Staff Product Designer

About Open Government Products (OGP)

Open Government Products is a fast-paced, startup-like unit embedded within the Singapore government that brings together engineers, designers, and product managers focused on public interest. The team autonomously identifies public challenges, rapidly prototypes innovative tech solutions ranging from citizen-facing apps to automating agency workflows. Operating with a flat hierarchy and open-source principles, OGP cuts bureaucracy to deliver user-centric innovations that drive meaningful change.

Role Overview

As a Staff Product Designer at OGP, you will be a highly experienced individual contributor who leads design efforts on complex problems while elevating design practice across the organisation. Approximately two-thirds of your time is spent hands-on crafting solutions for ambiguous challenges through user-centred discovery and experimentation. The remainder focuses on mentorship, cross-functional leadership, and strategy, driving consistent, high-quality design standards government-wide.

You will contribute beyond individual projects by shaping OGP's design culture, processes, and strategic direction. Working with leadership, you will advocate and scale excellent design practices across teams and agencies. This senior role influences through design expertise and collaboration rather than formal authority, with optional opportunities for managing one to two designers if needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Exercise significant autonomy to define and implement organisational design strategies effectively.
• Drive design excellence, setting and raising quality standards internally and across partner agencies.
• Mentor lead and senior designers to support their professional growth.
• Address systemic public service challenges involving disconnected agency services, digital platform limitations, and policy complexities by applying ecosystem knowledge and user-centred design.
• Navigate and resolve ambiguous, complex problems where solutions are initially unclear.
• Provide strategic counsel to leaders, influencing decisions for impactful improvements.
• Lead cross-departmental and multi-agency coordination to deliver coherent public outcomes.

Candidate Profile

• Extensive experience in digital product design, with over 10 years demonstrated through a strong portfolio of impactful work.
• Exceptional design craftsmanship, with keen attention to visual detail and the ability to articulate design decisions clearly.
• A strong advocate for user-centred design, skilled in user research methods and proficient in mobile-first, responsive design principles.
• Advanced proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite; familiarity with web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is an advantage.
• Excellent communication skills bridging users and technical teams and effectively gathering and incorporating stakeholder feedback.
• A proactive and innovative mindset focused on driving change and improvement, especially within government services.
• A commitment to public service, motivated by societal impact and prepared to uphold public interest against political pressures; experience within government is a plus.

Work Environment and Benefits

• High autonomy with the ability to voice ideas and influence product direction.
• A culture of rapid prototyping and fail-fast innovation to quickly test ideas and identify solutions.
• Flexible work arrangements supporting productivity and team member well-being.
• Opportunities for continuous learning through dedicated time for growth, hackathons, and exposure to new technologies and frameworks.
• Mission-driven work dedicated to improving the lives of Singapore citizens through impactful digital solutions.

Sample Projects at OGP

• ScamShield: AI-powered mobile apps filtering scam communications with a police-administered dashboard.
• ParkingSG: Mobile app replacing parking coupons with digital payment and refund features.
• RedeemSG: Platform for government to create and monitor digital voucher redemptions.
• COVID-19 Vaccination: Systems supporting national vaccination efforts including information and appointment booking.
• data.gov.sg: Public data portal with visualizations and APIs for developers.
• Isomer: Static website hosting service for government agencies.
• FormSG: Online classified data form builder replacing paper forms.
• PaySG: Digital payment platform for government services, initially for COVID-19 test payments.

Additional Information

The role is a senior individual contributor position, not a managerial track, though managing a small team may be possible based on needs. The position is based onsite in Singapore with full-time employment.