Sr UX Designer - Verizon - Freelance

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr UX Designer - Verizon - Freelance

Company: AKQA

Location: New York, NY, United States

Job Type: Freelance/Contract

Category: UX/UI Design, Digital Product Development

Date Posted: 2026-06-15

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Hybrid (1 day in office per week)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the design of complex digital product ecosystems and interaction systems for a global leader in digital payments, impacting billions of users.

• Drive innovation and efficiency across the UX lifecycle by leveraging advanced AI tools and defining streamlined UX processes.

• Develop and deliver high-fidelity wireframes, flows, and interactive prototypes with expert-level command of Figma, its components, variants, and auto layout features.

• Contribute significantly to the ongoing development and application of robust design systems, enhancing both UX and UI dimensions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This is a high-visibility, impactful freelance engagement with a globally recognized brand, requiring a Senior UX Designer with deep expertise in complex systems and a strong portfolio demonstrating impactful product and service design. The role emphasizes both creative execution and process optimization.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead the design strategy and execution for large, complex digital product ecosystems and interaction systems, ensuring clarity and coherence across multi-step user journeys.

• Create and maintain high-fidelity wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes, primarily using Figma, leveraging advanced features like components, variants, auto layout, and libraries.

• Actively contribute to and maintain design systems, ensuring consistency and scalability across various digital products and services.

• Integrate and leverage AI tools across all stages of the UX lifecycle to enhance innovation, efficiency, and user experience quality.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product managers, strategists, engineers, and other designers, to translate user needs and business objectives into effective design solutions.

• Champion user-centered design principles throughout the product development lifecycle, advocating for user needs and ensuring a delightful end-user experience.

• Proactively identify opportunities to refine and improve UX processes, setting new standards for quality, efficiency, and delivery within the team.

• Define and articulate user personas, processes, and design concepts based on objective research and insights, effectively communicating these to senior stakeholders on both agency and client sides.

• Mentor and guide other designers within the team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and professional development.

• Contribute to AKQA's thought leadership within the UX and product design disciplines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary responsibilities highlight a senior-level individual contributor role with significant leadership and strategic influence. The emphasis on complex systems, design systems, AI tools, and cross-functional collaboration points to a need for a designer who can operate autonomously and drive impactful outcomes at scale.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Psychology, Computer Science, or a related field is often preferred for Senior UX Designer roles. Equivalent practical experience will also be strongly considered.

Experience: A minimum of 5-10 years of professional experience in User Experience (UX) Design, with a significant portion focused on complex digital product ecosystems and interaction design.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in user-centered design principles and methodologies.

• Extensive experience designing large, complex systems of interactions and multi-step user journeys.

• Advanced proficiency in creating and maintaining design systems, encompassing both UX and UI aspects.

• Expert-level command of Figma, including components, variants, auto layout, and prototyping capabilities.

• Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver high-fidelity wireframes, user flows, and interactive prototypes.

• Proficiency in leveraging AI tools to enhance UX design processes and outcomes.

• Strong understanding of user research methodologies and the ability to translate insights into design solutions.

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, with the ability to present and advocate for design decisions effectively to diverse audiences.

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams (product, engineering, strategy).

• A compelling portfolio showcasing distinctive work in product and service design across complex digital platforms, with clear evidence of strong UX craft and systems thinking. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the digital payments industry or with global financial services platforms.

• Familiarity with other leading industry-standard UX design and prototyping tools.

• Experience in mentoring or leading design teams.

• A proactive approach to process improvement and setting new standards for quality and delivery.

• Ability to develop simple and elegant design solutions for complex problems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirements emphasize a blend of deep technical UX craft (Figma expertise, design systems fluency), strategic thinking (complex systems, AI integration), and strong interpersonal/communication skills necessary for a senior, client-facing role. The portfolio is explicitly called out as a critical component.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing distinct work in product and service design, with a clear emphasis on UX craft and systems thinking.

• Demonstrable examples of designing for complex digital platforms and large-scale interaction systems.

• Case studies detailing the process from problem identification to solution implementation, highlighting user-centered design principles and methodologies.

• Evidence of contributions to or creation of design systems, illustrating an understanding of scalability, consistency, and component-based design.

• Examples of how AI tools were integrated into the design process to drive innovation or efficiency.

• Documentation of UX/UI deliverables, including wireframes, user flows, high-fidelity prototypes, and user research insights. Process Documentation:

• Showcase streamlined UX processes developed or improved, detailing the workflow design and optimization phases.

• Provide examples of how processes were implemented and potentially automated to enhance quality and delivery standards.

• Demonstrate a commitment to measuring and analyzing the performance and impact of design decisions and process improvements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is paramount, requiring detailed case studies that illustrate not just final outputs, but the strategic thinking, process, and impact behind them, particularly concerning complex systems and the integration of new technologies like AI.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: An estimated salary range for this freelance role in New York, NY, based on the provided information and industry benchmarks for a Sr. UX Designer with 5-10 years of experience, is approximately $3,500 to $3,700 per week. This translates to an annual equivalent of $182,000 - $192,400 for a full-time, year-round contract.

Benefits: As this is a freelance/contract role, standard employment benefits (health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off) are typically not provided by the hiring agency. However, the engagement offers:

• A high-visibility project with a globally recognized brand.

• Opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI tools and contribute to large-scale digital products.

• The flexibility of a freelance/contract arrangement.

• Potential for significant professional development and portfolio enhancement.

• A defined contract duration (ASAP through December 23, 2026).

Working Hours: This role is a full-time commitment, requiring approximately 40 hours per week. While the role is remote-friendly, it requires one in-office day per week in New York City, indicating a need for flexibility within standard business hours but also adherence to specific in-office presence requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary is provided as a weekly rate, which is common for freelance engagements. The estimate aligns with senior-level freelance UX design rates in a high-cost-of-living area like New York City, considering the specialized skills and project scope. Benefits are typically contractor-based.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: AKQA operates within the advertising, marketing, and technology services industry, specifically focusing on digital transformation, experience design, and creative technology. As part of WPP, a global leader in communications services, AKQA is positioned at the forefront of innovation for major brands. The client, a global leader in digital payments, operates in a highly regulated, high-transaction volume, and user-centric financial technology sector.

Company Size: AKQA is a large global agency network, part of WPP, which employs over 70,000 people worldwide. AKQA itself has numerous offices globally and employs a significant number of creative and technical professionals. This scale suggests a structured environment with access to extensive resources and expertise.

Founded: AKQA was founded in 1995 and has grown into a leading digital agency. WPP was founded in 1982. This long history indicates stability, established processes, and deep industry experience.

Team Structure:

• The UX design team at AKQA likely operates in a multidisciplinary structure, collaborating closely with strategists, researchers, UI designers, project managers, and technologists.

• This specific role supports a large, high-visibility client project, suggesting integration within a dedicated project team that may include AKQA personnel and client-side counterparts.

• The reporting structure for this freelance role would likely be to a Design Lead or Creative Director at AKQA, with direct collaboration and reporting to client stakeholders for project-specific deliverables. Methodology:

• AKQA emphasizes an "imaginative application of art and science," suggesting a blend of creative exploration and data-driven decision-making.

• Design processes likely follow user-centered design principles, incorporating research, ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.

• The use of design systems and advanced tools like Figma and AI points to a methodology focused on efficiency, scalability, and maintaining high standards of craft and quality.

• Collaboration is key, with a focus on developing adaptive digital services and applications that deliver tangible results for clients.

Company Website: https://www.akqa.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The context highlights AKQA's position as a premium digital agency and the client's status as a major player in digital payments. This means the role demands not only strong design skills but also an understanding of the complexities and scale involved in serving a global user base within a critical industry.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position is classified as a Senior UX Designer, indicating a level of expertise and autonomy beyond junior or mid-level roles. The responsibilities involve leading design efforts for complex systems, mentoring other designers, and influencing strategy, which are hallmarks of senior-level positions. For a freelance role, this translates to a high-impact, project-based contribution rather than a traditional long-term career path within the company, though it offers significant professional development.

Reporting Structure: The designer will report to a Design Lead or Creative Director at AKQA. They will also work in close collaboration with client-side product managers, engineering leads, and other stakeholders involved in the digital payments platform development. This structure requires effective communication and alignment across multiple teams and levels.

Operations Impact: The role has a direct and significant impact on the user experience of a global digital payments platform, affecting billions of users. Success in this role means enhancing user satisfaction, driving adoption of new features, improving transaction efficiency, and ultimately contributing to the client's business objectives and market leadership. The focus on "beautiful ideas, products and services" and "impressive returns for our clients" underscores the business-critical nature of this design work.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Enhancement: Deepen expertise in designing for complex, large-scale digital products, particularly within the financial services/payments sector. Gain hands-on experience with advanced AI tools integrated into the UX lifecycle.

• Portfolio Development: Build a compelling case study from a high-visibility project with a globally recognized brand, showcasing leadership in UX design, systems thinking, and process optimization.

• Industry Exposure: Gain valuable experience working with a leading digital payments company and a top-tier global digital agency (AKQA).

• Mentorship & Leadership: Opportunity to mentor junior designers and influence design strategy, demonstrating leadership capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is a freelance role, the "growth" aspect is centered on skill acquisition, portfolio enhancement, and gaining experience on a significant project. The seniority of the role implies opportunities to influence strategic direction and mentor others.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is described as "Hybrid," with one designated day per week required in the AKQA New York City office. This indicates a collaborative office environment designed for in-person interaction, brainstorming, and team cohesion, balanced with the flexibility of remote work for the remainder of the week.

Office Location(s): The primary office location for the in-office component is New York City. Specific details about the office's amenities or accessibility would need to be confirmed directly with AKQA.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The hybrid model suggests a workspace that encourages face-to-face collaboration, team meetings, and spontaneous ideation sessions on designated office days.

• Tools & Technology: AKQA likely provides access to industry-standard design software, collaboration tools, and robust IT infrastructure to support both in-office and remote work. Figma expertise is a core requirement, implying its central role in the team's workflow.

• Team Interaction: The office presence is designed to foster stronger team connections, facilitate more dynamic problem-solving, and ensure consistent alignment with colleagues and project leads.

Work Schedule: The role requires a commitment of 40 hours per week. While the specific daily schedule can likely be flexible within reasonable business hours, the hybrid requirement means balancing remote work with scheduled in-office days. This structure allows for focused individual work while ensuring essential team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid model is a key aspect of the work environment, requiring candidates to be based in or commutable to NYC. This blend of remote and in-office work is designed to balance focused individual contribution with essential team collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely involves a review of your resume and portfolio by a recruiter or hiring manager to assess qualifications and fit.

• Portfolio Presentation: A crucial stage where candidates present their work, focusing on case studies that demonstrate UX craft, systems thinking, problem-solving abilities, and impact. Expect to discuss your process, design decisions, and how you leveraged tools like Figma and AI.

• Design Challenge/Exercise: You may be asked to complete a design exercise, either take-home or in-person, to assess your practical design skills, problem-solving approach, and ability to work under constraints.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Discussions with senior designers, creative directors, and potentially client-side product/engineering leads to evaluate strategic thinking, communication skills, cross-functional collaboration capabilities, and cultural fit.

• Final Interview: A concluding conversation to discuss role specifics, compensation, and logistics.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Selectively: Showcase 3-5 of your strongest, most relevant projects. Focus on quality over quantity.

• Tell a Story: For each project, clearly articulate the problem, your role, the process undertaken (research, ideation, design, testing), the solutions you devised, and the measurable outcomes or impact.

• Highlight Systems Thinking: Explicitly demonstrate your ability to design for complex systems and your experience with design systems.

• Showcase Figma Mastery: Include examples that highlight your proficiency with Figma's advanced features (components, variants, auto layout, prototyping).

• Demonstrate AI Integration: If possible, showcase how you've used AI tools to enhance your design process or outcomes.

• Be Prepared to Discuss Trade-offs: Explain the decisions you made and the trade-offs you considered.

• Practice Your Presentation: Rehearse your portfolio walkthrough to ensure clarity, conciseness, and confidence.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: If given a take-home challenge, thoroughly understand the brief, the target audience, and the business goals.

• Focus on Process: Even if time is limited, demonstrate your thought process and how you approach problem-solving.

• Prioritize: Focus on the most critical aspects of the challenge. It's better to do a few things well than many things poorly.

• Communicate Assumptions: Clearly state any assumptions you make.

• Prepare a Concise Presentation: Be ready to present your solution and rationale clearly and efficiently.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process heavily emphasizes portfolio review and presentation. Candidates should prepare detailed case studies that showcase their ability to handle complex systems, leverage Figma effectively, and integrate AI tools, demonstrating strategic thinking and demonstrable impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is the core design tool required, with an emphasis on expert-level command of its advanced features, including components, variants, auto layout, libraries, and prototyping capabilities.

• AI Tools: Proficiency in leveraging various AI tools for UX lifecycle enhancement, such as AI-powered research analysis, content generation, design assistance, or workflow automation. Specific AI tools are not named, so broad familiarity is key.

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed as required tools, a strong understanding of how to interpret analytics data (e.g., from tools like Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel) to inform design decisions and measure impact is expected for a senior role.

• Familiarity with A/B testing methodologies and tools to validate design hypotheses. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to the core UX design responsibilities, but an understanding of how UX design impacts CRM and marketing automation platforms might be beneficial in understanding the broader business context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Figma is the non-negotiable tool. Proficiency with AI tools is a critical differentiator, requiring candidates to be up-to-date on current AI applications in design. An understanding of data analytics is implied for senior roles focused on impact measurement.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Creativity & Innovation: AKQA values the "imaginative application of art and science" and encourages "progressive and limitless thinking." For operations, this translates to finding innovative solutions to design challenges and improving existing processes.

• Craftsmanship & Quality: A focus on "beautiful ideas, products and services" implies a high standard for design execution and attention to detail.

• Collaboration & Partnership: The agency emphasizes an "entrepreneurial and collaborative approach," working closely with clients and internal teams to achieve shared goals.

• User-Centricity: The core principle of user-centered design is fundamental, ensuring that all solutions are grounded in user needs and insights.

• Efficiency & Impact: While creative, the role also requires delivering "impressive returns for our clients," indicating a value placed on measurable outcomes and efficient processes.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: Expect to work closely with product managers, engineers, strategists, and other designers, requiring strong communication and the ability to translate design concepts into actionable plans for various disciplines.

• Feedback Culture: A collaborative environment likely encourages open feedback and constructive critique to elevate the quality of work and foster continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: As part of a large agency, there's an expectation of sharing best practices, learnings, and insights to benefit the broader design community within AKQA and for clients.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture emphasizes a blend of creative excellence and client-focused results. Collaboration and a user-centric approach are paramount, with an underlying value on innovation and continuous improvement in design processes.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing at Scale: Creating intuitive and coherent user experiences for a global digital payments platform that serves billions of users presents significant complexity, requiring robust systems thinking and attention to detail.

• Integrating New Technologies: Effectively incorporating and demonstrating the value of AI tools into established UX workflows while ensuring user-centricity and ethical considerations.

• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Navigating the diverse requirements and expectations of multiple stakeholders, including AKQA leadership and client-side product, engineering, and business teams.

• Maintaining Design Consistency: Ensuring a cohesive and consistent user experience across a vast and evolving digital product ecosystem.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX Craft: Deepen expertise in complex interaction design, design systems, and UX strategy for large-scale platforms.

• AI in Design: Gain practical, hands-on experience with cutting-edge AI tools and their application in the UX design lifecycle.

• Industry Expertise: Develop a deeper understanding of the digital payments industry and its unique design challenges and opportunities.

• Portfolio Impact: Build a high-impact case study for a globally recognized brand that will significantly enhance professional marketability.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenges lie in the scale and complexity of the project, alongside the integration of new technologies like AI. Growth opportunities are directly tied to tackling these challenges and enhancing skills in a high-stakes environment.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex digital product ecosystem you've designed for. What were the key challenges, and how did you ensure coherence and usability across different components?" (Focus on systems thinking, problem-solving, and process.)

• "How have you leveraged AI tools in your UX design process? Provide a specific example of how AI improved efficiency or innovation." (Demonstrate practical application of AI.)

• "Walk us through your process for developing and maintaining a design system. What are the key considerations for ensuring its adoption and scalability?" (Highlight design system expertise and process documentation.)

• "How do you approach balancing the needs of different stakeholders (e.g., business, engineering, users) when making design decisions?" (Assess collaboration and strategic negotiation skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working with AKQA and specifically on this project for a global digital payments leader?" (Show genuine interest and alignment with AKQA's values and client's domain.)

• "How do you contribute to a collaborative and innovative team environment?" (Describe your teamwork and proactive approach.)

• "AKQA values the imaginative application of art and science. How do you see these two aspects influencing your design work?" (Connect your design philosophy to the company's ethos.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically: Introduction (context, problem), Your Role, Process (research, ideation, design), Solution (key screens, interactions, prototypes), Impact (metrics, outcomes), Learnings.

• Visuals: Use high-quality mockups, flows, and prototypes. Ensure Figma proficiency is visually evident in your examples.

• Narrative: Tell a compelling story about each project. Focus on the "why" behind your decisions.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs.

• Conciseness: Be mindful of time. Practice to deliver your presentation within the allotted timeframe, leaving ample room for Q&A.

• Demonstrate AI Use: Clearly articulate where and how AI tools were used and what benefits they provided.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should heavily focus on demonstrating advanced UX craft, systems thinking, Figma proficiency, and practical application of AI tools through detailed case studies. The ability to articulate process and impact is crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the AKQA careers portal via the provided link.

• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight experience in complex digital systems, design systems, Figma expertise, and any use of AI in design. Prioritize projects that demonstrate impact and user-centered design principles relevant to large-scale platforms.

• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly outlines your 5-10 years of experience, emphasizing your role in leading UX design efforts, your proficiency with Figma, and any experience with AI tools or design systems. Use keywords from the job description.

• Interview Preparation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on case studies that showcase your systems thinking, problem-solving approach, and the impact of your design decisions. Be ready to discuss your process for complex projects and your use of AI tools.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with AKQA's work, their values, and their approach to digital transformation. Understand the client's business (digital payments) and its inherent design challenges.

⚠️ 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.