Senior UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer

Company: Children's Wisconsin

Location: Milwaukee, WI, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: May 1, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 years

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end user research and experience design for critical pediatric digital products, focusing on understanding the unique needs of children, families, and clinical staff.

• Translate complex research insights into actionable artifacts such as personas, journey maps, and service blueprints to guide strategic product development and enterprise-wide initiatives.

• Champion inclusive, trauma-informed, and accessible design principles across all digital touchpoints, including web, mobile, the Children's Wisconsin app, and in-hospital systems.

• Develop intuitive, emotionally supportive, and user-centered wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, screen-flow diagrams, and interactive prototypes.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, UX strategists, and clinical leaders to define requirements, refine designs, and contribute to a specialized pediatric design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior UX Designer, indicating a need for significant autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to mentor or guide less experienced designers. The emphasis on pediatric healthcare and a specialized design system suggests a unique challenge requiring empathy and a deep understanding of user vulnerability in a healthcare context.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive user research, including remote interviews, digital contextual inquiries, and usability testing sessions with patients, families, and clinical staff, extending support to enterprise-level studies.

• Synthesize qualitative and quantitative research findings into robust personas, detailed journey maps, service blueprints, and actionable insights that inform both product-specific teams and broader organizational initiatives.

• Advocate for the digital needs of children and caregivers, ensuring that diverse cultural, linguistic, and accessibility requirements are integrated into product work and enterprise projects.

• Develop intuitive and emotionally resonant digital experiences across web platforms, mobile applications, the Children's Wisconsin app, and integrated hospital systems.

• Create detailed wireframes, interactive prototypes, and clear screen-flow diagrams to effectively communicate design concepts and user interaction pathways.

• Partner with product managers, engineering teams, UX strategists, and clinical leadership to collaboratively define project requirements, align on priorities, and ensure design feasibility and impact.

• Support service design initiatives that seamlessly integrate digital and physical touchpoints within the patient and family experience.

• Actively participate in cross-functional design reviews, providing constructive feedback and contributing to the development and refinement of a pediatric-focused design system.

• Plan, execute, and analyze usability tests, often involving family resource groups and internal stakeholders, to validate design solutions and identify areas for improvement.

• Analyze user feedback and performance data to iteratively refine designs and enhance the overall quality and effectiveness of the digital experience.

• Measure and report on the impact of design decisions, focusing on key metrics such as patient satisfaction, operational efficiency, and the seamless integration into clinical workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of deep user research, strategic design thinking, and hands-on design execution. The emphasis on "enterprise level studies," "broader enterprise projects," and "service design initiatives" suggests this senior role will influence more than just individual products, impacting the organization's overall digital strategy and patient experience.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in conducting user research methodologies, including interviews, contextual inquiries, and usability testing.

• Proficiency in translating research findings into user-centric artifacts such as personas, journey maps, and service blueprints.

• Advanced skills in creating wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes using industry-standard tools like Figma or Sketch.

• A deep understanding of accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG), inclusive design principles, and trauma-informed design considerations, especially within a healthcare context.

• Ability to effectively communicate complex design concepts and research insights to both technical and non-technical stakeholders across various departments.

• Proven ability to champion the user's needs and advocate for user-centered design principles in a complex organizational environment.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with the Microsoft suite of tools for documentation, presentation, and collaboration.

• Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) UX Certification or equivalent professional development in UX.

• Familiarity with design system development and maintenance, particularly for healthcare applications.

• Experience with service design methodologies and mapping cross-channel experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio is critical and should heavily feature examples of a structured, user-centered design process. Given the "Senior" title and the emphasis on influencing enterprise initiatives, demonstrating strategic thinking, problem-solving complexity, and the ability to articulate the "why" behind design decisions will be key for candidates.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio that clearly articulates a user-centered design process from problem identification through to solution implementation and iteration.

• Case studies should highlight specific challenges faced, the research methodologies employed, design decisions made, and the measurable impact of those decisions on user outcomes and business objectives.

• Examples demonstrating proficiency in creating personas, journey maps, wireframes, and interactive prototypes for complex digital products.

• Evidence of collaboration with cross-functional teams (product, engineering, clinical) and how user advocacy was maintained throughout the design lifecycle.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate experience in documenting design processes, including user research plans, usability testing protocols, and design rationale.

• Showcase an ability to create and maintain design system components and guidelines to ensure consistency and scalability across digital products.

• Provide examples of how feedback and data from user testing and analytics were used to iterate on designs and improve user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Designer role, the portfolio needs to go beyond just visual design. It must showcase strategic thinking, research rigor, and the ability to measure and articulate the impact of design on user satisfaction and organizational goals within a healthcare context. Candidates should be prepared to walk through their process and justify their decisions with data and user insights.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans designed to support employee well-being.

• Generous paid time off (PTO) and holiday schedule, recognizing the importance of work-life balance.

• Retirement savings plan (e.g., 401(k)) with employer matching contributions.

• Opportunities for professional development, including training, conferences, and certifications relevant to UX and healthcare design.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providing confidential counseling and support services.

• Potential for tuition reimbursement for continuing education.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work week, typically 40 hours. While the role is primarily on-site, there may be occasional flexibility for remote work or adjusted hours, subject to team and project needs, and manager approval. Occasional evening or weekend availability might be required for user research or critical project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimation based on national averages for Senior UX Designers and adjusted for the Milwaukee market. Specific benefits packages can vary significantly, and candidates should inquire directly for precise details. The mention of "occasional evening or weekend availability" is common for roles requiring direct user interaction or critical project delivery.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Healthcare (Pediatric Health System)

Company Size: Large (likely 5,000+ employees, based on typical health system structures)

Founded: Children's Wisconsin has a long history, with its roots tracing back to 1897, signifying a deeply established and trusted organization in pediatric care.

Team Structure:

• The UX team likely operates within a larger Digital or IT department, potentially with a dedicated UX Strategy or Product Design group.

• This Senior UX Designer will likely report to a UX Manager, Director of Digital Experience, or Head of Product Design.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on user-centered design (UCD) principles, ensuring all digital solutions are built with the end-user in mind.

• Data-driven decision-making, utilizing research findings, usability testing results, and analytics to inform design choices and measure impact.

• Agile development methodologies are likely employed, requiring iterative design and collaboration within sprint cycles.

• A focus on empathy and understanding the unique challenges and emotional needs of children and families navigating the healthcare system.

• Commitment to continuous improvement and innovation in digital health offerings.

Company Website: https://www.childrenswi.org/

📝 Enhancement Note: Children's Wisconsin's mission-driven nature as a dedicated pediatric health system is a significant cultural factor. This means the UX team's work directly impacts the well-being of children and families, requiring a high degree of empathy, ethical consideration, and a commitment to improving healthcare access and outcomes.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior UX Designer

This level signifies a seasoned professional responsible for leading complex design projects, contributing to design strategy, and potentially mentoring junior team members. The role involves a high degree of autonomy and requires the ability to influence product direction and advocate for best practices.

Reporting Structure:

The Senior UX Designer will likely report to a UX Manager or Director of Digital Experience. They will work closely with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and clinical stakeholders, acting as a key design voice in product development lifecycles.

Operations Impact:

The impact of this role is significant, directly influencing patient satisfaction, the efficiency of clinical workflows, and the overall digital health experience for children and families. By creating intuitive and accessible digital tools, the Senior UX Designer contributes to better health outcomes, improved patient engagement, and operational efficiency within the healthcare system.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in pediatric UX, healthcare design, or specific areas like accessibility or service design.

• Leadership: Transition into a Lead UX Designer, UX Manager, or UX Strategist role, managing teams and driving larger design initiatives.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Gain deeper understanding of product management, clinical operations, and enterprise strategy.

• Mentorship: Provide guidance and support to junior UX designers and contribute to the development of a strong design culture within the organization.

• Industry Influence: Contribute to the broader UX community through presentations, articles, or participation in industry events focused on healthcare design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The progression from Senior UX Designer often involves taking on more strategic responsibilities, leading larger or more critical projects, and potentially developing leadership skills. The healthcare context offers unique opportunities for specialization in areas like patient engagement, health literacy, and digital therapeutics.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The primary work environment is likely a corporate office setting within the Children's Wisconsin system. This would typically involve an open-plan office or cubicle setup designed to foster collaboration.

Office Location(s):

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect a dynamic workspace that encourages interaction with colleagues from various departments, including product, engineering, and clinical teams.

• Tools and Technology: Access to modern design software (Figma, Sketch), prototyping tools, collaboration platforms (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Jira), and potentially specialized healthcare IT systems.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities for design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and project meetings, both in person and virtually. The emphasis on patient and family advisory groups means interaction may also extend to external stakeholders.

Work Schedule:

• The standard work schedule is full-time, generally Monday through Friday, aligning with typical business hours. While the role is primarily on-site, there might be some flexibility for hybrid arrangements or occasional remote work, subject to team needs and management approval. The nature of healthcare also means occasional flexibility for urgent needs or research may be required.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Milwaukee suggests a preference for in-person collaboration and direct engagement with the organization's resources and teams. This can be beneficial for building strong cross-functional relationships and understanding the nuances of the healthcare environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and resume, assessing your alignment with the core requirements and experience level.

• Portfolio Presentation: Candidates will typically be asked to present their portfolio to the hiring team, showcasing 2-3 key projects that demonstrate their UX process, problem-solving skills, and impact. Be prepared to discuss your role, the challenges, your approach, and the outcomes.

• Technical/Design Interviews: In-depth discussions about UX methodologies, tools (Figma/Sketch), accessibility, inclusive design, and how you approach specific design challenges. This may include whiteboard exercises or design critiques.

• Behavioral Interviews: Questions assessing your collaboration style, communication skills, empathy, ability to handle feedback, and alignment with Children's Wisconsin's values, particularly concerning patient care.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Meetings with product managers, engineers, and potentially clinical stakeholders to evaluate your ability to collaborate effectively and understand diverse perspectives.

• Final Interview: May involve a senior leader or executive to assess overall fit and strategic alignment.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select projects that best showcase your senior-level capabilities, problem-solving skills, and impact, ideally with a healthcare or complex user context.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, key decisions and rationale, your contributions, and the measurable results.

• Highlight Process: Emphasize your user research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration phases. Show how you translated insights into design solutions.

• Demonstrate Impact: Quantify outcomes whenever possible (e.g., increased user satisfaction scores, reduced task completion time, improved accessibility compliance).

• Accessibility & Empathy: Explicitly call out how you incorporated accessibility, inclusive design, and trauma-informed principles.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be ready for a potential design challenge or case study that might involve analyzing a healthcare scenario, improving an existing digital product, or designing a new feature.

• Focus on demonstrating your structured thinking, user-centric approach, and ability to articulate trade-offs and rationale under time pressure.

• Prepare to discuss how you would approach research, define requirements, and iterate on solutions for a given problem.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a "pediatric-focused design system" and "trauma informed design" suggests that interviewers will be looking for candidates who can articulate nuanced approaches to design challenges involving vulnerable populations. Demonstrating empathy and ethical considerations will be as important as technical design skills.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch (proficiency required in at least one)

• Collaboration & Project Management: Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams), Jira, Confluence

• User Research Platforms: Tools for remote interviews, usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze)

Analytics & Reporting:

• Tools for website and app analytics (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics)

CRM & Automation:

• While not primary UX tools, familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms can be beneficial for understanding the broader customer journey and data flow.

• Understanding of content management systems (CMS) for web platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma or Sketch is essential. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with these tools in detail, including their use for design systems, complex prototyping, and collaborative workflows. Familiarity with healthcare-specific platforms or EMR/EHR systems, while not explicitly required, could be a significant advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Patient-Centered Care: A deep commitment to the well-being and positive experience of children and their families is paramount. This translates to designing with empathy, prioritizing safety, and ensuring accessibility.

• Excellence and Innovation: Striving for the highest quality in all aspects of care and operations, including digital experiences, and embracing new approaches to improve outcomes.

• Collaboration and Teamwork: Fostering a supportive environment where diverse teams work together seamlessly to achieve common goals, breaking down silos between clinical, administrative, and technical departments.

• Integrity and Accountability: Upholding the highest ethical standards and taking responsibility for actions and decisions, particularly concerning patient data and trust.

• Inclusion and Diversity: Valuing and respecting all individuals, ensuring equitable access to care and opportunities for all, and creating an environment where everyone feels welcome and supported.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The design team actively collaborates with product management, engineering, clinical staff, and marketing to ensure a holistic approach to digital product development.

• Feedback-Driven: An open culture for constructive feedback during design reviews, usability testing sessions, and project retrospectives.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, research findings, and design patterns across the team and with other departments.

• Empathetic Communication: Prioritizing clear, compassionate, and effective communication, especially when interacting with patients, families, and clinical partners who may be under stress.

📝 Enhancement Note: The strong emphasis on patient-centered care and empathy will be a defining characteristic of the team's culture. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how their design philosophy aligns with these core values.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Vulnerable Populations: Creating digital experiences that are sensitive, accessible, and supportive for children and families facing health challenges, potentially including trauma or anxiety.

• Balancing Diverse Needs: Synthesizing the requirements of children (varying ages and abilities), parents/guardians, and busy clinical staff into a cohesive and effective digital solution.

• Navigating Complex Healthcare Systems: Understanding the intricate workflows, regulations, and technical constraints inherent in a large healthcare organization and integrating digital solutions seamlessly.

• Driving Adoption and Impact: Ensuring that designed solutions are not only user-friendly but also adopted by users and demonstrably improve patient outcomes, satisfaction, and operational efficiency.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized UX in Healthcare: Deepen expertise in areas like pediatric UX, health literacy design, digital therapeutics, and accessible healthcare technology.

• Service Design Expansion: Further develop skills in mapping and improving end-to-end patient journeys that span digital and physical touchpoints.

• Design System Mastery: Contribute to and potentially lead the evolution of a specialized design system for pediatric healthcare.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Opportunities to learn from clinical experts, patient advocates, and IT professionals to gain a holistic understanding of healthcare operations.

• Professional Certifications: Pursue advanced certifications in UX, accessibility, or healthcare informatics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The unique challenges of designing for pediatric healthcare require a specific skill set beyond general UX. The organization's investment in a "trauma informed design" approach signifies a commitment to addressing these complexities, offering significant growth opportunities for designers passionate about this domain.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a user group with unique accessibility or emotional needs. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on empathy, research, and specific design considerations for children/families).

• "How would you approach designing a new feature for our patient portal to improve communication between families and clinical teams, considering privacy and urgency?" (Assess problem-solving, workflow understanding, and user-centricity).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Children's Wisconsin specifically, and how do you see your UX skills contributing to our mission of helping kids?" (Demonstrate research into the organization's mission and values).

• "How do you ensure that your designs are inclusive and trauma-informed? Can you provide an example?" (Showcase understanding of these principles and practical application).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Begin with a high-level overview of the project and your role, then dive into the problem statement, research findings, design process (ideation, wireframing, prototyping, testing), key design decisions and rationale, and finally, the measurable impact or learnings.

• Highlight Key Contributions: Clearly delineate your specific contributions, especially if it was a team project.

• Emphasize Process & Rationale: Be prepared to explain why you made certain design choices, referencing user research, best practices, and business goals.

• Showcase Iteration: Demonstrate how you used feedback and data to refine your designs.

• Practice: Rehearse your presentation to ensure it flows logically, stays within time limits, and effectively communicates your expertise. Be ready for deep dives into any aspect of your work.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should prepare to discuss their experience with specific UX tools like Figma or Sketch in detail, including their proficiency with design system components, advanced prototyping features, and collaborative functionalities. The interviewers will likely probe into how candidates handle ambiguity and prioritize tasks in a fast-paced healthcare environment.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on the Children's Wisconsin careers portal.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight experience in user research, UX/product design, accessibility, inclusive design, and any healthcare-related projects. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Ensure your portfolio is polished, easily accessible (e.g., via a web link), and showcases 2-3 of your strongest, most relevant projects with detailed case studies. Be ready to present this during the interview process.

• Research Children's Wisconsin: Understand their mission, values, and recent digital initiatives. Familiarize yourself with the challenges and opportunities in pediatric healthcare technology.

• Practice Your Narrative: Prepare to articulate your design process, problem-solving approach, and the impact of your work, especially in relation to the specific requirements of this role and the healthcare context.

⚠️ 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.