Senior UX Designer at ActBlue

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer Company: ActBlue Location: Remote Job Type: Full-Time Category: User Experience (UX) / Design Operations Date Posted: 2025-07-31T05:00:44 Experience Level: Senior (3-5+ years) Remote Status: Remote Solely

🚀 Role Summary

This Senior UX Designer role focuses on the end-to-end design lifecycle of ActBlue's innovative technology platform, impacting grassroots fundraising for Democratic campaigns and progressive causes.
You will be a key player in translating user needs and behaviors into intuitive, high-fidelity designs, driving product strategy in collaboration with Product Management and Engineering.
The position emphasizes a strong partnership with UX research and data teams to ensure user-centricity and data-informed decision-making throughout the design process.
You will contribute to and leverage ActBlue's Design System, ensuring consistency and efficiency in product development while adhering to established design principles and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is situated within a mission-driven organization focused on political technology, requiring a candidate passionate about progressive causes. The "Senior" title, coupled with the 3-5+ years of experience requirement and emphasis on influencing roadmaps, suggests a significant level of autonomy and strategic contribution expected from the candidate. The role also operates within a unionized environment, which may influence collaboration and operational processes.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

Lead the ideation, design, and delivery of user-centric product features and enhancements, from initial concept through to pixel-perfect mockups.
Partner closely with UX researchers and data analysts to understand user behaviors, needs, and motivations, translating insights into actionable design decisions and informing product strategy.
Identify and initiate research opportunities to deepen understanding of user challenges and inform UX strategy for dedicated product areas.
Develop comprehensive user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups with minimal guidance, iterating rapidly based on feedback, technical constraints, and evolving requirements.
Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including Product Management and Engineering, to define project timelines, manage trade-offs, and ensure successful product delivery.
Act as a strategic partner to Product Management and Engineering, contributing to roadmap planning and influencing product direction for a dedicated engineering team.
Actively contribute to and maintain ActBlue's Design System, ensuring adherence to established components, styles, and design principles.
Participate in and contribute to UX team design critiques, providing and receiving constructive feedback to elevate the quality of design work across the organization.
Support supplementary projects as assigned, ensuring timely and efficient completion in alignment with organizational objectives and design standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of individual contribution and collaborative leadership, typical of a senior individual contributor role in a product-focused organization. The emphasis on "0-1 product" experience and "highly regulated or complex space" suggests the need for adaptability and problem-solving skills in a dynamic environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Computer Science, or a related field is typically preferred, though equivalent practical experience will be strongly considered.

Experience:

Minimum of 3-5+ years of professional experience in UX Design, with a proven track record of leading end-to-end product design from ideation and discovery through to final mockups.
Demonstrated experience working with remote, geographically distributed, cross-functional teams on complex product features.
Experience leading user research sessions, discovery workshops, and ideation exercises, and effectively incorporating research findings into the UX design process.
Proven ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams on product concepts, pitches, and the iterative design and delivery of Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).
Experience in building a "0-1" product from conception to launch.
Experience designing for or within highly regulated or complex industry spaces is a significant asset.

Required Skills:

UX Design Expertise: Proficiency in creating user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups using industry-standard design tools.
User Research Integration: Ability to partner with UX research and data teams, synthesize findings, and translate user insights into design decisions.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Strong capability to work effectively with Product Management, Engineering, and other stakeholders, fostering collaborative relationships.
Design Systems: Experience utilizing and contributing to design systems for component-based design and maintaining visual consistency.
Problem-Solving: Aptitude for working through ambiguity, gathering context in new environments, and proactively contributing solutions.
Communication & Feedback: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to engage in a culture of feedback and handle conflict with curiosity and professionalism.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with ActBlue's specific design and tech stacks (details may be discussed during the interview process).
A deep understanding of progressive causes and political technology.
Experience in agile development methodologies and a user-centered design process.
Strong visual design skills and an understanding of interaction design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of 3-5+ years, combined with the expectation of leading end-to-end delivery and influencing roadmaps, aligns with a "Senior" level designation. The emphasis on both research integration and design system contribution indicates a need for a well-rounded UX professional. The mention of "0-1 product" and "highly regulated or complex space" suggests the importance of adaptability and strategic thinking in navigating challenging design environments.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design projects, demonstrating ownership from initial concept through to polished execution.
Examples of how user research and data insights were integrated into the design process to inform key decisions and drive product improvements.
Case studies detailing collaboration with cross-functional teams (Product Management, Engineering) and how these partnerships influenced product outcomes.
Demonstrations of your ability to work within or contribute to a Design System, highlighting component usage, style consistency, and potential contributions.
Instances of tackling ambiguous problems or designing for complex, regulated, or novel product spaces, illustrating your problem-solving approach.
Evidence of creating and iterating on user flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups.

Process Documentation:

Portfolio pieces should clearly articulate the design process followed for each project, including discovery, ideation, user testing, and iteration phases.
Demonstrate how you managed project timelines, identified trade-offs, and navigated technical constraints in collaboration with engineering teams.
Include examples of how feedback was solicited and incorporated, both from users and internal stakeholders, to refine designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the role's seniority and emphasis on end-to-end product ownership, the portfolio is expected to be robust, showcasing not just final designs but the strategic thinking, research integration, and collaborative processes behind them. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their design methodology and the impact of their work.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $141,906 - $164,145 per year

ActBlue offers a structured salary range for this Senior UX Designer position, reflecting the experience and responsibilities of the role. The final salary offered will be determined based on factors such as candidate experience, interview performance, and internal team salary parity, ensuring fairness and consistency.

Benefits:

Work-Life Balance: Flexible work schedules and an unlimited time-off policy, promoting autonomy and well-being.
Comprehensive Health Coverage: Fully paid and trans-inclusive health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families.
Financial Wellness: Fully-paid health reimbursement arrangement for out-of-pocket expenses, automatic 2% employer-paid 401K contribution, with up to a 6% match on employee contributions.
Disability & Insurance: Fully-paid short-term and long-term disability, and fully-paid basic and AD&D life insurance, with an option for voluntary supplemental life insurance.
Family Support: A minimum of three months paid medical, family, and parental leave for all new parents, including those who adopt.
Remote Work Support: Commuter or home-office benefits, including a $1,000 home-office setup allowance for all new full-time remote employees.
Additional Perks: Employee Assistance Program (EAP), dependent and health care flexible spending account options, quarterly snack deliveries, and digital subscriptions to the Boston Globe & New York Times.

Working Hours:

This is a full-time position requiring availability during established, regular business hours (Monday-Friday). The remote nature allows for focus on tasks and project completion within these core hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is competitive for a Senior UX Designer role, particularly in the tech sector. The extensive benefits package, especially the generous paid leave and home-office setup allowance, underscores ActBlue's commitment to employee well-being and support for its remote workforce. The mention of unionization may also imply certain standard working conditions and benefits negotiation.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Political Technology / Non-profit Software Development Company Size: Not explicitly stated, but the description implies a growing organization with dedicated teams for UX research, product management, and engineering, suggesting a mid-to-large sized tech company. Founded: ActBlue was founded in 2004, indicating a well-established organization with significant experience in its field.

Team Structure:

You will be part of the UX team, working closely with UX researchers, Product Managers, and Engineering teams dedicated to specific product areas or features.
The reporting structure likely places the Senior UX Designer under a UX Lead or Design Director, with direct collaboration across product verticals.
Cross-functional collaboration is a core tenet, with designers expected to partner closely with product and engineering to influence roadmaps and deliver integrated solutions.

Methodology:

ActBlue employs a user-first approach, grounding design decisions in research and data, aligning with modern UX best practices.
The company embraces an iterative design process, emphasizing rapid prototyping and feedback loops to refine product features.
Expect a culture that values feedback, curiosity, and continuous improvement, both in individual work and team processes.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: ActBlue's mission to empower progressive causes is central to its culture. This means the work environment is likely fast-paced, mission-driven, and focused on impact. The emphasis on collaboration and feedback suggests a supportive yet performance-oriented team dynamic. The unionized environment implies a structured approach to employee relations and decision-making.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor

This role represents a senior individual contributor position within the UX design function. It involves leading design efforts for specific product areas, influencing strategy, and mentoring junior team members implicitly through collaboration and critique.

Reporting Structure:

The Senior UX Designer will likely report to a Design Manager or Director of UX/Product. They will work in close partnership with Product Managers and Engineering Leads for their assigned product areas, fostering a collaborative triad.

Operations Impact:

As a Senior UX Designer, your work will directly impact the usability and effectiveness of ActBlue's fundraising platform, which in turn fuels Democratic victories and progressive movements. By creating intuitive and efficient user experiences, you will help mobilize donors and support the operational capacity of thousands of organizations.

Growth Opportunities:

Skill Advancement: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific product domains, complex regulatory environments, and advanced UX methodologies.
Leadership Development: Potential to grow into a Lead UX Designer role, taking on more strategic oversight, team mentorship, and cross-functional leadership responsibilities.
Impact Expansion: The ability to influence product roadmaps and contribute to "0-1" product development offers significant opportunities to shape new initiatives and drive impactful change within the progressive tech space.
Industry Exposure: Working within a unique and critical sector of political technology provides specialized industry knowledge and experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and expectation of influencing roadmaps suggest a clear path for growth into leadership or specialized expert roles within ActBlue's design team. The company's mission-driven nature also offers a unique avenue for professional growth tied to impactful societal change.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote

This position is 100% remote, allowing employees to work from anywhere within the United States (with specific state registration considerations).

Office Location(s):

ActBlue is registered to support remote work in numerous US states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Washington D.C. The company may register in additional states as needed.

Workspace Context:

Work will be conducted within a distributed team environment, requiring strong self-management and proficiency with virtual communication tools such as Slack and Zoom.
Expect regular attendance in virtual meetings for collaboration, feedback sessions, and team alignment.
ActBlue provides a $1,000 home-office setup allowance to ensure employees have a productive and comfortable remote workspace.

Work Schedule:

The role requires availability during established, regular business hours (Monday-Friday). While remote, adherence to core working hours is expected to facilitate team collaboration and synchronous communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature of the role requires individuals who are self-motivated, excellent communicators, and comfortable with virtual collaboration tools. The provision of a home-office stipend highlights the company's commitment to supporting its remote workforce's productivity and well-being.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

Application Screening: Initial review of resumes and portfolios to assess alignment with core requirements.
Hiring Manager/Recruiter Call: An initial conversation to discuss your background, interest in ActBlue, and the role's specifics.
Design Exercise/Challenge: Candidates may be asked to complete a take-home design challenge or a live design exercise focused on problem-solving, user-centricity, and process. This will likely involve designing a feature or addressing a user problem relevant to ActBlue's platform.
Portfolio Review & Presentation: A deeper dive into your portfolio with members of the UX team and potentially cross-functional partners. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key projects, explaining your process, decisions, and the impact of your work.
Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Management and Engineering peers to assess collaboration style, technical understanding, and strategic thinking.
Final Interview: Often with a senior leader (e.g., Director of UX, VP of Product) to discuss cultural fit, broader strategic alignment, and career aspirations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

Curate Effectively: Select 3-4 projects that best showcase your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, collaboration, and impact. Prioritize projects that align with ActBlue's mission or demonstrate experience in complex environments.
Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the rationale behind your design decisions, the challenges you faced, and the measurable outcomes or learnings.
Highlight Collaboration: Explicitly mention how you worked with Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, and other stakeholders. Demonstrate your ability to influence and be influenced.
Showcase Impact: Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., conversion rate improvements, user satisfaction scores, task completion rates). If quantitative data isn't available, focus on qualitative impact and strategic value.
Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, how you handle feedback, your approach to ambiguity, and your passion for ActBlue's mission.

Challenge Preparation:

Understand the Brief: Carefully read and understand the requirements of any design challenge. Clarify any ambiguities upfront.
Time Management: Allocate your time wisely between research (if applicable), ideation, design, and presentation preparation.
Process Focus: Emphasize your thought process, not just the final output. Explain why you made certain design choices.
User-Centricity: Ground your solutions in user needs and potential data insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is structured to assess a range of skills, from core design execution to strategic thinking and cultural fit. A well-prepared portfolio and the ability to articulate one's process and impact are critical for success. The inclusion of cross-functional interviews emphasizes the collaborative nature of the role.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

Design & Prototyping: Proficiency in industry-standard design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), and prototyping tools (e.g., InVision, Principle, Axure). Figma is a common choice for collaborative remote teams.
Collaboration & Communication: Advanced proficiency with Slack for team communication and collaboration, Zoom for virtual meetings, and potentially other project management tools like Jira or Asana for workflow tracking.
Design Systems: Experience working with and contributing to established design systems, understanding component libraries and style guides.

Analytics & Reporting:

Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to understand user behavior and inform design decisions is beneficial.
Ability to interpret data and user feedback to drive design iterations.

CRM & Automation:

While not a direct CRM role, understanding how design impacts user journeys within platforms that manage customer (donor) relationships is valuable. Experience with donation platforms or similar user-facing applications would be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: ActBlue operates in the tech space, so familiarity with modern, collaborative design tools is essential. The emphasis on remote work highlights the importance of proficiency in communication and collaboration platforms. While direct analytics or CRM tool expertise isn't listed as primary, an understanding of how design influences these areas is a plus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

Mission-Driven Impact: A deep commitment to advancing progressive causes and empowering grassroots movements is paramount.
User-Centricity: Prioritizing the needs, behaviors, and motivations of users (donors and organizations) in all design decisions.
Collaboration & Feedback: Fostering a culture of open communication, constructive feedback, and mutual support among team members.
Curiosity & Continuous Learning: Encouraging exploration, learning from ambiguity, and a willingness to dive into new areas and technologies.
Inclusivity: Actively centering and amplifying diverse backgrounds and points of view to create a richer and more effective work environment.
Data-Informed Design: Utilizing research and data to validate hypotheses and guide design strategy.

Collaboration Style:

Expect a highly collaborative and integrated approach, working in close partnership with Product Managers and Engineers to achieve shared goals.
Emphasis on transparent communication and active participation in design critiques and team discussions.
A culture that encourages proactive contribution, shared ownership, and a willingness to challenge ideas constructively.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is strongly tied to its mission. Candidates should be prepared to articulate how their values align with ActBlue's goals. The emphasis on feedback and collaboration suggests a team that values collective problem-solving and continuous improvement.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

Designing for a Complex Ecosystem: ActBlue operates in a unique and often complex political fundraising landscape, requiring an understanding of regulations and user needs specific to this domain.
Balancing User Needs with Technical Constraints: As with any tech role, finding the optimal balance between user experience goals and technical feasibility will be an ongoing challenge.
Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Maintaining strong team cohesion and effective communication within a fully remote, distributed team requires proactive effort.
Driving Innovation in a Mission-Critical Platform: Contributing to a platform that directly impacts political outcomes requires a high degree of responsibility and a focus on reliable, impactful design.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

Specialized Domain Knowledge: Gain deep insights into the political technology sector, grassroots fundraising, and the unique user behaviors within this space.
Strategic Design Leadership: Opportunities to influence product roadmaps, lead design initiatives, and potentially mentor junior designers.
0-1 Product Development: Experience in building entirely new products from the ground up offers significant learning and portfolio-building opportunities.
Cross-Functional Expertise: Deepen understanding of product management and software engineering processes through close collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior roles in mission-driven tech companies, offering significant opportunities for professional growth and skill development by navigating complex environments and contributing to high-impact projects.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

Design Process & Philosophy: Be prepared to discuss your end-to-end design process, how you incorporate user research and data, and your core design principles. Example: "Walk us through a product you designed from conception to launch, highlighting key decisions and challenges."
Collaboration & Influence: Expect questions about how you partner with Product Managers and Engineers, manage competing priorities, and influence stakeholders. Example: "Describe a time you had a disagreement with a Product Manager or Engineer about a design decision. How did you resolve it?"
Problem-Solving & Ambiguity: Prepare to discuss how you approach ambiguous problems or work in new, complex environments. Example: "How would you approach designing a new feature for a platform you're unfamiliar with, given limited initial information?"
Mission Alignment: Be ready to articulate your passion for ActBlue's mission and how your skills can contribute to progressive causes. Example: "Why are you interested in working for ActBlue, and what excites you about our mission?"
Team Dynamics: Discuss your experience working in remote teams and your approach to giving and receiving feedback. Example: "How do you ensure effective collaboration and communication within a remote design team?"

Company & Culture Questions:

Research ActBlue's mission, values, and recent work. Understand their impact on the political landscape.
Consider how your personal values and career goals align with ActBlue's mission.
Think about how you contribute to an inclusive and collaborative work environment.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

Structure: Organize your presentation logically: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solutions -> Outcomes -> Learnings.
Storytelling: Frame your projects as narratives that highlight your problem-solving journey and impact.
Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Focus on the most relevant aspects of each project.
Engagement: Be prepared to answer questions thoughtfully and engage in a discussion about your work. Show your passion and expertise.
Tools: If given a design challenge, be ready to present it clearly, explaining your rationale behind each design choice.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating not only design proficiency but also strategic thinking, collaborative capabilities, and genuine passion for ActBlue's mission. Articulating the "why" behind design decisions and showcasing tangible impact will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

Submit your application through the provided link on the ActBlue careers page.
Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating end-to-end ownership, user research integration, cross-functional collaboration, and impact. Prioritize work that aligns with ActBlue's mission or showcases experience in complex environments.
Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 3-5+ years of relevant experience, focusing on leadership in product delivery, remote team collaboration, and contributions to product roadmaps. Use keywords from the job description.
Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, decision-making rationale, and project outcomes. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions related to collaboration, problem-solving, and feedback.
Company Research: Thoroughly research ActBlue's mission, values, and the political technology landscape. Understand how your skills and passion align with their goals.

⚠️ 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.

Senior UX Designer