Product Designer

Who we are

SmartPass is a fast-growing K-12 startup developing a platform to make schools more efficient. Initially, we launched with a digital hall pass system — not just bathroom and water fountain visits but managing all kinds of student movements such as counselor appointments, nurse visits, and office hours. Our solution has successfully aided over 3,000 K–12 schools in maximizing classroom time, minimizing aimless hallway wandering, and enhancing student accountability.

In the past year, we've grown our product suite to include three more offerings: Flex for adaptable scheduling, ID cards for secure student identification, and Attendance for roll-call. Each product is at a pivotal stage, and we're on a mission to make SmartPass the most delightful, easy-to-use operations tool schools have ever seen. K-12 software is typically bad, and we’re in the process of changing that.

Role overview

As our third Product Designer, you will be an integral part of the Product Design Team, contributing to innovative projects that impact our million+ users. Your role involves close collaboration with the Founding Product Designer and the entire Engineering, Product, and Design (EPD) team to enhance and perfect our product. Additionally, you will work alongside the broader SmartPass team gathering valuable feedback and participating in collaborative development.

The ideal candidate will have a strong balanced background in both UI and UX, likely leaning more strongly on a depth of UI experience. We are currently only exploring candidates who can immediately work on a hybrid schedule with our NYC office. 

In the first few months, you’ll be able to contribute in meaningful ways:

• You’ll design user-centered wires for our new Student Schedules feature.


• You’ll make UI/UX updates to our Flex product.


• You’ll work with our Manager of Customer Success to redesign the onboarding flow for new schools.


• You’ll conduct user interviews and visit a few schools in your area that use SmartPass — get deeply embedded in the product and the reasons why schools use it.

We’re looking for folks with:

• You have 3+ years of tech industry product design experience in a start up environment.


• You have an online portfolio with web design or mobile app samples.


• You have a talent for designing user-centered products that look great too.


• You have a desire to constantly advance your work and care about the details.


• You are an excellent communicator and team player.


• You are endlessly curious with a drive to keep learning.


• You are a self-starter and a doer.

Nice to Haves

• You’ve worked on edtech products or have classroom experience.


• You understand administrator and teachers’ daily pain-points.


• You have a background in visual design.


• You’ve worked with small, fast-paced teams before.

The estimated salary range for this role is $130,000 - $150,000 per year. Actual compensation packages are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate including but not limited to demonstrated skill set, years & depth of experience, and some role dependent factors that can include certifications and software expertise. We also hope you’ll consider and be open to what else we provide outside of our base compensation. This includes our benefits, perks, equity, and other aspects of our overall employer brand including our culture which is built on our mission, vision and values.  We welcome direct conversations with each candidate about compensation in all our initial calls.

Why you might be excited about us

1. We’re building software that reduces admin and teacher burden, making schools a better learning environment. If you’re into education and love working on tough engineering problems, you’ll love helping build our product.


2. Good design is one of our core values and differentiators. We won’t ship something that isn’t easy to use and doesn't looks good, even though we’re still a small startup.


3. A handful of us are hybrid in the NYC area, if you are too you can join us and collaborate with the founders face to face and some of the EPD team members. 
   


4. We’re small, so you’ll have big responsibilities and lay the groundwork as we start scaling.


5. Our team has a wide range of experiences (folks from Microsoft, Salesforce, Nielsen, previous startups, and K-12 administrators/teachers).


6. Our culture is simple: we work hard, we’re lifelong learners, and we’re fun — at every monthly all-hands, we start with a “memes of the month” and then dive deep into the work someone is doing.


7. Get in at the ground-level of a fast-growing startup.


8. We'll mold your role to shape a career you're excited about. We care a ton about your satisfaction and job happiness, and will help prep you for whatever you're looking for in the future.

Why you might not be excited about us

1. We’re small (~50 people in the company right now), so if you like more established companies, it’s not (yet) the right time. You’ll help build our company’s culture.


2. Since we’re an early stage startup, projects and priorities may shift. We’ll expect you to bring your own experience and give input to shift these priorities, too.


3. Our customers love us, and there's a lot we can improve. It's a great place to be, but that means there's some jank. (Nothing too scary! 😃)

Go Deeper

Check out our support site to watch some videos and see how SmartPass works!

SmartPass is committed to creating a company where all employees regardless of background can show up and feel they belong. This is an ongoing journey, and we welcome questions on where we’re at during your interview process. We are 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, veteran status, or fitness level.