Lead Product Designer (Remote)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Product Designer

Company: Jobgether (Partner Company)

Location: Michigan, United States

Job Type: Full-time, Contract

Category: Product Design / User Experience (UX)

Date Posted: April 24, 2026

Experience Level: 5+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• This role focuses on shaping the user experience for an innovative AI-powered civic tech platform, directly impacting how users engage with democratic processes.

• Responsibilities include end-to-end feature design, from ideation through post-launch iteration, for the 'Win' product.

• A key aspect involves maintaining and evolving a Figma-based design system, balancing innovation with the reuse of established design patterns.

• The position requires a strong emphasis on data-driven design decisions to measure user engagement and inform product strategy.

• This is a fully remote, contract position within a Public Benefit Corporation dedicated to enhancing democracy.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the input is for a "Lead Product Designer," the responsibilities and requirements lean more towards a senior individual contributor role rather than a formal leadership position with direct reports. The "Lead" title likely refers to leading design initiatives for specific features or products. The company is identified as Jobgether, but the role is for a "partner company," implying Jobgether is a recruitment platform. The "Win product" is specific to the partner company.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end design process for new features within the 'Win' product, from initial concept and user research to detailed specifications and final implementation.

• Collaborate extensively with Product Managers and Engineering teams to meticulously define user problems, scope solutions, and produce production-ready design specifications and assets.

• Actively contribute to and enhance the company's Figma-based design system, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency across the platform, while making informed decisions on when to innovate new patterns versus leveraging existing ones.

• Uphold and elevate high design standards across all visual and interactive elements, including typography, layout, interaction design, and information hierarchy, to create intuitive and engaging user experiences.

• Leverage user data, A/B testing results, and other quantitative insights to inform design iterations, validate design hypotheses, and optimize user engagement metrics.

• Strategically integrate AI tools into the design workflow to identify opportunities for increased efficiency, enhanced creativity, and improved design outcomes.

• Drive complex design projects to successful completion, managing timelines, dependencies, and stakeholder expectations in a fast-paced, low-ceremony environment.

• Champion user-centered design principles throughout the product development lifecycle, advocating for the user's needs and ensuring a delightful and effective user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description emphasizes "end-to-end design" and "driving complex projects," highlighting a senior-level individual contributor role focused on execution and strategic design thinking rather than people management. The mention of "low-ceremony, fast-paced environment" suggests a need for autonomy and efficient collaboration.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong understanding of design principles, human-computer interaction (HCI), and user experience methodologies is expected, often gained through formal education (e.g., Bachelor's/Master's in Design, HCI, or related fields) or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of professional product design experience is required, with a significant focus on designing for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platforms or complex consumer products. Experience in civic tech or government-adjacent technology is a strong plus.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Craft: Proven ability to create high-fidelity mockups, interactive prototypes, and detailed design specifications.

• Design Systems: Expertise in building, maintaining, and scaling design systems using tools like Figma, ensuring consistency and efficiency.

• User Experience (UX) Principles: Deep understanding of user-centered design methodologies, usability testing, and information architecture.

• Interaction Design: Skill in designing intuitive and engaging user flows and interactive elements.

• Systems Thinking: Ability to approach design challenges holistically, considering the interconnectedness of features and the overall user journey.

• Data-Driven Design: Proficiency in using analytics, user feedback, and A/B testing to inform and validate design decisions.

• Collaboration & Communication: Excellent ability to articulate design decisions, provide constructive feedback, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering).

• Figma Proficiency: Advanced skills in using Figma for design, prototyping, and design system management.

• Autonomous Work Ethic: Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage priorities, and drive projects to completion with minimal supervision.

Preferred Skills:

• AI Tool Integration: Experience or a strong interest in incorporating AI tools into the design workflow to enhance productivity and creativity.

• Civic Tech/Government Technology: Familiarity with the unique design challenges and user needs within the civic technology or government sector.

• Information Hierarchy: Strong skills in organizing and presenting complex information clearly and logically.

• Typography Expertise: A keen eye for typography and its role in effective visual communication and user interface design.

• Product Strategy Influence: Experience in contributing to product strategy and roadmap development based on design insights.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "systems thinking," "scalable design systems," and "influencing product direction with data-driven insights" points towards a candidate who can not only execute but also strategize and contribute to the broader product vision. The specific mention of Figma is crucial for tool proficiency.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a minimum of 5 years of professional product design work, with a strong emphasis on SaaS or consumer products.

• Demonstrations of end-to-end design ownership for at least 2-3 significant features or product initiatives.

• Clear examples of design craft, including high-fidelity mockups, prototypes, and user flows.

• Evidence of systems thinking and experience with design systems, ideally showing contributions to or creation of system components.

Process Documentation:

• Problem Definition: Clearly articulate the user problem or business challenge addressed by your design solutions.

• Design Process: Detail your methodology, including user research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and iteration phases.

• System Integration: Show how your designs align with or contribute to existing design systems or how you've managed design consistency.

• Data-Driven Impact: Present metrics and data that demonstrate the success of your designs, such as improvements in conversion rates, task completion times, user satisfaction, or engagement.

• Collaboration: Briefly mention how you collaborated with product and engineering teams throughout the process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role. Applicants should be prepared to present case studies that highlight their ability to drive complex projects, think systemically, and use data to demonstrate impact. The emphasis on "design craft" and "systems thinking" suggests a need for visually polished work that also demonstrates strategic depth.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: As this is a contract position for a partner company, specific salary information is not provided. However, for a Senior Product Designer with 5+ years of experience in a remote role within Michigan, United States, a competitive contract rate would typically range from $65 to $95 per hour, depending on the depth of experience, specific skill set, and the complexity of the projects. This estimate is based on industry benchmarks for contract product design roles in the US market, considering the remote nature and the specified experience level.

Benefits:

• Diverse Team: Opportunity to work alongside a team united by a common mission and shared values.

• Fully Remote Work Environment: Enjoy the flexibility and autonomy of working from anywhere.

• Flexible Location and Hours: Ability to set your own schedule and work from a location of your choice within the designated region (Michigan, United States) or potentially broader remote if company policy allows.

• Public Benefit Corporation: Contribute to a company that prioritizes social impact and the enhancement of democracy over pure profit.

• Meaningful Work: Engage in projects that directly aim to improve democratic processes and civic engagement.

• AI-Powered Matching: Benefit from Jobgether's AI system for a faster, more objective application review process.

Working Hours: This is a full-time contract position, typically expected to involve around 40 hours per week. The role offers flexibility in terms of daily scheduling, allowing for work-life balance, but requires consistent availability for collaboration with the product and engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary is an estimate for a contract role. The benefits highlight the mission-driven nature of the company and the flexibility of remote work. The "Public Benefit Corporation" status is a significant differentiator for candidates seeking purpose-driven work.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Civic Tech / AI-Powered Platform)

Company Size: Not explicitly stated for the partner company, but Jobgether is a platform facilitating connections, suggesting they work with a range of company sizes. The "low-ceremony" environment implies a potentially agile or startup-like culture within the partner company.

Founded: Not specified for the partner company.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will be part of a product team that includes Product Managers and Engineers, working collaboratively on the 'Win' product.

• The role reports to a design lead or product lead, with a focus on individual contribution and leading design efforts for specific features.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Design choices are informed by user data, analytics, and performance metrics.

• Agile Development: A fast-paced, low-ceremony environment suggests an agile or lean development methodology, prioritizing rapid iteration and feedback.

• Design System Utilization: Emphasis on leveraging and contributing to a design system for efficiency and consistency.

• User-Centered Design: Core principles of understanding and designing for user needs are paramount.

Company Website: jobgether.com (for the platform) - the partner company's website is not directly provided.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture is described as "low-ceremony," "fast-paced," and emphasizes "meaningful work" within a "Public Benefit Corporation." This suggests a mission-driven, agile environment where individual contribution and collaboration are highly valued.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a Senior Product Designer, often considered an individual contributor role where the "Lead" title signifies ownership and influence over specific product areas or features rather than direct people management. It sits above a standard Product Designer and below a Design Manager or Director.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a Head of Product, Design Lead, or a Senior Product Manager within the partner company's product team. While not a management role, it requires influencing product direction and collaborating closely with product leadership.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, as the designer directly shapes the user experience of a platform aimed at enhancing democracy. Success will be measured by user engagement, voter participation, and the effectiveness of tools supporting candidates and officials. Design directly influences product adoption, usability, and ultimately, the success of the civic tech platform.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deepening Design Expertise: Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in civic tech UX, AI integration in design, and scalable design systems.

• Product Strategy Contribution: Influence product roadmap and strategy through data-driven design insights and user advocacy.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Lead design initiatives within product squads, mentoring junior designers if applicable or collaborating closely with senior engineers and PMs.

• Specialization: Develop expertise in complex data visualization, user onboarding for civic platforms, or AI-enhanced user interfaces.

• Potential for Full-Time Conversion: Depending on the partner company's needs and performance, contract roles can sometimes lead to full-time opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Lead" title suggests opportunities to influence product direction and own significant design areas, providing a growth path for senior individual contributors. The focus is on deepening expertise and strategic impact rather than people management.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This means there is no central office location for this specific role; work is conducted from a home office or a chosen remote location.

Office Location(s): While the role is posted with "Michigan, United States" as a derived location, the "Fully Remote" designation and "Flexible location and hours" benefit suggest that candidates may not be strictly required to reside in Michigan, but rather within the United States, or potentially other specified time zones for effective collaboration. It's crucial to clarify any geographic restrictions with the hiring company.

Workspace Context:

• Autonomy & Flexibility: The work environment is characterized by a high degree of autonomy, allowing designers to manage their tasks and schedules effectively.

• Collaborative Tools: Expect to use digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Figma, Miro) for communication and co-creation.

• Fast-Paced & Agile: The environment is described as "low-ceremony" and "fast-paced," requiring adaptability and efficient teamwork.

• Mission-Oriented: A strong emphasis on the company's mission to enhance democracy fosters a purpose-driven work atmosphere.

Work Schedule: The role offers flexibility in working hours, aligning with the "Fully remote" and "Flexible location and hours" benefits. While the core expectation is likely 40 hours per week, the specific timing of these hours can often be adjusted to suit individual productivity and team needs, provided collaboration and timely delivery of work are maintained.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Fully Remote" aspect is a key selling point, offering significant flexibility. However, the "Michigan, United States" location derivation might imply some preference or legal requirement, which candidates should verify.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening (Jobgether AI): Your application will be reviewed by Jobgether's AI for initial fit against core requirements.

• Hiring Company Review: Shortlisted candidates are passed to the partner company's internal team for further evaluation.

• Portfolio Review: Expect a deep dive into your portfolio. Be prepared to walk through 2-3 key projects, explaining your process, rationale, and impact.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be given a design challenge or asked to present a detailed case study related to a real-world problem the company faces. This will assess your problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to work autonomously.

• Team Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and cultural fit.

• Final Round: Interviews with hiring leadership to discuss strategic alignment and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Quantify your achievements whenever possible. Use metrics to demonstrate how your designs improved user experience, engagement, or business outcomes.

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies with a clear narrative: problem, your approach, solution, and results. Explain your design decisions and the trade-offs you made.

• Showcase Systems Thinking: Highlight your ability to design scalable solutions and your experience with design systems.

• Demonstrate Craft: Ensure your presented work is polished, visually compelling, and showcases a high level of design execution.

• Tailor to Civic Tech: If possible, include projects that demonstrate an understanding of user needs in public-facing or mission-driven contexts.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research civic tech, AI in design, and the specific challenges of engaging voters or supporting officials.

• Problem Decomposition: Practice breaking down complex problems into smaller, manageable parts.

• User-Centric Approach: Always anchor your solutions in user needs and research.

• Efficiency & Scalability: Consider how your solutions can be implemented efficiently and scale over time.

• Communicate Your Rationale: Be prepared to clearly articulate the "why" behind every design decision.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is managed by the partner company after an initial AI screening by Jobgether. A strong portfolio and the ability to articulate design decisions and impact are paramount. The "low-ceremony" environment suggests a focus on practical problem-solving and direct communication.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is explicitly mentioned as the tool used for the design system and is expected to be a primary tool for this role. Proficiency in Figma for interface design, prototyping, and collaboration is essential.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's capabilities, experience with other prototyping tools (e.g., InVision, ProtoPie) may be beneficial for complex interactions.

• Design System Management: Familiarity with best practices for creating, maintaining, and scaling design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Analysis Tools: Experience with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to gather user insights and measure design impact.

• User Feedback Tools: Familiarity with tools for collecting and analyzing user feedback (e.g., surveys, user testing platforms).

CRM & Automation:

AI Tools:

• A willingness and ability to explore and integrate AI-powered design tools into the workflow to enhance efficiency and creativity.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the cornerstone of the technology stack for this role. Candidates should highlight their expertise in Figma and their proactive approach to leveraging new AI tools in design.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to enhancing democracy and civic engagement is central.

• User-Centricity: Prioritizing user needs and experiences in all design and product decisions.

• Data-Informed: Decisions are grounded in data, analytics, and user research to ensure effectiveness.

• Efficiency & Agility: A preference for streamlined processes ("low-ceremony") and rapid iteration.

• Collaboration: Valuing teamwork and open communication across product, engineering, and design.

• Innovation: Encouraging the exploration of new technologies, like AI, to improve platform capabilities.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Close working relationships with product management and engineering are expected, emphasizing shared ownership of product outcomes.

• Open Communication: A culture that encourages direct, constructive feedback and transparent discussions.

• Outcome-Oriented: Focus on delivering tangible results and impact rather than rigid processes.

• Remote Collaboration Best Practices: Proficiency in using digital tools and asynchronous communication to maintain strong team cohesion and productivity across distances.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's values are strongly tied to its mission as a Public Benefit Corporation and its tech-forward, agile approach. Candidates should demonstrate alignment with these values, particularly a passion for civic engagement and a proactive, collaborative work ethic.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Diverse Audiences: Civic tech platforms often serve a wide range of users with varying technical proficiencies and needs. Designing an inclusive and accessible experience is critical.

• Balancing Innovation with Stability: Integrating new AI features and design patterns while maintaining the reliability and usability of an established platform requires careful balancing.

• Data Interpretation: Effectively translating complex user data and analytics into actionable design improvements can be challenging.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Maintaining strong team cohesion, effective communication, and a shared sense of purpose in a fully remote environment requires deliberate effort.

• Pace of Development: Adapting to a "fast-paced, low-ceremony" environment means quickly iterating on designs and responding to evolving project needs.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design: Opportunity to gain hands-on experience integrating AI tools into the design workflow, staying at the forefront of emerging technologies.

• Civic Tech Domain Expertise: Deepen understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within the civic technology sector.

• Design System Mastery: Advance skills in building, scaling, and managing robust design systems for complex platforms.

• Data-Driven Design Strategy: Enhance ability to use data analytics and A/B testing to drive product and design strategy.

• Remote Leadership Skills: Develop skills in leading design initiatives and collaborating effectively in distributed teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented offer significant opportunities for professional growth. Candidates who are adaptable, eager to learn, and thrive in dynamic environments will find this role particularly rewarding.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the end-to-end design of a complex feature from concept to launch. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your methodology, problem-solving, and impact.)

• "How do you approach building or maintaining a design system? Walk us through an example of how you've influenced or contributed to a design system." (Assess systems thinking and contribution to efficiency.)

• "How do you use data and user feedback to inform your design decisions? Provide a specific example where data led you to pivot or significantly alter your design." (Evaluate data-driven approach.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in working on a civic tech platform, particularly one focused on enhancing democracy?" (Assess alignment with mission and values.)

• "Describe your ideal remote work environment and how you ensure effective collaboration with distributed teams." (Evaluate remote work suitability and collaboration skills.)

• "How do you handle working in a fast-paced, low-ceremony environment?" (Understand adaptability and efficiency.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Project Selection: Choose 2-3 projects that best demonstrate end-to-end ownership, systems thinking, data-driven impact, and your craft. Prioritize SaaS or consumer product examples.

• Narrative Arc: For each project, clearly outline the problem statement, your role, the design process you followed, key decisions made (and why), challenges overcome, and the measurable results.

• Visual Clarity: Ensure your presentation slides are clean, visually appealing, and use high-quality mockups and prototypes.

• Quantify Impact: Emphasize metrics and data that showcase the success of your designs.

• Design System Focus: If applicable, dedicate a section or integrate within projects how you've worked with or contributed to design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to discuss your process, rationale, and impact in detail. The interviewers will be looking for a blend of strong design craft, strategic thinking, data literacy, and the ability to thrive in a collaborative, remote, and mission-driven environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Jobgether.

• Portfolio Curation: Ensure your resume and portfolio are up-to-date and clearly highlight your 5+ years of experience in product design, with specific examples of SaaS or consumer product work. Tailor your portfolio to showcase end-to-end product design, design systems experience, and data-driven impact.

• Resume Optimization: Weave in keywords from the job description, such as "Product Designer," "Remote," "Figma," "Design Systems," "User Experience," "SaaS," and "Data-driven design." Quantify your achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and project outcomes clearly and concisely. Prepare to discuss how you use data and collaborate with engineering and product teams.

• Company Research: Understand Jobgether's role as a platform and the mission of their partner company (civic tech, Public Benefit Corporation). Be ready to articulate why this mission resonates with you.

⚠️ 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.