Senior UX Designer (Contract)

Velir is an established mid-sized agency with a top-tier portfolio of clients, ranging from the world's largest non-profits to Fortune 500 brands. As of 2023, Velir acquired Brooklyn Data Company, a premier data and analytics consultancy focused on leadership, process improvement, implementation, and advanced analytics. Collectively, we pride ourselves on our people-first culture and a low-ego workplace that embraces experimentation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. We offer flexible work locations, competitive pay, and excellent benefits.

• This is a 6 month contract with the intent to extend on a project basis*
  
  

We're looking for a Senior User Experience (UX) Designer (project-based contractor) who champions audience-centered design and has experience leading a collaborative, multidisciplinary team during the upfront, undefined phase of experience design for large, complex websites.

UX Designers at Velir think about how the digital experience remains user-focused and aligned with the strategic goals of the business, with the ability to transform user needs and conceptual ideas into practical design solutions.

We're looking for candidates who excel in the following roles:

• Facilitator: Remain curious, ask questions, and work collaboratively with clients to uncover objectives and current pain points related to their end users.
• Researcher: Conduct exploratory interviews and usability tests to uncover opportunities to better engage end users.
• Strategic Designer: Articulate a digital experience's purpose and priorities clearly and succinctly before diving into a design solution.
• Consultant: Provide a strong perspective and design recommendations for our clients based on a firm understanding of UX best practices and emerging technologies.
  
  

Responsibilities:

• Lead workshops and collaborative client discussions that result in an understanding of audience needs.
• Conduct usability testing of potential IA and/or design solutions.
• Bring audience insights to life using common design artifacts such as audience journey maps.
• Create wireframes and clickable prototypes that articulate content hierarchy and features, laying the foundation for developing our clients' design system.
• Collaborate with content strategists, digital solutions analysts, and other experience designers.
  
  

Requirements:

• 6+ years in user experience or UX/UI design; Agency experience preferred.
• A strong portfolio of sample client work or case studies from past agency, internal design, or freelance work.
• Experience in:
• Creating UX deliverables (user journeys, wireframes, heuristic evaluations, etc.)
• Working with component-based design that is supported by CMS platforms such as Sitecore, Drupal, and Adobe Experience Manager
• Facilitating workshops and collaborative client discussions
• Presenting to large groups and providing regular consultation to clients in written presentations and discussions
• Identifying design inspiration from comparable digital experiences through secondary research
• Familiarity with the value of design systems, understanding reuse and scale, and knowing when to contribute to make them better.
• Familiarity with best practices in accessible and inclusive design.
• Understanding of front-end development – including what's possible within the development frameworks we work with (HTML/CSS; JavaScript and beyond).
• A self-motivated contributor that can manage multiple projects independently in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Proven ability to work effectively within multidisciplinary teams (including both creative and technical roles).
• Proven ability to be a self-starter and solve complex problems in ambiguous situations.
• Comfortable speaking the language of designers, analysts, marketers, developers, and account management.
• Demonstrates excellent communication skills, written & verbal.
  

Nice to have:

• Figma experience preferred.
• Experience creating visual design and interaction design solutions.
  
  

Physical Requirements

• Frequent sitting at a desk performing work on a computer
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions
  
  

Compensation Range: $90-$100 hourly, up to 30 hours a week

Please note that compensation packages are finalized after the interview process is concluded. We use a competency-based approach to base pay, which means it is based on the competencies and skills demonstrated for this role.

Core Company Values

Velir is an established mid-sized agency with a top-tier portfolio of clients, ranging from the world's largest non-profits to Fortune 500 brands. We pride ourselves on our people-first culture and a low-ego workplace that embraces experimentation, collaboration and continuous improvement. We offer our employees access to excellent benefits including flexible work locations, comprehensive healthcare coverage, and access to a variety of company perks.

• Take the Long View - Ensure the company is built to last
• Be Courageous - Make the right decisions even when they aren't the easiest decisions
• Be Genuine - Bring honesty and authenticity to all that you do
• Work with Focus + Passion - Display purpose and pride in your work and never stop learning
  
  

As an equal opportunity employer, we are firmly committing to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our hiring efforts. We recognize that we need team members from all backgrounds and experiences to successfully shape a positive employee experience as well as deliver our product and service solutions. To that end, we actively seek candidates who can bring diverse experiences and backgrounds to our team. We know that complex factors and systemic bias can get in the way of us meeting strong candidates, so please don't hesitate to apply even if you're not 100% sure.

At this time, Velir does not sponsor candidates and unfortunately cannot accept those on OPT or CPT.