Product Designer

Nurturing critical wisdom for the sake of the world

Why should you join Minerva? The salary and benefits are competitive; the people you’ll work with are authentic, thoughtful, driven, and human; but the reason we chose Minerva is our strong belief in the company’s mission: if we want to change the world, it’s imperative that we improve education everywhere.

As our first step to achieving that goal, we built Minerva University from the ground up, refining and improving every aspect of a traditional university. Minerva University boasts an unbiased admissions process, seminars instead of lectures, and a global experience over 4 years; and has been named the most innovative university in the world - twice. Now, we are expanding our reach and impact by partnering with emerging and established higher education institutions around the world.

Our methodology, which emphasizes active class participation, deliberate practice, and other empirically-proven methods, is enabled by Minerva Forum. Built to address the central educational challenges of the modern era, Minerva Forum embodies the leading research on the science of learning to enable the rapid development of sophisticated, durable skills based programs.

We are seeking a passionate and efficient Product Designer to join our agile team in launching the next generation of Minerva Forum. As we prepare for beta testing this fall, your expertise will be crucial in finalizing key aspects of our web application. Working independently, yet closely with product management and engineering, you will transform detailed requirements into seamless and intuitive user experiences that perfectly complement our existing application.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with Product Managers to translate product requirements into compelling designs and prototypes in Figma.
• Align new designs to the existing product structure.
• Expand and maintain a robust design system to support quick and consistent iterations.
• Present your ideas and receive feedback to refine your work.
• Work closely with engineers to convey design concepts and adjustments, ensuring a smooth transition from design to development.
• Manage design priorities and timelines effectively, recognizing the need to balance high-quality, thoughtful experiences with engineering feasibility and the urgency of market demands.

You Might be a Good Fit if You

• Have 2-4 years of professional design experience building software.
• Are proficient in Figma for designing and prototyping.
• Have experience working as a solo designer and are capable of leading a design project from conception to completion.
• Are comfortable receiving and integrating feedback.
• Are skilled at explaining design decisions and understanding user psychology and mental models.
• Have a portfolio that displays a strong design aesthetic, fast execution, and an ability to handle complex design challenges.
• Are happy to focus on design execution right now, but excited about the potential of growing into a more strategic role.
• Are available for virtual synchronous meetings and chats between 9am - 3pm PT, Mon-Fri.

We'd be Really Excited if You

• Have educational or instructional design experience.
• Have demonstrated experience in mobile web application design.

What We Offer

• A pivotal role in a project critical to the company’s evolution, with the opportunity to design significant parts of the application.
• A dynamic, fast-paced work environment where your designs will have an immediate impact.
• Freedom to operate independently, supported by a team that values creativity and practical solutions.

Benefits

• Unlimited vacation policy
• Excellent healthcare coverage for US residents and comparable healthcare stipend globally
• Generous paid parental leave: 12 weeks for moms and 6 weeks for dads
• Competitive salary and stock compensation

How to Apply

Interested? We make applying quick and easy. Just send the following:

1. A copy of your resume or a link to something resume-like (e.g., your website, LinkedIn)
2. A copy of or link to a portfolio of projects you’ve worked on in the past that shows your thought process around UX challenges
3. A brief description of why you are excited for this opportunity to join Minerva. This description replaces the traditional cover letter.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Minerva values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of color, LGBTQIA individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply. Minerva is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of any characteristic irrelevant to creating great software, including: race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category under local, state or federal laws.