Principal Product Designer

We're growing our Product Design organization to support a strategic evolution: from a suite of point solutions into an integrated ELD platform. Design is at the center of this shift. As we connect compliance, instruction, and assessment into unified workflows, we need designers who can define what the experience should be, not just what it looks like and shape solutions that feel like one coherent system, not a collection of tools. We're looking for an experienced Principal Product Designer who can lead UX strategy and evolve our systems. This role blends systems thinking, cross-R&D design leadership, and setting the bar for AI-assisted design workflows across the team. It’s a hands-on role as well. You'll work across the product suite and collaborate closely with senior Product and Engineering peers to define strategy and execute to improve our design system (Backpack). Product Culture We are organized into small, durable product teams that develop solutions in specific domains. Our teams are cross-functional—product, design, and engineering work so closely together that we call ourselves DevPro and rarely meet in functional silos. We focus on outcomes over output, which means we engage users early, validate hypotheses through research and prototyping, and iterate rapidly toward high-confidence solutions. While we work in separate teams, we prioritize integration and consistency of our solutions meaning consistency isn’t a nice to have, it’s a critical part of our end goal. We expect designers to integrate AI tools into their workflows as on-demand collaborators that can help explore ideas quickly: generating variations, stress-testing concepts, and moving from problem to prototype faster than traditional methods allow. This isn't about replacing craft; it's about using AI to expand what's possible within a time constraint. You'll be evaluated on what you're able to produce with these tools, not just your manual output. We value Product Designers who think strategically and are able to look at problems from multiple angles, weigh tradeoffs, and articulate how a solution meets the needs of both users and the business. We celebrate accountability to outcomes: conducting experiments, adjusting strategy based on learnings, and delivering products that change behavior and drive real value. This is a hybrid role based out of our headquarters in Boston, MA. Within 1 month, you will: Build a clear picture of the strategic context facing Ellevation and what role design plays. Audit Backpack's current state and identify gaps. Build relationships with Design team as well as Product and Engineering leadership. Understand team rituals, skill levels, and workflow patterns across designers. Within 3 months, you will: Own the roadmap for Backpack's evolution. Ship improvements that address high-priority gaps. Establish yourself as the go-to for cross-team UX decisions. Begin identifying opportunities to raise craft and improve design workflows across the team. Within 6 months, you will: Backpack is actively enabling integrated experiences—teams are using it to ship faster and more consistently. You're shaping UX strategy for initiatives that span multiple teams. You're mentoring designers and elevating the quality bar through feedback and process improvements. Within 12 months, you will: You've materially improved how design works at Ellevation. Backpack is a competitive advantage. You're a trusted voice in R&D strategy conversations, and the team's craft and AI fluency have measurably improved under your influence. About You You have 10+ years of demonstrated success as a cross-functional designer in a B2B SaaS or adjacent environment. You've owned or significantly shaped a design system and understand the tradeoffs between flexibility and consistency. You're comfortable working autonomously, setting your own direction, and influencing without authority. You're AI-fluent—using LLM-assisted prototyping to accelerate ideation and validation, freeing you to focus on strategy and systems thinking. You're accountable to outcomes, not just output. You run experiments, learn from what ships, and measure success by whether the product changes behavior. You go to the source. You've led user research and usability testing in the field, and you don't design from assumptions. You seek feedback and confront hard truths. Craft is a practice, not a credential—you iterate with users, engineers, and data. You bring diverse perspectives into your process and design with empathy for users unlike yourself. You think in systems, creating coherent experiences across workflows rather than isolated features. You elevate others through feedback, pairing, and raising the bar on what good looks like. Travel Expectations Boston-area preferred New England-area employees will be expected to travel to Boston for 2 days a month 10x a year. Are you passionate about growth and eager to learn? Do you possess a drive to excel and make a difference? Ellevation values diversity, creativity, and a hunger for new perspectives. While our job postings outline preferred qualifications, we believe that talent comes in various forms. If you're motivated, adaptable, and ready to contribute, we encourage you to apply. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and experiences, recognizing that unique skills and fresh outlooks are invaluable assets to our team. Don't let a checklist of requirements deter you – take the leap, and let's explore the possibilities together! About Us: At Ellevation, we develop world-class software to help educators serve the fastest growing population of K-12 students: English Learners (ELs). Ellevation helps school districts transform their Multilingual Learner programs and ensure all students can achieve their highest aspirations. Our product suite includes a best-in-class data and instructional planning platform, resources to build teacher capacity, and student-facing programs to teach academic language. We are a fast-growing, mission-driven technology company partnering with over 1,500 school districts and more than 2 million current and former English Learners. Over the next five years, we plan to double the number of ELs we serve and drive measurable outcomes for students. Ellevation merged with Curriculum Associates in 2021 to accelerate impact for Multilingual Learners. Our company continues to operate independently and is well-capitalized to support our ambitious social and financial objectives. Why Ellevation? In addition to our great benefits and competitive salaries, here are some things that make us unique: + Mission-driven organization where team members are empowered to make a significant impact + Opportunities to join Employee Resource Groups and support building a culture of belonging + Professional development and growth opportunities + Company and team offsites in various cities across the United States + Collaborative workspace in the heart of Boston - a stone's throw from many central T stops (Downtown Crossing, Government Center, and Aquarium). Free snacks, beverages, and local organic fruit provided + Remote and in-person engagement opportunities, including happy hours, themed events, and competitions + Remote and in-person wellness programming to support team’s mental and physical wellbeing Learn more about our team in our Culture Deck . Here at Ellevation, we champion diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging. We strive to build a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values a range of ideas and opinions. We believe in building a culture where productivity can flourish, one that is empathetic, respectful, and inclusive. We are proud to have been recognized in prior years as “Best Tech Workplace for Diversity” by the Timmy Awards for investing in training around inclusive behaviors, microaggressions, unconscious bias, and fostering a culture of continuous learning and feedback across the company. We are encouraged by our progress, but there’s more work to be done. Benefits – Benefits eligible employees (and qualifying dependents) are covered by medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees can enroll in our company's 401(k) retirement plan and receive an employer match up to 50% on the first 7% of your contribution, with pre-tax and Roth options. Employees have access to flexible paid time off for vacations, sick and disability policy, additional 10 paid company holidays, 2 floating holidays and a winter office closure between Christmas and New Year's. In addition, we provide a generous parental leave benefit, back-up childcare or eldercare, and a variety of other perks to support the health and well-being of our employees. Additional Information: Ellevation operates under Curriculum Associates, LLC, an Equal Opportunity Employer. Curriculum Associates, LLC will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by law. Curriculum Associates, LLC will grant employment, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by law. Such action shall include, but not be limited to, the following: employment, upgrading, demotion, transfer, recruitment or recruitment advertising, layoff or termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation. Our company uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.uscis.gov/e-verify . Information that you provide when applying for employment with Curriculum Associates, LLC may be subject to the California Privacy Rights Act. Click here for more information about our data-collection practices and your rights related to that data.