The Role
Product Designer I partners with Product Management to investigate user problems and validate workflows for construction and utilities software. Responsibilities include planning and synthesizing user research, mapping workflows, creating wireframes and low-to-mid fidelity proofs of concept, facilitating collaboration, conducting usability testing, and advocating for users throughout product strategy and design. The role emphasizes foundational UX discovery, ambiguity management, rapid prototyping, and understanding complex industry workflows.
Summary Generated by Built In
We are HCSS. For the last 40 years, we have been developing software to help construction companies streamline their operations. Based in Sugar Land, TX, our mission is helping customers achieve excellence through our proven customer-centric, end-to-end solutions and exceptionally helpful service, while providing a great life for our employees. With this mission at the core of everything we do, HCSS is a pioneer and leader in the construction software space and a consistently recognized employer. We have earned Best Companies to Work for in Texas honors for 18 consecutive years and have been named a USA Today Top Workplace. HCSS has also been recognized by Built In as a Best Place to Work in Greater Houston and by Construction Executive for our technology innovation, reflecting our strong culture, industry leadership, and commitment to excellence.
WHO WE NEED:
As a Product Designer I at HCSS, you are the primary advocate for our users and a core strategic partner within our Product team. You are driven by a strong curiosity to understand the complex workflows of the heavy civil construction and utilities industry, and you are passionate about designing solutions that make a tangible impact on the people building our world's infrastructure.
In this role, you will focus on discovering and validating the right problems to solve. You will partner directly with Group Product Managers, Product Managers, Technical Product Managers (TPMs), and other UX peers to conduct UX discovery and validation research as well as ideate solutions via wireframing, whiteboard, and proofs-of-concept.
You will advocate for the user's voice throughout the product lifecycle to ensure our solutions are highly valuable, impactful, and usable. You are empowered to focus on product strategy, user advocacy, and workflow validation.
Qualifications:
- A portfolio that demonstrates your critical thinking process, showing how you moved from an ambiguous user problem to validated structural wireframes (e.g., how you approach problem-solving, not UI).
- High comfort level with "messy" whiteboarding, rough sketching, and throwaway design work over high-fidelity polish.
- Strong proficiency in using AI tools alongside modern whiteboarding tools to rapidly generate proofs-of-concept and visualize ideas at a high velocity.
- Excellent communication and facilitation skills to collaborate effectively with Product members, actively participating in defining and gathering product requirements alongside them as well as presenting research findings clearly
- Solid understanding of user-centered design methodologies, including how to structure and synthesize user interviews and usability tests
- Strong proficiency in modern design and whiteboarding tools to rapidly visualize concepts
- A natural curiosity and willingness to dive deep into the highly technical and complex workflows of the heavy civil construction and utilities industry
- Demonstrates foundational UX discovery and workflow mapping skills, and thrives in the ambiguity of early-stage product definition
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Design, Psychology, HCI (or equivalent academic/bootcamp background) or ~2 years of relevant work experience
- Experience using research repositories or product discovery tools
Role Responsibilities:
- Partner closely with Group Product Managers, Product Managers, and Technical Product Managers to understand business requirements, define user problems, and participate in upstream product strategy discussions.
- Assist in planning and conducting generative and evaluative research (e.g., user interviews, contextual inquiries, discovery interviews). Synthesize qualitative data to uncover actionable insights about heavy civil construction and utilities workflows.
- Translate complex logic into structural wireframes, user flows, and low-to-mid fidelity proofs-of-concept to quickly visualize and test ideas.
- Act as the collaborative UX strategy and solutions partner with Product Management to help them visually map out their business logic.
- Design and run usability tests on proposed workflows to validate that the solution is both valuable and intuitive for the end-user before any code is written.
- Package validated user flows and research insights to collaborate with UX peers to ensure the core UX strategy is maintained as they review and curate the final design and specifications.
- Continuously build strong empathy for our unique user base (e.g., estimators, project managers, foremen, field personnel, mechanics, etc.), and advocate for their needs in every product conversation.
Travel Requirements:
- Initial Onboarding: During the first 3 months of employment, employees (in the Houston area) must work on-site at the Sugar Land office 3 days per week to ensure comprehensive training and integration.
- Hybrid Requirements
- Following the initial onboarding phase, employees transition to a flexible hybrid work model.
- If an on-site workspace is requested, employees are expected to work from the Sugar Land office up to 2 days per week, subject to team needs and manager discretion.
- Remote Requirements
- Fully remote employees are expected to visit the Sugar Land office periodically up to once a Quarter
- Employees will be expected to attend HCSS-sponsored events per the manager’s discretion (e.g., UGM).
BENEFITS & PERKS:
Part of our mission is to provide a great life for our employees. We believe that when our people are happy, they do their best work. Some of the benefits and perks we offer include:
- Flexibility to work Remotely
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage with company-paid and employee-paid options
- Paid holidays, sick days, and personal time off
- Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that foster connection and inclusion
- On-site amenities including a covered basketball court, soccer field, track, pickleball/tennis courts, gym, etc.
- Dog-friendly campus and WiFi-accessible courtyards
- 401(k) with a 5% company match
- Coverage for employee professional development and wellness
- And more!
Skills Required
- Portfolio demonstrating critical thinking and progression from ambiguous user problems to validated structural wireframes
- Comfort with whiteboarding, rough sketching, and iterative throwaway design work
- Strong proficiency using AI tools and modern whiteboarding tools to create proofs of concept
- Excellent communication and facilitation skills for product collaboration and presenting research findings
- Understanding of user-centered design methodologies, user interviews, and usability testing
- Strong proficiency with modern design and whiteboarding tools
- Curiosity and willingness to learn complex heavy civil construction and utilities workflows
- Foundational UX discovery and workflow mapping skills
- Bachelor's degree in Design, Psychology, HCI, or equivalent academic or bootcamp background
- Approximately two years of relevant work experience
- Experience using research repositories or product discovery tools
What the Team is Saying
Jordan Bales
Software Tester
Falk Hoeppner
Senior Quality Assurance Analyst
Sierra
Project Management Supervisor
Betty
Director of Development
Henry
IT Analyst
HCSS Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as robust, with company‑paid medical and dental premiums and multiple plan options. Feedback suggests coverage quality and affordability stand out for many employees.
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Retirement Support — Retirement offerings include a company 401(k) match that is highlighted alongside other core protections. Feedback suggests the retirement program is viewed as a meaningful part of total rewards.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellness amenities and perks are extensive, including an on‑site gym, fitness classes, wellness funds, and regular catered meals. Feedback suggests these lifestyle benefits materially enhance the day‑to‑day experience.
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The Company
What We Do
Since 1986, HCSS been developing software to help construction companies streamline their operations. Today, HCSS is recognized as a pioneer and leader in the market, serving thousands of construction companies across the nation. Year after year, they continue to innovate, refine, and expand their products as the industry evolves. HCSS' mission is to help customers dramatically improve their business through innovative, high-quality software and exceptionally helpful service, while providing a great life for employees.
Why Work With Us
At HCSS, we prioritize people—empowering both our customers and employees to achieve excellence. We promote from within, provide continuous professional growth, and embrace challenges as learning opportunities. Join us to build a meaningful career while delivering exceptional solutions and service.
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HCSS Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
We support a flexible, hybrid work environment that empowers employees to do their best work while balancing the needs of their lives outside of work.
Typical time on-site:
Flexible
Sugar Land, TX
