Sr Designer - UX - New York

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr Designer - UX

Company: Photon

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: UX/UI Design Operations

Date Posted: 2026-06-23

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the creation of intuitive user interfaces and end-to-end digital experiences, focusing on user-centered design principles and advanced problem-solving.

• Leverage sophisticated design tools, primarily Figma, to develop wireframes, prototypes, and mock-ups that translate complex business needs into elegant, user-friendly solutions.

• Act as a key design leader, responsible for articulating design decisions, trade-offs, and requirements to non-design stakeholders, ensuring alignment and buy-in.

• Integrate design standards and frameworks into engineering workflows, ensuring adherence to core UX team guidelines and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role, while titled "Sr Designer - UX," has significant operational implications. The emphasis on integrating design standards into engineering workflows, communicating complex concepts to non-design stakeholders, and exploring AI integration suggests a need for strong operational execution beyond pure design creativity. The role requires a blend of strategic design thinking and practical implementation management, aligning it with a "UX/UI Design Operations" category.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Develop advanced wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity mock-ups using Figma, ensuring a consistent application of user-centered design principles.

• Utilize data insights from user research and analytics to inform design decisions, validate assumptions, and measure the impact of design solutions.

• Present and articulate complex design rationale, trade-offs, and prioritized requirements to diverse stakeholder groups, including product, engineering, and leadership.

• Translate intricate business challenges and user pain points into clear, elegant, and actionable design solutions that enhance user workflows.

• Facilitate design thinking workshops, prepare comprehensive documentation, and translate complex business requirements into executable design strategies.

• Actively participate in user research initiatives, conduct usability testing sessions, and synthesize feedback to iteratively refine and optimize product designs.

• Explore and integrate AI technology tools to enhance UX process efficiency and develop strategic AI-driven design solutions within product workflows.

• Stay current with emerging trends in UX design and the financial services industry, proactively proposing innovative solutions to drive business growth and client satisfaction.

• Collaborate closely with end-users and cross-functional teams to deeply understand requirements and deliver intuitive, frictionless user experiences.

• Champion the user's perspective in all design activities, evaluating the impact of design changes on user workflows and overall performance.

• Analyze and dissect user feedback to generate clear, actionable insights that drive continuous design improvements and product enhancements.

• Create detailed, user-focused design tickets and documentation for engineering teams, ensuring clarity and efficient development cycles.

• Execute seamless design handoffs to engineering, facilitating clear communication of designs and interaction specifications.

• Architect and design holistic solutions that consider the end-to-end user journey and operational workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on process and operational integration. Responsibilities like "Translate intricate business challenges... into clear, elegant, and actionable design solutions," "Facilitate design thinking workshops, prepare comprehensive documentation," and "Create detailed, user-focused tickets... ensuring clarity and efficient development cycles" point towards a need for structured operational execution within the design process. The AI integration responsibility also adds a layer of forward-thinking operational efficiency.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree required, preferably in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field.

Experience: Minimum of six years of dedicated, professional UX design experience, with a proven track record of leading design initiatives and delivering impactful user experiences.

Required Skills:

• UX Design Mastery: Advanced proficiency in user experience design principles, methodologies, and best practices.

• UI Design Expertise: Strong understanding of user interface design, visual design, and interaction design.

• Figma Proficiency: Expert-level command of Figma for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity mock-up creation.

• Wireframing & Prototyping: Demonstrated ability to create clear, effective wireframes and interactive prototypes.

• User Research: Experience conducting and synthesizing user research, including interviews, surveys, and contextual inquiries.

• Usability Testing: Proven ability to plan, execute, and analyze usability testing sessions.

• Design Thinking: Solid understanding and practical application of design thinking frameworks and workshop facilitation.

• Stakeholder Communication: Exceptional ability to present complex design concepts clearly and persuasively to diverse audiences.

• Problem Solving: Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to deconstruct complex problems and devise elegant solutions.

• Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams, fostering a collaborative design environment.

• Design Documentation: Skill in creating comprehensive design documentation, including user flows, style guides, and design specifications.

Preferred Skills:

• AI Integration in Design: Experience exploring or implementing AI tools within design workflows or creating AI-driven user experiences.

• Data-Driven Design: Familiarity with leveraging analytics and A/B testing to inform and validate design decisions.

• Financial Services Industry Experience: Understanding of the unique UX challenges and user needs within the financial services sector.

• Agile/Scrum Methodologies: Experience working within agile development environments and understanding design's role in iterative development.

• Design Systems: Experience contributing to or managing design systems for consistency and scalability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "over six years of dedicated experience" requirement, coupled with the emphasis on leadership, communication with non-designers, and integrating design into workflows, suggests a senior-level role that requires not just design talent but also operational acumen. The AI integration is a key differentiator, signaling a forward-looking approach to design operations.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated UX Process: Showcase a clear, end-to-end UX design process across multiple projects, detailing research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration phases.

• Figma Project Examples: Include detailed case studies of projects primarily designed using Figma, highlighting your proficiency with its features for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design.

• Problem-Solution Articulation: Clearly articulate the business and user problems addressed in each project, and how your design solutions effectively solved them.

• User-Centered Design Focus: Present projects that explicitly demonstrate a user-centered approach, with evidence of user research, testing, and feedback integration.

• Impact & Outcomes: Quantify the impact of your designs whenever possible, using metrics related to user engagement, task completion, satisfaction, or business objectives.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Provide examples or descriptions of how you collaborated with engineering, product management, and other stakeholders.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Mapping: Demonstrate experience in mapping out complex user workflows and identifying areas for process optimization.

• Design System Contributions: If applicable, showcase contributions to design systems, illustrating an understanding of scalable and consistent design operations.

• Handoff Documentation: Include examples of clear, concise design specifications and documentation provided to engineering teams for seamless implementation.

• Workshop Materials: If available, present examples of materials created for design thinking workshops or stakeholder presentations.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a senior UX role with operational responsibilities, a portfolio is crucial. It needs to go beyond pretty visuals to demonstrate a robust, repeatable design process, strong communication capabilities, and the ability to integrate design work seamlessly into broader development and business operations. The emphasis on Figma, stakeholder communication, and AI integration should be evident in portfolio case studies.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD $75,000 - $136,000 per year. This range is an estimate based on industry benchmarks for a Sr. UX Designer role in New York City, considering the stated minimum of $39,000 and maximum of $136,000, and the experience level (5-10 years). The lower end reflects a potential starting point or less experienced candidate within the senior band, while the higher end reflects a highly qualified candidate with extensive experience and a strong portfolio.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Medical Insurance

• Vision Insurance

• Dental Insurance

• 401k Retirement Plan with potential company match

• Variable Pay/Incentives based on performance

• Generous Paid Time Off (PTO)

• Paid Company Holidays

Working Hours: Approximately 40 hours per week, standard business hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: Acknowledging the provided minimum compensation of $39,000, which is unusually low for a Sr. UX Designer in New York with 6+ years of experience, I've adjusted the estimated range to be more competitive and realistic for the location and experience level. The stated range of $39,000-$136,000 is extremely broad; the enhanced range focuses on the more probable segment for a "Sr." level candidate. The provided benefits are standard for full-time employees.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology/Software, with a specific focus on financial services solutions. Photon appears to be a company that develops software products, potentially SaaS, for the finance sector.

Company Size: The provided information on company size is missing. Assuming Photon is a mid-sized to large tech company based on the Oracle Cloud ATS and the scope of the role.

Founded: The founding date of Photon is not provided.

Team Structure:

• The Senior UX Designer will likely be part of a dedicated UX/Design team, reporting to a Design Lead or Head of Design.

• This team will collaborate closely with Product Management, Engineering, and potentially Business Analysts or GTM teams.

• There will be a strong emphasis on cross-functional collaboration to ensure design solutions align with business objectives and technical feasibility. Methodology:

• Data-Informed Design: Decisions are expected to be backed by user research, usability testing, and analytics data.

• Agile Development Integration: Design processes will likely be integrated into agile development cycles, requiring flexibility and iterative work.

• User Advocacy: A core tenet is championing the user's needs and experience throughout the product development lifecycle.

• Continuous Improvement: A culture that encourages staying updated on industry trends and proactively seeking opportunities to enhance processes and products.

Company Website: https://photon.com (Inferred from domain_derived)

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the limited company data, I've made reasonable inferences about the company culture and team structure based on the job title, industry context (financial services software), and the nature of the UX role. The emphasis on AI integration suggests a forward-thinking and innovative company culture.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Senior individual contributor role. It represents a significant step beyond a mid-level UX Designer, requiring leadership in design execution, strategic thinking, and the ability to influence product direction. The role involves mentoring junior designers and acting as a subject matter expert.

Reporting Structure: The Senior UX Designer will likely report to a Design Manager, Director of Product Design, or Head of UX. They will collaborate extensively with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially stakeholders across Sales and Customer Success.

Operations Impact: The Senior UX Designer's impact is critical for user adoption, customer satisfaction, and ultimately, revenue. By creating intuitive and efficient user experiences, they directly contribute to:

• Increased user engagement and retention.

• Reduced customer support costs through more intuitive products.

• Improved conversion rates for key user actions.

• Enhanced brand perception and competitive advantage in the financial services market.

• Streamlined workflows that can boost productivity for both end-users and internal teams. Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Track: Potential to move into a Lead UX Designer role, managing a small team or a specific product area, or into a UX Manager/Director position.

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in areas like AI-driven design, accessibility, or user research methodologies.

• Product Strategy: Contribute more significantly to product strategy and roadmap development.

• Cross-functional Mobility: Opportunities to move into Product Management or related GTM roles by leveraging deep user understanding and strategic thinking.

• Mentorship: Formal or informal mentorship of junior designers, developing leadership and coaching skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Sr." title and responsibilities imply a clear growth path. The focus on operational aspects like stakeholder communication and workflow integration suggests that growth might also involve moving into more strategic or management-oriented design operations roles.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site, implying a traditional office setting within a professional business environment.

Office Location(s): 115 W 30th ST STE 910, New York, NY 10001-4000. This is a commercial district in Manhattan, suggesting a typical urban office space.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The office likely features collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, and individual workstations designed to facilitate teamwork and brainstorming.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design software (Figma), hardware, and potentially collaboration tools like Slack or Microsoft Teams.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities for in-person interaction with design peers, product managers, and engineers, fostering a dynamic and responsive working environment.

• Professional Setting: A typical corporate office environment in New York City, reflecting the professional nature of the financial services industry.

Work Schedule: Standard full-time work schedule, approximately 40 hours per week, with potential for flexibility depending on project needs and company policies. The on-site requirement suggests a predictable daily presence.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in a prime Manhattan location suggests a professional, potentially fast-paced work environment typical of tech companies serving the financial services sector. The emphasis on collaboration is key for a designer working in such an environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A brief call with HR or a recruiter to assess basic qualifications, salary expectations, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: A session with hiring managers and/or senior designers to present your portfolio, discuss your design process, and potentially tackle a design challenge or case study relevant to Photon's products.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Meetings with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially other cross-functional stakeholders to assess collaboration skills, communication, and strategic thinking.

• Final Interview: A final conversation with senior leadership to confirm fit and discuss role expectations.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Highlight Process, Not Just Polish: Emphasize your thought process, problem-solving approach, and how you arrived at your final designs for each project.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your design solutions whenever possible (e.g., "increased conversion by X%", "reduced task time by Y%").

• Showcase Figma Expertise: Ensure your portfolio clearly demonstrates your advanced skills in Figma, including complex prototyping and component-based design.

• Articulate Trade-offs: Be prepared to discuss the design decisions you made, including any trade-offs between user needs, business goals, and technical constraints.

• Tailor to Photon: Research Photon and the financial services industry. Tailor your presentation to highlight projects and skills most relevant to their business and users.

• Prepare for AI Discussion: Have specific examples of how you've explored or could explore AI to enhance UX or create AI-driven solutions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Problem: If given a design challenge, ensure you fully understand the problem statement, target users, and business objectives.

• Think Aloud: Articulate your thought process clearly as you work through the challenge, demonstrating your problem-solving methodology.

• Focus on User Needs: Prioritize user needs and validate your assumptions with user-centric thinking.

• Consider Constraints: Be mindful of potential technical or business constraints, and discuss how you would navigate them.

• Presentation Skills: Practice presenting your solution concisely and persuasively, highlighting key design decisions and rationale.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a senior role will heavily scrutinize the candidate's ability to think strategically, communicate effectively with non-designers, and demonstrate operational rigor in their design process. The portfolio is the primary tool for this assessment.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: The core tool for wireframing, prototyping, high-fidelity design, and design system management. Advanced proficiency is expected.

• Adobe Creative Suite (Optional but beneficial): Photoshop, Illustrator for asset creation or specific graphic needs.

• Prototyping Tools (Beyond Figma): Potentially tools like InVision, Principle, or Axure for more complex or specific prototyping needs, though Figma's capabilities are extensive.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Analytics Platforms: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, or Pendo for understanding user behavior and informing design decisions.

• A/B Testing Tools: Experience with platforms that facilitate A/B testing to validate design hypotheses.

CRM & Automation:

• Project Management Tools: Proficiency with tools like Jira (especially for creating user-focused tickets), Asana, Trello, or Monday.com for managing design tasks and workflows.

• Collaboration Platforms: Slack, Microsoft Teams, or similar for real-time communication and team collaboration.

• Documentation Tools: Confluence, Notion, or similar for creating and maintaining design documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is a non-negotiable requirement. The mention of "AI integration" suggests potential exploration of AI-powered design tools or platforms that leverage AI for user insights or content generation within design. Familiarity with project management tools like Jira is crucial for the operational aspect of creating "user-focused tickets."

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the user in all design decisions.

• Data-Driven Approach: Utilizing data and research to inform design choices and measure impact, ensuring designs are effective and not just aesthetically pleasing.

• Collaboration & Transparency: Open communication and strong partnerships with product, engineering, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment and shared understanding.

• Efficiency & Iteration: A focus on streamlined design processes, clear documentation, and a willingness to iterate based on feedback and new insights.

• Innovation: Encouraging exploration of new technologies (like AI) and design trends to drive continuous improvement and competitive advantage.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Proactively engaging with engineering and product teams early and often to ensure design feasibility and alignment with business goals.

• Constructive Feedback: Fostering an environment where feedback is shared openly, constructively, and used to elevate the quality of designs and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging the sharing of best practices, design patterns, and learnings across the design team and with other departments.

• Agile Mindset: Embracing flexibility and adaptability in response to changing project requirements and priorities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values emphasize operational efficiency and data-driven decision-making, aligning with the broader context of a design operations role. The emphasis on AI integration suggests a culture that embraces technological advancement.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing User Needs with Business Constraints: Effectively navigating competing priorities between user desires, technical limitations, and business objectives.

• Communicating Complex Designs: Articulating nuanced design decisions and their rationale to non-design stakeholders who may lack design expertise.

• Integrating AI into UX: Successfully exploring and implementing AI tools and concepts into the design process and product offerings in a meaningful way.

• Maintaining Design Consistency: Ensuring adherence to design standards and frameworks across evolving product lines and development cycles.

• Adapting to Industry Changes: Keeping pace with rapid advancements in UX design, AI technology, and the financial services industry.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX/AI Workshops: Opportunities to attend specialized training or workshops on cutting-edge UX techniques and AI in design.

• Industry Conferences: Participation in leading UX and technology conferences to gain insights into emerging trends and network with peers.

• Mentorship Programs: Access to mentorship from senior design leaders or opportunities to mentor junior designers.

• Cross-Departmental Learning: Gaining exposure to product strategy, engineering challenges, and GTM operations to broaden understanding of the business.

• Certification: Pursuing certifications in relevant UX methodologies, AI, or specific design tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the operational complexity of senior design roles, particularly in a rapidly evolving field like AI and a regulated industry like finance. The growth opportunities are geared towards both technical specialization and leadership development.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to advocate for a design decision that faced significant pushback from non-design stakeholders. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on communication, negotiation, and data-backed arguments).

• "How do you balance user needs with business objectives and technical constraints when designing a new feature or product? Provide a specific example." (Focus on strategic thinking, trade-off analysis, and process).

• "Walk us through your process for translating complex business requirements into actionable design solutions." (Focus on your operational design workflow, documentation, and problem-solving methodology).

• "How have you incorporated or how would you propose incorporating AI technology into a UX design process or product?" (Focus on understanding of AI's potential in UX, practical application, and forward-thinking). Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Photon and our work in the financial services industry?" (Research Photon's mission, products, and recent news. Connect your passion for UX to their domain).

• "How do you define a 'user-centered design' approach, and how do you ensure it's embedded in your work and team?" (Demonstrate understanding of core UX principles and how to operationalize them).

• "Describe your ideal collaboration style with product managers and engineers." (Highlight proactive communication, shared ownership, and a team-oriented approach). Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly outline the problem, your role, the process you followed, the solutions you designed, and the results/impact.

• Emphasize Your Process: Focus on the 'why' behind your decisions, showcasing your problem-solving skills and how you leveraged research and data.

• Demonstrate Figma Mastery: Be prepared to navigate your Figma files live or explain complex interactions and component structures.

• Quantify Success: Wherever possible, use metrics to illustrate the positive impact of your designs on users or the business.

• Be Prepared to Discuss Trade-offs: Discuss any compromises made and why, demonstrating a pragmatic approach to design.

• Connect to Photon: Frame your projects in a way that shows how your skills and experience can benefit Photon and its users.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for this role should focus on demonstrating not just design talent but also operational maturity, strategic thinking, and the ability to lead and influence within a cross-functional environment. The AI component is a key area to prepare for.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position at Photon:

• Submit your application: Utilize the provided link via the Oracle Cloud Candidate Experience portal.

• Tailor your resume: Highlight your 6+ years of UX design experience, specifically mentioning Figma proficiency, stakeholder communication, and any experience with AI or financial services. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate your portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest UX case studies that best showcase your end-to-end design process, problem-solving skills, and Figma expertise. Ensure you can clearly articulate the user problem, your solution, and the impact. Be ready to discuss your AI design explorations.

• Prepare your narrative: Practice presenting your portfolio and answering common UX interview questions, focusing on your strategic approach, collaborative style, and operational execution.

• Research Photon: Understand Photon's products, target market (financial services), and company values to tailor your responses 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.