Lead UI Designer - AI

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead UI Designer - AI Company: Global Relay Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Job Type: Full-Time Category: Design Operations / Product Design Leadership Date Posted: February 05, 2026 Experience Level: 10+ Years Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role leads the strategic direction and execution of user interface (UI) design for AI-driven features, ensuring scalability, accessibility, and customer needs are met.
• It involves close collaboration with UX designers, engineers, and cross-functional teams to translate complex requirements into intuitive, high-quality user interfaces.
• The position requires hands-on design work, including user flows, prototypes, interaction models, and detailed design specifications, while also providing mentorship and guidance to other UI designers.
• A key aspect is championing design standards, driving innovation in design systems, and elevating the overall design culture within the organization to foster impactful product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the input is for a "Lead UI Designer - AI," the core responsibilities and required experience strongly lean into product design leadership and design operations principles, particularly concerning design systems, cross-functional alignment, and team management. The "AI" aspect highlights a specialization in designing for emerging technologies.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead UI design initiatives for AI-driven features, from initial discovery and concepting through to final delivery, ensuring a seamless user experience.
• Collaborate closely with UX designers to define user journeys, interaction models, and detailed visual specifications for new components and patterns.
• Develop clear, implementation-ready design documentation and assets for engineering teams to ensure accurate and high-fidelity UI development.
• Foster strong partnerships with product management, engineering, and compliance teams to build consensus and ensure alignment on design solutions.
• Mentor and guide junior UI designers, conduct design reviews, and contribute actively to the evolution and governance of the company's design system.
• Champion accessibility standards and inclusive design principles throughout the design process, ensuring products are usable by a diverse user base.
• Translate business requirements and user needs into elegant, scalable, and user-friendly interface designs for enterprise-grade applications.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of product design by identifying opportunities for innovation and improvement in user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities were expanded to include more specific design operations and product leadership tasks, such as "developing clear, implementation-ready design documentation," "fostering strong partnerships with product management, engineering, and compliance teams," and "championing accessibility standards." This aligns with the "Lead" aspect of the title and the emphasis on cross-functional collaboration.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong portfolio demonstrating equivalent knowledge and experience in UI/UX design for complex applications is essential. Experience: 10+ years of experience in UI and visual design for web, desktop, and mobile applications, with a minimum of 2 years in a design leadership or initiative management capacity.

Required Skills:

• Expert-level proficiency in UI design and visual design principles for web, desktop, and mobile platforms.
• Proven experience leading design projects, managing stakeholder expectations, and guiding design teams or initiatives.
• Deep expertise in building, scaling, and governing design systems, including component libraries, design tokens, and scalable UI frameworks.
• Advanced prototyping skills for concept validation, user flow definition, and rapid iteration throughout the design lifecycle.
• Strong understanding and practical application of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and inclusive design principles.
• Extensive experience collaborating with engineering teams to ensure high-quality implementation of designs from concept to release.
• Demonstrated ability to articulate design decisions clearly, supported by evidence-based rationale and compelling storytelling.
• Expert proficiency in Figma, with a strong command of its advanced features for complex design projects and system design.
• Experience designing responsive interfaces across desktop, iOS, and Android platforms.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with traditional design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite.
• Experience with micro-animations and motion design to enhance user experience.
• Experience working in an enterprise business environment and with Agile development methodologies.
• Experience in regulated or compliance-heavy industries, such as financial services.
• Published case studies showcasing in-depth research and problem-solving capabilities.
• Experience contributing to design strategy and shaping overall product direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications were detailed to reflect the seniority of a "Lead" role, emphasizing leadership experience, deep design system expertise, and specific tool proficiencies like Figma. "Nice to have" items were categorized under preferred skills to provide a clearer distinction.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a strong track record of delivering large-scale, world-class digital products, showcasing end-to-end design process from discovery to delivery.
• Include detailed case studies highlighting the application and contribution to mature design systems, emphasizing component libraries, design tokens, and governance.
• Showcase examples of creating scalable, user-accessible UI components and patterns that meet diverse customer needs.
• Present work that clearly articulates the impact of design decisions, backed by user research, data-driven rationale, and iterative validation.
• Provide evidence of designing and implementing responsive interfaces across desktop, iOS, and Android platforms.

Process Documentation:

• Clearly document user flows, interaction models, and final design specifications for engineering teams, showcasing clarity and implementation readiness.
• Illustrate the process of collaborating with UX designers, engineers, and cross-functional teams to build alignment and ensure high-quality implementation.
• Detail how design standards are proposed, aligned upon, and shared across teams, demonstrating a systematic approach to design consistency.
• Showcase how experimentation, early concepts, and iterative validation are used to define problems and refine solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section was created to directly address the common requirement for operations-related roles to showcase their process and system proficiency through a portfolio. It emphasizes demonstrating the application of design systems, cross-functional collaboration, and iterative design processes, which are crucial for a Lead UI Designer.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $110,000 - $130,000 CAD per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Extended Health Benefits Program, including virtual healthcare services.
• Generous Wellness Allowance to support employee well-being.
• Paid Sick Days, ensuring support for employee health.
• Maternity/Parental Enhancement Program to support growing families.
• Annual Bonus program, rewarding performance and contribution.
• RRSP Contribution Matching Program to support long-term financial planning.
• Subsidized Meal Program provided by the in-house culinary team for Vancouver-based employees.
• Annual allotted vacation days that increase with tenure.

Working Hours: Standard 40 hours per week, with a focus on work-life rhythms and flexibility where possible within an on-site environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range was extracted and formatted as per the input. Benefits were listed comprehensively based on the provided text, with specific details to highlight the value proposition for potential candidates. The working hours were inferred as standard for a full-time role.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Enterprise Information Archiving, Cloud Archiving, Surveillance, eDiscovery, and Analytics Solutions. Global Relay operates in a highly regulated technology sector, requiring a strong emphasis on security, compliance, and data integrity. Company Size: Global Relay is presented as an established company with a significant presence, suggesting a structured but innovative environment where individual contributions are recognized. The need to "grow the team" implies ongoing expansion and opportunity. Founded: Global Relay has been setting standards for over 25 years, indicating a mature, stable company with deep industry expertise and a long-term vision.

Team Structure:

• The UI design team is part of a broader product development function, working closely with UX designers and engineers.
• The Lead UI Designer will manage other UI Designers, suggesting a hierarchical structure within the design discipline.
• Collaboration is emphasized across Product, Engineering, and Compliance departments, indicating a cross-functional team approach to product development.

Methodology:

• The design process is described as one of discovery, utilizing experimentation, early concepts, and iterative validation.
• Emphasis is placed on creating scalable, user-accessible components and patterns, suggesting a systematic and modular approach to UI development.
• Design systems are central to the methodology, ensuring consistency, efficiency, and maintainability across products.

Company Website: www.globalrelay.com

📝 Enhancement Note: This section synthesizes company information from the "Who we are" and "What you can expect" sections, framing it within the context of operations and product development. The company's long history and regulated industry are highlighted for their implications on design and compliance.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a senior leadership level within the design function. It requires not only expert-level individual contribution in UI design and design systems but also the ability to lead, mentor, and influence strategy. The scope includes driving design for critical AI features and shaping the design culture. Reporting Structure: The Lead UI Designer will manage other UI Designers, indicating a direct reporting line for those designers. The Lead will likely report to a Director of Product, Head of Design, or a similar senior leadership role within the product organization. Operations Impact: The Lead UI Designer's work directly impacts the usability, accessibility, and adoption of AI-driven features, which are critical for Global Relay's enterprise clients. By ensuring high-quality UI implementation and driving design system maturity, this role contributes significantly to product quality, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, the company's competitive advantage in regulated markets.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Expansion: Opportunity to grow the UI design team, define its structure, and establish best practices for design operations within Global Relay.
• Strategic Influence: Play a key role in shaping product direction and design strategy, particularly for cutting-edge AI features, influencing the future of enterprise information archiving.
• Design System Evolution: Lead the continuous improvement and expansion of the design system, driving consistency and efficiency across a complex product suite.
• Industry Expertise: Deepen expertise in designing for regulated industries and AI technologies, enhancing a niche and valuable skill set.
• Mentorship & Development: Develop leadership and mentorship skills by guiding and growing a team of talented designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section interprets the "Lead" aspect of the title and the emphasis on mentoring and strategic influence for career growth within a design operations context. It positions the role as a significant step for experienced designers looking to move into leadership.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Global Relay offers an on-site work environment, emphasizing collaboration and a structured workday. The company highlights its in-house culinary team and subsidized meal program, suggesting a focus on employee experience and comfort within the physical workspace. Office Location(s): Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This location offers access to a vibrant tech ecosystem and talent pool. Workspace Context:

• The environment is described as collaborative, with close interaction expected between UI designers, UX designers, and engineering teams.
• Access to design tools like Figma and potentially Adobe Creative Suite is expected, supporting efficient workflow and high-quality output.
• Opportunities for direct interaction with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Compliance) foster a holistic approach to product development.
• The company culture encourages creativity, innovation, and a focus on making an impact, suggesting a dynamic yet professional atmosphere.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is implied for a full-time, on-site role. The company mentions supporting "work-life rhythms," suggesting a balanced approach to productivity and employee well-being within the structured work environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section infers the work environment details from the "on-site" status, the mention of the in-house culinary team, and the emphasis on collaboration, providing context for operations professionals who value a structured and supportive physical workspace.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience, leadership capabilities, and design craft. Be prepared to articulate your role in significant projects.
• Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a design exercise or present a detailed case study from your portfolio that showcases your process for designing AI-driven features or contributing to a design system. Focus on problem definition, ideation, iterative refinement, and measurable outcomes.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with UX designers, engineers, and product managers to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to build alignment.
• Leadership Interview: A discussion with senior leadership (e.g., Head of Design, VP of Product) to assess strategic thinking, mentorship approach, and cultural fit.
• Final Round: Potentially a discussion focusing on your vision for design at Global Relay and how you would contribute to its growth and design culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 projects that best demonstrate your UI design expertise, leadership, design system contributions, and experience with complex applications (especially AI features if possible).
• Show, Don't Just Tell: For each project, clearly outline the problem statement, your specific role and contributions, the design process (discovery, ideation, prototyping, implementation), key challenges, and the final outcomes/impact. Use visuals effectively.
• Highlight Design Systems: If applicable, dedicate a section to your experience with design systems. Detail your role in creating, scaling, or governing components, tokens, and standards.
• Demonstrate AI/Innovation: If you have experience designing for AI or emerging technologies, explicitly showcase this. Explain how you approached the unique challenges and opportunities.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., improved conversion rates, reduced support tickets, increased user adoption).
• Storytelling: Frame your portfolio as a narrative that showcases your growth, problem-solving abilities, and leadership potential.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, ensure you fully understand the business context, user needs, and technical constraints. Ask clarifying questions.
• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a structured approach to problem-solving. Outline your steps, assumptions, and rationale clearly.
• Prioritize and Scope: For larger challenges, learn to prioritize key features or user flows and articulate why.
• Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your work concisely and compellingly, anticipating questions from various stakeholders (design, engineering, product).

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice tailored to a Lead UI Designer role, emphasizing portfolio content crucial for design leadership and operations, specific to AI features and design systems. It also outlines a typical interview process for senior design roles.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Expert-level proficiency is required. This will be the primary tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration, including advanced features for design systems, component libraries, and design tokens.
• Prototyping Tools: While Figma offers robust prototyping, familiarity with other specialized tools might be beneficial for complex interaction models or user flow validation.
• Design System Management Tools: Experience with platforms or methodologies for managing design tokens, component libraries, and style guides within Figma or integrated systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a primary focus for UI design, understanding how design impacts user behavior will involve familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to interpret user data and inform design decisions.
• Familiarity with dashboarding tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) may be useful for understanding product performance metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the core UI design responsibilities, but understanding how UI integrates with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and automation workflows can provide valuable context for enterprise applications.

Other Potential Tools:

• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator): Familiarity is considered an asset for traditional design tasks or asset creation.
• Motion Design Tools (e.g., After Effects, Principle): Experience with micro-animations and motion design is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section focuses on the tools and technology stack pertinent to a UI designer, with a strong emphasis on Figma and design system tools, as highlighted in the job description. It contextualizes their use within the design process and collaboration.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impact-Driven: A strong focus on making a tangible impact through design, ensuring that UI solutions directly address customer needs and business objectives.
• Collaborative Innovation: Encouraging a team environment where ideas are shared freely, and cross-functional input is valued to drive groundbreaking innovation.
• Commitment to Quality & Accessibility: A dedication to high-quality implementation and adherence to accessibility standards, ensuring products are robust and inclusive.
• Continuous Learning & Improvement: A culture that supports staying current with industry trends, emerging tools (especially in AI), and best practices in design and technology.
• Customer-Centricity: Designing with the end-user in mind, focusing on delivering intuitive and effective experiences for Global Relay's enterprise clientele.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative environment where designers work hand-in-hand with UX, product management, and engineering to ensure design feasibility and alignment.
• Design Review Culture: Regular design reviews are integral, providing opportunities for constructive feedback, knowledge sharing, and collective problem-solving.
• Open Communication: Encouraging clear, direct, and respectful communication to facilitate alignment and efficient problem-solving across diverse teams.
• Data-Informed Decisions: While design craft is paramount, there's an expectation to leverage user data and feedback to inform design choices and validate solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section synthesizes the company's stated values and culture points into attributes relevant to a design operations and leadership role. It emphasizes collaboration, impact, and continuous improvement, aligning with the company's mission and the role's responsibilities.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI Complexity: Translating the abstract and rapidly evolving nature of AI into intuitive and understandable user interfaces requires significant creativity and problem-solving.
• Balancing Innovation and Compliance: Ensuring that cutting-edge AI features meet stringent regulatory and compliance requirements within enterprise environments.
• Scalability and Governance: Maintaining consistency and quality across a large product suite and growing design system, especially as new AI features are introduced.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Effectively managing design expectations and ensuring buy-in from diverse stakeholders with potentially competing priorities.
• Leading and Growing a Team: Developing leadership skills to mentor designers, manage performance, and scale the design function to meet business demands.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Gaining deep expertise in the emerging field of AI user interface design, a highly sought-after skill.
• Design Leadership Development: Formal and informal opportunities to hone leadership, mentorship, and strategic planning skills.
• Design System Mastery: Becoming a leader in the development and governance of a mature, enterprise-level design system.
• Industry Exposure: Working within a regulated industry provides unique insights into compliance-driven design challenges.
• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Opportunities to learn from and collaborate with experts in UX, engineering, product management, and compliance.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section identifies potential challenges specific to designing AI features in a regulated enterprise, as well as growth opportunities that leverage these challenges for professional development, aligning with the "Lead" aspect of the role.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your process for designing a complex, AI-driven feature from concept to delivery. How do you ensure user accessibility and scalability?"
  • Preparation: Focus on your end-to-end design process, highlighting discovery, user flows, prototyping, iteration with engineers, and design system application. Emphasize how you handle ambiguity and translate complex AI concepts into user-friendly interfaces.
• "How do you approach leading and mentoring other UI designers? Share an example of a time you provided guidance that significantly improved a team member's work or a project outcome."
  • Preparation: Prepare specific examples of your leadership style, mentorship techniques, and how you conduct design reviews. Quantify the impact of your guidance.
• "Walk me through a significant design system you've worked on. What were the key challenges in its creation or governance, and how did you address them?"
  • Preparation: Be ready to discuss component libraries, design tokens, style guides, and governance models. Highlight your role in establishing standards and ensuring adoption across teams.
• "How do you balance the need for design innovation with strict regulatory and compliance requirements, especially when working with AI?"
  • Preparation: Discuss your strategies for staying informed about regulations, collaborating with compliance teams, and finding design solutions that are both innovative and compliant.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Global Relay and our mission in enterprise information archiving?"
  • Preparation: Research Global Relay's products, market position, and recent news. Connect your design philosophy and career goals to the company's objectives.
• "How do you champion design within an organization and influence its strategic direction?"
  • Preparation: Prepare examples of how you've advocated for design, presented to senior leadership, and influenced product decisions.
• "Describe your experience working with engineers. How do you ensure a high-fidelity implementation of your designs?"
  • Preparation: Discuss your methods for clear documentation, constructive feedback loops, and collaborative problem-solving with development teams.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: Begin with an overview of your career and leadership philosophy. Then, present 2-3 key projects that showcase your strengths in UI design, design systems, and leadership.
• Focus on Process and Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your specific role, the design process, challenges overcome, and the measurable outcomes. Use visuals effectively to illustrate key design decisions.
• Highlight Design System Contributions: If a project involved a design system, dedicate specific slides to its components, tokens, and governance, emphasizing your role in its development or application.
• Address AI/Innovation: If you have relevant AI design experience, ensure it's prominently featured and clearly explained.
• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your design choices, technical considerations, collaboration methods, and leadership approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides tailored interview preparation advice, focusing on strategic questions relevant to a Lead UI Designer role, design systems, AI features, and leadership, along with practical portfolio presentation strategies.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead UI Designer - AI position:

• Submit your application through the Global Relay careers portal via the provided URL: https://www.globalrelay.com/careers/jobs?gh_jid=5759577004.
• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your 10+ years of UI/visual design experience, 2+ years of design leadership, expertise in design systems, Figma proficiency, and any experience with AI features or regulated industries. Use keywords from the job description to ensure ATS compatibility.
• Refine Your Portfolio: Curate your portfolio to showcase 2-3 in-depth case studies demonstrating your leadership, end-to-end design process, design system contributions, and experience with complex applications. Ensure clear articulation of problems, solutions, and impact.
• Prepare for Design Challenges: Be ready to discuss your approach to designing AI-driven features and how you manage design systems and cross-functional collaboration. Practice presenting your portfolio concisely and compellingly.
• Research Global Relay: Understand the company's mission, products (especially in enterprise information archiving), and culture. Prepare thoughtful questions about the design team, product strategy, and future initiatives.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.