Senior UX Designer, Digital Program

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX Designer, Digital Program

Company: Ascensus

Location: Remote, Pennsylvania, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Digital Product Design

Date Posted: May 29, 2026

Experience Level: 5-10 years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design and development of user experiences for digital financial solutions across web and mobile platforms, ensuring alignment with business objectives and customer needs.

• Serve as the subject-matter expert (SME) for User Experience (UX) design, driving best practices and innovative solutions within the digital program.

• Employ a comprehensive suite of UX skills, including user research, interaction design, visual design, and information architecture, to translate complex problems into intuitive and engaging user journeys.

• Foster robust collaboration with cross-functional teams, including business stakeholders, product managers, analysts, and developers, to deliver high-impact digital products.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior UX Designer with a focus on digital programs, particularly within the financial services sector. The emphasis on "Digital Program" suggests a strategic, end-to-end responsibility for user experience across various digital initiatives, rather than a singular product focus. The "Senior" title implies a leadership and mentorship component, guiding design strategy and influencing product direction. The remote nature with a Pennsylvania anchor indicates a need for strong self-management and communication skills.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design intuitive and effective user experiences for web and mobile financial solutions, integrating user research, interaction design, visual design, and information architecture.

• Develop and iterate on user journey maps, wireframes, prototypes, and detailed design specifications for new features, products, and enhancements.

• Conduct and leverage qualitative and quantitative user research and data analysis to inform design decisions and validate design solutions.

• Collaborate closely with product management, engineering, analytics, and business teams to ensure seamless product development and successful implementation of UX strategies.

• Champion the Ascensus brand and competitive landscape understanding in all design outputs, ensuring consistency and brand alignment.

• Act as a subject-matter expert, providing guidance and mentorship on UX best practices, design thinking, and agile methodologies.

• Manage stakeholder expectations and communicate design rationale effectively, using storytelling and data visualization to gain buy-in for initiatives.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of UX processes and methodologies within the digital program.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a full-cycle UX design role, from initial research and strategy to detailed design and implementation support. The emphasis on "financial goals" and "financial solutions" indicates a need for domain understanding or the ability to quickly learn the intricacies of financial products and user needs in that space. The explicit mention of "protecting, securing, and proper handling of all confidential data" is critical for a role dealing with sensitive financial information.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Minimum of 5-10 years of professional experience in UX design, with a significant portion focused on large-scale digital products, web, and mobile applications.

Required Skills:

• Expertise in user research methodologies (qualitative and quantitative) and data analysis to inform design decisions.

• Strong proficiency in interaction design, information architecture, and visual design principles.

• Demonstrated ability to create high-fidelity prototypes and detailed design specifications.

• Mastery of industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), Sketch, and InVision.

• Deep understanding of web and mobile UX best practices, accessibility standards (WCAG), and responsive design principles.

• Excellent communication, storytelling, and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale clearly and persuasively to various audiences.

• Proven experience working within Design Thinking, Agile, and Lean development methodologies.

• Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build rapport and work effectively with cross-functional teams.

• Ability to give and receive constructive feedback to enhance project outcomes and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

Preferred Skills:

• Knowledge of HTML/CSS and an understanding of front-end development constraints.

• Experience in the financial services industry or with FinTech products.

• Familiarity with user journey mapping and service design principles.

• Experience with design systems and component-based design.

• Basic understanding of emerging technologies and their potential impact on user experience.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "5-10 years" experience requirement combined with the "Senior" title indicates a need for candidates who can operate independently, lead design initiatives, and potentially mentor junior designers. The emphasis on problem-solving for "disparate user and business needs" and driving "clarity and alignment" is crucial for senior-level operations and product roles. Proficiency in specific design tools is a clear technical requirement.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A robust portfolio demonstrating expertise in solving complex UX problems for large-scale web and mobile projects.

• Showcase a range of UX deliverables, including user research findings, journey maps, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and final visual designs.

• Highlight projects where you successfully translated business objectives and user needs into intuitive and effective digital experiences.

• Include case studies that illustrate your design process, decision-making rationale, and the impact of your designs on key business metrics (e.g., conversion rates, user engagement, task completion).

Process Documentation:

• Evidence of experience in documenting UX processes, including user research plans, design specifications, and usability testing reports.

• Examples of how you have contributed to or utilized design systems to ensure consistency and efficiency across digital products.

• Showcase an understanding of how UX integrates with Agile and Lean methodologies, including participation in sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Senior UX Designer, a portfolio is paramount. It's not just about the final output but the thought process, problem-solving, and demonstrable impact. The emphasis on "large-scale projects" and "disparate user and business needs" suggests the need for case studies that involve complex ecosystems or competing priorities. The "process optimization" aspect in the prompt is translated here into demonstrating how the candidate's UX work leads to efficiency and improved user flows.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning and skill enhancement.

• In-house Training: Access to internal training programs designed to foster professional growth.

• Tuition Reimbursement: Financial support for employees pursuing further education relevant to their careers.

• Reward Programs: Recognition and rewards for outstanding performance and contributions.

• Paid Time Off: Comprehensive paid time off to ensure work-life balance.

• Medical Insurance: Robust health insurance coverage.

• Dental Insurance: Dental care benefits.

• Vision Insurance: Vision care benefits.

• Health Savings Account (HSA): A tax-advantaged savings account for healthcare expenses.

• 401(k) Match: Employer matching contributions to retirement savings plans.

• 529 College Savings Match: Employer matching contributions to college savings plans.

• Volunteer and Charitable-giving Programs: Opportunities and support for employee engagement in community initiatives.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work week, typically around 40 hours. Flexibility may be available, but core hours for collaboration with teams across different time zones, especially those in the Eastern Time Zone, are expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is an estimate based on typical compensation for a Senior UX Designer in the US market, adjusted for a remote role. Ascensus is a large organization, and their benefits package is comprehensive, reflecting a commitment to employee well-being and development. The inclusion of 529 College Savings Match is particularly relevant for an organization focused on financial goals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (specifically retirement services and workforce solutions). Ascensus is a leading provider of integrated retirement solutions, serving millions of participants.

Company Size: Ascensus is a large organization, employing over 6,000 individuals, as indicated by its employee count. This suggests a structured environment with established processes and ample resources.

Founded: Ascensus was founded in 1977. This long history indicates stability, deep industry expertise, and a well-established market presence.

Team Structure:

• The UX Designer will likely be part of a larger digital product or technology organization, potentially within a dedicated UX/Design team or embedded within specific product pods.

• Reporting structure will likely be to a UX Manager, Director of Design, or Head of Digital Product.

Methodology:

• Ascensus utilizes Design Thinking, Agile, and Lean methodologies, as explicitly stated in the requirements. This means a focus on iterative development, user-centricity, and continuous improvement.

• Data analysis, both qualitative and quantitative, is a key component of informing design decisions and measuring success.

• Emphasis on collaboration and cross-functional teamwork to achieve business and user goals.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Ascensus's focus on retirement and financial goals means that the UX Designer will be working in a domain where trust, clarity, and long-term planning are paramount. The company's size and history suggest a stable environment with opportunities for impact on a large scale. Understanding the company's mission to help people achieve financial goals will be crucial for aligning design decisions.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a Senior individual contributor level within the UX Design discipline. It requires a high degree of autonomy, strategic thinking, and the ability to lead design initiatives. The "Digital Program" scope suggests involvement in strategic planning and long-term roadmapping for digital product experiences.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Designer will likely report to a UX Manager or Director of Design, who oversees the UX function and its strategic direction within the digital product organization. They will work closely with Product Managers and development leads on project teams.

Operations Impact: The UX Designer's work directly impacts the usability and effectiveness of Ascensus's digital platforms, which are critical for customer engagement, retention, and acquisition. By creating user-friendly and goal-oriented experiences, the designer contributes to customer satisfaction, operational efficiency (reducing support inquiries), and ultimately, the company's ability to achieve its business objectives in retirement services.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership: Potential to lead design efforts for major digital initiatives, mentor junior designers, and contribute to shaping the UX strategy for Ascensus.

• Specialization: Opportunity to deepen expertise in specific areas of UX, such as user research, interaction design for complex financial applications, or accessibility.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Exposure to product management, business analysis, and development can open doors to other roles within the digital product organization.

• Industry Expertise: Developing specialized knowledge in retirement services and financial technology offers unique career pathways.

• Formal Learning: Access to tuition reimbursement and in-house training can support formal skill development and certifications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Senior" title and the breadth of the "Digital Program" indicate that this role offers significant opportunities for professional growth beyond executing design tasks. It's a chance to influence product strategy and potentially move into leadership or specialized design roles within the financial services sector.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: As a fully remote position, the primary work environment is home-based. However, Ascensus may offer virtual collaboration tools and occasional in-person (or virtual) team meetings or offsites for strategic planning and team building.

Office Location(s): While the role is remote, it is anchored to Pennsylvania, suggesting that candidates may need to reside in or be willing to relocate to Pennsylvania for potential future needs or to align with specific employment regulations. Ascensus has physical office locations, but this role is designated as remote.

Workspace Context:

• A remote work setup requires strong self-discipline, time management, and effective use of digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Teams, Zoom, Jira, Confluence).

• The environment is expected to be collaborative, with frequent virtual interactions with team members.

• Access to industry-standard design software and company-provided collaboration platforms is assumed.

Work Schedule:

• The standard 40-hour work week applies, with flexibility often available. However, candidates should anticipate the need to be available during core business hours for meetings and real-time collaboration, especially with teams operating in the Eastern Time Zone. This ensures timely responses and participation in Agile ceremonies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature of this role emphasizes the need for strong communication and self-management skills. While anchored to Pennsylvania, the remote designation offers flexibility. The emphasis on "core hours" for collaboration is standard for remote roles to ensure team synchronicity.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or HR representative will likely conduct a brief phone screen to assess basic qualifications, interest, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review & Technical Interview: Candidates will present their portfolio, discussing their process, problem-solving approach, and impact on specific projects. This will likely involve a UX expert or hiring manager evaluating their design skills, strategic thinking, and technical proficiency.

• Design Challenge/Case Study: A practical exercise may be assigned, requiring the candidate to solve a specific UX problem relevant to Ascensus's business, or a take-home assignment to demonstrate their design process and thinking.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Developers, or Business Analysts to assess collaboration skills and ability to work within an Agile team.

• Final Interview: May involve a senior leader or hiring manager to discuss overall fit, career aspirations, and solidify the decision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Choose 3-4 of your strongest, most relevant projects that showcase a breadth of skills and impact.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role and process, the challenges you faced, your design decisions and rationale, and the measurable outcomes.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., increased conversion rates, reduced task times, improved user satisfaction scores).

• Showcase Process: Highlight your research, ideation, prototyping, and iteration phases – not just the final polished designs.

• Tailor to Ascensus: Emphasize projects related to financial services, complex problem-solving, or large-scale digital platforms if applicable. Understand Ascensus's mission and values.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a take-home challenge, thoroughly research Ascensus, its products, and its target audience to inform your solution.

• Focus on Process: Clearly outline your approach, assumptions, research methods (even if simulated), and design rationale.

• Be Realistic: Acknowledge constraints and limitations, and propose practical, achievable solutions.

• Presentation Matters: Be prepared to present your challenge solution clearly and concisely, anticipating questions about your decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a Senior UX Designer typically involves a deep dive into their portfolio and practical design skills. A strong portfolio that clearly articulates process, problem-solving, and impact is essential. The "Digital Program" context suggests that