Senior UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer

Company: Shaker Recruitment Marketing

Location: Oak Park, Illinois, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: UX/Product Design, Marketing Operations

Date Posted: May 11, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the end-to-end User Experience (UX) design of candidate-centric career websites, from initial discovery through successful launch.

• Drive the creation and maintenance of scalable, component-based design systems within Figma, ensuring alignment with employer brand strategies and platform constraints.

• Collaborate closely with Creative Directors, copywriters, developers, and project managers to translate brand direction into intuitive and engaging digital experiences.

• Champion accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA) and responsive design best practices throughout the entire design lifecycle, ensuring high-quality, inclusive user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior UX Designer, implying a need for strategic thinking, independent execution, and the ability to mentor or guide junior team members. The focus on "candidate-focused digital experiences" and "recruitment marketing" suggests a specialization within UX, requiring an understanding of employer branding and talent attraction goals.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Execute comprehensive UX workstreams across the full project lifecycle, including discovery, information architecture, wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design for career websites.

• Translate employer brand guidelines and research findings into clear, intuitive sitemaps, user journeys, personas, and wireframes that optimize candidate engagement and conversion.

• Design and build responsive, component-based layouts in Figma, leveraging auto layout, variants, and design tokens to establish and maintain robust design systems.

• Prepare detailed, developer-ready specifications and annotations in Figma, ensuring seamless handoff and accurate implementation by front-end developers across various CMS and custom platforms.

• Conduct heuristic evaluations and accessibility reviews to proactively identify and mitigate usability and compliance issues, ensuring adherence to WCAG 2.1 AA standards.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Creative Directors, copywriters, and developers, to ensure design fidelity, address platform constraints, and integrate flexible, modular content systems.

• Present design concepts and articulate creative rationale to internal stakeholders and clients, effectively communicating the value and user-centricity of proposed solutions.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of UX patterns, interaction standards, and documentation within the Creative team's frameworks, driving efficiency and quality.

• Partner with Project Managers to manage timelines, deliverables, and resource allocation effectively, ensuring projects are completed on schedule and within scope.

• Provide peer-level feedback and guidance to other creative team members, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented team environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of strategic UX thinking, hands-on design execution within Figma, and strong collaborative skills. The emphasis on "scalable, component-based systems" and "design systems" highlights the importance of a systematic approach to design, crucial for efficient production across multiple client projects and platforms.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in web design, UX design, or digital product design, with a strong emphasis on responsive web experiences and system-based design.

Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including mastery of auto layout, components, variants, design tokens, and the creation/maintenance of comprehensive design systems.

• Demonstrated ability to design responsive layouts and scalable systems that adapt seamlessly across various devices and screen sizes.

• Solid understanding of accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA) and best practices for inclusive design, with practical application in design deliverables.

• Experience in conducting user research, translating findings into actionable insights, and creating key UX artifacts such as sitemaps, wireframes, user flows, and information architecture.

• Proficiency in conducting heuristic evaluations and contributing to UX discovery sessions.

• Working knowledge of HTML/CSS, enabling effective communication of technical constraints and design feasibility with front-end development teams.

• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design decisions and rationale to diverse audiences, including clients and technical teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience in recruitment marketing, employer branding, or designing for specialized career website platforms.

• Familiarity with content strategy principles, collaborative copywriting workflows, or SEO best practices for web content.

• Exposure to motion design, micro-interaction prototyping, or utilizing AI-assisted design tools (e.g., Adobe Firefly) for conceptual exploration.

• Experience designing within Content Management System (CMS) environments or proprietary career website platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "agency experience preferred" highlights the need for resilience, adaptability, and strong client-facing communication skills, common in fast-paced agency settings. The explicit mention of "5+ years" and "advanced proficiency in Figma" positions this as a mid-to-senior level role requiring deep expertise.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio showcasing a minimum of 3-5 significant web design projects, with a strong emphasis on responsive design and system-based architecture.

• Demonstrate projects that highlight the translation of employer brand strategy into compelling candidate experiences and clear information architecture.

• Include examples of design systems, component libraries, or style guides that illustrate your approach to scalable and consistent design.

Process Documentation:

• Provide detailed case studies that walk through your design process for specific projects, articulating the problem, your approach, the solutions implemented, and the outcomes.

• Clearly document how you incorporated user research, accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA), and platform constraints into your design decisions.

• Exhibit your ability to create and utilize design systems, including examples of component libraries, auto layout usage, and design tokens.

• Include examples of developer handoff documentation, demonstrating clear communication of interaction states, responsive behavior, and edge cases.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "system-based design" and "component-based systems" in the portfolio is critical. Candidates should prepare to showcase how they build and maintain design systems, not just individual screens. Demonstrating a systematic approach to problem-solving and design execution will be key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $115,000 - $135,000 USD per year

Benefits:

• Competitive Pay: Offering a strong base salary reflective of the Senior UX Designer role and experience level.

• Health Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans to support employee well-being.

• Financial Benefits: Access to retirement savings plans, potential for bonuses, and other financial wellness programs.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, skill enhancement, and career growth within the agency.

• Collaborative Work Environment: A supportive team culture focused on innovation, creativity, and mutual growth.

Working Hours: Standard 40-hour work week, with potential for occasional overtime to meet project deadlines. The role is primarily on-site, promoting in-person collaboration and team synergy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range of $115,000 - $135,000 USD for a Senior UX Designer in the Oak Park, Illinois area is competitive and aligns with industry benchmarks for experienced professionals in major metropolitan areas. This range reflects the specialized nature of UX design, particularly within an agency context that serves multiple clients. The benefits listed are standard for full-time roles in the US, emphasizing comprehensive health and financial support.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Marketing and Advertising, specifically Recruitment Marketing. Shaker Recruitment Marketing operates at the intersection of branding, talent acquisition, and digital marketing, helping organizations attract and retain talent. This context means the work will be client-focused, deadline-driven, and require a deep understanding of employer branding.

Company Size: Shaker Recruitment Marketing likely fits within the Small to Medium-sized Business (SMB) to Mid-Market range, given its 75 years of expertise and positioning as a leading agency. This size often offers a balance of established processes with the agility to implement new ideas and a close-knit community feel.

Founded: Founded 75 years ago, Shaker Recruitment Marketing brings a wealth of experience and a legacy of trust and innovation to the talent acquisition space. This long history suggests a stable company with established methodologies, but also a commitment to evolving with industry trends.

Team Structure:

• The Creative team is growing, indicating an expanding client base and demand for design services. This role will likely be part of a dedicated UX/Design function within the Creative department.

• Reporting is expected to be to a Creative Director, with close collaboration with other designers, copywriters, developers, and project managers.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: While primarily a design role, the candidate is expected to contribute UX thinking informed by discovery sessions and potentially user research, linking design decisions to business objectives like engagement and conversion.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: The role emphasizes creating "scalable, component-based systems" and "repeatable processes" to improve efficiency and quality in career website design and delivery.

• Automation & Efficiency: Figma's advanced features like auto layout and design systems are key tools for achieving design efficiency and consistency, directly impacting production speed.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's long history and focus on "talent marketing" and "recruitment marketing" provide a specific niche for UX designers. This means understanding employer value propositions, candidate journeys, and conversion funnels within the context of job seeking is crucial. The "growing team" aspect suggests opportunities for influence and process improvement.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior UX Designer. This level signifies a professional with substantial experience (5+ years) capable of independent work, strategic input, and potentially mentoring junior designers. They are expected to own significant workstreams, contribute to design systems, and effectively communicate with clients and stakeholders.

Reporting Structure: The role reports to a Creative Director, indicating a clear hierarchy within the creative department. Collaboration extends to copywriters, developers, and project managers, forming a matrixed project team structure common in agencies.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX Designer's impact is directly tied to enhancing the effectiveness of career websites. This includes improving candidate experience, driving engagement and conversion rates, ensuring brand consistency, and optimizing the efficiency of the design and development process. Success in this role directly contributes to client success in attracting and hiring talent.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in recruitment marketing UX, employer branding design, or specialized platform design.

• Leadership: Potential to evolve into a Lead UX Designer or Design Manager role, taking on more strategic oversight and team leadership responsibilities.

• Process Improvement: Contribute significantly to refining and scaling the agency's UX processes and design systems, becoming a subject matter expert.

• Client Engagement: Develop stronger client-facing presentation and strategy skills, potentially leading design discussions independently.

• Skill Expansion: Explore related areas like content strategy, SEO for career sites, or advanced prototyping techniques.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title implies a path towards leadership or advanced specialization. Candidates should look for opportunities to influence the agency's design practices and contribute to its growth, especially given the team is expanding.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as "On-site," indicating a traditional office-based work environment. This suggests a focus on in-person collaboration, team synergy, and the benefits of a shared physical workspace.

Office Location(s): Lake Street, Oak Park, Illinois, USA. Oak Park is a suburb of Chicago, offering a balance of a community feel with proximity to a major metropolitan area's resources and talent pool.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is likely designed to foster collaboration, with shared team areas, meeting rooms, and individual workstations.

• Access to standard design software (Figma, etc.) and potentially other relevant tools will be provided.

• Opportunities for spontaneous interaction and knowledge sharing with colleagues across different disciplines (creative, development, project management) are inherent in an on-site environment.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is implied, typical for full-time employment. While the core hours are expected, the agency environment might occasionally require flexibility to meet client deadlines or project milestones.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement suggests the company values in-person collaboration and team cohesion, which can be advantageous for rapid problem-solving and fostering a strong team culture. Candidates should consider the commute and local amenities in Oak Park.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or HR representative will likely review applications and conduct a brief introductory call to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review: Candidates will be asked to present their portfolio, detailing their process, design decisions, and outcomes for key projects. Expect in-depth questions about their approach to responsive design, design systems, and accessibility.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: A practical exercise may be assigned, such as a small design problem or a deep dive into a specific portfolio project, to assess problem-solving skills and design methodology.

• Team/Hiring Manager Interviews: Interviews with the Creative Director and potentially other team members (designers, developers) to evaluate technical skills, collaborative abilities, and alignment with team dynamics.

• Final Interview: Potentially with a senior leader to discuss strategic fit and long-term contributions.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate your portfolio to highlight 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects. Focus on those demonstrating system-based design, responsive layouts, and employer branding/career site experience if possible.

• For each project, clearly articulate the problem statement, your role, the design process followed, key challenges, your solutions, and the measurable impact or outcomes.

• Be prepared to discuss your Figma workflow, including your approach to auto layout, components, variants, and design systems.

• Emphasize your understanding and application of WCAG 2.1 AA standards and responsive design principles.

Challenge Preparation:

• If a design challenge is given, focus on understanding the prompt thoroughly.

• Outline your approach, considering user needs, business goals, and technical constraints.

• If time permits, create low-fidelity wireframes before moving to high-fidelity mockups.

• Be prepared to articulate your rationale for design decisions and how your solution addresses the prompt's requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is paramount for this role. Candidates should prepare to not only show their work but also to deconstruct their process and justify their design decisions, particularly concerning system design and accessibility.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design tool. Advanced proficiency is explicitly required, including mastery of auto layout, components, variants, design tokens, and design systems.

• Adobe Creative Suite (Implied): While Figma is primary, familiarity with other Adobe tools like Photoshop or Illustrator for asset creation or manipulation may be beneficial.

• Prototyping Tools (Within Figma): Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities for creating interactive user flows and demonstrating design concepts.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a direct responsibility, understanding how to interpret analytics (e.g., Google Analytics) and user feedback to inform design decisions is advantageous.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the UX design role itself, but understanding how career websites integrate with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) or recruitment marketing platforms would be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma proficiency is non-negotiable and a central theme of the role. Candidates should be ready to demonstrate their mastery of Figma's advanced features and their experience building and maintaining design systems within the tool.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Impactful Work: A core value centered around transforming companies by connecting them to the right talent solutions, emphasizing the power of people.

• Community & Support: Fostering a "tight-knit community" where team members support each other's learning, growth, and success.

• Creativity & Innovation: Valuing creative solutions and forward-thinking approaches, particularly in talent attraction and digital experiences.

• Precision & Quality: A strong emphasis on executing with precision and maintaining high standards of quality, even within constraints.

• Continuous Improvement: A mindset oriented towards learning, growth, and refining processes and outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Close partnership with copywriters, developers, and project managers is essential for successful project delivery.

• Process Review & Feedback: A culture that encourages continuous improvement and peer feedback to enhance design practices and team output.

• Knowledge Sharing: The "tight-knit community" suggests an environment where knowledge and best practices are shared openly among team members.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's slogan, "Connect to the Power of People," underscores a human-centric approach. This translates to valuing collaboration, empathy, and a shared drive for creating positive user and client experiences.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Brand and Usability: Effectively translating diverse employer brand directions into user-friendly, intuitive career website experiences that also meet platform constraints.

• System Scalability & Maintenance: Designing and maintaining robust, scalable design systems that can be efficiently applied across numerous client projects with varying needs.

• Cross-functional Communication: Ensuring clear and consistent communication of design intent, especially regarding responsive behavior and edge cases, to development teams.

• Client Demands & Timelines: Managing multiple client projects with competing priorities and tight deadlines common in an agency setting.

• Accessibility Compliance: Consistently integrating and verifying WCAG 2.1 AA compliance across all design outputs.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized UX Training: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like recruitment marketing UX, employer branding strategies, and advanced Figma techniques.

• Industry Exposure: Working with a variety of clients provides exposure to different industries and talent attraction challenges.

• Mentorship: Potential for mentorship from senior team members or Creative Directors, fostering skill development and career progression.

• Process Ownership: Opportunities to contribute to the evolution and refinement of the agency's design processes and system libraries.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the need for a designer who is not only technically skilled but also a strong problem-solver, communicator, and adaptable team player. The growth opportunities are tied to deepening specialization and contributing strategically to the agency's offerings.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you translated a complex brand identity into a user-friendly web experience. What were the key challenges and how did you overcome them?" (Focus on process, problem-solving, and outcome)

• "How do you approach building and maintaining a design system in Figma? Walk us through your process for creating reusable components and ensuring consistency." (Demonstrate Figma mastery and systematic thinking)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Shaker's focus on recruitment marketing and the 'Power of People'?" (Show research and cultural alignment)

• "How do you handle constructive criticism or feedback from clients or team members on your designs?" (Assess collaboration and receptiveness)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure your presentation logically: Problem -> Your Role -> Process -> Solution -> Outcome.

• For each project, clearly articulate the "why" behind your design decisions, linking them to user needs and business objectives.

• When discussing your Figma work, be ready to demo or explain your use of auto layout, components, and design systems.

• Highlight projects that showcase your ability to work within constraints and deliver scalable, responsive designs.

• Be prepared to answer specific questions about your contributions, challenges faced, and lessons learned.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will likely probe deeply into your design process, your technical skills with Figma, and your understanding of the recruitment marketing context. Be ready to defend your design choices with clear rationale and demonstrate how you contribute to both user satisfaction and client business goals.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided SmartRecruiters link. Ensure your resume and cover letter are tailored to highlight your relevant experience in web UX design, Figma proficiency, and any experience with employer branding or recruitment marketing.

• Portfolio Customization: Prepare your portfolio to prominently feature projects demonstrating responsive design, system-based architecture, and your expertise in Figma. Select projects that best align with the job description's requirements and showcase your problem-solving skills.

• Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate your years of experience, specific technical skills (Figma, WCAG 2.1 AA, HTML/CSS knowledge), and achievements in previous roles. Use keywords from the job description to ensure alignment with ATS scanning.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on articulating your design process, rationale, and the impact of your work. Prepare to discuss your experience with design systems, accessibility, and client collaboration.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Shaker Recruitment Marketing's services, client work, and company culture. Understand their mission and how your UX design skills can contribute to their success in the recruitment marketing space.

⚠️ 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.