UX Design Lead

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Design Lead

Company: LMI

Location: Remote (United States)

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-08-25

Experience Level: 7+ Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the end-to-end user experience design for the IronSled Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), focusing on complex technical workflows and processes.

• Drive the design of user journeys for critical functions like Identity and Access Management (IAM), onboarding, application provisioning, and compliance requirements (e.g., CMMC).

• Collaborate closely with product, engineering, cybersecurity, and platform operations to translate intricate technical processes into intuitive and efficient user experiences.

• Act as a key early member of a cross-functional team, wielding significant influence over product evolution and user interaction with the IronSled platform.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is explicitly not a traditional UI design position, emphasizing process and workflow simplification over purely visual aspects. The focus is on understanding and improving the underlying technical and operational mechanics that drive user interaction. The requirement for a security clearance and U.S. citizenship is a critical factor for candidates.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the complete user experience lifecycle for the IronSled platform, from initial user access and onboarding to application deployment and ongoing platform utilization.

• Conduct in-depth analysis of existing technical and operational processes to pinpoint inefficiencies, manual dependencies, user friction points, and opportunities for automation.

• Design and optimize workflows for sophisticated platform capabilities, including Identity and Access Management (IAM), Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), application onboarding, environment selection, and specific compliance mandates like CMMC.

• Forge direct partnerships with platform engineers, security personnel, Product Management, and technical leadership to ensure proposed user experiences are technically feasible and align with backend system constraints.

• Facilitate crucial stakeholder discussions to drive consensus and alignment when process improvements necessitate changes across organizational or technical boundaries.

• Translate complex technical requirements and constraints into clear, understandable user journeys, detailed process flows, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and implementation-ready specifications.

• Establish and diligently maintain consistent UX patterns, reusable design components, overarching design standards, and comprehensive documentation across the IronSled portal to ensure uniformity and efficiency.

• Execute user research initiatives and conduct rigorous usability testing with both internal and external tenants to validate design assumptions and drive continuous improvement of platform workflows.

• Provide front-end engineering teams with precise specifications and necessary assets, thereby minimizing ambiguity and accelerating the implementation process.

• Leverage AI-assisted tools strategically to expedite research, validate workflows, stress-test design concepts, develop technical requirements, and generate narrowly scoped implementation assets where appropriate.

• Contribute limited front-end artifacts when they demonstrably accelerate implementation, such as design tokens, CSS variables, component specifications, or other low-risk, high-impact assets.

• Ensure all designed user experiences rigorously adhere to accessibility requirements and applicable Section 508 standards.

• Act as a strong advocate for user needs while meticulously balancing security protocols, compliance mandates, technical feasibility, platform maintainability, and critical mission requirements.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a deep integration of UX design with business process re-engineering and technical implementation. The emphasis on AI-assisted tools and potential contribution to front-end artifacts suggests a forward-thinking and hands-on approach expected from the candidate.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Computer Science, or a related field is typically expected for a role of this seniority and scope in UX/Product Design.

Experience: 7+ years of progressive experience in UX design, product design, service design, or a closely related discipline, with a proven track record of leading complex, end-to-end design initiatives.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated expertise in improving workflows where the primary challenges stemmed from business processes, technical constraints, organizational behaviors, or complex system architecture, rather than solely visual design.

• Proven experience designing for complex enterprise environments, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), developer tools, cybersecurity platforms, or other technically sophisticated products.

• Strong proficiency in creating comprehensive user flows, detailed journey maps, clear process diagrams, interactive wireframes, functional prototypes, and high-fidelity design mockups.

• Extensive experience partnering directly with software engineers and technical stakeholders to effectively translate design concepts into implementation-ready requirements and specifications.

• A solid working understanding of modern web technologies, including HTML, CSS, responsive design principles, APIs, and component-based front-end development frameworks.

• Experience in developing, implementing, or maintaining design systems, reusable design components, design tokens, or similar standardization methodologies.

• Proven experience in planning and executing user research, conducting usability testing sessions, and performing effective stakeholder interviews.

• Exceptional ability to articulate design decisions, rationales, and trade-offs clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Robust problem-solving skills with a demonstrated ability to independently identify ambiguity, investigate underlying root causes, and drive critical decisions forward.

• U.S. citizenship is a mandatory requirement.

• Ability to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance or access required to support Department of War customers. Preferred Skills:

• Experience with AI-assisted design tools and methodologies.

• Familiarity with federal government compliance standards beyond CMMC, such as FedRAMP.

• Experience with cloud-native architectures and microservices.

• Contributions to open-source design projects or communities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement is clearly defined as "7+ years," indicating a mid-to-senior level role. The emphasis on process and technical constraints over pure visual design is a key differentiator for this position. U.S. citizenship and security clearance are non-negotiable.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase at least 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing complex end-to-end design projects, with a strong emphasis on process improvement and workflow optimization.

• Clearly illustrate your involvement in analyzing and simplifying intricate technical or business processes, demonstrating how you identified friction points and drove solutions.

• Provide examples of how you translated technical constraints and complex requirements into intuitive user flows, wireframes, and prototypes for enterprise or PaaS/SaaS products.

• Demonstrate your ability to collaborate with engineering and product teams, highlighting how you facilitated technical feasibility and ensured seamless implementation of designs.

• Include examples of design systems, component libraries, or style guides you have developed or contributed to, showcasing your approach to consistency and scalability. Process Documentation:

• For each case study, detail your specific design process, including research methodologies, ideation techniques, and iteration cycles.

• Document how you gathered and incorporated user feedback and usability testing results to refine designs and improve workflows.

• Illustrate your approach to creating clear, actionable specifications for engineering teams, minimizing ambiguity and accelerating development.

• Show evidence of how you advocated for and implemented accessibility standards (e.g., Section 508) within your design solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio is critical for this role, and candidates must be prepared to present detailed case studies that highlight their process-driven approach to UX design, particularly within complex technical environments. The ability to demonstrate impact on workflows and user efficiency will be paramount.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $123,000 - $170,000 per year.

Disclaimer: The stated salary range is a guideline and not a guarantee of compensation. Actual salary will be determined by various factors, including but not limited to candidate qualifications (education, experience, skills, security clearance), location, internal equity, business considerations, and client contract requirements.

Benefits: (Details not provided in the raw data, but typical benefits for a role of this level at a company like LMI often include:)

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Generous paid time off (PTO), including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

• Retirement savings plan (e.g., 401(k)) with company match.

• Life and disability insurance coverage.

• Professional development opportunities, including training, conferences, and certifications.

• Potential for performance-based bonuses.

• Flexible work arrangements (fully remote).

Working Hours: Typically 40 hours per week, with potential for flexibility depending on project needs and team coordination.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided, along with a clear disclaimer about the factors influencing the final offer. Standard comprehensive benefits are expected for a role of this seniority, though specific details would need to be confirmed with LMI.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Technology / Government Solutions / Professional Services. LMI operates in the federal government sector, providing innovative digital solutions, AI, and mission-ready platforms to various agencies. This context implies a focus on security, compliance, reliability, and impactful mission outcomes.

Company Size: Large (LMI is a significant organization with a substantial employee base, as indicated by typical company descriptions for LMI. A precise number would require external lookup but implies a structured environment with established processes.)

Founded: LMI was founded in 1961. This long history suggests a stable organization with deep experience in serving government clients, likely possessing established methodologies and a strong understanding of the federal landscape.

Team Structure:

• The UX Design Lead will be part of the "IronSled Platform-as-a-Service team," which is described as a "small, cross-functional team." This suggests a dynamic, agile environment where collaboration is key.

• The role will likely report into a design leadership function or a product management lead within the IronSled initiative.

• Close collaboration is expected with platform engineers, cybersecurity specialists, Product Management, and technical leadership, indicating a highly integrated and interdependent working model. Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: Emphasis on user research, usability testing, and analytics to inform design decisions and validate workflows.

• Agile Development: Working within a cross-functional team suggests an agile or iterative development approach, requiring flexibility and rapid feedback loops.

• Process Optimization: A core tenet of the role is to identify and simplify complex technical and operational processes, driving efficiency through design.

• AI Integration: Strategic use of AI-assisted tools to accelerate design processes and enhance outcomes.

Company Website: www.lmisolutions.com

📝 Enhancement Note: LMI's history and focus on government impact suggest a culture that values precision, security, and mission success. The IronSled team's small, cross-functional nature indicates a startup-like environment within a larger, established company, offering both agility and stability.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is positioned as a "Lead" and requires 7+ years of experience, placing it at a senior or principal level within the UX/Product Design discipline. The ownership of end-to-end user experience and significant influence over product evolution signifies a leadership capacity, not just an individual contributor role.

Reporting Structure: The UX Design Lead will likely report to a Director or VP of Product/Design within the IronSled initiative or a broader digital solutions division. They will work closely with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and Cybersecurity Directors, requiring strong collaboration and influencing skills across functional lines.

Operations Impact: The UX Design Lead's impact is directly tied to the success and adoption of the IronSled PaaS. By simplifying complex processes, enhancing user onboarding, and improving overall platform usability, they will directly contribute to:

• Increased customer satisfaction and retention.

• Reduced operational overhead for users and LMI through automation and efficiency.

• Faster deployment and adoption of new platform features.

• Improved security posture and compliance adherence through well-designed IAM and RBAC workflows.

• Accelerating government impact by enabling agencies to leverage the platform more effectively. Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization: Deepen expertise in designing for complex PaaS/SaaS environments, cybersecurity, and government compliance workflows.

• Leadership Development: Transition into formal management roles, leading larger design teams or product initiatives within LMI.

• Strategic Influence: Play a key role in shaping the future roadmap and strategic direction of the IronSled platform and LMI's digital solutions offerings.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gain deeper understanding and experience in engineering, cybersecurity, and product management through close collaboration.

• Industry Recognition: Contribute to LMI's reputation for innovative design and user experience in the government sector, potentially leading to speaking engagements or industry contributions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers significant growth potential beyond individual design contributions, with opportunities for strategic impact and leadership within a mission-critical technology initiative. The blend of technical complexity and process improvement provides a unique development path.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This indicates a distributed workforce, requiring strong asynchronous communication skills and self-discipline.

Office Location(s): Remote within the United States. This allows candidates from across the country to apply, with the primary constraint being U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain a security clearance.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Despite being remote, the role emphasizes close collaboration with cross-functional teams. This will likely involve extensive use of video conferencing, digital whiteboarding tools, and collaborative design platforms.

• Operations Tools & Technology: Access to and proficiency with a suite of digital design and collaboration tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite, Jira, Confluence, Slack, Microsoft Teams) will be essential. The team will also leverage AI-assisted tools for design acceleration.

• Team Interaction: Regular virtual meetings, design reviews, and sync-ups will be crucial for maintaining team cohesion and driving project progress. The "small, cross-functional team" aspect suggests frequent interaction and shared ownership.

Work Schedule: Standard 40-hour work week is typical, but the remote nature may offer some flexibility. However, given the collaborative requirements and potential for working with government clients, responsiveness and adherence to project timelines will be critical.

📝 Enhancement Note: The fully remote nature requires candidates to be highly self-motivated and adept at virtual collaboration. The emphasis on "small, cross-functional team" suggests an environment where individual contributions are highly visible and integrated.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Review of resume and portfolio to assess alignment with core requirements (experience, skills, U.S. citizenship, clearance eligibility).

• Portfolio Presentation & Design Challenge: Candidates will likely present detailed case studies from their portfolio, focusing on process improvement and workflow design. A design challenge or exercise simulating a real-world problem related to IronSled's complex processes may be administered. This will assess problem-solving, strategic thinking, and design execution.

• Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with Product Management, Engineering Leads, and potentially cybersecurity representatives to evaluate collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to balance competing requirements.

• Final Interview: Discussion with senior leadership to assess cultural fit, strategic vision, and overall leadership potential.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Process Over Polish: Prioritize showcasing your methodology for tackling complex problems, analyzing workflows, and driving process improvements. Visual design is secondary to demonstrating strategic thinking and problem-solving.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the positive impact of your design solutions on user efficiency, task completion rates, or reduction in errors.

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies as narratives that clearly outline the problem, your approach, the challenges faced, your solutions, and the outcomes achieved.

• Technical Acumen: Be prepared to discuss your understanding of the technical constraints and backend implications relevant to enterprise/PaaS design. Highlight your ability to collaborate effectively with engineers.

• Company Alignment: Research LMI and the IronSled initiative. Be ready to articulate how your skills and experience can specifically address their challenges and contribute to their mission.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Context: Familiarize yourself with concepts like IAM, RBAC, PaaS, CMMC, and common government IT challenges.

• Process Mapping: Practice mapping out complex workflows and identifying potential points of friction or automation opportunities.

• Problem Decomposition: Prepare to break down a complex problem into smaller, manageable parts and articulate a structured approach to solving it.

• Communication: Practice articulating your thought process and design rationale clearly and concisely, both verbally and visually.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process will heavily scrutinize the candidate's ability to handle complex technical challenges and demonstrate tangible process improvements through their portfolio. Preparation should focus on showcasing strategic thinking and collaborative problem-solving.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision (or similar industry-standard tools for wireframing, prototyping, and high-fidelity design).

• Collaboration & Communication: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Workspace (for daily communication, virtual meetings, and asynchronous collaboration).

• Project Management & Documentation: Jira, Confluence, Asana, Trello (for tracking tasks, user stories, design specifications, and project documentation).

• AI-Assisted Tools: The job description explicitly mentions using AI-assisted tools for research, workflow validation, design stress-testing, and asset generation, indicating a forward-thinking approach to design technology.

Analytics & Reporting:

• User Research Platforms: Tools for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, SurveyMonkey).

• Analytics Tools: Familiarity with web analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude) may be beneficial for understanding user behavior post-launch.

CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how user interactions with the platform feed into broader customer success or operational metrics may be relevant. Familiarity with workflow automation concepts is key.

• Design Systems Management: Tools or processes for managing and versioning design systems and component libraries.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in standard UX design tools is expected, with a particular emphasis on collaborative platforms and the emerging use of AI in the design process. Understanding the technical stack of a PaaS offering is crucial for effective design.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission Focus: A strong commitment to supporting government missions and accelerating impact through innovative technology.

• Innovation & Speed: A drive to invest in and deploy technology and solutions with commercial-grade speed and agility.

• Collaboration & Integration: Emphasis on working seamlessly across product, engineering, cybersecurity, and operations teams.

• User Centricity: A dedication to understanding and advocating for user needs, even within complex technical constraints.

• Process Excellence: A continuous drive to simplify, automate, and optimize complex workflows for greater efficiency and effectiveness.

• Security & Compliance: A foundational respect for and adherence to stringent security protocols and government compliance standards.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Partnership: The role necessitates deep collaboration with diverse technical and product-oriented teams, requiring strong communication and negotiation skills.

• Agile & Iterative: Expect a culture of continuous feedback, rapid iteration, and adaptability to evolving project requirements.

• Knowledge Sharing: Given the "small, cross-functional team" structure, an open culture of sharing insights, best practices, and lessons learned is likely.

• Problem-Solving Orientation: A collective focus on identifying challenges and collaboratively developing innovative solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture at LMI, particularly within a forward-thinking team like IronSled, likely values a blend of rigorous, mission-oriented work with agile, innovative practices. The UX Design Lead will be expected to be a proactive collaborator and a champion for user-centered processes.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Technical Processes: Designing intuitive experiences for highly technical and regulated processes like IAM, RBAC, and CMMC compliance requires deep understanding and strategic simplification.

• Balancing Competing Needs: Effectively balancing user needs with stringent security requirements, technical feasibility, platform maintainability, and mission objectives.

• Remote Collaboration: Maintaining strong team cohesion, effective communication, and design alignment within a fully remote, cross-functional team.

• AI Integration Learning Curve: Staying abreast of and effectively integrating AI-assisted tools into the design workflow to maximize efficiency without compromising quality.

• Government Client Requirements: Navigating the specific compliance and security demands inherent in serving federal government clients.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep Dive into GovTech: Gain specialized knowledge in designing for government agencies, understanding their unique procurement, security, and operational landscapes.

• PaaS/SaaS Design Mastery: Hone expertise in designing complex enterprise-level platforms, contributing to best practices in this domain.

• AI in Design: Become proficient in leveraging AI tools to augment the design process, potentially becoming a subject matter expert within LMI.

• Leadership and Mentorship: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and influence design strategy for major initiatives.

• Security Clearance Growth: Maintaining and potentially advancing security clearance levels, opening doors to more sensitive and impactful projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents significant challenges that are directly tied to substantial growth opportunities, particularly in specialized areas of government technology and AI-driven design.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to simplify a highly complex technical process for end-users. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on process analysis, stakeholder management, and quantifiable results.)

• "How do you balance user needs with strict security and compliance requirements in your designs, especially in a government context?" (Highlight your understanding of trade-offs and your ability to advocate for user-friendly security.)

• "Imagine you've identified a significant workflow inefficiency in our IronSled platform. Walk us through how you would investigate, propose, and drive the implementation of a design solution." (Demonstrate your problem-solving methodology, collaboration strategy, and ability to influence.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about LMI's mission and our work with federal agencies?" (Research LMI's impact and articulate alignment with their goals.)

• "How do you approach collaboration within a fully remote, cross-functional team?" (Provide examples of your communication strategies and experience with virtual collaboration tools.)

• "How do you stay current with advancements in UX design, AI tools, and the cybersecurity/government tech landscape?" (Showcase your commitment to continuous learning.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": Clearly articulate the business or user problem you were trying to solve for each case study.

• Show Your Process: Dedicate significant time to explaining your methodology, including research, ideation, wireframing, prototyping, and testing phases. Use diagrams and visuals to illustrate complex workflows.

• Highlight Collaboration: Emphasize how you worked with engineers, product managers, and stakeholders. Showcase examples of design rationales shared and decisions made collaboratively.

• Quantify Impact: Present metrics and outcomes clearly. If direct metrics are unavailable, explain the anticipated impact or how success was measured qualitatively.

• Address Constraints: Discuss how you navigated technical limitations, budget, or timeline constraints. This shows realism and problem-solving under pressure.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should strongly focus on demonstrating a process-oriented mindset, strategic thinking, and the ability to navigate complex technical and organizational landscapes. Portfolio presentation is key to showcasing these capabilities.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Design Lead position:

• Submit your application through the LMI careers portal (https://careers-lmi.icims.com/jobs/14473/ux-design-lead/job).

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight the 7+ years of experience, specific experience with complex enterprise/PaaS/SaaS products, and any direct experience with government clients, cybersecurity, or IAM workflows. Use keywords from the job description.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 strong case studies that best showcase your process-driven approach, workflow simplification, and collaboration with technical teams. Ensure they demonstrate your ability to handle complex challenges.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on your methodology, problem-solving skills, and the impact of your designs. Be ready to articulate your thought process for a hypothetical design challenge related to IronSled.

• Research LMI and IronSled: Understand LMI's mission, their role in government solutions, and the general purpose of the IronSled PaaS. Be prepared to discuss how your skills align with their objectives and the specific challenges of this role.

⚠️ 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.