Sr. Principal UX Designer

Gartner; Irving (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Gartner seeks a Sr. UX Principal Designer, an elite individual contributor who will shape the end-to-end user experience across complex product ecosystems. You will anchor a holistic design vision, drive scalable design systems, and partner with senior stakeholders to align strategy with business goals.

You will demonstrate mastery in craft, conduct deep qualitative and quantitative research, and mentor other designers to elevate strategic thinking and design culture.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in UX, product design, or HCI at principal/senior/principal-distinguished level.
• World-class portfolio demonstrating systems thinking and craft.

Responsibilities

• Define the overarching user experience vision across complex product ecosystems.
• Architect scalable design systems and interaction paradigms for future needs.
• Act as standard-bearer for design quality with high-fidelity prototypes and journey maps.
• Partner with senior stakeholders to align design strategy with business goals.
• Lead research collaboration with UX Research to uncover human truths and translate insights.
• Mentor senior designers to elevate strategic thinking and craft.

Skills

Systems thinking

User experience design

Stakeholder management

Prototyping

Research methods

Design leadership

Job description

About The Role

We are seeking a distinguished Sr. UX Principal Designer to join our team as a high-level individual contributor. This role is the pinnacle of our design IC track, operating at the Senior Director level. You will not manage a team of direct reports; instead, you will manage complex problem spaces, drive holistic systems thinking, and elevate the craft of our design organization.

We are seeking a distinguished Sr. UX Principal Designer to join our team as a high-level individual contributor. This role is the pinnacle of our design IC track, operating at the Senior Director level. You will not manage a team of direct reports; instead, you will manage complex problem spaces, drive holistic systems thinking, and elevate the craft of our design organization.

What You Will Do:

You are a master of your craft, a visionary systems thinker, and a strategic partner to our stakeholders. You have been in the industry long enough to have seen trends come and go, allowing you to anchor your work in timeless design principles, deep behavioral research, and measurable business outcomes. You possess a strong, well-founded point of view and the strategic alignment skills to bring stakeholders along on the journey.

Vision & Holistic Systems Thinking

• Define and drive the overarching user experience vision across our most complex and critical product ecosystems.
• Connect the dots across disparate product lines, ensuring a seamless, holistic, and unified user journey from end to end.
• Architect scalable design systems and interaction paradigms that anticipate future business needs and technological advancements.

Craft Obsession & Execution

• Act as the ultimate standard-bearer for design quality. You sweat the details and are obsessed with the micro-interactions as much as the macro-journeys.
• Get your hands dirty. While you operate strategically, you still love the craft and will actively create high-fidelity prototypes, journey maps, and architectural frameworks to demonstrate your vision.
• Push the boundaries of what is possible, bringing innovative, world-class design solutions to market that redefine industry standards.

Strategic Influence & Stakeholder Management

• Partner directly senior level stakeholders to align design strategy with core business objectives.
• Navigate complex organizational dynamics with ease. You can effectively manage stakeholders, resolve conflicting priorities, and drive alignment without relying on hierarchical authority.
• Present and defend design decisions with a compelling narrative, grounded heavily in qualitative research, quantitative data, and market strategy.

Research-Grounded Innovation

• Champion a deeply research-driven approach. You don't just design based on intuition; you actively partner with (and sometimes lead) UX Research to uncover foundational human truths.
• Translate ambiguous behavioral insights into concrete, actionable, and innovative design architectures.

Mentorship & Design Culture

• Act as a multiplier for the design organization. While you have no direct reports, you will mentor Lead and Senior designers, elevating their strategic thinking and craft.
• Foster a culture of rigorous design critique, continuous learning, and intellectual curiosity.

What We Are Looking For

• Experience: 15+ years of experience in UX, Product Design, or HCI, with a proven track record of operating at a Principal, Senior Principal, or Distinguished level.
• Portfolio: A world-class portfolio demonstrating profound systems thinking, mastery of craft, and the ability to solve highly complex, multi