Digital Experience & Accessibility Specialist
Seattle Housing Authority
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) seeks a senior UX designer to elevate digital experiences for residents, applicants, and staff across SHA's public-facing and internal platforms.
You will drive accessibility by applying WCAG/ADA/Section 508 principles, maintain the agency's design system, and partner with vendors and development teams to deliver inclusive, high-quality digital services aligned with SHA's mission.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in UX, HCI, Graphic/Information Design, or related field.
- Minimum four years of UI/UX design experience with accessibility standards.
- Experience with civic tech, government services, or nonprofit digital platforms (preferred).
Responsibilities
- Lead continuous improvement of resident, applicant, and staff digital experiences across public-facing and internal platforms.
- Ensure all digital products meet WCAG, ADA, and Section 508 standards by embedding accessibility principles into design strategy.
- Oversee agency-wide digital accessibility audits and remediation strategies.
- Safeguard the accessibility, consistency, and sustainability of the agency’s design system across digital platforms.
- Guide inclusive research practices engaging residents and staff and translate insights into improvements.
- Define and uphold design and accessibility specifications for development partners.
- Provide strategic expertise in user research, content planning, and rollout coordination.
- Evolve the agency’s design system and accessibility components and stay current with accessibility guidelines.
- Contribute to goals, work plans, performance measures, and continuous service improvements.
Skills
Education
Job description
We offer competitive salary, great benefits, and work that matters to our community. The Seattle Housing Authority (SHA) is a mission-driven leader in affordable housing, headquartered on Elliott Avenue West with sweeping views of Elliott Bay and the Puget Sound. With additional field offices across Seattle, we’re committed to expanding housing opportunities, strengthening communities, and supporting a workplace where people grow and thrive.
The Location: 101 Elliott Ave W, Seattle, WA 98119
- Bachelor's degree in User Experience Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Graphic Design, Information Design, or a related field; Four years of relevant experience may be substituted for the required degree.
- Minimum four years of UI/UX design experience with demonstrated use of accessibility standards.
- Preferred experience with civic technology, government services, affordable housing, or nonprofit digital platforms.
Equivalent combinations of experience, training, and education may be considered if they demonstrate the ability to perform the role’s essential functions.
- Lead continuous improvement of resident, applicant, and staff digital experiences by assessing user journeys across public-facing and internal platforms and optimizing workflows for efficiency and accessibility.
- Ensure all digital products meet WCAG, ADA, and Section 508 standards by embedding accessibility principles into design strategy and promoting equitable, inclusive user experiences.
- Oversee agency-wide digital accessibility efforts by conducting audits, defining remediation strategies, and serving as the primary accessibility expert in discussions with vendors, partners, and oversight bodies.
- Safeguard the accessibility, consistency, and sustainability of the agency’s design system and legacy interface components across digital platforms.
- Guide inclusive research practices that engage residents and staff, especially in historically underserved communities and translate insights into strategic improvements for digital services.
- Define and uphold design and accessibility specifications for development partners, ensuring accurate implementation, quality assurance, and alignment with the agency’s design system.
- Provide strategic expertise in user research, content planning, and rollout coordination to advance cross-departmental digital initiatives.
- Maintain and evolve the agency’s design system, accessibility components, and UX standards while staying current with emerging accessibility guidelines, assistive technologies, and public-sector digital trends.
- Contribute to the development and implementation of goals, work plans, performance measures, and continuous service improvements in support of program objectives, core strategies, and the agency mission.
For additional information on the job, please see the full job description.
- Our Culture: SHA offers a supportive, energetic workplace where collaboration and growth thrives. Our talented team has helped make us a nationally recognized leader in affordable housing and community development.
- Competitive Salary
- Comprehensive Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS)
- Generous paid leave and holidays
- Work-Life Balance
- Reasonable hours
- Opportunity for part-time remote work (dependent on the position)
- Professional Development
- On-the-job training and growth opportunities
Our Commitment to Equity
SHA values your unique background and perspective - we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every listed qualification. Learn more in our diversity and equity statement.
As a new hire, your coverage begins on the first calendar day of the month if your hired date is on the first of that month. Otherwise, your coverage begins on the first of the following month.
Employees may select from four medical plans – Kaiser Permanente Standard Plan, Kaiser Permanente Deductible Plan, City of Seattle Preventive Plan, and City of Seattle Traditional Plan.
The monthly cost for each of the plans are as follows:
- Kaiser Permanente Standard Plan is $48.40 with or without children or $99.90 with spouse/domestic partner with or without children
- Kaiser Permanente Deductible Plan is $25.00 with or without children or $56.92 with spouse/domestic partner with or without children
- City of Seattle Preventive Plan is $48.12 with or without children or $98.50 with spouse/domestic partner with or without children
- City of Seattle Traditional Plan is $0 with or without children or $32.34 with spouse/domestic partner with or without children
Employees may select from two dental plans - Delta Dental, an incentive plan, or Dental Health Services, a managed care plan. Our dental plans include coverage for eligible dependents and are paid for by SHA.
SHA offers two vision plans through VSP Vision Care. The Basic plan is fully paid for by SHA. The Vision Buy-Up plan is paid for by the employee. The Buy-Up plan provides more frequent coverage of lenses, frames, and contact lenses and includes coverage of progressive lenses.
If you are disabled, the Basic Plan will be combined with other sources of income to pay you up to $400 a month after a 90-day waiting period. Employees may purchase long-term disability coverage that provides up to 60% of gross monthly salary during disability.
You can select from one of two plans - Basic GTL, which is one-and-a-half times your annual earnings or Limited Basic GTL of $50,000.00. SHA will contribute 40% of the cost for the GTL insurance.
If you have elected Basic GTL, you may purchase supplemental term life insurance for yourself, your spouse/domestic partner, and your dependent children. The maximum amount of supplemental life insurance available is four times your annual income for the employee, 50% of the amount of coverage you elect for the spouse, and $2,000, $5,000 or $10,000 for children.
SHA offers an employee-paid group AD&D insurance plan. An employee may cover themself or a family member for amounts from $25,000 to $500,000 in $25,000 increments. AD&D insurance pays a death benefit if the insured person dies due to an accident or a percentage of the full insurance amount if the covered person loses a limb.
Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) membership is defined by Washington State statutes and is mandatory if you are hired into an eligible position. However, if you are retired from or have been a member of the City of Seattle, Spokane or Tacoma Employee's Retirement System, your PERS enrollment must be verified and approved by the Washington State Department of Retirement System.
Employees have the option of making pre-tax contributions to pay for IRS eligible expenses. There are two accounts: a Health Care Flexible Spending Account and a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account. Employees can sign up for one or both accounts.
Annual Leave is provided for vacation and personal time off. First year employees earn up to 3.84 hours per bi-weekly pay period (100 hours annually), increasing incrementally due to service years - up to 7.69 per hours per pay period at 25 years of service (200 hours annually). Leave hours for part time staff are pro-rated. There is a 240-hour annual carryover limit for annual leave.
Sick leave is provided for health care and related appointments. Employees earn 3.69 hours per pay period. Hours for part time staff are pro-rated. There is no maximum or carryover limit for sick leave.
Seattle Housing Authority observes twelve legal holidays, as detailed below.
New Year's Day
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Presidents Day
Memorial Day
Juneteenth
Independence Day
Labor Day
Indigenous People's Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
The day following Thanksgiving
Christmas Day
Additionally, up to three personal holidays are granted to regular employees each calendar year. They are available to be scheduled in advance by the employee with supervisor approval.
Regular administrative non-represented employees hired between January 1 and May 31 are granted three personal holidays. If hired from June 1 until November 10, two personal holidays are granted. If hired beginning November 11 or later, no personal holidays are granted until January 1.
Regular Administrative non-represented staff are eligible for Merit Pay and Merit Leave awards based on their annual performance evaluation, as well as on the agency's fiscal year performance from January through December of each year. An employee's merit awards are based on the employee's performance rating, the position of the employee's salary within the salary range, and the fiscal performance of the agency. For new and promoted employees, the merit awards will be pro-rated based on length of time in the current position during the calendar year.
As an SHA employee, you may be eligible for federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This federal program was created to assist full-time public service professionals in reducing their federal student loan debt burden.
A fully subsidized commuter ORCA Passport is offered for use on Metro, Community Transit, Pierce Transit, Kitsap Transit, Everett Transit, Sound Transit, Link Light Rail, Sounder Commuter Train routes. It can also be used on the Seattle Center Monorail. ORCA Passport also provides reduced or fully covered fares on most vanpool routes.
Additionally, an Emergency Ride Home Program, bike racks at various sites, and shower facilities at several offices are also provided, along with discount Zipcar membership (if accepted). Finally, group discount parking is available for registered vanpools in certain areas.
With supervisor approval, work hours may be scheduled around core hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm or a compressed 4/10 workweek. This option is not available for every position.
With supervisor approval, employees can perform assigned duties from home at certain times. This option is not available for every position.
Confidential counseling, referral, and information services are available through ComPsych.
Tax deferred savings plans are available through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems' Deferred Compensation Program.
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