Lead UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead UX Designer

Company: Datacor

Location: Remote, US

Job Type: Full-time

Category: Product Design / UX Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-11T13:42:33

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end design of complex product experiences for Datacor's engineering software suite, including CHEMCAD and Pipe Flow Modeling tools, ensuring a user-centric approach from concept to execution.

• Develop, scale, and socialize product-specific design systems, establishing core components, patterns, and guidelines to ensure consistency, quality, and scalability across the product portfolio.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, mechanical and chemical engineers, and developers to translate user needs and technical requirements into intuitive and impactful design solutions.

• Mentor junior designers, providing guidance and feedback to foster their professional growth and contribute to a high-performing design team.

• Drive efficiency and collaboration within the design team by expanding product design operations and ensuring processes align with team and product objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Lead UX Designer, implying a significant level of autonomy and responsibility for design strategy and execution within the Datacor Engineering Software Group (DESG). The emphasis on "product design operations" suggests a need for someone who not only designs but also optimizes the design process itself.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Conceptualize, design, and execute user experiences for complex engineering software products, balancing visionary thinking with practical business needs and technical feasibility.

• Lead the entire design lifecycle for new product features, from initial ideation and user journey mapping to detailed wireframing, prototyping, and final pixel-perfect UI designs.

• Partner with product managers to deeply understand customer pain points, market opportunities, and user needs, translating these insights into actionable design specifications aligned with the product roadmap.

• Actively mentor and guide junior designers, offering constructive feedback, design critiques, and support for their professional development.

• Establish, maintain, and advocate for product-specific design systems, defining and documenting core components, interaction patterns, and visual guidelines to ensure consistency and scalability.

• Streamline and optimize product design operations, implementing efficient workflows and collaborative practices to enhance team productivity and align design efforts with broader product and business objectives.

• Conduct user research, usability testing, and gather feedback from stakeholders to validate design decisions and iterate on solutions, ensuring user problems are effectively addressed.

• Integrate AI-enabled workflows and prompt-to-design tools (e.g., Figma Make) to accelerate the design process and explore innovative solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design leadership, hands-on execution, process optimization, and team mentorship, typical for a senior or lead role in a product-focused organization. The specific mention of engineering software and AI tools indicates a specialized and forward-thinking design environment.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, or a related technical field.

• Equivalent practical experience working closely with engineering-driven projects will also be considered. Experience:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in product design, with a proven track record of leading projects from concept to successful deployment.

• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering enterprise-level, business-to-business (B2B) products, preferably within a product-led, SaaS environment.

• Experience working with technical or engineering-driven projects, understanding the unique challenges and needs of these user bases. Required Skills:

• Mastery of Figma for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative workflows.

• Proven ability to develop, scale, and socialize design systems within an organization, including creating lean, implementation-focused documentation.

• Strong user research and usability testing skills to gather insights and validate design decisions.

• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to untangle ambiguous concepts, leveraging intuition, experience, and data to drive clarity and direction.

• Ability to balance design excellence with business impact, focusing on practicality and speed without sacrificing quality.

• Experience with large language models (LLMs) and prompt-to-design tools.

• An understanding of code principles and a genuine interest in engineering and technical systems. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI-enabled workflows and tools for design acceleration.

• Familiarity with CHEMCAD or similar chemical process simulation software.

• Experience in the process manufacturing industry (ERP, CRM, Asset Tracking).

• Experience with rapid prototyping and iterative design methodologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for an engineering degree or equivalent experience working closely with engineers is a key differentiator, signaling the need for a designer who can deeply understand and communicate with a technically-minded user base. Proficiency in Figma and design systems is essential, as is an understanding of AI and technical systems.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase 3-5 comprehensive case studies demonstrating end-to-end product design ownership, from problem definition through to launched solutions.

• Clearly articulate the problem statement, the user needs identified, and the business objectives for each project.

• Detail your design process, including user research methodologies, ideation techniques, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing performed.

• Highlight your role in developing or contributing to design systems, with examples of components, patterns, and style guides created or utilized.

• Demonstrate experience with enterprise B2B SaaS products, showing an understanding of complex workflows and user management.

• Include examples of how you have collaborated with engineering and product management teams.

• Showcase proficiency with Figma designs and prototypes. Process Documentation:

• Provide examples of design system documentation, including component specifications, usage guidelines, and interaction patterns.

• Include documentation related to workflow optimization or process improvements you have implemented within a design team or on a project.

• Demonstrate how you have translated user research findings and technical requirements into actionable design specifications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role, especially given the emphasis on leading projects and establishing design systems. Candidates should focus on showcasing their ability to handle complex technical products, their mastery of Figma, and their impact on both user experience and design operations.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Based on Datacor's location (Remote, US) and the seniority of the Lead UX Designer role (10+ years of experience), a competitive salary range is estimated to be between $140,000 and $190,000 annually. This estimate considers industry benchmarks for senior UX/Product Designers in remote US positions, factoring in the specialized nature of designing for engineering software and the use of AI tools.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Generous paid time off (PTO) policy, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

• 401(k) retirement plan with company matching contributions.

• Opportunities for professional development, including training, conferences, and certifications.

• Remote work stipend or home office setup support.

• Life insurance and disability coverage.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses. Working Hours:

The standard working hours for this role are approximately 40 hours per week. While the position is remote, candidates are expected to be available during core business hours for collaboration with teams across different US time zones. Flexibility may be offered based on team needs and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: Salary is estimated based on industry data for senior/lead UX Designer roles in the US, especially for remote positions and within the B2B SaaS/Enterprise Software sector. The specific mention of engineering software and AI could place this role at the higher end of the spectrum.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Software Solutions for Process Manufacturing. Datacor provides ERP, CRM, Asset Tracking, Simulation, and Formulation software tailored for industries like chemical processing, oil and gas, nuclear power, and aerospace. This niche focus means the company deeply understands the complex requirements of its industrial clients.

Company Size: Datacor is a well-established company, likely of medium to large size given its product breadth and market position. This size suggests a structured environment with opportunities for impact, but also potential for established processes and cross-functional collaboration.

Founded: Datacor was founded in 1980, indicating decades of experience and a deep understanding of the process manufacturing software market. This longevity suggests stability and a commitment to long-term customer relationships.

Team Structure:

• The Datacor Engineering Software Group (DESG) is a specialized unit focusing on CHEMCAD and Pipe Flow Modeling tools.

• The UX design team likely operates within DESG, working closely with product managers, software engineers (mechanical and chemical engineers by background), and potentially QA teams.

• The reporting structure will likely place the Lead UX Designer under a Director of Product, Head of Design, or a senior product management leader within DESG.

• Cross-functional collaboration is essential, requiring designers to work hand-in-hand with technical experts and product strategists. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is emphasized, with user needs and data informing design choices.

• A focus on thoughtful, intuitive product design to solve complex engineering problems.

• Emphasis on building and scaling design systems for consistency and efficiency.

• Integration of AI-enabled workflows and modern design tools like Figma.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on process manufacturing and engineering software is a crucial context. Designers will need to appreciate the criticality of accuracy, reliability, and efficiency for their user base, which includes engineers in high-stakes industries. The founding date suggests a mature company culture that may blend established practices with a drive for innovation.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Lead UX Designer. This role signifies a senior individual contributor with leadership responsibilities, expected to drive design strategy, mentor others, and optimize design operations. It's a crucial point in a UX career, often serving as a stepping stone to management or Principal Designer roles.

Reporting Structure: The Lead UX Designer will likely report to a Director-level manager within the Datacor Engineering Software Group (DESG), such as the Director of Product Management or Head of UX/Design for that division. They will collaborate extensively with Product Managers and Engineering Leads.

Operations Impact: The Lead UX Designer will have a direct impact on the usability, efficiency, and adoption of Datacor's flagship engineering software products. By creating intuitive interfaces and optimizing workflows, they will enable engineers to perform complex tasks more safely, accurately, and cost-effectively, directly contributing to Datacor's mission of helping customers use data as a competitive advantage.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to grow into a management role, leading a larger UX team or becoming a Design Director for specific product lines.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the long-term design vision and strategy for Datacor's software portfolio, influencing product direction.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for complex technical domains (e.g., chemical engineering, process simulation) and AI-driven design tools.

• Process Improvement: Lead initiatives to further mature Datacor's design operations, implementing best practices and new methodologies.

• Cross-functional Leadership: Take on more responsibility in collaborating with and influencing product and engineering leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential, particularly for individuals who excel at both individual contribution and team/process leadership. The unique domain of engineering software provides a niche for developing specialized expertise.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This indicates a distributed workforce where collaboration relies heavily on digital tools and asynchronous communication.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, the mention of "America/Chicago" timezone for derived data suggests potential alignment with US Central Time, which could be beneficial for internal team synchronization. However, as a remote-first position, candidates across the US should be considered.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect a highly collaborative digital environment. This will involve extensive use of video conferencing, project management tools, and design collaboration platforms (like Figma).

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools (Figma), potentially collaboration suites (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams), and project management software (e.g., Jira). Familiarity with AI design tools will be leveraged.

• Team Interaction: Regular interaction with product managers, engineers, and potentially other designers. This will require strong virtual communication skills and proactive engagement.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility expected to accommodate project deadlines and cross-time zone collaboration. The remote nature allows for some autonomy in structuring the workday, provided core collaboration hours are met.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature necessitates strong self-discipline, excellent communication skills, and proficiency with digital collaboration tools. Candidates should be prepared to actively engage and contribute in a virtual setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and salary expectations.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: A session with hiring managers and potentially senior designers/product managers. This will involve a deep dive into your portfolio, focusing on specific case studies, design decisions, and your thought process. Expect questions about your experience with Figma, design systems, and working with technical products.

• Design Challenge/Case Study Presentation: You may be asked to complete a take-home design exercise or present a detailed case study from your portfolio. This assesses your problem-solving skills, design methodology, and ability to communicate complex ideas.

• Team/Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with cross-functional team members (e.g., Product Managers, Engineering Leads) to evaluate collaboration style, communication effectiveness, and alignment with team dynamics and company values.

• Final Interview: Typically with a senior leader (e.g., Director of Product/Design) to discuss overall fit, strategic thinking, and leadership potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 projects that best demonstrate your end-to-end process, leadership capabilities, and experience with complex/technical products. Prioritize projects where you can showcase your impact on design systems and operations.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your process, the challenges faced, your solutions, and the quantifiable outcomes or impact. Use visuals effectively to illustrate your journey.

• Highlight Leadership & Mentorship: Explicitly mention instances where you led projects, mentored junior designers, or influenced design strategy.

• Showcase Figma & Design Systems: Be prepared to walk through your Figma files, demonstrating your proficiency and how you've applied or built design systems.

• Address Technical Context: Explain how you approached understanding the technical domain and user needs of engineers.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Research Datacor's products (CHEMCAD, Pipe Flow Modeling) and the process manufacturing industry. Understand the typical users (chemical/mechanical engineers) and their workflows.

• Practice Articulating Process: Be ready to explain your design process concisely and clearly, highlighting key decision points and rationale.

• Prepare for AI Questions: Anticipate questions about your experience with LLMs, prompt-to-design tools, and how you envision integrating AI into design workflows effectively and ethically.

• Focus on Impact: Frame your responses around the impact of your design work on users and the business.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely rigorous, emphasizing practical design skills, strategic thinking, and collaboration. A strong portfolio that clearly showcases leadership, technical understanding, and design system expertise will be paramount.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Expect extensive use for creating wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, interactive prototypes, and design system components.

• Design System Platforms: Potentially tools integrated with Figma or separate platforms for managing and distributing design tokens, components, and guidelines.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping capabilities will be central, potentially supplemented by specialized tools for complex interactions or user flows if needed.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Tools: Experience with tools like Amplitude, Mixpanel, or Google Analytics to understand user behavior within the software.

• Usability Testing Platforms: Tools like UserTesting.com, Lookback, or Maze for remote usability testing and feedback collection.

• Data Visualization Tools: Familiarity with how design impacts data presented in dashboards or reports, potentially involving tools like Tableau or Power BI indirectly.

CRM & Automation:

• Project Management Software: Jira, Asana, Trello, or similar for managing design tasks, sprints, and tracking progress with engineering teams.

• Collaboration Suites: Slack, Microsoft Teams for daily communication, team coordination, and knowledge sharing.

• Documentation Tools: Confluence, Notion, or internal wikis for documenting design decisions, research findings, and design system guidelines.

• AI-Enabled Design Tools: Figma Make, potentially other generative AI tools for ideation, asset creation, or workflow automation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is non-negotiable. Familiarity with AI-driven design tools is a significant plus, reflecting the company's forward-looking approach. Experience with tools that facilitate collaboration and process management in a remote, engineering-focused environment is also key.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and solving user problems, especially those of engineers in complex industrial settings.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: A dedication to producing high-quality, polished, and reliable designs that meet rigorous engineering standards.

• Efficiency & Scalability: Emphasis on creating design solutions and systems that are efficient to build, maintain, and scale across a growing product suite.

• Collaboration & Transparency: A culture that values open communication, constructive feedback, and close teamwork across departments (Design, Product, Engineering).

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: An openness to exploring new technologies (like AI) and methodologies to enhance design processes and product outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect a highly integrated approach where designers work closely with product managers for strategy and engineers for feasibility and implementation.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: A culture of regular design reviews, critiques, and feedback sessions to refine solutions collaboratively.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement of sharing best practices, learnings from user research, and design system updates within the design team and with broader product teams.

• Data-Informed Design: Decisions are supported by user data, analytics, and usability testing, fostering a rational and objective approach to design challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture likely balances precision and rigor demanded by the engineering domain with the collaborative and iterative nature of modern software development. Candidates should demonstrate an ability to thrive in a technically-focused, cross-functional environment.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Technical Domain: Designing for specialized engineering software (chemical process simulation, pipe flow modeling) requires a steep learning curve to understand complex scientific principles and user workflows.

• Balancing Vision with Practicality: Ensuring innovative design solutions are feasible within technical constraints and aligned with business objectives, especially in an enterprise B2B context.

• Scaling Design Systems: Developing and maintaining a robust design system that effectively serves multiple complex products and a growing team requires ongoing effort and strategic planning.

• Integrating AI Workflows: Successfully incorporating new AI tools and methodologies into existing design processes while maintaining quality and efficiency requires experimentation and adaptation.

• Remote Collaboration: Effectively collaborating and leading design efforts in a fully remote environment, ensuring clear communication and alignment across distributed teams.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Domain Expertise: Opportunity to become a subject matter expert in UX for process manufacturing and engineering simulation software.

• AI in Design: Deepen expertise in leveraging AI tools for design ideation, automation, and user research.

• Design Leadership: Develop leadership skills through mentoring junior designers and driving design strategy for key product areas.

• Design System Architecture: Gain experience in building and scaling comprehensive design systems for complex enterprise software.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Potential for Datacor to support attendance at relevant UX and industry-specific conferences or specialized training programs.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents unique challenges related to domain complexity and the integration of emerging technologies like AI. However, these challenges are paired with significant opportunities for specialized skill development and career advancement.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex technical product you've designed. What were the biggest challenges, and how did you ensure accuracy and usability for expert users?" (Focus on your process, understanding of technical domains, and problem-solving.)

• "How would you approach building or scaling a design system for a suite of engineering software products like CHEMCAD and our Pipe Flow tools?" (Highlight your experience with design systems, documentation, and cross-product consistency.)

• "Imagine we're exploring integrating AI-powered features into our simulation software. What are the key UX considerations and potential pitfalls you'd anticipate?" (Demonstrate your understanding of AI in design and user-centric application.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Datacor and our industry, how would you ensure your design decisions align with the needs of chemical and mechanical engineers?" (Show your research and ability to connect design to specific user contexts.)

• "How do you foster collaboration and provide constructive feedback within a remote design team and with cross-functional partners like product managers and engineers?" (Emphasize your communication and teamwork skills.)

• "Can you share an example of how you've used data or user research to influence a product decision or improve an existing feature?" (Focus on your data-driven approach and impact measurement.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, the process undertaken, key decisions made, challenges overcome, and the final outcome/impact.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics (e.g., improved task completion time, reduced error rates, increased feature adoption) to demonstrate the value of your design work.

• Showcase Figma Mastery: Be prepared to share your screen and walk through your Figma files, highlighting your workflow, component usage, and prototyping skills.

• Explain Design System Contribution: Clearly articulate your involvement in creating, documenting, or utilizing design systems, emphasizing consistency and scalability.

• Prepare for AI Discussions: Be ready to discuss your experience with AI tools like Figma Make and your perspective on AI's role in the future of UX design.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating a deep understanding of the technical domain, strong design system expertise, proficiency with Figma, and a strategic approach to integrating AI. Articulating impact and collaboration skills will be key.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Lead UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Greenhouse.

• Tailor your Resume: Highlight your 8+ years of product design experience, specifically mentioning work on enterprise B2B SaaS, technical products, and design systems. Use keywords from the job description like "Figma," "AI-enabled workflows," and "engineering software."

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 strong case studies that best showcase your end-to-end design process, leadership, Figma proficiency, and experience with complex technical domains. Ensure clear documentation of your process and impact.

• Prepare Your Portfolio Presentation: Practice walking through your selected case studies, focusing on storytelling, design rationale, and quantifiable outcomes. Be ready to discuss your experience with AI tools and design systems.

• Research Datacor: Understand their mission, product suite (CHEMCAD, Pipe Flow Modeling), and the industries they serve. Prepare to discuss how your design philosophy aligns with their goals of helping customers use data as a competitive advantage.

⚠️ 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.

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