UX Specialist

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Specialist Company: Leidos Location: Baltimore, MD, United States Job Type: FULL_TIME Category: User Experience (UX) / Design Operations Date Posted: August 25, 2025 Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years) Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• This role is centered on enhancing user experience for the Social Security Administration's (SSA) digital modernization efforts, focusing on enterprise APIs and responsive user interfaces.
• The UX Specialist will be instrumental in translating user needs and business goals into intuitive and effective digital solutions, impacting a significant portion of the American population.
• Key responsibilities include user research, requirements documentation, interaction design, and usability testing to drive user-centered design principles.
• The position demands strong collaborative skills, technical leadership, and a proactive approach to problem-solving within an agile and mission-driven environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: While titled "UX Specialist," the description emphasizes operational aspects like deriving business processes, analyzing user needs, and documenting requirements, which aligns closely with operations roles focused on improving user journeys and system efficiency. The focus on "mission solution" and "digital modernization strategy" indicates a strategic operational impact.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Derive business processes, analyze user needs, and assist in requirements definition for digital platforms and applications.
• Design intuitive browser-based interfaces and responsive user interfaces, adhering to user-centered design (UCD) principles.
• Conduct various user research activities, including user interviews, contextual inquiries, card sorting, and usability testing in both formal and informal settings.
• Elicit business goals and detailed user needs, including pain points, from stakeholders through effective facilitation and communication.
• Create conceptual models, user journey maps, personas, and scenarios of use to inform design decisions and strategic planning.
• Develop and refine screen prototypes to visualize user flows and interface interactions for stakeholder review and validation.
• Document user requirements, screen designs, and present design recommendations clearly to both technical teams and non-technical stakeholders.
• Prepare and present findings and recommendations from user research and testing in small and large group settings, influencing product direction.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of UX designs into the development lifecycle and adherence to modern development practices.
• Support the implementation and adoption of modern technology platforms and methodologies, potentially including Pega or ServiceNow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed go beyond typical UX design and delve into operational process improvement, user needs analysis, and stakeholder management, suggesting a role that bridges UX design with operational effectiveness and strategic implementation. The emphasis on "deriving business processes" and "analyzing user needs" highlights an operations-centric approach to UX.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree (BS) in a relevant field (e.g., Human-Computer Interaction, Information Science, Psychology, Computer Science) or equivalent practical experience.
• Additional years of relevant experience may be substituted in lieu of a degree, demonstrating a strong foundation in practical application.

Experience:

• Minimum of 6 years of direct experience in Interaction/Interface design, with a strong emphasis on User-Centered Methods and User Analysis.
• This experience should demonstrate a deep understanding of UX principles and their application in designing user-friendly digital solutions.
• Proven experience in documenting user requirements, screen designs, and formulating actionable design recommendations.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in designing and conducting formative usability tests in both formal and informal settings, showcasing practical research skills.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience preparing and presenting findings and recommendations from user research and design reviews to diverse audiences.

Required Skills:

• User-Centered Design (UCD): Strong knowledge of UCD principles and their application in the design process.
• Interaction/Interface Design: Proven experience in designing user interfaces and interactive experiences.
• User Research: Expertise in conducting various user research methodologies (interviews, contextual inquiry, card sorting, usability testing).
• Requirements Documentation: Ability to elicit, document, and refine user requirements and user needs.
• Prototyping: Experience in creating wireframes and interactive prototypes to visualize design concepts.
• Communication Skills: Excellent oral and written communication abilities for technical and customer-facing interactions.
• Presentation Skills: Proficiency in preparing and delivering findings and recommendations to small and large groups.
• Portfolio: Must provide a digital portfolio showcasing design work and UX process.

Preferred Skills:

• Prototyping Software: Experience with Axure RP or Adobe XD for creating advanced prototypes.
• Platform Experience: Familiarity with Pega and/or ServiceNow platforms, indicating an understanding of enterprise workflow tools.
• Agile/Scrum Methodology: Experience working within Agile development environments, supporting iterative design processes.
• Responsive Design: Understanding of principles and best practices for responsive web design.
• Government Sector Experience: Prior experience supporting government agencies, understanding their unique requirements and processes.
• Accessibility Standards: Knowledge of Section 508 requirements and their implications for UX design.
• UX Certifications: Holding advanced UX certifications like UX Master Certification (NN/g) or completing a UX Design Immersive program.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirements are substantial, indicating a need for a seasoned professional. The explicit request for a portfolio is critical for demonstrating practical application of UX principles, aligning with operations' focus on tangible process improvements and outcomes. The "desired skills" point towards a need for adaptability and familiarity with modern enterprise systems and development methodologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate UX Process: Showcase a comprehensive understanding of the end-to-end UX design process, from research and ideation to prototyping and testing.
• Problem-Solving Showcase: Include case studies that clearly articulate a user problem or business challenge, the UX approach taken, and the resulting solution.
• Impact & Metrics: Highlight projects where UX improvements led to measurable outcomes, such as increased user satisfaction, task completion rates, or efficiency gains.
• Collaboration Evidence: If possible, include examples or descriptions of how you collaborated with cross-functional teams (developers, product managers, stakeholders) to bring designs to fruition.
• Tool Proficiency: Implicitly demonstrate familiarity with common UX design and prototyping tools through the quality and types of deliverables presented.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design: Examples of how you have mapped user journeys, created conceptual models, or designed user flows to optimize processes.
• Requirements Elicitation: Evidence of how you have gathered and documented user needs and business requirements effectively to guide design and development.
• Usability Testing Protocols: Documentation or descriptions of how usability tests were designed, conducted, and analyzed to identify areas for process improvement.
• Design Recommendations: Clear articulation of design rationale and recommendations based on user research and testing, linking them to potential business process improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: For an operations-focused role within UX, the portfolio should emphasize not just aesthetic design but the strategic and process-oriented aspects of UX. Candidates should be prepared to discuss how their UX work directly improved user workflows, reduced friction, and contributed to operational efficiency or business objectives.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $85,150.00 - $153,925.00 USD per year.

• Note: This range is a general guideline. Actual compensation will depend on factors such as responsibilities, education, experience, skills, internal equity, market data, and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Benefits: Leidos offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support employees' well-being and financial security. While specific details may vary, typical offerings include:

• Health and Wellness Programs: Medical, dental, vision insurance, wellness initiatives, and potentially mental health support.
• Income Protection: Life insurance, disability insurance (short-term and long-term).
• Paid Leave: Paid time off (PTO) for vacation, sick days, and holidays, potentially including flexible leave policies.
• Retirement: A 401(k) retirement savings plan, often with a company match, to support long-term financial planning.
• Career Development: Opportunities for training, certifications, and professional development, aligning with the company's commitment to mentorship and growth.

Working Hours:

• The standard working hours for this full-time position are approximately 40 hours per week.
• While the role is on-site, specific daily schedules may offer some flexibility within core business hours, subject to team and project needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for a mid-to-senior level UX professional in the Baltimore area, reflecting the specialized skills and experience required. The benefits package is typical for a large, established government contractor like Leidos, emphasizing employee support and long-term engagement.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Leidos operates within the Information Technology and Services sector, with a strong focus on government contracting, defense, intelligence, and healthcare technology solutions. Company Size: Leidos is a large enterprise, employing thousands of individuals globally, indicating a structured environment with established processes and resources. Founded: Leidos was founded in 1969, signifying a long history of operation and stability, with a culture likely built on experience, reliability, and long-term commitment.

Team Structure:

• Mission-Oriented: The team is dedicated to supporting the Social Security Administration's (SSA) mission, fostering a sense of purpose and impact.
• Collaborative Environment: The company culture emphasizes collaboration, inclusivity, and knowledge sharing, with experienced team members providing mentorship.
• Agile & Innovative: There's an encouragement for proactive communication, technical leadership, and innovative problem-solving, suggesting an environment that embraces forward-thinking approaches within its operational framework.
• Ownership & Urgency: Team members are expected to have a strong sense of ownership, urgency, and drive for daily mission success, promoting accountability and results.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design (UCD): The core methodology for this role, ensuring that user needs and business goals are central to all design and development efforts.
• Agile/Scrum: Likely employed for project management and development, requiring adaptability and iterative improvements.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: User research, usability testing, and stakeholder feedback are used to inform design decisions and process optimizations.
• Continuous Improvement: The culture encourages identifying and implementing innovative solutions to complex problems, fostering a cycle of refinement.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Leidos's culture as a large government contractor often means a blend of structured processes and a focus on mission impact. The emphasis on employee well-being, mentorship, and collaborative problem-solving suggests an environment where operational excellence is achieved through teamwork and continuous learning.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Mid-Senior level within UX and Operations, requiring significant experience and the ability to drive initiatives independently. It involves translating strategic goals into actionable design and process improvements. Reporting Structure: The UX Specialist will likely report to a UX Lead, Design Manager, or Program Manager within the SSA project team. Collaboration will extend across development teams, product owners, and potentially business analysts. Operations Impact: The work directly influences the user experience of critical government services, impacting millions of Americans. Success in this role contributes to the efficiency, accessibility, and effectiveness of government digital platforms, a key operational objective.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific UX methodologies, research techniques, or specialized tools (e.g., Pega, ServiceNow).
• Leadership Development: Potential to take on lead roles in UX projects, mentor junior designers, and contribute to strategic planning for digital modernization.
• Cross-Functional Exposure: Gain experience working with diverse teams and understanding broader project lifecycles and operational challenges within a large government contracting environment.
• Industry Certifications: Support for obtaining or maintaining advanced UX certifications to further professional development and career advancement.
• Programmatic Growth: Advancement into senior UX roles, UX management, or related operational roles within Leidos's broader portfolio of government contracts.

📝 Enhancement Note: The career path for a UX Specialist in this context leans towards operational excellence and strategic impact within large-scale government IT projects. Growth is tied to mastering UX processes, contributing to significant digital transformations, and potentially moving into leadership or more specialized operational roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is on-site, requiring the specialist to work within a Leidos office environment supporting the SSA contract. This implies a professional, potentially corporate office setting. Office Location(s): The primary work location is Woodlawn, MD, which is near Baltimore, MD. This is a dedicated site for supporting the Social Security Administration (SSA) contract.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hubs: Expect access to shared workspaces, meeting rooms, and potentially design studios designed for team collaboration and client presentations.
• Technology Access: Provision of necessary hardware, software, and access to Leidos's IT infrastructure, including UX design tools and collaboration platforms.
• Team Interaction: Regular opportunities for face-to-face interaction with team members, project managers, and stakeholders, fostering strong working relationships and efficient communication.
• Mission Focus: The environment is geared towards supporting critical government missions, suggesting a professional and focused atmosphere.

Work Schedule:

• The standard work schedule is typically Monday through Friday, aligning with a full-time, on-site commitment.
• While core hours are expected, there might be some flexibility to accommodate project deadlines or personal needs, subject to team and management approval.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Woodlawn, MD, is critical. This is not a remote or hybrid role, emphasizing the need for direct, in-person collaboration and access to facilities supporting the SSA contract. The workspace is likely designed for productivity and collaboration within a government project context.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and digital portfolio to assess foundational qualifications and experience.
• Technical/Skills Interview: Likely involves in-depth discussion of UX methodologies, user research techniques, design processes, and problem-solving approaches. Expect questions related to your portfolio projects.
• Case Study/Design Challenge: Candidates may be asked to present a past project in detail or complete a design exercise to evaluate their practical skills and thought process.
• Behavioral/Cultural Fit Interview: Assesses alignment with Leidos's values, teamwork capabilities, communication style, and adaptability, particularly in a mission-driven, government-contracting environment.
• Final Interview: May involve senior leadership or key stakeholders to confirm suitability and discuss role expectations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Relevance: Select projects that best demonstrate your experience with user research, interaction design, usability testing, and process optimization relevant to government or complex enterprise systems.
• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the solutions you designed, and the outcomes achieved (quantify where possible).
• Highlight Process: Emphasize how you applied UCD principles, conducted user research, iterated based on feedback, and documented your work.
• Showcase Collaboration: If possible, describe how you worked with cross-functional teams and handled stakeholder feedback.
• Prepare for Presentation: Be ready to walk through your portfolio, explaining your design decisions and the impact of your work.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand UCD: Review core UCD principles, user research methods, and usability testing best practices.
• Analyze User Needs: Be prepared to discuss how you elicit and document user needs and pain points.
• Process Mapping: Familiarize yourself with creating user journey maps, conceptual models, and process flows.
• Leidos & SSA Context: Research Leidos's mission and the SSA's role to understand the context of the work.
• Communication Practice: Practice articulating your design rationale and findings clearly and concisely.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is a critical component; it must showcase not just design output but the process and impact, especially concerning operational efficiency and user needs. Be ready to defend your design decisions and demonstrate how you translate abstract concepts into tangible user solutions.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Prototyping & Design: While not explicitly stated as required, proficiency in tools like Axure RP, Adobe XD, Figma, Sketch, or similar is expected for interaction and interface design.
• User Research & Testing: Experience with platforms or methods for conducting remote or in-person usability testing, user interviews, and surveys.
• Documentation & Collaboration: Tools for documenting requirements, creating process flows, and collaborating with teams (e.g., Confluence, Jira, Microsoft Office Suite).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with analytics tools to understand user behavior patterns and inform design decisions, though direct involvement in analytics might be secondary to UX research.
• Tools for creating visual presentations of findings and recommendations.

CRM & Automation:

• Platform Experience (Desired): Experience with Pega and/or ServiceNow platforms is a significant plus, indicating an understanding of enterprise-level workflow management and automation tools that are often part of digital modernization efforts.
• Integration Tools: Awareness of how UX designs integrate with backend systems and APIs.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job description focuses on UX skills, the mention of Pega and ServiceNow as desired skills suggests that understanding and designing for robust enterprise platforms is highly valued. Candidates with experience in these or similar complex systems will have an advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission Focus: Aligning work with the overarching mission of the SSA to serve the public, emphasizing the importance of user impact.
• Collaboration & Inclusivity: Valuing teamwork, knowledge sharing, and diverse perspectives to foster innovation and problem-solving.
• Ownership & Accountability: Taking responsibility for tasks, driving projects to completion, and actively contributing to team success.
• Innovation & Problem-Solving: A drive to find creative solutions to complex challenges and improve existing processes and user experiences.
• Integrity & Ethics: Commitment to making sound, ethical decisions with transparency and respect, crucial in government contracting.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Working closely with developers, product managers, business analysts, and stakeholders to ensure cohesive product development.
• Active Communication: Proactively sharing insights, progress, and challenges with team members and stakeholders.
• Feedback-Driven: Open to receiving and providing constructive feedback on designs and processes to drive continuous improvement.
• Mentorship Culture: Encouraging knowledge transfer and support among team members, with a focus on onboarding and developing talent.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture emphasizes a blend of mission-driven purpose, collaborative execution, and a proactive approach to problem-solving. Understanding and embodying these values will be crucial for success and integration within the team.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Large-Scale Impact: Designing for a system like the SSA means dealing with a vast user base and complex, established processes, requiring careful consideration of user needs and potential impacts.
• Digital Modernization Complexity: Contributing to a major digital modernization strategy involves navigating legacy systems, new technology integration, and evolving user expectations.
• Stakeholder Management: Effectively gathering requirements and presenting recommendations to diverse stakeholders with varying technical backgrounds and priorities.
• Balancing User Needs with System Constraints: Finding optimal UX solutions that meet user requirements while adhering to technical, security, and regulatory constraints inherent in government systems.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX Training: Opportunities to deepen expertise in areas like service design, advanced usability testing, or accessibility compliance.
• Industry Conferences: Potential to attend UX and technology conferences to stay abreast of the latest trends and best practices.
• Mentorship Programs: Formal and informal mentorship from experienced professionals within Leidos, providing guidance on career development and skill enhancement.
• Exposure to Enterprise Platforms: Gaining hands-on experience with large-scale government IT platforms like Pega or ServiceNow.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents a significant opportunity to contribute to a large-scale digital transformation, offering substantial learning experiences in complex environments. The challenges are directly linked to the scale and nature of government IT modernization, providing valuable operational and technical growth.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• UX Process Mastery: Be prepared to walk through your entire UX process for a key project. How do you define user needs? What research methods do you employ? How do you iterate based on feedback? How do you document and present findings?
• Problem-Solving Scenarios: Expect questions about how you've tackled complex UX challenges, managed conflicting stakeholder requirements, or improved user workflows in past roles. Focus on your structured approach and the outcomes.
• Collaboration & Communication: Discuss how you collaborate with developers, product managers, and clients. How do you handle constructive criticism or disagreements? How do you communicate technical concepts to non-technical audiences?

Company & Culture Questions:

• Mission Alignment: How does your passion for user experience connect with Leidos's mission and the SSA's service to the public?
• Teamwork: Describe your ideal team environment and how you contribute to a positive and productive team dynamic.
• Adaptability: How do you handle ambiguity, changing priorities, or unexpected challenges in a project?

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each project, clearly articulate the business problem or user need, your specific contributions, the process you followed, the design solutions, and the measurable results or impact.
• Visual Storytelling: Use your portfolio to visually guide the interviewer through your thought process and design journey.
• Process Emphasis: Highlight the research, testing, and iteration steps that informed your final designs, demonstrating a rigorous UX methodology.
• Conciseness: Be prepared to present your key projects within a designated timeframe, focusing on the most relevant aspects.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to articulate the "why" behind your design decisions and demonstrate how your UX expertise translates into tangible operational improvements and positive user outcomes. Be ready to discuss specific tools and methodologies used.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-focused UX Specialist position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link.
• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your digital portfolio is up-to-date, showcases relevant projects (especially those involving process analysis, user needs, and system design), and is easily accessible. Tailor your project selection to highlight skills relevant to government contracts and complex systems.
• Resume Optimization: Highlight your 6+ years of direct UX experience, specific user research and interaction design skills, and any experience with government agencies or enterprise platforms like Pega/ServiceNow. Quantify achievements where possible to demonstrate impact.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your UX process, problem-solving approach, and collaboration style. Be ready to discuss your portfolio projects in detail and how they contributed to operational efficiency or user satisfaction.
• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Leidos's mission, values, and the nature of its work with the SSA. Understand the importance of user-centered design in public service delivery.

⚠️ 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.