Senior UX/UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX/UI Designer

Company: Steampunk

Location: McLean, Virginia, United States

Job Type: OTHER

Category: Design / User Experience

Date Posted: October 1, 2026

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design and implementation of user-centered solutions for complex challenges within government clients, leveraging the Design Intelligence™ framework.

• Drive the full lifecycle of UX/UI initiatives, from initial discovery and user research through to detailed interface design, prototyping, and rigorous testing.

• Act as the primary advocate for the end-user, ensuring their needs and pain points are thoroughly understood and addressed in proposed digital solutions.

• Collaborate effectively within cross-functional, agile teams to integrate user insights and design principles into technical sprints and product development.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Senior UX/UI Designer, implying a need for experienced professionals who can operate with a high degree of autonomy, guide clients, and mentor junior team members. The emphasis on "Design Intelligence™" suggests a proprietary methodology that candidates should be prepared to learn and apply. The focus on government clients indicates a need for understanding specific compliance, security, and mission-driven requirements.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead all phases of the discovery process, including in-depth analysis of client missions, stakeholder needs, user ecosystems, current state journeys, user segments, and program objectives.

• Facilitate workshops and conduct interviews to identify critical pain points, uncover opportunities, validate hypotheses, and articulate a compelling vision for user experiences.

• Develop and utilize key UX artifacts such as journey maps, service blueprints, personas, ecosystem maps, and experience maps to inform and shape user-centric designs.

• Execute comprehensive user research and usability testing, translating complex user needs into actionable, implementable digital experiences.

• Champion user advocacy within cross-functional, agile delivery teams, ensuring user needs are considered and integrated into technical sprints.

• Understand and adapt designs to the technical, platform, and operational constraints of client environments.

• Create intuitive, elegant, and accessible user interfaces, employing a test-and-learn approach to drive continuous improvement.

• Ensure the highest quality of all design deliverables across a diverse portfolio of projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking, client-facing engagement, and hands-on design execution. The expectation to "plan and execute UX initiatives from discovery through interface design" points to a comprehensive role that spans the entire design process. The emphasis on "participate in all aspects of the discovery process" and "conduct workshops and interviews" suggests a consultative approach to client engagements.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Human-Centered Design (HCD), Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), UX Design, or a related field, OR a relevant professional certification in lieu of a degree. Experience:

• Minimum of 3 years of professional experience in UX and UI design, with a proven track record of delivering viable solutions for multi-platform digital products.

• Demonstrated experience working within a project-based environment. Required Skills:

• Current DEA Public Trust clearance is mandatory.

• Proven experience working with a "Design Intelligence™" framework or similar human-centered design methodologies.

• Comprehensive knowledge and demonstrated experience in conducting primary and secondary user research, including user interviews, discovery and co-creation workshops, heuristic evaluations, and card sorting.

• Proficiency in applying user research insights to develop key UX artifacts such as personas, journey maps, site maps, ecosystem maps, information architecture, and interface designs.

• Expertise in UI design, encompassing wireframing, low and high-fidelity prototyping, moderated and unmoderated user testing, and accessibility testing.

• Thorough understanding and practical experience with Section 508 compliance requirements for accessibility.

• Experience working on a Scrum team within the Agile delivery framework, including integrating research and design into technical sprints and contributing to user story creation and story pointing.

• Proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, and Figma.

• A strong analytical mindset with a natural curiosity for problem-solving.

• Excellent written communication and presentation skills, fostering a collaborative team environment. Preferred Skills:

• Previous work experience in or with the federal government.

• Prior consulting experience, particularly in a client-facing role.

• Experience working on a cross-functional Salesforce implementation team.

• Familiarity with tools like Zeplin for design handoff.

• A proactive approach to staying updated with evolving industry tools and best practices, with the ability to recommend new approaches.

• Experience collaborating within multi-disciplinary delivery teams, including service designers, technologists, data scientists, engineers, solution architects, and change managers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a DEA Public Trust clearance is a critical qualification. The explicit mention of "Design Intelligence™" suggests this proprietary methodology is central to the company's approach, and candidates with prior exposure or a strong understanding of similar frameworks will be highly valued. The blend of research, design, and agile integration skills is typical for senior roles in fast-paced environments.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A current, comprehensive portfolio demonstrating your design ideology, methodologies, tools, skills, and craft.

• Showcase case studies that highlight your process from problem identification through to solution implementation, emphasizing user-centered design principles.

• Include examples of user research, journey mapping, wireframing, prototyping, and final UI design, detailing the rationale behind your decisions.

• Demonstrate your ability to translate complex user needs and client requirements into elegant and functional digital experiences. Process Documentation:

• Provide evidence of your experience in documenting and articulating design processes, including discovery phases, user testing protocols, and design iteration cycles.

• Showcase examples of how you have integrated research findings and design outputs into agile development workflows, such as writing user stories or contributing to sprint planning.

• Illustrate your understanding of how to measure the success of design interventions through user feedback, usability metrics, and adherence to accessibility standards (e.g., Section 508).

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio is explicitly required and will be a primary evaluation tool. Candidates should prepare to walk through their portfolio during interviews, articulating their thought process, the challenges faced, and the impact of their design solutions, particularly in the context of federal clients and complex problem-solving.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $110,000 - $170,000 annually.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Retirement savings plan with company matching.

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

• Opportunities for professional development, training, and conference attendance.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses and advancement. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are typically 40 hours per week.

• Flexibility may be available depending on project needs and team collaboration, but the role is designated as on-site.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range of $110,000 to $170,000 is based on the company's stated compensation philosophy, which considers geographic location, contractual requirements, education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience. This range is competitive for a Senior UX/UI Designer role