Creative Product Lead - Blavity Inc.

Blavity, Inc. is a venture-funded media and technology company, founded in 2014 around a simple idea: enable Black millennials to tell their own stories. Today, we are home to the largest network of platforms and lifestyle brands serving the multifaceted lives of Black millennials & Gen Z through original content, video, unique experiences, and product solutions. Blavity Inc. has evolved into a market leader for Black media, reaching 250 million users per month through our growing brand portfolio, including Blavity, Blavity360º, AfroTech, Talent Infusion, 21Ninety, Travel Noire, Home & Texture, and Blavity House Party. Our Blavity, Inc. employee community is composed of passionate, energetic, and culturally conscious individuals working together to deliver value to each other, the company, and our clients. We are always searching for new additions to our community that will help us continue to scale, contribute meaningfully to our culture, and advance our strategic direction.\

Job Summary: 
The AfroTech & Live Events team is looking for a Creative Product Lead. This position is responsible for delivering timely and high-level assets that reflect our technology brand. The ideal candidate for this role is an expert at crafting intuitive, user-centric design solutions. The Creative Product Lead will be responsible for designing mobile UI/UX, mobile app screens, and desktop screens with a deep understanding of how users interact with digital products. This role partners closely with our internal creative teams and meets cross-functionally with our engineering team.

This is a 1099 contract role that will report directly to the Sr. Director of Operations.
 

Contractors will be responsible for providing their own equipment, including but not limited to laptop computers, cell phones, or any other electronic equipment required to perform their role.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate closely with the Product and Engineering teams to transform business requirements into innovative, intuitive, and elegant user experiences
• Employ a hypothesis-driven approach to solve complex business problems and deliver insightful analysis of market opportunities for both current and upcoming products
• Support the Sr. Director of Operations and senior leadership on product development, company strategy, operations, and research/analysis
• Support analysis of product performance based on multiple internal metrics including technical, financial, sales, and strategic benchmarks
• Execute all visual design stages from concept to final Engineering hand-off 
• Create wireframes, storyboards, user flows, process flows, and site maps to effectively communicate interaction and design ideas
• Present and defend designs and key milestone deliverables to Product, Engineering, and executive-level stakeholders
• Conduct user research and user testing while evaluating user feedback to iterate on overall designs
• Establish and promote design guidelines, best practices, and standards for AfroTech & Live Events digital products
• Combine internal analysis with ongoing market research and competitive landscaping to advise pricing, partnerships, and market opportunities for new and existing products
• Assist in drafting product requirements, strategic goals, and mockups/prototypes for potential product/strategic innovations 
• Coordinate ad hoc design projects between Business Operations and other departments

Qualifications:

• Education: N/A
• Required Experience:
  • Experience designing mobile UI/UX and mobile app/desktop screens
  • Experience employing User-Centered Design (UCD) to design with the user's needs and behaviors in mind
  • Experience creating blueprints, wireframes, and interactive prototypes to communicate design solutions
  • Experience crafting visually appealing and effective user interfaces (UIs) that match the brand and cater to user needs
  • Understanding of the end-to-end user journey (UX) and optimizing it for a seamless experience
  • Skill in ensuring designs work well (are responsive) across various screen sizes and devices
  • Experience creating and maintaining design systems and style guides to ensure consistent user experiences across all products
  • Basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to bridge the gap between design and development (coding experience not required)
  • Experience setting up, conducting, and analyzing user tests to validate and refine designs
  • Experience organizing and structuring content into an Information Architecture (IA) that makes sense to users
• Preferred Experience:
  • Bachelors degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is a plus
  • 4+ years of experience in UI/UX Design
  • Previous experience working in Consulting, Finance, Media, or related high-growth start-up
• Technologies: 
  • Expert level proficiency with Figma
  • Fluent in Design Analytics tools such as Hotjar, Google Analytics, or Mixpanel to understand how users interact with a design
  • Fluent in Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Google Analytics, Canva, Adobe Suite, Asana, and/or comparable project management suite
• Additional Qualifications:
  • Problem-Solving: The ability to address user problems and business needs with effective design solutions
  • Collaboration: Working closely with product managers, developers, and other stakeholders, effective teamwork is essential
  • Communication: Clearly articulating design decisions and the reasons behind them to non-design team members
  • Empathy: Understanding and addressing the needs, challenges, and emotions of users
  • Adaptability: The ability to rapidly adjust to new tools, technologies, and feedback 
  • Time Management: Juggling multiple projects or features and delivering on time
  • Continuous Learning: Keeping updated with the latest design trends, tools, and methodologies
  • Receptiveness to Feedback: Being open to constructive criticism and iterating based on it
  • Attention to Detail: Ensuring that design solutions are meticulous and thorough
  • Critical Thinking: Evaluating the pros and cons of a design decision and its impact on users and the business
  • Independent, entrepreneurial self-starter who is comfortable taking on a high level of responsibility
  • Comfort with ambiguity and a proven love for transforming unorganized/complex data into rigorously structured, insight-oriented solutions
  • High-energy, company-first, positive attitude; must be motivated to work hard in a fast-paced environment
  • Excellent communication and analytical skills; outgoing and sociable; willing to wear multiple hats 
  • Naturally detail-oriented, with an obsessive need to document and communicate findings
  • A healthy appreciation of GIFs and Black culture

Details: 

• This is a fully remote, U.S.- based role. Occasional travel may be required. 
• Candidates must be available to work in 50% alignment with the Pacific Time Zone. 
• The hourly rate for this role is $55 - $70.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter online at BlavityInc.com/Careers.

Blavity is committed to creating a diverse environment free of discrimination and harassment, and building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.  
Blavity is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, HIV Status, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

Jazz SEO Description (160 characters limit)
The UI/UX designer is responsible for crafting intuitive, user-centric design solutions for AfroTech & Live Events, helping Blavity Inc to grow digital products.