UX Lead - Software Development

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Lead - Software Development

Company: DPR Construction

Location: Raleigh-Durham, NC (with hybrid flexibility)

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Software Development / User Experience (UX) Design

Date Posted: 2025-08-15

Experience Level: Senior/Lead (8+ years UX/UI, 2+ years leadership)

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic direction and hands-on execution of User Experience (UX) design for DPR Construction's innovative software development initiatives.

• Champion user-centered design principles and methodologies to create intuitive, accessible, and high-impact digital products for the construction industry.

• Manage and mentor a distributed team of UX and UI designers, fostering a collaborative and high-performing design culture.

• Drive the development and adoption of scalable design systems and best practices in alignment with product roadmaps and business objectives.

• Collaborate closely with product management, engineering, and other key stakeholders to ensure seamless integration of UX into the product development lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the input job title is "UX Lead - Software Development," the provided description and responsibilities clearly place this role within a GTM or Operations-adjacent context, specifically focusing on internal software that streamlines construction operations and decision-making. The emphasis on "developer enablement platforms," "data-heavy interfaces," and "design for AI-enhanced systems" suggests a strong connection to operational efficiency and the technology stack that supports it. Therefore, this enhancement will frame the role with an operations lens, highlighting how UX leadership directly impacts operational workflows and technological adoption within DPR Construction.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and evangelize the overall UX vision and strategy, ensuring alignment with DPR Construction's digital transformation goals and operational efficiency objectives.

• Lead, mentor, and empower a team of offshore UX and UI designers, providing guidance on design best practices, project execution, and professional development.

• Oversee and conduct comprehensive user research, including usability testing, user interviews, persona development, and journey mapping, to deeply understand the needs of construction professionals and internal users.

• Develop and refine user flows, information architectures, wireframes, interactive prototypes, and detailed interaction models for complex software applications.

• Establish, maintain, and evolve a robust and scalable design system, including style guides, component libraries, and design patterns, ensuring consistency and efficiency across all digital products.

• Collaborate effectively with Product Managers to translate business requirements and user insights into compelling and actionable design specifications.

• Partner closely with Full-Stack Developers and Data Teams to ensure seamless implementation of designs, providing clear documentation and support throughout the development lifecycle, with a focus on technical feasibility and performance.

• Ensure all digital products adhere to accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and deliver best-in-class usability, making technology accessible and efficient for all users.

• Act as a primary advocate for user-centered design thinking, influencing product direction and fostering a design-aware culture across engineering and business units.

• Manage design project timelines, resources, and deliverables, ensuring on-time and high-quality output aligned with agile development sprints.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities listed are typical for a senior UX Lead. The enhancement focuses on framing these responsibilities within the context of supporting construction operations. For example, "user research" is emphasized for understanding the needs of "construction professionals," and "designing tools for enterprise users or operational workflows" is highlighted as a preferred qualification, directly linking UX to operational efficiency.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) design.

• At least 2 years of experience in a design leadership or team lead capacity, managing and mentoring designers.

• Demonstrated experience in defining and executing UX strategy for digital products.

• Proven track record of leading user research initiatives and translating findings into actionable design solutions.

• Experience developing and managing design systems, style guides, and component libraries.

• Familiarity with agile product development methodologies and working within cross-functional teams.

Required Skills:

• UX Strategy & Vision: Ability to conceptualize and articulate a clear UX strategy that aligns with business objectives and user needs.

• Design Leadership & Mentorship: Proven ability to lead, guide, and inspire a team of designers, fostering a collaborative and growth-oriented environment.

• User Research & Usability Testing: Expertise in planning, conducting, and analyzing user research (interviews, surveys, usability tests, field studies) to gather actionable insights.

• Information Architecture & Interaction Design: Strong skills in creating user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and defining intuitive interaction models for complex applications.

• Design Systems Management: Proficiency in establishing, maintaining, and scaling design systems, ensuring consistency and efficiency across product portfolios.

• Prototyping Tools: Mastery of industry-standard design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or InVision.

• Front-end Development Understanding: Solid understanding of HTML/CSS, responsive design principles, and working knowledge of frontend frameworks (e.g., React), enabling effective collaboration with engineering teams.

• Accessibility Standards: Deep knowledge of accessibility guidelines (WCAG) and commitment to designing inclusive digital experiences.

• Communication & Storytelling: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to effectively present design concepts, research findings, and strategic recommendations to diverse stakeholders.

• Stakeholder Management: Proven ability to build relationships, manage expectations, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and business leaders.

Preferred Skills:

• Enterprise/Operational Design: Prior experience designing user interfaces for enterprise software, operational workflows, or specific industry tools (e.g., construction, AEC, field management).

• Developer Enablement Platforms: Familiarity with or experience designing tools that support software developers.

• Data-Heavy Interfaces: Experience in designing complex interfaces that present and interact with large datasets.

• AI-Enhanced Systems Design: Exposure to or experience in designing user experiences for systems incorporating Artificial Intelligence.

• Usability and Accessibility Governance: Experience embedding formal usability testing and accessibility audits into design processes at scale.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills are expanded to include specific operations-relevant capabilities like "User Research & Usability Testing" for understanding operational workflows and "Front-end Development Understanding" for seamless collaboration with engineering teams building internal operational tools.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• User-Centered Case Studies: A robust portfolio demonstrating a minimum of 3-5 comprehensive case studies that highlight your UX process from problem definition to final solution. Each case study should clearly articulate the user problem, your role, the design process undertaken, key decisions, and measurable outcomes.

• Strategic Impact: Showcase how your design solutions have directly addressed business challenges, improved user efficiency, or driven adoption of software within an organization. Quantifiable results are highly valued.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Evidence of effective collaboration with product managers, engineers, and other stakeholders throughout the design and development lifecycle.

• Design System Contributions: Examples of contributions to or creation of design systems, style guides, or component libraries, demonstrating an understanding of scalability and consistency.

• Prototyping & Interaction Design: Demonstrations of interactive prototypes that clearly illustrate user flows, interactions, and the overall user experience.

Process Documentation:

• Research & Analysis: Examples of how you document user research findings, including personas, journey maps, affinity diagrams, and usability test reports, to inform design decisions.

• Design Iteration: Showcase how you iterate on designs based on feedback and testing, including version control or documentation of design evolution.

• Collaboration Artifacts: Include examples of design documentation shared with engineering and product teams, such as detailed wireframes, annotated mockups, and specifications.

• Accessibility Audits: Evidence of how accessibility considerations are integrated and documented throughout the design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirements are tailored to emphasize process and impact, crucial for a lead role in operations-adjacent software. Highlighting "measurable outcomes," "improved user efficiency," and "adoption of software" directly connects the UX work to operational benefits.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• DC/Boston: $139,000 - $239,000 per year

• New Jersey: $128,000 - $219,000 per year

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary ranges are specific to DC/Boston and New Jersey. For other listed locations like Raleigh-Durham, NC, and Tampa, FL, the range would likely fall within the lower to mid-end of these brackets, adjusted for regional cost of living and market demand for UX leadership roles in the construction technology sector. For Raleigh-Durham, a typical range might be $125,000 - $200,000. For Tampa, it might be $115,000 - $185,000. These are estimates based on general market data for senior UX leadership roles in comparable tech hubs within the US.

Benefits:

• Competitive Compensation: A competitive salary package reflecting your experience and leadership capabilities.

• Career Growth Opportunities: Significant opportunities for professional development, skill enhancement, and career advancement within a growing technology-focused organization.

• Empowered Work Environment: A collaborative, purpose-driven culture that encourages innovation and empowers employees to shape the future of construction technology.

• Comprehensive Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Retirement Savings Plan: 401(k) plan with company match.

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation, sick leave, and holiday pay.

• Professional Development: Support for training, conferences, and certifications to keep your skills sharp.

• Employee Stock Ownership: Potential for equity participation as an employee-owned company.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours (approximately 40 hours per week).

• Hybrid work arrangement allows for flexibility, with most time spent working from home, balanced with required in-office attendance for key meetings and events.

📝 Enhancement Note: Benefits are framed to appeal to operations professionals seeking stability, growth, and a positive work environment. "Career Growth Opportunities" and "Empowered Work Environment" are emphasized as key motivators for individuals looking to make an impact.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Construction Technology / General Contracting

Company Size: DPR Construction is a large, multi-billion-dollar, employee-owned company. This scale provides stability and resources, while the "employee-owned" aspect fosters a culture of shared responsibility and long-term commitment. For UX professionals, this means working on impactful projects with significant reach and influence across a well-established organization.

Founded: 1990. DPR Construction has a history of innovation and growth, transitioning from a traditional contractor to a technology-forward organization, which is a strong indicator of a culture open to adopting new tools and methodologies, including advanced UX practices.

Team Structure:

• Reporting: The UX Lead will report directly to the Software Development Leader, indicating a direct line of influence within the technology division.

• Team Composition: You will lead a team of offshore UX and UI developers, requiring strong remote management and communication skills.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: Close partnerships are expected with Product Managers, Full-Stack Developers, Data Teams, and potentially other business stakeholders across DPR Construction. This collaborative environment is key for integrating design effectively into the product lifecycle.

Methodology:

• Agile Development: The team operates within agile product development processes, emphasizing iterative design, rapid prototyping, and continuous feedback loops.

• User-Centricity: A core tenet is a user-first approach, driven by research and testing to ensure the software meets the practical needs of construction professionals and internal users.

• Data-Informed Design: Expect to leverage data analytics and user behavior metrics to inform design decisions and measure the impact of UX initiatives.

• Design Systems: A commitment to establishing and maintaining scalable design systems is central to ensuring consistency, efficiency, and quality across DPR's digital product portfolio.

Company Website: www.dpr.com/careers

📝 Enhancement Note: The company context is framed to highlight DPR's commitment to technology and innovation, making it an attractive environment for UX professionals. The "employee-owned" structure is presented as a cultural differentiator that can foster a strong sense of ownership and impact.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a senior leadership position within the software development function, specifically leading the UX discipline. It positions the individual as a key contributor to the company's digital transformation efforts, with a focus on how technology enhances operational efficiency and user productivity in the construction sector.

Reporting Structure: Reporting to the Software Development Leader provides visibility and direct influence on technology strategy. The leadership of an offshore team also develops skills in managing distributed teams and cross-cultural communication.

Operations Impact: The UX Lead's work directly impacts the usability and adoption of critical software tools used by DPR Construction's workforce. By creating intuitive and efficient user experiences, this role contributes significantly to streamlining operational workflows, improving data accuracy, enhancing decision-making, and ultimately driving productivity and project success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the UX vision and design strategy for a significant portfolio of software products, influencing the company's technological direction.

• Team Leadership Expansion: Potential to grow the UX team, take on additional product lines, or move into broader design leadership roles within the organization.

• Industry Expertise: Deepen knowledge of the construction industry and its unique technological challenges, becoming an expert in designing for this sector.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Develop stronger skills in collaborating with and influencing various departments, enhancing overall business acumen.

• Technology Adoption: Gain experience with cutting-edge technologies, including AI-enhanced systems and developer enablement platforms, positioning you at the forefront of construction tech innovation.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section emphasizes how the role contributes to operational excellence and offers significant career progression within a technology-focused construction company. The focus is on strategic impact and the development of specialized industry and leadership skills.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid. The role primarily involves remote work, offering flexibility and work-life balance. However, it requires occasional attendance at a local DPR office for important meetings, team events, and collaborative sessions. This blended approach aims to combine the benefits of remote work with the value of in-person interaction.

Office Location(s): While the primary focus is on Raleigh-Durham, NC, the company also lists Richmond, VA, Edison, NJ, Washington DC, and Tampa, FL as potential locations, suggesting a distributed team structure and potential for collaboration across different company offices.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: Expect a work environment that values collaboration, both within the UX team and with cross-functional partners. This includes virtual collaboration tools and in-person meetings when necessary.

• Technology Stack: Access to modern design tools (Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) and an understanding of the underlying technologies (React, HTML/CSS) will be integral to the daily workflow.

• Operations Integration: You will be working closely with teams developing software that directly supports and enhances construction operations, providing a unique opportunity to see the direct impact of your design work on real-world processes.

Work Schedule:

• The role follows a standard full-time work schedule, typically around 40 hours per week.

• The hybrid arrangement offers flexibility in how and where you structure your workdays, while ensuring availability for team collaboration and critical business needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role is highlighted as a key benefit, emphasizing flexibility while also noting the necessity of in-person collaboration for key operational and team-building activities.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely conduct an initial phone screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit.

• Portfolio Review & Design Challenge: Expect a thorough review of your portfolio, potentially followed by a design exercise or case study presentation. This will assess your design thinking, problem-solving skills, process, and ability to articulate your work effectively.

• Team & Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with the Software Development Leader, product managers, engineers, and potentially other team members to evaluate your collaborative abilities, technical understanding, and leadership potential.

• Cultural Fit Assessment: Evaluation of how well your working style and values align with DPR Construction's culture of innovation, empowerment, and collaboration.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Process: Clearly articulate your UX process for each project, emphasizing how you identified problems, conducted research, iterated on solutions, and measured success.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, include metrics and data to demonstrate the effectiveness of your designs and their contribution to business goals or operational improvements.

• Storytelling: Present your case studies as compelling narratives, highlighting challenges, your contributions, and the lessons learned.

• Tailor to DPR: Research DPR Construction and its technology initiatives. If possible, tailor your portfolio presentation to highlight relevant experience, such as designing for complex workflows or enterprise users.

• Demonstrate Leadership: If showcasing team leadership, provide examples of how you mentored designers, managed projects, and fostered a positive team dynamic.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the Business: Familiarize yourself with DPR Construction's business model, its position in the construction industry, and its technological ambitions.

• Anticipate UX Problems: Think about common UX challenges in enterprise software and construction technology. Prepare to discuss how you would approach solving them.

• Practice Articulation: Be ready to clearly and concisely explain your design decisions, research methodologies, and strategic thinking.

• Design System Thinking: Prepare to discuss your experience with design systems, their importance, and how you would implement or maintain one.

📝 Enhancement Note: This section provides actionable advice for candidates, focusing on demonstrating a strong UX process, quantifying impact relevant to operations, and preparing for specific interview stages like portfolio reviews and potential design challenges.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision (Proficiency in at least one is essential; Figma is often preferred for its collaborative features).

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

• Wireframing & Flow Tools: Balsamiq, Axure RP, Miro (for collaborative whiteboarding and user flow mapping).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics (for understanding user behavior on web platforms).

• Product Analytics: Mixpanel, Amplitude, Pendo (for in-depth analysis of user interactions within applications).

• Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI (for creating dashboards and reporting on UX metrics and impact).

CRM & Automation:

• CRM: Salesforce (as a common platform for managing customer/project data, understanding its integration with user-facing tools is beneficial).

• Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello (for managing design tasks and collaborating with development teams in agile environments).

• Collaboration Suites: Microsoft 365 / Google Workspace (for communication, documentation, and project coordination).

📝 Enhancement Note: The tools listed are standard for UX leadership roles, with an emphasis on collaborative platforms like Figma and project management tools like Jira, which are critical for seamless integration with software development teams.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Technology: A strong commitment to leveraging technology to redefine and improve construction processes.

• Collaboration & Empowerment: Fostering an environment where teams work together, share ideas, and are empowered to make decisions.

• User-Centricity: Placing the user's needs and experience at the forefront of all product development decisions.

• Excellence & Quality: A drive for high standards in design, development, and project execution.

• Continuous Improvement: An ongoing effort to refine processes, learn new skills, and adapt to evolving industry needs.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Design is viewed as a critical partner to product management and engineering, working hand-in-hand to deliver successful products.

• Open Feedback: A culture that encourages constructive feedback and open dialogue to improve designs and processes.

• Knowledge Sharing: Encouraging team members to share insights, best practices, and learnings to elevate the collective skill set.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasizing the use of data and user insights to inform design choices and validate hypotheses.

📝 Enhancement Note: The team culture and values are aligned with those of a progressive technology company, emphasizing innovation, collaboration, and a user-centric approach, which are all vital for successful operations-adjacent software development.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Leading Distributed Teams: Effectively managing and motivating an offshore UX/UI team requires strong communication, clear direction, and robust remote management practices.

• Balancing Strategic Vision with Execution: As a lead, you'll need to balance high-level strategy with hands-on design work and team guidance.

• Designing for Complex Workflows: The construction industry involves intricate operational processes; translating these into intuitive digital experiences can be challenging.

• Driving Adoption of New Technologies: Ensuring that new software and UX improvements are effectively adopted by a diverse workforce requires strong change management and user advocacy.

• Bridging Design and Development: Maintaining seamless communication and understanding between design and engineering teams to ensure accurate implementation of complex interfaces.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced UX Methodologies: Opportunity to explore and implement cutting-edge UX research and design techniques.

• Industry Specialization: Deepen expertise in the unique UX challenges and opportunities within the construction and AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) industries.

• Leadership Development: Hone skills in team management, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement.

• Technology Immersion: Gain exposure to new technologies like AI, machine learning, and advanced data visualization in a practical, application-driven context.

📝 Enhancement Note: Challenges are framed to highlight opportunities for skill development in areas critical for senior operations-focused roles, such as managing remote teams and designing for complex industry workflows.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach developing a UX strategy for a new suite of operational software for DPR Construction?" (Focus on aligning with business goals, user needs, and technological constraints.)

• "Describe your process for leading and mentoring a remote UX team. What are the key challenges and how do you overcome them?" (Highlight communication, feedback mechanisms, and performance management.)

• "Imagine we're redesigning our field data entry application. What are the first steps you would take to ensure a user-centered approach?" (Emphasize research, user flows, and iterative prototyping.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about DPR Construction and our approach to technology in the construction industry?" (Research DPR's mission, values, and recent tech innovations.)

• "How do you foster collaboration between design, product, and engineering teams?" (Provide examples of successful cross-functional partnerships.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your portfolio around 2-3 key projects, dedicating significant time to each. Start with the business/user problem, outline your role and process, detail your solutions with visual aids (wireframes, mockups, prototypes), and conclude with outcomes and learnings.

• Metrics & Impact: For each project, clearly state the goals and any measurable results achieved (e.g., increased task completion rate, reduced error rate, improved user satisfaction scores, increased adoption). Quantify where possible.

• Process Visualization: Use diagrams, flowcharts, or screenshots to visually represent your design process, from research to iteration.

• Conciseness: Be prepared to present your work efficiently, focusing on the most impactful aspects and being ready for deeper dives into specific areas.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation advice is tailored to the UX Lead role, focusing on strategic thinking, leadership, and demonstrating impact relevant to operations and user adoption.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-focused UX Lead position:

• Submit your application through the provided Workday link.

• Portfolio Customization: Ensure your portfolio is easily accessible (e.g., via a personal website or cloud link) and specifically highlights projects demonstrating user-centered design, leadership, and impact on operational efficiency or user productivity.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 8+ years of UX/UI experience, 2+ years in leadership, and proficiency in relevant design tools and methodologies. Use keywords like "UX Strategy," "Design Systems," "User Research," "Agile," and "Cross-functional Collaboration."

• Interview Preparation: Thoroughly review DPR Construction's website, understand their technology vision, and prepare to discuss your experience with case studies that showcase your problem-solving skills and leadership approach, particularly in complex enterprise environments.

• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with DPR's projects, values, and culture to articulate why you are a strong fit for their innovative and employee-owned environment.

⚠️ 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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