UX Designer, Octopus

Apex Technology, Inc.•Los Angeles, CA

8d•$120,000 - $150,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Apex is looking for an outstanding UX Designer to research and create the future of Octopus, our proprietary operating system for building spacecraft at scale. Octopus is an integrated suite of engineering, manufacturing, and operations software developed entirely in-house — it links inventory management, production scheduling, quality, and assembly work instructions into a single environment that adjusts dynamically to changing demand. You will be responsible for researching, designing, innovating, and prototyping the experiences that technicians, engineers, planners, and operators depend on every day to build satellites in a way that has never been done before. Octopus spans the full production lifecycle: part and inventory management, build planning and scheduling, shop-floor work instructions and travelers, non-conformance and quality workflows, supply chain and purchasing, integration and test, and the analytics leadership uses to run the factory. The candidate will be responsible for these internal enterprise tools end to end. Deliverables include design mockups, experience flows, prototyping, design presentations, high-fidelity visuals, and follow-up to ensure high-quality implementation. Internal software is where manufacturing speed is won or lost. Every extra click, ambiguous screen, and awkward handoff gets multiplied across hundreds of builds and hundreds of people. Your mandate is to make Octopus dramatically better to use: fewer clicks, clearer information hierarchy, workflows that match how the work actually happens, and a set of design standards that keeps the product coherent as it grows. You will collaborate with product managers, software engineers, manufacturing and quality engineers, supply chain, and production leadership as a key contributor and originator. We expect exceptional design skills, creative problem-solving, and a great sense of aesthetics. Octopus should feel fast, information-dense where it needs to be, and unmistakably purpose-built.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in the study of design, or a portfolio that shows equivalent project experience
5+ years of experience designing interactive applications for web
An excellent portfolio showcasing user experience with a strong design sensibility and excellent, user-centric storytelling
Experience designing enterprise, internal, or operational tools — software where the user is doing a job under time pressure, not browsing
User-focused, with experience using design research methods such as contextual inquiry, shadowing, and usability testing to uncover insight
Experience building and maintaining a design system, and defining standards that other designers and engineers actually follow
Effective written and verbal communication skills
Self-motivated, able to work independently but also collaborative and driven by group critique
Ability to perform in a fast-paced, high-intensity iterative design process under minimal supervision

Nice To Haves

Prior experience designing for manufacturing, MES, ERP, logistics, or other operations software
Comfort working close to code — reading a component library, prototyping in HTML/CSS, or partnering directly in the front-end codebase
Interest in hardware, aerospace, or physical production environments

Responsibilities

Research and define UX strategy for Octopus; contribute to the overall product and design direction from concept through implementation
Spend time on the factory floor and alongside engineering teams to observe real workflows, then translate what you learn into design solutions that serve users from very different backgrounds and with very different requirements
Relentlessly optimize existing workflows — fewer clicks, fewer screens, fewer opportunities for error — and prove the improvement in task time, error rate, and adoption
Design for demanding, high-density operating environments: work instructions and travelers, shop-floor terminals and tablets, cleanroom and gloved use, and desk-based planning and analytics tools
Constantly measure how designs are performing for the people using them; iterate and improve those experiences as needed
Define, build, and own the Octopus design system, UX standards, and guidelines; advocate for consistency across team members, new modules, and partner teams
Work in a highly collaborative environment with engineers and other partners; invest in building relationships and trust with stakeholders and leaders
Present work to partners, stakeholders, and senior leaders regularly
Follow work through implementation — review builds, catch regressions, and hold the bar on visual and interaction quality

Benefits

Equity in Apex
100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents
$100k life insurance at no cost
15 days vacation, growing to 20+ days annually
10 paid holidays
Competitive 401(k) plan with generous matching - 100% match on first 3%, 50% on next 2%
8 weeks paid parental leave
Childcare reimbursement up to $350/day for work-related travel
Daily catered lunch
Unlimited snacks
Monthly office socials
Pickleball tournaments
Run club
Gatherings for you and your family
Dream desk setup and all the tools you need to be your most productive self
World-class Playa Vista office
Flexibility to integrate work and life