Senior UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer

Company: Great Gray

Location: Boston, MA

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-06

Experience Level: 7+ Years Professional Experience

Remote Status: Hybrid (4 days onsite, 1 day remote)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive experience quality and translate complex workflows into clear, efficient, and user-centered interfaces for Great Gray's retirement investment platform.

• Lead end-to-end user research, including interviews and usability testing, to deeply understand advisor, recordkeeper, and asset manager personas and their behaviors.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to define requirements, iterate on solutions, and deliver high-impact B2B SaaS product experiences.

• Establish and maintain design standards, patterns, and accessibility guidelines to ensure platform consistency and scalability.

• Act as a key contributor in a fast-paced, low-process environment, building frameworks while actively using them to deliver user-centric design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned within a "channel-aligned product organization," indicating a focus on designing for distinct user groups (advisors, recordkeepers, asset managers) and their specific workflows within the retirement services industry. The emphasis on "B2B SaaS" and "data-intensive" environments suggests a need for pragmatic, efficient design solutions that prioritize functionality and clarity over pure aesthetics.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design and prototype across the full UX spectrum: information architectures, user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity interactive prototypes for testing and stakeholder alignment.

• Conduct comprehensive user research, including interviews, usability testing, and surveys, to gain deep insights into target user personas, their workflows, pain points, and behaviors.

• Partner effectively with product managers, engineers, and cross-functional stakeholders to define product requirements, iterate on design solutions, and ensure successful product delivery.

• Present research findings, design rationale, and key decisions to stakeholders at all levels, clearly articulating the connection between user needs and business outcomes.

• Collaborate closely with engineering teams through detailed specifications and ongoing support to ensure high-quality design implementation during the production phase.

• Work with fellow designers to elevate the craft of UX/UI design, establishing and promoting design patterns, UI components, and accessibility standards for platform-wide consistency and scalability.

• Contribute to the development and maintenance of a design system, ensuring a cohesive and efficient user experience across the platform.

• Complete other related duties as assigned to support the product and design team's objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "set the standards that make the design practice faster and more consistent over time" implies a senior-level expectation for process improvement and mentorship within the design function. This goes beyond individual contribution to shaping the team's overall effectiveness and output.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

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

• Master's degree in a related field is a plus. Experience:

• Minimum of 7+ years of professional UX/UI design experience.

• Experience in a B2B SaaS environment is required.

• Experience with 0-1 products and/or the fintech industry is preferred but not strictly required.

• Proven track record of leading user research initiatives end-to-end, translating findings into actionable product decisions. Required Skills:

• Expertise in the full UX design process: information architecture, user flows, wireframing, and high-fidelity prototyping.

• Strong user research capabilities, including conducting interviews, usability testing, and surveys.

• Proficiency in Figma and other industry-standard design and prototyping tools.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with product managers and engineers in an agile development environment.

• Experience building or significantly contributing to a design system in a scaling product organization.

• Deep understanding of accessibility standards and best practices.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions and research findings to diverse stakeholder groups.

• Comfort and experience managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced, low-process, and ambiguous environment.

• Entrepreneurial mindset with a proactive approach to identifying and implementing best practices. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the fintech industry, specifically within retirement services or investment platforms.

• Familiarity with Collective Investment Trusts (CITs) and the retirement services ecosystem.

• Experience with 0-1 product development cycles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "strong opinions about what excellent UX looks like in a data-intensive B2B environment" highlights the need for a candidate who can advocate for user needs while understanding the practical constraints and data-driven nature of B2B SaaS products, particularly in a financial services context.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing end-to-end UX design projects, emphasizing the problem, your process, and the impact of your solutions.

• Case studies demonstrating your ability to lead user research initiatives, from planning and execution to synthesizing findings and translating them into product design decisions.

• Examples of information architectures, user flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes, clearly illustrating your design thinking and problem-solving approach.

• Evidence of contribution to or creation of design systems, including UI components, design patterns, and accessibility standards.

• Projects that highlight collaboration with product managers and engineers in an agile setting, demonstrating how you navigated trade-offs and delivered user-centered solutions.

• Metrics or qualitative data demonstrating the impact of your design work on user experience, efficiency, or business outcomes. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrated ability to define and document user research methodologies and findings clearly.

• Examples of how you have contributed to or established design processes, patterns, and accessibility standards within a team or organization.

• Documentation of your iterative design process, showing how feedback and testing were incorporated to refine solutions.

• Evidence of creating detailed design specifications for engineering handoff.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on "low-process environment" and "building the framework while using it," the portfolio should ideally showcase how the candidate has navigated ambiguity, established processes, and driven clarity in complex or nascent design areas. Demonstrating adaptability and a proactive approach to process definition will be key.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Base Pay Range: $135,000 - $170,000 USD per year.

📝 Enhancement Note: This base pay range is estimated for a Senior UX Designer in Boston, MA, based on industry benchmarks for experienced professionals in the B2B SaaS and Fintech sectors. Factors such as specific experience, interview performance, and local market conditions can influence the final offer. The provided range aligns with typical compensation for this level of seniority in a major metropolitan area with a high cost of living.

Benefits:

• Integral part of a high-growth organization.

• Competitive compensation package.

• Comprehensive Group Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance.

• Employer-paid Life and Disability Insurance.

• Annual Well-being Stipend.

• 401(k) plan with an advantageous employer contribution model, supporting employee retirement goals. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time position, likely around 40 hours per week.

• Hybrid work model with 4 days onsite in the Boston office and 1 day remote.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Retirement Services, Collective Investment Trusts - CITs)

Company Size: Over 1,020 funds with over $370 billion in CIT assets under management, working with over 80 subadvisors. (Company size based on assets and funds, indicative of a significant player in its niche).

Founded: Great Gray was purchased by Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP) in April 2023, indicating a period of growth and strategic investment. The company itself has a history within the retirement services industry, with CITs dating back over 90 years.

Team Structure:

• The Senior UX Designer sits within a "channel-aligned product organization," suggesting a structure that groups product and design talent around specific customer segments or business channels (e.g., advisors, recordkeepers, asset managers).

• This role requires close collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers, indicating a cross-functional team approach common in agile development environments.

• The emphasis on collaboration with "fellow designers" suggests a dedicated design function or community of practice within the broader product organization. Methodology:

• Data-driven decision-making is implied by the "data-intensive B2B environment" and the need to connect user needs to "business outcomes."

• User-centered design principles are core, with a strong emphasis on user research and translating findings into product decisions.

• Agile development methodologies are likely employed, given the mention of working with engineers in an agile environment.

• A focus on building and scaling design systems points to a systematic approach to ensure consistency and efficiency across the platform.

Company Website: greatgray.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Great Gray operates in the specialized niche of Collective Investment Trusts (CITs), which are institutional investment vehicles for retirement plans. This B2B focus means the UX design will cater to sophisticated users (financial advisors, plan administrators, asset managers) who prioritize efficiency, regulatory compliance, and robust functionality. The company's significant AUM and partnerships with major financial firms underscore its stability and influence in the market.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Senior Individual Contributor. This role is for an experienced UX Designer who can operate independently, lead initiatives, mentor others, and influence product strategy through design. It represents a significant step beyond mid-level design roles, requiring strategic thinking and ownership.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a Senior UX Designer typically reports to a Head of Product Design, Design Manager, or Director of Product within a product organization. This role will likely collaborate closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX Designer's work directly impacts the usability and efficiency of Great Gray's retirement investment platform. By creating intuitive and effective user experiences, this role contributes to:

• Increased adoption and satisfaction among advisors, recordkeepers, and asset managers.

• Improved operational efficiency for users, reducing time spent on complex tasks.

• Enhanced client retention and acquisition through a superior product experience.

• Supporting Great Gray's mission to make retirement solutions clearer and smoother. Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in financial services UX, B2B SaaS design, or design system development.

• Leadership: Transition into a Design Lead or Manager role, overseeing a team of designers and setting design direction.

• Product Strategy: Influence product roadmap and strategy through user insights and design vision.

• Mentorship: Mentor junior designers, contributing to the growth of the design practice within Great Gray.

• Cross-functional Influence: Expand influence across different product lines or business units within the company.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "low-process environment" and "building the framework while using it" suggest that this role offers significant opportunities for an ambitious designer to shape the future of UX at Great Gray, potentially leading to leadership opportunities or broader product strategy involvement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is based in a physical office in Boston, MA, supporting a hybrid work model. This indicates a blend of in-office collaboration and remote flexibility.

Office Location(s): Boston, MA. This location offers access to a vibrant tech and finance ecosystem.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative: The hybrid model and emphasis on collaboration suggest an environment where team members work together in person on designated days, fostering idea exchange and team cohesion.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design tools like Figma, essential for modern UX/UI workflows. The company likely provides necessary hardware and software.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with product managers, engineers, and other designers, facilitating efficient communication and problem-solving. The culture encourages "Disciplined Curiosity" and "Collaboration."

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time hours, likely around 40 hours per week.

• Hybrid schedule: 4 days per week in the Boston office, 1 day per week remote. This offers a balance between structured in-office collaboration and personal flexibility.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model (4 days onsite, 1 day remote) is a key detail for candidates evaluating work-life balance. The emphasis on a "fast-paced, low-process environment" suggests that candidates should be adaptable and comfortable with a degree of autonomy and initiative in shaping their work environment and processes.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and portfolios to assess basic qualifications and experience.

• Portfolio Review & Discussion: Candidates will likely present their portfolio, discussing key projects, their role, design process, research methodologies, and the impact of their work. Expect questions about how you've handled ambiguity and driven design in B2B SaaS environments.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: A practical exercise may be given, either as a take-home assignment or an in-person/virtual whiteboard session, to evaluate problem-solving skills, design thinking, and ability to articulate solutions. This could involve critiquing an existing experience or designing a new feature.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers and Engineering Leads to assess collaboration skills, technical understanding, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership to discuss strategic thinking, leadership potential, and overall alignment with company values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase B2B SaaS Experience: Highlight projects that demonstrate understanding of complex workflows, data-intensive interfaces, and user needs in a business context.

• Emphasize Research & Impact: Clearly articulate your user research process, how insights drove design decisions, and the measurable impact (qualitative or quantitative) of your work. Use metrics where possible.

• Demonstrate Process & Iteration: Walk through your design process, including how you iterated based on feedback, testing, and stakeholder input.

• Highlight Design System Contributions: If you've worked on design systems, showcase your contributions, including components, patterns, and accessibility considerations.

• Tailor to Great Gray: If possible, subtly demonstrate an understanding of the financial services or retirement industry and how your skills can address their specific challenges.

• Be Concise and Clear: Focus on quality over quantity. Select 2-4 strong projects that best represent your capabilities for this role.

Challenge Preparation:

• Familiarize yourself with the retirement services industry and common user workflows for advisors, recordkeepers, and asset managers.

• Prepare to discuss how you would approach designing for complex data visualization and reporting.

• Practice articulating your design decisions with clear rationale, focusing on user needs and business objectives.

• Be ready to discuss your experience with Figma and your approach to building and maintaining design systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the emphasis on "low-process," "ambiguity," and "building the framework," interviewers will likely probe how candidates proactively structure their work, define problems, and bring clarity to uncertain situations. Be prepared to share specific examples of how you've established processes or frameworks in similar environments.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Proficiency is a hard requirement.

• Prototyping Tools: Beyond Figma, experience with other prototyping tools may be beneficial for specific use cases.

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

• Information Architecture Tools: Tools for creating sitemaps and user flows (e.g., Miro, Mural, Whimsical, or built-in Figma features).

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not a direct responsibility, understanding how to interpret user analytics and performance data from tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or internal BI platforms is valuable for informing design decisions. CRM & Automation:

• Understanding of B2B SaaS CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and their role in user workflows can be beneficial, though direct management is unlikely.

• Awareness of automation principles in software design to create efficient user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of "Figma" as a required proficiency indicates its central role in the team's workflow. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their advanced Figma skills, including component libraries, auto-layout, prototyping features, and collaboration workflows.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Growth Mindset: Embracing challenges, learning from feedback, and continuously seeking self-improvement.

• Disciplined Curiosity: A deep, inquisitive approach to understanding user needs, market dynamics, and technical possibilities, balanced with structured execution.

• Grit: Perseverance and resilience in the face of challenges, setbacks, and complex problems common in a fast-paced environment.

• Results Ownership: Taking accountability for outcomes, driving projects to completion, and focusing on delivering tangible business value.

• Collaboration: Working effectively with cross-functional teams (product, engineering, stakeholders) to achieve shared goals, valuing diverse perspectives.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The role is deeply embedded within cross-functional teams, requiring constant collaboration with Product Managers and Engineers.

• Process-Oriented (but adaptable): While the environment is described as "low-process," the values suggest a need for structured thinking and a collaborative approach to defining and refining processes as needed.

• Open Communication: Encouraging feedback exchange and open dialogue to foster innovation and continuous improvement.

• Data-Informed: Decisions are expected to be grounded in user research and business data, fostering a culture of evidence-based design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values are crucial for understanding the expected work style. "Disciplined Curiosity" and "Grit" are particularly relevant for a role that involves navigating ambiguity and complex B2B SaaS challenges in the financial sector.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity & Low Process: Operating effectively in an environment where established processes are still being built requires initiative, adaptability, and strong self-management.

• Designing for Complex B2B Workflows: Translating intricate financial processes and data into intuitive and efficient user experiences for sophisticated B2B users.

• Balancing User Needs with Business Constraints: Ensuring user-centric design aligns with technical feasibility, business objectives, and regulatory requirements in the fintech space.

• Raising the Bar on Design Craft: Influencing and elevating the design practice within a growing organization, potentially requiring mentorship and advocacy.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Industry Expertise: Gaining deep knowledge of the retirement services industry, CITs, and the B2B fintech landscape.

• Design System Leadership: Opportunity to significantly shape or lead the development of a scalable design system.

• Product Strategy Influence: Opportunities to contribute to product strategy through user insights and design vision.

• Mentorship & Skill Development: Learning from experienced colleagues and potentially mentoring junior designers.

• Exposure to High-Growth Environment: Experience within a rapidly expanding company offers exposure to scaling challenges and opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "low-process environment" is both a challenge and a significant growth opportunity. Candidates who thrive on building structure, defining best practices, and influencing the direction of a design function will find this role particularly rewarding.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a complex B2B workflow with limited existing process or documentation. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on ambiguity, framework building, user research, and impact.)

• "How do you balance user needs with business objectives and technical constraints in a fast-paced SaaS environment?" (Highlight your problem-solving approach, prioritization skills, and ability to find pragmatic solutions.)

• "How would you approach establishing or contributing to a design system for a growing B2B platform like ours?" (Discuss your understanding of design systems, component libraries, accessibility, and collaboration.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Great Gray and the retirement services industry?" (Research Great Gray's mission, products, and the importance of CITs. Connect your passion for UX to their goals.)

• "How do you embody our core values of Growth Mindset, Disciplined Curiosity, Grit, Results Ownership, and Collaboration in your work?" (Prepare specific examples for each value.)

• "Describe a situation where you had to influence stakeholders who had different priorities or perspectives. How did you build consensus?" (Focus on communication, empathy, and data-driven persuasion.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: For each case study, clearly outline: Problem Statement, Your Role, Target Users, Research & Discovery, Design Process (Ideation, Wireframing, Prototyping, Testing), Key Decisions & Rationale, Final Design, and Impact/Results.

• Focus on Process & Rationale: Don't just show pretty screens. Explain why you made certain design choices, referencing user research, heuristics, or business goals.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics (e.g., increased conversion, reduced task time, improved satisfaction scores) to demonstrate the value of your work. If quantitative data isn't available, use qualitative insights and user quotes.

• Showcase Collaboration: Highlight instances where you worked effectively with PMs, engineers, and other stakeholders.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific design decisions, research methodologies, and trade-offs made.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare to discuss how you would apply "Disciplined Curiosity" to understand the intricacies of the retirement services market and how "Grit" would help you overcome the challenges of a "low-process" environment. Demonstrating an entrepreneurial mindset in your answers will be highly valued.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on lever.co.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-4 of your strongest B2B SaaS UX projects that best showcase your end-to-end design process, user research leadership, and impact. Tailor your portfolio presentation to highlight how your skills align with Great Gray's needs in a data-intensive, low-process environment.

• Optimize Your Resume: Ensure your resume clearly highlights your 7+ years of B2B SaaS UX/UI experience, proficiency in Figma, experience with user research, and contributions to design systems. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your experience, design philosophy, and how you embody Great Gray's core values. Be ready to discuss specific examples of problem-solving, collaboration, and driving results in ambiguous situations.

• Research Great Gray: Understand their business, the role of CITs in retirement services, and their company culture. This will help you ask informed questions and demonstrate genuine interest.

⚠️ 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.