UX Designer

Here on the By Light User-Centered Design (UCD) team, we believe that great ideas are driven by your passion, your experiences, your ethics, and your ability to be the note of levity in the face of adversity. You will be welcomed onto a small team with big ideas and work alongside (well…from your home office) deep thinkers and great dreamers. Our team is fun, full of life, tight knit, witty, and collaborative. Though we primarily communicate via gifs and memes, you will quickly discover that we sneeze at being typical and strive to overachieve. We are here to inspire each other, challenge ideas, and work together to find intuitive solutions to real problems.

Our common goal as a team is to work with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to help empower Veterans to take part in their health care. We ask you to bring your open-minded attitude and collaborative spirit, and in return, you will be part of a team where your unique perspectives are celebrated, and your desire to help is fulfilled.

Candidates should be prepared for a whiteboard challenge during the second interview phase to demonstrate their problem-solving and technical skills in a live setting.  The role includes a 90-day evaluation period to ensure a mutual fit, during which performance and adaptability will be closely monitored.

By Light provides a broad range of hardware, software, engineering, and IT integration services. Headquartered in Tysons, VA, we support defense, civilian, commercial, and health IT customers worldwide. We offer an excellent benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, paid time off, paid holidays, and 401(k) match.

• Communicate effectively and present work to larger groups with a professional demeanor and appearance.
• Work with interdisciplinary teams from various projects and companies, including leads, stakeholders, project managers, and developers while evangelizing and demonstrating the value of user-centered design and research.
• Contribute to the professional development of team members and provide support on different projects where necessary.

Research:

• Assist in research studies using various methods, such as remote moderated and unmoderated sessions, to gather feedback and insights to inform design decisions through comprehensive analysis.

Design:

• Create user-friendly wireframes, mockups, and prototypes.
• Contribute to product ideation and design development.
• Design visually appealing and interactive interfaces that effectively communicate product function and brand identity.
• Produce and document various design deliverables such as user requirements, user flows, and design specifications.
• Design research-backed prototypes following the VA Design System standards closely (https://design.va.gov/).
• Create and define Section 508 and WCAG compliant interactions for all types of users, including those using assistive technologies.
• Follow up on user experience issues and modify designs to accommodate a wide range of users.
  Represent UCD in cross-functional teams participating in design challenges.
• Collaborate closely with developers, ensuring smooth handoff of designs and conduct quality assurance (QA) work.
• Collaborate closely with the content, information architecture, and accessibility specialist teams to ensure compliance and consistency across products.

• Three or more years of experience in UX design and research or equivalent educational qualifications.
• Understanding of user-centered design principles and proficiency in design prototyping tools such as Figma and Sketch.
• Proficiency in collaboration and presentation skills, like Mural and Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with qualitative and quantitative research methods.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and collaboration skills.
• Experience with visual and interaction design principles for digital experiences.
• Familiarity with design systems, information architecture, and interaction design.
• Experience with accessibility best practices, including Section 508 and WCAG standards for assistive technology users.
• Passionate advocate for Veterans.
• Ability to work independently, as well as collaborate effectively in a team.
• Online portfolio showcasing UX research and user interaction design skills.

• Organizationally savvy with the ability to articulate recommendations to leaders and facilitate decision-making.
• Strong leadership, project management, and influencing skills.
• Experience working in an Agile delivery environment.
• Familiarity with Jira and GitHub or other project management tools.

• Applicants must be eligible to secure a Public Trust clearance. This involves a thorough identity, employment, and criminal background check. Candidates should have a clean legal background, demonstrate trustworthiness, and be U.S. citizens or have a legal residency status that does not preclude them from obtaining such clearance.