#127660 - Senior UX/UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX/UI Designer (#127660)

Company: Lifted, an Upwork Company™

Location: San Francisco, California, United States

Job Type: Contract

Category: Product Design / UX/UI Design

Date Posted: July 29, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: Remote Solely

🚀 Role Summary

• Design and deliver intuitive, user-centered product experiences for complex technical integrations between employers and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

• Own the end-to-end design process for integration features, from initial exploration and ideation through prototyping, validation, and iterative refinement.

• Leverage AI-assisted design tools to accelerate prototyping, explore design solutions, and enhance design efficiency.

• Collaborate closely with engineering and product management teams to translate intricate technical requirements and partner workflows into seamless user interfaces.

• Uphold and extend an established design system, ensuring consistency and adherence to existing component and interaction standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is a senior individual contributor position focused on hands-on design execution for technically complex B2B integration products, rather than people management or high-level GTM strategy. The emphasis on AI-assisted tools and an existing design system suggests a need for efficiency and adaptability within a structured environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop clear, intuitive user flows, wireframes, interaction designs, visual designs, and interactive prototypes for employer and ATS partner integration experiences.

• Translate complex technical specifications, API functionalities, and partner workflows into user-friendly and efficient product interfaces.

• Actively utilize Figma for all design deliverables, maintaining a high standard of craft and attention to detail.

• Employ AI-assisted design and prototyping tools (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor) to rapidly explore design concepts, generate variations, and accelerate the prototyping cycle.

• Ensure design consistency by adhering to and contributing to an established product design system, including components, patterns, and interaction standards.

• Plan, execute, and document usability testing sessions to gather user feedback and inform design iterations.

• Support A/B testing initiatives by creating design variants and analyzing experiment results to drive data-informed design decisions.

• Take full ownership of assigned design initiatives, demonstrating a proactive approach and requiring minimal oversight from initiation to completion.

• Clearly articulate and present design decisions, rationale, and trade-offs to both technical (engineering, product) and non-technical stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a need for a designer comfortable with B2B technical products, API integrations, and partner-facing interfaces, which are common in GTM operations and sales enablement technology stacks. Experience with enterprise-level design systems and a data-driven approach (usability and A/B testing) are critical.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design (e.g., Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction), Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience, is highly beneficial for understanding technical concepts and design principles.

Experience: Minimum of 5 years of professional Product UX Design experience, with a significant portion focused on senior-level individual contributor roles. Demonstrated experience in designing for technically complex systems, partner integrations, or API-facing products is essential.

Required Skills:

• 5+ years of professional Product UX Design experience.

• Senior-level individual contributor experience with a proven track record of independent work.

• Recent, hands-on experience in end-to-end product design, covering research, ideation, prototyping, and testing.

• Advanced proficiency in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and visual design.

• Demonstrated experience using AI-assisted design or prototyping tools (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, or similar).

• Expertise in designing and working within established design systems and component libraries.

• Proven experience conducting and applying findings from usability testing.

• Experience planning and supporting A/B testing to optimize user experiences.

• Ability to conceptualize and design complex, technical, or partner-facing product workflows.

• A strong portfolio showcasing relevant product UX design work, particularly in B2B or integration contexts.

• High degree of autonomy and ability to take ownership of projects from inception with limited oversight. Preferred Skills:

• Experience within the applicant tracking system (ATS), recruiting technology, or broader HR technology (HRIS) landscape.

• Specific experience designing developer-facing products or API documentation interfaces.

• Experience designing for two-sided marketplace platforms, understanding the dynamics of multiple user groups.

• Familiarity with job seeker platforms, employer portals, or HR tech marketplaces.

• Practical application of WCAG 2.2 accessibility standards in design.

• Knowledge and application of inclusive design principles to create equitable user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Nice-to-Have Skills" point towards a strong preference for candidates with domain experience in HR Tech and B2B marketplaces, which are highly relevant to GTM operations and partner enablement. The emphasis on AI tools and design systems indicates a need for efficiency and scalability in the design process.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio is mandatory, showcasing high-quality product UX design work relevant to the role's focus on technical integrations and partner-facing experiences.

• Portfolio pieces should demonstrate end-to-end design process ownership, from problem definition and user research to final design solutions and validation.

• Specific case studies highlighting the design of complex workflows, partner integrations, or API-driven products are highly valued.

• Evidence of working within or extending established design systems should be clearly presented.

• Examples of AI-assisted design exploration or rapid prototyping using relevant tools are encouraged.

• Demonstrated ability to articulate design decisions, rationale, and the impact of design solutions through clear case study narratives. Process Documentation:

• Candidates are expected to articulate their design process clearly, emphasizing how they translate complex business and technical requirements into user-centered solutions.

• The ability to document and communicate user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and final visual designs effectively is crucial.

• Evidence of using design tools for process management and collaboration, such as Figma's collaboration features, is expected.

• Experience in planning and documenting usability testing methodologies and outcomes is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: For this role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to clearly demonstrate the candidate's ability to handle complex B2B integrations, utilize modern design tools (Figma, AI), and work within design system constraints. Case studies should focus on problem-solving for technical audiences and partner workflows.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: As this is a contract role with a specific engagement period, compensation is typically determined by experience level and the market rate for remote, senior UX/UI designers in highly skilled technical fields within the United States. Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX/UI Designers in San Francisco and remote US-based roles requiring 5+ years of experience and specialized skills (AI tools, design systems, B2B integrations), an estimated hourly rate would likely fall between $60 - $90 USD per hour.

Benefits: As a contract role through Lifted, an Upwork Company™, benefits may vary and are typically managed through the contracting platform. Common benefits for contract engagements of this nature may include:

• Access to a global talent network and project opportunities.

• Potential for flexible working hours, with specific overlap requirements noted.

• Payment processing through a reliable platform.

• Opportunities for professional development through diverse project exposure.

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, full-time allocation. Strong working-hour overlap with U.S. Pacific and Central time zones is required. Some overlap with Eastern time-zone working hours is beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on market data for similar contract roles in the specified location and experience level. Actual compensation would be negotiated based on the candidate's qualifications and the specific terms of the contract. The engagement is through Lifted, an Upwork Company™, so standard Upwork contractor benefits would apply.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (specifically, a platform connecting businesses with freelance talent, with the role supporting technical product development within that ecosystem). The company operates in the rapidly evolving HR Tech and talent acquisition technology space.

Company Size: Lifted, as part of Upwork, is a large, established company with a significant global presence. This implies robust processes, established design systems, and a structured approach to product development.

Founded: Upwork was formed in 2015 through a merger of Elance and oDesk, with Lifted operating as a specialized division. This history suggests a company with deep roots in the freelance and contingent workforce economy.

Team Structure:

• The Senior UX/UI Designer will be an individual contributor, likely embedded within a product team that includes Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other designers.

• The role is not focused on people leadership, indicating a flat or specialized structure within the design function.

• Cross-functional collaboration will be key, requiring effective communication with technical teams and product stakeholders to drive integration design. Methodology:

• The emphasis on an established design system and AI-assisted tools points to a methodology that values efficiency, consistency, and data-informed design.

• Agile methodologies are likely employed, with iterative design cycles and continuous feedback loops from user testing and A/B experiments.

• A data-driven approach to design is expected, with a focus on measurable outcomes related to usability and user adoption.

Company Website: https://www.go-lifted.com/ (Note: The provided URL was go-lifted.com, which is the domain derived from the input. The official Upwork company site is upwork.com).

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context suggests a dynamic, technology-forward environment focused on efficiency and quality. As part of Upwork, Lifted benefits from a large organizational structure and established best practices, particularly in areas like design systems and remote work operations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Individual Contributor (IC) role, requiring a high degree of autonomy and expertise. It's positioned for designers who excel at hands-on execution and problem-solving within defined product areas, rather than those seeking management tracks. The focus is on deep design craft and technical problem-solving.

Reporting Structure: The designer will likely report to a Design Lead, Senior Design Manager, or Product Lead within the product development organization. The role emphasizes independent work, with regular check-ins and collaboration with cross-functional team members.

Operations Impact: The role directly impacts the usability and efficiency of integration experiences for employers and ATS partners. Successful designs will lead to:

• Improved adoption and satisfaction rates for integration features.

• Reduced support costs by creating clearer, more intuitive workflows.

• Enhanced partner relationships through seamless technical collaborations.

• Increased efficiency for GTM operations by streamlining data exchange and system connectivity. Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing complex B2B integrations, AI-assisted design workflows, and advanced UX research techniques.

• Design System Contribution: Potential to contribute to the evolution and expansion of the company's design system.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Develop stronger collaboration and communication skills by working closely with product and engineering teams on technically challenging projects.

• Project Ownership: Gain experience leading design initiatives for critical feature sets within a large, established technology company.

📝 Enhancement Note: Growth in this role is primarily focused on deepening technical design expertise and mastering complex B2B integration challenges, rather than vertical management progression. The contract nature of the role may offer opportunities for extension or subsequent projects within Upwork/Lifted.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote contract engagement.

Office Location(s): Candidates must be based in the United States. While the role is remote, working-hour overlap with U.S. Pacific and Central time zones is required, suggesting a need for synchronous collaboration during core business hours.

Workspace Context:

• The remote nature requires strong self-discipline and effective time management.

• Collaboration will primarily occur through digital tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Figma, email).

• Access to reliable internet and a dedicated workspace conducive to focused design work is essential.

• The environment supports independent work, with clear expectations for communication and delivery.

Work Schedule: Approximately 40 hours per week. The requirement for significant overlap with U.S. Pacific and Central time zones implies a typical U.S. business day schedule, though flexibility may exist outside of core collaboration hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote work arrangement, combined with specific time zone overlap requirements, is typical for contract roles supporting US-based companies. Candidates should be prepared for a digitally-centric collaborative environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of the application, resume, and crucially, the portfolio, to assess alignment with required skills and experience.

• Hiring Manager/Recruiter Call: Discussion to gauge overall fit, understand career trajectory, and confirm basic qualifications and availability.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A deeper dive into portfolio case studies, potentially involving a design exercise or presentation of past work. This stage will assess hands-on skills, problem-solving approach, and ability to articulate design rationale. Focus will be on how the candidate tackled complex integration challenges.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers and Engineers to evaluate collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to communicate design effectively within a development team.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior design leader or hiring manager to discuss final fit and contract terms.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Integration & B2B Case Studies: Prioritize projects that demonstrate experience designing complex technical integrations, partner workflows, or B2B SaaS products.

• Showcase Figma & AI Tool Proficiency: Clearly illustrate your process and deliverables created using Figma. If possible, include examples of how AI tools were leveraged for ideation or prototyping.

• Demonstrate Design System Adherence: Show how you’ve worked within, extended, or even contributed to design systems. Explain your approach to maintaining consistency.

• Articulate Problem/Solution/Impact: For each case study, clearly define the problem, outline your design process (research, ideation, iteration), present your solutions, and quantify the impact (e.g., improved usability, efficiency gains).

• Address Technical Audiences: If possible, include examples of how you've designed for technical or developer-facing audiences.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss your process for translating complex technical requirements into user-friendly interfaces.

• Practice articulating your design decisions and the trade-offs involved, especially concerning technical constraints or partner needs.

• Familiarize yourself with AI design tools and be ready to discuss their potential applications in a professional design workflow.

• Research Lifted and Upwork's mission and product offerings to understand the context of their integration challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily weigh the portfolio. Candidates should be ready to deep-dive into their past projects, particularly those involving technical complexity and B2B solutions, and articulate their experience with modern design tools and methodologies.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool for wireframing, prototyping, visual design, and collaboration. Advanced proficiency is expected.

• AI-assisted design and prototyping tools: Claude Code, Cursor, or similar tools for accelerating design exploration and workflow efficiency. Familiarity and willingness to use these tools are critical.

• Established product design systems: Experience working within and adhering to existing design system guidelines and component libraries.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary design tool, understanding how to interpret data from usability testing and A/B testing results is crucial. Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude) might be beneficial for understanding user behavior post-launch. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the design role, but understanding the purpose of CRMs and automation within a GTM context can provide helpful background for designing integration features.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma and AI-assisted tools as "Required Tools & Platforms" makes them critical technical requirements. Candidates must be proficient and comfortable using these specific technologies.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and designing for the needs of employers and ATS partners, particularly within complex integration contexts.

• Efficiency & Execution: A focus on delivering high-quality design work efficiently, leveraging tools and processes that accelerate output.

• Collaboration: A strong emphasis on working effectively with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering) to achieve shared goals.

• Data-Driven Decisions: Utilizing user feedback from testing and A/B experiments to inform and validate design choices.

• Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for assigned design tasks and driving them to successful completion.

Collaboration Style:

• Digital-First: Primarily collaborative through remote communication tools, requiring clear and proactive digital communication.

• Cross-Functional Integration: Working closely with product managers to define requirements and engineers to ensure feasibility and accurate implementation.

• Design System Advocacy: Championing the use and consistency of the design system across all deliverables.

• Iterative Feedback: Openness to receiving and providing constructive feedback on designs to foster continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture values practical execution and collaboration within a structured, remote environment. Candidates should demonstrate an ability to work independently while being a strong team player, comfortable with digital communication and iterative design processes.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Technical Complexity: The primary challenge will be translating intricate technical integration requirements and partner workflows into intuitive and usable interfaces for sophisticated B2B audiences.

• Balancing Design System Constraints with Innovation: Effectively designing within an established system while still creating innovative and user-friendly solutions.

• Remote Collaboration Effectiveness: Maintaining strong communication and collaboration with distributed teams without the benefit of in-person interaction.

• Rapid Prototyping with AI Tools: Mastering and efficiently integrating new AI-assisted design tools into the workflow to meet project timelines.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Integration Design: Gaining deep expertise in designing for complex APIs, data synchronization, and cross-platform integrations.

• AI Design Tool Mastery: Becoming highly proficient with cutting-edge AI tools that are shaping the future of design.

• Design System Evolution: Potentially contributing to the refinement or expansion of a large-scale enterprise design system.

• HR Tech Domain Expertise: Developing a deeper understanding of the HR technology ecosystem, ATS platforms, and employer/job seeker marketplaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are rooted in the technical nature of the product and the remote work environment. Growth opportunities are focused on specialization within complex B2B design and mastering new design technologies.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design a complex integration or a partner-facing workflow. What was your process, and what were the key challenges?" (Focus on problem definition, user flows, technical considerations, and stakeholder communication).

• "How do you approach using AI-assisted design tools to enhance your workflow? Can you provide an example of how you've used them for rapid prototyping or exploration?" (Be ready to discuss specific tools and your methodology).

• "Walk us through your process when working within an established design system. How do you ensure consistency while also pushing for improvements or new patterns?" (Highlight your understanding of design system principles and contribution).

• "How do you balance the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., employers, ATS partners, internal engineering) when designing a shared experience?" (Focus on user research, empathy, and clear communication of trade-offs). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about designing for integrations at Lifted/Upwork, especially within the HR Tech space?" (Research Lifted/Upwork's mission and the HR Tech industry).

• "How do you maintain effective communication and collaboration as a remote, senior individual contributor?" (Discuss your preferred communication tools and strategies).

• "Describe your experience with usability testing and A/B testing. How have you used data to inform your design decisions?" (Prepare specific examples of data-driven design iterations). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each case study, follow a clear narrative: Problem/Challenge -> Your Role -> Process (Research, Ideation, Design) -> Solution -> Impact/Results.

• Visuals: Use clear, high-fidelity mockups, wireframes, and prototypes. Annotate key design decisions and user flows.

• Figma & AI Emphasis: Explicitly mention and showcase your use of Figma and any AI tools. If possible, demonstrate interactive prototypes built in Figma.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved task completion rates, reduced error rates, positive user feedback).

• Conciseness: Be prepared to walk through your portfolio efficiently, highlighting the most relevant projects for this specific role.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating hands-on design skills, technical problem-solving, familiarity with modern design tools (Figma, AI), and the ability to work effectively in a remote, collaborative, B2B product environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided SmartRecruiters link.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 case studies that best align with designing complex B2B integrations, partner workflows, or technically sophisticated product features. Ensure these showcase your proficiency in Figma and any AI design tools used.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight your 5+ years of product UX design experience, emphasizing your role as a senior individual contributor and your experience with design systems, usability testing, and A/B testing. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare for Portfolio Walkthrough: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on clearly articulating your design process, the challenges you overcame, and the impact of your solutions, especially for technical or integration-focused projects.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Lifted and Upwork's mission, product offerings, and target audience. Understand their role in the HR Tech landscape and the importance of seamless integrations for their business model.

⚠️ 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.