Product Designer - Contract

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Product Designer - Contract

Company: KEV Group

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-11-05T14:16:44

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This is an end-to-end Product Designer role focused on simplifying complex financial workflows within a B2B SaaS environment.

• The position requires a strategic problem-solver with strong UX and UI craft, comfortable with ambiguity and minimal hand-holding.

• The designer will own the entire product design lifecycle, from initial problem framing and user research to delivering polished, accessible interfaces.

• Collaboration is key, involving close partnerships with Product Management, Engineering, security, compliance, customers, and leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role explicitly states "contract" and "on-site" in Toronto, Canada. The emphasis on "end-to-end," "discovery from first principles," and "minimal hand-holding" suggests a senior-level individual contributor role with significant autonomy. The B2B SaaS context, particularly in financial workflows for K-12 education, indicates a need for understanding complex systems and user needs within a regulated environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end product design process, including framing ambiguous problems, defining research questions, and leading rigorous UX research and concept-testing initiatives to validate demand before development.

• Drive design initiatives across the full product lifecycle, from requirements gathering and user flow definition through to implementation and post-launch iteration, ensuring high-quality outcomes for projects like 'ePay' and adjacent features.

• Translate complex multi-step financial workflows (payments, approvals, disbursements) into clear, intuitive end-to-end user journeys, wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes to communicate concepts and mitigate decision risks.

• Plan and execute moderated and unmoderated user research and usability testing sessions with key stakeholders (e.g., bookkeepers, district staff) to validate assumptions and inform design decisions.

• Design intuitive, elegant, and WCAG-compliant user interfaces for both web and mobile platforms, employing a test-and-learn approach to ensure accessibility and usability.

• Collaborate deeply with Product Managers, Engineers, security/compliance partners, and leadership to understand diverse needs and translate them into effective, technically feasible, and compliant solutions.

• Produce detailed design specifications and work closely with the Engineering team to ensure accurate, high-quality implementation of designs.

• Utilize, extend, and contribute to KEV Group's existing design system, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all product offerings.

• Clearly present design work, rationale, and trade-offs to cross-functional teams and stakeholders to build shared understanding and align on strategic direction.

• Continuously refine designs based on user feedback, analytics, and data-driven insights, staying current with industry trends, UX best practices, and emerging technologies, including AI-assisted design tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on user-centric design, data-driven iteration, and cross-functional collaboration. The mention of "ePay" and "financial workflows" points to a specific domain focus. The requirement to "own discovery end-to-end" and "produce precise specifications" indicates a need for both strategic thinking and meticulous execution.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Diploma or Bachelor's degree in UX Design, Interaction Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, Software Engineering, or a related field, OR equivalent practical experience. Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of experience as a Product Designer, with a proven track record of leading initiatives end-to-end, ideally within a B2B SaaS environment. Required Skills:

• End-to-End Ownership: Demonstrated ability to own discovery, framing ambiguous problems, scoping work, and driving projects from research through delivery with minimal direction.

• UX Research & Usability Testing: Deep experience with UX methodologies, user research, including moderated research, and usability testing to validate concepts and inform design.

• UI Design Craft: Strong UI design skills with a keen eye for detail, aesthetics, and user experience across desktop and mobile platforms.

• Prototyping & Wireframing: Proficiency in creating wireframes, mockups, and clickable prototypes to effectively communicate design concepts.

• Design Tools: Advanced proficiency in design tools such as Figma.

• Accessibility Standards: Knowledge and application of WCAG guidelines to ensure accessible interface design.

• B2B SaaS Experience: Experience designing for complex B2B SaaS products, ideally in financial or regulated industries.

• Communication & Collaboration: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence diverse stakeholders, including leadership.

• Agile Environment Acumen: Ability to manage multiple initiatives and priorities effectively in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

• Strategic Product Thinking: Ability to balance user needs with business goals, technical constraints, and compliance requirements.

Preferred Skills:

• Technical Fluency: Familiarity with front-end development concepts (e.g., React, component-based design, design tokens) or the ability to reason about code to enhance collaboration with Engineering.

• AI-Assisted Design: Experience with AI-assisted design workflows, AI-native research synthesis, or AI prototyping tools and a curiosity for their application.

• Domain Expertise: Exposure to payments, fintech, accounting, or other complex, regulated domains.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of strategic thinking (framing problems, product thinking) and practical craft (UI/UX, Figma proficiency, accessibility). The "5+ years" and "track record of leading initiatives end-to-end" suggest a mid-to-senior level role. The "Nice to Have" section provides clear signals about desired technical understanding and forward-thinking skills.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies demonstrating ownership of the entire design process, from problem definition and user research through to final design and post-launch iteration.

• Problem Framing & Research: Include examples of how you framed ambiguous problems, defined research questions, and conducted user research to validate demand and inform design decisions.

• UX/UI Craftsmanship: Present high-fidelity mockups, wireframes, and prototypes that exhibit strong visual design principles, attention to detail, and user-centered solutions.

• Accessibility Focus: Demonstrate an understanding and application of accessibility best practices (WCAG) within your designs.

• Tool Proficiency: Clearly indicate your proficiency with design tools, particularly Figma, and any prototyping tools used.

• Collaboration & Impact: Highlight instances of cross-functional collaboration and explain the impact of your design decisions on user experience and business goals.

Process Documentation:

• Candidates are expected to articulate their design process clearly, detailing methodologies used for discovery, research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and handoff.

• The ability to document complex workflows and translate them into clear design specifications for engineering is crucial.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Product Designer role, a strong portfolio is paramount. The emphasis on "end-to-end" and "ownership" means case studies should not just show final screens but the entire journey, including research findings, iterations, and rationale. Demonstrating how they've handled ambiguity and complex financial workflows will be key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Given the contract nature, location (Toronto, Canada), and experience level (5-10 years), a competitive hourly rate is expected. Based on industry benchmarks for senior contract Product Designers in Toronto, the estimated range is CAD $60 - $90 per hour, depending on specific experience and negotiation. Benefits:

• As a contract role, standard full-time employee benefits may not apply. However, potential benefits could include:

  • Opportunity for professional development and exposure to complex financial SaaS products.

  • Involvement in impactful projects within the K-12 education sector.

  • Potential for contract extension or conversion to full-time based on performance and business needs.

  • Access to "Club KEV" for team-building events and other company-wide initiatives like Townhalls and KEVite Awards. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, likely around 40 hours per week, with potential for some flexibility given the contract nature. The role is described as "on-site," implying a need for presence in the Toronto office.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimates for contract roles are typically provided as hourly rates. The range is based on market data for senior contract UX/Product Designers in Toronto, Canada, considering the B2B SaaS and Fintech/Accounting domain. Benefits are often more limited for contractors but company culture initiatives may still be accessible.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, Software, Financial Services (Fintech/Edtech)

• KEV Group operates at the intersection of payments, accounting, and reporting for the K-12 education sector. This is a mission-critical niche with high complexity, regulatory considerations, and significant societal impact. The company focuses on cloud-native, data-driven technology to solve these challenges at scale.

Company Size: The provided data does not specify exact company size, but the context of serving 27,000 K-12 schools and managing $8B annually suggests a significant, growing organization. The mention of "scaling fast" and "investing deeply in cloud-native, data-driven technology" indicates a dynamic and forward-thinking environment.

Founded: Company Founded: 2013. This indicates a company with over a decade of experience, providing stability while still being in a growth phase, allowing for innovation and established processes.

Team Structure:

• The Product Designer will be part of a product development team, working closely with Product Management and Engineering.

• Collaboration extends to security, compliance, leadership, and external customers, indicating a cross-functional and stakeholder-centric approach.

• The role is described as "end-to-end" and requiring "minimal hand-holding," suggesting a degree of autonomy within the team structure. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: The company emphasizes "data-driven technology" and iterating with "data-driven insights."

• User-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding user needs through research and testing is evident.

• Agile Development: The fast-paced nature and collaboration with Engineering imply an agile or iterative development process.

• Process Optimization: The core mission involves replacing fragmented workflows with modern, efficient systems, highlighting a commitment to process improvement.

Company Website: https://kevgroup.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: KEV Group's focus on K-12 financial software positions it uniquely within the EdTech and FinTech sectors. The company's mission to simplify complex financial processes for schools implies a culture that values impact, precision, and user support. The "scaling fast" nature suggests opportunities for individuals to influence processes and grow with the company.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Product Design Career Level: This role is positioned as a senior-level individual contributor, evidenced by the "5+ years of experience" requirement and the expectation to "own discovery end-to-end" with "minimal hand-holding." The designer will be responsible for significant product initiatives, translating complex problems into elegant solutions.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly detailed, the designer will likely report to a Product Design Lead, Head of Product, or a senior Product Manager, working collaboratively within a product team that includes Engineering and Product Management.

Operations Impact: The Product Designer's impact is directly tied to the usability, efficiency, and adoption of KEV Group's financial software. By simplifying complex workflows, the designer contributes to:

• Revenue Enablement: Making it easier for schools to manage payments and finances can indirectly support sales cycles and customer retention.

• Operational Efficiency: Streamlining processes for end-users (school staff) reduces operational friction and improves satisfaction.

• Product Strategy: Insights from user research and design iterations directly inform product roadmap decisions and strategic priorities.

• Compliance & Security: Ensuring designs meet regulatory and security standards is critical in the financial sector.

Growth Opportunities:

• Domain Expertise: Deepen knowledge in payments, accounting, and K-12 financial operations, becoming a subject matter expert.

• Leadership in Design: Lead key design initiatives, mentor junior designers (if applicable), and contribute to evolving the design system and design practices at KEV.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Build strong relationships and influence product strategy across Product, Engineering, and leadership.

• Exposure to AI in Design: The "Nice to Have" section mentions AI-assisted design, indicating potential for growth in adopting and leveraging these emerging technologies.

• Contract to Full-Time: Potential for conversion to a permanent role, offering more comprehensive benefits and long-term career progression within KEV Group.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth opportunities are framed around deepening domain expertise, taking on more leadership within design, and staying current with technological advancements like AI in design, which is particularly relevant for a forward-thinking SaaS company.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This suggests a traditional office setting where in-person collaboration is expected.

Office Location(s): Toronto, Ontario, Canada. This is a major tech hub, offering access to talent and resources. Specific office details (e.g., amenities, accessibility) are not provided but would be typical for a company operating in this sector.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The emphasis on partnering deeply across functions (Product, Engineering, Security, Compliance) indicates a highly collaborative workspace.

• Tools & Technology: The role requires advanced proficiency in Figma and potentially other prototyping tools. The company's focus on cloud-native and data-driven technology suggests a modern tech stack.

• Team Interaction: Expect regular interaction with product managers, engineers, researchers, and potentially direct customer engagement through research sessions.

Work Schedule:

• Likely a standard 40-hour work week, Monday to Friday. Given the contract nature, there might be some flexibility, but the on-site requirement suggests adherence to typical office hours for team synchronization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Toronto is a key detail. While specific office perks aren't listed, the company culture points towards a supportive and collaborative environment where designers are integrated into the product development lifecycle.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess qualifications and fit.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A session where you present your work, walking through 1-2 key case studies, explaining your process, decisions, and impact. Expect questions about your approach to discovery, research, problem-solving, and collaboration.

• Design Challenge (Potential): You may be asked to complete a take-home design exercise or participate in a live design critique/workshop to assess your skills in a practical scenario. This could involve analyzing a complex workflow or proposing solutions to a given problem.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially leadership to evaluate collaboration skills, strategic thinking, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: A concluding interview, potentially with senior leadership, to discuss your overall fit and vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Your portfolio should clearly demonstrate your end-to-end process. Use case studies to tell a story about how you tackled a problem, the research you conducted, the iterations you made, and the final outcome.

• Focus on Impact: Quantify the impact of your designs whenever possible (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced error rates, increased user satisfaction scores). If metrics are not available, clearly articulate the qualitative impact and user benefits.

• Highlight Complexity: Given KEV Group's domain, showcase examples where you've simplified complex financial or business workflows. Explain your approach to understanding these complexities.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Include details about how you worked with stakeholders (PMs, Engineers, users) and how you incorporated their feedback.

• Accessibility & WCAG: Ensure your portfolio clearly shows how you incorporate accessibility into your design process and final deliverables.

• Tool Proficiency: Clearly state the tools used, with a strong emphasis on Figma if that's your primary tool.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research KEV Group's products, their target audience (K-12 schools), and the general challenges in financial software for education.

• Process Frameworks: Be prepared to discuss your design process and how you adapt it to different project needs, especially for complex B2B SaaS problems.

• Problem-Solving: Practice breaking down complex problems, identifying user needs, and generating potential solutions. Think about how you would approach designing for financial workflows.

• Communication: Prepare to clearly articulate your thought process, design decisions, and rationale, especially when discussing trade-offs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical application of design skills and the ability to articulate a robust design process. Candidates should prepare to showcase their ability to handle ambiguity and complex B2B SaaS challenges, particularly within financial workflows.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Design Tools:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency is explicitly required. This will be the primary tool for wireframing, UI design, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Prototyping Tools: Comfort with rapid prototyping is mentioned, which could include Figma's native prototyping features or other specialized tools.

User Research & Testing Tools:

• While not explicitly listed, expect to use tools for user interviews, usability testing (e.g., Lookback, UserTesting.com), and potentially survey tools (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Google Forms) for data collection. Collaboration & Documentation Tools:

• Jira/Confluence: Likely used for project management and documentation, especially in collaboration with Engineering.

• Slack/Microsoft Teams: For day-to-day communication.

• Design System Tools: Experience contributing to or utilizing a design system, which may involve specific tools or processes for component management.

Emerging Technologies:

• AI-Assisted Design Tools: Curiosity and potential experience with AI tools for research synthesis, design generation, or code conversion are considered a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the core requirement. The mention of AI-assisted design suggests the company is open to or actively exploring newer technologies to enhance design efficiency.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: A strong emphasis on making a real difference in K-12 education, supporting students, parents, and schools.

• Innovation & Improvement: A culture of constant questioning, improving, and innovating ("The KEV Way"), always focused on benefiting schools and students.

• Integrity & Respect: Working with colleagues who have integrity, treat each other with respect, and are accomplished yet humble.

• Accountability: A collaborative yet accountable environment where individuals can do their best work.

• Data-Driven: Decisions are informed by data and insights, promoting efficiency and effectiveness.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Deep collaboration is expected across Product Management, Engineering, Security/Compliance, and Leadership.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Strong emphasis on clear communication and building shared understanding with diverse stakeholders.

• Customer Focus: Direct engagement with customers through research to validate needs and inform design.

• Iterative & Learning-Oriented: A "test-and-learn" approach is encouraged, suggesting an open environment for feedback and continuous improvement.

📝 Enhancement Note: KEV Group appears to foster a culture that balances mission-driven purpose with a pragmatic, innovative approach to technology and problem-solving. The values highlight collaboration, integrity, and a commitment to continuous improvement, all essential for a high-performing product team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Financial Workflows: Simplifying intricate payment, approval, and disbursement processes for a diverse user base (school administrators, bookkeepers) requires deep understanding and strategic design.

• Balancing Constraints: Designing within technical, security, compliance, and business constraints while meeting user needs in a regulated B2B SaaS environment.

• Ambiguity: The role requires comfort with ambiguity and the ability to define problems and scope solutions with minimal direction.

• Pace of Growth: Adapting to a fast-paced, high-growth environment requires efficient work management and adaptability.

• Design System Evolution: Contributing to and evolving a design system requires balancing consistency with the need for new features and patterns.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Domain Specialization: Gaining deep expertise in K-12 financial operations, payments, and accounting software.

• Advanced Design Skills: Opportunity to hone skills in complex problem-solving, user research, and designing for regulated industries.

• Emerging Technologies: Exposure to AI-assisted design tools and workflows, potentially shaping how design is done at KEV Group.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Developing stronger skills in stakeholder management, influencing, and collaborating with technical and business teams.

• Product Strategy Input: Contributing directly to product strategy through design insights and research findings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are inherent to the domain and the company's growth stage. The growth opportunities focus on skill development within the specific context of KEV Group's industry and technology focus.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Problem Framing: "Describe a time you had to frame an ambiguous problem. How did you approach it, what research did you conduct, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your process for discovery and validation.)

• Simplifying Complexity: "Walk me through a complex workflow you designed. How did you ensure it was intuitive and efficient for users, especially considering technical or regulatory constraints?" (Highlight your ability to translate intricate processes into user-friendly designs.)

• Collaboration & Influence: "Tell me about a time you had to influence stakeholders or leadership with your design recommendations. How did you build consensus and manage differing opinions?" (Prepare examples of effective communication and stakeholder management.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• Mission Alignment: "What interests you about KEV Group's mission to support K-12 education?" (Show genuine interest in the company's purpose.)

• Working Style: "How do you approach working autonomously in a fast-paced environment with minimal hand-holding?" (Demonstrate self-sufficiency and proactivity.)

• Design System Contribution: "How have you contributed to or utilized design systems in previous roles?" (Be ready to discuss your experience with design system best practices.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Choose 1-2 strong case studies that showcase end-to-end ownership, problem-solving for complexity, and significant impact.

• Narrative: Tell a compelling story for each case study. Start with the problem, explain your research and design process, detail key decisions and iterations, and conclude with the outcomes and learnings.

• Visuals: Use clear, high-quality visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, user flows) to support your narrative.

• Metrics & Impact: Quantify your achievements where possible. If metrics aren't available, clearly articulate the qualitative benefits and user value.

• Process Clarity: Be prepared to articulate your design process in detail and defend your decisions with user research and data.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time; focus on the most critical aspects of your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong understanding of the full design lifecycle, a proven ability to handle complex B2B SaaS challenges, and excellent communication skills. Highlighting experience with financial workflows and accessibility will be crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Product Designer contract position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the KEV Group careers page.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your resume and portfolio are tailored to this role. Highlight experience in B2B SaaS, end-to-end design ownership, user research, complex workflow simplification, and proficiency in Figma.

• Case Study Selection: Prepare 1-2 detailed case studies for your portfolio that best showcase your ability to handle ambiguous problems and deliver user-centered solutions in a complex domain. Focus on demonstrating your entire design process.

• Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate your years of experience and specific accomplishments in product design, emphasizing your ability to work autonomously and drive initiatives from discovery through delivery. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Practice: Rehearse your portfolio presentation and prepare answers to common product design interview questions, particularly those related to problem-solving, user research, and stakeholder collaboration. Practice articulating your design process and rationale clearly.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with KEV Group's mission, products, and the K-12 financial software sector. Understand their emphasis on innovation and making a difference.

⚠️ 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.