveraging web analytics, usability findings, and behavioral data to inform design decisions and optimize conversion funnels.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams including Digital Design, Digital Merchandising, Engineering, and Product Management to deliver intuitive and impactful user experiences.

• Contribute to and maintain the Tecovas Design System, ensuring consistency and scalability across all digital touchpoints.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is specifically for UX Design within a retail/e-commerce context, focusing on enhancing customer journeys from discovery to purchase. The emphasis on a 3-month contract with a hybrid schedule in Austin, TX, indicates a need for immediate impact and localized collaboration. The role requires a blend of strategic thinking and hands-on execution in Figma, with a strong focus on data-driven design and conversion optimization.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead UX design for key digital projects, guiding them from the initial discovery phase through to the final engineering handoff.

• Develop comprehensive user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups using Figma, presenting multiple design options for A/B testing.

• Utilize web analytics, Baymard research, and usability findings to support design decisions and identify opportunities for conversion funnel improvement.

• Apply journey-based thinking, contributing insights to journey maps and experience models defined at the product strategy level.

• Translate user research and behavioral data (e.g., Heap, heatmaps, session recordings) into actionable insights, prioritized recommendations, and design strategies.

• Maintain and contribute to the Tecovas Design System, ensuring adherence to established guidelines and proposing enhancements for consistency across platforms.

• Produce detailed design documentation, including edge cases, redlines, and interaction specifications, to facilitate a smooth engineering handoff.

• Work closely with Product Managers to ensure clarity on design decisions, trade-offs, and project scope.

• Present data-backed design concepts and rationale to cross-functional stakeholders and leadership teams.

• Support Quality Assurance (QA) and User Acceptance Testing (UAT) processes to ensure designs are implemented accurately and effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a robust UX design process, emphasizing research, iteration, and cross-functional collaboration. The inclusion of A/B testing, conversion funnel improvement, and detailed documentation points to a results-oriented approach focused on measurable business impact within an e-commerce environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent practical experience and a deep understanding of UX principles is paramount.

Experience: 5+ years of dedicated UX/product design experience, with a proven track record of delivering successful end-to-end digital product designs.

Required Skills:

• UX Design Leadership: Ability to lead UX design initiatives from concept to completion.

• Figma Proficiency: Expert-level skills in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design.

• User Research Methodologies: Strong understanding and practical application of various user research techniques (e.g., usability testing, interviews, surveys).

• E-commerce/DTC Experience: Demonstrated experience designing for e-commerce, retail, or direct-to-consumer brands.

• Agile Development: Experience working within Agile sprint cycles and collaborating with development teams.

• Data-Driven Design: Ability to leverage web analytics, behavioral data, and A/B testing results to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Design Systems: Experience working with, maintaining, and contributing to design systems.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to partner effectively with Product Management, Engineering, Merchandising, and other stakeholders.

• Documentation & Handoff: Skill in creating detailed design specifications and documentation for engineering.

• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale clearly.

• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to address complex user and business challenges.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with specific analytics tools like Heap, Hotjar, or similar heatmap/session recording tools.

• Familiarity with Baymard Institute research or similar UX best practice frameworks.

• Understanding of journey mapping and experience modeling.

• Experience in the Western wear or apparel industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize practical application and a strong portfolio over formal education. Proficiency in Figma and e-commerce experience are critical. The "5+ years" suggests a mid-to-senior level of experience, capable of independent work and leadership on projects.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase at least 2-3 comprehensive case studies demonstrating your full UX design process, from problem definition and user research through ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and final implementation.

• Visual Design & UX Integration: Clearly illustrate how user experience principles are integrated with visual design execution.

• Problem-Solution Framing: Articulate the specific business or user problem addressed, your approach, and the resulting solution.

• Quantifiable Impact: Demonstrate measurable outcomes and impact achieved through your design work (e.g., improvements in conversion rates, user engagement, task completion times, AOV).

• Tool Proficiency Examples: Include examples of your work in Figma, showcasing wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Provide examples of user flows and process diagrams you've created to map out user journeys or internal workflows.

• Iteration & Testing: Detail how you've iterated on designs based on user feedback, A/B testing results, or analytics data.

• Collaboration Artifacts: Showcase any documentation or artifacts produced during cross-functional collaboration (e.g., design specifications, user stories related to design).

📝 Enhancement Note: For a contract UX role, a portfolio that clearly demonstrates the ability to execute end-to-end design and drive measurable results in an e-commerce context is crucial. The emphasis should be on process, problem-solving, and quantifiable impact.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $40 - $65+ per hour (based on experience and a starting point of $40/hr).

• Methodology: This range is estimated based on the stated starting rate of $40/hour for a contract UX Designer with 5+ years of experience in Austin, TX. The upper end reflects potential for more senior candidates or those with highly specialized e-commerce UX skills. Cost of living in Austin, TX, is considered, along with typical contract rates for specialized tech roles.

Benefits:

• Competitive Hourly Rate: Reflecting experience and market demand for UX expertise.

• Flexible Contract Duration: 3-month initial term with potential for extension, offering project-based engagement.

• Hybrid Work Model: Combines the benefits of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility.

• Exposure to a Growing Brand: Opportunity to contribute to a rapidly expanding direct-to-consumer company.

• Potential for Future Opportunities: Successful contract performance may lead to further engagements.

Working Hours: 15-30 hours per week, dependent on project needs and workload. This offers flexibility for the contractor.

📝 Enhancement Note: The compensation is explicitly stated as an hourly rate for a 1099 Independent Contractor. The "15-30 hours/week" indicates a part-time to near full-time commitment, depending on project demands.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: E-commerce, Retail (Western Wear, Apparel, Leather Goods)

Company Size: Tecovas is a rapidly growing company, founded in 2015. While exact current employee numbers aren't provided, their expansion from a digitally native brand to having physical stores indicates a significant and scaling organization.

Founded: 2015

Team Structure:

• Digital Product Team: The UX Designer will report to the Digital Product team, indicating a focus on product-led development and customer experience.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Close partnerships are expected with Sr. Digital Designer, Product Managers, Engineers, Digital Merchandising, and stakeholders across the organization.

• Agile Environment: The role operates within an Agile sprint framework, suggesting a dynamic and iterative team structure.

Methodology:

• Customer-Centric Design: Emphasis on designing intuitive, customer-centered solutions.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Utilization of web analytics, behavioral data, and A/B testing to inform design strategies and measure impact.

• Iterative Development: Working within Agile sprints implies a focus on continuous improvement and rapid iteration.

• **Design System Ad