Senior UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer

Company: Opus1

Location: United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / User Experience

Date Posted: April 27, 2026

Experience Level: 7+ Years (with 3+ years in a senior/lead role)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the end-to-end information architecture and user journey mapping for a leading SaaS CRM platform focused on performing arts education.

• Drive the standardization and consolidation of fragmented design systems into a cohesive, scalable framework to enhance user experience consistency.

• Establish and lead a robust user research and usability testing culture, translating insights into actionable design improvements for intuitive product adoption.

• Collaborate closely with Product Management, Engineering, Customer Success, and Marketing to deliver engaging features that support a growing customer base in the performing arts sector.

• This is a high-impact, hands-on role for a Senior Designer excited to define processes and lay the foundation for a growing UX function within a fast-paced, early-stage startup.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is classified under Product Design/User Experience, with a strong emphasis on strategic design leadership within a SaaS environment. The core focus is on building foundational UX processes and systems for a growing platform serving the performing arts education market.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and drive the comprehensive information architecture and user journey mapping across Opus1's product suite, ensuring logical flow and intuitive navigation.

• Standardize, streamline, and consolidate existing design systems, migrating legacy approaches into a unified, scalable, and maintainable framework.

• Conduct user interviews, lead usability testing sessions, and champion iterative design enhancements based on direct user feedback and stakeholder input.

• Establish and implement user research protocols and usability testing practices from the ground up, fostering a data-driven design approach.

• Translate complex user research findings into effective design solutions, producing wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups primarily in Figma.

• Identify high-value areas within the application that present usability challenges, proposing and collaborating on frictionless workflows with Product Management and Engineering to improve user adoption.

• Manage and mentor freelance designers or contractors, ensuring consistent quality and adherence to established design standards across all user touchpoints.

• Foster strong cross-functional collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, Customer Success, and Marketing teams to ensure seamless product handoffs, alignment on user needs, and effective stakeholder communication.

• Design intuitive and engaging user experiences for both non-technical end-users and sophisticated administrative users within the performing arts education sector, catering to both web and mobile application interfaces.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities outline a strategic leadership role in UX, focusing on process establishment, system standardization, and direct user advocacy. The emphasis on defining architecture, leading research, and managing contractors suggests a "player-coach" capacity, preparing for future team growth.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent knowledge and experience in UX design principles and practices is expected.

Experience: 7+ years of professional UX design experience, with a minimum of 3 years in a senior or lead individual contributor role, demonstrating successful leadership of design initiatives or projects.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in information architecture (IA) and user journey mapping for complex SaaS or B2B2C products.

• Proven experience in creating, implementing, and leading user research programs and usability testing initiatives from inception.

• Advanced proficiency with Figma, including its capabilities for design systems, prototyping, and collaborative workflows.

• Strong understanding and practical application of design system standardization, consolidation, and maintenance for scalable product development.

• Exceptional communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills, with a proven ability to collaborate effectively across diverse teams and seniority levels.

• Experience in mentoring or managing junior designers or external contractors, with a willingness to take on formal leadership responsibilities as the UX function expands.

Preferred Skills:

• A demonstrable passion for the performing arts, or prior experience working within the education or creative industries.

• Familiarity with other design and prototyping tools beyond Figma.

• Experience designing for both web and mobile platforms, ensuring a consistent user experience across devices.

• Understanding of Agile development methodologies and experience working within fast-paced startup environments.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize deep UX expertise, hands-on system building, and leadership potential. The preference for performing arts experience suggests a desire for domain-specific understanding to enhance user empathy and product relevance.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end UX design process, from initial research and ideation through to detailed wireframes, prototypes, and final high-fidelity designs.

• Include case studies demonstrating expertise in information architecture, user journey mapping, and the development or standardization of design systems.

• Present examples of user research initiatives, outlining methodologies used, key findings, and how insights directly informed design decisions.

• Highlight projects where you led usability testing, detailing the process, participant recruitment, and actionable outcomes that improved user experience.

Process Documentation:

• Document your approach to defining and structuring information architecture for complex applications.

• Illustrate how you establish and lead user research and usability testing programs, including participant recruitment, interview scripting, and analysis of findings.

• Provide examples of how you have standardized or consolidated design systems, detailing the challenges, methodologies, and outcomes.

• Showcase your process for translating user feedback and business requirements into actionable design solutions, including wireframing and prototyping workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Designer role, the portfolio is critical. It should not only display design output but also the strategic thinking, research rigor, and process ownership expected at this level. Emphasis on systemic thinking (IA, Design Systems) and empirical validation (Research, Testing) is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX Designers in the US with 7+ years of experience, particularly in remote, early-stage SaaS startups, a competitive range would be approximately $130,000 - $170,000 annually. This estimate considers the high-impact nature of a foundational role and the demand for specialized UX leadership.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans to support employee well-being.

• 401(k) retirement savings plan to assist with long-term financial planning.

• Generous Paid Holidays and Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) to promote work-life balance and prevent burnout.

• Fully Remote Work environment, offering flexibility and autonomy.

• Office Equipment Reimbursement to ensure employees have the necessary tools and a comfortable home workspace.

Working Hours: Standard full-time engagement is expected, typically around 40 hours per week. While remote, employees are expected to maintain availability during core business hours for collaboration, with flexibility managed by the reporting manager. Occasional travel for company events is also a requirement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on general US market data for senior-level UX roles in tech startups, adjusted for a remote-first environment. Actual compensation will depend on specific candidate experience, location within the US (if applicable for tax/payroll), and final negotiation.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (SaaS), Education, Performing Arts, CRM. Opus1 operates at the intersection of these sectors, providing specialized software solutions that aim to digitize and streamline operations for music and performing arts schools. This niche focus requires an understanding of the unique needs and workflows of educators and administrators in creative fields.

Company Size: Opus1 is a fast-growing, early-stage startup. This implies a dynamic, agile, and often ambiguous work environment where individuals have a significant opportunity to shape processes and contribute directly to the company's trajectory. The team is likely lean, fostering close collaboration and a strong sense of shared mission.

Founded: Opus1 was founded with the mission to empower creative education through technology. While the exact founding date isn't provided, its status as an "early-stage startup" suggests it is relatively young, likely within the last 5-10 years, and is in a phase of rapid scaling and product development.

Team Structure:

• The UX Designer will report directly to the VP of Product, indicating a strong product-centric organizational structure.

• The role will necessitate close cross-functional collaboration with Product Management, Engineering, Customer Success, and Marketing teams, suggesting an integrated approach to product development and customer engagement.

Methodology:

• A strong emphasis on user-centric design, driven by research and iterative feedback loops.

• Agile development practices are likely employed, requiring designers to be adaptable and responsive to evolving priorities and requirements.

• Data-driven decision-making will be crucial, with UX insights feeding into Product Management's prioritization and Engineering's implementation efforts.

• A focus on building scalable and standardized systems (design systems, IA) to support future growth and maintain product consistency.

Company Website: https://opus1.io/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is described as fast-paced and growth-oriented, ideal for individuals who thrive in ambiguity and enjoy building foundational processes. The niche market focus (performing arts education) is a key differentiator and likely influences product design decisions and team values.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This Senior UX Designer role represents a pivotal point in a UX career. It's beyond a standard individual contributor role, demanding strategic influence, process definition, and the foresight to build for scale. It’s a leadership position within the UX discipline, setting standards and mentoring others, with clear potential to grow into a formal Design Lead or Manager role as the company expands.

Reporting Structure: Reporting directly to the VP of Product places the Senior UX Designer at a strategic level, with direct access to product leadership. This allows for significant input into product strategy and roadmap prioritization, ensuring user experience is a core consideration from the outset.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX Designer will have a direct and significant impact on the company's success by shaping the user experience of its core SaaS CRM platform. By improving intuitiveness, user adoption, and overall user satisfaction, this role will contribute to customer retention, acquisition, and ultimately, revenue growth. The ability to build out the UX function lays the groundwork for future product innovation and market competitiveness.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: Opportunity to transition from managing contractors to formally leading and growing a UX team, including hiring, mentoring, and performance management.

• Strategic Influence: Direct involvement in product strategy and roadmap discussions, allowing for significant impact on the company's direction and product vision.

• Process & System Building: The chance to define and implement core UX processes, design systems, and research methodologies from scratch, establishing a lasting legacy within the organization.

• Domain Expertise: Deepen knowledge in the performing arts education sector and SaaS CRM, becoming a subject matter expert in a unique and growing market.

• Career Advancement: Potential to move into a Head of Design or Director of Product Design role as Opus1 scales.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers substantial growth potential, particularly for individuals who are ambitious and enjoy building and scaling functions. The direct reporting line to the VP of Product and the mandate to establish foundational processes are key indicators of high impact and career advancement opportunities.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position, meaning there is no central physical office that employees are required to attend regularly. The company operates on a distributed model, enabling employees to work from their preferred locations within the United States.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the company is headquartered in the United States, and employees are expected to be based within the United States for employment and tax purposes. Specific company locations are not detailed, but the remote nature means work is decentralized.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the company emphasizes cross-functional collaboration. This is facilitated through digital communication tools, regular virtual meetings, and a culture that encourages open dialogue and shared problem-solving.

• Operational Tools: Employees will have access to necessary digital tools and technologies for design, communication, and collaboration, including Figma, project management software, and communication platforms.

• Team Interaction: Regular team syncs, virtual brainstorming sessions, and potential for in-person company events (requiring travel) are designed to foster team cohesion and operational synergy.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is full-time, approximately 40 hours per week. While remote work offers flexibility, maintaining availability during core business hours for team collaboration and meetings is expected. The company's focus on early-stage growth suggests a dedication to achieving objectives, but the remote setup aims to balance this with employee autonomy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature of this role requires a self-disciplined and proactive approach to collaboration. The emphasis on digital tools and occasional travel for company events highlights the blended approach to maintaining team connection and operational effectiveness in a distributed setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the role's requirements and experience level.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A conversation with the VP of Product to discuss your background, motivations, and high-level fit for the role and company culture. This stage will likely focus on your strategic thinking and leadership potential.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Review: A more in-depth session where you will present your portfolio, discuss specific case studies, and potentially tackle a design exercise tailored to Opus1's product. This is where your process, problem-solving skills, and proficiency in Figma will be thoroughly evaluated.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with members of Product Management and Engineering to assess your collaboration style, communication skills, and ability to work effectively within a cross-functional team.

• Final Interview: A concluding discussion, potentially with other senior leaders, to finalize alignment on expectations, culture fit, and compensation.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 of your strongest, most relevant case studies that showcase your end-to-end UX process, information architecture skills, design system experience, and user research capabilities.

• Focus on Process, Not Just Pixels: Clearly articulate the problem, your role, the research and design process followed, the challenges encountered, and the measurable outcomes or impact of your solutions. Use visuals to support your narrative.

• Highlight Systemic Thinking: Emphasize projects where you've tackled complex information architecture or contributed to/standardized design systems. Detail your approach to ensuring scalability and consistency.

• Showcase Research Rigor: Dedicate time to explaining your user research methodologies, how you gathered insights, and how those insights directly influenced your design decisions.

• Figma Proficiency: Be prepared to walk through your Figma files, demonstrating your mastery of components, variants, prototyping, and collaboration features.

• Tailor to Opus1: If possible, subtly tailor your presentation to highlight experiences or interests relevant to SaaS, education, or the performing arts. Show you’ve done your homework.

Challenge Preparation:

• Anticipate Process Questions: Be ready to discuss how you would approach defining information architecture for a new feature, establishing a user research program from scratch, or standardizing a fragmented design system.

• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Prepare to discuss how you would identify and address usability issues in a complex SaaS application, or how you would collaborate with Product and Engineering on feature prioritization.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Think about examples of how you've mentored junior designers or managed contractors, and how you would approach building a UX team in a startup environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly assess both design craft and strategic leadership. The portfolio review is a critical component, requiring candidates to articulate their process and impact with clarity and confidence.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The primary tool for wireframing, prototyping, high-fidelity design, and design system management. Proficiency in advanced Figma features, including component libraries, auto layout, and collaborative workflows, is essential.

• User Research Platforms: Experience with tools for conducting user interviews, usability testing, and surveys (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze, SurveyMonkey, Typeform).

• Prototyping Tools: While Figma has strong prototyping capabilities, familiarity with other dedicated prototyping tools might be beneficial for certain types of complex interactions.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics Tools: Familiarity with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Pendo to understand user behavior, track feature adoption, and identify areas for UX improvement.

• Data Visualization Tools: Basic understanding of how to interpret data presented in dashboards (e.g., Tableau, Looker) to inform design decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Experience using or designing for CRM platforms (like Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar) is advantageous, given Opus1's product is a CRM.

• Project Management Tools: Proficiency with tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, or Monday.com for managing design tasks, tracking progress, and collaborating with engineering teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack is centered around Figma as the core design tool, with an expectation of familiarity with user research platforms and product analytics. Understanding the SaaS CRM landscape and project management tools is also key for effective collaboration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user's needs, ensuring that design decisions are grounded in research and empathy. This translates to creating intuitive and effective solutions for educators and students.

• Excellence & Craftsmanship: A dedication to high-quality design output, attention to detail, and continuous improvement of design processes and systems. This value drives the standardization and refinement of the design framework.

• Collaboration & Transparency: An open and communicative approach to working with cross-functional teams, valuing diverse perspectives and fostering a shared understanding of product goals and challenges.

• Impact & Ownership: A focus on delivering tangible results and taking initiative to drive projects forward, particularly in a startup environment where individual contributions significantly shape the product and company.

• Passion for Education & Arts: A genuine interest in the mission of empowering creative education, which fosters a sense of purpose and drives innovation within the performing arts sector.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The design function is expected to be deeply integrated with Product Management and Engineering, working collaboratively from ideation through to implementation. This involves regular communication, shared understanding of goals, and joint problem-solving.

• Iterative Feedback Culture: Encouragement of constructive feedback loops, both within the design team and with other departments, to continuously refine designs and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that promotes sharing best practices, design insights, and learnings across teams to foster collective growth and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on user-centricity, craftsmanship, and cross-functional collaboration aligns with typical high-performing product organizations. The explicit mention of a passion for education and the arts suggests a mission-driven culture that resonates with employees who value purpose in their work.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Building from Ambiguity: Establishing a cohesive design system and robust research culture in an early-stage startup environment where processes are still evolving. This requires strong initiative and the ability to define structure.

• Balancing User Needs with Business Goals: Effectively translating diverse user feedback and complex requirements into feasible design solutions that align with product strategy and engineering constraints.

• Scalability of Design: Designing for a growing user base and expanding product features while ensuring the design system and information architecture remain scalable and maintainable.

• Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong team cohesion and effective communication in a fully remote setting, requiring proactive engagement and skillful use of digital collaboration tools.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Leadership Expansion: A clear path to grow into a formal Design Lead or Manager role, including opportunities for hiring, team building, and strategic planning for the UX function.

• Process Framework Development: The unique opportunity to architect and implement core UX methodologies, design standards, and research practices that will define the future of design at Opus1.

• Industry Specialization: Deepening expertise in the performing arts education SaaS market, understanding niche user needs and contributing to a specialized product ecosystem.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gaining valuable experience working closely with product, engineering, marketing, and customer success teams, broadening understanding of the entire product lifecycle and business operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a senior role focused on building foundational elements within a growing company. The growth opportunities are significant, offering a blend of leadership, strategic impact, and specialized industry development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to establish a design system or significantly standardize an existing one. What was your process, what challenges did you face, and what was the outcome?" (Assesses experience with system building and process definition.)

• "How would you approach defining the information architecture for a new module within our CRM platform, considering both student and administrator perspectives?" (Evaluates strategic IA thinking and user-centricity.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about Opus1's mission to empower performing arts education, and how do you see UX contributing to that mission?" (Assesses cultural fit and mission alignment.)

• "Describe your ideal collaboration dynamic with Product Managers and Engineers. How do you ensure alignment and effective communication in a fast-paced environment?" (Evaluates cross-functional collaboration skills.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your specific role and contributions, the user research and design process, key challenges, and the measurable impact or outcomes.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use high-quality visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, user flow diagrams) to illustrate your process and design thinking. Be prepared to click through interactive prototypes in Figma.

• Focus on "Why": Articulate the rationale behind your design decisions. Explain the user needs, business goals, or technical constraints that guided your choices.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced task completion time, improved user satisfaction scores).

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Prepare to answer detailed questions about your process, tool usage (especially Figma), and how you handle feedback and critique.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, process ownership, and a deep understanding of user-centered design principles, particularly within a SaaS context. Emphasize how your experience aligns with building foundational UX elements and leading initiatives.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Ashby, ensuring all required fields are completed accurately.

• Curate a compelling portfolio that strategically highlights 3-4 of your strongest case studies, emphasizing end-to-end UX process, information architecture, design system development, and user research. Tailor your portfolio to showcase projects relevant to SaaS products and complex user flows.

• Optimize your resume to clearly articulate your 7+ years of UX experience, specifically highlighting your 3+ years in senior or lead roles. Use keywords related to information architecture, user research, Figma, design systems, and SaaS product design. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare for a detailed portfolio review and design challenge. Practice articulating your design process, rationale, and the impact of your work. Be ready to demonstrate your proficiency in Figma and discuss how you would approach specific challenges at Opus1.

• Conduct thorough research on Opus1. Understand their mission, product, target audience (performing arts education), and company culture. This will enable you to ask insightful questions and demonstrate genuine interest during interviews.

⚠️ 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.