Principal Product Designer - Unified Global Experience Ecosystem

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Principal Product Designer - Unified Global Experience Ecosystem

Company: Speridian Technologies

Location: Sacramento, California, United States (Remote)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX Strategy

Date Posted: March 09, 2026

Experience Level: 8+ Years (Principal Level)

Remote Status: Fully Remote (with occasional in-person meetings in Sacramento area)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design of a unified global experience platform, focusing on the foundational elements of a complex, multi-application ecosystem for a large-scale government modernization project.

• Define and govern the enterprise-level UX standards, information architecture, and navigation systems that ensure consistency and coherence across diverse mission-critical applications.

• Translate high-level enterprise platform strategy into actionable, durable user experience patterns and interaction contracts for independent product teams.

• Drive the adoption of global UX standards and frameworks, enabling product teams to operate within a cohesive digital environment while maintaining autonomy.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is explicitly defined as a "platform design leadership role" rather than a feature design role, indicating a high degree of strategic impact and responsibility for the overarching user experience architecture. The focus on a "Unified Global Experience Ecosystem" suggests a need for deep understanding of complex system design and scalability.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal designer for the Global Experience Platform, encompassing way-finding, the public-to-authenticated "front door" experience, and information architecture across the portal.

• Define and evolve global navigation systems, orientation patterns, and cross-application UX contracts and interaction standards.

• Establish standards for workflow context presentation, ensuring consistent surfacing of state, progress, and status across all applications.

• Develop and document reusable design patterns, guidelines, and global UX behavior standards for application teams to integrate into their products.

• Create adoption materials and onboarding guidance, supporting product teams in their integration with the global experience framework and measuring adoption for continuous iteration.

• Translate enterprise platform strategy into scalable UX systems and durable patterns that prevent fragmentation while preserving team autonomy.

• Design the public-facing portal entry experience and ensure seamless continuity between public information and authenticated user environments.

• Create clear orientation models tailored for different user roles and organizational contexts within the government sector.

• Balance flexibility and standardization through principled design decisions, influencing multiple product teams without direct authority.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on governance, system design, and cross-functional influence, typical of a principal-level role focused on platform architecture rather than individual feature design. The need to document standards and create adoption materials points to a significant enablement component.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, candidates are expected to possess a strong theoretical and practical foundation in User Experience design principles, Information Architecture, and Systems Design, typically gained through a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 8+ years of professional product design experience, with a significant portion dedicated to platform or multi-product environments.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated systems thinking capabilities, with the ability to design interconnected ecosystems rather than isolated screens.

• Deep expertise in information architecture and complex navigation design for large-scale digital platforms.

• Proven experience in defining and governing design systems, global UX standards, or platform-level UX frameworks.

• Experience designing enterprise portals, application shells, or cross-application ecosystems.

• Proficiency in defining and enforcing UX standards and interaction contracts across multiple product teams.

• Demonstrated ability to influence and align multiple product teams toward a common UX vision without direct reporting authority.

• Strong written communication skills for documenting standards, guidelines, and adoption materials.

• Exceptional facilitation and stakeholder alignment skills, essential for managing diverse product teams and executive leadership.

• An ownership mentality and the ability to create structure and clarity within complex, ambiguous environments.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing experiences that integrate identity and role-based access management systems.

• Experience working with workflow-driven or stateful systems, understanding how to represent and manage user progress.

• Experience within regulated industries such as healthcare, public sector, or financial services, understanding compliance and data sensitivity needs.

• Experience in creating adoption materials, enablement frameworks, or internal training for design and development teams.

• Familiarity with agile methodologies and experience collaborating closely with engineering teams.

• Prototyping skills to visualize complex system interactions and patterns.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Required Experience" section clearly delineates the core competencies expected for this principal-level platform design role, emphasizing strategic thinking and cross-functional leadership over specific tool proficiency. The "Highly Valued Experience" points towards specific industry and system complexities that would be advantageous.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a strong ability to conceptualize and design complex systems and ecosystems, showcasing how different components interact and contribute to a unified experience.

• Include case studies that highlight experience in defining information architecture, navigation strategies, and user flow across multiple applications or a large platform.

• Showcase examples of establishing and governing UX standards, design systems, or interaction contracts, illustrating how these frameworks were implemented and adopted.

• Present projects that reflect an understanding of enterprise-level challenges, such as scalability, consistency, and the balance between standardization and team autonomy.

Process Documentation:

• Showcase examples of process documentation for defining and evolving UX standards, including workflow diagrams, pattern libraries, and governance models.

• Include documentation related to user research, information architecture mapping, and the creation of user journey maps for complex systems.

• Demonstrate experience in creating onboarding guides, adoption materials, or enablement resources for product teams integrating into a larger platform.

• Illustrate how feedback loops were established to measure the adoption and effectiveness of UX standards and iterate on them over time.

📝 Enhancement Note: As this is a principal-level role focused on platform strategy and governance, the portfolio should emphasize strategic design thinking, systems architecture, and the ability to influence and enable other teams, rather than solely focusing on individual UI designs. The documentation of processes and governance is crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Principal Product Designers in the Sacramento, CA area with 8+ years of experience in enterprise/platform design, a competitive salary range is estimated to be between $160,000 - $220,000 annually. This estimate considers the seniority of the role, the specialized nature of platform design, and the high cost of living in California.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Retirement savings plan (e.g., 401(k)) with potential company match.

• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

• Professional development opportunities, including training, conferences, and certifications relevant to UX and platform design.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses or incentives.

• Flexible work arrangements, including full remote status.

Working Hours: Standard 40-hour work week, Monday through Friday, with expected adherence to Pacific Time Zone business hours. Occasional flexibility may be required for critical project milestones or cross-time zone collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on industry data for Principal Product Designers, factoring in location (California) and the specialized nature of enterprise platform design. Benefits are standard for full-time roles in the US tech/government contracting sector.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare. Speridian Technologies is a technology consulting and services firm that partners with government entities, including the State of California's Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS). The project focus is on a large-scale technical modernization within the behavioral health sector, emphasizing innovation and public service.

Company Size: Speridian Technologies is a mid-sized to large enterprise, indicated by its extensive project scope and partnerships with state government agencies. This suggests a structured environment with established processes but also the capacity for significant, impactful projects.

Founded: Speridian Technologies was founded in 2001. This long history suggests stability, experience, and a mature operational framework.

Team Structure:

• The role is within the Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS) Behavioral Health Transformation initiative, a vast, long-term project.

• The Principal Product Designer will likely work within a dedicated product or design team focused on the "Global Experience Platform," reporting to executive product leadership.

Methodology:

• The project emphasizes agile methodologies and a commitment to continuous improvement.

• Design will be driven by translating enterprise platform strategy into user experience standards.

• A data-driven approach is implied, with a focus on measurable outcomes and user adoption.

Company Website: https://www.speridian.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The context of working for a government client (DHCS) within a large modernization project implies a need for robust documentation, adherence to standards, and a focus on long-term usability and scalability. The company culture section is inferred from the nature of the client and the project.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Principal-level position, signifying a senior individual contributor role with significant strategic influence and leadership responsibilities. It involves shaping the foundational architecture of a large digital ecosystem, requiring deep expertise and the ability to guide and influence others.

Reporting Structure: The Principal Product Designer will report to executive product leadership within the DHCS Behavioral Health Transformation initiative. They will also work closely with engineering leadership and product managers for various integrated applications.

Operations Impact: The role's impact is foundational to the entire digital transformation. By defining the "Global Experience Platform," this position directly influences how citizens and professionals interact with critical health services, impacting usability, efficiency, adoption rates, and the overall success of the modernization project. It ensures that individual application efforts contribute to a cohesive, scalable, and user-friendly system.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in platform design, information architecture, and UX governance within large-scale government or enterprise environments.

• Leadership: Transition into a design leadership role, potentially managing a team of designers focused on platform or core experience components.

• Strategic Influence: Continue to influence strategic direction for future phases of the modernization project or other large-scale digital initiatives.

• Industry Expertise: Become a recognized expert in designing complex, regulated digital ecosystems, particularly within healthcare and public sector technology.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Principal" title signifies a high level of autonomy and influence. Growth opportunities are framed around deepening expertise, moving into management, or increasing strategic impact within large-scale digital transformation projects.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is a fully remote role, offering flexibility and the ability to work from anywhere within the US. However, occasional in-person meetings in the Sacramento area are expected, likely for key strategic discussions, team alignment, or critical project milestones.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the client is the State of California, Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS), with expected in-person engagements in the Sacramento area.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: Expect a heavily collaborative remote environment, utilizing digital tools for communication, design, and project management.

• Tooling: Access to necessary design and collaboration software will be provided or expected. The focus will be on digital tools that facilitate remote teamwork and design system management.

• Team Interaction: Regular virtual meetings, syncs, and workshops with product leadership, engineering, and other design stakeholders.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is Monday to Friday, adhering to Pacific Time Zone business hours (40 hours per week). This ensures alignment with the client and core project teams.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature is a key aspect, but the requirement for occasional travel to Sacramento indicates a need for candidates located within reasonable proximity or willing to travel.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience in platform design, systems thinking, and relevant qualifications.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to delve deeper into your experience, approach to platform design, and understanding of enterprise UX challenges. This may involve behavioral questions.

• Design Challenge/Portfolio Presentation: A comprehensive review of your portfolio, likely involving a presentation of a relevant case study. This will focus on your systems design approach, information architecture, governance strategies, and ability to influence. You may be asked to walk through a complex system you designed or contributed to.

• Stakeholder/Team Interviews: Interviews with executive product leadership, engineering leads, and potentially other designers to assess strategic alignment, collaboration skills, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: A final discussion to confirm fit and address any remaining questions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Systems: Showcase projects that demonstrate your ability to design comprehensive systems, not just individual screens. Highlight how components interact and contribute to a cohesive whole.

• Information Architecture & Navigation: Clearly articulate your approach to structuring information and designing navigation for complex, multi-application environments.

• Design Governance: Present examples of how you've established and managed design systems, UX standards, or interaction contracts. Explain your process for ensuring adoption and compliance.

• Strategic Impact: Emphasize the business or user impact of your platform design work. Quantify results where possible (e.g., improved user adoption, reduced fragmentation, increased efficiency).

• Influence & Collaboration: Describe situations where you had to influence multiple teams or stakeholders to adopt your design vision. Detail your communication and negotiation strategies.

• Structure & Clarity: Organize your portfolio logically, with clear project descriptions, your role, the problem, your process, and the outcomes.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss your approach to designing for ambiguity and complex, evolving systems.

• Anticipate questions about how you balance standardization with team autonomy.

• Practice articulating your design decisions and their strategic rationale.

• Be ready to discuss your experience with regulated industries and the unique challenges they present.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "Principal" role and "platform design" means the interview process will heavily scrutinize strategic thinking, systems design capabilities, and the ability to influence at an organizational level. Portfolio presentation is critical.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar industry-standard tools for creating wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes.

• Information Architecture Tools: Miro, Lucidchart, Whimsical, or similar for mapping complex information structures, user journeys, and system diagrams.

• Collaboration Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom for communication and virtual collaboration.

• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar for tracking tasks and project progress.

Analytics & Reporting: While not a primary focus for the designer role, an understanding of how analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, custom dashboards) are used to measure user behavior and adoption of UX standards would be beneficial.

CRM & Automation: Familiarity with enterprise CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and workflow automation tools is a plus, as it provides context for how users interact with systems and manage processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: Specific tool proficiency is less emphasized than the ability to apply design principles to complex systems. The tools listed are standard for senior UX roles, with a focus on collaboration and system design.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: The core values of the DHCS program are:

• Partnership: Respect for others, practicing empathy, and earning trust are paramount, crucial for collaborating with diverse teams and stakeholders.

• Ownership: Taking accountability, showing reliability, and acting with integrity are expected, reflecting the responsibility of working on critical public services.

• Grit: Bringing passion, exhibiting perseverance, and demonstrating resilience are vital for tackling complex modernization challenges.

• Value: Driving outcomes, maximizing impact, and continuous improvement are central to the mission of transforming government services.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative environment where designers work closely with product managers, engineers, researchers, and executive leadership.

• Principled Design: Decisions are expected to be grounded in strategic principles and user needs, with a focus on creating coherent systems.

• Open Communication: A culture that likely encourages open feedback, discussion, and alignment on design standards and approaches.

• Enablement Focus: A collaborative approach that prioritizes supporting and enabling other product teams to successfully adopt and integrate with the global experience framework.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of company values provides insight into the expected professional conduct and team dynamics. The role requires strong interpersonal and communication skills to foster collaboration and drive adoption.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Ambiguity: Navigating a large-scale modernization project with evolving requirements and a complex stakeholder landscape.

• Influencing Without Authority: Driving adoption of UX standards and platform vision across multiple autonomous product teams.

• Balancing Standardization and Autonomy: Creating a unified experience that feels coherent yet allows individual application teams the flexibility to innovate within defined boundaries.

• Scalability and Long-Term Vision: Designing a platform that can scale effectively to accommodate future growth and technological advancements.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent understanding and buy-in from diverse groups, including product, engineering, and business stakeholders.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Platform Design Mastery: Deepen expertise in architecting complex, multi-application digital ecosystems and establishing robust UX governance.

• Industry Knowledge: Gain in-depth understanding of the healthcare and public sector domains, including regulatory compliance and user needs in these areas.

• Strategic Leadership: Develop skills in translating high-level strategy into tangible design systems and influencing organizational direction.

• Mentorship: Opportunity to mentor junior designers or contribute to the growth of the design practice within the organization.

• Professional Development: Access to training, conferences, and resources to stay current with UX best practices and emerging technologies in platform design.

📝 Enhancement Note: Identifying potential challenges allows candidates to prepare for the complexities of the role and demonstrate problem-solving skills. Growth opportunities highlight the long-term value and development potential of the position.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed a complex system or ecosystem. What were the key challenges, your approach, and the outcome?" (Focus on systems thinking, IA, and governance.)

• "How do you approach defining UX standards or a design system for multiple product teams? How do you ensure adoption?" (Prepare to discuss your governance and enablement strategies.)

• "Walk us through a project where you had to influence stakeholders or other teams to adopt your design vision. What was your strategy?" (Highlight your influence and collaboration skills.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working on a government modernization project, specifically within healthcare and behavioral health?" (Research DHCS and its mission.)

• "How do you align your design philosophy with organizational values like Partnership, Ownership, Grit, and Value?" (Connect your work style to the stated values.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Narrative Arc: Structure your case study presentation with a clear beginning (problem), middle (your process, decisions, challenges), and end (solution, impact).

• Visuals are Key: Use high-fidelity mockups, diagrams, and flowcharts to illustrate your systems thinking and design solutions.

• Focus on "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design decisions, linking them back to user needs, business goals, and platform strategy.

• Quantify Impact: Where possible, present metrics or evidence of the impact your design work has had.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your process, tools, and decision-making at every stage.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, systems design expertise, and strong communication and influence skills, aligning with the principal-level and platform-centric nature of the role.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Principal Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects showcasing systems design, information architecture, UX governance, and experience influencing multiple teams. Prioritize case studies demonstrating your ability to design foundational platform experiences.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 8+ years of experience, emphasizing platform design, enterprise portals, and any relevant experience in regulated industries. Use keywords from the job description such as "systems thinking," "information architecture," "UX governance," and "platform design."

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills, particularly concerning complex systems and cross-team influence. Prepare to present a relevant portfolio case study effectively.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Speridian Technologies, the Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS), and the goals of the Behavioral Health Transformation initiative. Understand their mission and values to demonstrate your alignment.

⚠️ 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.