UX Designer

Second Front; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Employer-paid medical, dental, vision

401(k) with company contributions

Wellness benefits and One Medical

Equity incentive plan

Home office stipend

Professional development stipend

Flexible PTO and federal holidays

Parental leave

Flexible remote work opportunities

Employee referral bonus

Job summary

Second Front Systems is seeking a resourceful UX/Product Designer to shape the interface layer for defense-related software. You will design workflows for confidential operations, conduct user research with warfighters, and translate complex requirements into intuitive experiences while maintaining security and accreditation standards.

You will work with engineers and product managers to deliver deployable designs.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional experience as a Product Designer, UX Designer, or UI Designer for complex web applications or SaaS products.
• Proficiency with Claude Design, Claude Code, and Figma for prompt-to-prototype workflows and design systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work synchronously with AI-assisted engineering teams in fast-paced, collaborative agile environments.
• Strong portfolio showing design process, problem-solving, and real-world examples of simplifying complex technical workflows into user-friendly applications.
• Experience executing user research methodologies and translating feedback into actionable design adjustments.
• Solid grounding in information architecture, interaction design, visual hierarchy, and user-centered design principles.
• Familiarity with government compliance frameworks such as ATO, FedRAMP, or NIST 800-53 and accreditation workflows.
• U.S. citizenship required due to government contract requirements.

Responsibilities

• Drive prompt-to-prototype workflows using Claude Design and Claude Code to translate user needs and technical requirements into functional prototypes and high-fidelity interfaces.
• Partner in rapid feedback loops with engineering teams to build, test, and refine interactive prototypes and production features leveraging AI tools.
• Own the end-to-end user experience for deployment, configuration, and accreditation workflows within the customer application.
• Translate complex compliance and technical requirements into intuitive, accessible user journeys in collaboration with product managers and domain experts.
• Conduct user research with commercial software providers through interviews, usability testing, and surveys to uncover pain points and validate design directions.
• Maintain and scale the design system to ensure visual quality, accessibility, and interaction consistency across iteration cycles.
• Champion user-centered design principles throughout the product lifecycle, balancing user needs against technical feasibility and speed.

Skills

UX Designer

Product Designer

Portfolio

User Research

Collaboration

Security Awareness

Tools

Claude Design

Claude Code

Figma

Job description

• Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC

Second Front Systems is looking for an unusually resourceful, detail-obsessed UX Designer to strengthen our product organization and customer-facing capabilities.

Operating at the intersection of defense technology requirements and software usability, you will be responsible for designing interfaces and workflows for classified defense operations.

You will conduct user research with warfighters and mission operators to validate design decisions, ensuring that systems remain intuitive under operational stress and meet accreditation standards.

We need someone capable of translating complex mission requirements into clear, navigable product experiences; working within security constraints and government certification processes without compromising usability; and collaborating with engineers and product managers to deliver designs that deploy reliably in contested environments.

As a key partner to product leadership, engineering, and end-user communities, you will shape the interface layer that determines warfighter effectiveness and mission success, serving as the voice of operator needs within product decisions.

Note: Candidates must reside in one of our approved hiring hubs:

• DC/Maryland/Virginia
• Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill, NC
• Denver/Colorado Springs, CO
• Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

What You'll Do

• Drive prompt-to-prototype workflows using Claude Design and Claude Code to translate user needs and technical requirements into functional prototypes and high-fidelity interfaces.
• Partner in rapid feedback loops with engineering teams to build, test, and refine interactive prototypes and production features leveraging AI tools.
• Own the end-to-end user experience for deployment, configuration, and accreditation workflows within the customer application.
• Translate complex compliance and technical requirements into intuitive, accessible user journeys in collaboration with product managers and domain experts.
• Conduct user research with commercial software providers through interviews, usability testing, and surveys to uncover pain points and validate design directions.
• Maintain and scale the design system to ensure visual quality, accessibility, and interaction consistency across iteration cycles.
• Champion user-centered design principles throughout the product lifecycle, balancing user needs against technical feasibility and speed.

What You Bring

• 3+ years of professional experience as a Product Designer, UX Designer, or UI Designer for complex web applications or SaaS products.
• Proven proficiency with Claude Design, Claude Code, and Figma for prompt-to-prototype workflows and design systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work synchronously with AI-assisted engineering teams in fast-paced, collaborative agile environments.
• Strong portfolio showing design process, problem-solving, and real-world examples of simplifying complex technical workflows into user-friendly applications.
• Experience executing user research methodologies and translating feedback into actionable design adjustments.
• Solid grounding in information architecture, interaction design, visual hierarchy, and user-centered design principles.
• Familiarity with government compliance frameworks such as ATO, FedRAMP, or NIST 800-53 and accreditation workflows.
• U.S. citizenship required due to government contract requirements.

Preferred

The base salary for this position will fall between $120,000 and $145,000. Your ultimate compensation will be determined by professional background, technical proficiency, seniority, and regional cost factors. Furthermore, this opportunity includes potential eligibility for equity awards and discretionary bonuses, rounding out a comprehensive total rewards offering.

Success at 2F Looks Like:

• A proactive and solutions oriented mindset
• Viewing obstacles as opportunities for growth
• Having a bias toward action and tangible, measurable results
• Being team-oriented with a focus on personal responsibility and autonomy

Perks & Benefits:

This role is a full time position. As a public benefit corporation, we’re a team of purpose-driven trailblazers transforming the future of U.S. national security. We hire the best to do their best and, as such, we are committed to providing the perks and benefits you need to be successful—both in- and outside the workplace.

Perks of Joining Our Team:

• Competitive salary
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
• 401(k) with a 3% company contribution
• Comprehensive wellness benefits, including a One Medical membership, mental health resources, family planning support, and more
• Equity incentive plan
• New hire technology and home office stipend
• Annual professional development stipend
• Flexible paid time off, plus all federal holidays
• Generous parental leave
• Flexible remote work opportunities
• Employee referral bonus program

Who We Are:

Second Front Systems (2F) is a public-benefit software company powering software for the free world. We eliminate the friction that slows innovation, enabling faster, more secure development and deployment of software across government and regulated networks. Built by national security veterans and backed by top-tier venture capital, our platform is trusted by the world’s leading organizations to cut deployment timelines from years to weeks. We move fast, solve hard problems, and deliver trusted capabilities where they’re needed most. Our work strengthens global security and gives the United States and its allies a lasting competitive advantage. Learn more at secondfront.com.

One last thing:

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

State notices:

Colorado:

In accordance with Colorado law, applicants may redact their date of birth, dates of attendance, and dates of graduation from any uploaded documents.

Maryland:

Under Maryland law, an employer may not require or demand, as a condition of employment, prospective employment, or continued employment, that an individual submit to or take a polygraph examination or similar test. An employer who violates this law is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a fine not exceeding $100

Compensation Range: $120K - $145K