Senior Product Designer (Innovate NJ)

The New Jersey State Office of Innovation deploys innovative and digital services to solve public interest challenges for the people of New Jersey. The Senior Product Designer will lead end-to-end product design, user research, prototyping, and human-centered design for mobile and web products while collaborating with engineers, product managers, stakeholders, and subject matter experts. The role also coaches teams on modern design practices and drives user adoption and engagement across New Jersey.

Responsibilities:

• Create design concepts, prototypes and mockups for mobile and web interfaces; Developing designs for our products with NJ resident needs in mind
• Create visual frameworks - like design sketches, wireframes, journey maps, and other guides that inform the development of products and can be shared with team members and stakeholders
• Lead end-to-end user research using modern practices and tools to arrive at key insights and solutions
• Solve complex problems through the use of human-centered design, agile development, and data-driven decision making
• Partner closely with engineers, product managers, and other team members to translate UX/UI design into iteratively developed products
• Consider content needed for designs and/or collaborate with content designers to ensure simple and user-centric copy
• Collaborate with diverse stakeholders and subject matter experts to define new features and iterate existing capabilities
• Run collaborative workshops to communicate users needs and collaborate with internal teams and external stakeholders
• Serve as a coach and catalyst for leveraging modern design practices across the team and the State in the areas of visual design and user experience, user interface, and resident research
• Drive user adoption and engagement, and deliver solutions that meet the needs of diverse users across New Jersey
• Take part in office-wide initiatives and stand-ups to enable collaboration and support across projects
• Do what’s needed for the team by executing additional duties and responsibilities to advance the New Jersey Innovation Authority’s mission and work

Requirements:

• We are seeking a nimble product designer who is ready to both lead and dive into all parts of product design
• You should be comfortable working in a startup environment where you think independently and operate with a high degree of autonomy
• We're looking for self-starters who are skilled at driving projects forward while communicating and collaborating closely with the team
• Portfolio demonstrating product design; please be sure to include process and outputs
• Expert proficiency with Figma including advanced prototyping, design systems, and collaboration features
• Experience iteratively developing digital products or services as part of a cross-functional team
• Experience planning and conducting user research in the form of user interviews, usability testing, surveys, behavioral metrics
• Experience defining user needs and experience goals using such frameworks as personas, storyboards, scenarios, and flowcharts
• Experience prototyping designs at varying levels of fidelity using wireframes, click-through prototypes, high fidelity designs, drafting plain english copy or collaborating with content designers, and working with engineers to create live prototypes in code
• Deep understanding of accessibility standards and inclusive design practices; ability to coach others
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact with a diverse range of individuals; including NJ residents, state partners and government officials
• Dedicated to advancing the mission of the New Jersey Innovation Authority and public service, with a strong commitment to accessibility and fostering a more inclusive society
• You must be authorized to work in the United States
• A minimum of 5 years of experience in product design, UI/UX design (or related role)
• with prior experience in civic technology strongly preferred
• Experience with mobile first design preferred