Location: Remote, New York City, or Oakland, CA
Role Type: Full-time
Compensation: $124,900
Visa sponsorship: Not available
Hires remotely in: United States
Experience: 7+ years of experience in product design or UX
FOR WELLFOUND CANDIDATES ONLY: Please do not apply via Wellfound - you will miss the application questions. Instead, please apply directly here: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/recidiviz/jobs/4580625006
Recidiviz is thrilled to be hiring a Sr. Product Designer to join our team! We’re a small, fast-moving group focused on reducing the amount of people in prison in the US. That’s where you come in. We’re looking for someone with a strong understanding of human-centered design to help us build a future where incarcerated people can successfully reintegrate back into their communities. Are you curious about what that work could look like? Here’s a case study.

ABOUT US

Recidiviz is creating safer, healthier communities by improving outcomes for people in the criminal justice system. We build technology to reduce the number of people in prison and to help criminal justice leaders embrace data-driven decision-making.
Using software tools and thoughtful product design, we’ve been able to safely and permanently reduce incarceration and improve outcomes. We work side-by-side with leaders of the criminal justice system, people in prison and on supervision, and ecosystem partners to build a better path forward. In addition to the revenue we earn from state partners, some of the most respected philanthropists and foundations support our work.
People who succeed at Recidiviz lead with kindness and humility, assume good intent, learn from failure, and fix problems when they see them. They are excited to work arm in arm with government leadership and staff to improve outcomes. They are great listeners. They build deep relationships with and empathy for the people we work with and the people who our mission serves, even when those two groups feel at odds.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Excellent communication skills to articulate research findings and recommendations.
• Leads by example, treats partners with respect, and seeks constructive feedback.
• Comfortable switching between self-directed work and teamwork.
• Proficiency in data collection techniques (such as surveys and interviews).
• Proficiency in qualitative research methods.
• Knowledge of research ethics and guidelines.
• Deeply curious and highly attuned to human behavior and emotion.
• Strong empathy and the ability to understand users’ perspectives.
• Knowledge of usability testing methodologies.
• Experience with quantitative research techniques.
• Familiarity with user-centered design principles.
• Strong analytical skills for data interpretation.
• Highly collaborative across functions (engineers, data analysts, etc.).
• Fluent with Figma and other prototyping tools.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 4+ years of experience working in complex spaces (such as “govtech")
• 1+ year of experience working with artificial intelligence
• Involved with, impacted by, or proximity to, the criminal justice system
• Passionate about working with marginalized communities and tackling challenges related to poverty and inequity
• A lifelong learner, passionate about experimenting with new research methods and pushing their craft in new ways
• Multidisciplinary

ABOUT THE ROLE

As a Senior Product Designer on our team, you’ll explore how seemingly simple interactions and interventions can have a meaningful impact on criminal justice outcomes. You’ll dive into ambiguous systemic problems and lead projects from research through ideation to bring new products to life. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of navigating complexity while supporting continuous product development cycles.
You will also be expected to travel domestically in the United States 1 to 3 times per quarter, for 2 to 4 days each trip.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Partner closely with cross-functional teammates to lead qualitative and quantitative research studies (interviews, surveys, usability testing) across various initiatives. This includes supporting iterative design improvements, validating hypotheses, and measuring success.
• Translate your insights into clear, actionable user-centered solutions for development and align with the product vision and the goals of the organization. This might involve creating a document synthesis, a presentation, or prototypes.
• Identify and advocate for sustained incremental changes that mindfully renovate the system (finding the smallest nudge for the biggest effect). This means avoiding inertia and supporting a healthy cadence of product improvements.
• Become an expert on the product’s target users in order to solve for their specific needs and pain points. This involves defining key problems, ethical risks, and impactful opportunities.
• Contextualize technical constraints, policy implications, and the influence of other actors in the system. This might involve creating user journeys, storyboards, and other mapping techniques.

Here are a few things you might accomplish in your first year at Recidiviz that would demonstrate wild success in this role:

• Your proactive diligence will have helped ship multiple contributions to our product.
• Your research findings will have translated into tangible value for justice-involved people navigating the criminal justice system.
• Your emphasis on teamwork will have advanced product initiatives in several Department of Corrections across the country