Product Designer (UX/UI, Consumer Web Focus)

About the Product:

For more than 30 years, Carnegie has been a leader and innovator in higher education marketing and enrollment strategy, offering groundbreaking services in the areas of Research, Strategy, Digital Marketing, Lead Generation, Slate Optimization, Student Search, Website Development, and Creative that generate authentic connections.

Job Purpose:

We are seeking a highly skilled and strategic Product Designer to own the end-to-end user experience for our Carnegie Audiences suite of products (careerexplorer.com and supplemental products), including the integration and design of new Agentic AI interactions. You will be responsible for translating complex user needs and business goals into intuitive, elegant, and effective design solutions. This role requires a strong focus on core user experience, user flows, and wireframing, in addition to high-quality visual user interface (UI) execution.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• User Experience (UX) Strategy and Design

  • Lead the design process from initial concept and user research through to final implementation and iteration, focusing on complex user flows, information architecture, and system design.
  • Develop and refine wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups to communicate design intent and test hypotheses with users and stakeholders.
  • Conduct usability testing, analyze user data, and gather feedback to drive continuous improvement of the product experience.
  • Design and integrate Agentic AI experiences into product flows, ensuring a seamless, trustworthy, and effective interaction between the user and the AI system.

• User Interface (UI) Design and Visual Execution

  • Create polished, high-fidelity visual designs and detailed design specifications that adhere to brand guidelines and accessibility standards.
  • Maintain and contribute to our existing Design System, ensuring consistency, scalability, and efficiency across all product touchpoints.
  • Champion a high-end aesthetic in all product outputs, focusing on design principles that enhance clarity and drive user adoption.

• Data Product Development

  • Collaborate closely with product managers and business stakeholders to translate strategic requirements into data product features.
  • Direct the building and maintenance of data-centric applications and tools that leverage machine learning insights.
  • Implement and manage MLOps and CI/CD workflows for efficient model and data product deployments.
  • Ensure data governance, quality, and integrity across all analytical solutions.

• Collaboration and Implementation

  • Partner closely with Product Managers to define product strategy and requirements, ensuring design solutions align with business objectives and technical constraints.
  • Collaborate with front-end engineers to ensure accurate design implementation and a seamless, high-quality user experience post-launch.
  • Participate in agile development processes, including daily stand-ups, sprint planning, and design critiques.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• UX/UI Acumen: Exceptional ability to translate strategic product goals into logical user flows and visually compelling, intuitive user interfaces, evidenced by a strong public portfolio of work on consumer-facing web products.
• Technical Design Proficiency: Expertise in current design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) for creating high-fidelity mockups, prototypes, and specifications.
• Design Ownership and Initiative: Proven ability to manage a design portfolio autonomously, proactively identify design opportunities, and take ownership of the product’s end-to-end user experience.
• Problem-Solving: Dexterity to effectively navigate complex design challenges and continuously seek elegant solutions that balance user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility.
• Communication: Strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively present design rationale to non-technical stakeholders and facilitate productive design critiques.

Requirements:

• Advanced Proficiency in UX Design: Deep expertise in the full lifecycle of UX design, including user research, wireframing, journey mapping, and developing interactive prototypes that demonstrate complex user flows.
• Expert UI/Visual Design Experience: Strong, hands-on experience in high-fidelity visual design, typography, color theory, and creating/maintaining design systems for web products.
• Consumer Web Focus: Demonstrated ability to design and launch successful consumer-facing products on the web.
• Portfolio: Mandatory submission of a portfolio (e.g., personal website, Dribbble, GitHub) that clearly demonstrates a focus on design thinking, user flows, and high-end aesthetic execution for consumer web applications.

Nice-to-haves:

• AI/ML Design: Experience designing user experiences for AI/ML-powered features or familiarity with the principles of Agentic AI.
• Familiarity with motion design and animation principles to enhance user interactions.
• Proficiency with front-end code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript frameworks) to facilitate better collaboration with engineering teams.
• Experience in the higher education or SaaS technology sectors.

Credentials and Experience:

• College degree or equivalent professional life/work experience in Design, HCI, or a related field.
• 3+ years of dedicated, hands-on experience in a role focused on Product Design (UX/UI) for consumer-facing web applications, preferably within a fast-paced technology or SaaS environment.

We offer:

• We welcome new ideas and allow you to make an immediate impact on the team.
• Flexible Paid time off (PTO for any reason, including sick days (no specified limits) and flexible work schedule.
• Personal laptop.
• Health and wellness package.
• Fully remote.