Product Designer

What we’re building

At Tidelift, our mission is making open source software work better—for everyone. We see a world where open source creators can get paid for doing work they love, and software development teams get software they can depend on. We’re already supporting many of the most important projects in open source, and adding more all the time.

We're still small, but well-funded and growing. You will play a large role in tackling challenging problems and helping build the company, while learning alongside our experienced team.

Find out more about us in this quick video, read about us in Wired, or visit tidelift.com.

We’re looking for a product designer with experience delivering SaaS web apps, from the user goals to shipping the product, working closely with an engineering team.

A trained designer. We are looking for a visual and interaction designer. You are an expert at creating detailed interactive prototypes that clarify complex ideas to the team. You should be able to translate a set of user goals into comprehensive feature flows. You should have experience applying an existing brand identity and design system to prototypes. You will be instrumental in evolving our Vue-based design system. 

User-centered design. We use lean research methods to explore product ideas, as well as run usability testing. You should be comfortable listening and taking notes in interviews, synthesizing findings with the team, and integrating new learning into your work.

Communication skills. You should have the ability to work closely with engineering and product teams to build assets, refine user experience, and produce high quality products. Collaborating with engineering is not a hand-wavy thing here — we rely on each other to make the best decisions we can quickly, in the service of the user research we have available.

What might a typical week look like?
You would coordinate with a product manager and tech lead on what the current priorities are. You would be creating wireframes or polishing high-fidelity mockups depending on what the engineering team or research needs to move forward in their work. You would work with a PM to determine what level of testing is needed to move the prototypes forward. You would walk through flows with engineers so they can ask questions about how something will be built or talk through trade offs. You would work with a PM and tech lead to make sure all of the user stories have clarity and appropriate assets.

You might be asked to sit in on several user interviews and take observational notes, with some team synthesis activity later. You might pair with a front-end developer on some ideas they have about how a feature could work.

Enough about us — get in touch and let us know what perspective and skills you’ll bring to the table!


This team

This is an individual contributor role that sits in product development, and will report to the Head of Design.

We want a team where everyone cares about cares about users, design, building a business, and one another. This team assessment spoke to our developers, and we want the whole company to score highly on similar measures of engagement and work quality as our culture grows.

We’re also aiming for work-life harmony: we believe in doing good work, with urgency and pragmatism, but at a sustainable pace. We value big impact over long hours.

Our values

We’re trying to build a healthy, values-driven culture. We want to be:
  • Optimistic: We see an amazing future ahead, and want to inspire others to share in it. This is both internal—building each other up and looking for the best in people—and external—we know open source is awesome, and we want to make it even better.
  • Practical: We know words and ideas alone won’t change lives. We help people most by creating a pragmatic, viable, and sustainable business that works for everyone. So we care about usability, design, and honest assessment of costs and benefits.
  • Additive: We want an environment that encourages and inspires growth, both for individuals and for the open source community as a whole. That means embracing a growth mindset, and valuing culture add over culture fit.
  • Inclusive: We believe technology will be stronger when it better reflects the voices and ideas of society as a whole. So we want people from different backgrounds and experiences to not just be represented, but to be heard, valued, and flourish. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment.

How we work

You can work remotely (within the US) or from our office in downtown Boston. About half of our team, including two of our founders, are remote, and we take employee experience seriously wherever you are based.
 
We believe in the urgency of our mission, and the importance of doing good work, but also know this is a marathon and not a sprint. Hours can be flexible within reason if necessary to meet personal needs (like child, medical, or elder care). 

Compensation, benefits, and career

Compensation is competitive with other Boston-area startups, including health insurance, flexible vacation, 401(k), short-term disability, parental leave, and equity.

We invest in every employee’s growth, and support professional development that aligns with your goals and how you learn best.

How to apply

Fill out the form below, and include a link to your portfolio in your resume. Please include a cover letter about your goals and background. We’ll get back to you promptly!

Please note that we are not looking to hire contractors or outsourced development teams.

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