Product Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer

Company: TEKsystems

Location: Austin, Texas, United States

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Product Design / UX Design

Date Posted: 2026-04-29

Experience Level: Mid-Level (3+ years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote (ET/CT Time Zones Preferred)

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is for a generalist Product Designer focused on high-impact digital initiatives within modern, AI-enabled product environments.

• The designer will be responsible for end-to-end ownership of design projects, from initial discovery to final delivery, with a high degree of autonomy.

• A key aspect of the role involves collaborating closely with product managers, engineers, and other cross-functional partners to translate complex problems into intuitive user experiences.

• Candidates will be expected to create various design artifacts, including wireframes, prototypes, and polished UI, primarily using Figma, and to leverage AI tools thoughtfully to enhance design outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The description emphasizes a "generalist" Product Designer role, indicating a need for broad skills across the entire design lifecycle rather than deep specialization. The mention of "AI-enabled product environments" and "AI tools" suggests a forward-thinking company that integrates emerging technologies into its design and development processes. The preference for ET/CT time zones for remote work implies a need for strong asynchronous communication skills and potential overlap with existing team schedules.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and own the complete design lifecycle for assigned projects, from initial problem definition and user research through to final UI design and developer handoff.

• Translate ambiguous business requirements and user needs into clear, intuitive, and user-centered design solutions.

• Actively collaborate with Product Managers to define project scope, user stories, and product strategy, and with Engineering teams to ensure feasibility and seamless implementation of designs.

• Develop a range of design deliverables, including user flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs, with a primary focus on Figma.

• Conduct lightweight user research, including interviews and usability testing, and synthesize findings to inform and iterate on design decisions, ensuring data-driven design outcomes.

• Articulate and defend design choices effectively to stakeholders, using research data, user insights, and design principles to support recommendations.

• Thoughtfully integrate and leverage AI-assisted design tools to enhance efficiency, explore more design options, and improve overall design quality, while maintaining critical judgment.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of design processes, standards, and best practices within the product development team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a proactive and autonomous role, requiring the designer to "own" projects and "turn ambiguous problems into clear, intuitive design solutions." This suggests a need for strong problem-solving skills and the ability to operate with minimal oversight. The emphasis on "lightweight user research" indicates a pragmatic approach to user validation, balancing rigor with efficiency.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for Product Design roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in Product Design or UX Design. Candidates with 5+ years of experience will be considered for senior-level opportunities. Experience working within modern tech stacks and collaborating with engineering teams is essential.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in Product Design and User Experience (UX) principles and methodologies.

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

• Demonstrated ability to manage design projects end-to-end, from discovery to delivery.

• Experience collaborating effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, and cross-functional teams.

• Skills in conducting user research (e.g., interviews, usability testing) and synthesizing insights.

• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate and defend design decisions.

• Familiarity with modern development environments and tech stacks (e.g., VS Code, GitHub).

• Experience or demonstrable understanding of leveraging AI tools in design workflows.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the EdTech industry.

• Knowledge and practical application of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and inclusive design principles.

• Familiarity with other design and prototyping tools beyond Figma.

• Experience working in agile development environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "Comfort working in or around coding environments (VS Code, GitHub, Cursor)" and "Familiarity with AI-assisted design and development workflows" indicates a company that values designers who are technically aware and can integrate with the engineering process, especially with the increasing use of AI in development.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A curated portfolio showcasing end-to-end product design projects that demonstrate problem-solving, initiative, and thoughtful design decisions.

• Examples of wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and final UI designs, highlighting your process and rationale.

• Case studies that clearly articulate the problem statement, your role, the design process, key decisions, and the impact of your solutions.

• Demonstrations of collaboration with cross-functional teams and how user research informed your design direction.

Process Documentation:

• Your portfolio should implicitly or explicitly document your design process, emphasizing how you approach ambiguous problems and drive them to a clear solution.

• Showcase how you conduct user research, synthesize findings, and iterate on designs based on feedback and data.

• Provide examples of how you collaborate with engineering and product teams to ensure successful implementation.

• Demonstrate your ability to leverage AI tools as part of your design workflow, explaining the benefit and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention that "Portfolios should demonstrate thoughtful design decisions, problem solving, and initiative — not just polished screens" is a critical instruction. This means candidates should focus on the why and how behind their designs, showcasing their strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, rather than just aesthetic outcomes.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $45.00 - $50.00 per hour.

Benefits:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Insurance

• 401(k) Retirement Plan (with pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions)

• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for employee and dependents)

• Short-term and Long-term Disability Insurance

• Health Spending Account (HSA)

• Transportation Benefits

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Paid Time Off (PTO), Vacation, or Sick Leave

Working Hours: This is a full-time contract role, typically expected to be around 40 hours per week, with flexibility inherent in a remote work arrangement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is specified per hour for a contract role. The benefits listed are typical for contract positions facilitated through staffing agencies like TEKsystems, offering a comprehensive package that aims to be competitive with full-time employment benefits. The remote nature and preferred time zones suggest a focus on asynchronous work and effective remote collaboration tools.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: TEKsystems operates within the Technology and IT Services industry, acting as a partner in transformation for clients. They specialize in Full-Stack Technology Services, Talent Services, and application development.

Company Size: TEKsystems is a large global organization, part of Allegis Group, with approximately 80,000 employees working with over 6,000 clients. This scale means the company has established processes and a wide network, but also implies that individual teams might operate with a degree of autonomy within larger frameworks.

Founded: TEKsystems was founded in 1983, indicating a long-standing presence and deep experience in the IT and staffing industry. This history suggests stability and a mature understanding of market needs.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will likely be part of a project team working on client-specific digital initiatives. This team will include Product Managers and Engineers, and may involve other specialized roles depending on the project.

• Reporting structure will likely be to a Project Lead or a Manager within TEKsystems overseeing client engagements, or potentially to a client-side manager depending on the engagement model.

Methodology:

• TEKsystems' approach often involves partnering with clients to understand their unique challenges and leveraging their expertise to deliver tailored technology solutions. This implies a flexible and client-centric methodology.

• Within project teams, agile methodologies are common for digital product development, emphasizing iterative progress, collaboration, and rapid response to change.

• The emphasis on AI-enabled environments suggests a focus on leveraging modern technologies and data-driven insights to optimize processes and outcomes.

Company Website: https://careers.teksystems.com/us/en

📝 Enhancement Note: TEKsystems functions as a large IT services and staffing firm. This means the Product Designer will likely be working on projects for TEKsystems' clients. The "AI-enabled product environments" and "modern tech stacks" mentioned are likely characteristics of these clients' operations, rather than TEKsystems' internal design tools, though TEKsystems itself would facilitate access to such environments.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a mid-level Product Designer (3+ years of experience), with potential for senior consideration (5+ years). It requires a generalist skillset capable of independently managing design projects from start to finish. The focus is on practical application and end-to-end ownership within client projects.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to a project lead or manager within TEKsystems, and will work closely with client-side product managers and engineers. This dual reporting dynamic is common in contract roles.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is centered on enhancing user experience and driving successful product outcomes for TEKsystems' clients. This involves translating business goals into effective designs that improve user engagement, satisfaction, and ultimately, business metrics relevant to the client's product. The role's success is measured by the quality and effectiveness of the delivered design solutions.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific areas like AI-assisted design, accessibility, or user research methodologies.

• Project Diversity: Exposure to a wide range of industries and client challenges, broadening practical experience and adaptability.

• Leadership Potential: With demonstrated success and experience (5+ years), there's potential for advancement to Senior Product Designer roles, leading larger initiatives or mentoring junior designers.

• Client Relationship Management: Developing strong client relationships can lead to opportunities for long-term engagements and more strategic roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a contract role through TEKsystems, career growth is often tied to performance on client projects and the ability to secure subsequent engagements. While direct internal advancement paths might differ from a permanent role, the experience gained on diverse client projects can be highly valuable for future career opportunities.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a 100% remote position. While candidates based in Austin, TX are welcome, physical presence in an office is not required.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the preference for ET/CT time zones suggests that teams may be distributed across North America, with a concentration in these zones for easier collaboration during core business hours. Austin, TX is noted as a potential location for candidates, implying a presence or client base there.

Workspace Context:

• The remote nature requires a self-managed workspace conducive to focused design work and virtual collaboration.

• Access to modern digital collaboration tools (e.g., Figma, video conferencing, project management software) is essential.

• The "AI-enabled product environments" suggest that the client's development stack might include tools that facilitate AI integration, which the designer will interact with.

• Opportunities for collaboration will primarily be through digital channels, requiring strong written and verbal communication skills.

Work Schedule: The role is full-time, generally 40 hours per week. While remote, adherence to core working hours within the ET/CT time zones is preferred to facilitate real-time collaboration with the team and stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote aspect, coupled with the preference for ET/CT time zones, suggests a need for strong asynchronous communication skills and the ability to be responsive during core business hours for those time zones. This also implies that the client organization operates within these time zones.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience, skills, and alignment with the role's requirements, particularly Figma proficiency and end-to-end project experience.

• Portfolio Presentation: A session where you'll walk through selected case studies from your portfolio, explaining your design process, decision-making, and impact. Be prepared to discuss your approach to problem-solving and collaboration, especially with ambiguous problems.

• Technical/Skills Assessment: This might involve a design exercise or a discussion about your experience with specific tools like Figma, AI-assisted design workflows, and modern tech stacks.

• Behavioral/Cultural Fit Interview: Questions assessing your ability to work autonomously, collaborate effectively, and adapt to client environments. This may involve discussing your experience working with engineers and product managers.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a hiring manager or client stakeholder to confirm fit and discuss final details.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process: Clearly articulate the problem, your role, the user research conducted, design iterations, challenges faced, and how you overcame them. Quantify impact where possible.

• Showcase Figma Mastery: Highlight complex prototypes, component systems, or unique Figma workflows you've employed.

• Demonstrate AI Integration: If applicable, show how you've used AI tools to enhance your design process or outcomes, explaining the rationale and results.

• Highlight Autonomy: Select projects where you took significant initiative or drove a project with minimal oversight.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize projects that align with digital initiatives, modern tech stacks, and collaborative environments.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be ready for potential design challenges that test your ability to quickly understand a problem, ideate solutions, and articulate your thinking.

• Practice presenting your portfolio concisely and persuasively, focusing on storytelling and demonstrating your impact.

• Prepare to discuss how you handle ambiguity and collaborate with engineers and product managers in a remote setting.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "AI tools" and "modern tech stacks" means interviewers will likely probe your understanding and practical application of these elements. Be prepared to discuss specific examples of how you've integrated AI into your workflow and your familiarity with development environments.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for all aspects of design, including wireframing, prototyping, UI design, and collaboration. Expect advanced usage to be required.

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Familiarity with tools like GitHub Copilot (for code-adjacent understanding), Cursor (AI-first code editor), or emerging AI design plugins/platforms is highly valued.

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is specified, experience with other prototyping tools (e.g., InVision, Adobe XD) might be beneficial.

• Design Systems: Experience contributing to or utilizing design systems for consistency and scalability.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary focus for a designer, understanding how to interpret user analytics (e.g., from Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to inform design decisions is advantageous.

CRM & Automation:

• Awareness of CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms can provide context for user journeys and business goals, though direct interaction may not be required.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "VS Code, GitHub, Cursor" and "AI tools" indicates a strong preference for designers who are comfortable working within a developer-centric ecosystem and are keen to adopt new AI technologies to enhance their work. This is a significant differentiator for this role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving user needs through intuitive and effective design solutions.

• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on teamwork, open communication, and cross-functional partnership to achieve shared goals.

• Innovation: Embracing new technologies, including AI, to drive better design outcomes and improve efficiency.

• Autonomy & Initiative: Expectation for individuals to take ownership, proactively identify opportunities, and drive projects forward with minimal oversight.

• Data-Informed Decisions: Utilizing user research and analytics to guide design choices and measure impact.

Collaboration Style:

• Remote-First Communication: Reliance on digital tools for communication, with a focus on clear, concise written and verbal exchanges.

• Agile & Iterative: Working in sprints, with regular feedback loops and willingness to adapt designs based on evolving requirements and insights.

• Cross-functional Partnership: Actively engaging with Product Managers and Engineers throughout the design process to ensure alignment and feasibility.

• Constructive Feedback: A culture that encourages giving and receiving feedback openly to improve design quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: The mention of AI tools and modern tech stacks suggests a culture that values forward-thinking individuals who are comfortable with rapid technological advancements and are eager to explore how these can be applied to design challenges.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Ambiguity: Navigating unclear project requirements and translating them into concrete design solutions. This requires strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Remote Collaboration: Effectively communicating and collaborating with distributed teams and stakeholders without the benefit of in-person interaction.

• AI Integration: Thoughtfully incorporating AI tools into the design process without compromising design quality or human judgment.

• Client-Specific Environments: Adapting to diverse client needs, brand guidelines, and existing technical constraints.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI in Design: Gaining hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI tools and understanding their practical applications in product design.

• Diverse Project Exposure: Working on a variety of client projects across different industries can significantly expand your design toolkit and understanding of business contexts.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Deepening understanding of engineering constraints and product management strategies through close collaboration.

• Remote Work Best Practices: Honing skills in asynchronous communication, time management, and virtual collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary growth opportunity lies in gaining experience with AI-driven design workflows and working across a spectrum of client projects, which is a significant value proposition for a contract role.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you turned an ambiguous problem into a clear design solution. What was your process?" (Focus on your problem-solving methodology and how you gathered information.)

• "How do you collaborate with engineers and product managers, especially in a remote setting?" (Highlight communication strategies, feedback loops, and conflict resolution.)

• "Walk us through a project where you had to make significant design trade-offs. What was the situation, and how did you decide?" (Demonstrate decision-making under constraints.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working with TEKsystems and potentially on client projects?" (Show understanding of TEKsystems' role as a service provider.)

• "How do you ensure your designs are accessible and inclusive?" (Prepare examples of accessibility considerations.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process (research, ideation, design, testing), key decisions, and the outcome/impact.

• Focus on Rationale: Explain why you made certain design choices, referencing user research, data, or design principles.

• Highlight AI: If you have relevant examples, explicitly showcase how AI was used and what its impact was. If not, discuss your understanding and interest in AI-driven design.

• Showcase Figma Skills: Be prepared to quickly navigate through Figma files or demonstrate specific features if asked.

• Engage the Interviewer: Make it a conversation, not a monologue. Be ready to answer questions about your work in real-time.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will be looking for candidates who not only possess strong design fundamentals but are also adaptable, technically aware, and capable of integrating new technologies like AI into their workflow. Your portfolio and interview responses should reflect this.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the TEKsystems careers portal via the provided link.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 end-to-end projects that best demonstrate your ability to handle ambiguous problems, your proficiency in Figma, and any experience with AI-assisted design or modern tech stacks. Clearly articulate your process and impact.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume highlights keywords from the job description such as "Product Design," "UX Design," "Figma," "AI-assisted design," "wireframing," "prototyping," "user research," and experience with "modern tech stacks." Quantify achievements where possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on storytelling, your problem-solving approach, and how you collaborate. Prepare specific examples for questions about working autonomously and leveraging AI.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with TEKsystems' business model as an IT services and talent solutions provider. Understand the types of clients and projects they typically engage in, and research current trends in AI within the design and development space.

⚠️ 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.