Sr Designer - UX - New York

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr Designer - UX

Company: Photon

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-01-28T22:29:44

Experience Level: Senior (5-10 years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design and evolution of user interfaces and client interactions, championing user-centered design principles.

• Drive sophisticated problem-solving for complex design challenges, iterating towards refined and user-friendly experiences.

• Articulate design decisions, trade-offs, and requirements clearly to non-design stakeholders, ensuring alignment and buy-in.

• Own and elevate design standards, frameworks, and principles, integrating them seamlessly into engineering workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is for a Senior UX Designer, indicating a need for leadership, strategic thinking, and the ability to mentor or guide junior designers. The emphasis on "shaping the future" and "design leader" suggests significant impact on product direction and design philosophy. The focus on financial services industry trends implies a need for domain-specific understanding.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Utilize advanced design tools, particularly Figma, to craft intuitive wireframes, prototypes, and mock-ups that embody user-centered design principles.

• Leverage data insights and user research findings to inform design choices, validate assumptions, and ensure data-driven decision-making.

• Present and articulate complex design concepts and rationale to diverse stakeholders across all organizational levels, fostering collaboration and understanding.

• Translate intricate business challenges and user needs into clear, elegant, and user-friendly design solutions.

• Facilitate design thinking workshops and prepare comprehensive documentation to translate complex business requirements into actionable design strategies.

• Actively participate in user research, conduct usability testing, and gather critical feedback for continuous design refinement and optimization.

• Explore and integrate AI technology to enhance UX process efficiency and develop strategic AI-driven design solutions within product designs.

• Stay current with the latest trends and best practices in UX design and the financial services industry, proactively introducing innovative solutions.

• Collaborate closely with end-users to deeply understand their requirements and ensure the delivery of intuitive and frictionless user experiences.

• Champion the user's perspective in all aspects of the role, assessing the impact of changes on user workflows and performance.

• Analyze user feedback to generate clear, actionable insights that drive design improvements and product enhancements.

• Create user-focused tickets with clarity and intent to facilitate smooth development cycles and efficient handoffs to engineering teams.

• Architect and design solutions with a holistic, end-to-end workflow perspective for users.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of hands-on design work, strategic thinking, user advocacy, and cross-functional collaboration. The explicit mention of AI integration and financial services industry trends suggests the need for candidates who can navigate emerging technologies and domain-specific complexities within their design process.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Psychology, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for a Senior UX Designer role. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: Minimum of six years of dedicated experience in UX design, with a proven track record of delivering successful user-centered products and experiences. Experience in the financial services industry is highly preferred.

Required Skills:

• UX Design Expertise: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, methodologies, and best practices.

• Design Tool Proficiency: Advanced skills in industry-standard design and prototyping tools, with a strong emphasis on Figma.

• Wireframing & Prototyping: Ability to create detailed wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity mock-ups.

• User Research & Testing: Experience conducting qualitative and quantitative user research, including usability testing, interviews, and surveys.

• Stakeholder Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for presenting design concepts and rationale to diverse audiences, including executive leadership.

• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to deconstruct complex problems and devise elegant design solutions.

• Design Thinking Facilitation: Ability to lead and facilitate design thinking workshops and collaborative sessions.

• Documentation: Skill in creating clear, concise design documentation, including user flows, personas, and detailed specifications.

• User Advocacy: A strong commitment to championing user needs and ensuring user satisfaction.

Preferred Skills:

• AI Integration in Design: Experience exploring or implementing AI tools within UX workflows or designing AI-driven user experiences.

• Financial Services Industry Knowledge: Familiarity with the unique design challenges and user needs within the financial services sector.

• Design System Management: Experience contributing to or managing design systems for consistency and scalability.

• Agile/Scrum Methodologies: Familiarity with working within agile development environments.

• Mentorship: Experience guiding or mentoring junior designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement is explicitly stated as "over six years," placing this role firmly in the senior or lead category. The emphasis on Figma, user research, stakeholder communication, and problem-solving are critical for success. The preferred skills indicate a forward-thinking organization looking for candidates with experience in emerging areas like AI and specific industry knowledge.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a range of UX design projects, demonstrating your ability to tackle complex problems from concept to execution.

• Projects should highlight your expertise in user research, wireframing, prototyping, and final UI design, with a clear focus on user impact and business objectives.

• Include case studies that detail your design process, decision-making rationale, trade-offs considered, and the outcomes achieved.

• Showcase examples of how you have translated business requirements and user needs into elegant, user-friendly design solutions.

Process Documentation:

• Examples of how you have documented design processes, user flows, and system architectures.

• Show evidence of your ability to create clear, actionable design specifications and user-focused tickets for engineering handoff.

• Include examples of design thinking workshop outputs or other collaborative documentation used to align stakeholders.

• Demonstrate how you use data and user feedback to inform and iterate on your design processes.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a senior role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond just showcasing final designs and delve deeply into the candidate's strategic thinking, problem-solving process, and ability to articulate their rationale. The expectation is to see evidence of end-to-end ownership, from user research to successful implementation, including how they manage complex stakeholder environments and document their work effectively.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD $38,000 - $133,000 per year.

Note on Salary: The compensation is explicitly stated to be based on the actual experience and qualifications of the candidate, with the provided range being a good-faith estimate. For a Senior UX Designer role in New York City, the upper end of this range ($133,000) aligns with industry standards for experienced professionals in a high cost-of-living area, while the lower end ($38,000) is significantly below typical senior UX designer salaries in NYC. This suggests that candidates with less experience within the 5-10 year bracket might fall closer to the lower end, but highly experienced candidates with specialized skills could command salaries at or potentially above the stated maximum.

Benefits:

• Medical, Vision, and Dental Benefits: Comprehensive health coverage for employees.

• 401k Retirement Plan: A retirement savings plan with potential company matching.

• Variable Pay/Incentives: Opportunities for performance-based bonuses or incentives.

• Paid Time Off (PTO): Generous paid leave for vacation, personal days, and sick leave.

• Paid Holidays: Designated paid days off for public holidays.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week. This is standard for a full-time position.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is quite broad. While the upper limit is reasonable for a Senior UX Designer in New York City, the lower limit appears unusually low for such a role. Candidates should be prepared to negotiate based on their specific experience and the demonstrated value they can bring. The benefits package is standard for full-time employees in the US.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Photon operates within the Technology sector, likely focusing on Software and Consulting services, with potential applications in Data & Analytics. Given the emphasis on financial services industry trends, it's plausible they provide solutions or consulting for financial institutions.

Company Size: The company size is not explicitly provided, but the structure of the job posting and the mention of "core UX team" suggest an established organization, possibly medium to large, with dedicated departments.

Founded: The founding date is not provided.

Team Structure:

• The role reports to a design leadership figure, possibly a Head of UX, Design Director, or Lead Designer.

• The Senior UX Designer will be part of a "core UX team," indicating a collaborative environment with other designers.

• Close collaboration with product managers, engineers, and potentially data analysts and business stakeholders is expected.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on leveraging data insights to inform design decisions and validate hypotheses.

• User-Centered Design: A core philosophy where user needs and experiences are paramount in the design process.

• Agile Development: Implied by the need for seamless handoffs to engineering and the integration of design into workflows.

• Design Thinking: The role involves facilitating design thinking workshops to translate complex requirements into actionable strategies.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture that encourages staying updated with trends and proactively introducing innovations.

Company Website: https://www.photon.com/ (Assumed based on company name)

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture appears to value innovation, user advocacy, data-informed decision-making, and strong collaboration. The financial services industry focus implies a need for professionalism, attention to detail, and understanding of regulatory or security considerations. The size of the company will influence the pace and structure of work, with larger companies often having more established processes and smaller ones offering more agility.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior-level position (5-10 years of experience). It signifies a transition from individual contributor to a role with leadership responsibilities, strategic input, and potential mentorship. The Senior UX Designer is expected to be a key decision-maker in design strategy and execution.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Designer will likely report to a manager or director within the design or product organization. They will work closely with product managers and engineering leads, influencing cross-functional teams.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the user experience of Photon's products and client interactions. By shaping intuitive and effective interfaces, the Senior UX Designer contributes to client satisfaction, adoption rates, efficiency gains for users, and ultimately, business growth and revenue. Their work in defining design standards also impacts the consistency and quality of all user-facing products.

Growth Opportunities:

• Lead Designer/Principal UX Designer: Advancement to a more senior individual contributor role with greater strategic influence and technical depth.

• UX Manager/Director: Transition into a management role, leading a team of designers, setting team strategy, and overseeing project execution.

• Product Design Leadership: Opportunity to take on broader product strategy responsibilities, influencing the product roadmap from a design perspective.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like AI-driven design, interaction design, or user research methodologies.

• Industry Expertise: Develop deeper knowledge and influence within the financial services sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a clear path for career progression within UX design, moving towards leadership, management, or principal-level individual contributor roles. The emphasis on strategic input and cross-functional influence suggests that success in this position can open doors to broader product or technology leadership opportunities.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is listed as "On-site," implying a traditional office environment. This suggests a workplace designed for collaboration, with shared workspaces, meeting rooms, and potentially dedicated areas for design activities.

Office Location(s): New York, New York, United States. This location offers access to a vibrant tech and design ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect opportunities for in-person collaboration with designers, product managers, and engineers.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (Figma), potentially collaborative whiteboarding tools, and other necessary technologies for design and research.

• Team Interaction: Regular team meetings, design critiques, and cross-functional project discussions will be part of the daily routine. The on-site nature facilitates spontaneous brainstorming and team cohesion.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week. While the core hours are fixed, there might be some flexibility depending on team norms and project needs, but the on-site requirement means consistent presence is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in New York City suggests a dynamic urban office setting. Candidates should expect a collaborative, fast-paced environment that leverages in-person interactions for innovation and problem-solving. This also means adhering to a typical office schedule and participating in on-site team activities.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess basic qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A key stage where candidates present their work, detailing their process, rationale, and outcomes. Expect in-depth questions about specific projects, design decisions, and problem-solving approaches.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: You may be asked to complete a take-home design exercise or a live design challenge to assess your problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to work under pressure.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with hiring managers, potential peers within the UX team, product managers, and engineering leads to evaluate technical skills, collaboration style, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Potentially a discussion with senior leadership to assess strategic thinking and overall fit.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best showcase your senior-level capabilities, problem-solving skills, and impact. Prioritize projects relevant to financial services or complex enterprise software if possible.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, iteration, testing), the key decisions you made, the trade-offs you considered, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Highlight Your Process: Emphasize your methodology, particularly how you use data, user research, and design thinking to arrive at solutions. Explain why you made certain choices.

• Showcase Figma Proficiency: Be prepared to discuss your advanced use of Figma, including component libraries, prototyping features, and collaboration workflows.

• Address AI Integration: If you have experience with AI in design, be ready to discuss it, even if it's conceptual.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced task completion time, improved user satisfaction scores).

• Be Articulate: Practice presenting your work clearly and concisely, anticipating questions about your decisions and trade-offs.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Problem: If given a design challenge, ensure you fully grasp the scope and objectives. Ask clarifying questions.

• Define Your Approach: Outline your intended process (e.g., user research, ideation, sketching, wireframing, prototyping) before diving into solutions.

• Focus on Problem-Solving: Demonstrate your ability to break down complex problems and think critically.

• Communicate Your Rationale: Clearly explain your design decisions and the reasoning behind them.

• Consider Constraints: Acknowledge any potential limitations (time, technical feasibility) and how you would address them.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize the candidate's portfolio and their ability to articulate their design process and impact. Senior candidates are expected to demonstrate strategic thinking, leadership potential, and a deep understanding of user-centered design principles, especially within complex business contexts like financial services.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Explicitly mentioned as a primary tool. Proficiency in advanced features like component libraries, auto layout, prototyping, and collaborative workflows is expected.

• Other Design Tools: While Figma is highlighted, familiarity with related tools like Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), or Axure may be beneficial.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma's prototyping capabilities, experience with tools like InVision, Principle, or ProtoPie could be advantageous.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: Experience with tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or Hotjar to gather and analyze user behavior data.

• A/B Testing Tools: Familiarity with platforms for conducting A/B tests to validate design changes.

• Data Visualization Tools: Ability to interpret data presented in dashboards or reports from tools like Tableau, Power BI, or Looker.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly UX tools, understanding how CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and automation platforms influence user journeys and data flows can be beneficial for enterprise UX.

📝 Enhancement Note: Expertise in Figma is non-negotiable. The role also implies a need to work with data to inform design, so familiarity with analytics and user behavior tracking tools is important. Understanding how design integrates with broader business systems is a plus for a senior-level role.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User Advocacy: A deep-seated commitment to understanding and prioritizing user needs in all design decisions.

• Data-Informed Innovation: A drive to use data insights as a foundation for creative problem-solving and continuous improvement.

• Collaboration & Communication: Valuing open communication, teamwork, and the ability to articulate ideas effectively across diverse teams.

• Design Excellence: A commitment to high standards in craftsmanship, usability, and aesthetic quality.

• Problem-Solving: Embracing complex challenges as opportunities to innovate and deliver elegant solutions.

• Continuous Learning: A proactive approach to staying updated with industry trends, technologies (like AI), and best practices.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Working seamlessly with product management, engineering, research, and other stakeholders to achieve common goals.

• Design Critiques & Feedback: Participating actively in design reviews, providing constructive feedback, and being open to receiving it.

• Workshop Facilitation: Leading and contributing to collaborative sessions like design thinking workshops to foster shared understanding and generate ideas.

• Transparent Communication: Maintaining open lines of communication regarding design decisions, challenges, and progress.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to foster a collaborative and user-centric environment where data plays a crucial role in decision-making. Senior designers are expected to be influential communicators and facilitators, driving design thinking and advocating for user needs within cross-functional teams.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Complex Requirements: Translating intricate business needs and technical constraints within the financial services industry into intuitive user experiences.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Effectively managing competing priorities and perspectives from various stakeholders while maintaining a user-centric focus.

• Integrating AI: Strategically exploring and implementing AI tools and AI-driven design solutions without compromising user experience or trust.

• Maintaining Design Standards: Ensuring consistency and adherence to design guidelines across a potentially evolving product suite and engineering workflows.

• Communicating Technical Concepts: Articulating complex design rationale and their underlying technical implications to non-technical audiences.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX Techniques: Deepen expertise in emerging UX methodologies, such as AI-driven design, ethical AI in UX, or advanced user research techniques.

• Industry Specialization: Gain deeper insights and expertise in the financial services sector, understanding its unique user needs and regulatory landscape.

• Leadership Skills: Develop leadership capabilities through mentorship, project leadership, and potential management opportunities.

• Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge: Expand understanding of product management, engineering processes, and data analytics to foster more integrated design solutions.

• Conferences & Training: Opportunities to attend industry conferences, workshops, and training sessions to stay at the forefront of UX design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior roles in complex industries, requiring strong problem-solving and communication skills. The growth opportunities highlight a commitment to continuous learning and career advancement within the UX field, with potential paths into leadership and specialized domains.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex design problem you faced in the financial services industry and how you approached solving it. What were the trade-offs?" (Focus on process, data, user impact, and stakeholder management.)

• "How do you ensure user-centered design principles are maintained when working with non-design stakeholders who have different priorities?" (Highlight communication strategies, advocacy, and data-driven persuasion.)

• "Imagine we want to integrate AI into our client onboarding process. Walk us through your design thinking process for developing such a feature." (Demonstrate structured problem-solving, user research needs, and AI consideration.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Photon and our work in the financial services sector?" (Research Photon's offerings, recent news, and understand the challenges of UX in finance.)

• "How do you contribute to elevating design standards within a team and an organization?" (Discuss your experience with design systems, mentorship, and influencing design culture.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each project, use a clear story arc: Problem > Your Role > Process > Solution > Impact.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively. Walk through your wireframes, prototypes, and final designs, explaining your rationale at each step.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design decisions, user research findings, trade-offs, and how you handled challenges.

• Quantify Your Success: Whenever possible, present metrics that demonstrate the positive impact of your designs.

• Highlight Figma Expertise: Demonstrate advanced Figma usage if possible (e.g., showing a component library, discussing prototyping complexity).

• Address AI: If you have AI experience, be ready to discuss it, even if it's conceptual.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating senior-level strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and a deep understanding of the design process, particularly within a potentially complex industry like financial services. The ability to articulate rationale and impact is crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Sr Designer - UX position:

• Submit your application through the provided Oracle Cloud portal link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight projects that demonstrate your experience with complex problem-solving, user-centered design, stakeholder communication, and ideally, any relevant work in enterprise software or financial services. Ensure your Figma proficiency is evident.

• Resume Optimization: Update your resume to emphasize your 6+ years of UX design experience, leadership contributions, and achievements quantified with metrics. Integrate keywords like "UX Design," "Figma," "User Research," "Prototyping," "Stakeholder Communication," "Data-Driven Decisions," and "AI Integration."

• Interview Preparation: Practice your portfolio presentation, focusing on articulating your design process, rationale, and the impact of your work. Prepare for potential design challenges and behavioral questions related to collaboration and problem-solving.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Photon, its products, its target industries (especially financial services), and any recent news or initiatives. Understand their mission and values to articulate your fit during interviews.

⚠️ 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.