Senior UX/UI Designer
๐ Job Overview
Job Title: Senior UX/UI Designer
Company: GEICO
Location: Chevy Chase, MD (Hybrid)
Job Type: FULL_TIME
Category: UI/UX Design
Date Posted: 2025-06-09T00:00:00
Experience Level: Senior (5+ years)
Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days on-site)
๐จ Role Summary
- Lead the design of high-quality, customer-centric digital product experiences that drive business outcomes.
- Translate complex business and technical requirements into intuitive and effective user interface designs and workflows.
- Champion human-centered design methodologies throughout the product development lifecycle, from discovery and research to testing and delivery.
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and business stakeholders, to define and deliver design solutions.
๐ผ๏ธ Primary Responsibilities
- Collaborate with product, engineering, and business teams to gather and synthesize customer and business needs, defining design requirements and project scope.
- Translate complex concepts into clear, understandable design solutions, creating user flows, wireframes, journey maps, and detailed user interface specifications.
- Manage design priorities in a fast-paced, agile environment, providing clear direction and input to influence product roadmaps and support early product definition.
- Advocate for the user throughout the design process, conducting and facilitating user research, usability testing, and other human-centered design activities.
- Facilitate and participate in design workshops with internal and external stakeholders to align design solutions with strategic business objectives.
- Deliver production-ready design assets and specifications to engineering teams, ensuring successful implementation and delivery of design solutions to market.
๐ Skills & Qualifications
Education: A Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or a related field is typically expected for a Senior-level role. A Master's degree in a related field can potentially reduce the required years of experience.
Experience: Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in User Experience (UX) design, or 3+ years with a Master's degree. A strong portfolio demonstrating experience with end-to-end design processes, including research, ideation, prototyping, and testing, is crucial.
Required Skills:
- Demonstrated expertise in User Experience (UX) design principles, methodologies, and best practices.
- Strong proficiency in User Interface (UI) design, including creating visually appealing and functional interfaces.
- Proven experience conducting and applying user research methods to inform design decisions.
- Ability to create and communicate design concepts through wireframes, mockups, prototypes, and user flows.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience designing for cross-channel experiences, such as responsive web and native mobile applications.
- Familiarity with working within and contributing to established design systems for consistency and scalability.
- Experience collaborating effectively within agile development teams.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and storytelling skills to articulate design rationale and insights to diverse audiences.
- Proficiency with leading design tools such as Figma for creating and collaborating on design artifacts.
๐จ Portfolio & Creative Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- Present a curated portfolio showcasing a range of UX/UI design projects that demonstrate your end-to-end design process.
- Include detailed case studies that articulate the problem you solved, your design approach, key decisions, and the impact of your work.
- Showcase your ability to create visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces across different platforms (e.g., web, mobile).
- If applicable, demonstrate your technical understanding through examples of design handoff to engineering or prototyping for user testing.
Process Documentation:
- Clearly document your research and discovery phase, including methods used (e.g., user interviews, surveys, competitive analysis) and key findings.
- Illustrate your ideation and iteration process, showing how you explored different design solutions and refined your concepts based on feedback.
- Detail your validation and testing approaches, including usability testing methodologies and how user feedback informed your design iterations.
๐ต Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $104,550.00 - $172,200.00 annually. This range reflects the competitive market rate for a Senior UX/UI Designer with the specified experience level and location in the United States, specifically considering the cost of living and industry standards in the listed hybrid locations (Chevy Chase, MD; New York City, NY; Chicago, IL; San Jose, CA; Fredericksburg, VA). The final offer will be determined based on the candidate's experience, qualifications, and the specific responsibilities of the role.
Benefits:
- Comprehensive Total Rewards program designed to support overall well-being.
- Financial benefits including market-competitive compensation and a 401K savings plan with immediate vesting and a 6% company match.
- Performance and recognition-based incentives to reward contributions and impact.
- Tuition assistance program to support continuous learning and professional development.
- Access to additional benefits such as mental healthcare, fertility assistance, and adoption assistance.
Working Hours: Full-time role, typically 40 hours per week. The hybrid work model offers flexibility, with 3 days per week required on-site at one of the designated locations.
๐ฏTeam & Company Context
๐ข Company & Design Culture
Industry: Insurance. GEICO is a major player in the U.S. insurance market, known for its direct-to-consumer model. This implies a focus on user-friendly digital experiences for policy management, claims, and sales, presenting unique design challenges and opportunities in a highly regulated industry.
Company Size: 10,001+ employees (according to LinkedIn). As a large, established organization, GEICO likely has mature processes and structures. For design professionals, this can mean opportunities to work on large-scale projects with significant user impact, but potentially also navigating complex organizational dynamics.
Founded: 1936. With a long history, GEICO has a strong brand identity and established customer base. The design team will likely play a key role in modernizing digital experiences while maintaining brand consistency and trust.
Team Structure:
- The design team is described as multi-disciplinary, suggesting a collaborative environment with diverse skill sets (UX, UI, Research).
- Designers work directly with product management, indicating a close partnership in defining product strategy and requirements.
- Collaboration with engineering and business teams is explicitly mentioned, highlighting the need for strong cross-functional teamwork.
Methodology:
- Emphasis on human-centered design methods, including discovery, research, and user testing, suggests a commitment to understanding user needs.
- Experience working in agile development teams is preferred, indicating an iterative and collaborative approach to product development.
- Familiarity with working in an established design system points towards a focus on consistency, efficiency, and scalability in design execution.
Company Website: https://on.gei.co/aboutcareers
๐ Career & Growth Analysis
Design Career Level: Senior UX/UI Designer. This role is for an experienced professional expected to take ownership of design initiatives, mentor junior designers (though not explicitly stated, it's common at this level), and significantly contribute to product strategy and execution. The level implies a depth of experience in both UX process and UI execution.
Reporting Structure: While the direct reporting structure is not specified, Senior Designers typically report to a Design Lead, Manager, or Director. The collaborative nature suggests reporting lines that facilitate close work with product and engineering teams.
Design Impact: Design is positioned as central to achieving customer and business needs. Senior designers are expected to "design high quality solutions that put the customer at the center and achieving outcomes that move our business forward," indicating a significant impact on key business metrics and customer satisfaction.
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential for growth into Design Lead or Design Manager roles, taking on more leadership responsibilities and team management.
- Opportunities to specialize in specific areas of UX (e.g., research, strategy) or UI (e.g., design systems, interaction design) based on interest and business needs.
- Advancement through individual contributor paths, becoming a Principal Designer or Staff Designer with deeper technical expertise and strategic influence.
๐ Work Environment
Studio Type: Hybrid. The role requires being on-site 3 days a week at one of the listed office locations. This suggests a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work flexibility.
Office Location(s): Chevy Chase, MD; New York City, NY; Chicago, IL; San Jose, CA; Fredericksburg, VA. Candidates must be able to commute to one of these locations regularly.
Design Workspace Context:
- Hybrid model likely means a mix of dedicated desk space, meeting rooms for collaboration, and potentially shared creative spaces in the office.
- The on-site requirement is intended to facilitate in-person collaboration, workshops, and spontaneous team interactions.
- Remote work days offer flexibility and the ability to focus on individual design tasks.
Work Schedule: Full-time, with the hybrid requirement dictating which days are spent in the office. The specific schedule for on-site days may vary by location or team. The GEICO Flex program, allowing up to four weeks of work from anywhere in the US per year, adds an extra layer of flexibility.
๐ Application & Portfolio Review Process
Design Interview Process:
- Initial Screening: Often involves a recruiter call to discuss your experience and fit for the role. Be prepared to briefly highlight your relevant design experience and portfolio.
- Portfolio Review/Presentation: A key step where you'll walk through selected case studies from your portfolio to demonstrate your design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Be prepared to discuss your rationale and decisions in detail.
- Technical/Skills Interview: May involve discussing your proficiency with design tools (like Figma), your understanding of design systems, and your experience with agile methodologies.
- Design Challenge/Exercise: Some companies include a practical exercise or take-home challenge to assess your design skills and process under pressure. Be prepared to articulate your approach and present your solution.
- Team/Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with potential team members, product managers, and engineers to assess collaboration style and cultural fit.
- Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager focusing on your leadership potential, strategic thinking, and overall fit for the team and organization.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Tailor your portfolio presentation to highlight projects most relevant to GEICO's business (e.g., complex user flows, cross-channel experiences, large-scale systems).
- For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your design process (research, ideation, testing), key design decisions, and the impact of your work (using metrics if possible).
- Be prepared to discuss the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
- Showcase your collaboration skills by explaining how you worked with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders.
Challenge Preparation:
- If given a design challenge, clarify the scope, timeline, and expected deliverables.
- Focus on demonstrating your design process, not just the final outcome. Show your thinking, iterations, and rationale.
- Be prepared to present your solution and explain your design decisions to a panel.
ATS Keywords: User Experience Design, UX, UI, User Interface, Human-Centered Design, Design Thinking, User Research, Usability Testing, Wireframing, Prototyping, Mockups, User Flows, Journey Mapping, Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, Design Systems, Agile, Scrum, Collaboration, Communication, Storytelling, Responsive Design, Mobile Design, Product Design, Interaction Design, Information Architecture, Visual Design, Stakeholder Management, Cross-Functional Teams, Design Strategy.
๐ Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Design Tools:
- Figma: Explicitly mentioned as a proficiency requirement, suggesting it's the primary tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration within the team. Expect to use Figma extensively for creating wireframes, mockups, interactive prototypes, and delivering design specifications.
- Other Design Software: While not explicitly mentioned, familiarity with other industry-standard tools like Sketch, Adobe XD, or the Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator) might be beneficial, depending on specific project needs.
Collaboration & Handoff:
- Figma: Its collaborative features likely facilitate real-time teamwork and design reviews.
- Handoff Tools: Tools like Zeplin, Avocode, or built-in Figma handoff features may be used for providing specifications and assets to engineering teams.
- Documentation Tools: Tools for maintaining design systems and style guides may be in use.
Research & Testing:
- User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting remote user interviews, surveys (e.g., SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics), and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback) are likely part of the research toolkit.
- Analytics Tools: Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to understand user behavior and measure design impact could be beneficial.
๐ฅ Team Culture & Values
Design Values:
- Customer Obsession: A core value emphasized in the job description, indicating a strong focus on understanding and meeting customer needs through design.
- Human-Centered Design: The advocacy for human-centered methods suggests a culture that prioritizes user research, empathy, and designing solutions from the user's perspective.
- Collaboration: The need to work closely with product, engineering, and business teams highlights a collaborative environment where design is integrated into the broader product development process.
- Innovation & Growth Mindset: While not explicitly stated as a design value, the company's mission to "constantly evolving to stay ahead of their needs" and the emphasis on "a growth mindset" within the design team suggests a culture that encourages exploring new ideas and continuous learning.
Collaboration Style:
- Cross-functional collaboration is key, with designers working directly with product managers and engineers.
- Agile methodology suggests an iterative and collaborative workflow with regular communication and feedback loops.
- Working within an established design system implies a collaborative approach to maintaining and evolving the system.
โก Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Design Challenges:
- Designing in a Regulated Industry: Navigating the complexities and constraints of the insurance industry while creating innovative and user-friendly experiences.
- Large-Scale Product Development: Working on complex, enterprise-level products with a large user base, requiring careful consideration of scalability and impact.
- Balancing Business Goals and User Needs: Finding design solutions that effectively meet both customer needs and GEICO's business objectives.
- Maintaining Consistency with a Design System: Contributing to and utilizing an established design system while also pushing for innovation and improvement.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Skill Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific areas of UX/UI design, such as research, interaction design, or design systems.
- Industry Knowledge: Gaining deep insights into the insurance industry and its unique design challenges.
- Mentorship and Leadership: Potential to mentor junior designers and develop leadership skills within the team.
- Continuous Learning: Access to tuition assistance and potentially other learning resources to stay updated on design trends and technologies.
๐ก Interview Preparation
Design Process Questions:
- Be prepared to walk through a project from your portfolio that demonstrates your complete design process, from understanding the problem to delivering the solution and measuring its impact.
- Discuss how you approach user research, synthesize findings, and translate them into design requirements.
- Explain your methods for ideation, prototyping, and testing design solutions.
- Describe how you collaborate with product managers and engineers throughout the design process.
Company Culture Questions:
- Research GEICO's history, values, and recent initiatives. Be prepared to discuss why you are interested in working specifically for GEICO and how your skills and values align with their culture.
- Ask questions about the design team's structure, collaboration style, and how design is valued within the organization.
- Inquire about the challenges the design team is currently facing and how they approach problem-solving.
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Select 2-3 projects that best showcase your skills and experience relevant to a Senior UX/UI role at a large company like GEICO.
- For each project, structure your presentation using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or a similar framework to clearly articulate your process and impact.
- Focus on telling a compelling story about your design journey and the value you delivered.
- Be prepared to answer detailed questions about your design decisions and technical considerations.
๐ Application Steps
To apply for this design position:
- Submit your application through this link.
- Customize your design portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate experience with complex systems, cross-channel design, and a strong focus on user outcomes, aligning with GEICO's business context.
- Optimize your resume and cover letter by incorporating relevant ATS keywords from the list provided and tailoring your experience to the requirements of a Senior UX/UI Designer role in a large organization.
- Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on clearly articulating your design process, rationale, and the impact of your work.
- Research GEICO's digital products, target audience, and recent design initiatives to demonstrate your understanding of their business and design challenges during interviews.