UX Research and Design Specialist

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Research and Design Specialist Company: NiSource Location: Merrillville, IN; Columbus, OH; Chester, VA; Canonsburg, PA; Lexington, KY Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: User Experience (UX) / Product Design Date Posted: February 11, 2026 Experience Level: 2-5 Years (Mid-Level) Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in-office)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the creation of intuitive, accessible, and data-driven digital experiences for customers and employees by leveraging user research and design expertise.
• Champion customer-centricity by deeply understanding Customer Voice of the Customer (VOC) needs and translating them into actionable experience requirements.
• Collaborate closely with Product Owners and cross-functional teams throughout the product lifecycle, from discovery and research to delivery and sustainment.
• Ensure digital products align with NiSource's commitment to safety, reliability, efficiency, and exceptional customer experience through rigorous usability and accessibility standards.
• Contribute to the evolution of design standards and stay abreast of industry-leading UX trends to foster innovation within the utility sector.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "UX Research and Design Specialist" title, coupled with responsibilities like "understanding Customer VOC needs," "mapping customer journeys," and "translating insights into well-designed solutions," clearly places this role within the User Experience (UX) and Product Design domain. The emphasis on collaboration with Product Owners and Agile teams indicates a mid-level position requiring practical experience in applying UX methodologies within a structured development framework.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conduct comprehensive user research, including user studies, job shadows, focus groups, and interviews, to gather deep insights into user behavior, attitudes, and work environments.
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative research data to identify key pain points, opportunities, and user needs, translating these findings into actionable recommendations and defined Personas.
• Map end-to-end user experiences across critical customer and employee journeys, meticulously documenting personas, touchpoints, pain points, sentiment, processes, stakeholders, and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Design intuitive and effective user interfaces and experiences that demonstrably increase safety, efficiency, and overall employee and customer satisfaction.
• Develop essential design artifacts such as storyboards, wireframes, journey maps, and prototypes to clearly communicate future-state experience visions and inform development builds.
• Facilitate capability demonstrations at key stages within Agile and Iterative development cycles, ensuring stakeholder alignment and gathering valuable feedback.
• Partner effectively with IT, Change Management, agile development teams, and other internal stakeholders to translate user insights into concrete experience improvements with detailed requirements.
• Manage the end-to-end experience improvement process through design, build, implementation, and sustainment phases in close coordination with project and product management.
• Adhere strictly to established UI/UX best practices and organizational UI design standards, ensuring consistency and quality across all digital touchpoints.
• Develop and document new design standards as needed to maintain consistency and elevate the user experience across the organization.
• Proactively research, identify, and disseminate industry-leading UX trends and best practices, drawing insights from both within and outside the utility industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: The detailed responsibilities outline a hands-on role requiring a blend of research acumen and practical design execution. The expectation to "analyze research data to define opportunities," "map user experiences across key journeys," and "develop storyboards, wireframes and journey maps" points to a specialist capable of both strategic ideation and tactical design output. The emphasis on partnership with IT and Change Management, and the management of the "design, build, implementation, and sustainment" cycle, suggests a need for strong project management and cross-functional collaboration skills within an Agile context.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, Design, Computer Science, or a related field.

Experience:

• 2+ years of hands-on experience in user research methodologies and facilitation.
• 2+ years of practical experience in interface design and conducting usability testing.
• Demonstrated experience in applying design thinking methodologies to solve user problems.

Required Skills:

• User Research: Proficiency in planning, conducting, and analyzing various user research methods (e.g., interviews, surveys, usability testing, contextual inquiry, field studies).
• Interface Design: Strong ability to create wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes that effectively communicate design concepts.
• Usability Testing: Experience in designing and executing usability tests, analyzing results, and providing actionable recommendations for improvement.
• Design Thinking: Deep understanding and practical application of design thinking principles and frameworks for problem-solving and innovation.
• Customer Journey Mapping: Skill in developing comprehensive customer journey maps to visualize user interactions and identify opportunities for enhancement.
• Persona Development: Ability to create detailed user personas based on research data to represent target user groups.
• Agile Methodologies: Familiarity and experience working within Agile and Iterative development environments.
• Stakeholder Management: Excellent communication and collaboration skills to effectively engage with and manage expectations of diverse stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Figma: Working knowledge and practical experience with Figma for UI design and prototyping.
• UserTesting.com / Optimal Workshop: Experience with platforms for remote usability testing and card sorting/tree testing.
• Adobe XD: Proficiency in Adobe XD for UI/UX design and prototyping.
• Miro / Collaboration Tools: Experience utilizing tools like Miro for collaborative design sessions, journey mapping, and brainstorming.
• Accessibility Standards: Knowledge of WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and best practices for designing accessible digital products.
• Industry Trends: Awareness of current and emerging UX trends and best practices, particularly within the utility or regulated industries.

📝 Enhancement Note: The minimum qualifications specify a Bachelor's degree and 2+ years of experience in user research and interface design, aligning with a mid-level specialist role. The preferred qualifications highlight specific, in-demand design and research tools, indicating the company's technology stack and desired proficiencies. This suggests candidates with direct experience in these tools will have a distinct advantage.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating end-to-end UX projects, highlighting your role, process, and impact. Each case study should clearly articulate the problem, your research and design process, key decisions, and measurable outcomes.
• Research Methodology: Provide examples of how you've applied user research techniques to uncover insights, including research plans, participant recruitment strategies, and analysis methods.
• Design Artifacts: Include examples of wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and final UI designs that demonstrate your design thinking and execution capabilities.
• Usability Testing Reports: Present a sample usability test plan and a summary report, illustrating your ability to identify usability issues and recommend solutions.
• Metrics & Impact: Quantify the impact of your work whenever possible, using metrics related to user satisfaction, task completion rates, efficiency gains, or other relevant business outcomes.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate an understanding of how to document UX processes, including user research protocols, design specifications, and usability testing procedures.
• Showcase examples of creating user journey maps, personas, and other artifacts that serve as process documentation and strategic tools.
• Illustrate how you contribute to the standardization of UX practices and design guidelines within a team or organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX Research and Design Specialist, a portfolio is crucial. The emphasis should be on demonstrating a structured approach to problem-solving, showcasing the application of research to inform design decisions, and presenting the impact of those designs. A strong portfolio should tell a story of how the candidate navigated a design challenge from inception to a successful outcome, with clear evidence of their contributions and the results achieved.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $82,200 - $123,200 USD per year. Bonus: 8% annual bonus potential.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision coverage to support employee well-being.
• Retirement Savings Plan: 401(k) plan with company match to support long-term financial security.
• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation, sick leave, and holiday policies to promote work-life balance.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for training, conferences, and certifications to enhance skills and career growth.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support services for personal and work-related challenges.
• Life and Disability Insurance: Coverage to provide financial protection for employees and their families.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Support for employees pursuing further education relevant to their careers.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week. The role operates on a hybrid model, requiring 3 days in the office per week. Flexibility may be required outside of normal work hours during emergency operations, as is standard for a public utility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range ($82,200 - $123,200) is competitive for a mid-level UX Research and Design Specialist in the specified locations, considering the industry (utility) and hybrid work model. The bonus structure is a common incentive in corporate environments. Benefits are standard for a large, established company like NiSource, focusing on health, financial security, and work-life balance.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Energy (Utilities) - NiSource is one of the largest fully regulated utility companies in the U.S. This industry context implies a focus on reliability, safety, regulatory compliance, and long-term strategic planning. Company Size: Large Enterprise (as indicated by the broad range of locations and typical structure of utility companies). This means opportunities for specialization, cross-functional collaboration, and potential for career advancement within a structured organization. Founded: (Not specified, but NiSource is a well-established entity in the utility sector, suggesting a history of stability and operational maturity).

Team Structure:

• Customer Experience Team: This role is part of the Customer Experience team, indicating a focus on enhancing interactions for both external customers and internal employees.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role explicitly mentions working closely with Product Owners, IT, Change Management, and agile development teams, highlighting a highly collaborative environment.
• Reporting: While not explicitly stated, UX specialists typically report into a UX lead, Design Manager, or Product Management function, often with a dotted line to specific product teams.

Methodology:

• Agile and Iterative Development: The team operates within Agile and Iterative development cycles, requiring adaptability and participation in sprints, demos, and feedback loops.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: A strong emphasis is placed on understanding user insights, analyzing data, and translating these into experience improvements, underscoring a data-driven approach.
• Design Thinking: The role and company culture promote the use of design thinking methodologies for problem-solving and innovation.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: NiSource's position as a large, regulated utility company suggests a culture that values stability, safety, and customer service. The integration of UX into the "Customer Experience team" indicates a strategic commitment to improving digital interactions. The collaborative nature with IT and Agile teams points to a modern approach to digital product development within a traditional industry.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position is categorized as a specialist role at a mid-career level (2-5 years of experience). It requires foundational expertise in UX research and design and the ability to work independently on defined projects while contributing to broader team objectives.

Reporting Structure: The UX Research and Design Specialist will report to a manager within the Customer Experience team, likely a UX Manager or Lead. They will collaborate closely with Product Owners, Agile teams, IT, and other business stakeholders across various departments.

Operations Impact: This role directly impacts operational efficiency and customer satisfaction by improving the usability and accessibility of digital tools and platforms used by both customers and employees. Well-designed systems can reduce support calls, streamline internal processes, and enhance overall user engagement, contributing to NiSource's goals of safety, reliability, and efficiency.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Develop deeper expertise in specific areas of UX, such as advanced qualitative research, interaction design, or accessibility consulting.
• Leadership: Transition into a Senior UX Researcher/Designer role, taking on more complex projects, mentoring junior team members, and contributing to UX strategy.
• Product Management: Leverage UX insights and cross-functional collaboration experience to move into Product Owner or Product Management roles.
• Cross-Departmental Mobility: Utilize broad understanding of customer and employee needs to explore roles in Customer Strategy, Digital Transformation, or Business Process Improvement.
• Skill Enhancement: Continuous learning through industry conferences, workshops, and certifications in emerging UX tools and methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a clear path for growth within the UX discipline or into related product and strategy functions. The emphasis on collaboration and impact within a large utility company provides a stable environment for developing specialized skills and contributing to significant digital transformation initiatives.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work model, requiring 3 days in a physical office location. This suggests a blend of focused individual work and collaborative team interaction. Office Location(s): The role is available in multiple locations: Merrillville, IN; Columbus, OH; Chester, VA; Canonsburg, PA; or Lexington, KY. This offers flexibility for candidates depending on their geographic preference.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office environment likely includes meeting rooms, breakout areas, and potentially open-plan spaces designed to foster collaboration among team members and with cross-functional partners.
• Technology & Tools: Access to standard office technology, high-speed internet, and the necessary software and hardware for UX research and design (e.g., workstations with design software, testing equipment).
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for in-person brainstorming sessions, design critiques, and team-building activities, alongside virtual collaboration tools.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected. However, as a public utility, employees may be required to work outside normal hours during emergencies to ensure continuous service. This necessitates a degree of flexibility and commitment to the company's operational needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model balances the benefits of remote work (flexibility, reduced commute) with the advantages of in-office presence (collaboration, team cohesion). The multiple location options are a significant benefit for candidates seeking geographically diverse opportunities within NiSource. The emergency operations requirement is a standard consideration for utility companies.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter will likely review your application and resume for basic qualifications and alignment with the role's core requirements.
• Hiring Manager Interview: An interview with the hiring manager to assess your experience, approach to UX research and design, and cultural fit. Be prepared to discuss your portfolio and specific project examples.
• Portfolio Presentation/Design Challenge: A critical stage where you will present your portfolio, detailing your process, rationale, and impact on past projects. Alternatively, you may be given a design challenge to complete within a set timeframe, testing your problem-solving and design skills.
• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with potential team members (e.g., Product Owners, other UX designers, developers) to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and how you would integrate into the team.
• Final Interview: Potentially a final interview with a senior leader to discuss strategic alignment and overall fit within the organization.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 3-4 of your strongest, most relevant projects that showcase a range of skills (research, design, collaboration, impact).
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role and responsibilities, the process you followed (emphasizing research and iteration), key decisions made, challenges faced, and the measurable outcomes or impact.
• Focus on Process: Highlight how you arrived at your solutions, not just the final designs. Explain your research methodologies, rationale behind design choices, and how you incorporated feedback.
• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved task completion time, reduced error rates, higher customer satisfaction scores).
• Tailor to NiSource: If possible, subtly tailor your presentation to address challenges or opportunities relevant to the utility industry or NiSource's stated goals (safety, reliability, customer experience).
• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design philosophy, how you handle feedback, conflict resolution, and your experience with specific tools and methodologies.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: If given a design challenge, thoroughly read and understand the problem statement, constraints, and desired deliverables. Ask clarifying questions if needed.
• Structure Your Approach: Outline your thought process before diving into design. This might include defining the problem, identifying target users, outlining research steps, and sketching initial ideas.
• Focus on Rationale: Clearly articulate why you are making certain design decisions. Link them back to user needs, business goals, or UX principles.
• Time Management: Allocate your time effectively across research, ideation, design, and preparation for presentation.
• Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your solution concisely and clearly, highlighting your key insights and design rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: A robust portfolio and strong presentation skills are paramount for this role. The interview process is designed to assess not only technical UX skills but also the candidate's ability to think critically, collaborate effectively, and articulate the value of their work in a business context.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, wireframing, and interactive prototyping. Expect to create and maintain design systems within Figma.
• UserTesting.com / Optimal Workshop: Utilized for conducting remote usability tests, gathering participant feedback, and analyzing qualitative data. Optimal Workshop may also be used for card sorting and tree testing to inform information architecture.
• Adobe XD: Another common tool for UI/UX design and prototyping. Familiarity with this tool is a plus.
• Miro: A collaborative online whiteboard platform used for brainstorming, journey mapping, persona creation, and facilitating remote design workshops.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics Tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics): To understand user behavior on digital platforms, track key metrics, and identify areas for improvement.
• Internal Reporting Dashboards: Experience with or ability to interpret data from internal reporting systems to inform UX decisions.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems (e.g., Salesforce): While not directly managed by UX, understanding how customer data is managed in CRM systems can inform user experience design for customer-facing applications.
• Digital Asset Management (DAM) or Content Management Systems (CMS): Familiarity with systems where digital content is stored and managed can be beneficial for designing user interfaces that interact with these systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma, UserTesting, Adobe XD, and Miro indicates the company's commitment to modern UX tooling. Proficiency in these specific platforms will be a significant advantage for candidates. Understanding how UX designs integrate with broader enterprise systems like CRMs and CMSs is also valuable.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of both external customers and internal employees, ensuring their experiences are intuitive and efficient.
• Collaboration: Valuing teamwork and cross-functional partnerships to achieve shared goals, fostering an environment where ideas are exchanged freely.
• Innovation: Encouraging the exploration of new ideas, methodologies, and technologies to continuously improve user experiences and operational efficiency.
• Data-Driven Approach: Relying on research, analytics, and user feedback to inform design decisions and measure the impact of solutions.
• Safety & Reliability: As a utility company, a fundamental value placed on ensuring the safety and reliability of services and digital tools.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership-Oriented: Works closely with Product Owners, IT, and Agile teams, fostering open communication and shared ownership of digital product development.
• Iterative Feedback: Embraces a culture of continuous feedback through Agile ceremonies, design critiques, and user testing to refine designs.
• Knowledge Sharing: Encourages the sharing of insights, best practices, and learnings across the team and with broader organizational stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values align well with typical UX principles, emphasizing customer focus, data-driven decisions, and collaboration. The specific mention of safety and reliability is unique to the utility industry and likely influences design considerations for critical systems.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business/Regulatory Constraints: Navigating the complexities of a regulated utility industry where user desires may need to be balanced with strict safety regulations, operational constraints, and legacy systems.
• Driving Change in a Traditional Industry: Introducing and championing modern UX practices and design thinking within a historically process-oriented industry can require strong advocacy and education.
• Integrating UX Across Diverse Platforms: Ensuring a consistent and high-quality user experience across a wide range of digital touchpoints, from customer-facing web portals to internal field service applications.
• Measuring ROI of UX Investments: Demonstrating the tangible business value and return on investment of UX research and design efforts to stakeholders who may not be deeply familiar with UX principles.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX Methodologies: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specialized research techniques (e.g., ethnography, advanced analytics) or design disciplines (e.g., service design, interaction design for complex systems).
• Industry-Specific UX: Gaining unique insights into the specific UX challenges and opportunities within the energy and utility sector, potentially leading to specialized career paths.
• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Learning more about product management, agile development processes, and business operations to foster a holistic understanding of product lifecycle and impact.
• Mentorship: Potential to be mentored by senior UX professionals or to mentor junior designers, fostering leadership skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the unique environment of a utility company, where innovation must be balanced with established operational requirements. Growth opportunities are geared towards deepening UX expertise and expanding influence within the organization and industry.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex user problem you solved using UX research and design. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on STAR method: Situation, Task, Action, Result. Emphasize your research, design rationale, and quantifiable impact).
• "How do you balance user needs with business requirements and technical constraints, especially in a regulated industry like utilities?" (Discuss your approach to stakeholder negotiation, trade-off analysis, and advocating for the user while respecting limitations).
• "Walk me through your process for conducting user research for a new feature or product. What methods would you choose and why?" (Detail your research planning, participant recruitment, execution, and analysis stages, justifying your methodological choices based on project goals).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working for NiSource and in the utility industry?" (Research NiSource's mission, values, and recent initiatives. Connect your passion for user experience to their goals of safety, reliability, and customer service).
• "How do you approach collaboration with Product Owners, developers, and other stakeholders?" (Provide examples of successful cross-functional partnerships, emphasizing communication, empathy, and conflict resolution skills).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your specific role, your research and design process, the key decisions you made, the challenges you encountered, and the measurable results or impact.
• Highlight Your "Why": Explain the rationale behind your design choices and research methods. Demonstrate critical thinking and strategic decision-making.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively – wireframes, prototypes, user flows, research findings summaries – to illustrate your work.
• Quantify Your Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to showcase the success of your projects (e.g., improved task completion rates, increased user satisfaction, reduction in errors).
• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about specific parts of your projects, your design philosophy, and how you handle feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on deep dives into past projects, demonstrating a structured and user-centered approach, and articulating the business value of UX. Understanding NiSource's industry and company mission will be key to answering culture-fit questions effectively.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Research and Design Specialist position:

• Submit Your Application: Navigate to the NiSource careers portal and submit your application through the provided link. Ensure all required fields are completed accurately.
• Tailor Your Resume: Customize your resume to highlight experience and skills directly relevant to UX research, design thinking, usability testing, and relevant tools (Figma, UserTesting, etc.). Use keywords from the job description.
• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate your strongest UX case studies. Focus on showcasing your research process, design rationale, iteration, and measurable impact. Ensure it is easily accessible (e.g., personal website, PDF, or portfolio platform link).
• Research NiSource: Familiarize yourself with NiSource's business, its services, its commitment to customers, and recent news or initiatives. Understand their role in the utility industry.
• Practice Your Pitch: Rehearse how you will present your portfolio and answer common UX interview questions, focusing on clarity, conciseness, and demonstrating your problem-solving approach.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details, particularly regarding specific team dynamics, exact interview stages, and technology stack nuances, should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.