Contract Senior Website Visual Designer (UX/UI) - Remote | US & Canada

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Contract Senior Website Visual Designer (UX/UI)

Company: Kanopi

Location: Remote (US & Canada)

Job Type: CONTRACTOR

Category: UX/UI Design, Web Design, Digital Agency Operations

Date Posted: 2026-02-27

Experience Level: Senior (5+ years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• This contract role is focused on leading end-to-end visual and UX design for complex website projects, requiring a strong portfolio showcasing user-centered, accessible, and visually crafted responsive web experiences.

• The position demands a senior-level designer capable of translating research and insights into actionable UX deliverables, including wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and design systems.

• A critical aspect of this role involves confident client presentation and defense of design decisions, acting as a primary liaison for creative strategy and project outcomes.

• Collaboration with cross-functional teams (Content Strategists, Developers, Project Managers) is essential to ensure cohesive, technically sound, and accessible website solutions throughout the project lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title specifies "Visual Designer (UX/UI)", the responsibilities and requirements clearly indicate a senior-level UX/UI Designer role within a digital agency context. The emphasis on client interaction, workshop facilitation, and design system creation points to a strategic as well as executional function, aligning with senior operations-adjacent roles that bridge creative output with client success and internal process efficiency.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead comprehensive visual and UX design processes for complex, responsive website projects, from initial discovery and strategy through to final launch, ensuring a clear and consistent design direction.

• Develop user-centered and accessible design solutions, including detailed wireframes, intuitive user flows, high-fidelity prototypes, and scalable design systems to maintain long-term visual consistency and brand integrity.

• Articulate and defend design rationale and choices clearly and confidently to diverse audiences (clients, internal teams), effectively explaining user needs, project goals, and design thinking.

• Plan, facilitate, and lead discovery workshops, translating client needs and user research into tangible UX deliverables such as sitemaps, detailed user journeys, and comprehensive personas.

• Foster strong collaborative relationships with Content Strategists, Developers, and Project Managers, ensuring seamless integration of design into development and conducting thorough design reviews during the build phase.

• Represent the Creative Services department in client pitches and sales processes, contributing design expertise and strategic thinking to secure new business opportunities.

• Contribute to Kanopi's external presence and thought leadership through participation in webinars, public presentations, and other marketing initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic client engagement and technical design execution. For operations professionals, this means understanding how design processes impact project timelines, resource allocation, and client satisfaction, which are key operational considerations in a service-based agency.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio and demonstrable experience in UX/UI design are paramount. Equivalent practical experience will be considered.

Experience: 5+ years of professional experience in designing responsive web experiences, with a minimum of 3 years specifically within a digital agency environment.

Required Skills:

• Portfolio Excellence: A robust portfolio showcasing thoughtful, user-centered UI/UX design for responsive websites, with explicit examples demonstrating strong accessibility, usability, and visual craft.

• Presentation & Communication: High confidence in presenting and defending design work to various stakeholders, effectively incorporating feedback while maintaining a clear and cohesive design direction.

• Design Software Proficiency: Fluency in Figma and modern design workflows, alongside hands-on experience with collaboration tools like Adobe Creative Cloud and Google Workspace.

• Project Management Aptitude: Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, adapt to evolving project requirements, and work effectively within both Agile and Waterfall project management methodologies.

• Remote Work Capability: Demonstrated comfort and effectiveness working within a fully distributed, remote team environment.

• Technical Understanding: Solid working knowledge of front-end development best practices and the ability to translate design concepts into development-friendly specifications.

Preferred Skills:

• Front-End Development: Direct coding experience (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) is considered a significant advantage.

• Analytics & Research Tools: Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., GA4), heatmapping tools, and user testing software.

• Client-Facing Experience: Prior experience working with mission-driven organizations, nonprofits, or similar client types.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a strong portfolio, presentation skills, and experience with various project methodologies (Agile/Waterfall) are critical for evaluating a candidate's operational efficiency and client management capabilities, especially in a contract role where immediate impact is expected.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate End-to-End Design: Portfolio pieces should clearly illustrate the complete design process, from initial research and wireframing to final UI design and prototyping, showcasing strategic thinking.

• Accessibility & Usability Focus: Explicitly highlight how accessibility (WCAG compliance) and usability principles were integrated into the design solutions, with specific examples and outcomes.

• Responsive Design Examples: Include case studies of responsive website designs that adapt effectively across various devices and screen sizes.

• Design System Contribution: Showcase experience in creating or contributing to design systems, demonstrating an understanding of modular design, component libraries, and scalability.

• Client Presentation Materials: If possible, include examples of presentation decks or case study write-ups that effectively communicate design thinking and rationale to clients.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Ability to document and articulate clear UX/UI design workflows, from discovery and ideation to implementation and review.

• System Integration: Demonstrate an understanding of how design systems integrate with development processes and content management systems (Drupal, WordPress).

• Feedback Integration: Showcase a process for receiving, analyzing, and incorporating client and internal team feedback into design iterations.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, a portfolio is akin to a "process portfolio." It's a tangible demonstration of how a candidate operationalizes design thinking, manages project workflows, and achieves measurable outcomes, which is directly relevant to evaluating their potential contribution to agency operations and client success.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $60 - $80 per hour.

This hourly rate range is based on the provided information and industry benchmarks for senior-level contract UX/UI designers in the US and Canada. Factors influencing the exact rate include specific experience, portfolio strength, and the complexity of projects assigned.

Benefits: As a contract position, standard employee benefits are typically not included. However, the role offers:

• Flexibility: Fully remote work arrangement allowing for significant work-life integration.

• Project Variety: Opportunity to work on diverse, mission-driven website projects.

• Professional Development: Contribution to thought leadership and potential for ongoing engagements based on performance.

• Collaborative Environment: Access to a distributed team of experts in Drupal and WordPress.

Working Hours: The role is expected to require approximately 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time contract engagement. Flexibility in schedule is implied by the remote nature, allowing for work during the most productive hours within the US and Canada time zones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is consistent with senior-level contract roles in the US and Canada for specialized design skills. For operations professionals, understanding contract compensation structures and the typical absence of traditional benefits is key when evaluating such opportunities.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Digital Agency (Web Design, Development & Support), specializing in Drupal & WordPress.

Company Size: Kanopi operates as a distributed team, indicating a flexible and potentially lean organizational structure that values expertise and collaboration over traditional hierarchical models. The exact employee count isn't specified, but the distributed nature suggests a focus on skilled individuals rather than a large, centralized office.

Founded: Kanopi Studios was founded with a clear mission to serve mission-driven clients, emphasizing a purpose-led approach to their work. This foundation likely shapes a culture that values impact and client success.

Team Structure:

• The role reports to the Director of Strategy and Creative, suggesting a structured creative department with clear leadership.

• Collaboration is expected with Content Strategists, Developers, and Project Managers, indicating cross-functional team integration is a core operational practice.

Methodology:

• Kanopi focuses on designing, building, and supporting websites, implying a full-service agency model with defined project phases and processes.

• The emphasis on Drupal and WordPress expertise suggests a deep technical focus within their operational framework.

• The commitment to client missions and team well-being points to a culture that balances project delivery with human-centric values and operational sustainability.

Company Website: https://kanopi.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on mission-driven clients and expertise in specific CMS platforms (Drupal/WordPress) suggests that operational processes are likely tailored to long-term, impactful web solutions rather than rapid, high-volume projects. This impacts how design is integrated into development and client management.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior Contract role, signifying a high level of expertise and autonomy. It's positioned for individuals who can lead projects independently and contribute strategically. For operations, this means the candidate is expected to be self-managing and capable of driving outcomes with minimal oversight.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to the Director of Strategy and Creative. This indicates a clear line of communication for strategic alignment and project oversight, common in agency structures to ensure creative output meets business objectives.

Operations Impact: The Senior Website Visual Designer's impact is multifaceted: they directly influence client satisfaction through excellent design, contribute to winning new business through pitches, and support the agency's reputation through thought leadership. Their ability to set cohesive design direction also impacts development efficiency and project timelines, key operational metrics.

Growth Opportunities:

• Project Leadership: Potential to lead design on larger, more complex, or high-profile client projects.

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in areas like advanced accessibility, design systems, or specific CMS integrations.

• Client Relationship Building: Developing strong client relationships that could lead to repeat engagements or recommendations.

• Thought Leadership: Contributing to agency marketing efforts, building personal brand, and potentially mentoring junior designers on future contract roles or full-time opportunities within Kanopi.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "contract" nature implies a focus on project-based growth and skill application rather than a traditional linear career path. Operations professionals will see this as an opportunity to apply their expertise across various projects and demonstrate value for potential long-term engagements.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This means the work is conducted from the employee's own home office or a co-working space, with no central physical office location required.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, applicants must reside and be able to legally work in the US or Canada. This designation allows Kanopi to leverage talent across North America while adhering to employment regulations.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Tools: The remote environment necessitates reliance on digital collaboration platforms (e.g., Slack, Figma, Google Workspace, video conferencing) for team communication and project execution.

• Autonomy & Accountability: Expectation of self-direction, time management, and proactive communication to maintain team cohesion and project momentum.

• Cross-Functional Interaction: Opportunities to collaborate virtually with diverse teams of strategists, developers, and project managers, fostering a dynamic and integrated work experience.

Work Schedule: The role is expected to be approximately 40 hours per week. While the remote setup offers flexibility, core working hours may be established to facilitate synchronous collaboration with team members across different time zones within the US and Canada.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature and distributed team structure mean that operational efficiency relies heavily on effective asynchronous and synchronous communication strategies, robust project management tools