Lead Specialist, UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead Specialist, UX Designer

Company: Pearson

Location: Hoboken, New Jersey, United States

Job Type: Full time

Category: UX/Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-05-05T15:13:52

Experience Level: 7-10 years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design of complex, end-to-end user experiences and platform-level initiatives for higher education products across web and mobile.

• Drive design excellence by creating high-fidelity, pixel-perfect designs, user flows, and interactive prototypes, ensuring seamless engineering handoffs.

• Define and evolve reusable components and patterns for a scalable design system, emphasizing accessibility and cross-platform consistency.

• Lead user research initiatives, translating insights into actionable design improvements and strategic product recommendations.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role requires a senior-level UX Designer with a strong emphasis on leading initiatives, mentoring others, and influencing product strategy, particularly within the context of AI-driven learning experiences for higher education. The "Lead Specialist" title suggests a blend of individual contribution and leadership responsibilities.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design for major product areas, full user journeys, and platform-level initiatives across web and mobile, from discovery through launch and iteration.

• Create high-fidelity, pixel-perfect designs, comprehensive user flows, and interactive prototypes, along with detailed specifications for engineering handoff.

• Define, evolve, and document reusable components and patterns for the design system, ensuring scalability, accessibility, and long-term consistency across multiple product teams.

• Lead (or co-lead with researchers) user research initiatives, including study planning, facilitation, and insight synthesis, to inform design improvements and strategic product recommendations.

• Present design work and strategic recommendations to senior leadership and cross-functional partners, building conviction for design decisions that shape product strategy and roadmap priorities.

• Partner with product managers to define and frame design problems, identify opportunities, and establish clear success metrics before solutioning.

• Facilitate design workshops and collaborative sessions to build shared understanding and drive alignment among cross-functional stakeholders with competing priorities.

• Partner with product and engineering teams to scope design work, define realistic timelines, and establish success criteria for initiatives.

• Leverage data and analytics to validate design decisions and iteratively improve experiences through A/B testing, experimentation, and performance monitoring.

• Mentor junior and mid-level designers through design critiques, pair designing, and thoughtful feedback to accelerate their growth and career development.

• Design for AI-driven teaching and learning experiences in collaboration with learning scientists, considering ethical implications, pedagogical effectiveness, and responsible AI principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a leadership and strategic component, requiring the candidate to not only design but also influence direction, mentor peers, and drive research. The explicit mention of AI-driven learning experiences and ethical considerations is a key differentiator for this role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, or a related field is typically expected for senior-level UX roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be considered.

Experience: 7-10 years of experience in product design, with a significant focus on user-centered design principles and methodologies.

Required Skills:

• Deep Expertise in User-Centered Design: Proven ability to translate user needs, business goals, and technical constraints into intuitive and effective digital experiences.

• Exceptional Craftsmanship: Demonstrated ability to create high-fidelity, pixel-perfect interfaces, user flows, and interactive prototypes with meticulous attention to detail.

• Design System Proficiency: Experience defining, evolving, and documenting design systems, including reusable components and patterns, with a strong understanding of scalability and consistency.

• User Research Leadership: Ability to plan, conduct, and synthesize user research (qualitative and quantitative) to inform design decisions and strategic product recommendations.

• Strategic Thinking & Problem Framing: Capability to approach complex design challenges with a strategic mindset, define problems effectively, and develop clear paths forward.

• Cross-functional Collaboration & Influence: Proven ability to partner effectively with product managers, engineers, content strategists, researchers, and senior stakeholders, influencing decisions and building consensus.

• Mentorship & Design Advocacy: Experience mentoring junior designers and advocating for design quality and user needs within a team.

• AI/ML Design Experience: Critical experience designing for AI-powered teaching and learning experiences, understanding ethical implications and pedagogical effectiveness.

• Portfolio Demonstrating Impact: A strong portfolio showcasing end-to-end design process, strategic thinking, craft excellence, and measurable impact on product metrics, user satisfaction, and business outcomes for large user bases (millions of users).

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with A/B testing, experimentation, and performance monitoring to validate design decisions.

• Familiarity with Socratic principles, critical thinking, and pedagogical rigor in learning design.

• Experience designing for both web and mobile platforms.

• Proficiency in relevant design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision).

• Understanding of accessibility standards and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "7-10 years" and "leading design for major features or product areas affecting millions of users" clearly positions this as a senior, impactful role. The requirement for AI-powered experience design is a critical filter.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 2-3 complex, end-to-end design projects, ideally from discovery through launch and iteration, demonstrating leadership and significant product impact.

• Clearly articulate your role and contributions within each project, especially in collaborative team settings.

• Highlight projects that involved designing for AI-driven features or complex learning technologies.

• Demonstrate strategic thinking by showing how user needs, business goals, and technical constraints were balanced.

• Include evidence of user research conducted and how insights informed design decisions.

• Present high-fidelity mockups, user flows, and interactive prototypes that showcase your craft and attention to detail.

Process Documentation:

• Provide examples or descriptions of your design process, emphasizing how you approach problem framing, user research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.

• Detail your experience working with design systems, including contributions to component definition, pattern evolution, and documentation.

• Describe your approach to cross-functional collaboration, including how you engage with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to drive alignment and decision-making.

• Explain your methodology for leading or contributing to user research initiatives and translating findings into actionable design improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the "Lead Specialist" title and the emphasis on strategic influence and mentorship, the portfolio should not only showcase design output but also the candidate's process, leadership, and impact on product and team development.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on the provided information and industry benchmarks for Lead UX Designers in the New Jersey area, the estimated salary range is $160,000 - $195,000 USD per year.

• Methodology: This estimate is derived from the explicit salary range provided in the job description ($160,000 - $195,000 USD). It aligns with the typical compensation for senior-level UX Designer roles in the tech and education sectors in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area, considering the specified experience level (7-10 years).

Benefits:

• Participation in an annual incentive program.

• Comprehensive benefits package (details available at pearsonbenefitsus.com).

• Opportunity to work on impactful AI-driven learning products.

• Professional development and mentorship opportunities.

• Hybrid work arrangement.

Working Hours: The role is listed as "Full time" with an assumed standard of 40 hours per week. The hybrid work arrangement suggests flexibility in how these hours are structured between remote and on-site work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is explicitly stated, making this section straightforward. The benefits highlight standard offerings plus the unique opportunity to work on cutting-edge AI in education.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Education Technology / Publishing. Pearson is a global leader in education, providing learning content, assessment, and digital services. The company is undergoing a significant digital and AI transformation, focusing on creating adaptive, human-centered learning experiences.

Company Size: 18,000+ employees globally. This indicates a large, established organization with diverse opportunities and a structured environment, but also potential for innovation within specific product teams.

Founded: Pearson has a long history, with its origins tracing back to the mid-19th century, evolving into a major education company. This history suggests stability and a deep understanding of the learning landscape, while the current transformation points to a forward-looking approach.

Team Structure:

• Embedded Product Teams: UX Designers are embedded within product teams, fostering close collaboration with Product Management, Content, Research, and Engineering.

• Mentorship Focus: The team structure supports mentorship, with senior designers guiding and developing junior and mid-level talent.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: A high degree of collaboration is expected across various disciplines to define problems, develop solutions, and drive product strategy.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design: Core to the design process, with a strong emphasis on understanding learner needs and outcomes.

• Agile/Iterative Development: Implied through collaboration with engineering and the mention of "launch and iteration," suggesting agile methodologies are likely in use.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Use of A/B testing, experimentation, and performance monitoring to inform and validate design choices.

• Design Systems: Utilization and evolution of a design system for consistency and efficiency across products.

• AI Transformation: A significant focus on integrating AI into learning products, emphasizing ethical considerations and pedagogical effectiveness.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Pearson's emphasis on AI transformation in education is a critical aspect of its current culture and future direction, which this role directly contributes to.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Lead Specialist," indicating a senior individual contributor with leadership and mentorship responsibilities. It sits above mid-level designers and is a stepping stone towards potential design leadership roles (e.g., Design Manager, Principal Designer) or specialized expert tracks.

Reporting Structure: The UX Designer will be embedded within a product team, likely reporting to a Product Lead or a Design Lead within a larger product organization. They will also collaborate closely with senior stakeholders across content, product, research, and engineering.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the user experience of millions of learners globally. By leading design for major product areas and influencing product strategy, the UX Designer will shape how students learn, how instructors teach, and how Pearson achieves its mission of building lifelong relationships with learners. The focus on AI-driven learning experiences positions this role at the forefront of educational innovation.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Opportunities to lead design for significant product initiatives, potentially shaping broader design strategies for product lines.

• Mentorship & Team Development: Direct experience in mentoring junior designers, developing leadership and coaching skills.

• Specialization in EdTech & AI: Deepen expertise in designing for artificial intelligence in education, a rapidly growing and in-demand field.

• Strategic Influence: Gain experience in influencing product roadmaps and company strategy through design advocacy and data-driven insights.

• Career Progression: Potential to advance into Principal Designer roles, Design Management, or specialized UX leadership positions within Pearson's extensive organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Lead Specialist" title implies a strong individual contributor path with leadership elements, rather than direct people management, focusing on expertise and influence.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. This indicates a mix of remote work and in-office presence. The specific frequency of in-office days may vary but is generally designed to foster collaboration and team cohesion.

Office Location(s): Hoboken, New Jersey. This location offers access to the vibrant New York metropolitan area, providing a hub for talent and innovation.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Hub: The hybrid model suggests the office serves as a space for in-person collaboration, team meetings, workshops, and fostering company culture.

• Technology-Enabled: As a leading tech-focused education company, expect access to modern design tools and collaboration platforms.

• Cross-functional Interaction: The embedded nature of the role ensures frequent interaction with diverse teams, promoting a dynamic and integrated work environment.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time work hours (assumed 40 hours/week) with a hybrid arrangement offering flexibility. This schedule is typical for senior design roles, balancing dedicated work time with personal needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect, requiring candidates to be comfortable working both remotely and in the Hoboken office.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely an HR or recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A critical stage where candidates present their portfolio, discussing their process, impact, and strategic thinking. A take-home design challenge or a live design exercise may be included to assess problem-solving skills and design approach.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other Designers to evaluate collaboration style, technical understanding, and ability to articulate design rationale.

• Leadership/Stakeholder Interview: A discussion with senior leaders to assess strategic thinking, influence, and overall fit for the "Lead Specialist" role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Storytelling is Key: Structure your portfolio case studies to tell a compelling narrative: the problem, your process, your role, the challenges, the solutions, and the impact.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. This is explicitly mentioned as important for this role.

• Highlight AI/ML Design: Showcase specific examples of designing AI-powered features or learning experiences, detailing your approach to user needs, ethics, and pedagogical considerations.

• Demonstrate Leadership: For this "Lead Specialist" role, emphasize instances where you have led design initiatives, mentored others, or influenced product strategy.

• Showcase Process: Clearly articulate your design process, including how you integrate user research, data, and cross-functional feedback.

• Tailor to Pearson: Research Pearson's current AI transformation and educational mission. Connect your portfolio projects to these themes where relevant.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Be prepared for design challenges that might involve complex learning scenarios, AI integration, or design system thinking within an educational context.

• Focus on Problem Framing: Demonstrate your ability to deconstruct a problem, ask clarifying questions, and define objectives before jumping into solutions.

• Articulate Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss the trade-offs you would make and the rationale behind your design decisions.

• Consider AI Ethics: If the challenge involves AI, be prepared to discuss ethical implications, responsible AI principles, and how to design for trust and transparency.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on AI design, leadership, and quantifiable impact means candidates should prepare to showcase these aspects prominently in their portfolio and interviews.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop), InVision, or similar industry-standard tools are expected for creating detailed user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes.

• Design Systems: Experience working with and contributing to established design systems. Familiarity with tools for design system management and documentation (e.g., Storybook, Zeroheight) may be beneficial.

• Collaboration Tools: Proficiency with project management and communication tools such as Jira, Confluence, Slack, Microsoft Teams.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Research Platforms: Tools for usability testing, surveys, and participant recruitment (e.g., UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Qualtrics).

• Data Analysis Tools: Familiarity with tools for analyzing user behavior data, A/B test results, and product performance metrics (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel).

CRM & Automation: While not directly a UX tool, an understanding of how CRM systems (like Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms integrate with user-facing products can be advantageous for understanding business context and data flow.

📝 Enhancement Note: The specific tools are not listed, but standard industry tools for UX design, prototyping, and collaboration are implied. Experience with AI/ML platforms or tools related to AI development could be a plus, though not explicitly stated.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Learner-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and serving the needs of learners across all aspects of product development.

• Impact-Driven: Focus on creating experiences that lead to measurable improvements in learning outcomes and user satisfaction.

• Innovation & Transformation: Embracing digital and AI transformation to reimagine education and create next-generation learning products.

• Collaboration & Influence: Valuing teamwork, open communication, and the ability to influence stakeholders through rationale and advocacy.

• Craftsmanship & Excellence: Maintaining high standards for design quality, user experience, and attention to detail.

• Ethical Design: Prioritizing responsible AI principles and ethical considerations in the design of educational technologies.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Designers work closely within cross-functional product teams, fostering a sense of shared ownership and responsibility.

• Workshop-Based: Design workshops and collaborative sessions are used to build consensus and align stakeholders.

• Feedback-Rich Environment: Encouraging constructive feedback through design crits and pair designing to elevate the work and support designer growth.

• Data-Informed: Decisions are grounded in user research data and performance analytics.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's stated mission around "building a direct, lifelong relationship with millions of learners" and its AI transformation are central to its operational values.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI Ethics & Pedagogy: Navigating the complexities of designing AI-driven learning tools that are not only effective but also ethical, pedagogically sound, and free from bias.

• Balancing Innovation with Scale: Driving cutting-edge AI innovation while ensuring designs are scalable, maintainable, and consistent across a vast user base and multiple product lines.

• Influencing Senior Stakeholders: Convincing leadership of design vision and strategy, especially in a rapidly evolving technological landscape like AI in education.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Managing competing priorities and perspectives from diverse teams (product, content, research, engineering, learning scientists) to achieve cohesive product experiences.

• Mentoring and Leading: Effectively mentoring junior designers while also performing senior-level design work and strategic contributions.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Expertise in AI in Education: Gaining specialized knowledge and experience in designing AI-powered educational products, a highly sought-after skill.

• Strategic Design Leadership: Developing skills in product strategy, stakeholder management, and influencing organizational direction.

• Design System Advancement: Contributing to and potentially leading the evolution of a large-scale design system.

• Cross-disciplinary Collaboration: Working closely with learning scientists, data scientists, and AI engineers to deepen understanding of complex domains.

• Career Pathing: Opportunities for growth into Principal Designer, Design Management, or specialized UX leadership roles within Pearson.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the company's strategic direction (AI transformation) and the senior nature of the role.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led the design of a complex, end-to-end user journey for a product with millions of users. What was your process, what challenges did you face, and what was the impact?" (Focus on scope, leadership, process, and quantifiable results.)

• "How would you approach designing an AI-powered learning companion that aims to coach students through complex problem-solving? What ethical considerations would be paramount?" (Assess understanding of AI design, pedagogy, and ethics.)

• "Walk us through your process for evolving or defining elements within a design system. How do you ensure scalability, accessibility, and adoption across multiple teams?" (Evaluate design system expertise and collaboration.)

• "How do you frame design problems and identify opportunities before jumping into solutions? Provide an example of how you partnered with a Product Manager to do this." (Assess strategic thinking and problem-definition skills.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Pearson's mission and its current AI transformation in higher education?" (Show research and alignment with company goals.)

• "How do you approach mentoring junior designers and elevating the design craft within a team?" (Assess leadership and mentorship capabilities.)

• "Pearson values learner-centricity and impact. How do you ensure these values are reflected in your design work?" (Connect your experience to company values.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Lead with Impact: Start each case study by stating the problem, your role, and the key outcomes or impact achieved.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (mockups, flows, prototypes) to illustrate your design decisions and process.

• Explain Your "Why": Articulate the rationale behind your design choices, referencing user research, data, and strategic goals.

• Highlight AI/ML Experience: Dedicate specific attention to any projects involving AI or advanced learning technologies, detailing your approach to user needs, ethics, and pedagogical effectiveness.

• Address Leadership: Explicitly discuss where you led initiatives, mentored others, or influenced strategy.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your process, decisions, challenges, and how you would adapt your approach to Pearson's specific context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should be ready to discuss their experience with AI in education, design leadership, and quantifiable impact, aligning their portfolio with Pearson's current strategic priorities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead Specialist, UX Designer position at Pearson:

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

• Customize Your Resume: Ensure your resume highlights your 7-10 years of experience, with specific keywords related to UX Design, Product Design, AI-Powered Experience Design, Design Systems, User Research, and demonstrable impact on large user bases. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest end-to-end projects that showcase your leadership, strategic thinking, design craft, and measurable impact. Prioritize projects involving AI, complex learning experiences, or large-scale applications. Ensure your role and contributions are clearly defined.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Be ready to articulate your design process, decision-making rationale, and the impact of your work during portfolio review sessions. Practice explaining your experience with AI ethics and pedagogical considerations.

• Research Pearson: Understand Pearson's mission, its AI transformation in higher education, and its commitment to learner outcomes. This knowledge will be crucial for tailoring your application and interview responses.