Senior UX/UI Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior UX/UI Designer

Company: StepStone Group (Appcast Inc.)

Location: Scottsdale, Arizona, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX/UI Design, Product Design, GTM Operations Support

Date Posted: May 07, 2026

Experience Level: Senior (5-8+ years)

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic intersection of data and design, leveraging user engagement metrics and behavioral analytics to drive intuitive, high-impact design solutions.

• Architect, maintain, and govern scalable design systems, ensuring clear guidelines and consistency across all digital platforms to support business growth.

• Champion UX/UI best practices, including accessibility and inclusive design, to redefine user experience standards for the company's digital properties.

• Act as a critical liaison between UX and development teams, ensuring seamless collaboration and accurate implementation of design intent to optimize user journeys and product performance.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is Senior UX/UI Designer, the description emphasizes data analysis, design systems, and collaboration with business goals, indicating a strong GTM operations support element where design directly impacts user acquisition, engagement, and conversion. This role is crucial for optimizing the user journey across digital touchpoints, aligning with revenue operations objectives.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the analysis of user engagement data, behavioral analytics, and site performance metrics to inform and refine UX strategy and design decisions, directly impacting conversion rates and user retention.

• Translate complex user insights and business requirements into intuitive, user-centered design solutions that significantly elevate the overall brand experience and drive desired user actions.

• Architect, maintain, and govern scalable design systems, including reusable components, style guides, and interaction patterns, to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability across all digital properties supporting GTM efforts.

• Establish and champion UX/UI best practices across all web properties, focusing on usability, accessibility (WCAG), and performance to ensure optimal user journeys and compliance.

• Serve as a key connector between UX and development teams, ensuring clear communication of design intent, feasibility, and seamless collaboration during build, iteration, and refinement phases to balance user experience with technical constraints and performance goals.

• Partner with project managers, developers, and internal stakeholders (including marketing and sales) to align design solutions with overarching business objectives, technical requirements, and Go-To-Market strategies.

• Conduct UX audits and usability testing to validate design decisions, identify opportunities for improvement, and iterate based on user feedback and measurable outcomes that impact key business metrics.

• Create comprehensive site maps, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity designs to clearly communicate user flows, design intent, and interaction behavior to diverse stakeholders.

• Drive the adoption of accessibility and inclusive design principles, ensuring all digital experiences meet WCAG standards and are usable by diverse audiences, thereby expanding market reach and reducing legal risk.

• Stay current on industry trends, emerging technologies (including AI-assisted design and research tools), and competitive landscapes to evolve design practices and continuously improve GTM outcomes and user engagement.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong analytical component (data analysis, behavioral analytics, UX audits, usability testing) and a focus on scalable systems (design systems, reusable components), which are core to effective Revenue Operations and Sales Operations support. This role is positioned to directly influence user acquisition and conversion funnels.

🎓 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 roles, with demonstrated ownership of end-to-end design work and at least 2 years operating at a senior or lead level.

Required Skills:

• Advanced proficiency in Figma, including auto-layout, components, and prototyping, with experience in component-based and modular design systems.

• Experience using data analysis tools such as Google Analytics, heatmapping platforms, and user research tools to inform design decisions and measure impact on user behavior and business outcomes.

• Working knowledge of front-end development constraints, responsive design principles, and implementation best practices, enabling effective collaboration with development teams.

• Strong storytelling and communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design rationale, tradeoffs, and user-centered thinking to diverse stakeholders, including non-design audiences.

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

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with the Adobe Creative Suite for complementary design tasks.

• Experience leveraging AI-powered tools to support design workflows such as research synthesis, ideation, prototyping, content exploration, or optimization.

• Experience in presenting site maps, wireframes, and design rationale to internal stakeholders and external clients.

• Proven ability to conduct UX audits and usability testing to validate design decisions and identify optimization opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Figma, design systems, and data analysis tools points to a need for efficiency and scalability in design processes, directly supporting GTM operations. The mention of AI tools suggests an innovative approach to design workflows.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate end-to-end design ownership with clear case studies showcasing problem definition, user research, design process, and final solutions.

• Include examples of scalable design system components, style guides, and their application across multiple digital platforms to ensure consistency and efficiency.

• Showcase projects where user data (analytics, behavioral insights) directly informed design decisions and led to measurable improvements in user engagement or conversion rates.

• Present examples of high-fidelity interactive prototypes and wireframes that effectively communicate complex user flows and interaction design.

Process Documentation:

• Document your approach to user research methodologies and how insights are synthesized and translated into actionable design strategies.

• Illustrate your process for creating and governing design systems, including component libraries, style guides, and best practices for adoption by development teams.

• Detail your workflow for collaborating with development teams, including design handoff procedures, iteration loops, and quality assurance processes.

• Provide examples of how you have incorporated accessibility (WCAG) and inclusive design principles into your design process and final deliverables.

📝 Enhancement Note: A strong portfolio demonstrating data-informed design, scalable systems, and cross-functional collaboration will be critical for this role, as it directly impacts the efficiency and effectiveness of GTM strategies.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: The estimated annual salary range for this role is between $81,000 and $135,000 USD. This range is based on industry benchmarks for Senior UX/UI Designers in the Scottsdale, Arizona area, considering the specified experience level and the company's stated compensation philosophy.

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation package, as recognized by Inc Magazine's "Best Workplaces" for 2024.

• Comprehensive Benefits designed to support employee well-being and financial security.

• Access to Employee Networks to foster community and professional development.

• Opportunities for Community Volunteering and giving back to local communities.

• A supportive and inclusive work environment that values individual growth and development.

Working Hours: This is a Salaried Exempt position, typically requiring approximately 40 hours per week. Overtime may be necessary to meet project deadlines, with no additional compensation beyond the base salary.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is derived from the provided JSON data. The benefits listed are directly extracted from the job description's "Additional Information" section, highlighting the company's commitment to employee well-being and culture.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Appcast operates within the Recruitment Advertising Technology sector, a dynamic part of the broader HR Tech and Digital Marketing industries. As part of the Stepstone group, it connects companies with talent. This industry context means a focus on efficiency, data-driven results, and user experience to drive recruitment success.

Company Size: Appcast is part of the Stepstone group, which is a significant player in digital recruitment. Appcast itself is recognized as a leader in its niche. The company culture is described as driven by great people, with a focus on collaboration and innovation.

Founded: Appcast (as part of Stepstone) has a history rooted in digital recruitment solutions. The specific founding date of Appcast isn't provided, but its integration into the Stepstone group signifies a mature and established presence in the market.

Team Structure:

• The UX/UI team likely comprises designers with varying specializations, reporting to a design lead or manager. This senior role will operate without direct reports but will influence design direction.

• The reporting structure places this Senior UX/UI Designer within a team that collaborates closely with product management, engineering, marketing, and potentially sales teams to ensure cohesive product development and GTM execution.

Methodology:

• Data Analysis & Insights: Emphasizes using user engagement metrics, behavioral analytics, and site performance data to drive design strategy and iterative improvements.

• Workflow Planning & Optimization: Focuses on architecting scalable design systems and establishing clear governance for consistency and efficiency across digital platforms.

• Automation & Efficiency: Leverages AI-assisted design tools and modular design principles to streamline workflows and enhance design output.

Company Website: https://www.appcast.io/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company's focus on technology and data within the recruitment advertising space suggests an operations-centric environment where design directly supports business objectives like candidate acquisition and client engagement.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Senior level within the UX/UI design discipline. It requires a high degree of autonomy, strategic input, and the ability to lead complex design initiatives without direct supervision. Senior designers are expected to mentor junior team members implicitly and influence design direction for key product areas. The emphasis on data analysis and design systems signifies a role that contributes significantly to the operational efficiency and effectiveness of digital GTM strategies.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX/UI Designer will likely report to a Design Manager or Director of Product Design. They will work closely with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and stakeholders across Marketing and Sales, demonstrating a highly collaborative, cross-functional reporting dynamic.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role on operations is substantial. By optimizing user experiences through data-driven design, scalable systems, and adherence to best practices, this Senior Designer will directly influence:

• User Acquisition: Improving website usability and conversion rates to attract more candidates and clients.

• User Engagement: Enhancing the overall user journey to increase time on site, interaction with content, and lead generation.

• Operational Efficiency: Streamlining design processes through robust design systems, reducing development time and ensuring brand consistency.

• Brand Perception: Elevating the digital presence and user satisfaction, reinforcing Appcast's market leadership.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like AI-assisted design, advanced accessibility standards, or leading large-scale design system implementations.

• Leadership: Transition into a Lead Designer role, managing specific product areas or mentoring a small team, or move into a Design Management track.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Leverage design expertise to move into Product Management or even GTM Strategy roles, given the strong emphasis on business objectives and data.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role's senior nature and focus on data-driven design systems provide a strong foundation for career advancement within design, product, or even operations-adjacent strategic roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This role is specified as On-site, indicating a traditional office-based work environment. This suggests opportunities for in-person collaboration, spontaneous idea generation, and direct interaction with colleagues.

Office Location(s): The primary office location mentioned is Scottsdale, Arizona, with a specific address provided. While Denver is also listed, the derived location is Scottsdale.

Workspace Context:

• The on-site nature fosters a highly collaborative environment where designers can work closely with developers, product managers, and other stakeholders, facilitating rapid iteration and problem-solving.

• Access to necessary design tools like Figma and potentially other company-provided software and hardware will be available.

• Opportunities for direct team interaction, brainstorming sessions, and informal knowledge sharing are inherent in an office setting, crucial for a design role that relies on collective input and feedback.

Work Schedule: The role is Salaried Exempt, typically requiring ~40 hours per week. While a standard schedule is expected, the nature of design projects may necessitate flexibility to meet deadlines, particularly during critical launch phases.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Scottsdale, AZ, suggests a preference for in-person collaboration, which can be beneficial for rapid prototyping and team synergy in design and development processes.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will assess your resume and portfolio for relevant experience, skills, and cultural fit. Be prepared to articulate your operations-focused design philosophy and how you leverage data.

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: Expect to present a curated selection of your work, focusing on case studies that demonstrate your UX strategy, data analysis integration, design system expertise, and problem-solving skills. A practical design challenge or exercise may be administered to assess your approach to a specific problem, your design process, and your ability to articulate rationale.

• Stakeholder Interviews: You will likely meet with cross-functional team members, including product managers, engineers, and potentially marketing or sales leads, to evaluate your collaboration style, communication skills, and understanding of business objectives.

• Final Interview: A meeting with senior leadership or the hiring manager to discuss your overall fit, long-term career aspirations, and how you align with the company's vision and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-5 of your strongest projects that best showcase your expertise in data-informed design, design systems, and collaboration. Tailor your selection to highlight experience relevant to SaaS, recruitment tech, or similar B2B/B2C platforms.

• Structure for Clarity: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process you followed (research, ideation, design, testing), the solutions you proposed, and the measurable outcomes or impact achieved. Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., "increased conversion by X%," "reduced user errors by Y%").

• Emphasize Data & Systems: Clearly articulate how user data and analytics informed your design decisions. Showcase your ability to architect and manage design systems, highlighting component reusability and governance.

• Tell a Story: Present your work as a narrative, explaining your thought process, the challenges you encountered, and how you overcame them. Focus on your strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.

• Prepare for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design philosophy, how you handle feedback, your experience with specific tools, and how you approach designing for accessibility and scalability.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a design challenge, thoroughly understand the business problem, target audience, and any constraints provided.

• Focus on Process: Demonstrate a clear, logical design process, even if time is limited. Outline your assumptions, research steps (even hypothetical ones), ideation, and proposed solutions.

• Articulate Rationale: Be ready to explain why you made certain design decisions, referencing data, UX principles, or business goals.

• Consider Scalability & Accessibility: Think about how your solution would scale and ensure it's designed with accessibility in mind.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on data analysis, design systems, and cross-functional collaboration suggests that interviewers will be looking for a candidate who can not only design beautiful interfaces but also drive business outcomes through strategic, efficient, and user-centered design.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Advanced proficiency is required for wireframing, prototyping, high-fidelity design, and design system management. Expect to utilize its auto-layout, component, and collaboration features extensively.

• Adobe Creative Suite: Familiarity is preferred for complementary design tasks, potentially including Photoshop or Illustrator for asset creation or editing.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Google Analytics: Experience using this tool to analyze user engagement, traffic sources, and conversion funnels is essential for data-informed design decisions.

• Heatmapping Platforms (e.g., Hotjar, Crazy Egg): Usage is expected to understand user behavior on digital platforms and identify areas for UX improvement.

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly listed as primary tools for the designer, understanding how design impacts CRM data (e.g., lead capture forms) and marketing automation workflows will be beneficial for cross-functional collaboration.

• AI-Powered Tools: Experience with AI tools for design workflows (research synthesis, ideation, prototyping) is a preferred skill, indicating an interest in leveraging emerging technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The technology stack strongly emphasizes design tools and analytics platforms, highlighting the data-driven nature of this role and its direct impact on GTM performance metrics.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: A core value is leveraging analytics and metrics to inform design choices, ensuring that user experience improvements directly contribute to business objectives and operational efficiency.

• Efficiency & Scalability: Emphasis on creating reusable components and robust design systems to promote consistency, reduce rework, and enable faster iteration across digital platforms.

• User-Centricity: A commitment to understanding and meeting user needs through research, testing, and empathetic design, ensuring digital products are intuitive and effective.

• Collaboration & Communication: Fostering strong partnerships across design, development, product, and GTM teams to ensure alignment and successful execution of strategies.

• Innovation & Continuous Improvement: Encouraging the exploration of new technologies and methodologies, such as AI-assisted design, to evolve design practices and enhance outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: The role requires active collaboration with engineering and product teams, ensuring design intent is clearly communicated and technically feasible, and that feedback loops are efficient.

• Process Review & Feedback: A culture that encourages open feedback on design work and processes, allowing for continuous refinement and shared learning.

• Knowledge Sharing: Practices that promote sharing of insights, best practices, and learnings across teams, particularly regarding user behavior, design trends, and operational impact of design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values and collaboration style align with a results-oriented operations culture, where design is seen as a critical enabler of business success rather than an isolated creative function.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Data with Intuition: Effectively integrating quantitative data with qualitative insights and design intuition to create user experiences that are both effective and delightful.

• Maintaining Design System Integrity: Ensuring consistent adoption and governance of the design system across a growing suite of digital products, requiring strong communication and influence.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Navigating differing priorities and perspectives across product, engineering, marketing, and sales teams to achieve cohesive design solutions that meet diverse stakeholder needs.

• Rapid Technological Evolution: Staying abreast of emerging design technologies, AI tools, and user behavior trends to continuously evolve design practices and maintain a competitive edge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design System Practices: Opportunities to lead or significantly contribute to the evolution and expansion of the company's design system, potentially specializing in component architecture or governance.

• AI Integration in Design: Exploring and implementing AI tools to enhance research synthesis, ideation, and prototyping workflows, gaining expertise in a rapidly growing field.

• Data Analytics for Designers: Deepening skills in interpreting user analytics and behavioral data to drive more strategic and impactful design decisions.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and influence design strategy, laying the groundwork for future leadership roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges and growth opportunities are geared towards developing a well-rounded, strategically-minded designer who can contribute significantly to the company's operational success and evolve with industry advancements.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you used user analytics or behavioral data to significantly influence a design decision. What was the outcome?" - Preparation: Prepare a specific case study detailing your data analysis process, the design changes implemented, and measurable results (e.g., conversion increase, engagement improvement).

• "How do you approach building and maintaining a scalable design system? What are the key challenges and how do you overcome them?" - Preparation: Discuss your experience with component libraries, style guides, and governance models. Highlight how you ensure adoption and consistency across teams.

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you about Appcast's mission and our position in the recruitment advertising technology space?" - Preparation: Research Appcast and Stepstone, understand their market, and articulate how your skills and passion align with their goals.

• "How do you ensure accessibility and inclusive design are integrated into your work, especially when working on GTM platforms?" - Preparation: Discuss your understanding of WCAG standards and how you proactively incorporate inclusive design principles throughout the design process.

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the business problem and the quantifiable impact of your design solutions. Use metrics and data points to support your claims.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively to demonstrate your design process, from early wireframes to final high-fidelity mockups and prototypes. Highlight key design system elements.

• Narrate Your Process: Explain your thought process, design rationale, and the trade-offs you considered. Be prepared to discuss user research, testing, and iteration.

• Demonstrate Collaboration: Highlight instances where you successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams, particularly development, to ensure successful implementation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interviewers will likely assess your strategic thinking, your ability to use data to drive design, your proficiency with design systems, and your collaborative approach, all within the context of supporting business and GTM objectives.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX/UI Designer position:

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

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 3-5 of your most impactful case studies, prioritizing those that showcase data-driven design decisions, scalable design systems, and successful cross-functional collaboration. Ensure your portfolio clearly articulates the problem, your process, your solutions, and the measurable outcomes.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight your 5-8+ years of UX/UI experience, senior-level contributions, proficiency in Figma, experience with analytics tools, and a strong understanding of design systems and accessibility standards. Use keywords from the job description.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on clear storytelling, articulating your design rationale, and demonstrating your impact on user engagement and business goals, particularly those relevant to GTM operations. Be ready to discuss your approach to data analysis and design systems.

• Research Appcast: Thoroughly research Appcast, its products, its market position within recruitment advertising technology, and its company culture. Understand how your design expertise can contribute to their strategic objectives.

⚠️ 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.