Mastodon is the world’s largest decentralised social media network, putting people back in control of their data and their reach. We are focused on creating a user-friendly, open-source, privacy-conscious alternative to traditional social platforms because we believe that the digital public square must not be controlled by a wealthy few.
This approach brings exciting challenges, as Mastodon runs on thousands of independent, interconnected servers, as well as interoperating with the broader “fediverse” of services running on the same shared protocol ActivityPub.
As a small, agile, remote team, we are looking for an in-house Senior Product Designer to take ownership of the end-to-end user experience across our iOS, Android, and web applications.
This is a key role where you'll shape product decisions, design thoughtful user experiences, and develop a cohesive design language across our product line - all while getting your hands dirty with practical design work.
What you'll be doing:
Driving UX strategy - translating user needs and business goals into intuitive and accessible experiences across Mastodon’s platforms
Contributing at the product level - setting up a design process for the product team and making informed decisions on features, usability, and the overall user journey
Taking ownership of design - defining and evolving Mastodon’s design system and developing style guides for a consistent design language across products
Collaborating cross-functionally - working closely with our engineers, CPO, and the broader open-source community to build a seamless experience
Conducting user research - gathering insights through user testing, (limited) analytics, and feedback loops to inform design decisions
Hands-on design work - creating wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs using Figma, Penpot or similar tools
To succeed in this role, we think you should be:
Proficient in UX design, ideally with experience leading multiple interactive applications/projects from ideation to execution across web and mobile applications (iOS and Android)
Analytical and able to turn complex projects into intuitive, seamless user experiences
Experienced with iOS and Android design patterns and familiar with their UI toolkits
Able to balance high-level strategy with hands-on design execution
Experienced with designing for accessibility and responsiveness
Experienced with Figma, Penpot or similar tools
Strong communication skills to work well in a remote, asynchronous team
Flexible, creative thinker and innovative problem-solver
Consistent with strong attention to detail
Proficient in English
What will make you stand out:
Experience designing for privacy-conscious and inclusive applications
A good understanding and/or experience working with open-source projects
A solid understanding of decentralised social media, the fediverse, or ActivityPub
Your work environment:
You’ll work in a fully remote team with flexible hours, but must have at least a 4-hour crossover with the CET timezone between the hours of 10:00-18:00
You’ll work in a small, talented, agile team where cross-functional collaboration is key
You’ll be directly impacting the lives of millions of users by enhancing their experience with Mastodon
What we offer in return:
Working with the leading European open-source, decentralised social media platform, with a strong mission of giving people back control over their data
Strong value alignment and empowerment on the job supporting a non-profit organisation
Opportunity to have a huge impact, with over 7.6 million registered accounts
Interesting, diverse and challenging work - with plenty of moving parts and an opportunity to constantly learn, evolve and creatively problem-solve
Potential for growth and progression - taking the initiative, being involved in the early decision-making process and the future of Mastodon
Close collaboration with a small, extremely competent and passionate team
Remote-first - an opportunity to work remotely, with no office to commute to
Open, inclusive and international work environment - with an opportunity to connect with the team face-to-face in Europe
Our culture – we encourage transparency, openness, autonomy, integrity, growth and creativity, and we work with people we truly like!
Budget:
The compensation offered for this role will be based on multiple factors, such as location, the role’s scope and complexity, and the candidate’s experience and expertise and may vary from the range provided below.
The estimated base salary range for this role in Berlin is 65,000 EUR - 80,000 EUR per year.
About Mastodon
Founded in 2016 and incorporated as a non-profit in Germany in 2021, Mastodon gGmbH is a remote-only, primarily English-speaking team distributed across the world. Our funding comes from crowdfunding platforms like Patreon, public grants and individual donors. Our product line includes the Mastodon software that people can install on their infrastructure, an official iOS app, and an Android app. As of April 2024, Mastodon established a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity in the United States, enabling us to grow our operational capacity.
*Mastodon is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We understand some people might not feel they meet all the criteria, but if you're excited about the prospect of joining Mastodon and believe you can add value, we'd still love to hear from you.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability or age.*