Lead UI & UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead UI & UX Designer

Company: UKG

Location: Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Product Design / UX/UI

Date Posted: 2026-05-18

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design of complex enterprise product experiences, with a specific focus on integrating advanced AI capabilities into intuitive and actionable workflows.

• Drive product influence and cross-functional partnership by shaping requirements and guiding design decisions with product, engineering, data, and AI teams.

• Define and evolve design patterns that ensure AI-enabled features are clear, useful, and trustworthy, emphasizing user control and transparency.

• Shape conversational, proactive, and context-aware workflows that reduce friction in complex tasks and respond intelligently to user intent and changing needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the job title is Lead UI & UX Designer, the core responsibilities and qualifications strongly indicate a Senior/Lead level Product Designer role with a significant emphasis on AI integration and enterprise-level product strategy, rather than purely UI/UX execution. The role requires deep product judgment and the ability to influence across technical and product teams.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the design of AI-enabled product experiences, defining how AI capabilities are presented and function to enhance user interaction and task completion.

• Design conversational, proactive, and context-aware workflows that leverage AI to simplify complex enterprise tasks and adapt to user intent and dynamic situations.

• Drive the end-to-end product design process for complex areas, from problem framing and user research to wireframing, prototyping, testing, and iteration, with a keen eye on AI output quality and user trust.

• Collaborate closely with product management, engineering, data science, and AI teams to translate evolving capabilities into feasible, customer-centric design solutions and establish consistent AI interaction patterns across the product portfolio.

• Utilize user research, product data, and customer insights to inform design decisions, validate solutions, and iteratively refine AI-supported experiences, particularly focusing on user understanding and control over AI outputs.

• Champion accessibility, inclusivity, and a high standard of craft in all design deliverables, ensuring clarity, usability, and consistency across complex workflows, especially where AI assists or acts on behalf of the user.

• Contribute to design quality and team development through design reviews, constructive critique, and mentorship, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and modern design practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic leadership role in shaping AI-driven product evolution within an enterprise context. The emphasis on "product influence," "systems thinking," and "AI integration" suggests a senior individual contributor or a lead role responsible for defining design strategy for new technology adoption.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 10+ years of experience in UX, product design, or interaction design, with a significant portion dedicated to complex enterprise product areas.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience designing complex, scalable design solutions within enterprise environments, demonstrating strong product judgment and systems thinking.

• Demonstrated experience designing products that incorporate AI capabilities, focusing on trust, feedback, control, and adaptive user behaviors.

• Proficiency in leveraging AI within the design process itself to enhance exploration, synthesis, prototyping, and execution quality.

• Expertise in end-to-end product design, including problem framing, user research, workflow definition, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing.

• Strong understanding of accessibility standards and inclusive product design principles.

• Excellent storytelling, presentation, and facilitation skills, capable of clearly communicating complex ideas to diverse stakeholders across disciplines and organizational levels.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience contributing to and maintaining shared design patterns, reusable frameworks, or design systems to ensure consistency and quality across a product portfolio.

• Familiarity with conversational AI, proactive assistance, and context-aware workflow design.

• Proficiency in a range of modern design and prototyping tools, with a willingness to adopt new technologies and techniques.

• Ability to identify, apply, and evolve design patterns, processes, and best practices while advocating for customer value and building cross-functional alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a blend of deep design craft, strategic thinking, and a forward-looking perspective on AI integration. The "10+ years" combined with "complex enterprise product areas" and "shaping design direction" points to a senior individual contributor or lead role rather than an entry-level or mid-level position. The portfolio requirement is critical and needs to showcase specific experience with AI and complex enterprise workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio demonstrating sophisticated product thinking and design craft, with a clear narrative on how design decisions led to tangible outcomes.

• Specific case studies showcasing experience designing for AI-enabled features, detailing the challenges, your approach, and the impact on user trust, control, and task completion.

• Examples of designing complex, workflow-heavy enterprise products, illustrating your ability to manage intricate user journeys and information architecture.

• Evidence of how you have influenced design direction, shaped product requirements, or contributed to design systems and shared patterns.

Process Documentation:

• Clear articulation of your design process, from discovery and problem framing through to execution and iteration, emphasizing how you integrate AI considerations at each stage.

• Examples of how you approach defining and refining AI behaviors, including strategies for ensuring transparency, user control, and feedback mechanisms within workflows.

• Demonstrations of your ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Data, AI) to establish cohesive design strategies and shared patterns for AI integration.

• Evidence of how you use data and research to inform design decisions and measure the success of AI-supported user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are heavily weighted towards demonstrating strategic impact and experience with emerging technologies like AI within complex enterprise environments. Candidates should be prepared to showcase not just polished UI, but the strategic thinking and process behind it, especially concerning AI's role.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: Based on industry benchmarks for Lead UI/UX Designers with 10+ years of experience in enterprise software, particularly in technology hubs like Noida, India, the estimated annual salary range would likely be between ₹18,00,000 to ₹35,00,000. This range can vary significantly based on the candidate's specific expertise, the depth of their AI design experience, and final negotiation.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision) for employees and dependents.

• Retirement savings plans or provident fund contributions.

• Paid time off, including vacation days, sick leave, and public holidays.

• Flexible work arrangements, including hybrid work options and potential for remote work flexibility.

• Professional development opportunities, such as training, workshops, conferences, and tuition reimbursement.

• Employee assistance programs offering confidential counseling and support services.

• Opportunities for career advancement and skill development within a growing global organization.

• Access to UKG's workforce operating platform and other company products.

Working Hours: Standard full-time working hours, typically 40 hours per week. While there is a hybrid work arrangement, specific days in the office may be required for collaboration, with flexibility often available for core working hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary estimations are based on general market data for senior design roles in India, adjusted for the specific experience level and the specialized nature of AI design. Benefits are standard for large enterprise technology companies and are inferred based on industry best practices.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Workforce Management Software / Human Capital Management (HCM) Technology. UKG operates in the enterprise software sector, providing a critical Workforce Operating Platform that helps businesses manage their employees' time, pay, benefits, and development. This industry requires a deep understanding of business processes and user needs across various sectors.

Company Size: UKG is a large enterprise, employing over 13,000 people globally. This size indicates a structured organization with established processes, a significant global presence, and ample resources for innovation and employee development. For operations professionals, this means opportunities for specialization and working within robust frameworks.

Founded: UKG was formed in 2020 through the merger of Ultimate Software and Kronos Incorporated. This recent formation signifies a dynamic environment looking to integrate best practices and drive forward with a unified vision, leveraging the combined strengths and legacies of its predecessor companies.

Team Structure:

• The global UX team is substantial and diverse, comprising product designers, researchers, content strategists, a dedicated design systems team, an accessibility team, and data/analytics partners.

• Designers work within both shared foundational design areas and specific product-dedicated teams, fostering a balance between portfolio-wide consistency and product-specific innovation.

Methodology:

• Emphasis on data-driven design, utilizing product data and research insights to inform decisions and measure impact.

• Focus on iterative design and continuous improvement, particularly for AI-supported features, ensuring user validation and refinement.

• Collaborative approach to problem-solving, with close partnerships between UX, Product, Engineering, and Data/AI teams.

• Commitment to establishing and leveraging shared design patterns and systems for consistency and efficiency.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context emphasizes UKG's position as a leader in workforce technology, highlighting the scale and complexity of their products. The recent merger suggests a period of integration and growth, likely fostering an environment that values innovation and strategic thinking, especially in adopting new technologies like AI.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a senior or lead level within the design function. It requires extensive experience (10+ years) and the ability to operate with significant autonomy, influence product strategy, and mentor junior team members. The focus on AI integration and complex enterprise products signifies a high level of strategic contribution.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Lead UX Designer typically reports to a Design Manager, Director of UX, or Head of Product Design. They will work closely with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and Data Scientists within specific product teams.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct and significant impact on the usability, effectiveness, and adoption of UKG's core Workforce Operating Platform, particularly as it integrates advanced AI capabilities. By shaping how users interact with AI, this designer will influence productivity, user trust, and the overall value proposition of UKG's offerings.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership & Strategy: Potential to transition into management roles (Design Manager) or become a principal/staff designer specializing in AI product strategy.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI/ML design, conversational interfaces, or specific enterprise workflow domains.

• Mentorship: Formalize mentorship of junior designers, contributing to their growth and the overall team's capabilities.

• Cross-Functional Influence: Expand influence across product lines and contribute to company-wide design standards and innovation initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role is framed as a significant step for experienced designers, offering not just execution but strategic influence, especially in the burgeoning field of AI in enterprise software. Growth paths are clearly aligned with leadership, specialization, and broader organizational impact.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: UKG operates a hybrid work model. This typically means a blend of in-office collaboration and remote work, allowing for flexibility while maintaining in-person teamwork. The office environment is likely modern and designed to facilitate collaboration.

Office Location(s): The role is based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. This location is a major technology and business hub, offering access to talent and a vibrant professional ecosystem. Specific office details would be available upon inquiry or during the interview process.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect to work in close partnership with cross-functional teams (Product, Engineering, Data, AI), requiring strong communication and teamwork skills. The hybrid model necessitates effective collaboration tools and strategies.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design and prototyping tools, and likely exposure to cutting-edge AI design tools and methodologies. The company's own Workforce Operating Platform will be a key tool and area of focus.

• Team Interaction: While hybrid, opportunities for in-person interaction will be crucial for design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and building team cohesion. Regular virtual touchpoints will also be essential.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 per week), with flexibility often built into the schedule to accommodate hybrid work and individual work styles. The focus is on outcomes and effective collaboration rather than strict adherence to a physical office presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work environment suggests a need for strong self-management and excellent virtual collaboration skills. The Noida location points to a significant engineering and design talent pool in India.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review your application and portfolio, assessing your experience against the core requirements, especially in AI design and enterprise products.

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: You will likely present your portfolio, walking through key case studies. Be prepared to discuss your design process, strategic thinking, decision-making rationale, and the impact of your work, particularly concerning AI integration and complex workflows.

• Design Challenge/Workshop: A practical exercise or a collaborative workshop may be involved to assess your problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to work with others. This could involve critiquing an existing experience or designing a new feature.

• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially Data Scientists or AI Specialists to evaluate your collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to influence across disciplines.

• Hiring Manager/Leadership Interview: Final discussions to assess cultural fit, leadership potential, and alignment with the team's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Narrative is Key: Structure your portfolio around compelling stories that highlight the problem, your process, your role, the solution, and the measurable impact.

• AI Focus: Ensure your portfolio prominently features examples of designing for AI, detailing how you addressed challenges of trust, transparency, control, and user understanding.

• Enterprise Complexity: Showcase your ability to handle complex workflows, large-scale data, and enterprise-level user needs.

• Process & Rationale: Clearly articulate why you made specific design decisions, backed by research, data, or strategic reasoning.

• Craft & Polish: While process is crucial, ensure your deliverables are polished and demonstrate a high level of visual and interaction design quality.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with UKG's Workforce Operating Platform and the challenges in workforce management.

• AI Design Principles: Refresh your knowledge of best practices for designing AI-powered experiences.

• Systemic Thinking: Practice thinking about how a feature or change impacts the broader system and user experience.

• Communication: Be ready to articulate your thought process clearly and concisely, both verbally and visually.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to thoroughly assess not only design skills but also strategic thinking, AI design expertise, and cross-functional collaboration capabilities. A strong, well-articulated portfolio is paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Proficiency in industry-standard tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision, Axure, or similar. The ability to adapt to new tools and techniques is crucial.

• User Research & Testing: Experience with tools for user interviews, surveys, usability testing platforms (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback), and analytics platforms.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello, Slack, or Microsoft Teams for team communication and workflow management.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Experience interpreting data from analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to inform design decisions and measure the impact of features.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how design impacts user adoption and engagement within enterprise software (which often integrates with or acts as a CRM/HRIS) is beneficial.

• Familiarity with workflow automation concepts as they relate to user experience design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on "willingness to adopt new tools and techniques" suggests that UKG is open to evolving their toolkit. Proficiency in core design and prototyping tools is expected, with an added advantage for those who can demonstrate experience with tools specifically relevant to AI design or complex enterprise systems.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer-Centricity: A strong focus on understanding and solving real customer problems, particularly in the context of workforce management and evolving technology.

• Collaboration: Fostering strong partnerships across Product, Engineering, Data, and AI teams to deliver cohesive and impactful solutions.

• Innovation & Continuous Learning: Encouraging exploration of new technologies like AI and a commitment to staying ahead of industry trends and design best practices.

• Quality & Craftsmanship: Maintaining a high standard for design execution, usability, accessibility, and overall user experience.

• Impact & Accountability: Driving design decisions that lead to measurable business outcomes and taking ownership of design solutions.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers are expected to be deeply integrated with Product and Engineering teams, acting as key partners in shaping product direction.

• Data-Informed Design: A culture that values data and research as critical inputs for design decisions, rather than relying solely on intuition.

• Constructive Feedback: An environment where design reviews and critiques are common, focusing on providing and receiving constructive feedback to elevate the quality of work.

• Shared Ownership: A collective responsibility for the success of the product, encouraging open communication and shared problem-solving.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values and collaboration style emphasize a modern, agile, and data-driven product development environment. Key for candidates will be demonstrating their ability to integrate into cross-functional teams and contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, especially concerning AI.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for AI Uncertainty: Navigating the inherent complexities and potential unpredictability of AI outputs, ensuring user trust, transparency, and control. This involves designing for situations where AI confidence is low or outputs are incomplete.

• Integrating AI Seamlessly: Ensuring AI capabilities enhance, rather than complicate, existing complex enterprise workflows, making them feel natural and intuitive.

• Balancing Innovation with Enterprise Needs: Staying at the forefront of AI design while meeting the rigorous demands of enterprise users for stability, reliability, and clear ROI.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Securing buy-in and alignment from diverse stakeholders (Product, Engineering, AI, Sales) on design strategies for new and evolving technologies.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Specialization: Opportunities to become a recognized expert in designing AI-powered enterprise software, a highly in-demand skill.

• Exposure to Cutting-Edge Technology: Working directly with AI and ML teams to understand and translate emerging capabilities into user-facing features.

• Mentorship and Leadership: Formal avenues for mentoring junior designers and potentially leading design initiatives or small teams.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Support for attending relevant design, AI, and UX conferences, as well as internal and external training programs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are directly tied to the role's focus on AI integration within a complex enterprise setting. The growth opportunities highlight the potential for significant career advancement and specialization in a rapidly evolving field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you designed a complex workflow for an enterprise product. What were the key challenges, and how did you ensure usability and efficiency?" (Focus on process, problem-solving, and enterprise context.)

• "How have you approached designing with AI capabilities? What are the critical factors for building user trust and control in AI-driven experiences?" (Prepare specific examples of AI design, addressing trust, transparency, and feedback.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about UKG and our Workforce Operating Platform? How do you see AI impacting this space?" (Research UKG's mission, products, and industry position. Connect your AI design experience to their domain.)

• "How do you approach collaboration with product managers, engineers, and data scientists, especially when dealing with new technologies like AI?" (Highlight your cross-functional partnership skills and ability to communicate complex ideas.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your specific role and contributions, the design process, the solution, and the measurable outcomes or lessons learned.

• Highlight AI & Enterprise: Dedicate significant time to showcasing your AI design experience and your ability to navigate enterprise product complexity. Use visuals and clear explanations.

• Focus on "Why": Articulate the strategic thinking behind your design decisions. Why did you choose this approach? What trade-offs did you consider?

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your process, tools, and rationale. Have backup slides or details ready if needed.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on articulating strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and demonstrable experience with AI and complex enterprise products. The portfolio presentation is a critical component for showcasing these skills.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead UI & UX Designer position at UKG:

• Submit your application through the UKG careers portal link provided.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your most impactful projects that best demonstrate your experience with AI-driven design, complex enterprise workflows, and end-to-end product leadership. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your role, process, solution, and impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords from the job description, such as "AI Experience Design," "Enterprise Product Design," "Systems Thinking," "Interaction Design," and "Product Influence." Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio, focusing on storytelling and clearly articulating your design rationale, especially for AI-related challenges. Be ready to discuss your process and decision-making.

• Research UKG: Understand UKG's mission, products (especially the Workforce Operating Platform), and their strategic focus on AI and innovation. Prepare to discuss how your skills align with their goals.

⚠️ 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.