UX Lead

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Lead

Company: Agile Defense

Location: Remote

Job Type: Regular (Full-Time)

Category: User Experience (UX) / Design Leadership

Date Posted: 2026-06-26

Experience Level: 8+ Years (AI analysis suggests 10+ years for lead roles)

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic vision and execution of user-centered design (UCD) initiatives within government defense programs.

• Drive the adoption of data, analytics, and AI through thoughtfully designed, accessible, and mission-aligned digital solutions.

• Mentor and develop a cross-functional team of UX practitioners, fostering a culture of design excellence and innovation.

• Collaborate closely with product managers, data scientists, software engineers, and key stakeholders to define and deliver high-quality user experiences.

• Champion user experience best practices and advocate for user needs throughout the product development lifecycle, translating insights into tangible mission value.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a "UX Lead," indicating a senior individual contributor or team lead capacity. While the provided experience level is 8+ years, lead roles, especially in complex environments like government defense, often require closer to 10+ years of progressive experience to effectively set vision, mentor, and navigate ambiguity. The emphasis on "Department of War (DoW)" programs suggests a need for deep understanding of government procurement, security protocols (Secret/Top Secret clearance), and mission-critical system design. The focus on data, analytics, and AI adoption points towards a modern, forward-thinking approach to UX within a traditionally complex sector.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and evangelize the UX vision and design standards across multi-team programs, ensuring consistency and quality.

• Guide the end-to-end product design process, from initial research and discovery to final implementation and iteration.

• Lead human-centered research activities, including stakeholder interviews, usability testing, co-creation workshops, and field research, to deeply understand user needs and pain points.

• Develop comprehensive design artifacts such as journey maps, wireframes, interactive prototypes, service blueprints, and UI specifications.

• Partner effectively with engineering teams to ensure seamless and high-fidelity implementation of designs, maintaining adherence to quality standards.

• Mentor and develop junior and mid-level UX researchers, interaction designers, and service designers, fostering their professional growth and skill development.

• Actively participate in Agile ceremonies, including PI planning and sprint reviews, to integrate UX seamlessly into the development workflow.

• Articulate the value of UX and user insights to non-design stakeholders, effectively translating user needs into business and mission outcomes.

• Ensure all designs adhere to accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and ethical research practices throughout the entire design lifecycle.

• Drive the adoption of design maturity and establish robust UX practices within a large federal organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on strategic leadership (setting vision, standards, and driving maturity) and tactical execution (hands-on design, research, and collaboration). For a UX Lead in this context, demonstrating the ability to influence without direct authority and build consensus among diverse stakeholders (technical, product, and government clients) will be critical. The emphasis on "conception through completion of large-scale digital products" implies a need for end-to-end product lifecycle management experience.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Design, Human Factors, or a related field is preferred, though equivalent professional experience will be considered.

Experience: A minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in UX and UI design, with a significant portion dedicated to leading design efforts and native application design.

Required Skills:

• Proven UX leadership capabilities, including setting UX vision, defining design standards, and establishing delivery strategies for complex, multi-team programs.

• Strong proficiency in end-to-end UX and UI design, with a specialization in designing for native applications.

• Demonstrated ability in systems thinking and UX strategy, adept at guiding teams through ambiguity to successful product delivery.

• Expertise in driving the full product design lifecycle, from partnering with researchers to understand user needs, to defining opportunities through usability studies, and analyzing data trends.

• Mastery of human-centered research and discovery methods, including stakeholder interviews, usability testing, co-creation workshops, and field research.

• Proficiency in creating essential design artifacts such as journey maps, wireframes, interactive prototypes, service blueprints, and detailed UI specifications.

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with development teams to ensure high-quality design implementation.

• Experience mentoring and developing UX researchers, interaction designers, and service designers.

• Practical experience working within Agile environments, specifically frameworks like SAFe, and active participation in PI planning and sprint reviews.

• Strong communication skills to convey UX value to non-design stakeholders and translate user insights into actionable business and mission value.

• Commitment to accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and ethical research practices throughout the design process. Preferred Skills:

• Experience in building design maturity and establishing robust UX practices within large or federal organizations.

• Familiarity with the nuances of designing for data, analytics, and AI-driven product environments.

• Demonstrated ability to facilitate the "conception through completion" of large-scale digital products, working closely with engineering, web application, and UX design teams.

• Skill in creating compelling design presentations and narratives to effectively advocate for research findings and recommendations.

• Experience in defining and measuring UX impact through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and qualitative feedback loops.

• Active contribution to internal design communities, including sharing best practices, templates, and thought leadership.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Required Skills" list is extensive and comprehensive, reflecting the seniority of the role. Candidates should be prepared to provide specific examples demonstrating proficiency in each area during interviews. The "Preferred Skills" highlight areas where candidates can differentiate themselves, particularly regarding experience within federal organizations and data/AI product environments.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase end-to-end UX/UI design projects, with a strong emphasis on native applications.

• Include case studies that detail your process, from initial research and problem definition through to final design solutions and their impact.

• Demonstrate your ability to define UX strategy and systems thinking, illustrating how you approach complex problems.

• Highlight experience with human-centered research methods and how you translated user insights into design decisions.

• Present examples of design artifacts such as journey maps, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and service blueprints.

• Showcase your contributions to Agile development cycles and collaboration with engineering teams.

• Include examples of how you have championed accessibility and ethical design practices. Process Documentation:

• Detail your approach to user research and discovery, including methods for stakeholder interviews and usability testing.

• Illustrate your workflow for creating wireframes, prototypes, and UI specifications, emphasizing iterative design.

• Document your experience in collaborating with development teams and ensuring design fidelity during implementation.

• Provide examples of how you have mentored or guided other designers in their process.

• Showcase your experience in defining and measuring UX impact through KPIs and feedback loops, if applicable.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a UX Lead role, the portfolio is paramount. It needs to go beyond showcasing pretty interfaces. Candidates must demonstrate strategic thinking, leadership, and a deep understanding of the UCD process, especially within complex environments. The ability to articulate the "why" behind design decisions and the impact on the mission will be crucial.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $125,000 - $180,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

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

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

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

• Potential for performance-based bonuses or incentives.

• Life insurance and disability coverage.

• Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) or health savings accounts (HSAs).

Working Hours: Standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility expected to accommodate project deadlines and Agile ceremonies. Virtual collaboration may require occasional adjustments to accommodate distributed team schedules.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is typical for a senior UX Lead role in the US, especially for remote positions with government clearance requirements. The benefits listed are standard for a full-time employee in the tech/defense sector. Candidates should inquire about specific details regarding PTO accrual, retirement plan matching, and professional development budgets during the interview process. The "Secret/Top Secret clearance" requirement often comes with additional compensation considerations or benefits in the defense industry.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Government Contracting / Defense Technology. Agile Defense operates within the critical national security and civilian mission support sectors, focusing on delivering adaptive innovation and advanced technologies.

Company Size: While not explicitly stated, the job posting refers to supporting "large or federal organizations" and "multi-team programs," suggesting a company of significant size, likely with hundreds to thousands of employees.

Founded: The company was founded in 2009, indicating established experience and a history of growth within the defense sector.

Team Structure:

• The UX team likely operates as part of a larger product development or engineering organization.

• The UX Lead will report to a Director or VP of Design/Product, or potentially a Program Manager for specific government contracts.

• This role involves leading a cross-functional team of UX practitioners (researchers, designers) and collaborating closely with Product Managers, Data Scientists, Software Engineers, and Government Stakeholders.

• Collaboration is expected to be highly cross-functional, spanning multiple project teams and potentially different government agencies. Methodology:

• A strong emphasis on User-Centered Design (UCD) principles and methodologies.

• Utilization of Agile development frameworks, specifically SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) or similar, for iterative product development and delivery.

• Focus on data-driven decision-making, leveraging analytics and user research to inform design strategies.

• Commitment to delivering mission-aligned digital solutions that support the adoption of advanced technologies like data, analytics, and AI.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Agile Defense's focus on "adaptive innovation" and "advanced technologies" for national security missions suggests a dynamic and challenging work environment. The company's core values (the 6Hs: Happy, Helpful, Honest, Humble, Hungry, Hustle) point towards a culture that values collaboration, integrity, continuous improvement, and a strong work ethic. Understanding how these values translate into daily operations and decision-making will be key for candidates.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is at a senior individual contributor or lead level within the UX discipline. It requires not only deep UX expertise but also leadership skills in strategy, mentorship, and process development. It sits at the intersection of hands-on design, team leadership, and strategic influence within a complex organizational structure.

Reporting Structure: The UX Lead will likely report to a higher-level design or product leader (e.g., Director of UX, VP of Product) and will directly mentor and guide a team of UX professionals. Close collaboration with program managers and technical leads is also expected.

Operations Impact: The UX Lead's impact is critical for the success of government programs by ensuring that digital solutions are intuitive, efficient, and directly support mission objectives. This includes driving the adoption of new technologies (data, analytics, AI) by making them usable and valuable to end-users (e.g., military personnel, analysts). Effective UX design can lead to improved operational efficiency, reduced training costs, enhanced decision-making, and ultimately, better mission outcomes.

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Deepen expertise in specific areas like AI/ML UX, data visualization UX, or secure system design for government clients.

• Leadership: Advance into management roles, leading larger UX teams or establishing new UX functions within different government sectors.

• Strategic Influence: Become a key advisor on digital transformation initiatives, influencing product strategy and technology adoption at a higher organizational level.

• Process Improvement: Lead initiatives to mature UX practices across the organization, developing new frameworks, tools, and training programs.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Expand knowledge into product management, data science, or program management to broaden career horizons.

📝 Enhancement Note: Growth in this role is not just about climbing a ladder but also about deepening impact and expertise. For candidates interested in government contracting, demonstrating an understanding of the unique challenges and rewards of working in this sector will be advantageous. The ability to navigate complex stakeholder environments and drive change within large organizations is a key growth indicator.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Fully Remote. This position is designed for individuals who can work effectively from their own location, utilizing digital collaboration tools.

Office Location(s): Remote. While the company may have physical offices, this specific role is designated as remote, offering flexibility in work location within the United States (implied by clearance requirements).

Workspace Context:

• The remote work environment necessitates strong self-discipline, time management, and proactive communication.

• Reliance on digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Teams, Zoom, Miro, Figma) for team interaction, design reviews, and stakeholder meetings.

• Opportunities for virtual "water cooler" chats or informal team gatherings can help foster connection.

• Access to company-provided software and potentially a stipend for home office setup.

• The work involves significant screen time and computer use, typical of UX roles.

Work Schedule: Primarily a standard 40-hour work week, but flexibility is crucial. Participation in Agile ceremonies like PI Planning and sprint reviews may require adherence to specific schedules, and project deadlines will influence workload. The ability to manage one's own schedule effectively while ensuring seamless collaboration with a distributed team is essential.

📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature of the role requires candidates to be self-starters and adept at asynchronous and synchronous communication. The "Department of War (DoW)" context implies that while remote, there might be occasional needs for in-person collaboration or site visits, especially for roles requiring high security clearances. Candidates should clarify expectations around potential travel or on-site requirements, if any.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

1. Initial Screening: HR or recruiter call to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

2. Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion with the hiring manager focusing on leadership experience, strategic thinking, and team management skills.

3. Portfolio Review & Presentation: A critical stage where candidates present selected case studies from their portfolio, detailing their process, challenges, solutions, and impact. This often involves a presentation to a panel of UX practitioners and stakeholders.

4. Technical/Skills Assessment: May include a design challenge or a deep dive into specific UX methodologies, tools, or problem-solving scenarios.

5. Stakeholder/Team Interviews: Meetings with potential peers, cross-functional collaborators (e.g., Product Managers, Engineers), and senior leadership to assess collaboration style and fit.

6. Final Interview & Offer: Discussion with senior leadership and extension of an offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 projects that best showcase your UX leadership, end-to-end process, and impact.

Prioritize projects relevant to native applications, complex systems, or government/defense contexts if possible.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate:

  • The Problem: What was the user or business challenge?
  • Your Role: What were your specific responsibilities as a leader/individual contributor?
  • The Process: Detail your methodology (research, ideation, design, testing, iteration).
  • The Solution: Present key design artifacts (wireframes, prototypes, final UI).
  • The Impact: Quantify results with metrics (e.g., increased adoption, reduced errors, improved efficiency) or qualitative feedback.

• Highlight Leadership: Emphasize your contributions to setting UX vision, mentoring team members, and influencing stakeholders.

• Prepare for Questions: Be ready to discuss trade-offs, challenges encountered, lessons learned, and how you would approach similar problems differently.

• Practice Your Presentation: Ensure a smooth, concise, and engaging presentation, leaving ample time for Q&A.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential design exercise that might involve problem-solving, ideation, or critiquing an existing design.

• Focus on demonstrating your thought process, problem-solving approach, and ability to articulate your rationale clearly.

• For a lead role, anticipate questions about how you would approach building a UX team, establishing processes, or driving user advocacy within a challenging environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is likely the most significant part of the interview process. Candidates should prepare meticulously to demonstrate not only their design skills but also their strategic thinking, leadership capabilities, and ability to translate complex requirements into user-centric solutions. Highlighting experience with government clients or secure environments will be a significant advantage.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision (for interactive prototypes).

• Collaboration & Whiteboarding: Miro, Mural, Confluence, Jira.

• Research & Usability Testing: UserTesting.com, Lookback, Optimal Workshop, Dovetail.

• Design Systems: Experience with building or contributing to design systems.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Familiarity with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to understand user behavior and measure impact.

• Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) for presenting insights. CRM & Automation:

• While not a direct CRM role, understanding how UX integrates with CRM and other enterprise systems is beneficial.

• Familiarity with project management tools like Jira, Asana, or Trello is essential for Agile workflows.

📝 Enhancement Note: Proficiency in modern UX design and collaboration tools is expected. For a UX Lead role, the ability to leverage these tools to facilitate team collaboration, streamline workflows, and communicate design effectively is as important as the tools themselves. Familiarity with tools used in government or defense contracting environments may also be an advantage.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values: Agile Defense emphasizes its "6Hs" core values:

• Happy: Fostering infectious positivity and a connected environment to boost motivation and satisfaction. For a UX Lead, this means promoting a supportive team atmosphere where creativity can thrive.

• Helpful: Being supportive and collaborative, foundational for teamwork and collective success. This translates to a UX team that actively assists each other and cross-functional partners.

• Honest: Maintaining transparency and ethical conduct. In UX, this means ethical research practices, honest communication of findings, and transparent design decision-making.

• Humble: Grounded respect, open communication, and willingness to learn. This encourages a UX team that is receptive to feedback and collaborative problem-solving.

• Hungry: Eagerness for innovation and continuous improvement. This drives a UX team to explore new methods, technologies, and solutions.

• Hustle: A relentless work ethic and commitment to going above and beyond. For UX, this means dedication to delivering high-quality solutions that meet mission needs, even under pressure.

Collaboration Style:

• Highly collaborative, cross-functional environment, working closely with Product Management, Engineering, Data Science, and Government Stakeholders.

• Emphasis on open communication, feedback exchange, and knowledge sharing, especially within the Agile framework.

• A culture that likely values proactive communication and problem-solving to navigate complex government programs.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should reflect on how their personal work style and values align with Agile Defense's 6Hs. Demonstrating an understanding of how these values translate into practical UX work, such as ethical research or collaborative design sessions, will be beneficial.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Government Bureaucracy: Working within large government organizations can involve complex approval processes, long procurement cycles, and diverse stakeholder needs.

• Security Requirements: Managing projects and teams under strict security protocols (Secret/Top Secret clearance) requires diligence and adherence to policy.

• Adoption of New Technologies: Driving the adoption of modern UX practices and technologies (data, AI) within a traditional government context can be challenging.

• Remote Team Management: Leading and motivating a distributed team effectively requires strong communication and engagement strategies.

• Balancing User Needs with Mission Constraints: Ensuring user-centricity while adhering to strict security, technical, and budgetary constraints inherent in defense programs.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Specialized Training: Opportunities to gain expertise in areas like human factors engineering for defense, cybersecurity UX, or specific government software development lifecycles.

• Industry Conferences: Participation in UX and defense technology conferences to stay abreast of the latest trends and network with peers.

• Certifications: Pursuing relevant certifications in Agile methodologies, UX best practices, or government contracting.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to be mentored by senior leaders within Agile Defense and to mentor emerging talent.

• Leadership Development: Formal or informal programs designed to enhance leadership, strategic thinking, and program management skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: Acknowledging these challenges and framing them as opportunities for growth and skill development will demonstrate maturity and resilience to potential employers. Highlighting how one would leverage Agile Defense's values to overcome these challenges will be key.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you set the UX vision for a complex program. What was your process, and what was the outcome?"

• "How would you approach building and mentoring a UX team within a government contracting environment with strict security protocols?"

• "Walk us through a challenging UX strategy you developed. What were the key trade-offs, and how did you ensure alignment with mission objectives?"

• "How do you balance user needs with technical, security, and budgetary constraints in government projects?"

• "Describe your experience with SAFe or other Agile frameworks. How do you integrate UX effectively into PI Planning and sprint cycles?" Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do Agile Defense's '6H' values resonate with your own work philosophy? Provide an example of how you've embodied one of these values."

• "What are your thoughts on building design maturity within a large federal organization?"

• "How do you foster collaboration and communication within a remote, cross-functional team?"

• "What do you see as the biggest UX challenges and opportunities within the Department of War (DoW) context?" Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Lead with Impact: Start your case studies by clearly stating the problem and the measurable impact of your solution.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals effectively to demonstrate your design process, from early concepts to final UI.

• Articulate the 'Why': Be prepared to defend your design decisions with user research, data, and strategic reasoning.

• Highlight Leadership: Emphasize your role in guiding the team, influencing stakeholders, and driving strategy.

• Address Constraints: Discuss how you navigated any technical, security, or timeline constraints.

• Be Ready for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about specific methodologies, tools, or challenges encountered in your projects.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating leadership, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the UCD process within complex, mission-critical environments. Candidates should be ready to showcase their ability to translate abstract concepts into concrete, actionable designs and to articulate the business and mission value of their work.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Lead position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Lever.co.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight experience relevant to UX leadership, native application design, government/defense projects, Agile methodologies (SAFe), and security clearances. Quantify achievements whenever possible.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select case studies that best demonstrate your end-to-end UX process, strategic thinking, leadership skills, and impact. Ensure it is well-organized and easy to navigate.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice articulating your experience, process, and leadership philosophy clearly and concisely, preparing for interview questions and your portfolio presentation.

• Research Agile Defense: Understand the company's mission, values (the 6Hs), and recent projects to demonstrate genuine interest and cultural alignment.

⚠️ 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.