UI/UX Human-Centered Design (HCD) Specialist

Type of Requisition:

Pipeline

Clearance Level Must Currently Possess:

None

Clearance Level Must Be Able to Obtain:

None

Public Trust/Other Required:

Other

Job Family:

Software Engineering

Job Qualifications:

Skills:

Design, Iterative Design, Wireframing

Certifications:

None

Experience:

10 + years of related experience

US Citizenship Required:

No

Job Description:

UI/UX Human-Centered Design (HCD) Specialist

The UI/UX Human-Centered Design (HCD) Specialist supports the Case Management Modernization (CMM) Program for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (AO) by applying HCD, UX research, and usability design principles to create intuitive, accessible, and efficient user experiences. Working within Agile teams alongside developers, architects, and product owners, this role ensures that all CMM applications—developed on an AWS platform—are designed around user needs, meet Section 508 compliance, and align with federal digital service standards for accessibility, performance, and security.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and conduct user research, interviews, and usability testing to inform UI/UX design decisions.
• Develop personas, user journeys, wireframes, and prototypes to capture and communicate user needs.
• Collaborate with Product Owners, UI Architects, and Developers to translate research insights into actionable design specifications.
• Ensure all designs comply with Human-Centered Design (HCD) principles and are fully aligned with program objectives and Agile ceremonies.
• Produce and maintain UX research documentation including problem statements, hypotheses, and synthesis reports.
• Facilitate design thinking workshops and participatory design sessions to encourage user-driven innovation.
• Evaluate designs for compliance with Section 508, usability, and WCAG accessibility guidelines.
• Support iterative feedback loops through rapid prototyping and validation within sprint cycles.
• Provide guidance and recommendations on UI consistency, interaction design, and design system reuse.
• Partner with Quality Assurance and Compliance teams to verify usability and accessibility in production releases.

Deliverable Alignment & Performance Outcomes:

• UX Research and Design Artifacts: Personas, wireframes, journey maps, and prototypes mapped to CMM user roles.
• HCD Implementation Plans: Documentation of methodologies, user testing cycles, and outcome summaries.
• Accessibility and Compliance Reports: Validation of Section 508, WCAG 2.1 AA, and FedRAMP UI standards.
• Design System Contributions: Standardized templates and components integrated into the shared UI library.
• Performance Outcomes:
• o 100% of design artifacts produced in accordance with HCD and Agile sprint objectives.
• o ≥95% compliance with Section 508 and accessibility audit benchmarks.
• o Measurable improvement in task completion efficiency and user satisfaction.
• o Reduced post-release UI-related defects by ≥20% through proactive design validation.

Required Skills & Experience:

• 8+ years of experience in UX design and research, including 5+ years in a Human-Centered Design role supporting enterprise or government applications.
• Strong understanding of Agile/SAFe delivery and iterative design integration.
• Expertise in UX research methods: usability testing, heuristic evaluation, card sorting, and A/B testing.
• Proficiency in design and prototyping tools (Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, Storybook, Axure, Miro or similar tools).
• Familiarity with HTML5, CSS3, and responsive UI behavior to collaborate effectively with developers.
• Experience designing for federal systems, with practical knowledge of Section 508 and WCAG compliance.
• Demonstrated success conducting stakeholder interviews and synthesizing qualitative and quantitative findings.
• Excellent storytelling and communication skills to present design rationale to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Psychology, or a related field.
• Experience designing for federal digital modernization programs or court/case management systems.
• Familiarity with DesignOps and UX governance practices.
• Exposure to data-driven UX optimization using analytics tools (Google Analytics, Hotjar).
• Understanding of Zero Trust Design and secure user interface principles.
• Knowledge of AI-assisted UX tools or predictive usability models.

Certifications:

• Certified Usability Analyst (CUA) or Certified HCD Professional – preferred.
• SAFe Agile Practitioner (SPC or SSM) – preferred.
• Section 508 Trusted Tester Certification – highly desirable.
• UX Design or HCD Certification (NN/g, IDEO, or HFI) – beneficial.

Tools & Technologies:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, Storybook, Miro, Axure, InVision.
• Accessibility: Axe, Wave, Color Oracle, SiteImprove.
• Collaboration: Jira, Confluence, SharePoint, MS Teams.
• Testing & Analytics: Hotjar, Google Analytics, Optimal Workshop.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• 10+ years of general experience in information systems
• 8+ years of specialized experience
• Minimum Education: MA/MS
• Experience may be considered in lieu of degree as follows: HS (16+ years), AA/AS (14+ years), BA/BS (12+ years), Doctorate Degree/Ph.D. (9+ years)

COMMUNICATION & ORGANIZATIONAL

• Excellent presentation and communication (oral and written) skills.
• Consultant mindset with the ability to work with high level customer stakeholders and build excellent customer relationship.
• Experience identifying and applying industry tools, solutions, methods best practices, and emerging technologies.
• Strong analytical skills and problem-solving skills with the ability to formulate and communicate recommendations for improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively, independently, and as part of a team.

The likely salary range for this position is $165,750 - $224,250. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. Rather, salary will be set based on experience, geographic location and possibly contractual requirements and could fall outside of this range.

Scheduled Weekly Hours:

40

Travel Required:

None

Telecommuting Options:

Remote

Work Location:

Any Location / Remote

Additional Work Locations:

Total Rewards at GDIT:

Our benefits package for all US-based employees includes a variety of medical plan options, some with Health Savings Accounts, dental plan options, a vision plan, and a 401(k) plan offering the ability to contribute both pre and post-tax dollars up to the IRS annual limits and receive a company match. To encourage work/life balance, GDIT offers employees full flex work weeks where possible and a variety of paid time off plans, including vacation, sick and personal time, holidays, paid parental, military, bereavement and jury duty leave. GDIT typically provides new employees with 15 days of paid leave per calendar year to be used for vacations, personal business, and illness and an additional 10 paid holidays per year. Paid leave and paid holidays are prorated based on the employee’s date of hire. The GDIT Paid Family Leave program provides a total of up to 160 hours of paid leave in a rolling 12 month period for eligible employees. To ensure our employees are able to protect their income, other offerings such as short and long-term disability benefits, life, accidental death and dismemberment, personal accident, critical illness and business travel and accident insurance are provided or available. We regularly review our Total Rewards package to ensure our offerings are competitive and reflect what our employees have told us they value most.

We are GDIT. A global technology and professional services company that delivers consulting, technology and mission services to every major agency across the U.S. government, defense and intelligence community. Our 30,000 experts extract the power of technology to create immediate value and deliver solutions at the edge of innovation. We operate across 50 countries worldwide, offering leading capabilities in digital modernization, AI/ML, Cloud, Cyber and application development. Together with our clients, we strive to create a safer, smarter world by harnessing the power of deep expertise and advanced technology.

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Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans