UX Designer

Stellar Professionals; Des Moines (IA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Part time

Job summary

Iowa Department of Management (DOM) / Division of Information Technology (DoIT) is seeking a Senior UX Designer / Researcher to lead UX research, usability testing, and accessibility-first designs for high-priority state modernization initiatives, starting with the SRI platform.

The role emphasizes no coding, collaboration with agency product owners, and extending USWDS-based design systems to ensure a consistent user experience across Iowa state agency platforms.

Qualifications

• 8+ years executing usability labs, heuristic evaluations, user journey mapping, persona development, and card sorting.
• 8+ years structuring complex enterprise data categories, wireframing, and building interactive prototypes in Figma.
• 8+ years designing accessible web applications with WCAG 2.2 AA, focus management, keyboard navigation, color contrast.
• Proven ability to translate research insights into clear design documentation for engineers and state leaders.

Responsibilities

• UX Research & Usability Testing: design and conduct usability labs, interviews, heuristic evaluations, card-sorting, and heat map analyses to reduce workflow friction.
• Information Architecture & Prototyping: map complex data workflows into intuitive user journeys and wireframes; build interactive Figma prototypes.
• Accessibility-First Design: integrate WCAG 2.2 AA standards into design systems, ensure focus management and keyboard navigation compliance.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: partner with lead UX/Accessibility Architect and development teams to communicate findings and recommendations.

Skills

UX Research & Testing

Information Architecture

Accessibility Mastery

Technical Communication

Education

HCI program / certifications

Tools

Figma

Crazy Egg

Hotjar

USWDS

Job description

We are seeking a Senior UX Designer / Researcher with specialized expertise in user research, information architecture, and accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA) to join the Division of Information Technology (DoIT) at the Iowa Department of Management (DOM). This role leads UX research, usability testing, and accessibility-first interface designs for high-priority state modernization initiatives, starting with the Iowa Department of Education Student Reporting in Iowa (SRI) platform.

• Client: Iowa Department of Management (DOM) / Division of Information Technology (DoIT)

• Location: Des Moines, IA 50309 (200 E Grand Avenue)

• Work Arrangement: Remote (Local/regional candidates preferred for occasional in-office meetings; no travel reimbursement)

• Role Type: Contract (10/05/2026 06/30/2027, extension possible)

• Interview Process: Webcam or In-Person (Interviews scheduled for September 14 15, 2026)

• Key Policy: Pure UX Research & Design role (NO coding required). Generative AI usage during interviews is strictly prohibited.

Key Responsibilities

• UX Research & Usability Testing: Design and execute formal usability labs, user interviews, heuristic evaluations, card-sorting exercises, and heat map analyses (e.g., Crazy Egg, Hotjar) to eliminate workflow friction.

• Information Architecture & Prototyping: Map complex data workflows into intuitive user journeys, behavioral personas, low/high-fidelity wireframes, and interactive Figma prototypes.

• Accessibility-First Design (WCAG 2.2 AA): Integrate accessibility standards into visual layouts and design systems, ensuring proper focus management, keyboard navigation, and color contrast compliance.

• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with the lead UX/Accessibility Architect, agency product owners, and development teams to articulate research findings, design annotations, and usability recommendations.

• Design Systems: Leverage and extend design systems (such as USWDS) to ensure consistent user experience across state agency platforms.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• UX Research & Testing: 8+ years executing usability labs, heuristic evaluations, user journey mapping, persona development, and card sorting.

• Information Architecture & Figma: 8+ years structuring complex enterprise data categories, wireframing, and building interactive prototypes in Figma.

• Accessibility Mastery (WCAG 2.2 AA): 8+ years designing accessible web applications, with hands-on knowledge of focus management, keyboard navigation mechanics, and color contrast requirements.

• Technical Communication: Proven ability to translate research insights into clear design documentation and actionable guidance for software engineers and state leaders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Graduate of a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) program (e.g., Iowa State University HCI program) or formal certifications (Nielsen Norman Group, Google UX Certification).

• Analytics Tools: Hands-on experience with heat mapping and user analytics tools (Crazy Egg, Hotjar).

• Optional Framework Awareness: Familiarity with HTML5/CSS, USWDS, or integrating design assets into Angular and .NET MVC environments (coding is not required).