UX Operations Specialist

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Operations Specialist

Company: National University

Location: Remote, California, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: Operations / Project Management / User Experience

Date Posted: 2026-05-08

Experience Level: 2-5 Years

Remote Status: Fully Remote

🚀 Role Summary

• Supports the daily operational needs of a User Experience (UX) organization, encompassing research, design, and analytics functions.

• Manages intake processes, project coordination, and workflow tracking to ensure UX initiatives progress efficiently and on schedule.

• Facilitates cross-functional communication and collaboration with Product, PMO, and Marketing teams to align priorities and project timelines.

• Oversees and maintains project management tooling, such as Jira, to provide clear visibility into UX work status and dependencies.

• Leads budget tracking for UX-related expenses, including tools, research, and vendor spending, and coordinates with external vendors.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is crucial for streamlining UX processes within a large educational institution, requiring a blend of operational execution, project management acumen, and a foundational understanding of UX methodologies. The emphasis on remote work and a structured salary range indicates a well-defined operational framework.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• UX Operations & Execution: Support end-to-end UX workflows across research, design, and analytics, ensuring seamless progression from ideation to delivery.

• Intake Management & Tracking: Manage the intake, tracking, and coordination of all UX work, meticulously monitoring timelines, stakeholders, vendors, and resource allocation.

• Project Progress & Risk Mitigation: Ensure UX work is consistently tracked and updated across all projects, proactively flagging risks, dependencies, and potential roadblocks to leadership.

• Cross-Functional Communication: Facilitate clear and consistent communication across internal teams and external stakeholders, providing timely updates, identifying risks, and highlighting dependencies.

• Tool Maintenance & Optimization: Maintain and update project management tools (e.g., Jira, Asana, Airtable) to ensure accurate visibility into UX work, timelines, and status for all relevant parties.

• Ad Hoc Support: Provide support for ad hoc research and operational needs as they arise within the UX team, demonstrating flexibility and responsiveness.

• Meeting Representation: Represent UX teams in key cross-functional meetings, providing critical updates on ticket and project statuses to ensure alignment.

• Intake Documentation & Routing: Ensure all UX work requests are clearly documented, thoroughly understood, and appropriately routed to the correct teams or individuals for execution.

• Requirement Clarification: Partner with stakeholders to clarify project requirements and ensure all necessary information is gathered to support efficient execution.

• Project Kickoff Coordination: Coordinate project kickoffs, ensuring all teams and stakeholders are aligned on objectives, scope, and deliverables from the outset.

• Process & Workflow Improvement: Maintain and optimize existing tools and workflows to enhance UX operational efficiency and support standardized processes.

• Documentation & Template Development: Support the development of standardized templates, operational documentation, and best-practice processes for the UX team.

• Status Meeting Support: Assist in preparing and supporting team status meetings by creating agendas, tracking updates, and managing action items in collaboration with UX leadership.

• Efficiency Identification: Proactively identify opportunities to improve efficiency and streamline workflows within the UX operations function.

• Budget Tracking & Management: Lead the tracking of UX budgets, including expenditures for tools, research activities, and vendor/agency services.

• Vendor Coordination: Coordinate with external vendors and partners on invoicing, delivery timelines, contractual obligations, and onboarding processes.

• Resource Alignment: Help ensure that UX resources are effectively aligned with strategic priorities and utilized in the most efficient manner.

• Program Alignment: Partner with PMO and other cross-functional teams to align UX timelines, dependencies, and delivery plans with broader program objectives.

• Initiative Coordination: Support the coordination across multiple concurrent initiatives to maintain alignment, prevent conflicts, and ensure overall progress.

📝 Enhancement Note: The extensive list of responsibilities highlights the critical operational backbone this role provides to the UX department. It requires strong organizational skills, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and the ability to manage multiple competing priorities within a dynamic educational environment. The emphasis on "end-to-end" support and "workflow optimization" points towards a need for candidates who can not only execute but also improve existing processes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• 2-3 years of progressive experience in operations management, program coordination, or specialized UX/project support roles.

• Demonstrated experience working effectively with diverse cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and Analytics.

• Familiarity with User Experience (UX) processes, including user research, design methodologies, and usability testing within digital and web environments.

• Proven experience utilizing work-management and collaboration tools such as Jira, Asana, Airtable, or similar platforms to track, manage, and report on project progress.

Required Skills:

• Operational Execution & Detail Orientation: Proven ability to meticulously build, manage, and maintain trackers, workflows, and reporting tools to ensure accuracy, follow-through, and day-to-day accountability across a range of UX initiatives.

• Process Improvement & Problem-Solving: Demonstrated experience in identifying workflow bottlenecks, analyzing root causes, and implementing practical, efficient process improvements that enhance team productivity and timely delivery.

• Stakeholder Communication & Reporting: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a strong ability to clearly document, summarize, and report on status, insights, and risks through concise summaries, dashboards, and reports to support informed decision-making.

• Collaboration & Workflow Tools Proficiency: High proficiency in using collaboration and work-management tools such as Jira, Trello, Asana, or similar platforms for task tracking, prioritization support, and coordinating efforts across cross-functional teams.

• Agile Ways of Working: Experience operating effectively within Agile or iterative delivery environments, with a demonstrated ability to adapt plans, workflows, and priorities based on feedback, evolving needs, and new information.

• User Experience & Performance Awareness: A working understanding of how user experience design directly connects to key performance outcomes (e.g., conversion rates, user engagement, return on investment), with the ability to support optimization efforts through data and insights.

• Organizational Skills: Exceptional organizational and time-management skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple competing priorities simultaneously while maintaining clear, efficient workflows.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with UX research methodologies and participant recruitment.

• Experience with budget management and financial tracking tools.

• Basic understanding of UX design principles and software.

• Experience in the higher education sector or with academic institutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: The qualifications emphasize a blend of technical proficiency with project management tools and strong soft skills related to communication, organization, and problem-solving. The "Agile Ways of Working" requirement suggests the UX team operates in an iterative development cycle, requiring the specialist to be adaptable and responsive. The "Performance Awareness" points to a need for the specialist to understand how UX impacts business metrics, even if they aren't directly analyzing the data.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Workflow Mapping & Optimization Case Studies: Showcase examples of processes you have mapped, analyzed, and improved, demonstrating a clear before-and-after impact on efficiency, timelines, or resource utilization.

• Project Tracking & Reporting Examples: Provide samples of project trackers, status reports, or dashboards you have created and maintained, illustrating your ability to provide clear visibility into project progress, risks, and dependencies.

• Tool Implementation & Management: If applicable, include examples of how you have managed or implemented project management tools (e.g., Jira configurations, Asana project setups) to support team operations.

• Cross-functional Project Coordination Examples: Detail instances where you successfully coordinated complex projects involving multiple teams, highlighting your communication strategies and how you ensured alignment and timely delivery.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Demonstrate your ability to document existing workflows comprehensively and propose actionable recommendations for optimization, automation, or standardization to enhance efficiency.

• Implementation & Automation Methods: Showcase your experience in implementing new processes or tools, and where applicable, your understanding of how to leverage technology for workflow automation.

• Measurement & Performance Analysis: Illustrate how you track the performance of implemented processes, using metrics to demonstrate improvements in efficiency, speed, or resource utilization.

📝 Enhancement Note: While not explicitly requested, a portfolio demonstrating practical application of skills in workflow management, project tracking, and process improvement will significantly strengthen an applicant's candidacy. Focus on quantifiable results and clear visual representations of processes and progress.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Annual Salary: $55,869.00 - $75,427.00 USD.

• 📝 Enhancement Note: This range is based on the provided information and reflects a standard compensation band for a specialist-level role with 2-5 years of experience in operations and project coordination within the US market. The range is competitive for a remote position in the United States, considering the responsibilities outlined.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Well-being Benefits: Includes health, dental, and vision insurance, and potentially wellness programs.

• Development and Advancement Opportunities: Access to training, workshops, and potential career progression paths within the university's operational departments.

• Remote-first Work Perks: Support for remote work, possibly including home office stipends or flexible work arrangements.

• 📝 Enhancement Note: National University emphasizes a "holistic approach to employee benefits," suggesting a robust package that likely includes retirement savings plans (e.g., 401k), paid time off (PTO), holidays, and potentially tuition remission for employees or dependents, which is common in educational institutions.

Working Hours:

• Standard Full-Time (approximately 40 hours per week).

• 📝 Enhancement Note: While a standard workweek is expected, the remote nature of the role may offer some flexibility in scheduling, particularly for coordinating with teams across different time zones. The emphasis on "Agile Ways of Working" suggests that the team might adopt flexible scheduling within defined project sprints.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Higher Education / Educational Services

Company Size: Large (4,500+ faculty and staff, 45,000+ students)

Founded: Information not provided, but National University is a well-established institution with a history of serving adult learners and working professionals.

Team Structure:

• Operations Team: This role is part of the UX organization, which likely includes UX Researchers, UX Designers, and UX Analysts. The UX Operations Specialist provides direct support to these functions.

• Reporting Structure: The Specialist reports to the Director of Performance User Experience, indicating a focus on how UX impacts user performance and business outcomes.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role requires significant collaboration with Product Management, Project Management Office (PMO), and Marketing teams, highlighting a matrixed and highly collaborative work environment.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven UX: The mention of "Performance User Experience" and "conversion rates, engagement, ROI" suggests a data-driven approach to UX, where operations support is geared towards enabling data collection and analysis.

• Agile & Iterative Processes: The requirement for "Agile Ways of Working" indicates that the UX team likely operates in iterative cycles, valuing flexibility, rapid feedback, and continuous improvement.

• Efficiency & Optimization: A core aspect of the role involves identifying and implementing process improvements to streamline workflows and enhance team efficiency.

Company Website: https://www.nu.edu/

📝 Enhancement Note: National University's mission to meet global education demands and serve adult learners and working professionals shapes its culture towards innovation, flexibility, and student-centricity. The UX Operations Specialist role is integral to ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the teams that design and deliver these educational experiences.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Specialist / Coordinator

This is an individual contributor role focused on operational execution and support within a specialized function (UX). It requires 2-3 years of experience and demonstrates a progression from entry-level administrative or project support roles.

Reporting Structure:

Operations Impact:

Growth Opportunities:

• Specialization: Potential to deepen expertise in UX operations, project management within a tech/design context, or specific tools like Jira.

• Advancement: Opportunity to move into more senior operations roles, project management positions, or potentially specialized roles within UX research coordination or design operations as these functions mature.

• Skill Development: Gain experience in cross-functional collaboration, budget management, vendor relations, and Agile methodologies within a large educational institution.

• Leadership Potential: Develop skills in process improvement and team support that can lead to mentoring junior team members or taking on lead operational responsibilities for larger initiatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role offers a solid foundation in operational support within a UX context, with clear pathways for growth into more specialized or leadership-oriented operational roles, particularly within institutions that are increasingly reliant on digital experiences.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Remote Solely (Fully Remote)

Office Location(s): Primarily remote within the United States, with a preference or requirement for candidates located in or able to work within California time zones (due to "Remote, California" designation).

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: While remote, the role emphasizes strong collaboration through digital tools, virtual meetings, and shared project management platforms.

• Tools & Technology: Access to and proficiency with standard office productivity suites, communication tools (e.g., Slack, Teams), and specialized UX/project management software (Jira, Asana).

• Team Interaction: Regular interaction with UX Researchers, Designers, Analysts, Product Managers, PMO, and Marketing teams via virtual channels.

Work Schedule:

• Full-time, typically 40 hours per week.

• 📝 Enhancement Note: The remote nature may allow for some flexibility in daily scheduling, but adherence to project deadlines and team meeting times is essential. Candidates should be comfortable managing their work independently and proactively communicating availability.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of applications and resumes by HR or a Talent Acquisition specialist to assess basic qualifications and experience.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the Director of Performance User Experience to evaluate operational experience, understanding of UX processes, and fit with the team's needs. This stage may include behavioral questions and scenario-based questions related to project coordination and problem-solving.

• Skills Assessment/Case Study: Potentially a practical exercise or case study focused on managing a simulated UX intake process, outlining a workflow, or identifying process improvements. This is where portfolio elements can be showcased.

• Cross-functional Panel Interview: An opportunity to meet with key stakeholders from Product, PMO, or Marketing to assess collaboration skills and ability to communicate effectively across different departments.

• Final Interview/Offer: A final discussion with the hiring manager or a senior leader, followed by an offer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Impact: For each portfolio item, clearly articulate the problem, your role/actions, and the quantifiable results or improvements achieved. Use metrics related to efficiency, time saved, or smoother workflows.

• Process Visualization: Use diagrams, flowcharts, or screenshots to visually represent workflows, project tracking systems, or process improvements.

• Tool Proficiency: Showcase your ability to effectively use tools like Jira, Asana, or Airtable for task management, tracking, and reporting. Highlight specific configurations or workflows you've implemented.

• Communication Examples: If possible, include anonymized examples of status reports, meeting agendas, or stakeholder updates that demonstrate your clear and concise communication style.

• Tailor to the Role: Emphasize experiences most relevant to UX operations, project coordination, and cross-functional collaboration within a design or product development context.

Challenge Preparation:

• Process Mapping Exercise: Be prepared to map out a hypothetical UX workflow or troubleshoot a process bottleneck.

• Jira/Asana Scenario: Expect questions or tasks involving how you would set up or manage tasks within a project management tool for a UX initiative.

• Communication Scenarios: Practice articulating project status, risks, and dependencies to different stakeholders (e.g., a technical team vs. a marketing manager).

• Prioritization Questions: Be ready to discuss how you would prioritize incoming UX requests when resources are limited.

📝 Enhancement Note: Applicants should prepare to demonstrate not just their ability to follow processes but also their capacity to improve them. A well-curated portfolio that highlights tangible results and operational efficiency will be a significant advantage.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Jira: Essential for managing UX workflows, tracking tickets, setting up sprints, and reporting on progress. Proficiency in configuring boards, workflows, and custom fields is highly beneficial.

• Asana / Airtable / Trello: Experience with these or similar work management platforms for project tracking, task assignment, and collaboration.

• Microsoft Office Suite / Google Workspace: Standard tools for document creation, spreadsheets, presentations, and email communication.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Reporting Dashboards: Ability to create and maintain dashboards within Jira or other tools to visualize project status, team capacity, and key performance indicators.

• Data Interpretation: While not a data analyst role, understanding how to interpret basic data related to project timelines, resource allocation, and workflow efficiency is important.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Familiarity (e.g., Salesforce): While not a primary tool, understanding how UX initiatives might integrate with CRM data or customer journeys can be beneficial.

• Automation Tools (Basic): Awareness of how tools like Zapier or built-in Jira automation can streamline operational tasks would be a plus.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on Jira suggests it's the core system for operations management. Candidates with direct, hands-on experience configuring and managing Jira projects will be highly valued. Familiarity with a range of project/work management tools demonstrates adaptability.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Efficiency & Optimization: A strong drive to identify and implement improvements that make processes smoother, faster, and more resource-effective.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Commitment to using data and metrics to understand performance, identify issues, and measure the impact of operational changes.

• Collaboration & Partnership: A belief in working closely with other teams to achieve shared goals, fostering open communication and mutual support.

• Accountability & Ownership: Taking responsibility for assigned tasks and projects, ensuring follow-through and proactive management of deliverables.

• Student-Centricity: Underlying all operations is the mission to support the delivery of quality education and positive experiences for students.

Collaboration Style:

• Proactive Communication: Regularly updating stakeholders and team members on progress, risks, and dependencies.

• Cross-functional Integration: Actively seeking to understand the needs and workflows of partner teams (Product, Marketing, PMO) to ensure seamless integration of UX efforts.

• Feedback Loops: Participating in and facilitating feedback sessions to continuously improve processes and team collaboration.

• Knowledge Sharing: Willingness to share best practices, learnings, and documentation with colleagues to build collective operational knowledge.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture likely values a blend of structured operational discipline with the flexibility and collaborative spirit needed in a dynamic educational technology environment. A candidate who can balance process adherence with a proactive, problem-solving approach will fit well.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Managing Competing Priorities: Balancing the diverse and often urgent requests from multiple UX disciplines (research, design, analytics) and cross-functional teams.

• Tool Integration & Standardization: Ensuring consistent and effective use of project management tools across different UX functions and potentially integrating with broader university systems.

• Remote Collaboration Dynamics: Maintaining strong team cohesion and effective communication in a fully remote environment.

• Budget Oversight: Accurately tracking and managing UX-related budgets, requiring attention to detail and coordination with finance/procurement.

• Process Adoption: Encouraging and ensuring the adoption of new or optimized processes by team members accustomed to existing workflows.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Tool Proficiency: Deepening expertise in Jira, Asana, or other project management and operational tools.

• UX Process Familiarity: Gaining a more comprehensive understanding of UX research and design methodologies through close collaboration.

• Agile Coaching/Methodologies: Developing skills in supporting Agile teams and potentially contributing to Scrum or Kanban processes.

• Project Management Fundamentals: Building foundational knowledge in project management principles and best practices.

• Budget Management Skills: Developing practical experience in tracking, forecasting, and reporting on departmental budgets.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents an excellent opportunity to become a linchpin in the operational efficiency of a UX team, facing challenges that foster growth in critical operational and project management competencies.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to manage competing priorities from different stakeholders. How did you prioritize and communicate your approach?" (Focus on your prioritization framework and stakeholder communication strategy).

• "How would you onboard a new UX researcher or designer to our project tracking system (e.g., Jira)?" (Demonstrate your ability to document and explain processes clearly).

• "Imagine a key UX deliverable is at risk of missing its deadline. What steps would you take to assess the situation and what information would you provide to leadership?" (Highlight your risk identification, communication, and problem-solving skills).

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about working in higher education and specifically at National University?" (Research NU's mission, values, and recent initiatives).

• "How do you approach continuous improvement in your operational processes?" (Discuss your methods for identifying bottlenecks and implementing solutions).

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Quantify Impact: For each example, clearly state the problem, your solution, and the measurable outcome (e.g., "Reduced intake processing time by 15%", "Improved on-time delivery rate by 10%").

• Visual Aids: Use screenshots of trackers, workflow diagrams, or simple dashboards to illustrate your work. Keep it concise and relevant to the role.

• Storytelling: Frame your experiences as mini-case studies, explaining the context, your specific actions, and the positive results.

• Tool Demonstration: Be ready to briefly explain how you used specific features in Jira or other tools to achieve your results.

• Focus on Process: Emphasize your understanding of workflow, efficiency, and how your efforts contributed to the UX team's success.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with specific operational tools and methodologies, particularly Agile and workflow management. The interview process will likely assess both their technical capabilities and their ability to collaborate effectively in a remote setting.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this UX Operations Specialist position:

• Submit Your Application: Utilize the provided application link on National University's Workday portal. Ensure all fields are completed accurately.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords and responsibilities from the job description, focusing on your experience in operations, project coordination, UX support, Jira/Asana proficiency, and cross-functional collaboration. Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Assemble a concise portfolio showcasing examples of workflow mapping, project tracking, process improvements, and effective stakeholder communication. Be ready to present key pieces during an interview.

• Research National University: Understand the university's mission, its student population, and its commitment to innovation in education. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate genuine interest.

• Practice Interview Responses: Prepare for behavioral and situational questions by crafting specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), focusing on your operational skills and problem-solving abilities.

⚠️ 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.