Product Designer – Digital Experiences

Gemological Institute of America; Carlsbad (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Tuition assistance

Commuter benefits

On-site cafe

EV charging on-site

Ergonomic assessments

Job summary

The Gemological Institute of America in Carlsbad, CA is seeking a Product Designer for Digital Experiences to craft intuitive, accessible interfaces across websites, web apps, and mobile-enabled products. You will work with Product Management, Engineering, IT, and stakeholders to translate user needs into production-ready designs.

This role emphasizes UX/UI design, information architecture, and front-end collaboration, with a hybrid schedule requiring three in-person days at the Carlsbad office.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, CS, IT, Web Development, or related field.
• Three or more years of professional product design/UX/UI work.
• Portfolio demonstrating product thinking, user flows, responsive visual design, prototyping, accessibility.

Responsibilities

• Own product design for websites, applications, and digital features from discovery through design and delivery.
• Translate user needs, product goals, brand standards, accessibility requirements, and constraints into solutions.
• Create user journeys, information architecture, task flows, wireframes, and high-fidelity interfaces.
• Apply visual design expertise across hierarchy, typography, layout, content structure, accessibility, and responsive behavior.
• Build and maintain responsive interfaces and reusable front-end components.
• Collaborate with developers to ensure production-ready interfaces and integration with back-end services.

Skills

User-centered design

Information architecture

Interaction design

Responsive design

Accessibility

Usability testing

Figma

HTML/CSS/JS

Design systems

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Design or related field

Tools

Figma

HTML

CSS

JavaScript

Content Management Systems

React

Job description

Product Designer – Digital Experiences – We offer a competitive benefits package!

GIA is the world’s foremost authority in gemology. GIA is a global organization with headquarters located in Carlsbad, CA. GIA in Carlsbad boasts a 17-acre ocean view campus that accommodates approximately 800 of its 3,400 total employees worldwide. It offers many competitive health and commuter benefits that promote the well-being of its employees as well as that of the environment.

The Location:

This position is located in Carlsbad, California at our corporate headquarters. Hybrid work schedule. Required to work at least 3 days at Carlsbad, CA office.

What to expect:

• competitive medical, dental, vision and matching 401-K plans
• Paid vacation, sick and holidays
• tuition assistance
• commuter benefits

The Environment:

• On-site cafe - affordable custom breakfast and lunch meals and Starbucks drinks!
• Economic friendly services - electric vehicle charging stations on-site
• Ergonomic assessments offered on-site and virtually

Job Overview:

The Product Designer Digital Experiences and UI Engineering is an Information Technology role responsible for designing and delivering intuitive, accessible, responsive, and visually cohesive experiences across websites, web applications, and mobile- enabled products. The position applies product design, UX UI, information architecture, interaction design, prototyping, user research, and front-end website programming to move assigned work from discovery through release. Working closely with Product Management, Engineering, IT architecture, quality assurance, and business stakeholders, the role translates user and business needs into high-quality designs and production-ready interfaces, contributes reusable components and standards, resolves front-end issues, supports testing and integration, and improves released experiences through evidence and feedback. The role is not accountable for back-end engineering or full-stack application architecture unless the scope is formally expanded.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Digital Experience and UX UI Design
• Own product design for assigned websites, applications, and digital features from discovery through design and delivery, translating user needs, product goals, brand standards, accessibility requirements, and technical constraints into effective solutions.
• Create user journeys, information architecture, task flows, wireframes, visual designs, and high-fidelity interfaces for responsive web and mobile experiences.
• Apply strong product judgment and visual design expertise across hierarchy, typography, layout, content structure, accessibility, usability, and responsive behavior.
• Front End Website Programming and Technical Delivery
• Build, configure, and maintain responsive website interfaces and reusable front-end components using approved web technologies, content management platforms, and development standards.
• Translate approved designs and prototypes into production-ready user interfaces, applying semantic structure, styling, interactive behavior, accessibility, browser compatibility, and performance practices.
• Troubleshoot front-end defects, support testing and releases, maintain technical documentation, and collaborate with developers on integration with back-end services and enterprise platforms.
• Interaction Design Prototyping and Design Systems
• Gather and synthesize insights through stakeholder interviews, user feedback, usability testing, product analytics, and other available research inputs.
• Plan and facilitate usability validation, identify experience risks, and translate findings into prioritized design improvements.
• Evaluate released experiences and recommend iterative enhancements based on evidence and customer outcomes.
• User Research Usability Validation and Optimization
• Gather and synthesize insights through stakeholder interviews, user feedback, usability testing, product analytics, and other available research inputs.
• Plan and facilitate usability validation, identify experience risks, and translate findings into prioritized design improvements.
• Evaluate released experiences and recommend iterative enhancements based on evidence and customer outcomes.
• IT Product Delivery and Stakeholder Partnership
• Partner with Product Management, Engineering, IT architecture, quality assurance, and business stakeholders to align user needs, product priorities, technical feasibility, security expectations, delivery scope, and release timing.
• Participate in planning, estimation, design reviews, code or configuration reviews as applicable, testing, and release- readiness activities for assigned digital work.
• Communicate design rationale, technical tradeoffs, delivery risks, and recommendations clearly to technical and non- technical audiences.

Skills & Abilities:

• Strong knowledge of user-centered design, information architecture, interaction design, responsive design, accessibility, and usability best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to independently frame design problems, evaluate alternatives, make sound design decisions, and operate effectively with incomplete or evolving requirements.
• Proficiency with modern design and prototyping tools such as Figma or comparable platforms, with strong knowledge of typography, layout, and digital design techniques.
• Ability to clearly present design concepts, recommendations, tradeoffs, and rationale to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong collaboration skills and experience partnering with product managers, engineers, and cross-functional stakeholders throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Strong organizational skills, self-motivation, openness to feedback, ability to balance priorities & meet deadlines across multiple initiatives.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, Information Technology, Web Development, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Three or more years of professional experience in product design, UX UI design, front-end web development, website programming, interaction design, or a closely related discipline.
• Portfolio demonstrating product thinking, user flows, responsive visual design, prototyping, accessibility, and implemented web or application interfaces.
• Working proficiency with Figma or a comparable design tool and practical experience with HTML, CSS, JavaScript, content management systems, modern front-end frameworks, or comparable web technologies relevant to the environment.
• Experience partnering with product managers, software engineers, quality assurance, and business stakeholders through design, development, testing, and release.
• Knowledge of responsive design, semantic structure, accessibility standards, browser compatibility, design systems, source control, testing practices, and front-end performance fundamentals.

Salary Range:

$110,000 to $125,000 annually

Equal Opportunity Employer:

All employment decisions are made without regard to unlawful considerations of race, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected status. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.

Disclaimer:

This job description indicates in general terms, the type and level of work performed as well as the typical responsibilities of employees in this classification and it may be changed by management at any time. Other duties may also apply. Nothing in this job description changes the at-will employment relationship existing between the Company and its employees.

Working at GIA:

With a reach that spans the globe — GIA is a nonprofit institute dedicated to ensuring the public trust in gems and jewelry through cutting edge gemological research and rigorous education programs. We have shaped the gem industry, protected millions of consumers and taught generations of jewelers and gemologists all over the world since 1931. Comprising over 3,000 employees in 13 countries, GIA is a place of diversity, innovation, creativity and engagement. Whether you are passionate about science, history, design, education, IT or a corporate career, GIA has a place for you. Join one of the world’s most colorful and brilliant industries with an organization that serves the public good by bringing knowledge and objectivity to gems and jewelry.

What GIA Does:

• Research that deepens the world’s understanding of gems and jewelry manufacturing and shares these findings with academia, the industry, and the gem-buying public
• Education that builds careers and enhances the knowledge and integrity of the gem and jewelry industry
• Standard setting that protects those who buy gems by ensuring the qualities of gems and jewelry are objectively and consistently described
• Laboratory services that provide an unbiased and scientific assessment of gem quality

Employee Benefits:

• GIA offers competitive salaries and exceptional benefits as well as training opportunities to employees all over the globe.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

All employment decisions are made without regard to unlawful considerations of race, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected status. Reasonable accommodations are available upon request.

Crime Statistics (For U.S. Only):

In accordance with the Jeanne Clery Act, GIA's current annual crime statistics are available at: Clery Report: Annual Disclosure of Campus Security Policies and Crime Statistics