UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Designer Company: Tantalus Location: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Job Type: Regular Full-Time Category: Product Development / UX Design Date Posted: February 06, 2026 Experience Level: 4+ Years (Mid-Senior Level) Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Design intuitive, data-rich interfaces for smart grid platforms that empower electric utilities to manage critical infrastructure.
• Lead user research initiatives to deeply understand the needs and workflows of utility operators, planners, and technicians.
• Develop comprehensive UX deliverables, including wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs.
• Create effective data visualizations for Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), asset analytics, and network performance monitoring.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product Management, Engineering, and Data teams to ensure successful product development and user adoption.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within Product Development, focusing on UX Design for enterprise software in the critical infrastructure sector (smart grids). The emphasis on "data-rich interfaces," "utility control room operators," and "smart grid platforms" indicates a need for a designer skilled in complex data visualization and understanding operational environments. The target user base (electric utilities) suggests a B2B SaaS context with a strong emphasis on reliability, clarity, and actionable insights.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct end-to-end user research, including interviews, surveys, and observational studies, with utility control room operators, planners, analysts, and field technicians to identify pain points and opportunities in their interaction with AMI, asset, and network data.
• Develop and present user personas, detailed workflows, and customer journey maps that articulate user needs and behaviors.
• Design wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity user interfaces for web-based applications, unifying SCADA views, Load Management, Analytics, and AMI applications into cohesive and efficient user experiences.
• Create clear navigation and data exploration paths that allow users to transition seamlessly from high-level system status to in-depth issue investigation.
• Define and iterate on data-centric visualizations for key areas including:
  • AMI data (usage patterns, outage/restoration events, tamper alerts, exception conditions).
  • Transformer and asset health monitoring (time-series trend analysis, condition indicators, risk assessment, priority views).
  • Phase identification and load balancing (interactive map and tabular views illustrating phase assignments and load imbalances).
  • RF and cellular network health metrics (coverage maps, performance indicators, reliability statistics), ensuring complex data is presented clearly without unnecessary visual clutter.
• Foster close collaboration with product management, engineering teams, and data/analytics specialists to translate complex requirements, data models, and technical constraints (e.g., real-time data needs, alarm priorities, regulatory compliance) into practical and user-friendly workflows.
• Plan, execute, and analyze results from usability tests, heuristic evaluations, and user feedback sessions, iteratively refining designs to improve key outcomes such as reduced issue diagnosis time, minimized operator errors, and increased adoption of advanced analytics features.
• Establish and maintain comprehensive interaction patterns, UX guidelines, and design system documentation to ensure consistency and scalability across all modules within the multi-application platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a deep dive into user research specific to utility operations, requiring the designer to understand the nuances of control room environments and field technician needs. The detailed breakdown of data visualization requirements (AMI, asset health, network performance) highlights the need for expertise in presenting complex, operational data effectively, moving beyond decorative elements to functional insights.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Human Factors, Computer Science, or a closely related field.

Experience:

• A minimum of 4 years of hands-on UX design experience, with a strong focus on SaaS or B2B enterprise software environments that involve complex, data-intensive workflows and dashboards.
• Proven experience in leading and executing user-centered design processes, including user research, information architecture, interaction design, and usability testing.

Required Skills:

• User Research & Analysis: Ability to conduct qualitative and quantitative user research, synthesize findings, and translate them into actionable design insights.
• Information Architecture & Interaction Design: Expertise in structuring complex information, defining navigation flows, and designing intuitive user interactions.
• Wireframing & Prototyping: Proficiency with modern UX design tools such as Figma, Sketch, or Miro for creating low-fidelity wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity UI mockups.
• Data Visualization Design: Strong capability in designing effective and clear data visualizations for complex datasets, including time-series, geospatial, and statistical information.
• Usability Testing & Evaluation: Experience in planning and conducting usability tests, heuristic evaluations, and gathering user feedback to drive design iteration.
• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions clearly and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• User-Centered Design Principles: Deep understanding and application of UCD methodologies to ensure user needs are at the forefront of the design process.

Preferred Skills:

• Domain Expertise: Prior experience designing for utility, energy, industrial control systems (ICS), SCADA/HMI, asset management, or network operations centers (NOC).
• Data Visualization Tools: Familiarity with product analytics tools (e.g., Mixpanel, Google Analytics) for understanding user behavior within applications.
• Technical Familiarity: Conceptual understanding of industrial protocols (e.g., DNP3, Modbus) and network technologies (e.g., RF mesh, cellular backhaul) and their impact on data latency and reliability.
• Advanced Analytics Visualization: Experience in visualizing advanced analytics or predictive models, potentially collaborating with data scientists or power engineers.
• Accessibility & Responsive Design: Solid understanding of WCAG guidelines and responsive design principles for diverse user interfaces and viewing contexts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio demonstrating "complex dashboard or analytics work" is a critical indicator. Candidates should be prepared to showcase projects that involve visualizing large datasets, operational metrics, and complex system interactions, ideally within an enterprise or industrial context. The "desired qualifications" highlight a preference for candidates who can quickly grasp the technical underpinnings of the smart grid domain, even without deep engineering knowledge.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies of Complex Data Visualization: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies that demonstrate your process for designing intuitive dashboards or analytics interfaces for complex, data-heavy applications. Focus on how you translated raw data into actionable insights.
• User Research and Design Process Documentation: Provide examples of user research methodologies employed, including persona development, user journey mapping, and workflow analysis, alongside the resulting design artifacts (wireframes, prototypes, final UI).
• Demonstration of Iterative Design: Include examples where user feedback or usability testing directly influenced design iterations and improvements, highlighting the impact of these changes.
• System Integration Context: Illustrate how your designs accommodate or consider the integration of different system modules (e.g., AMI, analytics, network management) into a unified user experience.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Present examples of how you have mapped out existing user workflows and designed optimized alternatives to improve efficiency and reduce cognitive load.
• Design System Contributions: If applicable, provide examples of contributions to or creation of design systems, style guides, or component libraries that ensure consistency and scalability in enterprise software.
• Usability Testing & Impact Analysis: Document your approach to planning and executing usability tests, and how you measured and communicated the impact of UX improvements on key performance indicators (KPIs) such as task completion time, error rates, or user satisfaction.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, the portfolio is paramount. It should go beyond static visuals to demonstrate a robust understanding of the design process, user research, and the ability to translate complex operational data into user-friendly interfaces. Candidates should be prepared to discuss the "why" behind their design decisions, linking them to user needs and business objectives within an enterprise software context.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $200,000 - $225,000 CAD per year

• This range is an estimate based on the provided information and typical compensation for a mid-to-senior level UX Designer in the Burnaby, BC area with specialized enterprise software experience.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance plans.
• Healthcare Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) package.
• Competitive variable compensation based on performance targets and business objectives.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are anticipated to be around 40 hours per week.
• The hybrid work arrangement offers flexibility, typically involving a mix of in-office and remote work days.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range of $200,000 - $225,000 CAD for a UX Designer in Burnaby, BC, suggests this is a senior-level position with significant responsibilities, particularly given the specialized nature of the industry (smart grids, utility software) and the complexity of the data involved. This aligns with the 4+ years of experience requirement and the B2B enterprise software focus. The "variable compensation" component indicates a performance-driven aspect to the role.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, Energy Infrastructure, Software (Smart Grid Solutions) Company Size: The provided LinkedIn data suggests Tantalus Systems is a mid-sized company, likely between 201-500 employees, with offices in multiple locations (Burnaby, BC; Raleigh, NC; Norwalk, CT). This size typically fosters an environment where individual contributions are visible and impactful, while still offering structure and resources.

Founded: Tantalus Systems was founded in 1999, indicating a company with established experience and a history of innovation in the smart grid technology space. This longevity suggests stability and a deep understanding of the utility market.

Team Structure:

• The UX Designer reports to the Vice President, Product Development, indicating a direct line to senior product leadership.
• The role involves close collaboration with Product Management, Engineering (likely front-end, back-end, and potentially data engineers), and Data/Analytics teams.
• Given the hybrid nature and multiple office locations, expect a blend of in-person and remote collaboration tools and practices.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: The emphasis on "data-rich interfaces" and "analytics" implies a strong reliance on data to inform design decisions and measure impact.
• User-Centric Development: The core responsibility of leading user research highlights a commitment to understanding and addressing the needs of utility operators and technicians.
• Agile Development Practices: While not explicitly stated, enterprise software development, especially in a technology company, often follows Agile methodologies, suggesting iterative design and development cycles.

Company Website: http://www.tantalus.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on modernizing utility grids and supporting electrification/decarbonization suggests a mission-driven culture. The "entrepreneurial team" and "solving complex technical problems" mentioned in the description point towards a dynamic, innovative environment where individuals are encouraged to contribute and tackle challenging projects. The hybrid model and multiple locations imply a need for strong remote collaboration skills.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is classified as a mid-to-senior level UX Designer, requiring a solid foundation of experience (4+ years) and the ability to work independently on complex projects. The responsibility for leading research and design for core product features indicates a significant level of autonomy and impact.

Reporting Structure: The UX Designer reports directly to the VP of Product Development. This provides a clear reporting line and direct access to senior leadership, facilitating visibility and potential for mentorship and career guidance from a high level within the product organization.

Operations Impact: The UX Designer's work directly impacts the usability and effectiveness of Tantalus's smart grid platforms. By creating intuitive interfaces, the designer enables electric utilities to more efficiently manage their grids, analyze data, diagnose issues, and ultimately improve service reliability and operational efficiency. This has a direct impact on Tantalus's product adoption, customer satisfaction, and market competitiveness.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deepening Domain Expertise: Opportunity to become an expert in the smart grid and utility technology domain, a specialized and growing field.
• Leadership in UX Strategy: Potential to influence the overall UX strategy and design system for Tantalus's product suite, taking on more strategic responsibilities.
• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Collaboration with engineering, product management, and data science teams offers exposure to different facets of product development.
• Mentorship & Team Growth: As the team potentially grows, there may be opportunities to mentor junior designers or lead UX initiatives within specific product areas.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers significant growth potential beyond standard UX design. The specialized industry and the direct impact on critical infrastructure provide unique learning opportunities. The reporting structure to the VP of Product Development suggests a path for increased strategic influence and leadership within the product organization.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, based in Burnaby, BC. This suggests a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work flexibility. The office environment likely supports collaboration with dedicated meeting spaces and potentially open-plan work areas.

Office Location(s):

• Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada (Hybrid)
• Other company offices are located in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, and Norwalk, Connecticut, USA, indicating a distributed team structure.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model encourages in-person collaboration for key discussions, brainstorming sessions, and team building, balanced with the flexibility of remote work for focused individual tasks.
• Technology & Tools: Access to modern UX design and collaboration tools (Figma, Sketch, Miro, etc.) is expected, supporting both individual productivity and team interaction.
• Cross-Functional Interaction: Opportunities to interact closely with product managers, engineers, data analysts, and potentially sales and customer success teams, providing a holistic view of the product lifecycle.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) are expected.
• The hybrid arrangement allows for flexibility in managing workdays, balancing in-office presence with remote productivity depending on team needs and personal preference.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of this role in Burnaby requires candidates to be comfortable with a mix of remote and in-office work. The emphasis on collaboration suggests that in-office days will likely be utilized for team meetings, design reviews, and cross-functional workshops.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely review your resume and portfolio to assess fit for the role's core requirements.
• Portfolio Presentation & Technical Interview: Expect to present your portfolio, walking through 1-2 key case studies. This will involve discussing your design process, user research findings, design decisions, and the impact of your work. This stage often includes technical questions related to UX methodologies, data visualization, and problem-solving.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with key stakeholders such as Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially Data Scientists to assess collaboration skills, understanding of technical constraints, and ability to translate requirements into design.
• Hiring Manager Interview: A final interview with the VP of Product Development to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and alignment with the team's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on the "Why": Clearly articulate the problem you were solving, your research process, and the rationale behind your design decisions.
• Quantify Impact: Where possible, include metrics that demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved task completion rates, reduced errors, increased user adoption).
• Showcase Data Visualization Skills: Highlight projects involving complex data, dashboards, and analytics, explaining how you made the information accessible and actionable for users.
• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that involved enterprise software, B2B contexts, or complex data challenges, similar to Tantalus's domain.
• Be Prepared for Design Challenges: Some companies may include a small design exercise or whiteboard challenge during the interview process.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research Tantalus Systems, their smart grid technology, and the challenges faced by electric utilities. This will help you frame your responses and portfolio examples.
• Practice Presenting Your Work: Rehearse your portfolio presentation to ensure it is concise, engaging, and clearly communicates your process and impact.
• Prepare for Data-Centric Questions: Be ready to discuss how you approach designing for data-heavy applications and visualizing complex information.
• Articulate Collaboration: Prepare examples of how you've successfully collaborated with engineering, product, and data teams to deliver user-centered solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "portfolio demonstrating complex dashboard or analytics work" and the specific mention of "utility control room operators, planners, analysts, and field technicians" means candidates should be ready to discuss their experience designing for operational environments and visualizing time-series or geospatial data. Preparing case studies that highlight these aspects will be crucial.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD (proficiency with at least one is essential).
• Collaboration & Whiteboarding: Miro, Mural, Confluence, Jira.
• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, SurveyMonkey).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Familiarity with tools like Mixpanel, Google Analytics, Amplitude, or similar for understanding user behavior and informing design decisions.
• Data Visualization Libraries/Tools: While not a developer role, an understanding of how data is visualized might be beneficial (e.g., D3.js concepts, Tableau, Power BI basics).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Awareness of how CRM systems like Salesforce might integrate with or be used by enterprise clients, though direct CRM UX experience is not explicitly required.
• Project Management: Tools like Jira for managing design tasks within an Agile development workflow.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern UX design tools like Figma is explicitly mentioned and is a critical requirement. Familiarity with collaboration and user research platforms is also key to success in this hybrid role. An understanding of how product analytics inform design is a plus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A strong commitment to understanding and solving user problems, ensuring that designs are intuitive, efficient, and meet the critical needs of utility operators.
• Data-Informed Decisions: Utilizing data from user research, product analytics, and system performance to guide design choices and measure their effectiveness.
• Collaboration & Teamwork: Fostering an environment where cross-functional teams work together seamlessly, sharing knowledge and providing constructive feedback to achieve common goals.
• Innovation & Problem-Solving: Encouraging creative approaches to tackle complex technical challenges within the smart grid domain and continuously seeking ways to improve product offerings.
• Reliability & Clarity: Designing interfaces that are dependable, clear, and easy to understand, especially in high-stakes operational environments where errors can have significant consequences.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Actively engaging with Product Management, Engineering, and Data teams throughout the design lifecycle to ensure alignment and feasibility.
• Iterative Feedback Loops: Embracing a culture of continuous feedback, both giving and receiving, to refine designs and processes.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of UX best practices, research findings, and design insights across the product development team.
• Agile & Adaptable: Working in an agile manner, being adaptable to changing requirements and priorities while maintaining a focus on delivering high-quality user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's mission to modernize grids and support decarbonization suggests a culture that values innovation, impact, and forward-thinking solutions. The emphasis on complex technical problems and an entrepreneurial spirit indicates a desire for proactive and resourceful team members.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complex Data: Translating intricate, real-time data from smart grids into easily digestible and actionable user interfaces presents a significant design challenge.
• Understanding Specialized Users: Deeply comprehending the unique workflows, pain points, and technical environments of utility control room operators, planners, and field technicians requires thorough research and empathy.
• Balancing Functionality & Usability: Ensuring that highly functional and data-rich applications remain intuitive and easy to use, especially under pressure in operational settings.
• Cross-Team Alignment: Effectively managing design requirements and feedback from diverse stakeholders (Product, Engineering, Data) across different locations and disciplines.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Domain Specialization: Gaining deep expertise in the utility sector, smart grid technology, and associated data analytics, which is a growing and critical industry.
• Advanced Data Visualization Techniques: Developing advanced skills in designing visualizations for time-series, geospatial, and complex analytical data.
• UX Leadership: Opportunities to shape UX strategy, contribute to design systems, and potentially mentor other designers as the product evolves.
• Industry Exposure: Understanding the operational realities and technological advancements driving the energy sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the specialized nature of the industry and the complexity of the data. Overcoming these challenges requires a combination of strong UX fundamentals and a proactive approach to learning about the energy sector and its operational demands.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex dashboard or data visualization. What was the problem, your process, and the outcome?"
• "How would you approach understanding the needs of a utility control room operator who needs to monitor real-time grid status and identify potential issues?"
• "Walk us through a challenging user research project you led. What methodologies did you use, and how did the findings impact your design?"
• "How do you ensure consistency and scalability in your designs across multiple product modules or applications?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Tantalus Systems and the smart grid industry?"
• "How do you approach collaboration with engineering and product management teams, especially in a hybrid work environment?"
• "Describe a situation where you had to advocate for a user-centered design decision against technical constraints or differing opinions."
• "How do you stay updated on UX trends and best practices, particularly those relevant to enterprise software and data visualization?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically: Problem -> Research -> Solution (Design Process & Artifacts) -> Outcome/Impact.
• Focus on Data Visualization: Select case studies that prominently feature your ability to design effective data visualizations for complex datasets. Explain the data types, the insights you aimed to surface, and how you achieved clarity.
• Highlight User Research: Clearly demonstrate how your user research informed your design decisions, showing the connection between user needs and your proposed solutions.
• Quantify Results: Use metrics whenever possible to showcase the impact of your design work on user efficiency, error reduction, or adoption.
• Tailor to Tantalus: Frame your examples in a way that resonates with Tantalus's focus on utility operations, smart grids, and data analytics.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview questions will likely probe into your experience with complex data visualization and user research within enterprise or industrial contexts. Be prepared to discuss your methodology, decision-making process, and the impact of your work, using specific examples from your portfolio.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Designer position:

• Submit Your Application: Complete the application through the provided BambooHR link.
• Curate Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio prominently features case studies showcasing complex data visualization, user research for enterprise/B2B software, and your iterative design process. Tailor your selection to highlight relevant experience for smart grid technology and utility operations.
• Optimize Your Resume: Highlight keywords related to UX design, user research, data visualization, prototyping tools (Figma, Sketch), and any experience in enterprise software, B2B, or industrial/energy sectors. Quantify achievements where possible.
• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through 1-2 key portfolio case studies, focusing on your problem-solving approach, design decisions, and the measurable impact of your work. Be ready to discuss your experience with complex data and operational environments.
• Research Tantalus: Understand Tantalus Systems' mission, products, and the challenges faced by electric utilities. This will help you articulate your interest and tailor your responses 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.