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Founding Product Designer

🏛️ About GovWell

We the people (and the taxpayers) deserve efficient government — but the software powering government services is 20 years behind the private sector. GovWell builds software that helps government serve communities better. Founded in 2023, GovWell now powers critical services for municipalities and counties in 20 states serving 800,000+ residents. GovWell has raised $5.5 million from Work-Bench and Bienville Capital. Read about us in TechCrunch.

📜 Founding Story

Our mission is deeply personal for us. Ben Cohen, CTO and Co-Founder grew up helping his father — a general contractor — to apply for hundreds of construction permits. Ben’s experiences navigating clunky government websites inspired him to build better solutions for the millions of tradespeople whose livelihoods depend on getting permits fast. Prior to founding GovWell, Ben worked for Uber and Amazon as a Software Engineer, and earned his AB in Computer Science summa cum laude from Princeton.

Troy LeCaire, CEO and Co-Founder, was previously the first employee and Chief of Staff to the CEO at RippleMatch, a software startup, helping it grow from $0 to $10M in annual revenue and a $200M valuation over 5 years. Before RippleMatch, he worked for two U.S. senators from his home state of Wisconsin. Troy earned his BA in Government magna cum laude from Cornell.

🎥 Video: More about the Founding Product Designer role at GovWell.

☀️ Why GovWell?

Impact at scale – Every design decision you make will help governments serve millions of people more efficiently. Whether it’s making it easier for small businesses to get permits or streamlining affordable housing approvals, your work will have a tangible impact on communities.

A mission that matters – Government software is notoriously outdated, frustrating, and difficult to use. You have the opportunity to change that by designing tools that are not just functional, but genuinely delightful.

A front-row seat to a startup in hyper-growth – As GovWell’s first product designer, you’ll set the foundation for design at a fast-growing company. You’ll work closely with the founding team, define the design function, and help shape a product that scales across thousands of government agencies.

🎨 What You’ll Be Designing

Click on the links for some sexy product demos :)

  • Building a workflow management system that is powerful and easy to use, but flexible enough to accommodate the unique processes of 80,000+ government agencies in the United States (think: Salesforce for governments). Today, GovWell is used to process permit and license applications for everything from new affordable housing developments to small business licenses.

  • Enabling a Figma-style document review experience that helps governments easily collaborate to review, mark up, and approve technical documents such as building and development plans.

  • Developing a flexible and powerful document generation system to automatically generate official documents including permits and licenses for thousands of unique processes (think: Canva for documents).

  • Creating a payments experience that makes it easy for citizens to pay billions in annual permit/license fees, property taxes, and utility bills online.

👥 Meet the Engineering Team!

Meet Will Henderson-Frost, engineer #1 and owner of our backend service.

Meet Eric Gratta, engineer #2 and owner of our frontend repository.

Meet Nick Vollmar, engineer #3 and owner of everything DevOps and infrastructure.

Meet Amy Wang, engineer #4 and owner of data engineering and data migrations.

🖥️ Our Product Stack

  • Notion for product roadmap management

  • Monday.com for customer success management

  • Intercom for collecting direct customer feedback and offering in-app support

  • Figma for designing beautiful and engaging user interfaces

⚒️ Responsibilities & Primary Tasks

As GovWell’s first product designer, you’ll drive design across the entire platform. You will:

  • Create and own our design system – Develop reusable, accessible UI components that speed up development and create a consistent user experience.

  • Lead end-to-end design for core product features – From wireframing and prototyping to final UI design, you’ll take ideas from 0 to production.

  • Deeply understand our users – Work directly with government staff and citizens to uncover pain points and translate them into intuitive designs.

  • Collaborate closely with engineering – Ensure that designs are technically feasible and contribute to a smooth design-to-development process.

  • Set the foundation for GovWell’s design culture – Advocate for design best practices, establish processes, and define how design functions as we scale.

🧠 Who You Are

Required:

  • 4+ years of experience in product design for B2B or enterprise SaaS applications.

  • Strong UX and interaction design skills, with a track record of shipping well-crafted, intuitive experiences.

  • Experience building and maintaining design systems with scalable, reusable UI components.

  • Proficiency in Figma, along with other design and prototyping tools.

  • Comfort working in a fast-paced, startup environment, where you’ll be balancing scrappiness with long-term design vision.

  • Strong collaboration skills – you work well with engineers, PMs, and customers to bring ideas to life.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Nice to have:

  • Experience designing workflow-heavy or form-based applications.

  • Familiarity with accessibility best practices for enterprise applications.

  • An interest in government technology and a desire to make civic processes more user-friendly.

💸 Salary and benefits

Compensation within the posted salary band will be commensurate with experience. All offers will include:

  • Competitive salary + meaningful equity

  • Up to 100% of premiums paid by GovWell for medical, dental, and vision insurance for yourself + partner

  • Unlimited / flexible PTO

  • 401(k) program

GovWell is an Equal Opportunity Employer, meaning that we do not discriminate based upon race, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, or any other protected class.

Average salary estimate

$105000 / YEARLY (est.)
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$90000K
$120000K

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What You Should Know About Founding Product Designer, GovWell

At GovWell, we're on a mission to modernize government software and make life easier for citizens and municipalities alike. As our Founding Product Designer based in New York, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our platform. Your expertise will directly influence how we design state-of-the-art tools that empower governments to serve their communities more efficiently. Imagine creating user-friendly workflows, intuitive document review systems, and seamless payment experiences that can transform how local governments operate—your design decisions will enhance the interactions of 800,000+ residents! You'll work closely with our passionate founding team, including CTO Ben Cohen and CEO Troy LeCaire, to establish our design culture and develop a design system that is both efficient and delightful. We value creativity, collaboration, and a user-focused approach, so if you're excited to bring innovative ideas to life while prioritizing user experience for often-overlooked government services, this role is for you! With a competitive salary and meaningful equity on the table, you'll have the opportunity to cultivate your career in a fast-paced startup environment, making a real impact on the world around you. Join us at GovWell and be part of the change!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Founding Product Designer Role at GovWell
What are the responsibilities of the Founding Product Designer at GovWell?

The Founding Product Designer at GovWell will be responsible for creating and owning the design system, leading end-to-end design for core product features, deeply understanding user needs, collaborating closely with engineering, and setting the foundation for GovWell's design culture. This role will allow you to contribute directly to a platform that helps local governments serve their communities more effectively.

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What qualifications are needed for the Founding Product Designer position at GovWell?

To be considered for the Founding Product Designer role at GovWell, candidates should have at least 4 years of experience in product design for B2B or enterprise SaaS applications, strong skills in UX and interaction design, and proficiency in using design tools like Figma. Familiarity with building design systems and an interest in government technology will also be beneficial.

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What is the culture like for a Founding Product Designer at GovWell?

At GovWell, the culture is dynamic and collaborative. As a Founding Product Designer, you will work closely with the CTO, CEO, and engineering team in a fast-paced startup environment. We prioritize open communication and encourage innovative thinking, making it a great place to establish your design philosophy and contribute meaningfully to government technology.

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How does the Founding Product Designer role at GovWell impact communities?

The Founding Product Designer at GovWell will have a significant impact on communities by designing user-friendly tools that streamline processes like issuing permits and handling payments. Your work will help reduce bureaucracy, enhancing the way governments interact with citizens and improving overall efficiency in critical services for over 800,000 residents.

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What benefits can a Founding Product Designer expect at GovWell?

As a Founding Product Designer at GovWell, you can expect a competitive salary, meaningful equity, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance with premiums covered for you and your partner, unlimited and flexible PTO, and a 401(k) program. These benefits underscore our commitment to supporting our team's well-being while they drive meaningful change.

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Common Interview Questions for Founding Product Designer
Can you describe your design process as a Founding Product Designer?

When discussing your design process, emphasize how you approach problem-solving and user research. Explain how you gather user feedback, create wireframes and prototypes, and iterate based on testing outcomes. Relate this to specific projects where your design led to measurable improvements in user experience.

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How do you ensure your designs are accessible and user-friendly?

Talk about your understanding of accessibility best practices and how you apply them, such as using contrast ratios, alt text for images, and ensuring navigation is intuitive. Highlight any previous work where you successfully created designs that catered to a diverse user base.

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What tools do you prefer to use for design and collaboration?

Mention specific design tools you are proficient with, like Figma, and discuss your experience using collaboration tools such as Notion or Monday.com. Explain how these tools have helped streamline the design process and facilitate communication across teams.

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Can you give an example of a challenging project you worked on and how you overcame obstacles?

Choose a specific project where you faced challenges, such as tight deadlines or complex user requirements. Explain the steps you took to address these challenges, your thought process, and the final outcome. This demonstrates your problem-solving abilities and resilience.

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How do you prioritize design tasks when working on multiple features?

Discuss your approach to prioritization, whether it's through user feedback, business goals, or collaboration with stakeholders. Provide an example of how you've successfully managed competing priorities while ensuring timely delivery of quality designs.

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Describe a time when you collaborated with engineers. What was the outcome?

Share an experience where collaboration was key in the design process. Discuss how you maintained communication with engineers, adapted designs based on technical feedback, and how that collaboration led to successful implementation and user satisfaction.

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What excites you most about working in government technology?

Reflect on your passion for civic engagement and the impact of modernizing government services. Highlight your desire to make a difference in public service delivery through innovative design, showcasing how this aligns with your professional aspirations.

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What methods do you use for gathering user feedback during the design process?

Explain your preferred methods for user research, such as interviews, surveys, or usability testing. Discuss how you incorporate this feedback into your design iterations, emphasizing its importance in creating user-centered solutions.

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How do you keep up with design trends and best practices?

Discuss your methods for staying current with industry trends, such as following design blogs, attending conferences, or participating in design communities. Illustrate how you apply this knowledge to enhance your work and bring fresh ideas into your designs.

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Why do you want to be the Founding Product Designer at GovWell?

Share your motivation for wanting to join GovWell, focusing on your alignment with its mission to improve government efficiency through technology. Emphasize your enthusiasm for contributing to a startup's journey and making meaningful impacts within communities.

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EMPLOYMENT TYPE
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DATE POSTED
February 18, 2025

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