Sr/Staff Software Engineer (UX Design) (Remote - US)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Sr/Staff Software Engineer (UX Design)

Company: BNSF Railway

Location: Remote - US

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: UX Design / Product Design (with a focus on Operations Technology)

Date Posted: 2026-05-07

Experience Level: Mid-Senior to Senior Level (6+ years)

Remote Status: Fully Remote (US-based, contiguous 48 states)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the end-to-end design and delivery of AI-native user experiences for intelligent physical logistic systems, focusing on enhancing customer-facing and internal products.

• Translate cutting-edge AI capabilities into proactive, trustworthy, and user-centric experiences across various platforms (mobile, desktop).

• Develop and champion reusable design system components to ensure consistency and scalability across multiple AI-driven applications.

• Collaborate closely with engineering, product, and business teams to define requirements, iterate on designs, and drive user adoption through data-driven insights.

• Apply technical understanding of front-end stacks and modern design tools to create performant and efficient user interfaces within the supply chain and logistics industry.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the title is "Sr/Staff Software Engineer (UX Design)", the core responsibilities and requirements strongly indicate a Senior UX Designer role focused on product development within an operational technology context. The emphasis on "designing and shipping end-to-end user journeys," "understanding customer and user requirements," and "working actively with engineering team and product/business teams through mocks, prototypes, figma-type of tools" aligns with a senior UX design function. The "Software Engineer" part of the title may imply a need for strong technical understanding and collaboration with engineering, rather than direct coding responsibilities for this specific role. The "Staff" aspect suggests a high level of autonomy and potential for leadership within the UX domain.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Independently own the full lifecycle of UX design for specific product areas, from concept to launch, in close partnership with front-end development and cross-functional teams.

• Conduct user research, synthesize customer needs, and integrate AI capabilities to create innovative, proactive, and reliable user experiences tailored for the supply chain and logistics industry.

• Design and prototype user interfaces using tools like Figma, creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes to effectively communicate design ideas and user flows.

• Champion the development and adoption of a robust design system, ensuring consistency, reusability, and scalability of UX elements across diverse AI-driven applications.

• Collaborate with engineering teams to understand technical constraints and opportunities, ensuring designs are performant, feasible, and aligned with front-end technology stacks.

• Drive user adoption and improve key UX metrics by gathering feedback from both internal stakeholders and external customers, and iterating on designs accordingly.

• Bring best practices in UX design, particularly for multimodal and AI-native experiences, to the unique context of the supply chain and logistics industry.

• Actively participate in design reviews, providing constructive feedback and incorporating insights from peers and stakeholders to refine user experiences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibility to "Bring best practices into Supply Chain industry and have deep understanding of Supply Chain and Logistics roles and personas and their expectation of the tools" is crucial. This indicates the need for a UX designer who can quickly grasp the complexities of this specific industry and translate them into intuitive, efficient digital solutions for users who may not be tech-savvy.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• Minimum of 6 years of experience in Product Design, driving UX initiatives alongside technical teams.

• Proven capability in designing scalable UX solutions collaboratively with engineering teams.

Required Skills:

• Product Design & UX Expertise: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, product design lifecycle, and ability to own end-to-end user journeys.

• AI-Driven Experiences: Experience or strong aptitude for designing and conceptualizing AI-native and intelligent systems.

• Design Systems: Proven ability to contribute to or build reusable UX and design system components.

• Prototyping & Design Tools: Proficiency with modern design tools such as Figma, for creating mocks, prototypes, and user flows.

• Technical Acumen: Working knowledge of front-end stacks and ability to design performant experiences.

• User Research & Iteration: Experience in understanding customer requirements, iterating with users, and driving metrics/adoption.

• Usability Principles: Working knowledge of usability principles and techniques to ensure intuitive and effective designs.

Preferred Skills:

• Supply Chain & Logistics Domain Knowledge: Familiarity and genuine interest in Supply Chain and rail-related products and technologies, understanding of logistics roles and personas.

• HCI & Interaction Design: Strong foundation in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) or Interaction Design.

• Design Operations: Understanding of design operations and how to integrate design processes effectively.

• Multimodal & AI-Native Design: Curiosity and desire to innovate at the forefront of UX evolution in multimodal and AI-native environments.

• Engineering/Computer Science Foundation: A strong foundation in Engineering or Computer Science, complementing UX design skills.

• Stakeholder Management: Ability to blend Design and Product roles, clearly defining "what" and understanding "how" to partner with engineering.

• Agile/Fast-Paced Environments: Proven bias for action, managing multiple priorities, and delivering iterative solutions in dynamic settings.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "6 years experience in Product design, driving UX alongside technical teams" and "Proven capability in designing side-by-side with engineering teams scalable UX solutions" indicates a need for a candidate who is not just a visual designer but a strategic product designer with a strong technical collaboration skillset. The emphasis on "AI-driven experiences" and "AI-native intelligent physical logistic systems" suggests a forward-thinking approach and a willingness to explore emerging technologies.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• End-to-End UX Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies demonstrating ownership of the entire design process, from problem definition and user research to final design implementation and post-launch iteration.

• AI-Native Design Examples: Highlight projects that involved designing for AI-driven features, intelligent systems, or proactive user experiences, explaining the unique design challenges and solutions.

• Design System Contributions: Include examples of design system components you have contributed to or created, illustrating their purpose, reusability, and impact on consistency.

• Collaboration Evidence: Demonstrate how you partnered with engineering and product teams, showcasing your ability to translate technical requirements into user-friendly designs and vice-versa.

• Metrics & Impact: Quantify the impact of your designs using relevant UX metrics (e.g., adoption rates, task completion times, user satisfaction scores) and demonstrate how you used data to drive design decisions and iteration.

• Figma/Prototyping Proficiency: Include interactive prototypes or detailed walkthroughs of your design process using tools like Figma, showcasing your ability to create clear, functional, and visually appealing interfaces.

Process Documentation:

• Problem Definition: Clearly articulate the user problem or business challenge that your design solution addressed.

• User Research & Insights: Detail your research methodologies (e.g., interviews, surveys, usability testing) and the key insights derived that informed your design decisions.

• Design Process & Iteration: Document the iterative design process, including wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and how feedback was incorporated to refine the solution.

• Technical Considerations: Briefly explain how you considered front-end stack capabilities and performance limitations in your design process.

• Outcome & Learnings: Present the final design outcome, its measured impact (metrics), and key learnings for future projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focusing on AI-native experiences and design systems, the portfolio should strongly emphasize how the candidate has applied these principles. Demonstrating the ability to work with complex technical systems and translate them into intuitive interfaces for an industry like logistics is paramount. The portfolio should highlight not just the visual output, but the strategic thinking and collaborative process behind it.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• L5 Level: $150,000 - $200,000 USD per year

• L6 Level: $200,000 - $250,000 USD per year

Explanation of Range:

The provided salary range reflects the compensation for this full-time remote position, with specific levels (L5 and L6) indicating different scopes of responsibility and experience. The final offer will be determined by factors such as the candidate's hiring location, job-related skills, experience, education, and relevant training. This range is benchmarked against industry standards for senior UX design roles in the US, considering the company's size and the specialized nature of AI-driven design within the logistics sector.

Benefits:

• Retirement: Industry-leading 401(k) and renowned Railroad Retirement program.

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive health care options (medical, dental, vision, telemedicine, mental health, cancer support), Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contributions.

• Insurance: Life and disability insurance provided at no cost.

• Family Support: Parental leave, pediatric and family building support, adoption and surrogacy reimbursement, dependent care spending account with employer match.

• Perks: Access to discounts on travel, gym memberships, counseling services, and wellness support.

• Incentives: Annual bonus (Incentive Compensation Program).

• Time Off: Generous leave/time off policies.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours, estimated at 40 hours per week.

• While fully remote, occasional travel (up to 20%) to the corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, TX, is required for in-person meetings, with expenses covered by BNSF.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is competitive for senior-level UX Design roles in the US, especially for specialized areas like AI and enterprise technology. The inclusion of both L5 and L6 levels suggests flexibility in hiring based on candidate qualifications. The benefits package is extensive, reflecting BNSF's commitment to employee well-being and long-term financial security, which is attractive for experienced professionals.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Freight and Mobility / Technology (within a large transportation/logistics enterprise).

Company Size: Large Enterprise (BNSF is one of the largest U.S. railroads). This means operations professionals will likely work within established processes but have opportunities to influence significant technological advancements impacting a vast network.

Founded: BNSF Railway has a long history, with its current form established in 1995 through the merger of Burlington Northern and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. BNSF | Tech is the division driving its technological transformation.

Team Structure:

• BNSF | Tech Division: This is a dedicated technology division focused on innovating and transforming the future of freight rail.

• UX Design Team: Likely a specialized team within BNSF | Tech, focusing on user experience across various digital products and internal tools. The role is described as "Sr/Staff," indicating a senior individual contributor with potential for technical leadership or mentorship.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role emphasizes close collaboration with Front-end teams, engineering, and product/business teams. This suggests a matrixed or agile team structure where UX designers work closely with development and product management to deliver solutions.

Methodology:

• Customer-Centric & Data-Driven: The vision for BNSF | Tech's UX design is explicitly customer-centric and data-driven, leveraging AI to elevate products and set new standards.

• AI-Native Design: A core methodology involves integrating AI capabilities to create proactive and trustworthy experiences, pushing the boundaries of software design in logistics.

• Design System Approach: Emphasis on building reusable design system components to ensure consistency and efficiency across applications.

• Agile & Iterative Development: The mention of "iterating with customers and end users to drive metrics and adoption" and "delivering iterative solutions in fast-paced, dynamic environments" points towards agile development practices.

Company Website: https://jobs.bnsf.com/us/en

📝 Enhancement Note: BNSF represents a unique blend of a traditional, critical infrastructure company undergoing significant digital transformation. For operations professionals, this means working on technology that has a tangible, large-scale impact on national commerce, while also embracing modern tech stacks and methodologies like AI and robust design systems. The "Tech" division is positioned as an innovator.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned at a Senior to Staff level (L5/L6), indicating significant autonomy, responsibility, and the expectation of technical leadership or deep specialization within UX design. It's a role for experienced professionals who can independently drive complex projects and influence design strategy.

Reporting Structure:

• The role reports within the BNSF | Tech division.

• Direct reporting line is likely to a UX Design Manager, Director of Product Design, or potentially a Head of UX within BNSF | Tech.

Operations Impact:

• The UX design function at BNSF | Tech directly impacts the efficiency, safety, and customer satisfaction of critical freight rail operations.

• By designing intuitive AI-native systems, this role contributes to streamlining logistics, improving decision-making for operational teams, and enhancing the overall customer experience for shippers.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI-driven UX, multimodal design, and advanced design system development.

• Leadership Track: Potential to move into a Lead UX Designer role, mentoring junior designers, or managing specific product design initiatives.

• Cross-functional Influence: Gain broad exposure to various aspects of the freight rail industry and its technological challenges, potentially leading to roles in product management or strategic technology initiatives.

• Industry Impact: Contribute to shaping the future of technology in a vital sector, offering a unique and impactful career path.

• Continuous Learning: Opportunities to stay at the forefront of UX evolution, particularly in AI and intelligent systems, through internal projects and potentially external learning resources.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Sr/Staff" designation implies that candidates are expected to operate with a high degree of independence and contribute strategically. Growth opportunities will likely involve taking on more complex projects, leading design efforts, and potentially mentoring others, rather than solely focusing on linear advancement up a management ladder.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote (US-based, contiguous 48 states). This offers flexibility and the ability to work from a home office.

Office Location(s): While remote, there is an expectation of occasional travel (up to 20%) to the corporate headquarters in Fort Worth, TX, for in-person meetings. This is common for remote roles in large enterprises to foster team cohesion and strategic alignment.

Workspace Context:

• Flexibility & Autonomy: Employees can work from anywhere within the contiguous 48 states, providing significant work-life flexibility.

• Technology Access: While not explicitly detailed, it's assumed that BNSF | Tech provides necessary software licenses (e.g., Figma) and potentially hardware or stipends to support a productive remote work environment.

• Collaborative Tools: Expect extensive use of digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Confluence, Jira) for communication, project management, and knowledge sharing with distributed teams.

• Focus on Impact: The remote setup aims to attract top talent nationwide, with the expectation that individuals are self-motivated and capable of delivering high-quality work regardless of location.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time, approximately 40 hours per week.

• While the role is remote, candidates should be prepared for potential travel requirements and the need to coordinate across different time zones if collaborating with teams in other regions.

• Given the nature of operations technology, there may be occasional needs for off-hours support or collaboration, though this is not explicitly stated.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature is a significant draw, but the required travel to Fort Worth is an important detail for candidates to consider for work-life balance and logistical planning. The collaborative tools will be critical for success in this distributed team environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, interest, and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A deeper dive into experience, technical skills, and understanding of UX principles, AI design, and collaboration. Expect behavioral questions.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A key stage where candidates will present 1-2 detailed case studies from their portfolio, demonstrating their design process, problem-solving skills, and impact. This is where they articulate their approach to AI-native design and design systems.

• Technical/Team Interview: May involve discussions with engineers and other designers to assess technical understanding, collaboration style, and ability to integrate into the team. Might include a design exercise or whiteboard session.

• Final Interview: Potentially with senior leadership (Director/VP level) to discuss strategic alignment, leadership potential, and overall fit within BNSF | Tech's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on AI & Design Systems: Prioritize case studies that showcase your experience with AI-driven features, intelligent systems, or contributions to design systems.

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies to tell a compelling narrative: the problem, your process, your solutions, the challenges faced, and the measurable impact.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your designs. Explain how you measured adoption, efficiency, or user satisfaction.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (mockups, prototypes, user flows) effectively to illustrate your design thinking. Be prepared to walk through your Figma files or interactive prototypes.

• Highlight Collaboration: Explain how you worked with engineers and product managers, and how you navigated technical constraints.

• Tailor to BNSF: Research BNSF's operations and articulate how your design philosophy and experience align with their goals for innovation in freight rail.

Challenge Preparation:

• Design Exercise: Be prepared for a take-home design challenge or a live whiteboarding session focusing on a problem relevant to logistics or AI-driven systems.

• Problem Framing: Practice articulating the problem, defining scope, identifying key user personas, and outlining potential solutions.

• Process Explanation: Be ready to explain your design process clearly and justify your decisions, even under time pressure.

• Technical Feasibility: Consider the technical implications of your proposed solutions, demonstrating an understanding of front-end capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is critical. Candidates must clearly articulate their understanding of AI-native design challenges and how they leverage design systems for scalability and efficiency. Demonstrating an ability to grasp the complexities of the supply chain industry will be a significant advantage.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (explicitly mentioned as a primary tool).

• Design System Tools: Potentially tools integrated with Figma or separate platforms for design system management.

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

• Project Management: Jira, Confluence, or similar agile development tools for tracking tasks, sprints, and documentation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• UX Analytics Tools: Experience with tools that track user behavior, engagement, and adoption metrics for digital products (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, specialized UX analytics platforms).

• Data Visualization Tools: Familiarity with tools for presenting design impact data to stakeholders (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, or built-in reporting within analytics platforms).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how UX design integrates with broader enterprise systems, including those that might manage customer relationships or automate operational processes, is beneficial.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in Figma is a must. The role implies a need for familiarity with modern design workflows that support collaboration and iteration, especially within an enterprise context that likely uses Agile methodologies and standard project management tools.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Safety & Excellence: As a railway company, safety is paramount. This likely translates into a culture that values meticulousness, reliability, and a commitment to high standards in all operations, including technology.

• Inclusion & Belonging: BNSF explicitly states a commitment to a culture where all employees are included, belong, and have equal opportunity. This suggests an inclusive and supportive work environment.

• Customer-Centricity: The vision for BNSF | Tech's UX design is heavily focused on the customer, indicating a drive to understand and serve user needs effectively.

• Innovation & Transformation: The BNSF | Tech division's mission is to innovate and transform freight rail, implying a culture that embraces new ideas, technology, and driving change.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: The emphasis on data-driven UX design signifies a culture that values insights derived from data to inform strategy and product development.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnerships: A strong emphasis on working closely with engineering, product management, and business teams to achieve common goals.

• Iterative Feedback Loops: The culture likely encourages continuous feedback and iteration to refine designs and products.

• Shared Ownership: While UX owns design, the broader success of products relies on shared ownership and collaboration across different disciplines.

• Remote Collaboration: With a fully remote team, expect a culture that leverages digital tools effectively for communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The combination of a traditional, safety-focused industry with a forward-looking tech division creates a unique culture. Candidates should expect a professional environment that values rigor and reliability, alongside a drive for innovation and an inclusive approach.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Bridging Traditional & Modern Tech: Integrating cutting-edge AI-native UX design into a large, established enterprise like BNSF, which has core operational systems that may be older.

• Industry-Specific Nuances: Deeply understanding the complex workflows, personas, and critical needs of the supply chain and logistics industry to design effective solutions.

• AI Design Maturity: Navigating the evolving landscape of AI design, ensuring AI-driven experiences are truly beneficial, trustworthy, and not just novel.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Maintaining strong team cohesion, communication, and shared understanding across a fully remote, distributed team.

• Balancing Innovation with Stability: Ensuring new designs meet user needs and drive adoption while maintaining the stability and reliability required for critical operational systems.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• AI/ML UX Specialization: Gaining deep expertise in designing for artificial intelligence and machine learning applications within an industrial context.

• Design Systems at Scale: Contributing to and leveraging large-scale design systems within an enterprise setting.

• Industry Expertise: Developing a profound understanding of the freight rail and logistics sector, a critical component of the national economy.

• Leadership & Mentorship: Opportunities to lead design initiatives for significant product areas and mentor junior designers.

• Cross-Disciplinary Learning: Working closely with engineers and product managers provides exposure to software development lifecycles and business strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary challenge will be applying advanced UX design principles (AI, design systems) to a complex, critical industry. Success will require adaptability, strong problem-solving skills, and a commitment to understanding the unique operational context.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a complex AI-driven feature you designed. What were the unique challenges, how did you ensure trustworthiness and proactive user engagement, and what was the outcome?"

• "Walk us through your process for designing and implementing a new component within a design system. How do you ensure reusability and adoption?"

• "How would you approach understanding the needs of a logistics operator who is new to AI-powered tools? What methods would you use to ensure their adoption and trust?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you specifically about applying UX design principles to the freight rail and logistics industry?"

• "How do you contribute to an inclusive and collaborative team environment, especially in a remote setting?"

• "What does 'customer-centricity' mean to you in the context of enterprise software for logistics?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Select Relevant Projects: Choose 2-3 case studies that best showcase your experience with AI, design systems, end-to-end UX ownership, and collaboration with engineering.

• Structure Your Narrative: Clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process (research, ideation, design, testing), the solution, and the measurable impact.

• Highlight AI/ML Aspects: For AI-related projects, explain the specific AI capabilities involved and how your design made them accessible and useful to users.

• Showcase Design System Contributions: If applicable, dedicate time to explaining your role in developing or utilizing design systems, showing specific examples.

• Be Prepared for Questions: Anticipate questions about your design decisions, trade-offs made, technical considerations, and how you'd apply your learnings to BNSF's context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Be ready to speak intelligently about AI ethics in design, user trust in AI systems, and the practical application of design systems. Demonstrating an understanding of the logistics industry's operational realities will be key to impressing the interviewers.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the official BNSF careers portal link provided.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 of your strongest case studies that highlight experience with AI-driven design, design systems, and end-to-end UX ownership. Ensure these examples are relevant to enterprise software or complex operational environments.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 6+ years of experience in product design and UX, specifically mentioning skills like AI-driven experiences, design systems, Figma proficiency, and cross-functional collaboration with engineering teams. Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, especially for AI-native projects. Prepare to present your portfolio case studies clearly and concisely, focusing on problem-solving, collaboration, and measurable impact. Be ready to discuss your understanding of the logistics industry.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with BNSF's mission, values, and the BNSF | Tech division's vision. Understand the importance of safety and efficiency in the freight rail industry and how technology contributes to these goals.

⚠️ 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.