UX Designer - Infrastructure

Jobgether
Full-timeβ€’South Africa

πŸ“ Job Overview

Job Title: UX Designer - Infrastructure

Company: Jobgether (Partner Company)

Location: South Africa

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-04

Experience Level: Mid-Level (2-5 years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

πŸš€ Role Summary

  • Design intuitive user experiences for complex open-source infrastructure products, focusing on cloud and data center solutions.

  • Collaborate closely with engineering and product management to translate technical complexity into clear, efficient, and accessible user interfaces.

  • Apply UX research methodologies and design systems to enhance product usability, consistency, and overall quality across a globally distributed team.

  • Contribute to shaping tools that enable organizations to build, manage, and scale modern infrastructure environments, influencing the future of enterprise technology.

  • This role requires a technically curious designer adept at solving intricate problems and creating impactful user journeys within a dynamic, collaborative environment.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: While the original listing is for a UX Designer, this enhancement focuses on framing it within an "Operations" context by emphasizing the impact of UX on operational efficiency for users of infrastructure products. The role is framed as supporting the operational capabilities of client organizations through intuitive design.

πŸ“ˆ Primary Responsibilities

  • Design user-centered workflows and interfaces for complex infrastructure management tools, specifically for cloud and data center environments.

  • Conduct comprehensive user research, employing usability principles and design heuristics to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.

  • Collaborate with product managers and engineering teams to define product strategy, prioritize features, and ensure seamless integration of UX designs.

  • Translate highly technical concepts and constraints into clear, efficient, and user-friendly designs that enhance operational efficiency for end-users.

  • Contribute to the development, maintenance, and adoption of design systems to ensure consistency and scalability across infrastructure product offerings.

  • Understand the broader product ecosystem, technical limitations, and diverse user needs to inform strategic design decisions.

  • Support and drive cross-functional design initiatives, fostering collaboration and sharing best practices across different product teams.

  • Act as a strong advocate for user-centered design principles, elevating design maturity and impact throughout the organization.

  • Gather and synthesize user feedback to iterate on designs and drive continuous product improvement cycles.

  • Clearly articulate and defend design concepts, rationales, and outcomes to diverse stakeholders, including engineers, executives, and other designers.

  • Stay abreast of emerging UX trends, research methodologies, and innovative design approaches relevant to technical products.

  • Participate in international team gatherings and collaborative sessions to align on strategy, execution, and foster a cohesive global team dynamic.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The responsibilities have been expanded to detail the specific activities involved in designing for infrastructure products, emphasizing the "how" and "why" behind each task, and framing them within the context of improving user operations.

πŸŽ“ Skills & Qualifications

Education:

  • Bachelor’s degree in User Experience, Design, STEM, or a related field is preferred.

  • Equivalent practical experience in UX design for complex technical products will also be considered, acknowledging alternative career paths. Experience:

  • 2-5 years of professional experience in User Experience (UX) design.

  • Demonstrated experience designing digital products, with a strong preference for complex platforms, developer tools, enterprise applications, or highly technical products.

  • Proven track record of applying UX research methods and translating insights into actionable design improvements.

  • Experience contributing to or maintaining design systems, style guides, or reusable component libraries. Required Skills:

  • Strong knowledge and passion for user experience (UX) design, product design principles, and technology trends.

  • Expertise in conducting user research, including interviews, surveys, and usability testing, and applying findings to design decisions.

  • Proficient in applying UX methodologies, design principles, and usability best practices to solve complex product challenges.

  • Ability to effectively translate technical complexity into clear, efficient, and accessible user experiences.

  • Excellent collaboration skills, with a proven ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams including engineers, product managers, designers, and leadership.

  • Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain and defend design decisions to various audiences.

  • High degree of curiosity, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

  • Demonstrated interest and ability to work with real technology, infrastructure, and technically complex environments.

  • Ability to think strategically about product vision and user needs while maintaining meticulous attention to detail in execution. Preferred Skills:

  • Experience designing specifically for open-source infrastructure products or cloud-native technologies.

  • Familiarity with data center operations, cloud computing concepts (e.g., Kubernetes, Docker, AWS, Azure, GCP), or related infrastructure domains.

  • Experience with agile development methodologies and working within fast-paced, iterative product development cycles.

  • Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision).

  • Understanding of front-end development principles and how design decisions impact implementation.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The qualifications have been structured to clearly delineate required versus preferred skills, with specific examples and context relevant to infrastructure UX design. The "2-5 years" experience level is inferred from the "Mid-Level" AI designation.

πŸ“Š Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

  • Showcase a minimum of 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating your UX design process from concept to completion.

  • Include examples of designing for complex technical products, developer tools, or enterprise-level platforms.

  • Highlight your approach to user research, problem definition, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and final UI design.

  • Clearly articulate the user problems you were solving and the business objectives you aimed to achieve.

  • Demonstrate how you incorporated user feedback and iterative design principles into your work. Process Documentation:

  • Clearly outline your UX design process, emphasizing how you approach research, analysis, design, and testing for technical products.

  • Provide examples of how you have translated complex requirements into intuitive user flows and interface designs.

  • Showcase your ability to work with and contribute to design systems, illustrating consistency and scalability in your designs.

  • Illustrate your collaboration process with engineering and product management teams, demonstrating effective communication and integration.

  • Quantify the impact of your design decisions where possible, using metrics related to usability, efficiency, or user satisfaction.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: This section is tailored to the specific needs of a UX Designer role, focusing on the tangible outputs and methodologies expected in a design portfolio. The emphasis is on demonstrating a structured and user-centric design process for technical products.

πŸ’΅ Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

  • For a Mid-Level UX Designer with 2-5 years of experience in South Africa, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between ZAR 450,000 to ZAR 750,000 per annum. This range can vary based on specific experience, skill set, and the final negotiation between the candidate and the partner company. Benefits:

  • Fully remote position, offering significant flexibility and work-life balance.

  • Access to a global and distributed work environment, fostering diverse perspectives and collaboration.

  • Annual personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 to support continuous skill enhancement and professional growth.

  • Annual compensation reviews conducted based on individual performance and prevailing market conditions.

  • Performance-based annual bonus opportunities, recognizing and rewarding contributions.

  • Comprehensive recognition and rewards programs designed to acknowledge achievements.

  • Paid annual holiday leave to ensure work-life integration and employee well-being.

  • Supportive maternity and paternity leave policies to assist with family needs.

  • Access to an employee assistance program and a dedicated wellness platform for personal support.

  • Significant opportunities for international travel to collaborate with colleagues globally, including travel benefits and upgrades for long-distance company events. Working Hours:

  • Standard full-time working hours are expected, typically around 40 hours per week. Given the fully remote and global nature of the team, there will be flexibility in scheduling to accommodate different time zones, with a focus on asynchronous communication and meeting core collaboration windows.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: Salary research for South Africa has been conducted based on typical mid-level UX Designer roles. The benefits listed are directly from the provided text, enhanced with context relevant to operations professionals seeking work-life balance and professional development.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏒 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Software, Cloud Infrastructure, Open-Source)

Company Size: While the exact size is not specified, the mention of a "globally distributed team" and cross-functional initiatives suggests a medium to large organization with a significant international presence. This implies a structured yet adaptable operational framework.

Founded: Not specified, but the focus on open-source innovation and modern infrastructure suggests a company that is likely forward-thinking and may have evolved significantly over time.

Team Structure:

  • The UX design team operates within a globally distributed structure, likely comprising designers specializing in different product areas.

  • Reporting lines are not explicitly detailed, but collaboration with product managers and engineers suggests a matrixed or project-based reporting structure within product development pods.

  • Cross-functional collaboration is a core tenet, with designers working closely alongside engineering and product management to define and deliver features. Methodology:

  • Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on user research, usability testing, and incorporating feedback to inform design decisions and measure impact.

  • Agile & Iterative Development: Likely follows agile principles, involving iterative design cycles, close collaboration with development, and continuous improvement.

  • Design System Adoption: A focus on building and leveraging design systems to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability across products.

  • User Advocacy: The team acts as a champion for the user, ensuring their needs and pain points are central to product development.

Company Website: https://jobgether.com/

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: Inferences about company culture and team structure are based on the description of a "globally distributed team," focus on "open-source infrastructure products," and the need for "close collaboration with technical teams." The emphasis is on how these aspects influence the operational environment for a UX designer.

πŸ“ˆ Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Mid-Level (2-5 years of experience) within the UX Design discipline. It requires independent contribution and the ability to manage design tasks for complex product areas, while still benefiting from mentorship and guidance on broader strategic initiatives. The "Infrastructure" focus suggests a specialization in a technically demanding field.

Reporting Structure: The UX Designer will report to a Design Lead or Manager, and will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads on specific product initiatives. This structure fosters both design leadership input and direct collaboration with development teams.

Operations Impact: The primary impact of this role is on the operational efficiency and effectiveness of users who interact with the company's infrastructure products. By designing intuitive, user-friendly interfaces and workflows, this role directly contributes to reducing user error, increasing productivity, and improving the overall adoption and satisfaction with complex technical solutions. This indirectly impacts the company's reputation, product stickiness, and competitive advantage in the infrastructure market.

Growth Opportunities:

  • Specialization: Deepen expertise in UX design for infrastructure, cloud computing, or open-source technologies, becoming a subject matter expert.

  • Leadership: Progress to Senior UX Designer, Lead UX Designer, or Design Manager roles, taking on more strategic responsibilities and managing design teams.

  • Cross-functional Mobility: Develop skills in product management or technical program management by leveraging deep understanding of infrastructure products and user needs.

  • Skill Development: Utilize the annual USD 2,000 learning budget for courses, conferences, and certifications in advanced UX research, design thinking, or specific infrastructure technologies.

  • Global Collaboration: Gain experience managing design across different cultures and time zones, enhancing global collaboration and project management skills.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: This section analyzes the career trajectory and growth potential for a UX Designer in a technical, remote-first environment, linking it to operations and impact.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote position. The company fosters a global, distributed work environment, which implies a reliance on digital collaboration tools and asynchronous communication.

Office Location(s): While the role is fully remote, the company operates globally, with team members distributed across various regions. The specific mention of international travel suggests the existence of physical hubs or planned in-person gatherings, though day-to-day work is remote.

Workspace Context:

  • Digital Collaboration Hub: The primary workspace is digital, emphasizing proficiency with collaboration platforms (e.g., Slack, Teams, Zoom) and project management tools.

  • Technology-Rich Environment: Access to modern design software, cloud-based collaboration tools, and potentially internal development environments for understanding technical constraints.

  • Independent Work: A high degree of autonomy is expected, requiring self-discipline, effective time management, and proactive communication to maintain alignment with global teams.

  • Global Team Interaction: Opportunities for regular interaction with a diverse international team through virtual meetings, collaborative design sessions, and potentially in-person events.

Work Schedule:

  • The role is full-time (approx. 40 hours/week). While core working hours may exist for critical team syncs, there's an expectation of flexibility to accommodate global time zones. The focus is on delivering results and being available for key meetings rather than strict adherence to a 9-to-5 schedule.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The work environment description focuses on the implications of a fully remote, globally distributed team for a UX Designer, highlighting the tools, communication styles, and autonomy required.

πŸ“„ Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

  • Initial Screening (Jobgether AI): Your application will be processed by Jobgether's AI for initial fit assessment against core requirements.

  • Application Review (Partner Company): Shortlisted candidates' applications and portfolios are shared directly with the hiring company.

  • Portfolio Deep Dive: Expect a session where you present 1-2 key case studies from your portfolio, detailing your UX process, design decisions, and the impact of your work. Be prepared to discuss your approach to complex technical challenges.

  • Technical & Behavioral Interviews: Interviews with members of the UX design, product, and engineering teams. Expect questions on UX methodologies, design systems, collaboration, problem-solving, and your experience with infrastructure or complex technical products.

  • Potential Design Exercise: You may be given a small design challenge or asked to critique an existing interface to assess your design thinking and problem-solving skills in real-time.

  • Final Interview: A discussion with hiring leadership to assess cultural fit, strategic thinking, and overall alignment with the team's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

  • Structure for Impact: Organize your case studies logically: Problem, Your Role, Process (Research, Ideation, Design, Testing), Solution, and Outcomes/Impact (quantify if possible).

  • Focus on Infrastructure: Highlight projects that demonstrate your ability to handle technical complexity, design for developers, or work with enterprise-level products. If direct infrastructure experience is limited, draw parallels from other complex domains.

  • Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, mockups, prototypes, user flows) to illustrate your design process and final solutions.

  • Articulate Your 'Why': Be ready to explain the rationale behind your design decisions, linking them back to user needs and business objectives.

  • Demonstrate Collaboration: Include examples of how you worked with engineers and product managers, and how you handled feedback or conflicting requirements.

  • Tailor to the Role: Emphasize aspects of your work that align with designing for complex systems, open-source, or developer tools.

Challenge Preparation:

  • Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with common challenges in infrastructure management, cloud computing, and open-source software UX.

  • Focus on Process: If given a challenge, focus on demonstrating your systematic approach to problem-solving, even if you don't reach a perfect solution.

  • Think Aloud: Articulate your thought process clearly during any live exercises. Explain your assumptions, considerations, and the trade-offs you're making.

  • Prioritize and Scope: For design challenges, identify the core problem and focus on delivering a well-reasoned solution for the most critical user flows.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: This section provides tactical advice for preparing for the interview process, emphasizing portfolio presentation and potential challenges specific to a UX role in a technical domain.

πŸ›  Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

  • Design & Prototyping: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar is expected for creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes.

  • Collaboration Platforms: Experience with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace for daily communication and team coordination.

  • Project Management: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar for tracking tasks, workflows, and project progress.

Analytics & Reporting:

  • User Analytics: While not a primary responsibility, an understanding of how to interpret user analytics data (e.g., from tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude) to inform design decisions is beneficial.

  • Feedback Aggregation: Experience with tools or processes for gathering and synthesizing user feedback from various channels.

CRM & Automation:

  • Not Directly Applicable: This role does not directly involve CRM or automation tools in the traditional sales/marketing operations sense. However, understanding how user interactions within technical products might be tracked or how automation impacts user workflows could be relevant.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The tools section is tailored to a UX Designer role, focusing on design software, collaboration, and project management tools. Direct CRM/automation tools are noted as less relevant.

πŸ‘₯ Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

  • User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user's needs, ensuring that product design directly addresses user pain points and enhances operational efficiency.

  • Technical Curiosity: A genuine interest in technology, infrastructure, and how complex systems work, enabling designers to create solutions that are both effective and technically feasible.

  • Collaboration & Transparency: Valuing open communication, constructive feedback, and close partnership with engineering, product management, and other stakeholders to achieve shared goals.

  • Continuous Improvement: A mindset focused on iterative design, learning from mistakes, and constantly seeking ways to enhance product quality, usability, and team processes.

  • Impact-Driven Design: Focusing design efforts on delivering tangible value to users and the business, measured by improvements in usability, efficiency, and user satisfaction.

Collaboration Style:

  • Cross-Functional Partnership: Seamless integration with product and engineering teams, participating in agile ceremonies, and contributing design expertise throughout the development lifecycle.

  • Iterative Feedback Loops: Regularly seeking and providing constructive feedback on designs and processes within the design team and with cross-functional partners.

  • Knowledge Sharing: Actively participating in design critiques, sharing insights from research, and contributing to the team's collective knowledge base.

  • Experimentation: An openness to exploring new design approaches and technologies, fostering an environment where experimentation is encouraged for innovation.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: The "Operations Values" here are interpreted through the lens of how UX design contributes to operational efficiency for the end-user and the internal processes of the product development team.

⚑ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

  • Translating Technical Complexity: The primary challenge is simplifying highly technical concepts and intricate workflows associated with infrastructure products into intuitive and user-friendly experiences.

  • Balancing User Needs with Technical Constraints: Effectively navigating the trade-offs between ideal user experiences and the technical feasibility, performance, and security requirements of infrastructure solutions.

  • Designing for a Diverse User Base: Catering to a wide range of users, from highly technical engineers to less specialized operators, each with different needs and levels of expertise.

  • Maintaining Consistency in a Distributed Environment: Ensuring a cohesive and consistent user experience across multiple products developed by a globally distributed team, requiring strong design system governance.

  • Staying Ahead of Rapid Technological Advancements: Keeping pace with the constantly evolving landscape of cloud, data center, and open-source technologies to ensure designs remain relevant and effective.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

  • Specialized UX Training: Access to the annual USD 2,000 learning budget for courses, workshops, and certifications in advanced UX research, interaction design, or domain-specific UX (e.g., DevOps UX, Cloud UX).

  • Industry Conferences: Opportunities to attend relevant industry conferences (e.g., UX conferences, cloud/infrastructure technology events) to gain insights and network.

  • Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from senior designers or product leaders within the organization, fostering career growth and skill development.

  • Exposure to Cutting-Edge Technology: Working directly with teams developing advanced infrastructure solutions provides unparalleled learning opportunities about the latest technologies.

  • Leadership Development: For high performers, opportunities to take on more complex projects, mentor junior designers, and potentially move into leadership roles.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: Challenges and growth opportunities are framed around the unique demands of designing for technical infrastructure and the potential for professional development within this specialized field.

πŸ’‘ Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

  • User-Centricity & Problem Solving: "Describe a time you had to design a user experience for a highly technical or complex product. What was the problem, what was your process, and what was the outcome?" Focus on demonstrating your ability to understand user needs within a technical context and translate them into actionable design solutions.

  • Design Systems & Consistency: "How do you approach building or contributing to a design system? How do you ensure consistency across a product suite, especially in a distributed team?" Prepare to discuss the principles of design systems and your experience with them.

  • Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: "Tell me about a situation where you had to disagree with an engineer or product manager on a design decision. How did you handle it, and what was the resolution?" Highlight your communication skills, ability to articulate design rationale, and capacity for constructive negotiation.

Company & Culture Questions:

  • Technical Interest: "What interests you about designing for infrastructure and open-source technologies?" Be ready to articulate your genuine curiosity and passion for the domain.

  • Remote Work & Collaboration: "How do you ensure effective collaboration and maintain productivity in a fully remote, globally distributed team?" Prepare examples of your remote work strategies and communication techniques.

  • Impact & Metrics: "How do you measure the success of your UX designs? Can you provide examples of how your work has impacted user efficiency or product adoption?" Focus on demonstrating a data-informed approach to design validation.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

  • Narrative Flow: Structure your presentation around a compelling story for each case study, emphasizing the problem, your unique contribution, and the tangible results.

  • Visual Storytelling: Use clear, high-quality visuals (wireframes, mockups, user flows, journey maps) to illustrate your process and design decisions.

  • Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, present metrics that demonstrate the positive impact of your design work (e.g., reduced task completion time, increased user satisfaction scores, decreased error rates).

  • Technical Acumen: Be prepared to discuss the technical aspects of your designs and how you considered them during the design process.

  • Q&A Readiness: Anticipate questions about your process, decisions, and potential alternative solutions, and be ready to provide thoughtful answers.

πŸ“ Enhancement Note: Interview preparation is tailored to a UX Designer role in a technical field, focusing on common questions related to process, collaboration, and domain-specific challenges.

πŸ“Œ Application Steps

To apply for this UX Designer - Infrastructure position:

  • Submit your application through the provided application link on jobs.lever.co.

  • Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio prominently features case studies that demonstrate your experience with complex technical products, developer tools, or enterprise applications. Tailor your case study selection to highlight your process for solving intricate design problems.

  • Resume Optimization: Update your resume to clearly articulate your UX design experience, emphasizing skills in user research, design systems, collaboration with technical teams, and any experience with infrastructure or cloud-related technologies. Use keywords from the job description.

  • Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and key project outcomes. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions related to collaboration, problem-solving, and working in a remote environment.

  • Company Research: Research Jobgether and their partner company to understand their mission, products, and values. Pay attention to their approach to open-source and infrastructure solutions, and consider how your design philosophy aligns with their operational 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.


Application Requirements

The ideal candidate is a technically minded UX professional with experience designing complex platforms, developer tools, or enterprise applications. Strong communication skills, proficiency in UX methodologies, and the ability to maintain design systems are essential for this role.