Lead UX Designer

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is seeking a Lead UX Designer to drive UX design and research for complex, ambiguous problems across multiple rider journeys and user types. You will define research scope, surface knowledge gaps, and shape product direction while prioritizing riders and staff within agency constraints.

The role involves designing information architectures, reusable patterns, and end-to-end experiences, with a focus on accessibility, collaboration, and governance in

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 6 years of relevant experience in UX design, product design, and/or interaction design.
• Experience leading UX research activities and applying findings to decisions.
• Experience designing end-to-end experiences across multiple touchpoints.
• Working knowledge of accessibility standards and inclusive design practices.
• Experience collaborating in cross-functional teams with product, engineering and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and deliver UX work on complex problems across journeys and contexts.
• Define UX research scope and surface knowledge gaps for teams.
• Shape product direction by advocating for riders and staff within constraints.
• Design information architectures, reusable patterns, and interactions.
• Ensure inclusive design and accessibility across experiences.
• Lead design reviews, mentor peers, and collaborate with the team.
• Protect data security and follow MBTA policies for research and design.

Skills

UX design experience

Product design

Interaction design

Education

Bachelor’s degree

High school diploma or GED + 7 years related experience

Associate’s degree + 3 years related experience

Master’s degree substitutes for 2 years

Certification substitutes for 1 year

Job description

The Lead UX Designer delivers UX design and research on complex, ambiguous problems. The position’s work may span multiple rider journeys, multiple user types, or varied operational scenarios. This role brings clarity to complicated scopes, makes sound design decisions independently, and drives work from problem definition through to shipped outcomes.

• Lead and deliver UX work on complex problems, across journeys, user types, or operational contexts, ensuring the work is coherent and complete.
• Define UX research scope during planning, decide when and why research is needed, surface knowledge gaps, and help teams act on what they learn.
• Shape product direction by advocating for riders and staff while understanding agency priorities and constraints.
• Design information architectures, content systems, reusable patterns, and interactions that are intuitive and accessible, thoughtfully determining when to extend and apply existing systems versus when new patterns or structures are needed.
• Understand and design for full user contexts across journeys and touchpoints, frame problems around real needs, and champion end-to-end experiences.
• Partner strategically with stakeholders, frame problems together, and align the team around user-centered approaches.
• Lead design efforts by sharing expertise with peers through design reviews, critique, and pairing, and contributing to a collaborative team environment.
• Lead accessibility work within the team by anticipating risks, ensuring inclusive design across experiences, and coaching others in accessible design practices.
• Follow and improve design practices including alignment frameworks, design system use, file organization, design reviews, research documentation, usability testing, and accessibility reviews.
• Protect data security, compliance, and privacy across all work by following best practices and established industry/MBTA policies, standards, and procedures for secure research, design, documentation, and data handling.
• Perform all other duties and projects that may be assigned.

Additional responsibilities may include focus on one or more departments or locations. See applicable addendum for department or location specific functions.

Supervision

• No direct reports.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Six (6) years of relevant professional experience in UX design, product design, and/or interaction design, including experience designing complex digital products that integrate operational systems, real-time data, or customer facing experiences.
• Experience conducting or leading UX research activities and applying research findings to product, service, or design decisions.
• Experience designing end-to-end experiences that span multiple touchpoints or systems.
• Working knowledge of accessibility standards and inclusive design practices for digital products or services.
• Experience working on cross-functional teams that include product management, engineering, and business, operational, or stakeholder partners.
• Experience providing design leadership through mentoring, coaching, establishing best practices, or influencing product and organizational decisions.
• As part of the selection process, candidates will be asked to complete and pass job-related technical assessments, which may include presenting a UX case study and/or a timed whiteboarding exercise.

Substitutions

• A high school diploma or GED with an additional seven (7) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• An associate’s degree from an accredited institution and an additional three (3) years of directly related experience substitutes for the bachelor’s degree requirement.
• A master’s degree in a related subject substitutes for two (2) years of general experience.
• A nationally recognized certification, or statewide/professional certification in a related field substitutes for one (1) year of experience.

• Experience designing complex digital products that integrate customer-facing experiences, operational workflows, business rules, payments, eligibility requirements, or real-time information.
• Experience with service design methods, including journey mapping, ecosystem mapping, and cross-channel experience design.
• Experience designing for complex, constraint-heavy contexts, such as government, healthcare, financial services, or other regulated industries.
• Experience in public sector, mobility, or civic technology.
• Experience using qualitative research, analytics, operational data, or performance metrics to inform design decisions.