Associate Director, Experience Design

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

State-of-the-art resources

Employee learning programs

Volunteer support platform

Well-being benefits

Inclusive workplace culture

Job summary

Ladders is seeking an Associate Director, Experience Design to lead human-centered design for AI-enabled products. The role emphasizes usability, accessibility, and practical innovation, partnering with research, product, and engineering to convert insights into actionable design solutions.

The candidate will shape critical moments in automated experiences where human judgment and validation matter, with a focus on enterprise or innovation projects.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years in UX or experience design with portfolio in enterprise/innovation projects.
• Strong understanding of user-centered design and usability testing methods.
• Experience facilitating co-creation sessions and client presentations.
• Preferred experience with AI and data-driven design.
• Familiarity with AI tools like Figma Make and Adobe Firefly.

Responsibilities

• Lead user research to identify pain points in human-AI interactions.
• Create dynamics for AI latency and error states in interactions.
• Facilitate usability tests to balance desirability with feasibility.
• Design hand-off moments for human validation in automated workflows.
• Advocate for accessibility and inclusive design in AI experiences.
• Inspire alignment across the design lifecycle through storytelling.
• Maintain perspective on how agentic AI shapes human-centered design.

Skills

UX Design

Experience Design

User Research

Co-creation

AI in Design

Figma

Sketch

Prototyping

Usability Testing

Accessibility

Tools

Figma Make

Adobe Firefly

Figma

Sketch

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Associate Director, Experience Design to join the team of a leader in the Information Technology space.

This role will shape human-centered experience design for AI-enabled products and workflows, with a strong emphasis on usability, accessibility, and practical innovation. You will partner closely with research, product, and engineering stakeholders to turn user insights into thoughtful design solutions that balance desirability, technical feasibility, and business needs. The position also calls for designing key moments in automated experiences where human judgment, trust, and validation matter most.

Location: Remote - US based candidates only, no visa sponsorship available

Responsibilities

• Lead user research to identify pain points in human-AI interactions
• Create dynamic interaction patterns that manage AI latency and error states
• Facilitate workshops and usability tests to balance user desirability with technical feasibility
• Design critical hand-off moments for human validation in automated workflows
• Advocate for accessibility and inclusive design in AI experiences
• Inspire alignment across the design lifecycle through storytelling
• Maintain a strong perspective on how agentic AI influences human-centered design

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of UX or experience design experience with a strong portfolio in enterprise or innovation projects
• Deep understanding of user-centered design and usability testing methods
• Experience facilitating co-creation sessions and client presentations
• Preferred experience with AI and data-driven design
• Familiarity with emerging AI tools like Figma Make and Adobe Firefly
• Proficient in Figma or Sketch for prototyping
• Ability to collaborate with developers and product managers to translate research into actionable designs

Benefits

• Access to state-of-the-art resources and opportunities to innovate
• Comprehensive employee learning programs for industry certifications
• Support for volunteering and charitable initiatives through a company-wide platform
• Commitment to employee well-being with diverse benefits
• Inclusive workplace culture that values diverse backgrounds and experiences

Our client is an equal opportunity employer.