Senior UX/UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX/UI Designer

Company: StepStone Group (operating as Appcast)

Location: Newton, Massachusetts, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX/UI Design, Product Design, Data Analytics

Date Posted: May 07, 2026

Experience Level: Senior / Lead (5-8+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic intersection of data analysis and user experience design, leveraging behavioral analytics and user engagement metrics to drive innovative design solutions.

• Architect, maintain, and govern scalable design systems, establishing clear guidelines and ensuring implementation best practices across all digital platforms to enhance user experience.

• Champion UX/UI standards, accessibility (WCAG), and inclusive design principles, collaborating closely with development teams to ensure seamless integration and optimal performance.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Strategic Data Analysis & UX Strategy: Lead the comprehensive analysis of user engagement data, behavioral analytics, heatmapping, and site performance metrics to inform, shape, and validate UX strategy and design decisions.

• Visionary Design Solutions: Translate complex user insights and business requirements into intuitive, user-centered design solutions that significantly enhance the overall brand experience and product usability.

• Design System Architecture & Governance: Architect, maintain, and govern scalable design systems, including the development and management of reusable components, style guides, and interaction patterns to ensure consistency and scalability across all digital properties.

• UX Standards & Best Practices: Establish, advocate for, and champion UX/UI best practices across all web properties, focusing on consistency, usability, accessibility (WCAG), and performance.

• UX and Development Partnership: Serve as a critical liaison between UX and development teams, ensuring clear communication of design intent, feasibility, and adherence throughout the implementation lifecycle. Collaborate on handoff, iteration, and refinement to balance user experience with technical constraints and performance goals.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Communication: Partner effectively with project managers, developers, product teams, and internal stakeholders to align design solutions with overarching business objectives and technical feasibility. Present site maps, wireframes, prototypes, and design rationale to stakeholders to foster alignment and support decision-making.

• UX Audits, Testing & Optimization: Conduct thorough UX audits and usability testing to validate design decisions, identify areas for improvement, and optimize user experience and product performance based on user feedback and measurable outcomes.

• High-Fidelity Execution: Create detailed site maps, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity designs to clearly communicate user flows, interaction behaviors, and design intent.

• Accessibility & Inclusive Design: Drive the adoption and implementation of accessibility (WCAG) and inclusive design principles, ensuring all digital experiences are usable by diverse audiences.

• Innovation & Emerging Technology: Stay abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive landscapes, with a specific focus on AI-assisted design and research tools, to evolve design practices and continuously improve outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned at a senior level, requiring leadership in data-informed design and design system governance. The emphasis on AI-assisted design tools and the programmatic recruitment advertising context are key differentiators for this role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is preferred.

Experience: 5-8+ years of experience in UX/UI design, product design, or related fields, with demonstrated ownership of end-to-end design projects and at least 2 years operating at a senior or lead level.

Required Skills:

• UX Strategy & Analytics: Proven experience using tools such as Google Analytics, heatmapping platforms (e.g., Hotjar, Crazy Egg), and user research methodologies to inform design decisions and measure impact.

• Design Tools: Advanced proficiency in Figma, including auto-layout, components, and prototyping capabilities. Familiarity with the Adobe Creative Suite (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator) is also expected.

• Design Systems: Extensive experience designing, architecting, and governing component-based, modular design systems for web applications.

• Technical Fluency: Working knowledge of front-end development constraints (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), responsive design principles, and implementation best practices, enabling effective collaboration with developers.

• AI-Enabled Design Practices: Experience leveraging AI-powered tools to support design workflows such as research synthesis, ideation, content exploration, prototyping, or optimization, with a clear understanding of AI's value proposition in design.

• Communication & Influence: Strong storytelling, presentation, and communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale, tradeoffs, and user-centered thinking to diverse stakeholders.

• Accessibility Expertise: Solid understanding of global web accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA or higher) and inclusive design principles.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the MarTech, AdTech, or Recruitment Tech industry.

• Familiarity with A/B testing methodologies and tools.

• Experience conducting and analyzing results from usability testing sessions.

• Knowledge of SEO best practices as they relate to UX and content.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role explicitly calls for senior-level experience and leadership in design systems and data analysis. The emphasis on AI tools and specific design system experience (component-based, modular) are critical qualifications.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End Design Process: Showcase a minimum of 2-3 significant projects demonstrating ownership of the entire design lifecycle, from initial research and ideation through to final implementation and iteration.

• Data-Driven Design Case Studies: Present detailed case studies that clearly illustrate how user engagement metrics, behavioral analytics, or user research informed your design decisions and led to measurable improvements.

• Design System Contribution: Include examples of your work on design systems, highlighting your role in architecting components, establishing guidelines, or contributing to their governance and evolution.

• Scalability & Consistency Examples: Demonstrate how your design solutions and system contributions ensure scalability and maintain consistency across multiple digital platforms or product features.

• Accessibility & Inclusivity Showcase: Highlight projects where accessibility and inclusive design were primary considerations, with evidence of adherence to WCAG standards.

Process Documentation:

• User Journey Mapping & Flow Design: Documented user journey maps and detailed user flow diagrams that illustrate your approach to understanding and optimizing user interactions.

• Wireframing & Prototyping Standards: Examples of wireframes and interactive prototypes that effectively communicate design intent and interaction behavior, along with your process for creating them.

• Design Handoff & Collaboration Workflows: Evidence of structured design handoff processes and collaborative workflows with development teams, showing clear communication and iteration strategies.

• UX Audit & Testing Methodologies: Documentation of your process for conducting UX audits and usability testing, including methodologies used and how findings were translated into actionable design improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio demonstrating data-informed design, design system expertise, and a clear, repeatable process for UX/UI work is paramount for this senior role. The ability to articulate the 'why' behind design decisions, supported by data, will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $81,000 - $135,000 USD per year.

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation: Base salary within the specified range, commensurate with experience and qualifications.

• Comprehensive Benefits Package: Includes health, dental, and vision insurance, likely with employer contributions.

• Employee Networks: Opportunities to join and participate in employee resource groups fostering community and professional development.

• Community Volunteering: Support for employees to engage in volunteer activities and give back to the community.

• 401(k) or Retirement Plan: Likely offered, with potential employer match.

• Paid Time Off (PTO): Standard vacation, sick leave, and holiday pay.

• Professional Development: Potential for training, conferences, and learning opportunities aligned with career growth.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week. This position is classified as Salaried Exempt, meaning employees will earn their regular salary and not be entitled to overtime pay when working over 40 hours in a work week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is for a Senior UX/UI Designer in the US market, with the upper end reflecting specialized skills like AI-assisted design and design system leadership. The "Salaried Exempt" status indicates a standard professional work arrangement.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology, specifically Programmatic Recruitment Advertising and Digital Recruitment Platforms. Appcast, part of the Stepstone group, operates at the intersection of recruitment marketing technology and talent acquisition solutions.

Company Size: Appcast is part of the larger Stepstone group, a leading digital recruitment platform. Appcast itself is a significant player in its niche, indicating a mid-to-large size organization with established processes and a global footprint through Stepstone. This size suggests opportunities for impact while still benefiting from a structured environment.

Founded: Appcast was founded with a mission to lead in programmatic recruitment advertising. Being part of the Stepstone group, which has a longer history in digital recruitment, provides a stable and experienced corporate backing.

Team Structure:

• The UX/UI team likely operates within a Product or Engineering department, collaborating closely with Product Managers, Developers, and potentially Marketing stakeholders.

• Reporting structure will be to a Design Lead, Head of Product, or VP of Engineering, with no direct supervisory responsibilities for this Senior role.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: A strong emphasis on using data analytics (Google Analytics, behavioral data) to inform and validate design decisions.

• Agile Development: Likely follows Agile or Scrum methodologies, requiring iterative design, feedback loops, and close collaboration with development sprints.

• User-Centered Design: Core principle of designing with the end-user in mind, validated through user research and usability testing.

• Design System Approach: Utilization of modular, component-based design systems to ensure efficiency, consistency, and scalability.

Company Website: https://www.appcast.io/ & https://www.stepstone.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on technology and data within the recruitment advertising space means that operations and efficiency are highly valued. The Senior UX/UI Designer will be expected to contribute to these goals through effective design and system implementation.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior/Lead individual contributor role. It signifies a high level of autonomy, expertise, and responsibility in the UX/UI design domain. The role is expected to influence design strategy and standards, mentor junior designers, and drive complex projects.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX/UI Designer will report to a design manager, product lead, or a similar leadership role within the product or engineering organization. This role does not have direct reports but is expected to provide guidance and mentorship.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX/UI Designer's impact is crucial for Appcast's success by directly influencing user engagement, conversion rates, and overall product adoption. By translating complex data into intuitive interfaces, this role enhances the effectiveness of the programmatic recruitment advertising platform, driving both user satisfaction and business outcomes for Appcast's clients.

Growth Opportunities:

• Lead Design Initiatives: Opportunity to lead significant design projects or new product feature development from a UX/UI perspective.

• Design System Leadership: Potential to become the primary owner or lead architect for the company's design system, driving its evolution and adoption.

• Mentorship & Team Development: Opportunity to mentor junior designers, conduct design critiques, and contribute to the growth of the design team.

• Specialization in AI/Data Design: Deepen expertise in leveraging AI tools and advanced analytics for design, becoming a subject matter expert in this emerging area.

• Transition to Management: Potential career path to a Design Manager or similar leadership role, overseeing a team of designers, after demonstrating strong leadership and strategic capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential for an experienced designer looking to deepen their expertise in data-driven design, design systems, and potentially move into leadership or specialized technical design roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The job posting indicates an on-site role, suggesting a traditional office environment. Appcast is recognized as one of Inc Magazine's "Best Workplaces" for 2024, implying a positive and supportive office atmosphere.

Office Location(s): The primary location listed is Newton, Massachusetts, with a secondary address provided for Denver, Colorado. Candidates should confirm which location is the primary focus for this role. The Newton office is located at 85 Wells Ave suite 108, Newton, MA 02459, USA.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect a workspace that encourages collaboration, with opportunities to interact with designers, developers, product managers, and other colleagues.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (Figma, Adobe Creative Suite), analytics platforms (Google Analytics), and potentially specialized AI design tools.

• Team Interaction: Regular team meetings, design critiques, and cross-functional project discussions are expected. The company also mentions fostering community through gatherings and welcoming pets, suggesting a friendly and engaging atmosphere.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is 40 hours per week. While the role is on-site, the company's culture may allow for some flexibility within the workday, but adherence to office presence is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Newton, MA, is a key factor. The company's culture emphasizes community and a positive work environment, which should be considered by candidates.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will review applications and resumes, focusing on experience with Figma, design systems, data analysis in design, and senior-level contributions.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: Candidates will likely be asked to present their portfolio, walking through 1-2 key projects. Be prepared to discuss your process, the challenges you faced, how you used data, your role in the design system, and the outcomes achieved.

• Technical/Design Challenge: A practical exercise might be given, potentially involving a design problem related to user engagement, data interpretation, or component design, to assess problem-solving skills and design thinking.

• Hiring Manager/Team Interviews: Interviews with the hiring manager and potential team members to assess technical skills, collaborative abilities, cultural fit, and understanding of UX best practices.

• Final Interview: Possibly with a Director or VP to discuss strategic alignment and long-term vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Prioritize Data & Impact: Clearly articulate how data influenced your design decisions and what measurable impact your work had (e.g., improved conversion rates, increased user engagement, reduced friction).

• Showcase Design System Expertise: Detail your contributions to design systems, including component design, governance, and how you ensured consistency.

• Demonstrate Problem-Solving: For each project, clearly define the problem, your approach, the solutions you designed, and the rationale behind your choices.

• Highlight Collaboration: Mention how you collaborated with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders throughout the design process.

• Include AI Tool Usage (if applicable): If you leverage AI tools, explain how they enhanced your workflow and improved outcomes.

• Accessibility Focus: Ensure examples demonstrate an understanding and application of WCAG standards.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Business Context: Research Appcast and Stepstone Group. Understand their business model, target audience, and the challenges in the programmatic recruitment advertising space.

• Data Interpretation: Be ready to interpret sample data sets or user feedback to propose design solutions.

• Design System Thinking: Prepare to discuss how you would approach designing for a component-based system or solving a consistency issue.

• AI Integration: Consider how AI could be applied to solve a specific UX problem relevant to the company's domain.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes practical application, data-driven decision-making, and the ability to articulate complex design concepts and their business impact. A well-curated portfolio is essential for progression.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core design and prototyping tool. Advanced proficiency expected, including auto-layout, components, variants, and collaborative features.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Familiarity with Photoshop, Illustrator, and potentially After Effects for specific design tasks or asset creation.

• Prototyping Tools: Figma's built-in prototyping, or potentially tools like InVision for more complex interactive prototypes.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Google Analytics: Essential for understanding user behavior, traffic sources, conversion tracking, and site performance.

• Heatmapping/Behavioral Analytics Platforms: Tools like Hotjar, Crazy Egg, or similar for visualizing user interactions, scroll depth, and click patterns.

• User Research Platforms: Tools for surveys, interviews, and usability testing analysis.

CRM & Automation:

Other Relevant Technologies:

• AI-Powered Design Tools: Experience with AI tools for research synthesis, ideation, content generation/optimization, or visual generation.

• Front-end Development Fundamentals: Knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to facilitate collaboration with developers and ensure design feasibility.

• Project Management Tools: Familiarity with tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello for managing tasks and workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma and Google Analytics is non-negotiable. The emphasis on AI-powered design tools suggests the company is forward-thinking and values designers who can leverage emerging technologies.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Data-Driven Decisions: A commitment to using data and analytics to inform all design choices and measure their impact.

• User-Centricity: A deep focus on understanding and serving user needs to create intuitive and effective experiences.

• Efficiency & Scalability: Valuing the creation of reusable components through design systems to ensure consistency and streamline development.

• Collaboration & Communication: Emphasis on working effectively with cross-functional teams, sharing knowledge, and providing clear design rationale.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Encouraging the exploration of new technologies, such as AI, and a proactive approach to optimizing existing designs.

• Accessibility & Inclusivity: Dedication to creating experiences that are usable and welcoming to all users.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Seamless collaboration with product managers, engineers, marketers, and potentially sales teams to ensure design alignment with business goals and technical capabilities.

• Iterative Design Process: A culture that embraces feedback, iteration, and continuous refinement based on user testing and performance data.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouragement of sharing best practices, design patterns, and insights through design critiques, documentation, and internal presentations.

• Proactive Problem-Solving: A team that identifies potential design or user experience issues early and works collaboratively to find effective solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture appears to value innovation, data, and collaboration, aligning well with the demands of a Senior UX/UI role that bridges design, data, and technology.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Data Insights with User Intuition: Effectively integrating complex behavioral analytics and performance metrics with qualitative user needs to create designs that are both technically sound and intuitively usable.

• Scaling Design Systems: Ensuring the design system remains robust, scalable, and adopted across a growing product suite and evolving team.

• Integrating AI Seamlessly: Identifying and implementing AI tools in a way that genuinely adds value to the design process without compromising user experience or introducing unnecessary complexity.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Navigating diverse stakeholder priorities and technical constraints to achieve consensus on design solutions.

• Maintaining Accessibility Standards: Continuously ensuring all designs meet evolving WCAG guidelines across all digital touchpoints.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized AI Design Training: Opportunities to deepen expertise in using AI for design research, ideation, and optimization.

• Advanced Design System Workshops: Participation in workshops or training focused on advanced design system architecture, governance, and scaling.

• Industry Conferences & Webinars: Access to relevant UX, design, and technology conferences (e.g., UXPA, AIGA) or online learning platforms.

• Mentorship Programs: Potential to receive mentorship from senior leaders within Stepstone group or mentor junior designers.

• Cross-Functional Project Exposure: Opportunities to work on diverse projects that broaden understanding of different business areas and technical challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents opportunities to tackle complex design challenges at the forefront of data-driven and AI-assisted design, while offering clear paths for professional growth and specialization.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used user engagement data or behavioral analytics to significantly change a design direction. What was the outcome?" (Prepare a STAR method answer focusing on data, your analysis, the design change, and measurable results.)

• "How would you approach designing a new feature for our programmatic recruitment platform, considering both user needs and business objectives for advertisers and job seekers?" (Outline your process, including research, ideation, data integration, and collaboration.)

• "Walk me through your process for creating and maintaining a scalable design system. What are the key challenges, and how do you address them?" (Focus on component architecture, governance, documentation, and adoption strategies.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Appcast and the recruitment advertising technology space?" (Research the company's mission, products, and recent news. Connect your skills to their industry.)

• "How do you stay current with emerging design trends and technologies, particularly AI in design?" (Discuss your methods for continuous learning, including specific tools or resources.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Tell a Story: For each project, frame it as a narrative: the problem, your role, the process, the solution, and the impact.

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics whenever possible to demonstrate the success of your designs (e.g., % increase in conversion, % decrease in user errors, improvement in task completion time).

• Highlight Design System Contribution: Clearly articulate your specific contributions to any design systems showcased.

• Explain Your Decisions: Be ready to defend your design choices by referencing data, user research, or established UX principles.

• Showcase Your Process: Demonstrate your workflow, from initial sketches and wireframes to high-fidelity mockups and prototypes.

• Emphasize Collaboration: Mention how you worked with others, handled feedback, and iterated on your designs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be prepared to deeply discuss your experience with data analysis in design, design systems, and your approach to creating scalable, accessible, and user-centered experiences. Demonstrating an understanding of AI's role in design will be a significant advantage.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX/UI Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.smartrecruiters.com.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest projects that best showcase your end-to-end UX/UI process, data-informed decision-making, design system contributions, and accessibility focus. Ensure projects highlight measurable impact.

• Tailor Your Resume: Optimize your resume to highlight keywords from the job description, such as "UX Strategy," "Figma," "Design Systems," "Behavioral Analytics," "WCAG," and "AI-Enabled Design." Quantify achievements where possible.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio projects, focusing on storytelling, data-driven rationale, and the outcomes of your work. Be ready to discuss your collaboration style and approach to design challenges.

• Research Appcast & Stepstone: Understand their business, products, target audience, and company culture. Familiarize yourself with their existing digital platforms to form informed opinions.

⚠️ 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.