Senior UX Designer

Aquia is seeking a Senior UX Designer to join a cross-functional agile team working to improve the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) digital disability benefits experience. This role is a key contributor to the VA Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) Benefits Portfolio and will shape intuitive, accessible, and equitable experiences that help Veterans navigate complex application processes with confidence. You will be responsible for delivering human-centered, research-informed design solutions that support both Veteran outcomes and VA employee workflows. This is a remote position requiring U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain a security clearance.

What You'll Do:

• Lead the design of user flows, wireframes, mockups, and prototypes that align with VA.gov’s style, accessibility, and platform standards.
• Conduct and synthesize user research and usability testing to validate design decisions and uncover new opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate closely with engineers to ensure designs are feasible within technical constraints and can be implemented efficiently.
• Partner with content designers, product managers, and researchers to co-create holistic solutions that support strategic product goals.
• Ensure the Veteran experience is clear, compassionate, and equitable—while also supporting internal VA staff who process and review claims.
• Mentor junior UX and service designers, providing feedback and guidance to uphold high standards and delivery velocity.
• Contribute to and help evolve the design system and platform documentation in support of reusable, scalable design patterns.
• Maintain well-organized design artifacts using tools like Figma and Mural to ensure knowledge sharing across teams.
• Actively participate in agile delivery cycles, including sprint planning, retrospectives, and backlog prioritization.
• Build strong working relationships across VA.gov partner teams and stakeholders to ensure cross-team cohesion and aligned priorities.

What We're Looking For:

• 5+ years of experience in UX, product, or service design for complex, user-facing digital applications.
• Expertise in human-centered design, interaction design, and usability best practices.
• Strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end design process, including research synthesis and accessible, production-ready designs.
• Experience designing for accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1, Section 508) and inclusive design principles.
• Familiarity with Figma, Mural, user testing frameworks, and collaborative agile tools like GitHub and Slack.
• Proven ability to communicate design rationale clearly and advocate for user needs in cross-functional settings.
• Empathy for Veterans and a strong commitment to improving public services through thoughtful design.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience designing federal digital services or applications within regulated environments.
• Familiarity with the VA.gov platform collaboration cycle and content strategy approach.
• Background in benefits, healthcare, or claims-related workflows.
• Understanding of front-end implementation and ability to collaborate closely with engineers on UI behavior and constraints.

Remote - USA

$125,000 - $160,000 USD

Benefits

• Premium health care plans (90% employer-paid)
• Employee stock plan
• 100% 401k match (up to IRS annual max)
• Generous PTO package
• Personal training and development budget