Human-Centered Designer

Advanced Resource Technologies, Inc.; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Advanced Resource Technologies, Inc. is seeking a Human-Centered Designer to drive the GRACE user experience for ARPA-H’s production AI assistant.

You will lead research, interaction and visual design, ensuring intuitive, accessible, and trustworthy experiences while partnering with engineers, PMs, and researchers. You will translate user insights into actionable design recommendations, build scalable design systems and prototype rapidly in an agile environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction, User Experience Design, Graphic Design, CS, Psychology or related field; Master’s preferred or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 7 years in UX/product design or human-centered design with a portfolio of shipped products.
• Experience designing AI, LL M, conversational AI, chat, or agentic AI applications.
• Proficiency with modern design tools such as Figma and design systems.
• Experience conducting user research and usability testing; translating findings into product improvements.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards (Section 508 and WCAG).
• Experience collaborating with software engineers and agile teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end design of the GRACE user experience, including research, interaction, visual design, and usability improvements.
• Design interaction patterns for agentic AI applications, including conversational workflows and human-in-the-loop handling.
• Create wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs.
• Present AI-generated content clearly with considerations for citations and diagrams.
• Conduct user interviews and usability studies to validate concepts and improve usability.
• Develop and evolve a scalable design system enabling rapid product development.
• Ensure designs prioritize transparency, trust, accessibility, privacy, and responsible AI.

Skills

UX design

User research

Accessibility

Design systems

Communication

Agile collaboration

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in HCI/UX/CS/psychology

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Figma

React

Chainlit

Job description

Advanced Resource Technologies, Inc. (ARTI) is currently recruiting for a Human-Centered Designer to support the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). This position is full-time, exempt. Start date is immediate upon selection and public trust clearance processing as required.

SUMMARY

The Human-Centered Designer will support the GRACE Development Team by leading the end-to-end user experience for ARPA-H's production AI assistant. This role is responsible for designing intuitive, accessible, and trustworthy user experiences for agentic AI systems while partnering closely with engineers, product managers, and researchers to rapidly prototype, validate, and deliver innovative solutions that advance ARPA-H's mission.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the end-to-end design of the GRACE user experience, including user research, interaction design, visual design, and usability improvements.
• Design intuitive interaction patterns for agentic AI applications, including conversational workflows, tool-call visibility, reasoning transparency, human-in-the-loop interactions, and graceful handling of uncertainty.
• Create user-centered wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and high-fidelity designs that transform complex concepts into intuitive experiences.
• Design effective presentation of AI-generated content, including citations, tables, diagrams, maps, generated images, and long-form responses.
• Conduct user interviews, usability studies, concept validation, and other research activities to better understand user needs and improve product usability.
• Translate user research findings into actionable design recommendations and measurable product improvements.
• Develop, maintain, and evolve a scalable design system that promotes consistency, accessibility, and rapid product development.
• Design solutions that prioritize transparency, user trust, privacy, accessibility, and responsible AI practices throughout the user experience.
• Ensure compliance with Section 508 accessibility standards and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
• Collaborate closely with software engineers, product managers, and researchers to ensure design intent is accurately implemented in production.
• Rapidly prototype, test, iterate, and refine product features in an agile, high-velocity development environment.
• Communicate design concepts, rationale, and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Champion user-centered design principles while continuously improving the usability and effectiveness of GRACE.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction, User Experience Design, Graphic Design, Computer Science, Psychology, or a related field; Master's degree preferred or equivalent professional experience.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of professional experience in UX, product design, or human-centered design with a portfolio demonstrating shipped products.
• Experience designing AI, LLM, conversational AI, chat, or agentic AI applications.
• Demonstrated experience designing interaction patterns for AI systems, including streaming responses, citations, uncertainty handling, and human-in-the-loop workflows.
• Strong proficiency with modern design tools such as Figma, including design systems, prototyping, and component libraries.
• Experience conducting user research, usability testing, and translating findings into product improvements.
• Strong visual design, interaction design, information architecture, and user experience skills.
• Demonstrated ability to design complex enterprise or productivity applications from concept through production.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards including Section 508 and WCAG.
• Experience collaborating closely with software engineers and agile development teams.
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while working effectively in a fast-paced, startup-like environment.
• Experience supporting AI-powered products, research tools, or complex enterprise applications is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with React, Chainlit, or front-end implementation concepts is preferred.

Mandatory Requirement:

Applicants selected for this position will be subject to a Government Security Investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for a Public Trust clearance.

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees in this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of the employee assigned to this job.

Advanced Resource Technologies, Inc. is committed to a work environment free of all forms of discrimination and is a member of the DHS E-Verify Program.

Advanced Resource Technologies, Inc. recruits and hires without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disabled and veterans.