UI/UX Designer

Varmoda Tech is seeking an onsite UX Researcher / Senior UX Strategist to lead user-centered research and shape end-to-end product experience strategy across digital platforms.

Responsibilities

• Plan, conduct, and facilitate qualitative and quantitative user research activities
• Collect and synthesize user, customer, and stakeholder feedback into actionable insights
• Build a deep understanding of user behaviors, motivations, goals, and pain points
• Use research methodologies to evaluate product experiences and identify improvement opportunities
• Prioritize research initiatives aligned to product strategy and roadmap objectives
• Analyze research findings and communicate recommendations that impact product design and business decisions
• Translate research insights into UX strategies and design recommendations
• Define user-centered approaches that improve customer experiences and business outcomes
• Clarify user, customer, and business needs and convert them into interaction concepts
• Establish UX principles, standards, and best practices across products and initiatives
• Document strategic themes, usability goals, interaction patterns, and experience guidelines
• Collaborate with UX Designers, Product Managers, Business Stakeholders, and Development Teams
• Communicate prototype requirements and testing objectives to design teams
• Validate designs through user testing and iterative feedback loops
• Ensure research outcomes are reflected throughout the product development lifecycle
• Facilitate workshops and collaborative sessions with stakeholders and cross-functional teams
• Develop and maintain UX artifacts including Journey Maps, User Flows, Experience Maps, Storyboards, Personas, Research Reports, and Usability Findings
• Create implementation-ready documentation for downstream design and development teams
• Present findings and recommendations to business and executive stakeholders
• Support strategic decision-making through data storytelling and user advocacy

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Human Factors
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Psychology
• Bachelor's degree or higher in User Experience Design
• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related UX field
• Equivalent experience may be considered
• 8+ years of UX Research experience
• Strong understanding of user-centered design principles and user experience best practices
• Experience supporting enterprise, corporate, or B2B environments
• Demonstrated expertise in User Research
• Demonstrated expertise in Usability Testing
• Demonstrated expertise in User Interviews
• Demonstrated expertise in Customer Journey Analysis
• Demonstrated expertise in Stakeholder Research
• Demonstrated expertise in Experience Strategy
• Strong empathy-driven design and research approach
• Ability to organize, synthesize, and communicate research findings effectively
• Strong adaptive thinking to navigate changing business and product requirements
• Thorough understanding of UI Design Best Practices
• Thorough understanding of Interaction Design
• Thorough understanding of Information Architecture
• Thorough understanding of Graphic Design Fundamentals
• Experience using UX design, wireframing, prototyping, and collaboration tools
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in fast-paced environments
• Experience managing multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities simultaneously
• Strong portfolio demonstrating UX process, research methodology, and business impact
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills

Benefits

• Growth opportunity within a fast-scaling federal IT firm
• Direct impact on citizen-facing federal programs
• Competitive benefits including 401k, health insurance, Paid Time Off, Life Insurance and others (customize per role/location)
• Veteran-friendly (V3) workplace culture

Preferred Qualifications

• Project management experience
• Experience leading enterprise-scale UX initiatives
• Exceptional data storytelling and presentation capabilities
• Experience facilitating workshops, stakeholder alignment sessions, and design thinking activities
• Experience working with Agile product teams
• Experience supporting digital transformation or modernization initiatives
• Familiarity with accessibility, compliance, and inclusive design principles

Preferred Certifications

• Certified Usability Analyst (CUA)
• Human Factors International (HFI) Certification
• Nielsen Norman Group (NNG) UX Certification
• Design Thinking Certification
• Agile or Scrum Certification

Location

• Chicago, IL (onsite)