Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: SimpliGov LLC

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Product Design & UX

Date Posted: May 22, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3+ years)

Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• Own the end-to-end product design lifecycle for SimpliGov's intelligent operations platform, focusing on exceptional user experience for government agencies and residents.

• Drive innovation by designing intuitive AI-powered experiences, leveraging AI tools to enhance research, exploration, and workflow efficiency.

• Establish and evolve the design practice, including building a robust design system, defining research methodologies, and setting quality standards.

• Collaborate deeply with engineering teams from problem framing through to production, ensuring seamless integration and rapid iteration.

• Focus on simplifying complex government workflows and ensuring compliance with accessibility mandates (WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508).

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a foundational design leadership opportunity, emphasizing autonomy and the creation of a design practice from the ground up. The integration of AI is central to the role's operational model, requiring a proactive and experimental approach.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the complete product design process for all platform surfaces, including workflow designer, form builder, administration modules, case management, e-signature, dashboards, and reporting.

• Translate complex, multi-stage government workflows with conditional routing, role-based permissions, and approval chains into highly usable and intuitive user interfaces.

• Conceptualize and design AI-driven user experiences, such as intelligent recommendations, conversational interfaces, assisted configuration, and document intelligence, addressing AI-specific UX challenges like trust and transparency.

• Conduct and lead UX research initiatives, including usability testing and design validation, and partner with product management on broader user discovery efforts, understanding unique government sector constraints.

• Develop and implement a scalable design system, establish regular research and critique cadences, and define documentation standards to ensure consistency and quality across the product.

• Work collaboratively and iteratively with engineering teams ("no handoff culture"), utilizing tools like Figma, Cursor/Claude, and Lovable to maintain design velocity.

• Actively use AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Figma AI, Cursor) to accelerate research, prototyping, and overall design workflows.

• Contribute to product strategy by applying product thinking, challenging requirements when necessary, and ensuring design decisions align with user needs and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a shift from traditional design execution to design leadership and strategic product input. The emphasis on "AI-native design workflow" and "ship with engineering" indicates a fast-paced, integrated development environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong understanding of design principles equivalent to a Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, or a related field is expected.

Experience: Minimum of 3 years of experience designing complex software products, specifically within SaaS, enterprise, or B2B environments. Demonstrated success in taking ambiguous problems from initial research through to shipped, validated solutions.

Required Skills:

• Profound understanding of UX fundamentals: information architecture, interaction design, prototyping, usability testing, visual design, and accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA, Section 508).

• Proven ability to manage the full design lifecycle for complex software products, from problem framing to user validation and iteration.

• Expertise in utilizing AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Figma AI, Cursor, Lovable) as integral components of the daily design workflow, with the ability to articulate their impact on process and output.

• A strong portfolio showcasing design judgment, customer impact, problem framing, shipped products, and demonstrable user improvements.

• Excellent written communication skills, capable of clearly explaining design decisions without jargon and producing engineering-ready specifications.

Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience or demonstrated interest in government, civic tech, legal technology, or other regulated and complex domains.

• Experience as a sole or founding designer in a previous role, demonstrating comfort with high ownership, autonomy, and ambiguity.

• Proven track record of building or significantly contributing to a design system.

• Familiarity with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, enabling a strong understanding of engineering constraints.

• Specific experience designing AI-powered features or a deep understanding of AI-specific UX challenges (e.g., trust, transparency, graceful failure).

• Strong product thinking capabilities, including the ability to push back on requirements and influence product direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize practical experience and a forward-thinking approach to design, particularly concerning AI integration and complex enterprise software. The "strong signals" indicate a desire for a candidate who can operate with significant independence and strategic input.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end design projects that clearly articulate the problem statement, research methodology, design process, and the impact of the shipped solution on user behavior and business metrics.

• Include examples of simplifying complex systems or workflows, demonstrating how intricate functionality was made accessible and intuitive.

• Present case studies that highlight the effective integration and application of AI tools within the design process or in the final user experience.

• Demonstrate strong visual design and interaction design skills, supported by interactive prototypes or detailed mockups.

Process Documentation:

• Detailed documentation of how you approach user research, including methods for discovery, validation, and iterative testing, particularly within regulated environments.

• Examples of your workflow for translating complex requirements into actionable design specifications for engineering teams.

• Evidence of your process for building, maintaining, or contributing to a design system, including component documentation and usage guidelines.

• Documentation illustrating how you leverage AI tools throughout the design lifecycle, from ideation and wireframing to prototyping and user testing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are geared towards demonstrating a candidate's ability to handle complexity, drive innovation with AI, and operate effectively within an agile, engineering-centric environment. Emphasis on "customer impact" and "shipped, validated solutions" is critical.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The provided information states the compensation for this full-time US position is up to $120,000 annually, plus benefits. This is an estimated maximum for the role in Minneapolis, Minnesota, considering the experience level and the explicit cap mentioned.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance plans, with significant employer contributions for employees and dependents.

• Company-sponsored Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability Insurance, and Long-Term Disability Insurance.

• 11 Paid Holidays.

• Flexible Time Off policy.

• 401k plan with a 4% employer match.

• Monthly stipends for home office expenses.

• Monthly wellness stipends.

Working Hours: Standard full-time hours are implied (40 hours per week), with the flexibility offered by a remote work arrangement and flexible time off.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary is explicitly capped at $120,000. The benefits package is robust, particularly noting the employer contributions to insurance and the 401k match, which are attractive to mid-level professionals. The "Flexible Time Off" and "Monthly stipends" suggest a focus on employee well-being and remote work support.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: GovTech (Government Technology). SimpliGov operates in a sector focused on modernizing public sector operations, digitizing processes, and enhancing service delivery to citizens.

Company Size: The company description implies a growing, well-backed organization. While not explicitly stated, being named to the GovTech 100 and backed by JMI Equity suggests a company of significant scale and ambition, likely exceeding 50-100 employees.

Founded: SimpliGov was founded with the mission to help public sector agencies digitize paper-based processes. Its evolution includes integrating AI to move beyond automation to intelligence, indicating a commitment to innovation and staying at the forefront of technology in its sector.

Team Structure:

• The design team is currently nascent, with this role being the one to "own product design" and "build the practice." This suggests a small, potentially single-person design function initially, with high collaboration needs.

• The Product Designer will likely report into a Head of Product or CTO, given the emphasis on influencing product direction and working closely with engineering.

Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is implied through the focus on "validated solutions" and "customer impact."

• Workflow planning and optimization are core to the company's mission, and the design role directly contributes to this by making complex processes intuitive.

• Automation and efficiency are key drivers, with AI being the next frontier for enhancing these practices.

Company Website: https://simpligov.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is characterized by innovation, a mission-driven approach (serving government agencies), and a high-trust, high-autonomy environment for its employees, particularly in this foundational design role. The "GovTech 100" recognition suggests a company that is a recognized leader in its niche.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a significant opportunity for a mid-level Product Designer to step into a leadership position. It's not just about execution but about establishing a design function, setting standards, and influencing product strategy. This is akin to a "Senior Product Designer" or "Lead Product Designer" role in terms of scope and impact, but with the added challenge and reward of building the practice from the ground up.

Reporting Structure: The Product Designer will likely report to a senior leadership role such as the Head of Product or Chief Technology Officer (CTO), given the emphasis on influencing product direction and working closely with engineering. This direct line to leadership offers visibility and the opportunity to shape strategic decisions.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is directly tied to the usability, adoption, and effectiveness of the SimpliGov platform. By making complex government workflows intuitive and trustworthy, especially with AI integration, the designer directly influences:

• Agency Efficiency: Streamlining processes for government staff, leading to cost savings and improved service delivery.

• Citizen Experience: Enhancing how residents interact with government services for permits, licenses, and benefits.

• Product Innovation: Driving the adoption of new AI features and ensuring they are user-centric and valuable.

• Market Competitiveness: Differentiating SimpliGov through superior user experience in the GovTech market.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunity to build and lead the design function, grow a team, and establish design as a strategic pillar of the company.

• AI Design Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing AI-powered user experiences, a rapidly growing and highly sought-after skill set.

• Product Strategy Influence: Contribute significantly to product roadmap decisions, leveraging user insights and design expertise.

• Domain Expertise: Develop deep knowledge in the GovTech sector, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities of government operations.

• Entrepreneurial Experience: Gain experience in a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment backed by strong investment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a rare opportunity for a designer to define their own domain and shape the future of design within a well-funded, mission-driven company. The growth trajectory is tied to both individual expertise development and the company's expansion.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job is listed as "Remote OK" and the company offers monthly stipends for home office expenses, indicating a strong remote-first or remote-friendly culture. While there is a physical office in Minneapolis, Minnesota, it's likely that remote employees are the norm or a significant part of the workforce.

Office Location(s): The primary listed location is Minneapolis, Minnesota. However, the "Remote OK" status suggests that candidates from across the United States may be considered, provided they can work within the specified timezone or collaborate effectively.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: While remote, the expectation is close collaboration with product and engineering teams through digital tools. Regular interaction via video calls, Slack, and shared design platforms is standard.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, AI assistants (Cursor, Claude), and communication platforms will be provided. The company emphasizes using these tools to maintain engineering pace and design velocity.

• Team Interaction: Regular design critiques, sprint planning meetings, and cross-functional syncs will be part of the routine, fostering connection and alignment despite geographical distances.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours are expected, but the remote arrangement and flexible time off policy offer significant autonomy in managing one's schedule to ensure productivity and work-life balance. This flexibility is crucial for deep work required in design and for accommodating collaboration across different time zones if necessary.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's commitment to remote work, evidenced by stipends and the "Remote OK" status, suggests a modern work environment designed to attract talent regardless of location. The emphasis on digital collaboration tools is key.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the required skills and experience, particularly regarding complex software design and AI fluency.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A deep dive into your portfolio, focusing on 1-2 key projects. Expect to discuss your problem-framing, design process, AI integration, research methodologies, and the quantifiable impact of your work. This is where you'll demonstrate your "product thinking."

• Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be given a small design problem or asked to walk through a hypothetical scenario related to designing for government workflows or AI features. The focus will be on your thought process, approach to ambiguity, and ability to articulate decisions.

• Team/Leadership Interviews: Meetings with product management and engineering leads to assess cultural fit, collaboration style, and your ability to integrate into the team. Discussions might revolve around your experience establishing design practices and working in high-autonomy environments.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a founder or executive, to discuss overall vision, strategic alignment, and your long-term aspirations with SimpliGov.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your ability to handle complex B2B/SaaS problems, your AI-native workflow, and your impact. Prioritize projects that demonstrate end-to-end ownership.

• Quantify Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the solution, and the measurable outcomes (e.g., increased user adoption, reduced task completion time, improved satisfaction scores). Use data where possible.

• Highlight AI Integration: Explicitly detail how you used AI tools in your process or designed AI-powered features. Explain the why and how of your AI approach and its benefits.

• Showcase Process: Walk through your design thinking – how you approach ambiguity, conduct research, iterate based on feedback, and collaborate with engineering. Demonstrate your understanding of accessibility standards.

• Tell a Story: Structure your portfolio presentations as narratives that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to drive results.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Research SimpliGov's mission, target users (government agencies, residents), and the challenges of designing for government operations. Consider compliance, accessibility, and legacy systems.

• Focus on Process: Prepare to articulate your approach to a design problem, not just present a polished solution. How would you start? What questions would you ask? What research would you conduct?

• AI Integration: Think about how AI could realistically be applied to a government workflow problem. Consider both the opportunities and the UX challenges.

• Communication: Practice explaining complex ideas clearly and concisely. Be ready to defend your design decisions with logical reasoning and user-centric principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to evaluate not just design skills but also strategic thinking, autonomy, and the ability to build a design practice. A strong portfolio showcasing AI integration and complex problem-solving is paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is expected for wireframing, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototyping.

• AI Design Assistants: Tools like Cursor (IDE with AI integration), Claude / ChatGPT (large language models for research, content generation, code assistance), and potentially Figma AI or similar plugins. The expectation is daily, integrated use for research, ideation, and workflow acceleration.

• Lovable: Mentioned specifically, likely a tool for design system management or component-based design, suggesting a focus on scalable and maintainable design.

Analytics & Reporting:

CRM & Automation:

• Familiarity with CRM systems (like Salesforce, HubSpot) and workflow automation tools is not directly required for the designer but understanding how the platform integrates with or supports these systems in government operations would be advantageous. The core focus is on the design of these operational workflows within SimpliGov.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis is heavily on design and AI tools. Proficiency in Figma and a demonstrated "AI-native design workflow" using tools like Cursor and Claude are critical technical requirements.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: Deeply understanding and solving for the needs of government agency staff and residents, acknowledging the unique constraints of public sector work.

• Simplicity & Intuition: Making complex government processes easy to understand and navigate, reducing friction for users.

• Intelligence & Innovation: Embracing AI and new technologies to move beyond automation to truly intelligent operations, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.

• Trust & Transparency: Ensuring that AI-powered experiences are reliable, understandable, and build confidence among users.

• Collaboration & Ownership: Working closely with cross-functional teams and taking full accountability for design outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Embedded Design: The designer will be embedded within engineering teams, fostering a close, iterative, and "no handoff" collaboration style.

• Cross-Functional Partnership: Strong relationships with Product Management are essential for user discovery and strategic alignment.

• Open Critique & Feedback: A culture that encourages constructive feedback through regular design critiques and team discussions is implied, crucial for building a strong design practice.

• Knowledge Sharing: Proactively sharing insights from user research and design explorations to inform product strategy and engineering decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture values proactive problem-solving, innovation (especially with AI), and a collaborative spirit within a mission-driven organization. The "high trust, high autonomy, high accountability" ethos is central to how individuals are expected to operate.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Establishing a Design Practice: As potentially the first dedicated Product Designer, building out the design system, processes, and methodologies from scratch will be a significant undertaking.

• Designing for Complexity and Regulation: Government operations involve inherent complexity, strict compliance requirements, and diverse user needs (agency staff vs. residents), demanding careful consideration of accessibility, security, and multi-tenancy.

• Integrating AI Seamlessly: Designing AI-powered features that are truly helpful, trustworthy, and not perceived as a "black box" requires careful UX craft and thoughtful problem-solving.

• Pace of Development: Working closely with engineering in a fast-paced environment requires efficient workflows and the ability to iterate quickly.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Expertise: Becoming a leader in designing AI-augmented user experiences in a critical sector.

• Foundational Design Leadership: Gaining experience in establishing and scaling a design function within a growing company.

• GovTech Domain Mastery: Deepening knowledge of government processes, challenges, and opportunities for technology solutions.

• Product Strategy Influence: Contributing directly to product roadmap and strategic direction, moving beyond pure design execution.

• Mentorship: Potential to mentor future design hires and shape the company's design culture as the team grows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the growth and innovation opportunities. Overcoming these challenges will lead to significant professional development and impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you took an ambiguous problem from research to a shipped solution. What was your process, and what was the impact?" (Focus on end-to-end ownership, problem-framing, and quantifiable results)

• "How would you approach designing an AI-powered feature for government agencies that helps them manage compliance documents more efficiently? What are the key UX considerations?" (Assess AI UX thinking, understanding of government context, and problem-solving approach)

• "Walk me through your process for building or contributing to a design system. How do you ensure adoption and scalability?" (Evaluate your understanding of design systems and their strategic value)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "Why are you interested in designing for the government sector and SimpliGov specifically?" (Show your understanding of the company's mission and the GovTech space)

• "How do you approach working with engineering teams in a fast-paced environment? Describe your collaboration style." (Highlight your ability to work in an agile, "no handoff" culture)

• "What does 'high trust, high autonomy, high accountability' mean to you in a work environment?" (Align your working style with the company's ethos)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Project Selection: Choose 1-2 projects that best exemplify your ability to handle complex B2B/SaaS problems, your AI integration, and your end-to-end ownership.

• Narrative Arc: Structure each case study as a compelling story: the problem, your role and approach, the solution, and the measurable impact.

• Demonstrate Process: Clearly articulate your research methods, design decisions, iterations, and how you collaborated with stakeholders (especially engineering).

• Highlight AI: Explicitly detail any AI tools used and their impact. Explain the UX challenges and solutions for AI-powered features.

• Quantify Outcomes: Use metrics (e.g., conversion rates, time saved, user satisfaction scores) to prove the value of your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to discuss your process, your strategic thinking, and your ability to operate autonomously. Demonstrating a clear understanding of how AI impacts design and how you've applied it is crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the SimpliGov careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects demonstrating complex B2B/SaaS design, AI integration, and end-to-end ownership. Emphasize case studies with quantifiable user and business impact, and clearly articulate your AI-native workflow.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly states your years of experience in complex software design and highlights specific skills like "AI-native design workflow," "WCAG 2.1 AA," and experience with tools like Figma and AI assistants. Focus on achievements rather than just responsibilities.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, problem-solving approach, and how you leverage AI tools. Prepare to discuss your experience in establishing design practices and working collaboratively with engineering teams. Review potential interview questions related to strategy, AI, and company culture.

• Company Research: Deeply research SimpliGov's mission, its GovTech focus, and its commitment to AI. Understand the unique challenges of designing for government agencies and how your skills align with their goals.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.

---