UX Designer (Contract)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Designer (Contract)

Company: Red Cell Partners

Location: Remote

Job Type: Contract

Category: Product Design / User Experience

Date Posted: 2026-03-31T20:55:49

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• This is a unique contract opportunity for a versatile UX Designer to support product, marketing, and executive teams, requiring a broad creative skillset.

• The role involves shaping user experiences for AI agents, customer engagement with the brand, and leadership presentations, demanding adaptability and a strategic design approach.

• A key focus will be on designing intuitive, user-centered experiences for agent-facing workflows and product demos, ensuring seamless integration of AI capabilities.

• The position requires leadership in UX and visual design for the company website and marketing collateral, aligning with brand identity and driving customer engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Contract" employment type and the broad scope of responsibilities (product, marketing, executive presentations), this role likely requires a highly autonomous and adaptable designer who can manage multiple projects and stakeholders effectively without extensive oversight. The emphasis on AI agents and cutting-edge technology suggests the need for designers comfortable with complex, evolving platforms.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design intuitive, user-centered experiences for agent-facing AI workflows and internal tools.

• Develop UX flows, wireframes, prototypes, and interaction patterns for product features and compelling demos.

• Lead UX and visual design for the company website, ensuring clarity, usability, and strong brand alignment to enhance customer engagement.

• Create visually compelling marketing materials including landing pages, digital assets, and campaign visuals that support lead generation and brand awareness.

• Design and refine executive presentation decks for internal and external audiences, effectively communicating complex strategies and product visions.

• Own the UX and visual design for all product demos, developing cohesive flows that clearly articulate product value and functionality to potential clients.

• Create visually compelling materials for conferences, including slides, signage, and demo visuals, ensuring alignment with product messaging and brand identity.

• Partner closely with product managers, engineers, and marketing leads to translate requirements into thoughtful UX solutions and maintain design consistency.

• Maintain and evolve design systems and brand guidelines across all product and marketing surfaces to ensure a unified brand experience.

• Manage multiple design projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks and meeting deadlines in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a need for a designer who can operate across different design disciplines—product UX, marketing collateral, and presentation design. This suggests the ideal candidate will have a strong foundation in core UX principles but also possess visual design flair and the ability to translate technical concepts into accessible user interfaces and engaging narratives.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 3–5+ years of professional UX or product design experience, demonstrated through a robust portfolio.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in UX design principles and user-centered design methodologies.

• Strong portfolio showcasing UX thinking, visual design, and multi-surface work (web, product, presentations).

• Proficiency with modern design tools, with a strong preference for Figma.

• Ability to work independently, take initiative, and adapt quickly to shifting priorities in a dynamic environment.

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design decisions and rationale to diverse stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing for both product and marketing teams.

• Familiarity with AI agent technologies and their user experience implications.

• Experience developing and maintaining design systems and brand guidelines.

• Ability to create visually appealing marketing collateral and presentation materials.

• Understanding of web design best practices and SEO considerations for website UX.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not explicitly stated, the "3-5+ years" experience level suggests a mid-level designer who is expected to be largely self-sufficient. The strong preference for Figma indicates that candidates should be prepared to demonstrate their proficiency in this tool during the interview process. The "strong plus" for marketing design experience highlights its importance for this role's broad scope.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio is mandatory, showcasing a range of UX and visual design projects.

• Projects should demonstrate end-to-end design thinking, from user research and ideation to final execution.

• Include examples of web design, product interfaces, and presentation decks to illustrate versatility.

• Highlight projects where you translated complex requirements into intuitive user experiences.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate experience in creating UX flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.

• Provide examples of how you collaborated with product managers and engineers to refine designs.

• Showcase your approach to user-centered design, including any user research or testing methodologies employed.

• Illustrate your ability to adapt designs for different audiences, such as technical users, marketing prospects, and executive leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "strong portfolio showcasing UX thinking, visual design, and multi-surface work (web, product, presentations)" is critical. Candidates should curate their portfolio to prominently feature examples that align with the diverse responsibilities of this role, particularly demonstrating their ability to design for both product interfaces and marketing/presentation materials.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $75 - $100 per hour.

This range is based on the provided information and reflects typical compensation for contract UX Designers with 3-5 years of experience in remote roles, considering the specialized nature of designing for AI and diverse stakeholder needs.

Benefits:

• For Contract Role:

  • Competitive hourly rate ($75-$100/hour).
  • Opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI technology.
  • Flexible remote work environment.

• For Full-Time Roles (Mentioned for context):

  • Career track opportunity with potential for rapid advancement.

  • 100% employer-paid comprehensive health care (medical, dental, vision) for employees and families.

  • 14 weeks of paid maternity and paternity leave at normal pay.

  • Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO), subject to management approval.

  • Opportunities for professional development and continued learning.

  • Optional 401K, Flexible Spending Account (FSA), and equity incentives.

  • Mental health benefits through Tara Mind.

  • Cost-effective GLP-1 solutions through Crux. Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are expected, likely around 40 hours per week, with flexibility inherent in a remote contract role. The ability to manage workload and meet deadlines across multiple projects will be key.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is explicitly provided. The benefits listed are primarily for full-time roles, but it's useful for contract candidates to understand the company's overall benefits philosophy and potential career path conversion. The "40 hours" is an assumption based on typical full-time contract expectations.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology Incubation, Venture Capital, AI, Healthcare, Cybersecurity, National Security. Red Cell Partners incubates and invests in technology-led companies addressing critical national problems. Trase Systems, the specific company focus, is an AI platform simplifying AI deployment for enterprises.

Company Size: Red Cell Partners is described as an "incubation firm," suggesting a lean, agile, and growth-oriented environment. Trase Systems, as a co-founded entity, is likely in its early, fast-paced growth phase. This implies a dynamic, innovative culture where individual contributions have a significant impact.

Founded: Red Cell Partners was founded to build and invest in companies. Trase Systems was co-founded in 2023. This indicates a relatively young, ambitious organization focused on rapid innovation and market disruption.

Team Structure:

• The UX Designer will be a key individual contributor, working closely with product managers, engineers, and marketing leads within Trase Systems.

• Collaboration will be cross-functional, bridging product development, marketing initiatives, and executive communications.

Methodology:

• Trase Systems emphasizes "AI, Uncomplicated," suggesting a focus on simplifying complex technology for enterprise adoption.

• The company is at the forefront of "AI Agent" innovation, topping leaderboards, indicating a strong R&D and technical excellence focus.

• Design processes will likely be agile, iterative, and data-informed, with a strong emphasis on user-centered design to ensure AI adoption and value realization.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is likely driven by innovation, speed, and a sense of mission, given its focus on national security and healthcare advancements through technology. The AI-centric nature of Trase Systems means the culture will be highly technical and forward-thinking.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Contract UX Designer, likely falling into the mid-level to senior-individual contributor range, depending on the depth of experience. The responsibilities suggest a need for autonomy and a broad skill set, characteristic of a designer ready to take ownership.

Reporting Structure: The UX Designer will report to a product or design lead within Trase Systems and collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and marketing leads. They will also work directly with executive leadership for presentation design, indicating a high level of visibility.

Operations Impact: The UX Designer's impact will be multifaceted:

• Product Adoption: By designing intuitive agent-facing workflows and product demos, they will directly influence how effectively users adopt and benefit from Trase's AI platform.

• Brand Perception: Through website and marketing design, they will shape how the company is perceived by potential customers and partners, impacting lead generation and market positioning.

• Strategic Communication: By crafting executive presentations, they will support leadership in communicating the company's vision, strategy, and value proposition to investors, partners, and the broader industry.

Growth Opportunities:

• For Contract Role: While contract roles typically don't offer traditional career progression, this position offers significant opportunities for skill expansion in AI UX, marketing design, and executive presentation design. Successful contractors may be considered for future full-time roles or ongoing projects.

• For Full-Time Conversion (Implied): The mention of "Career track opportunity with potential for rapid advancement" suggests that successful contract performance could lead to full-time employment with clear growth paths within Red Cell Partners' portfolio companies. This could involve specializing in AI UX, leading design initiatives, or moving into product management.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Contract" nature of the role means growth is less about traditional promotions and more about skill diversification and portfolio building. The potential for conversion to full-time, as hinted by the benefits section, is a significant growth opportunity to highlight.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This indicates a distributed workforce, requiring strong digital collaboration tools and practices.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, Red Cell Partners is headquartered in Washington D.C. and operates across multiple locations, suggesting a structured corporate environment supporting its incubated companies. Trase Systems is a product of this incubation.

Workspace Context:

• The remote nature necessitates a self-directed work style, with emphasis on asynchronous communication and digital collaboration tools.

• Designers will need to be comfortable working with virtual teams, utilizing platforms like Figma, Slack, and video conferencing for communication and design reviews.

• The dynamic startup environment within Trase Systems implies a fast-paced, innovative workspace where adaptability and proactive problem-solving are valued.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is assumed for contract roles, with flexibility in scheduling as long as project deadlines and collaboration needs are met. Given the varied responsibilities (product, marketing, executive), some flexibility might be required to accommodate different stakeholder time zones and urgent requests.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote aspect is a key differentiator. Candidates should be adept at remote work, proactive in communication, and comfortable managing their own time and projects without direct physical supervision.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience and alignment with the role's requirements.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: A deep dive into your portfolio with the hiring team, focusing on specific projects that demonstrate your UX thinking, visual design skills, and ability to handle diverse design tasks (product, web, presentations). Be prepared to discuss your design process, decision-making, and problem-solving approaches.

• Skills Assessment/Design Challenge: Potentially a short design exercise or case study, either take-home or live, to evaluate your practical design skills, problem-solving abilities, and how you approach specific design challenges relevant to Trase's product or marketing.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with product managers, engineers, and marketing leads to assess collaboration style, communication effectiveness, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Likely with a senior leader or executive to discuss overall fit, strategic thinking, and alignment with the company's mission.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Relevance: Highlight projects that best showcase your experience in product UX, website design, marketing collateral, and presentation design. Ensure a clear narrative for each project.

• Showcase Process: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process (research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, testing, iteration), and the final outcome/impact.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics or qualitative feedback to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, user satisfaction, engagement).

• Tool Proficiency: Explicitly mention your proficiency with Figma and any other relevant design tools.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Trase's Business: Research Trase Systems, its "AI Agent" focus, its target industries (Healthcare, Oil & Gas, National Security), and its competitive landscape.

• Prepare for AI UX Scenarios: Think about how you would design user interfaces for AI-powered agents, focusing on clarity, trust, and user control.

• Design Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your portfolio and design decisions concisely and persuasively, anticipating questions about your process and rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is expected to be rigorous, focusing heavily on portfolio quality and practical application of design skills across multiple domains. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process and demonstrate how their work aligns with Trase's mission and technology.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned as preferred, this will be the core tool for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's capabilities, knowledge of tools like InVision, Principle, or Adobe XD might be beneficial for more complex interactions.

• Design Systems Tools: Experience with tools and methodologies for creating and maintaining robust design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with web analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude) to understand website performance and user behavior.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct responsibility, understanding how design integrates with CRM (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms (e.g., HubSpot, Marketo) can be beneficial for website and landing page design.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is paramount. The role implies a need for a designer who can not only create visually appealing interfaces but also build functional prototypes and contribute to or maintain design systems, suggesting a need for a comprehensive understanding of modern UX/UI tooling.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Excellence: Trase Systems' position at the forefront of AI Agent technology and topping leaderboards suggests a strong emphasis on pushing boundaries and achieving technical excellence.

• User-Centricity: Designing intuitive experiences for complex AI tools requires a deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs.

• Clarity & Simplicity: The company's mission to make "AI, Uncomplicated" highlights a value placed on clear communication and user-friendly design.

• Collaboration & Agility: Working in an incubation firm and a fast-paced startup environment necessitates strong teamwork, adaptability, and a willingness to iterate quickly.

• Mission-Driven: Red Cell Partners' focus on addressing "Nation’s most pressing problems" implies a culture of purpose and a desire to make a significant impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: The role requires close collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, and Marketing teams. Expect frequent sync-ups, design reviews, and joint problem-solving sessions.

• Remote Collaboration Tools: Emphasis on asynchronous communication (Slack, email) and well-organized virtual meetings (Zoom, Google Meet).

• Feedback Integration: A culture that values constructive feedback to refine designs and ensure alignment across teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values innovation, user focus, and clarity, all critical for a UX Designer working with advanced AI technology. The collaborative style will be heavily influenced by the remote setup, requiring proactive communication and digital tool proficiency.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI Complexity: Translating the capabilities of advanced AI agents into intuitive and trustworthy user experiences for diverse enterprise users.

• Balancing Diverse Design Needs: Simultaneously managing product UX, marketing collateral, and executive presentations requires significant organizational and creative flexibility.

• Fast-Paced Environment: Adapting to rapid changes in product direction, market feedback, and business priorities common in startup incubation firms.

• Remote Collaboration: Ensuring effective communication and design alignment with distributed teams without in-person interaction.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into AI UX: Gaining hands-on experience designing for cutting-edge AI agent technology.

• Broad Design Skill Development: Expanding expertise across product design, web design, marketing design, and presentation design.

• Exposure to Venture Incubation: Understanding the dynamics of building and scaling technology companies within an incubation model.

• Networking: Opportunity to connect with professionals across Red Cell Partners' portfolio companies and within the AI industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge lies in the breadth of the role and the complexity of the technology. Growth opportunities are significant for a designer looking to diversify their skillset and gain exposure to the AI startup ecosystem.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed a user experience for a complex technology or a highly technical audience. What were the key challenges and how did you address them?" (Focus on process, problem-solving, and user empathy.)

• "How do you approach balancing the needs of product development with marketing objectives in your design work?" (Highlight your ability to manage competing priorities and maintain brand consistency.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Trase Systems' mission to make AI uncomplicated and its work in AI agent technology?" (Research Trase's website and align your answer with their stated goals.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with remote teams, particularly with engineers and product managers?" (Provide examples of your effective remote collaboration strategies.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Frame each project as a narrative – the problem, your solution, and the impact.

• Focus on Process: Clearly articulate your design thinking and decision-making at each stage.

• Highlight Versatility: Ensure your presentation demonstrates your ability to handle product, web, and presentation design.

• Quantify Results: Use data and metrics where possible to showcase the effectiveness of your designs.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time and present your strongest, most relevant projects efficiently.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a broad design skillset, strong communication, adaptability, and a clear understanding of Trase's AI-focused mission. Be ready to discuss specific portfolio pieces in detail and articulate your design process.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this contract UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features examples of web design, product UX, and presentation design. Tailor your project selection to highlight versatility and experience with complex technologies.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly state your years of experience in UX/Product Design and explicitly mention proficiency in Figma and experience with diverse design outputs (web, product, presentations).

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving skills, and how you approach diverse design challenges. Prepare to discuss specific portfolio projects in detail and research Trase Systems' mission and technology.

• Company Research: Thoroughly review the Red Cell Partners and Trase Systems websites to understand their mission, products, target industries, and company culture.

⚠️ 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.

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