Sr Designer - UX - New York

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr Designer - UX

Company: Photon

Location: New York, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-09-18

Experience Level: 5-10 Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design of complex enterprise workflows, focusing on user-centric principles and AI-first interaction patterns.

• Translate high-level design strategy into detailed user flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity mockups.

• Ensure seamless user experiences across diverse platforms including mobile, desktop, and offline environments.

• Champion and extend the company's design system to incorporate innovative AI-driven functionalities.

• Act as a strategic partner to product and engineering teams, influencing scope, prioritization, and feasibility discussions.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Sr Designer - UX", the responsibilities and "Must-Have Skillsets" indicate a senior-level role with significant strategic input, leadership, and ownership expectations. The emphasis on "Owning direction, not just execution" and being a "Self-propelling leader" suggests this role is for an individual who can define and drive design initiatives rather than just execute tasks. The target company industry is implied to be financial services or a similar enterprise sector due to the mention of "core IB workflows" and "Citi’s design system," though "Photon" itself is a tech company.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Design intuitive user flows and create high-fidelity screens for critical internal business (IB) workflows, ensuring clarity and efficiency.

• Translate overarching design strategies and product briefs into visually polished screens and functional prototype-ready assets.

• Maintain and ensure consistency of user experience and interface design across multiple devices and operating system states (mobile, desktop, offline).

• Evolve and extend the existing enterprise design system to accommodate new AI-first interaction patterns and user experiences.

• Drive design direction by shaping project briefs, setting clear visions, and leading initiatives where the problem definition is still evolving.

• Articulate and "sell" design solutions effectively to stakeholders, demonstrating strong leadership and communication skills.

• Apply a meticulous "broken tooth comb" approach to design, combining strong visual and interaction design skills with a practical understanding of strategy, delivery constraints, and early-stage ideation.

• Serve as a credible and collaborative partner to product managers and engineering teams, actively participating in discussions about scope, prioritization, and technical feasibility.

• Operate as a self-propelling leader, independently building clarity, momentum, and driving design work forward without constant managerial oversight.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a blend of strategic leadership and hands-on design execution, typical of senior UX roles in enterprise environments. The specific mention of "core IB workflows" and "Citi’s design system" strongly suggests a focus on financial services applications, even though the company name is Photon. This implies a need for understanding complex financial processes and adhering to established enterprise design standards.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience: 6-10 years of dedicated experience in User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design, specifically for complex enterprise applications.

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in designing data-heavy and AI-assisted interfaces, demonstrating an ability to handle complex information architecture and intelligent features.

• Strong proficiency in design and prototyping tools, with a particular emphasis on Figma (or equivalent industry-standard software like Sketch, Adobe XD).

• Demonstrated ability to design comprehensive user flows, from initial concept to detailed wireframes and high-fidelity mockups.

• Deep understanding of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and other accessibility standards, ensuring inclusive design practices.

• Experience with and understanding of enterprise design systems, including their extension and application to new features.

• Ability to challenge scope and prioritization discussions with product and engineering teams, advocating for user-centered solutions.

• Strong communication and presentation skills, with the ability to clearly articulate design rationale and influence stakeholders.

• Demonstrated leadership qualities, including the ability to drive projects forward independently and shape design direction. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI tooling and rapid prototyping methodologies to accelerate design cycles and validate concepts.

• Familiarity with a variety of enterprise software environments and their unique design challenges.

• Experience in translating user research findings into actionable design recommendations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of 6-10 years, combined with the responsibilities, positions this as a senior-level individual contributor role with significant influence. The emphasis on "complex enterprise applications" and "data-heavy and AI-assisted interfaces" suggests a need for candidates who can navigate intricate systems and leverage advanced technologies within their designs. The mention of "Citi's design system" is a critical clue about the potential industry focus (financial services).

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase a minimum of 3-5 comprehensive case studies demonstrating end-to-end UX/UI design process for complex enterprise applications.

• Include detailed examples of user flow design, wireframing, high-fidelity mockups, and prototyping for at least one data-heavy or AI-assisted interface.

• Highlight contributions to or extensions of an enterprise design system, illustrating how it was applied to new features or patterns.

• Provide evidence of designing for multi-device coherence (mobile, desktop) and consideration for offline states.

• Clearly articulate your role, the problem statement, your design process, the challenges faced, and the measurable outcomes or impact of your work. Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate a structured approach to translating design strategy into actionable design deliverables.

• Illustrate how you collaborate with product managers and engineers to define scope, prioritize features, and ensure technical feasibility.

• Showcase your methodology for ensuring adherence to accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and best practices within the design process.

• Present examples of how you have extended or contributed to a design system, including rationale and impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a senior UX role, a portfolio is critical. The emphasis on enterprise applications, AI, and design systems means candidates must showcase projects that go beyond typical consumer apps. The "broken tooth comb operator" and "self-propelling leader" aspects suggest the portfolio should reflect proactive problem-solving and strategic thinking, not just execution.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD $36,000 - $129,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental insurance plans.

• 401k retirement plan with potential company matching.

• Access to variable pay and incentive programs, reflecting performance and company success.

• Generous paid time off (PTO) and paid holidays.

Working Hours: Standard 40 hours per week, with the expectation of flexibility required to meet project deadlines and ensure effective collaboration within enterprise workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is quite broad. The minimum of $36,000 seems low for a Sr. UX Designer in New York with 6-10 years of experience, potentially indicating that this is a base salary and the higher end of the range, along with variable pay and incentives, would be more representative of a fully compensated senior role. New York City's cost of living and the Sr. UX Designer title with enterprise experience typically command higher salaries, often starting above $100,000 for senior roles in major tech hubs. The listed range might reflect a wider band for various seniorities or be an aggregate of base and potential total compensation. Researching comparable Sr. UX roles in New York City's tech and financial sectors would be advisable.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Software Development. The mention of "IB workflows" and "Citi’s design system" strongly suggests that Photon is either developing software for the financial services industry or has a significant client in that sector, likely focusing on enterprise-level solutions.

Company Size: Photon is implied to be a medium to large organization, given the structure of the application process and the availability of comprehensive benefits like medical, dental, vision, and a 401k. A company of this nature would typically employ hundreds or thousands of individuals.

Founded: Not specified in the provided data.

Team Structure:

• The UX Design team is likely part of a larger Product or Engineering department.

• This Senior Designer role implies a team structure that values experienced individual contributors who can operate with autonomy and influence.

• Collaboration is expected with Product Managers, Engineering teams, and potentially other Designers, Researchers, and Design System specialists.

• The role requires partnership, suggesting a flat or matrixed team structure where influence is key. Methodology:

• Data-driven design decisions are expected, supported by a strong understanding of user needs and business objectives.

• Emphasis on iterative design processes, including rapid prototyping and user testing, especially with AI-first interactions.

• Strong focus on design system adherence and contribution for scalability and consistency across enterprise applications.

• Collaborative problem-solving and a "challenge and discuss" approach with cross-functional partners.

Company Website: https://fa-ertb-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX/job/26720 (Note: This is an Oracle Cloud application portal link, not a direct company website.)

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the limited company information, the "Photon" company context is inferred from the role's responsibilities and the implied industry focus. The presence of "Citi's design system" is a significant indicator of potential client work or a strong focus on enterprise financial applications.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Senior Individual Contributor (IC) level. The focus is on deep expertise in UX/UI design for complex enterprise systems, strategic thinking, and leadership in design direction. It's not a management role, but one where the individual is expected to lead specific design initiatives and mentor others implicitly through their work and approach.

Reporting Structure: The Senior Designer is likely to report to a Design Lead, UX Manager, or Head of Product Design. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads on a day-to-day basis.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, directly influencing the usability, efficiency, and adoption of core enterprise workflows. By designing intuitive and effective interfaces, this role will contribute to increased productivity, reduced errors, and improved user satisfaction within critical business operations, particularly in data-heavy and AI-assisted environments. The ability to "sell the work" and partner credibly with product/engineering means their designs can shape strategic product direction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-first interactions, data visualization for complex systems, or enterprise design systems.

• Leadership: Transition to a Lead Designer or Design Manager role, overseeing a team and strategy.

• Cross-functional Mastery: Become a go-to expert for product and engineering on design strategy and execution within the enterprise space.

• Strategic Influence: Gain opportunities to influence product roadmaps and company-wide design standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: The growth path for a Senior UX Designer typically involves either deepening technical/strategic expertise as an IC or moving into management. The emphasis on "owning direction" and "setting visions" suggests significant opportunities for strategic influence and potential leadership track development.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is specified as "On-site," indicating a traditional office-based work environment. This suggests a collaborative setting where in-person interaction with team members and stakeholders is valued.

Office Location(s): New York, United States. This implies working within a major metropolitan hub known for its technology and financial services sectors, offering access to a large professional network and potentially vibrant company culture.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is likely to be collaborative, fostering teamwork and spontaneous idea exchange among designers, product managers, and engineers.

• Access to the latest design tools and technology will be essential, with Figma being a primary requirement.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with stakeholders and cross-functional teams are inherent to the role's collaborative nature.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is indicated. However, given the senior level and the nature of enterprise projects, there may be an expectation of flexibility to meet critical project deadlines or participate in time-sensitive discussions, especially with global teams if applicable.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" requirement in New York suggests a dynamic urban office environment. The emphasis on collaboration and partnership implies a culture that values face-to-face interaction for problem-solving and ideation.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely review your resume and portfolio to assess alignment with the core requirements, particularly experience with enterprise applications, AI interfaces, and Figma.

• Portfolio Presentation: Candidates will be asked to present their portfolio, walking through 1-3 key case studies. This is where you'll demonstrate your design process, strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and ability to articulate impact. Be prepared to discuss your role, the challenges, and the outcomes.

• Design Challenge/Exercise: A practical design exercise or case study may be given, either in a timed session or as a take-home assignment. This will assess your ability to apply your skills to a specific problem, potentially involving workflow design or AI interaction patterns.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially other designers. These will focus on your collaboration style, ability to partner with technical teams, communication skills, and strategic thinking. Expect questions about how you handle scope, prioritization, and feasibility discussions.

• Final Interview: A final discussion with senior leadership to assess overall fit, leadership potential, and strategic alignment with the company's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select case studies that best highlight your experience with complex enterprise applications, data-heavy interfaces, and AI integration. Showcase your ability to drive design direction.

• Tell a Story: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your process, your specific contributions, the challenges you overcame, and the measurable impact of your design solutions.

• Highlight Process, Not Just Pixels: Emphasize your thinking – user research, ideation, iteration, collaboration with engineering, and how you addressed constraints.

• Showcase AI & Enterprise Nuances: Specifically call out how you designed for AI-first interactions or navigated the complexities of enterprise environments.

• Prepare to Defend Decisions: Be ready to explain the rationale behind your design choices and how they align with business goals and user needs.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Brief: If given a design challenge, thoroughly read and understand the problem statement, objectives, and any constraints provided.

• Time Management: Practice designing within a given timeframe, focusing on delivering a well-reasoned solution rather than a fully polished deliverable if time is limited.

• Articulate Your Approach: Be prepared to explain your thought process, the assumptions you made, and how you would proceed with further iteration and validation.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process described is standard for senior UX roles, with a strong emphasis on portfolio quality and the ability to articulate strategic contributions. The "broken tooth comb operator" and "self-propelling leader" aspects suggest interviewers will probe for initiative, problem-solving depth, and collaborative problem-solving skills.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Mandatory proficiency for UI design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration.

• Prototyping Tools: Experience with Figma's prototyping features or other advanced tools like Principle, ProtoPie, or InVision for creating interactive mockups.

• Design System Management: Familiarity with tools and processes for extending and maintaining design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly stated, a Senior UX Designer should be comfortable interpreting user data and analytics to inform design decisions. Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or internal analytics platforms would be beneficial.

• Experience with tools that help visualize data for design purposes (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) could be an advantage for data-heavy interfaces. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the core UX design role, but understanding how designs integrate into enterprise workflows supported by CRMs or automation platforms is a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is explicitly called out as a must-have skill. The role's focus on enterprise applications and AI suggests that familiarity with tools supporting complex data visualization and workflow automation integration would be advantageous, even if not explicitly listed as mandatory.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for user needs, especially within complex enterprise contexts.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Valuing strong working relationships with product management and engineering to achieve shared goals.

• Excellence & Craftsmanship: A dedication to high-quality design execution, attention to detail, and a polished final product.

• Innovation & Forward-Thinking: An openness to exploring new interaction patterns, particularly those driven by AI, and contributing to the evolution of design systems.

• Ownership & Drive: A proactive approach to problem-solving, taking initiative, and driving projects to successful completion.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Seamless collaboration with product managers to define requirements and engineers to ensure feasibility and successful implementation.

• Design System Advocacy: Working to maintain and evolve the design system, ensuring consistency while enabling innovation.

• Feedback & Iteration: An open culture for giving and receiving constructive feedback to continuously improve designs.

• Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share expertise and best practices, particularly in areas like AI design or enterprise workflow optimization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values and collaboration style are inferred from the responsibilities emphasizing leadership, partnership, and strategic influence. The "broken tooth comb operator" and "self-propelling leader" descriptions strongly suggest a culture that rewards initiative, thoroughness, and proactive problem-solving.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Navigating intricate enterprise workflows and data structures to create intuitive user experiences.

• AI Integration: Effectively designing AI-first interactions that are helpful, transparent, and trustworthy for enterprise users.

• Balancing Innovation and Constraint: Extending a mature design system and working within established enterprise frameworks while pushing for innovative solutions.

• Stakeholder Alignment: Effectively communicating and gaining buy-in for design solutions from diverse stakeholders with varying priorities.

• Driving Adoption: Ensuring that new designs and AI features are adopted by users and deliver tangible business value.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI Design Expertise: Deepen knowledge in AI-human interaction design, machine learning principles, and ethical AI considerations.

• Enterprise System Mastery: Gain in-depth understanding of specific enterprise domains (e.g., financial services) and their unique operational challenges.

• Design Leadership: Develop skills in mentoring junior designers, leading design sprints, and influencing product strategy.

• Tool Proficiency: Become an expert in advanced features of Figma and explore emerging design and prototyping technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges highlight the inherent complexities of senior UX roles in enterprise software, particularly with the integration of advanced technologies like AI. Growth opportunities are framed around deepening expertise and developing leadership capabilities.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to define the design direction for a project where the problem was not fully defined. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Assesses "Owning direction" and "Self-propelling leader" aspects)

• "How do you partner with product and engineering teams to challenge scope and prioritization while discussing feasibility?" (Assesses "Credible partner" and communication skills)

• "Walk me through a complex enterprise workflow you designed. What were the key user pain points, and how did your design address them?" (Assesses "UX/UI for complex enterprise applications" and "workflow design" skills)

• "How have you extended or contributed to an enterprise design system, particularly for new interaction patterns like AI?" (Assesses "Design systems" and "AI-first interaction patterns" experience) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Photon and our work in enterprise applications/financial services?" (Assesses research and genuine interest)

• "How do you see yourself fitting into a culture that values proactive leadership and meticulous design execution?" (Assesses cultural alignment with "broken tooth comb operator" and "self-propelling leader")

• "Describe your experience with WCAG and accessibility standards. How do you ensure your designs are inclusive?" (Assesses adherence to standards) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or a similar framework. Clearly articulate the problem, your specific role and actions, the challenges, and the quantifiable impact.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively – user flows, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, prototypes. Explain the why behind your design decisions.

• Emphasize Collaboration: Highlight how you worked with product managers and engineers, demonstrating your ability to be a credible partner.

• Address AI/Data: Specifically call out how you tackled AI-assisted interfaces or complex data visualization challenges.

• Be Concise and Engaging: Respect the interviewer's time. Practice your presentation to be clear, impactful, and within the allotted timeframe.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation focuses on drawing out the specific qualities mentioned in the job description, such as leadership, strategic thinking, and collaborative problem-solving, within the context of enterprise UX design.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Senior UX Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Oracle Cloud application portal link.

• Tailor your Resume: Highlight your 6-10 years of experience in UX/UI for complex enterprise applications, specifically mentioning data-heavy or AI-assisted interfaces. Quantify achievements where possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that showcase end-to-end UX/UI design for enterprise workflows. Ensure they demonstrate your process, strategic thinking, and impact, with a clear emphasis on your role and Figma proficiency.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on your strategic contributions, problem-solving approach, and how you collaborated with product and engineering teams.

• Research Photon: Understand the company's focus, particularly its work in enterprise applications and any implied connection to financial services. Prepare thoughtful questions about the role, team, and company culture.

⚠️ 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.