SlipstreamJobs tracks this role from the company's public career site. Apply directly on the employer's site.
Apex manufactures satellite buses (spacecraft platforms) at scale using software, vertical integration, and hardware designed for manufacturing. The company is seeking an experienced UX Designer to research and create the future of Octopus, a proprietary operating system for building spacecraft. Octopus is an integrated suite of engineering, manufacturing, and operations software developed entirely in-house, linking 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 experiences that technicians, engineers, planners, and operators depend on daily to build satellites. Octopus spans the full production lifecycle: part and inventory management, build planning and scheduling, shop-floor work instructions, non-conformance and quality workflows, supply chain and purchasing, integration and test, and analytics for factory leadership. You will own these internal enterprise tools end-to-end.
Key responsibilities include defining UX strategy for Octopus and contributing to overall product direction; spending time on the factory floor observing real workflows and translating insights into design solutions; relentlessly optimizing existing workflows to reduce clicks, screens, and errors; designing for demanding, high-density operating environments including work instructions, shop-floor terminals, cleanroom use, and desk-based planning tools; measuring design performance and iterating based on user feedback; defining and owning the Octopus design system and UX standards; collaborating with engineers and stakeholders; presenting work regularly; and following work through implementation to ensure quality.
You bring a bachelor's degree in design or equivalent portfolio experience, 5+ years designing interactive web applications, an excellent portfolio demonstrating user-centric design, experience designing enterprise or operational tools where users work under time pressure, proficiency with design research methods (contextual inquiry, shadowing, usability testing), experience building and maintaining design systems, strong communication skills, self-motivation with collaborative instincts, and ability to perform in fast-paced iterative design processes. Bonus experience includes designing for manufacturing, MES, ERP, or logistics software; comfort working close to code; and interest in hardware, aerospace, or physical production.
