Design Team Lead at CivicDataLab | Remote Job in India

Who we are

We at CivicDataLab work with the goal to use data, tech, design and social science to strengthen the course of civic engagement in India. We work to harness the potential of the open-source movement to enable citizens to engage better with public reforms. Our work is centred around building data strategy, open data platforms and data science applications to push data-driven decision-making at scale. We work in three key sectors - Public Finance, Law & Justice, and Urban Development. Moreover, we work closely with governments, non-profits, think-tanks, media houses, universities and more to build their data and tech capacity. 

What We are looking for

A design lead to help us design and build open data platforms to help increase civic-engagement in India. They will help us harness the right elements of design thinking, design research, UI/UX, data visualizations and more, to make our interventions more impactful. We strongly encourage applicants from diverse fields, experiences and cultural backgrounds. We are looking for people who are strongly aligned with our values and have an innate sense of problem-solving, architecting solutions and adapt well to dynamic environments. They will work alongside data strategists, technologists, public policy researchers and other stakeholders to develop platforms that help citizens participate and engage in discussions and assist policy-makers and researchers in working with open datasets.

What You’ll be Doing

• Create simple, intuitive and accessible civic-tech interventions to boost citizen participation.
• Since all software at CDL is open-source (by default), we expect you to have an understanding of what it takes to build good open source software. For example, you can explore one of our initiatives - Open Budgets India platform here: https://openbudgetsindia.org/.
• Champion an open design process processes to make design at CDL more open, participatory and publishing design repositories in open licences. We’re fans of what the design team at Ushahidi (https://opendesign.ushahidi.com/) and Gitlab (https://design.gitlab.com/) are doing, and in the closed source space, we like the design team at Spotify (https://spotify.design/).
• Work closely with data strategists, technologists, public policy researchers. 
• Use design thinking to conduct, and evaluate studies to understand the customer better and improve user experience. We do have researchers to help here as well.
• Be responsible for creating wireframes, user flows, and visual design.
• Create mock-ups and track metrics related to identifiable factors that enhance the user experience of our platforms.
• Understand the design challenges which include implementing new features, improving existing ones, and understand what it takes to build cohesive civic-tech.
• Monitor and drive the product all the way from the creation of design concepts to the launch of the product, along with post-launch monitoring and analysis.
• Build and lead a team of designers and researchers strengthening the Open Data and Civic-tech ecosystem in India.

Skills you should bring

• 5+ years designing technology products and 1+ years managing a team of designers.
• Work with team of researchers and subject-matter experts to understand user thought processes and design interventions. 
• Give attention to detail, organization, ability to create and champion open design processes, and manage projects.
• Thorough knowledge of user-centered design processes & iterative development processes.
• Experience in current UX Design strategies and trends across the web and mobile platforms.
• Previous start-up and/or consulting experience is a strong plus.
• Strong and diverse experience documented in your design portfolio.
• Ability to actively engage with multiple stakeholders (like governments, civil society organizations, researchers, media and more) to plan and execute design sprints.
• Blogging/ podcasting or any other medium to communicate your design thinking and process is a big plus.

How we work

At CivicDataLab, people work from their individual locations, being proactive at communication is the key. We use open source tools and agile methodologies in organizing our work. We meet once every quarter at some part of the country to reconvene, learn from each other and help the organization grow.

Recent Projects

Here’s a brief on our current and upcoming work:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZziPTFU__qXe4fLbMEbIhvnUEVrkBbw5CfkHbY-_1fU/edit?usp=sharing

How to Apply

You can send us a link to your CV/Portfolio/Website on [email protected] along with your experience details and a cover letter.

Base Criteria

Minimum 5+ years designing products and 1+ years managing a team of designers

Our Hiring Process

We’re glad you’re interested in applying to work with us at CDL. The entire hiring process averages between 3-4 weeks and consists of simple five steps:

1. You apply with your detailed portfolio/CV and a cover letter
2. Introductory Discussion
3. Take home Assignment
4. Assignment Discussion
5. Culture Discussion & Meet the Team

Cover letter and a written application

The first step of the process is sending across your portfolio along with a cover letter. On average, we review applications about 2-3 days after they’re submitted. When we make a decision, you’ll receive a form to fill in more details.

Introductory Discussion

This is intended to be a general conversation to get to know you and familiarize you about CDL. We want to learn more about your interests, what you’re working on and why you want to work at CDL. These discussions typically last for 30 mins and are usually conducted over a video call. Once our team deliberates, they’ll email you with the details for the take-home assignment.

Take-home assignment

We would collaborate with you on a take-home assignment that lasts for a week. What we really want is to see what it’s like to work with you and how you take suggestions and think about design. The team will get a decision to you within 2-3 days of the submission.

Assignment Discussion

Here you’ll share your screen and collaborate with our team to further enhance your assignment outcomes. The discussion typically runs for 60 to 90 mins. Based on the inputs from the team, we will get to a decision in 1-2 days.

Culture Discussion & Meet the Team

You will be introduced to the entire team in this round. We encourage a free and open discussion. Based on the feedback from the team, we will get a decision for you in 2-3 days, along with the offer letter.

Job Perks

Perks of working with Us

Wellness Allowance

If you're interested in taking classes that enhance your overall physical or mental well-being you have INR 40,000 as an annual stipend to do so. For some people that might mean a monthly massage. Some take photography lessons or learn a musical instrument or buy a gym membership. It's up to you; the point is to learn something that you feel enriches you as a person.

Personal growth and development Allowance

At CivicDataLab, we encourage everyone to take up things that help one grow professionally, and you get an annual kitty of INR 50,000 to do so. This includes attending or speaking at conferences, taking courses, acquiring hardware or software licences or even joining summer schools. We feel that learning a skill should never be a hurdle to solve important problems for the community.

Practical assistance

Home Office Set-up

Since you work remotely, we want to make sure your home office is comfortable. You can expense up to INR 25,000 annually to set up your home office. This includes internet services, other tech infrastructure, etc.

Coworking Space Stipend

CivicDataLab encourages usage of coworking spaces. Please make sure you're using a true coworking space that's meant solely for working, not a club or social space.