Senior UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer

Company: Cisco

Location: Milpitas, California, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-31T00:00:00

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (8+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end User Experience (UX) design process for complex, cloud-based Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) products, focusing on modern AI and Edge Computing workloads.

• Translate intricate technical challenges and enterprise-level customer needs into intuitive, accessible, and user-centered design solutions.

• Drive product innovation and direction by leveraging customer research, usability findings, and data analytics to inform design decisions.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Engineering, Architecture, and Research, to ensure seamless product development and delivery.

• Champion design excellence, accessibility, and consistency across the product portfolio, contributing to the evolution of Cisco's design system and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is situated within Cisco's Hyperfabric Engineering Team, focusing on modernizing Data Center Infrastructure Management as a Service. The Senior UX Designer will be instrumental in shaping a cloud-based product aimed at simplifying the ordering, operation, monitoring, and remediation of complex networking and server ecosystems, particularly for AI applications. This requires a strong blend of technical understanding, strategic design thinking, and hands-on execution within a fast-paced, innovative environment.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the entire UX and product design lifecycle for significant product areas, from initial discovery and problem framing through research, information architecture, interaction design, prototyping, validation, and implementation handoff.

• Simplify complex technical and operational challenges by applying strong systems thinking, information architecture, interaction design principles, and visual craft.

• Utilize customer research, usability findings, analytics, and other evidence to identify user needs, influence product strategy, and define measurable success metrics for design initiatives.

• Partner effectively with product managers, engineers, architects, researchers, content strategists, QA, and technical subject matter experts to align requirements, constraints, and trade-offs, ensuring a cohesive product vision.

• Create detailed, implementation-ready designs, including clear rationale, specifications, acceptance criteria, accessibility guidance, and critical product states, to empower engineering teams to build with confidence.

• Work closely with engineering teams throughout the development cycle to resolve design gaps, validate implementation quality, and contribute to the evolution of reusable patterns and design system guidance.

• Actively champion accessible, inclusive, and consistent user experiences across all product touchpoints, adhering to WCAG guidelines and best practices.

• Proactively scope and estimate design work, manage priorities effectively, and communicate dependencies or potential risks to stakeholders early in the process.

• Mentor junior designers, strengthen team design practice through constructive critique, facilitation of design workshops, and knowledge sharing initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities emphasize end-to-end ownership and strategic influence. The role requires not just execution but also leadership in problem definition, user advocacy, and cross-functional alignment. The expectation is for the candidate to drive significant product areas, contribute to strategic product direction, and elevate the overall design quality and practice within the team.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field, plus 8 years of relevant experience.

• Master's degree in a relevant field plus 6 years of experience.

• PhD in a relevant field plus 3 years of experience. Experience:

• Proven track record of leading complex digital product design initiatives from discovery and research through to implementation and validation, working collaboratively with product and engineering teams.

• Demonstrated experience in simplifying complex technical and operational challenges into intuitive user experiences.

• Experience in developing and advocating for design systems and reusable UI patterns. Required Skills:

• UX Design Leadership: Ability to lead the full UX design process for complex products, demonstrating ownership from discovery to delivery.

• Interaction Design & Information Architecture: Deep expertise in structuring complex information, defining user flows, and designing intuitive interactions for enterprise-level applications.

• Prototyping & Wireframing: Proficiency in creating interactive prototypes and detailed wireframes to communicate design concepts and user flows.

• Systems Thinking: Strong capacity to understand and design for complex systems, identifying dependencies and designing holistic solutions.

• Figma Proficiency: Advanced skills in Figma for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative design workflows.

• User Research & Validation: Experience conducting and leveraging user research, usability testing, and data analytics to inform design decisions and validate solutions.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Proven ability to partner effectively with product managers, engineers, researchers, and other stakeholders to achieve product goals.

• Design Documentation: Skill in creating clear design specifications, rationale, and acceptance criteria for engineering handoff.

Preferred Skills:

• Complex Technical Product Design: Experience designing for networking, data center infrastructure, or other highly technical enterprise software domains.

• Design Systems & Pattern Libraries: Experience contributing to or leveraging established design systems, ensuring consistency and scalability.

• Accessibility & Inclusive Design: Strong understanding of WCAG guidelines and principles of inclusive design for enterprise applications.

• Frontend Constraints Awareness: Familiarity with frontend development constraints, APIs, data models, and design-to-development workflows.

• Mentorship & Team Leadership: Experience mentoring other designers, leading design critiques, and facilitating workshops to elevate team practice.

• Facilitation & Stakeholder Management: Excellent facilitation, presentation, design storytelling, and stakeholder management skills.

• Learning Agility: Ability to quickly learn and design for unfamiliar technical concepts and domains.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a strong foundation in core UX skills, coupled with significant experience in leading complex projects and influencing product direction. The preference for experience in technical domains like networking or data centers, along with design systems and accessibility, highlights the specific needs of this role. The "8 years of related experience" indicates a senior individual contributor role with potential for mentorship.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end UX design projects, demonstrating leadership in complex product areas.

• Evidence of strong interaction design, information architecture, and visual design craft in enterprise-level applications.

• Detailed case studies that illustrate the problem-solving process, design rationale, and user-centered approach.

• Prototypes and wireframes that effectively communicate user flows and interaction patterns.

• Examples demonstrating systems thinking and the ability to design for complex, interconnected technical environments. Process Documentation:

• Case studies should clearly articulate the design process, from initial discovery and user research through to validation and implementation handoff.

• Documentation should highlight how user needs, business goals, and technical constraints were balanced.

• Showcase how customer evidence (research, analytics, usability findings) was used to influence product direction and define success metrics.

• Include examples of design specifications, acceptance criteria, and accessibility guidance provided to engineering teams.

• Demonstrate how collaboration with cross-functional teams was managed throughout the design and development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirement is critical for this Senior UX Designer role. It needs to go beyond visual design and demonstrate strategic thinking, process ownership, and the ability to solve complex technical problems for an enterprise audience. Emphasis on systems thinking, user research integration, and collaboration with engineering is key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Base Salary Range (U.S. & Canada): $186,900.00 - $267,700.00 per year (excluding incentive compensation, equity, or benefits).

• Specific Location Ranges:

  • New York City Metro Area: $186,900.00 - $307,800.00
  • Non-Metro New York state & Washington state: $166,300.00 - $274,100.00

• Note: Actual compensation will be determined by hiring location, market conditions, skills, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and training. For locations not listed, recruiters can provide details. For quota-based sales roles, the range includes base pay and target incentive compensation.

Benefits:

• Health & Wellness: Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

• Retirement: 401(k) plan with Cisco matching contribution.

• Time Off:

  • Paid parental leave.
  • 10 paid holidays per year + 1 floating holiday (non-exempt).
  • 1 paid day off for birthday, year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 personal wellness days.
  • Paid vacation time (16 days for non-exempt, flexible for exempt).
  • 80 hours of sick time off annually, with carry-forward up to 80 hours.
  • Additional paid time off for family emergencies.
  • Optional 10 paid days per year for volunteering.

• Financial & Equity:

  • Basic life insurance.

  • Short and long-term disability coverage.

  • Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) eligible for vesting.

  • Annual bonuses (for non-sales roles) based on Cisco's policies.

  • Performance-based incentive pay for sales roles (details provided in original posting). Working Hours:

• Standard full-time (40 hours per week).

• Cisco offers flexible vacation time for exempt employees, subject to business needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Cisco provides a comprehensive compensation and benefits package, typical for a large, established tech company. The salary ranges are competitive for a Senior UX Designer role in the specified locations. The detailed breakdown of benefits, especially regarding paid time off and equity, is valuable for candidates comparing offers. The inclusion of specific salary ranges for different regions within the US is a strong indicator of transparency.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology (Networking, Data Center Infrastructure, Cloud Services, AI/Edge Computing Solutions)

Company Size: Very Large (50,000+ employees)

Founded: 1984

Team Structure:

• Hyperfabric Engineering Team: A specialized engineering group focused on modernizing Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) as a Service.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Designers work closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Architects, Researchers, and QA professionals, fostering a collaborative and integrated product development environment.

• Reporting: While not explicitly stated, a Senior UX Designer typically reports into a Design leadership structure, which may be within the engineering organization or a dedicated design department.

Methodology:

• Cisco Design Thinking Principles: Design work is guided by principles that prioritize simplification, accessibility, trust, and customer outcomes.

• Agile Development: Implicitly, the team likely operates within an agile or iterative development framework, requiring close collaboration between design and engineering.

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on using customer research, usability findings, and analytics to inform and validate design decisions.

• Systems Thinking: A core methodology applied to understand and design for complex, interconnected data center ecosystems.

Company Website: https://careers.cisco.com/global/en

📝 Enhancement Note: Cisco is a global technology leader with a long history of innovation. The Hyperfabric Engineering Team is focused on a forward-looking mission within data center modernization, leveraging AI and cloud technologies. The company culture emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and customer impact, which are crucial for a Senior UX Designer role shaping complex enterprise products.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor (IC) with potential leadership responsibilities. This role is positioned as a key player in shaping product direction and design quality, with opportunities for mentorship.

Reporting Structure: Likely reports to a Director or Senior Manager of UX Design or Product Design, with direct collaboration across Product Management and Engineering leadership for the Hyperfabric team.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX Designer will have a direct impact on how enterprises manage their critical data center infrastructure, influencing efficiency, scalability, and reliability for AI and Edge Computing workloads. Positive UX translates to reduced operational overhead, increased customer confidence, and faster deployment of critical applications.

Growth Opportunities:

• Design Leadership: Potential to lead design initiatives for major product lines, influence design strategy, and take on more complex architectural challenges.

• Mentorship & Practice Development: Opportunity to mentor other designers, contribute to the growth of Cisco's design practice, and champion new design methodologies.

• Domain Expertise: Deepen expertise in critical technology domains like data center infrastructure, AI, and cloud management, becoming a sought-after specialist.

• Cross-functional Influence: Develop stronger strategic partnerships with product and engineering, influencing roadmaps and technical decisions from a user-centric perspective.

• System Design: Grow skills in designing large-scale, complex enterprise systems and contributing to the evolution of design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential beyond a standard Senior UX Designer position. The emphasis on leadership, mentorship, and strategic influence within a critical technology domain makes it attractive for experienced designers looking to make a substantial impact and advance their careers.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site. The role is based in Milpitas, California.

Office Location(s): Milpitas, California, United States.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The team fosters a collaborative spirit, working closely with Product Managers, Engineers, Architects, and Researchers. Expect regular design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and cross-functional meetings.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools (e.g., Figma), collaboration platforms, and potentially internal Cisco tools for design system management and prototyping.

• Innovation Focus: The team is dedicated to modernizing data center management, suggesting an environment that encourages experimentation and the adoption of new technologies and design approaches.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours (40 hours per week).

• While the role is on-site, Cisco offers flexible vacation time for exempt employees, suggesting an understanding of work-life balance needs, though the primary work location is the office.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Milpitas, CA, is key. The work environment is characterized by strong cross-functional collaboration and a focus on innovation within a critical technology sector. This environment is well-suited for designers who thrive in team settings and enjoy tackling complex technical challenges.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a recruiter screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session where the candidate presents their portfolio, focusing on key projects, design process, and problem-solving approach. This is a critical stage.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: May involve a take-home assignment or an on-the-spot problem-solving exercise to evaluate design thinking, systems thinking, and execution skills in a relevant context.

• Team Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other Designers to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and alignment with team dynamics.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A final discussion with the hiring manager to delve deeper into experience, leadership potential, and strategic thinking.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 of your most impactful projects that best demonstrate your ability to handle complex technical products, lead end-to-end design, and apply systems thinking.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process you followed, the challenges you faced, your design decisions (and the rationale behind them), and the outcomes/impact.

• Highlight Process & Rationale: Emphasize your thought process, user research integration, iterative design, and collaboration with stakeholders. Show how you arrived at your solutions.

• Demonstrate Systems Thinking: Showcase projects where you designed for interconnected systems, complex information architectures, or scalable solutions.

• Showcase Technical Aptitude: If applicable, include projects related to enterprise software, networking, or complex technical domains. Clearly articulate technical constraints you considered.

• Focus on Impact: Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., improvements in task completion time, reduction in errors, user satisfaction scores).

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Expect detailed questions about your design choices, trade-offs, and how you handle ambiguity.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with data center infrastructure management, AI/Edge computing workloads, and cloud-based services. Research Cisco's Hyperfabric initiative.

• Practice Systems Thinking: Work through hypothetical complex system design problems.

• Brush up on Core UX Skills: Review information architecture principles, interaction design patterns for enterprise applications, and accessibility standards (WCAG).

• Prepare to Articulate Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss design decisions and the trade-offs made, especially concerning technical feasibility and business goals.

• Practice Presentation Skills: Rehearse presenting your portfolio and any potential design challenge solutions concisely and effectively, focusing on clarity and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is rigorous and heavily weighted towards portfolio demonstration and problem-solving skills. Candidates should prepare to articulate their design process, rationale, and impact with a strong emphasis on systems thinking and enterprise-level complexity.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative workflows. Expect advanced usage.

• Prototyping Tools: Proficiency in tools like Figma, Sketch (with plugins), Adobe XD, or similar for creating interactive prototypes.

• User Research & Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools for conducting user research (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback) and analyzing product usage data (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, internal analytics tools).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Data Visualization Tools: Experience with tools that help translate data into actionable insights for design improvements.

• A/B Testing Frameworks: Understanding of how to design for and interpret results from A/B tests.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a UX tool, understanding how CRM and automation platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Marketo) impact user workflows and data can be beneficial for enterprise UX.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly mentioned as a required tool, indicating its central role in the team's design workflow. Familiarity with user research and analytics platforms is crucial for a data-informed design approach. Understanding the broader enterprise software ecosystem (CRM, automation) can provide valuable context for designing integrated solutions.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Obsession: A strong focus on understanding and solving real customer problems, particularly in complex enterprise environments.

• Simplification & Clarity: Commitment to distilling complex technical concepts and workflows into intuitive and easy-to-use experiences.

• Collaboration & Shared Ownership: A culture where cross-functional teams work together, sharing responsibility for product success.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Reliance on user research, analytics, and evidence to guide design choices and measure impact.

• Innovation & Modernization: A drive to evolve traditional practices and leverage new technologies (AI, Cloud) to create cutting-edge solutions.

• Accessibility & Inclusivity: Dedication to designing products that are usable and accessible to all users.

Collaboration Style:

• Integrated Teams: Designers are embedded within cross-functional product teams, working daily with product managers and engineers.

• Open Communication: Encouragement of open dialogue, thoughtful debate, and constructive feedback through critiques and workshops.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture that values sharing learnings, best practices, and expertise across the design team and with other disciplines.

• Iterative Process: Collaboration supports an iterative design and development approach, allowing for continuous improvement based on feedback and testing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture emphasizes a blend of user advocacy, technical rigor, and collaborative problem-solving. The values align with modern UX practices, particularly in complex enterprise software environments where clarity, efficiency, and accessibility are paramount.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Data Center Infrastructure: Designing for highly technical, complex, and mission-critical systems requires deep learning and a robust systems-thinking approach.

• Balancing Technical Constraints with User Needs: Navigating the technical limitations and operational requirements of data center management while ensuring a user-friendly experience.

• Driving Adoption of New Paradigms: Educating and guiding users towards modern, cloud-based management practices from traditional methods.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring consistent vision and execution across multiple teams with potentially different priorities.

• Maintaining Design Consistency: Scaling design solutions and patterns across a broad product portfolio while evolving the design system.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into Data Center & AI Technologies: Opportunity to become an expert in a critical and rapidly evolving technology sector.

• Advanced Systems Design: Hone skills in designing for large-scale, distributed, and complex enterprise systems.

• Design Leadership & Mentorship: Develop leadership capabilities through mentoring junior designers and influencing design strategy.

• Contribution to Design Systems: Play a key role in evolving and expanding Cisco's design system for enterprise products.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Potential for participation in relevant UX and technology conferences and professional development programs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are significant but also offer substantial opportunities for professional growth and skill development, particularly in specialized technical domains and leadership capacities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you simplified a highly complex technical problem into an intuitive user experience. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your problem-framing, design methodology, and impact.)

• "How do you approach designing for systems with numerous interdependencies and technical constraints? Can you walk us through an example from your portfolio?" (Highlight your systems thinking, information architecture skills, and ability to balance trade-offs.)

• "Tell us about a situation where you had to influence product direction or a technical decision through your design recommendations. How did you build consensus?" (Demonstrate your stakeholder management, communication, and persuasive skills.)

• "How do you incorporate user research and data analytics into your design process, especially when dealing with enterprise customers who may be resistant to change?" (Showcase your user-centricity and ability to use evidence to drive decisions.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you specifically about Cisco's Hyperfabric Engineering Team and our mission to modernize Data Center Infrastructure Management?" (Research the team's mission and connect it to your interests and expertise.)

• "How do you ensure accessibility and inclusive design are integrated throughout your design process, especially for technical enterprise products?" (Align your approach with Cisco's stated values.)

• "Describe your experience mentoring other designers or contributing to design practice improvement. What is your philosophy?" (Highlight leadership potential and collaborative spirit.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure is Key: For each project, clearly outline: Problem, Your Role, Process, Solution, and Outcome/Impact.

• Focus on Rationale: Be prepared to explain why you made specific design decisions. This is more important than just showing the final UI.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively but be ready to talk through the details of your wireframes, flows, and prototypes.

• Highlight Collaboration: Explain how you worked with PMs, engineers, and researchers.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs.

• Prepare for Q&A: Anticipate questions about your process, trade-offs, and how you handle feedback.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, deep UX craft, strong communication, and a proven ability to handle complex enterprise technical products. The portfolio is the primary tool for showcasing these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Cisco Careers portal using the provided URL.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Carefully select 3-4 of your strongest projects that best represent your experience with complex technical products, end-to-end UX leadership, and systems thinking. Ensure each case study clearly outlines the problem, your role, process, solution, and impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords and experiences directly relevant to the job description, such as "UX design," "interaction design," "information architecture," "systems thinking," "Figma," "enterprise software," "data center infrastructure," and "cross-functional collaboration." Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on articulating your design rationale, process, and the outcomes achieved. Be ready to discuss trade-offs and your approach to collaboration.

• Research Cisco & the Team: Understand Cisco's mission, values, and specifically the goals of the Hyperfabric Engineering Team. Familiarize yourself with their approach to Data Center Infrastructure Management and AI/Edge computing.

⚠️ 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.