Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: CivilGrid

Location: Boston, MA (Hybrid)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design / SaaS / Construction Tech

Date Posted: December 10, 2025

Experience Level: 2-5 Years

🚀 Role Summary

• This is a visual design-heavy role focused on creating high-fidelity visuals, prototypes, wireframes, and user flows for a complex SaaS platform.

• The Product Designer will be a foundational team member, contributing to end-to-end design projects and shaping the design future of CivilGrid.

• The role requires 0-1 ownership in a greenfield environment, focusing on designing and standing up new systems within the construction tech industry.

• Collaboration with engineers and stakeholders is key to ensuring high-quality implementation and establishing a strong design culture.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the provided title is "Product Designer," the description heavily emphasizes visual design, prototyping, and user flows, suggesting a strong UI/UX component. The "visual design heavy" and "attention to detail" requirements point towards a role that balances user experience with aesthetic execution. The context of a "Google Maps for the Underground" implies a need for intuitive data visualization and mapping interfaces.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end design projects from concept to implementation, ensuring alignment with product strategy and user needs.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders in weekly design reviews to ensure high-quality execution and user experience.

• Develop high-fidelity visual designs, interactive prototypes, detailed wireframes, and comprehensive user flows for web and mobile enterprise-grade products.

• Contribute significantly to the overall product strategy and decision-making processes, influencing the direction of CivilGrid's platform.

• Help establish and foster a strong design culture within a fast-paced, growing startup environment, promoting design thinking and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a senior-level contribution, particularly the "Contribute to overall strategy and decision-making" and "Help with establishing a design culture" aspects. This implies the designer will have a significant impact on product direction and team development, beyond just executing design tasks.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 2-5 years of experience designing web and/or mobile enterprise-grade products.

Required Skills:

• Visual Design: Exceptional ability to create high-fidelity, aesthetically pleasing, and user-friendly interfaces.

• Prototyping & Wireframing: Proficiency in creating detailed wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes to communicate design concepts.

• Interaction Design: Strong understanding of complex interaction design challenges and ability to translate them into intuitive user experiences.

• Collaboration: Ability to effectively partner with engineering and product teams, participate in design reviews, and incorporate feedback.

• 0-1 Ownership: Comfort and enthusiasm for taking complete ownership of design initiatives in a greenfield environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing data-heavy or map-heavy applications.

• Previous experience in scaling design systems or contributing to their development.

• Familiarity with the construction tech industry or a strong interest in disrupting traditional industries.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement is clearly defined as 2-5 years. The emphasis on "0-1 ownership" and "greenfield environment" suggests a need for self-starters who can build systems from the ground up. The "bonus" qualifications point towards specific domain knowledge that would be highly advantageous.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end design projects, demonstrating your ability to solve complex user problems from ideation to final implementation.

• Examples of high-fidelity visual designs, detailed wireframes, and interactive prototypes that highlight your visual design skills and attention to detail.

• Case studies that illustrate your process for tackling complex interaction design challenges and your approach to user flows.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase how you approach 0-1 product design, including your methodology for defining requirements, ideating solutions, and iterating based on feedback in a greenfield setting.

• Examples of how you collaborate with engineering and product teams to ensure high-quality implementation, including your participation in design reviews.

• Evidence of your contribution to strategy and decision-making, demonstrating your ability to influence product direction beyond just design execution.

• Any experience or examples related to establishing design culture or improving design processes within a team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core requirement here is a portfolio that proves the candidate can execute visually and strategically in a startup environment. The emphasis on "0-1 ownership" and "greenfield" means the portfolio should highlight the ability to build and define processes, not just optimize existing ones.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $100,000 - $135,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and equity package.

• Comprehensive health insurance coverage.

• Flexible and remote-friendly work environment, supporting US timezones.

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for health and dependent care expenses.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility due to the remote-friendly nature of the role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided and falls within the expected range for a Product Designer with 2-5 years of experience in a high-cost-of-living area like Boston. The benefits package is typical for a growing tech startup, emphasizing flexibility and employee well-being.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Construction Technology (SaaS)

Company Size: Small, venture-backed startup (specific employee count not provided, but implied to be early-stage given the second full-time designer role).

Founded: Information not provided, but implied to be a relatively new venture based on the "disrupt a $4.7T US industry segment" and "0-1 ownership" context.

Team Structure:

• The design team is very small, with this role being the second full-time designer.

• The role reports directly to the Head of Product & Engineering, indicating a close working relationship with leadership.

Methodology:

• CivilGrid utilizes a data aggregation and SaaS platform model to serve engineers and developers in the construction industry.

• The company emphasizes innovation and disruption within a traditionally slow-moving industry.

• A strong focus on user experience and providing real-time data access is central to their product strategy.

Company Website: https://www.civilgrid.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company operates in a niche but massive market (construction tech) and aims to modernize it with data and SaaS. The small team size means the designer will have significant influence and visibility. The "Google Maps for the Underground" analogy highlights the core value proposition: simplifying complex spatial and subterranean data for decision-making.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Product Design Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Product Designer, given the 2-5 years of experience requirement. However, the "foundational team member" and "shape the design future" aspects suggest significant growth potential beyond a standard mid-level role. The designer will be instrumental in building out the design function.

Reporting Structure: Reporting directly to the Head of Product & Engineering provides a clear line of communication and influence, allowing for direct impact on product strategy.

Product Design Impact: The Product Designer's work will directly influence the usability, adoption, and effectiveness of CivilGrid's SaaS platform. This impact is critical for a company aiming to disrupt a large market where intuitive data access is a key differentiator. Contributions will shape how engineers and developers interact with crucial underground utility data, directly affecting project efficiency and risk reduction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: As the second designer, there's a strong opportunity to grow into a lead design role, potentially managing future hires and defining design processes.

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in data visualization, mapping interfaces, and enterprise SaaS design, becoming a subject matter expert in a unique domain.

• Strategic Influence: Develop a strong understanding of product strategy and business impact, growing into a more strategic product design role.

• Company Growth: Benefit from the company's growth through increased responsibility, potential equity appreciation, and opportunities within a scaling organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "foundational team member" and "second full-time designer" points strongly suggest that career growth here will be tied to building the design function itself, offering leadership opportunities and significant influence over the product's trajectory.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. While the role is remote-friendly within US timezones, there is a requirement for in-person collaboration 1-2 days per week in the Boston area.

Office Location(s): Boston, MA.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is designed for collaboration, with opportunities for in-person interaction with engineers and product leadership.

• Expect a dynamic startup environment where agility and rapid iteration are valued.

Work Schedule:

• Full-time, likely around 40 hours per week.

• Flexibility is offered due to the remote-friendly aspect, but in-office days will be structured for focused collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect, requiring local candidates or those willing to relocate to the Boston area. The 1-2 days in-office are likely for critical meetings, design sprints, and team building, common in hybrid startup environments.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screen: A brief call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session to walk through your portfolio, discussing your design process, problem-solving approach, and project outcomes. Be prepared to discuss your role in each project and specific design decisions.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a small design exercise or present a more in-depth case study from your portfolio, focusing on your ability to tackle complex interaction or visual design problems relevant to CivilGrid's domain.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with engineers, product managers, and potentially leadership to assess collaboration skills, understanding of technical constraints, and strategic thinking.

• Final Interview: A discussion with leadership to finalize fit and discuss compensation.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best demonstrate your skills in visual design, interaction design, and end-to-end product design for enterprise or complex web applications. Highlight projects with a "data-heavy" or "mapping" component if available.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the design process, your key decisions (and the rationale behind them), challenges faced, and the impact of your work. Use visuals effectively.

• Highlight 0-1 Experience: Emphasize any experience you have in building products or features from scratch, especially in a greenfield environment. Discuss how you established requirements and defined solutions.

• Showcase Visual Polish: Given the "visual design heavy" requirement, ensure your portfolio examples are polished, detailed, and demonstrate strong aesthetic sensibilities and attention to detail.

• Be Prepared for Technical Discussions: Understand that you'll be working with engineers; be ready to discuss design feasibility and trade-offs.

Challenge Preparation:

• If a design challenge is given, focus on understanding the core problem and user needs.

• Prioritize defining the problem and outlining your approach before diving into solutions.

• Be prepared to present your thought process clearly and concisely, justifying your design decisions at each step.

• Consider how your solution would scale or integrate with existing systems if applicable.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "visual design heavy" role means the portfolio review will likely scrutinize the aesthetic quality and detail of the presented work. The "0-1 ownership" aspect means interviewers will look for how candidates initiate and drive design efforts without existing frameworks.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping Software: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), or similar is essential. Figma is highly probable given its prevalence in collaborative design environments.

• Collaboration Tools: Experience with project management and communication platforms like Asana, Jira, Slack, or similar.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this role, but understanding how design impacts user journeys within a CRM or automation context could be a plus for enterprise applications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The core tools will be design and prototyping software. The emphasis on collaboration and potentially data-heavy applications suggests that tools facilitating seamless handoffs to engineering and clear communication of design intent will be crucial.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Product Design Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and solving user problems, especially for engineers and developers in the construction industry.

• Quality & Detail: A strong emphasis on high-fidelity visuals, meticulous execution, and a keen eye for detail, reflecting the "visual design heavy" nature of the role.

• Ownership & Initiative: Taking pride in 0-1 ownership, proactively shaping systems, and driving design efforts with minimal oversight.

• Collaboration & Communication: Openness to feedback, active participation in design reviews, and clear communication with engineering and product teams.

• Innovation & Disruption: A passion for tackling complex challenges and contributing to the modernization of a large, traditional industry.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership: Close, integrated collaboration with product and engineering teams, working as a unified unit to bring products to life.

• Iterative: A culture that embraces iterative design, feedback loops, and continuous improvement.

• Transparent: Open sharing of design processes, decisions, and rationale to foster understanding and alignment across the team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture seems to value individuals who are proactive, detail-oriented, and enjoy building something new. The emphasis on collaboration and "0-1 ownership" suggests a team that relies on each member to take initiative and contribute broadly.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Building from Scratch: Designing and implementing core systems in a greenfield environment requires extensive strategic thinking and the ability to define processes where none exist.

• Data Complexity: Translating complex subterranean, utility, and geotechnical data into an intuitive and visually clear mapping interface will be a significant design challenge.

• Balancing Vision and Reality: Aligning ambitious product vision with engineering feasibility and rapid development cycles in a startup setting.

• Establishing Design Systems: Potentially building or scaling design systems from an early stage, requiring foresight and robust documentation.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Domain Expertise: Develop deep knowledge in construction tech, data visualization, and geospatial/mapping applications.

• Strategic Product Impact: Gain experience in influencing product strategy and contributing to high-level business decisions.

• Leadership Potential: Opportunity to grow into a design leadership role as the company scales.

• Startup Agility: Hone skills in rapid prototyping, iterative design, and working effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge is the "0-1" nature of the role, requiring the designer to not only execute but also define the design framework. The growth opportunities are substantial due to the early-stage nature of the company and the critical role of design.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you took a product or feature from concept to launch in a greenfield environment. What was your process, and what were the key challenges?" (Focus on 0-1 ownership, process, and problem-solving.)

• "How would you approach designing a user interface for visualizing complex underground utility data? What are the key considerations for mapping and data-heavy applications?" (Assess domain understanding and data visualization skills.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about CivilGrid's mission to disrupt the construction industry with technology?" (Gauge genuine interest and alignment with company goals.)

• "How do you envision contributing to establishing a design culture within a growing startup?" (Assess understanding of culture building and collaborative design.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, clearly define the problem, your specific role and contribution, your design process (research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, testing, final visuals), key decisions made, challenges, and the outcome/impact.

• Emphasize Visual Detail: Since the role is "visual design heavy," ensure your presentation showcases the polish, typography, color theory, and overall aesthetic quality of your work.

• Highlight Interaction Flows: Clearly demonstrate how users navigate through your designs and interact with key features.

• Quantify Impact (if possible): If you have metrics on user engagement, task completion rates, or business outcomes tied to your designs, present them.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design choices, UI patterns, and the rationale behind your solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be looking for passion for the problem space (construction tech, data visualization), a strong visual design sensibility, and the ability to operate autonomously and strategically in an early-stage environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application via the provided link on Ashby.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight your strongest visual design work, prototyping skills, and experience with complex or data-heavy applications. Emphasize any 0-1 or greenfield project experience.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly states your years of experience (2-5), specific design skills (visual design, UI/UX, prototyping, interaction design), and any relevant industry experience (SaaS, construction tech, mapping). Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on clear communication of your process, decisions, and impact. Be ready to discuss your approach to complex design challenges.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with CivilGrid's mission, target market, and product offering. Understand how their "Google Maps for the Underground" concept solves real-world problems for engineers and developers.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.