Staff Interaction Designer, ACI UX

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Interaction Designer, ACI UX

Company: Google

Location: Seattle, WA / Kirkland, WA

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience (UX) / Product Design (with a focus on AI/ML Infrastructure)

Date Posted: August 06, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ Years

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive the design direction for cutting-edge AI/ML infrastructure products, translating complex technical concepts into intuitive user experiences.

• Lead the development of cloud-based products that set industry benchmarks for usability and scalability within the AI/ML domain.

• Collaborate closely with cross-functional leaders in engineering, product management, and research to solve complex, multi-dimensional challenges with no clear precedent.

• Leverage a deep understanding of AI to enhance UX design workflows, improve team deliverables, and manage large, ambiguous design projects.

• Evolve and apply Google's design language to build innovative, user-centric products that empower individuals and organizations globally.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a "Staff" level, indicating a senior individual contributor with significant influence and scope. The focus on "ACI UX" (AI/ML Cluster Infrastructure User Experience) and "agentic AI" points to a highly specialized and forward-looking area within Google Cloud, requiring deep technical understanding and strategic design thinking. The emphasis on "organization-level solutions" and "leading design direction" suggests a leadership capacity within the UX discipline, even if not a direct management role.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Proactively identify broad, high-impact opportunities within the Cluster Director product suite and translate them into actionable, organization-level design solutions that align with ACI's core mission.

• Partner with cross-functional leaders across engineering, product management, and research to gain a deep understanding of the problem space, explore strategic opportunities, and solve highly complex, multi-dimensional challenges that lack clear precedent.

• Apply a deep understanding of AI to accelerate UX design workflows, improve overall team deliverables, and manage large, ambiguous design projects specifically related to AI/ML infrastructure.

• Lead design direction by creating conceptual models, storyboards, high-fidelity designs, and interactive prototypes that seamlessly integrate agentic AI capabilities into enterprise workflows.

• Improve organization-wide UX design craft by creating and scaling frameworks, while continuously staying aware of emerging AI trends and diverse UX paradigms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strategic, proactive, and leadership-oriented approach to UX design. The emphasis on "organizational-level solutions," "solving complex, multi-dimensional challenges that lack clear precedent," and "leading design direction" suggests the expectation for a candidate who can operate autonomously, influence stakeholders at senior levels, and shape the future of the product's user experience. The integration of "agentic AI" and "AI/ML infrastructure" requires a strong understanding of these technical domains.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

• Master's degree in a relevant field is preferred. Experience:

• Minimum of 8 years of experience in product design or UX.

• Preferred: 12 years of experience in product design or UX.

• Preferred: 10 years of experience in a relevant industry (e.g., Cloud Computing, AI/ML, Enterprise Software).

• Preferred: 5 years of experience working in a complex, cross-functional organization.

• Preferred: 4 years of experience leading design projects.

• Preferred: 3 years of experience working with executive leaders. Required Skills:

• Product Design & UX Expertise: Proven ability to craft industry-leading user experiences from concept to execution.

• Interaction Design: Strong skills in creating conceptual models, storyboards, high-fidelity designs, and interactive prototypes.

• User-Centered Design: Deep understanding and application of user-centered design methodologies.

• AI/ML Infrastructure Understanding: Ability to grasp and design for complex AI/ML infrastructure concepts and cloud-based products.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Experience working effectively with Engineering, Product Management, and Research teams.

Preferred Skills:

• Strategic Design Thinking: Ability to identify broad opportunities and translate them into actionable, organization-level solutions.

• Complex Problem Solving: Experience tackling multi-dimensional challenges with ambiguous requirements.

• Design Leadership: Proven experience leading design projects and mentoring other designers.

• Executive Stakeholder Management: Experience presenting and influencing executive leaders.

• Agentic AI Integration: Familiarity with integrating agentic AI capabilities into enterprise workflows.

• Design Systems: Experience contributing to or utilizing design systems.

• User Research: Ability to leverage user insights to inform design decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The distinction between minimum and preferred qualifications, especially the significant jump in years of experience (8 minimum vs. 12 preferred) and the addition of leadership and executive interaction experience for preferred candidates, clearly delineates a senior-level role. The emphasis on "AI/ML Infrastructure" and "agentic AI" within the skills section is critical for operations professionals targeting this role, as it indicates a need for domain-specific knowledge beyond general UX.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Comprehensive Case Studies: Showcase 3-5 in-depth case studies demonstrating end-to-end product design processes, from initial problem definition and user research to final design solutions and outcomes.

• Problem Definition & Solution: Clearly articulate the complex problems addressed and the strategic rationale behind the proposed design solutions, particularly within AI/ML infrastructure or similar technical domains.

• Process & Methodology: Detail the specific design methodologies, tools, and frameworks used, highlighting how user-centered design principles were applied.

• Impact & Outcomes: Quantify the impact of your designs with measurable results (e.g., improved usability metrics, increased efficiency, adoption rates, stakeholder satisfaction), demonstrating ROI.

• Collaboration & Leadership: Illustrate instances of effective cross-functional collaboration and any leadership contributions to design projects.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Provide examples of how you've mapped, analyzed, and optimized complex user workflows, especially in enterprise or technical environments.

• System Implementation Standards: Showcase experience in designing for scalable, consistent systems, and how you ensure design quality and adherence to standards.

• Performance Analysis: Demonstrate how you measure the success of designs and iterate based on data, user feedback, and performance metrics within complex systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Staff Interaction Designer role at Google, especially in a specialized area like AI/ML infrastructure, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond visual design and demonstrate strategic thinking, complex problem-solving, and the ability to influence product direction. The inclusion of "agentic AI" and "enterprise workflows" in the responsibilities suggests that case studies involving sophisticated, multi-component systems or AI-driven automation will be highly valued.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $188,000 - $274,000 USD per year.

• This range is inclusive of base salary.

• Individual pay will be determined by factors such as job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Bonus Target: 20% target bonus.

Equity: Stock options or Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) are part of the compensation package.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision).

• Retirement savings plans (e.g., 401(k)).

• Paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

• Parental leave.

• Professional development opportunities and learning resources.

• Access to Google's extensive employee wellness programs.

• On-site amenities (depending on office location), such as cafeterias, fitness centers, and recreational facilities. Working Hours:

• Standard full-time workweek, typically 40 hours.

• While core hours are expected, Google often offers flexibility in scheduling to accommodate work-life balance, especially for senior roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is specific to the US and reflects a senior-level position at a major tech company like Google. The inclusion of a bonus target and equity is standard for such roles. The "Benefits at Google" link is a crucial resource for candidates to explore the full scope of offerings beyond the listed benefits. The "On-site" work arrangement suggests that candidates should be prepared for in-office work, with potential for some hybrid flexibility depending on team norms.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Software / Cloud Computing / Artificial Intelligence

Company Size: Extremely Large (Over 10,000 employees)

Founded: 1998

Company Description: Google is a global technology leader focused on organizing the world's information and making it universally accessible and useful. It operates across various sectors including search, advertising, cloud computing, hardware, and artificial intelligence.

Company Specialties: Search Engine Technology, Online Advertising, Cloud Computing, Software Development, Artificial Intelligence, Hardware Devices, Consumer Electronics.

Team Structure:

• ACI UX Team: A specialized, multi-disciplinary UX team focused on AI/ML infrastructure.

• Cross-functional Integration: Works closely with Product Management, Engineering, and Research teams to deliver cohesive product experiences.

• Reporting Structure: Likely reports through a UX leadership hierarchy within Google Cloud, with direct collaboration lines to Product and Engineering leadership for the specific ACI products.

• Collaboration Style: Emphasizes data-driven decision-making, user-centricity, and a collaborative approach to problem-solving.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design: Foundational principle guiding all design efforts.

• Data-Driven Insights: Leverages user research, analytics, and A/B testing to inform design choices.

• Iterative Design: Employs rapid prototyping and iterative development cycles.

• Scalable Design Systems: Focuses on creating consistent and maintainable design patterns.

• AI/ML Integration: Actively explores and integrates advanced AI capabilities into user workflows.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Google's scale and culture is crucial. The "Focus on the user and all else will follow" motto is central. For this specific role, the "ACI UX team" focus on "AI/ML infrastructure" means the culture will likely blend Google's general principles with the specific demands of enterprise cloud services and cutting-edge AI development. This implies a need for rigor, deep technical understanding, and strategic vision.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Staff Interaction Designer. This is a senior individual contributor role, typically 3-5 levels above entry-level. It signifies a high degree of expertise, autonomy, and influence. Staff designers are expected to tackle the most complex and ambiguous problems, mentor junior designers, and contribute to the strategic direction of their product area.

Reporting Structure: The Staff Interaction Designer will likely report to a UX Manager or Director within the Google Cloud organization, specifically overseeing the ACI UX domain. They will work closely with Product Managers and Engineering Leads for the Cluster Director and related AI/ML infrastructure products.

Operations Impact: This role has a significant impact on the usability, adoption, and success of Google's AI/ML infrastructure products. By creating intuitive and powerful user experiences, the designer directly influences how businesses provision, configure, and manage advanced AI/ML capabilities, thereby contributing to Google Cloud's market competitiveness and customer satisfaction. The role is instrumental in making complex AI/ML infrastructure accessible and efficient for enterprise users.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in AI/ML infrastructure design, agentic AI, and enterprise cloud solutions.

• Leadership Development: Transition into management roles (e.g., UX Manager) or take on principal/lead designer responsibilities for larger product initiatives.

• Cross-Product Influence: Expand scope to influence design across multiple Google Cloud products or platforms.

• Mentorship & Advocacy: Mentor junior and mid-level designers, contribute to design best practices, and advocate for user needs at a strategic level.

• Industry Recognition: Contribute to thought leadership through internal presentations, external talks, or publications.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Staff" level designation is key. It signifies a role that requires not just design execution but also strategic thinking, problem-solving for ambiguous challenges, and the ability to influence product roadmaps and design direction at a high level. The growth opportunities reflect a typical path for senior individual contributors at major tech companies, emphasizing both deeper specialization and potential leadership transitions.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site (Seattle/Kirkland, WA). Google offices are known for their collaborative, innovative, and amenity-rich environments.

Office Location(s): Seattle and Kirkland, Washington, USA. These locations are part of Google's significant engineering hubs.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: The office environment will feature a mix of open workspaces, private offices, meeting rooms, and collaborative zones designed to foster interaction and idea sharing among design, engineering, and product teams.

• Tools & Technology: Access to state-of-the-art design software, hardware, and internal Google tools and platforms. This includes robust prototyping tools, user research facilities, and internal collaboration platforms.

• Team Interaction: Frequent opportunities for in-person collaboration, design critiques, brainstorming sessions, and knowledge sharing with colleagues within the ACI UX team and broader Google Cloud organization.

Work Schedule: While the role is on-site, Google typically offers a degree of flexibility in daily work hours to promote work-life balance. However, core collaboration hours will be expected to ensure seamless team integration and communication, especially with globally distributed teams or stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" requirement is critical. Google's office environments are designed to facilitate collaboration and innovation, which is particularly important for a role involving complex, cross-functional projects. Candidates should expect a dynamic and resource-rich workspace.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter call to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, focusing on 2-3 key case studies that highlight their experience with complex problems, strategic thinking, and impact. This is a critical step.

• Design Exercise/Challenge: A take-home assignment or an on-site/virtual whiteboarding session focusing on a design problem relevant to AI/ML infrastructure, assessing problem-solving skills, design process, and communication.

• Cross-functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, Engineers, and potentially other UX Designers to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to work within a complex organization.

• Staff-Level Interview: A final interview, likely with senior UX leadership, focusing on strategic impact, mentorship capabilities, and ability to handle ambiguous, large-scale challenges.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: Clearly articulate the business and user impact of your work. Quantify results whenever possible.

• Showcase Strategic Thinking: Highlight how you identified problems, defined solutions, and influenced product direction, not just executed designs.

• Detail Your Process: Explain your methodology, why you chose certain approaches, and how you navigated trade-offs.

• Address Complexity: Select projects that demonstrate your ability to handle ambiguity, complex systems, and technical domains like AI/ML.

• Tailor to Google: Emphasize user-centricity, scalability, and innovation, aligning with Google's design philosophy.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Domain: Familiarize yourself with AI/ML infrastructure concepts, cloud computing principles, and common enterprise workflows.

• Practice Problem Decomposition: Be ready to break down complex, ambiguous problems into manageable parts.

• Articulate Your Process: Clearly explain your design thinking, even if you don't reach a final solution within the allotted time.

• Consider Scalability & Enterprise Needs: Think about how your solutions would scale and meet the demands of enterprise users and complex systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a Staff role at Google is rigorous and multi-faceted. The portfolio review is likely the most critical element, demanding a demonstration of strategic impact and complex problem-solving. Candidates must be prepared to discuss their design process in depth and how their work has driven tangible business outcomes.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator), Protopie, Framer.

• User Research & Analytics: Google Analytics, UserTesting.com, Lookback, internal Google research tools.

• Collaboration & Project Management: Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet), Jira, Confluence.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Experience with data analysis tools and understanding of key metrics for cloud products and AI/ML services.

• Familiarity with dashboarding tools for visualizing data and performance (e.g., Data Studio/Looker, Tableau). CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how user data flows into and out of systems that manage customer interactions within cloud platforms is beneficial.

• Familiarity with concepts of automation in enterprise workflows, especially those driven by AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is Interaction Design, proficiency with industry-standard design tools like Figma and Sketch is expected. Given Google's ecosystem, familiarity with Google Workspace is a given. The mention of "AI/ML infrastructure" and "enterprise workflows" implies that an understanding of how design impacts complex technical systems and automation is valuable, even if direct experience with CRM or automation tools isn't the primary focus.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User Focus: "Focus on the user and all else will follow." This is paramount, driving all design decisions.

• Innovation: Continuously seeking new and better ways to solve problems and create magical experiences.

• Collaboration: Working effectively across diverse teams to achieve shared goals.

• Data-Driven: Using data and insights to inform and validate design choices.

• Impact: Driving meaningful improvements and measurable results for users and the business.

• Excellence: Striving for high quality and polish in all aspects of design.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Partnership: Deep, integrated collaboration with Product Management and Engineering is essential for success.

• Open Communication: Encourages direct, constructive feedback and open dialogue.

• Shared Ownership: Teams work collectively towards product goals, fostering a sense of shared responsibility.

• Mentorship & Knowledge Sharing: Senior designers are expected to mentor junior team members and contribute to the broader design community within Google.

📝 Enhancement Note: Google's core values are deeply ingrained. For a Staff designer, demonstrating alignment with these values – particularly user focus, innovation, and impact – through your portfolio and interview responses will be critical. The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration is especially important given the complexity of AI/ML infrastructure.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Complexity: Translating highly technical and abstract AI/ML infrastructure concepts into intuitive and usable interfaces for enterprise users.

• Ambiguity & Lack of Precedent: Tackling novel problems in a rapidly evolving field (AI/ML) where established design patterns may not exist.

• Cross-functional Alignment: Ensuring buy-in and alignment from diverse stakeholders (Engineering, Product, Research, Executives) with potentially competing priorities.

• Scaling Design Craft: Developing and disseminating design frameworks and best practices across a large organization to maintain consistency and quality.

• Staying Ahead of AI Trends: Continuously learning and adapting to the fast-paced advancements in AI and its application in user interfaces.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep AI/ML Expertise: Opportunities to gain profound knowledge of AI/ML technologies, infrastructure, and their practical applications.

• Advanced Design Methodologies: Exposure to cutting-edge UX research and design techniques for complex systems.

• Strategic Influence: Develop skills in influencing product strategy and roadmaps at a senior level.

• Industry Conferences & Training: Access to internal and external learning resources, conferences, and training programs.

• Mentorship Programs: Opportunities to be mentored by and mentor senior leaders within Google's UX organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior roles in cutting-edge technology fields. The growth opportunities emphasize both technical deepening and strategic career advancement, aligning with the Staff level.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to design for a highly complex technical domain with limited user precedent. How did you approach it, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on your process, problem decomposition, and strategic thinking.)

• "How would you approach designing a system for provisioning and managing AI/ML clusters for enterprise clients, considering scalability, security, and ease of use?" (Demonstrate your understanding of the domain and your ability to translate requirements into design concepts.)

• "Tell me about a situation where you had to influence senior leaders or cross-functional partners who had a different perspective on a design decision. How did you navigate that, and what was the resolution?" (Highlight your communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about Google's AI/ML offerings, specifically in the cloud infrastructure space?" (Show your research and interest in the specific domain.)

• "How do you embody Google's 'Focus on the user' principle when designing for complex enterprise tools?" (Connect your personal values and methods to Google's core philosophy.)

• "Describe your experience working in a large, cross-functional organization. What are the keys to successful collaboration?" (Discuss your ability to integrate and thrive in Google's environment.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the problem, your role, your process, the challenges, your solutions, and the impact. Use a consistent structure.

• Highlight Strategic Contributions: Emphasize where you identified opportunities, influenced direction, and solved complex, ambiguous problems, not just where you executed UI designs.

• Quantify Impact: Use metrics and data to demonstrate the success of your designs and the ROI.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your design decisions, trade-offs, and the reasoning behind your choices.

• Showcase Adaptability: Demonstrate how you've adapted your process based on project needs or evolving technologies like AI.

📝 Enhancement Note: Preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, deep understanding of complex technical domains (AI/ML infrastructure), and strong collaboration skills, all within the context of Google's user-centric and data-driven culture. The portfolio presentation is paramount and needs to be rehearsed to clearly articulate impact and strategic contributions.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Interaction Designer position:

• Submit your application through the Google Careers portal, ensuring all required fields are completed accurately.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 case studies that best showcase your experience with complex technical domains (ideally AI/ML, cloud infrastructure, or enterprise software), strategic problem-solving, and measurable impact. Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible via a provided link and clearly outlines your role and contributions.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords from the job description, such as "Interaction Design," "Product Design," "AI/ML Infrastructure," "User-Centered Design," "Cross-functional Leadership," and "Strategic Planning." Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, key project learnings, and how you approach ambiguous challenges. Prepare specific examples for behavioral questions related to collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving. Rehearse your portfolio presentation to be concise, impactful, and engaging.

• Company Research: Thoroughly research Google's AI/ML offerings, its approach to UX, and the specific focus of the ACI UX team. Understand Google's design philosophy and how it applies to enterprise cloud products.

⚠️ 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.

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