Senior Product Designer

Summary

Join CommonLit as a Senior Product Designer to lead the design of user journeys, flows, interactions, and interfaces for millions of students and teachers. Collaborate with designers, product managers, and engineers in a remote setting, working on a digitally-delivered literacy program. Partner with various teams to understand user needs and business priorities, developing and testing prototypes, designing wireframes and mockups, and supporting engineers and product managers throughout development. The ideal candidate is a strategic, detail-oriented designer with strong user-centered design skills and experience in accessible and inclusive design. This role requires strong communication skills and the ability to translate complex problems into intuitive experiences. CommonLit offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, and remote work support.

Requirements

• 4+ years of experience designing responsive SaaS or web applications (EdTech a plus)
• Strong command of systems-level thinking, information architecture, accessibility standards, and UX/UI best practices
• Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally with engineers, product managers, and researchers
• Skilled in applying user research and usability testing to guide design decisions
• Confident communicator who can align stakeholders and advocate for design strategy
• Strong visual design skills and experience designing within established systems or brand guidelines
• Proficient in Figma and familiar with whiteboard tools like Miro
• Portfolio featuring 3-6 case studies that demonstrate problem-solving, collaboration, and design process
• Authorized to work in the U.S. without employer sponsorship

Responsibilities

• Create interaction models, information architecture, and UI components
• Simplify complex requirements into intuitive user experiences
• Ensure designs are technically feasible, performant, and aligned with style guides
• Apply accessibility guidelines and principles (WCAG 2.0 AA)
• Partner with Product Managers and Engineers to iterate on and refine experiences
• Advocate for design decisions and solutions with clear rationale rooted in user needs and business goals
• Collaborate on and contribute to user research initiatives
• Produce wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and user flows
• Maintain and evolve design guidelines and the CommonLit Design System
• Promote best practices and systems thinking across the team
• Build deep expertise in CommonLit's content, tools, and integrations
• Apply best practices in designing for learning and teaching experiences
• Share trends in UX, tools, and methods to keep the team inspired and informed
• Mentor junior designers in UX principles and product thinking
• Contribute to team-building and knowledge-sharing initiatives

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in/with communities of color
• Previous people management or team lead experience
• Knowledge of front-end development web programming languages such as HTML andCSS, JQuery, and JavaScript

Benefits

• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• HSA and FSA Plans, including Medical FSA, Limited FSA, and Dependent Care FSA options
• Company-sponsored basic life insurance, with additional options for supplemental life insurance
• Legal insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% safe harbor employer match
• Access to exclusive discounts, including pet insurance, hotel booking discounts, and more
• Pre-tax commuter benefits for employees in the D.C. metropolitan area
• Remote work support, including a home office set-up stipend
• 16 paid holidays annually
• Paid time off accruals and sick leave
• Paid family leave, including caregiver leave, medical leave, and 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• 2 floating holidays
• Volunteer and school visitation leave
• Jury duty leave
• Bereavement and compassionate leave
• Flexible work options
• Monthly remote activities, such as dumpling-making, yoga, and virtual escape rooms
• Monthly "CoffeeLit" sessions for connecting with colleagues
• Learning and development opportunities for teams and individuals