Senior Experience Designer @ G&CO (Contract, Hybrid)

Academy; New York (NY); On-site; USD 123,984 - 151,536; Full time

Job summary

Academy is looking for a Senior Experience Designer for a 3-month contract role based in the NYC metro area, involving hybrid work at Hudson Yards. This position requires a hands-on approach to design and the ability to present and collaborate with clients directly.

The ideal candidate should possess strong proficiency in Figma and experience designing conversational AI interfaces for expert users. Compensation ranges from $90-110 per hour, with potential for full-time conversion.

Qualifications

• Deep comfort designing conversational AI interfaces.
• Ability to present confidently and operate autonomously.
• Experience designing for expert or technical users relevant.

Responsibilities

• Lead feature prioritization and define design requirements.
• Present work confidently during client-facing reviews.
• Produce interaction flows and designs in Figma.

Skills

Conversational UI

Interaction design

Visual design

Figma proficiency

Experience with AI interfaces

Job description

G&CO. is a global customer experience agency and experience partner for enterprise brands. Headquartered in Hudson Yards, New York, they work at the intersection of brand intelligence, product design, and AI to help companies like Nike, Starbucks, Toyota, and Lululemon define and build the future of their customer experience. They are a lean, senior team — fast-moving, design-forward, and deeply embedded with our clients. Every engagement is high-stakes, high-visibility, and built on the belief that great design and sharp strategy are inseparable.

About the role

They are looking for a Senior Experience Designer to plug directly into an active, high-profile engagement. This is a hands‑on execution role — not a purely directional one. You will be in the room presenting to clients, driving design decisions, and producing work that needs to stand up to sophisticated, demanding audiences.

The primary project is a flagship AI‑powered scientific research platform for a major life sciences company — think of the future of how expert users interact with AI‑assisted research tools. The work is technically complex, sprint‑based, and highly visible. The client is entrepreneurial and sharp, with a strong design sensibility of their own.

This role requires someone who can span conversational UI, interaction design, and visual execution — and move fluidly between product experience and brand tracks as priorities shift.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead feature prioritization and define interaction design requirements across all product workstreams
• Serve as the primary design voice in sprint ceremonies and biweekly client‑facing experience reviews — presenting work, providing accept/revise guidance on the live build, and holding design intent through execution
• Produce interaction flows, component states, screen designs, and design frameworks in Figma at sprint pace
• Design for expert scientific users across four research domains in a conversational AI interface environment
• Collaborate directly with client design leads, product managers, and engineering and AI partner teams to ensure design decisions survive handoff
• Contribute visual design at the component and prototype level — enough visual range to produce polished, client‑ready work without requiring a separate visual designer on every sprint
• Flex across product experience and brand/go‑to‑market tracks as sprint priorities shift

What We're Looking For

• Someone who spans brand experience and product design
• Apple‑level simplicity in visual thinking; strong motion design instincts
• Deep comfort with conversational AI interfaces — this is not traditional website wireframing
• Ability to present confidently, hold a point of view, and operate autonomously in client‑facing settings
• Advanced Figma proficiency; hands‑on execution at sprint pace is a must
• Experience designing for expert or technical users (scientific, financial, or enterprise contexts a plus)

Job Details

Duration: 3‑month contract, with strong likelihood of continuing through end of 2026 and potential FTE conversion

Commitment: 40 hours/week

Compensation: ~$90-110 /hr

Location: NYC metro area, hybrid (Hudson Yards). Candidates must be permanently based in New York.

Work Authorization: US work authorization required (US citizens or Green Card holders only)