Product Designer

The New Jersey State Office of Innovation is looking for diverse and experienced team members to deploy world-class innovative and digital services that solve pressing public interest challenges for the people of New Jersey. Our work spans numerous issue and policy areas, and is focused on making an impact in the lives of the New Jerseyans that we serve. Our work has decreased the amount of time it takes to apply for Unemployment Insurance, made it easier to start, operate, and grow a business in the Garden State, and connected millions of New Jerseyans to government programs, services, and benefits.

Our team members wear many hats, contributing to both the execution of core projects and the evolution of the Office of Innovation (OOI). We use data and modern research, design, and development methods to inform our decision making, and we collaborate with stakeholders within and outside of government to understand and solve challenges. To learn more about the New Jersey Office of Innovation, visit our About Us page.

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. 

As a part of the team, you will:

• 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.

Skills & Competencies

• Passion for your craft: You have a deep understanding of user-centered design principles, visual design, interaction design best practices, and research methodologies.
• User advocate: You approach problems with curiosity, asking questions and working to understand NJ resident’s needs to design optimal solutions.
• Clear, effective communicator: You excel in storytelling and providing rationale, promoting understanding and fostering alignment through your words and designs.
• A Self-Starter: You are results oriented, and skilled at driving projects forward while communicating and collaborating closely with the team.
• Effective Collaborator: You’re a team player with a positive outlook and an entrepreneurial spirit. You’ve successfully worked on a dispersed team, and have a proven track record as a strong cross-functional partner.
• Committed to DEI and accessibility: You’re always asking: “Whose voice is not at the table?” You have experience working with diverse stakeholders and you deeply value creating a society that is supportive of difference.
• Mission-oriented: You believe in the mission of the Office of Innovation and are passionate about solving pressing public interest challenges for the people of New Jersey.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in product design, UI/UX design.
• Experience iteratively developing digital products or services as part of a cross-functional team.
• 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.
• Experience defining user needs and experience goals using such frameworks as personas, storyboards, scenarios, and flowcharts.
• Experience leading user research in the form of user interviews, usability testing, surveys, behavioral metrics, and the like.
• Experience with mobile first design preferred.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact with a diverse range of individuals; including NJ residents, state partners and government officials.
• Proficiency in Figma, Mural, and other tools to design, prototype, and facilitate workshops.
• Portfolio demonstrating product design; please be sure to include process and outputs.

If you have any questions, please contact heather@innovation.nj.gov.

Compensation: Up to approximately $140,000 (depending on experience) + Full benefits.

We are deeply committed to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusiveness and seek to create a pluralistic community for all. We strongly encourage people of color, members of racial and ethnic minority groups, women, LGBTQI+ people, those with disabilities, and Veterans to apply. We are committed to building a team that is reflective of New Jersey’s incredible diversity.

We do not discriminate against any candidate because of color, race, age, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, membership in an employee organization, pregnancy, marital status, status as a parent, ancestry, national origin, disability (physical or mental), family medical history or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, retaliation, or other non-merit based factors.

You must be authorized to work in the United States. Candidates may be required to pass a background check and complete additional steps as part of the application and onboarding process. You will be considered an “at-will” employee, meaning both employer and employee have the right to terminate employment with or without cause or notice.