Contract Product UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Contract Product UX Designer

Company: Clean Power Research

Location: Bellevue, Washington, United States

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Product Design / User Experience

Date Posted: March 07, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (4+ years)

Remote Status: Primarily Remote (occasional on-site collaboration may be requested)

🚀 Role Summary

• This is a contract role focused on designing intuitive, data-driven user experiences for complex cloud-based energy software solutions.

• The role requires close collaboration with product managers and engineers throughout the full product lifecycle, from discovery to high-fidelity design and validation.

• Key responsibilities include contributing to the design and refinement of features for platforms like PowerClerk® and SolarAnywhere®, transforming complex concepts into user-friendly interfaces.

• The position emphasizes strong product thinking, interaction design, information architecture, and advanced proficiency in design tools like Figma.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is for an independent contractor (1099) and requires the contractor to operate as a business in Washington State, including maintaining a business license and handling their own taxes, insurance, equipment, and benefits. The engagement is structured around project deliverables and timelines, with an expected availability of 35-40 hours per week.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Product Managers and Engineers to deeply understand user problems, product requirements, and technical constraints, translating these into effective design solutions.

• Deliver high-quality, user-centered designs for new features and iteratively refine existing user experiences to enhance usability and effectiveness.

• Partner closely with multidisciplinary teams during the ideation and definition phases of new user experiences, ensuring a cohesive and integrated product vision.

• Employ a user-centered design process, producing design artifacts (user flows, IA diagrams, wireframes, mockups, prototypes) with appropriate fidelity for each stage of development.

• Contribute to and maintain a shared design system, including component architecture documentation, ensuring design consistency and scalability across products.

• Transform complex data and concepts into engaging, intuitive, and delightful user experiences, particularly for data-centric web applications.

• Conduct lightweight, rapid, and iterative usability testing to validate design decisions and gather user feedback for continuous improvement.

• Shape the future of Clean Power Research's products by contributing innovative ideas and groundbreaking design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core of this role involves translating complex technical requirements and data into accessible and efficient user interfaces for enterprise-grade software. The emphasis is on individual contributor design work and the successful delivery of defined project outcomes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Minimum of 4 years of professional experience in user experience (UX) design, with a significant emphasis on interaction design.

• Proven experience designing complex, data-centric web applications and enterprise-grade software.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio: A strong portfolio demonstrating robust product thinking, including expertise in navigation design, user flows, interaction design, information architecture, and information visualization.

• Design Principles: Fluency in UX best practices, including user-centered design, interaction design, and information architecture, grounded in sound UX principles and techniques.

• Design Aesthetics: A clean, modern design aesthetic with meticulous attention to detail and a passion for simplifying complex user experiences.

• Tool Proficiency: Advanced proficiency in Figma, including hands-on experience with components, auto layout, and the creation and maintenance of design libraries.

• Problem Solving: Ability to translate ambiguous requirements into clear, actionable user flows, information architecture diagrams, wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes.

• Time Management: Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to independently prioritize tasks and manage workload against agreed-upon timelines.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience planning and executing lightweight, rapid, iterative usability testing.

• Experience building and maintaining comprehensive design systems.

• A demonstrable passion for renewable energy and advancing the transition to clean energy.

📝 Enhancement Note: While a Bachelor's degree is listed, candidates with equivalent practical experience and a strong portfolio demonstrating the required skills and experience may also be considered. The emphasis is heavily on a demonstrable track record of successful product design, particularly in complex SaaS environments.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Product Thinking: Showcase a deep understanding of user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints, clearly illustrating how your design decisions address these.

• Interaction Design: Provide examples of complex user flows, micro-interactions, and navigation patterns that simplify user journeys.

• Information Architecture: Demonstrate ability in structuring complex information logically and intuitively, with examples of site maps, IA diagrams, or content hierarchies.

• Data Visualization: Include projects where you've designed effective ways to present and interact with complex data, ensuring clarity and actionable insights.

• Figma Mastery: Highlight specific examples of advanced Figma usage, such as complex component libraries, auto layout applications, and design system contributions.

Process Documentation:

• User-Centered Design Process: Clearly articulate your design process, from user research and problem definition through ideation, prototyping, testing, and final design delivery.

• Design System Contribution: If applicable, provide examples or descriptions of your involvement in creating or maintaining design systems, detailing component structure and documentation.

• Iterative Design: Show evidence of how you've incorporated user feedback and testing results into design iterations to improve usability and meet project goals.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role, serving as the primary means to assess product thinking and design capabilities. Candidates should be prepared to walk through their portfolio and articulate the rationale behind their design choices, demonstrating their problem-solving approach.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Hourly Rate: $50 - $65 USD (flat rate)

Benefits:

• As an independent contractor (1099), the role does not include employee benefits such as health insurance, paid time off, retirement plans, or other standard employee benefits.

Working Hours:

• Expected Availability: Approximately 35-40 hours per week.

• Contract Duration: Approximately 6 months.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided as a flat hourly rate for an independent contractor. Candidates should factor in their own business expenses, taxes, and benefits when evaluating this compensation. The 6-month contract duration indicates a project-based engagement, with potential for extension based on project needs and performance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software / Technology, specializing in Energy & Renewables.

Company Size: Clean Power Research is a growing company. While an exact number isn't provided, their client list (14 of the top 15 Fortune 500 utilities) suggests a significant market presence and established operational scale.

Founded: Information not explicitly provided, but the company has established products like PowerClerk® and SolarAnywhere®, indicating a history of development and market penetration.

Team Structure:

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role emphasizes close partnership with Product Managers and Engineers, indicating a collaborative, integrated team environment.

• Design Function: While the size of the internal design team isn't specified, the mention of a "shared design system" suggests a structured approach to design and potentially a dedicated design function or community of practice.

• Contractor Integration: As a contract role, the designer will need to integrate effectively with internal teams, contributing to project goals as an independent contributor.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design: The company explicitly follows a user-centered design process, prioritizing user needs and feedback in product development.

• Agile/Iterative Development: The mention of "lightweight, rapid, iterative usability testing" and "full product lifecycle" work points towards agile or iterative development methodologies.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The focus on "data-driven experiences" and products that "inform, streamline and value energy-related decisions" highlights a company culture that leverages data for insights and product strategy.

Company Website: http://www.cleanpower.com/about-us/careers/

📝 Enhancement Note: Clean Power Research operates within the critical and rapidly evolving energy sector. Their focus on cloud software for utilities and renewable energy companies suggests a mission-driven organization aiming to solve complex industry challenges. The UX Designer role is integral to making these complex solutions accessible and effective for their sophisticated user base.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a mid-level individual contributor role focused on specialized UX design expertise. It does not involve people management.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to project leads or managers within product development, collaborating closely with Product Managers and Engineers. The exact reporting line will be defined by project structure.

Operations Impact: The UX Designer's impact is crucial for the adoption and effectiveness of Clean Power Research's software products. By creating intuitive and efficient user experiences for complex energy programs and data analysis tools, the designer directly influences user productivity, data accuracy, and overall client satisfaction with platforms like PowerClerk® and SolarAnywhere®. This role supports the company's mission of advancing the energy transformation by making critical energy decisions and processes more streamlined and accessible.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for complex data-driven applications, enterprise software, and specific domains within the energy sector (e.g., utility program management, solar resource assessment).

• Design System Development: Gain experience contributing to or leading the evolution of design systems, enhancing skills in component architecture and design governance.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Work closely with product management and engineering teams, broadening understanding of the software development lifecycle and product strategy.

• Industry Insight: Develop a strong understanding of the energy industry's unique challenges and user needs, which can open doors to future roles in cleantech or enterprise software design.

• Contract-to-Hire Potential: While not guaranteed, successful contract engagements can sometimes lead to opportunities for full-time employment, depending on business needs and individual performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a contract role, "growth" is primarily defined by the skills acquired and projects completed during the engagement. The experience gained in designing for a specialized, high-impact industry like clean energy can be a significant differentiator for future career opportunities.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Primarily remote, with the possibility of occasional on-site collaboration in the Bellevue, WA area. This suggests a flexible work model that prioritizes remote productivity while allowing for in-person synergy when beneficial.

Office Location(s): Bellevue, WA area for potential on-site collaboration.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Work: The role is structured for remote execution, requiring self-discipline and effective communication tools.

• Collaborative Tools: Expect to utilize digital collaboration platforms for design reviews, brainstorming, and communication with distributed teams. Figma is a primary tool for design itself.

• Technology Integration: The work involves designing for cloud-based, data-intensive software, requiring an understanding of how technology enables complex processes for utilities and energy professionals.

• Focus on Deliverables: The contractor model emphasizes clear project deliverables, suggesting a results-oriented work environment where autonomy and efficient execution are valued.

Work Schedule:

• Availability: Approximately 35-40 hours per week, based on project needs and agreed-upon deliverables. This implies a flexible schedule within standard business hours, accommodating project timelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "primarily remote" nature, coupled with occasional on-site requests, suggests a hybrid-friendly approach where remote work is the norm, but face-to-face interaction is valued for specific strategic or collaborative sessions. Candidates should be comfortable with remote collaboration tools and self-management.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Application: Submit resume, cover letter, and a link to your portfolio.

• Portfolio Review Presentation: This is a mandatory step for all candidates. Be prepared to present your work and discuss your design process and rationale.

• Interviews: Likely include discussions with Product Management, Engineering, and potentially other design team members to assess design skills, collaboration style, and cultural fit.

• Contractual Requirements: If selected, you will need to meet the requirements for operating as an independent contractor (1099) in Washington State.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Showcase 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects. Prioritize those demonstrating experience with complex data, enterprise applications, or similar domains.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the challenges you overcame, and the impact of your design solutions. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

• Highlight Figma Skills: Include specific examples of how you've leveraged Figma's advanced features (components, auto layout, libraries) to create efficient and scalable designs.

• Demonstrate Product Thinking: Show how your designs solve real user problems and align with business goals. Explain your rationale for user flows, information architecture, and interaction patterns.

• Address Data Visualization: If applicable, showcase how you've designed interfaces for complex data, making it understandable and actionable.

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design process, decision-making, collaboration, and how you handle ambiguity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Exercises: Be prepared for potential design challenges or exercises that may assess your ability to quickly understand a problem, ideate solutions, and articulate your approach. This might involve a short design prompt or a case study analysis.

• Technical Understanding: While not an engineering role, demonstrate an awareness of technical constraints and how they might influence design decisions for cloud-based software.

• Collaboration Scenarios: Think about how you would collaborate with product managers and engineers, manage feedback, and communicate design solutions effectively within a cross-functional team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The mandatory portfolio review presentation is a critical gate. Candidates should invest significant time in preparing a compelling presentation that clearly articulates their design philosophy, process, and ability to deliver impactful UX for complex software.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency is explicitly required, including expertise in components, auto layout, and building/maintaining design libraries. This will be the primary tool for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design.

Collaboration & Communication Tools:

• Project Management Software: Likely includes tools like Jira, Asana, or similar for task tracking and workflow management.

• Communication Platforms: Expect to use tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for day-to-day team communication.

• Video Conferencing: Tools like Zoom, Google Meet, or similar for meetings, workshops, and design reviews.

Design Process Support Tools (Potentially Used or Relevant):

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma handles prototyping, understanding of other tools like InVision might be beneficial.

• User Research Platforms: Experience with tools for usability testing, surveys, or user interviews (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey) is a plus.

• Design System Management: Familiarity with tools or methodologies for managing design systems beyond Figma's native capabilities.

Company Product Context:

• PowerClerk®: A configurable, no-code workflow platform for managing energy programs. This implies a need for highly structured interfaces, form design, and workflow visualization.

• SolarAnywhere®: Products for solar resource assessment, performance monitoring, and forecasting. This involves designing for complex data visualization, analytical tools, and potentially mapping interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable. Candidates should be prepared to showcase their mastery of the tool. Awareness of the broader product suite's nature (workflow automation, data analysis for energy) will help tailor portfolio examples and interview responses.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Advancing the Energy Transformation: A core value is contributing to a cleaner energy future. Passion for renewables and clean energy is explicitly sought.

• Data-Driven Insights: The company produces "data-driven experiences" and software that "informs, streamlines and values energy-related decisions." This implies a culture that values data accuracy, analysis, and leveraging data for strategic outcomes.

• User-Centricity: A commitment to understanding and serving user needs is fundamental, as evidenced by the emphasis on user-centered design processes.

• Innovation & Problem Solving: The company tackles "the energy industry's hardest problems" and seeks designers who can "contribute innovative ideas and deliver groundbreaking designs."

• Efficiency & Streamlining: The products aim to "streamline" processes for utilities and energy professionals, suggesting a value placed on efficiency, clarity, and simplifying complexity.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: The role requires close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers, indicating a team environment where different disciplines work together towards common goals.

• Iterative & Feedback-Oriented: The emphasis on iterative design and usability testing suggests a culture that embraces feedback and continuous improvement.

• Focus on Deliverables: As a contract role, there's an expectation of focused, independent work towards defined project outcomes, balanced with necessary team communication.

• Remote Collaboration: Given the primarily remote nature, effective asynchronous and synchronous communication is key to the collaboration style.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should demonstrate how their design approach aligns with these values, particularly their passion for the energy sector and their ability to create user experiences that are both data-informed and user-friendly, ultimately driving efficiency and progress in the clean energy space.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Translating highly technical, data-intensive concepts and complex workflows into intuitive and user-friendly interfaces for sophisticated users in the energy sector.

• Balancing Requirements: Effectively integrating user needs, business objectives, and technical constraints within the design process, especially within a contract timeline.

• Remote Collaboration Effectiveness: Maintaining strong communication, collaboration, and design alignment with distributed product and engineering teams.

• Domain Specificity: Quickly gaining a sufficient understanding of the energy industry, utility operations, and renewable energy concepts to design effectively.

• No-Code Platform Nuances: Designing for a "no-code" workflow platform like PowerClerk® requires a deep understanding of user configuration needs and how to make powerful tools accessible without traditional coding.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Domain Expertise: Gaining significant exposure to and understanding of the clean energy sector, utility operations, and renewable energy technologies.

• Complex Software Design: Enhancing skills in designing for enterprise-level, data-rich SaaS applications.

• Design System Contribution: Opportunities to contribute to or learn from an established design system, improving skills in component architecture and design governance.

• Agile/Iterative Design Practices: Refining experience with rapid prototyping, usability testing, and iterative design cycles within a product development team.

• Product Lifecycle Experience: Contributing to products across their full lifecycle, from initial concept to refined user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to designing for specialized enterprise software. Candidates who can demonstrate adaptability, a proactive learning approach, and a strong problem-solving mindset will thrive. The growth opportunities are significant for those looking to specialize in the cleantech and enterprise SaaS design space.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Problem Solving: "Describe a time you had to design a user experience for a highly complex or data-intensive application. What was your process, and what were the key challenges?" (Focus on your process, Figma use, and how you simplified complexity).

• Collaboration: "How do you typically collaborate with product managers and engineers during the design process? Describe a situation where you had a design disagreement with a stakeholder and how you resolved it." (Emphasize communication, rationale, and finding common ground).

• Design Thinking: "Walk me through your approach to translating ambiguous requirements into concrete design deliverables like wireframes and prototypes." (Detail your user-centered methodology, IA, and flow design).

Company & Culture Questions:

• Industry Passion: "What interests you about the renewable energy sector and Clean Power Research's mission?" (Be genuine and connect your interest to the company's goals).

• Design Philosophy: "How does your design philosophy align with creating 'data-driven experiences' for utilities and energy professionals?" (Connect your skills to the company's product context).

• Contracting Role: "What are your expectations for working as an independent contractor (1099) on this project?" (Show understanding of the 1099 structure and your business readiness).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Project Selection: Choose projects that best showcase your ability to design for complexity, data visualization, and workflow management within enterprise software.

• Narrative Arc: For each project, craft a clear story: problem statement, your specific role and contributions, the design process (research, ideation, iteration, testing), key design decisions and rationale, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Figma Demonstration: Be ready to highlight specific Figma features used effectively (e.g., complex component states, auto layout for responsive design, design system components).

• Focus on "Why": Articulate the "why" behind your design choices. Why did you choose a particular interaction pattern? Why structure information this way?

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Practice your presentation to be clear, impactful, and within the allotted timeframe.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to articulate how your design skills specifically address the needs of complex energy software. The interview will likely assess not just your design skills but also your ability to integrate into a team, manage your work independently, and understand the unique context of the clean energy industry.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this contract Product UX Designer position:

• Click the provided link to submit your application through the Trakstar portal.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 4+ years of UX design experience, specifically mentioning interaction design, information architecture, data-centric applications, and advanced Figma proficiency. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Portfolio Preparation: Ensure your online portfolio is up-to-date, showcases relevant projects (complex data, enterprise applications, workflow design), and includes a clear link. Be ready to present it.

• Cover Letter Crafting: Write a concise cover letter detailing your interest in Clean Power Research, the renewable energy space, and how your UX design skills align with the role's requirements.

• Contractor Readiness: Be prepared to discuss your experience or readiness to operate as an independent contractor (1099) in Washington State, including understanding tax and business license requirements.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Clean Power Research's mission, products (PowerClerk®, SolarAnywhere®), and the energy industry to better articulate your interest and understanding during interviews.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions. As this is a contract role, candidates should ensure they meet the legal and business requirements for independent contracting in Washington State.