Principal Progam UX/Human Centered Designer and Researcher

Important Notice for Applicants:

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About Us:

Bixal is a consulting company based in Fairfax, VA, working alongside governments and organizations to help them deliver better services and experiences to the communities they serve. Using evidence-based knowledge and technology, Bixal empowers clients to deliver on their missions more effectively by fostering a culture of learning and continuous improvement.

Location

This role can work remotely from anywhere in the USA. You must be legally authorized to work in the US. Bixal does not provide visa sponsorship.  

What will you do?

As a Principal UX Designer and Researcher, you will be responsible for defining design and research strategy and delivering exceptional user experiences for complex digital solutions for multiple projects across our government client base. You will lead cross-functional design teams, collaborate with senior executives and clients, and promote a culture of design excellence.  

Important Note:

This is a full-time position contingent on contract award by our client, with a defined performance period of up to one year. This role offers you a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact on a project that aligns with Bixal’s mission of delivering innovative, human-centered solutions. While the role has a fixed duration, we are committed to transparency and collaboration, keeping you informed about contract updates and new opportunities. At Bixal, we support your professional journey, ensuring your experience reflects our inclusive, purpose-driven culture and prepares you for future success. 

• Defining and drivign the research and design vision and strategy for our federal consulting projects, ensuring alignment with business goals, user needs, product and portfolio strategy and industry best practices.
• Leading the design of complex digital solutions, from concept to launch, and ensuring that the user experience is aligned with project goals and objectives, and that the design and research work considers both the end customer and employee experience, as relevant to project needs.
• Ensuring quality and compliance with the client agency stadards of human-centered design, sevice design and research deliverables across scrum teams.
• Leading the design and execution of various research methods such as interviews, surveys, usability testing, and ethnographic studies to colelct qualitative and quantitative data. Analyzing and synthesizing research findings into actionable insights and recommendations that inform design decisions and improve the user experience.
• Developing and maintaining research plans, protocols, and documentation that ensure research quality, rigor, and ethical standards.
• Leading the development of research and design frameworks, principles, and guidelines that enable consistency and scalability across multiple products and services.
• Ensuring staffing can support continuous and simultaneous research on all teams, including both evaluative and generative research efforts.
• Ensuring product designers and content specialists are properly staffed to the program, depending on project needs
• Ensure design solutions are accessible, and consider the greater VA.gov ecosystem, as well as upstream and downstream impacts.
• Improving and facilitating onboarding experience for HCD practitioners across scrum teams.
• Collaborating with other roles on cross-functional teams to facilitate alignment, ensure that research insights are intergrated into the product design process and that designs are tested and validated with users and solutions are achievable with any uncovered technical constraints and aligned with proejct requirements and timelines.
• Building relationships and foster open collaboration with partner teams across client's platforms and other stakeholders to provide strategic leadership of human-centered design and research across scrum teams.
• Improving upon and implementing documentation practices to ensure design decisions and deliverables across scrum teams are findable, maintainable, and well organized.
• Owning client relationships and evangelizing the use, need, and realities of research and design in the federal space.
• Building and maintaining relationships with senior executives to drive design excellence and business growth.
• Participating in business development activites, including proposal development and client presentations, and maintaing relationships with existing clients.
• Staying up-to-date with the latest design and research trends, tools, and techniques and sharing knowledge with the team to promote a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous improvement.
• Providing thought leadership and mentorship to junior researchers and designers as needed to support quality and timely deliverables, improve their skills and promote a culture of design and research excellence and community of practice within our company.

• Bachelor’s  degree in a related field, plus at least five (5) years of experience in UX researchand design, preferably in a federal consulting or government environment 
• Strong expertise in research methods such as interviews, surveys, usability testing, and ethnographic studies 
• Proven track record of leading the design of complex digital solutions for government clients 
• Strong portfolio that demonstrates a range of UX design skills, including user research, wireframing, prototyping, and visual design 
• Proficiency in design tools such as Sketch, Figma, or Adobe Creative Suite 
• Familiarity with accessibility and Section 508 compliance guidelines 
• Demonstrated success in leading research strategy and execution for complex projects, and in synthesizing and communicating research findings to inform design decisions 
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to analyze and synthesize complex data into actionable insights and recommendations 
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in a team environment and build relationships with clients and stakeholders 
• Strong leadership and mentorship skills, with the ability to inspire and guide junior researchers and designers 
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance 

• Experience working with the U.S. federal government agencies that are High Impact Service providers or other highly regulated industries such as financial services or healthcare.  
• Familiarity with USWDS, 21st C IDEA, EO 14058, M-23-22 and other HCD-related government policies. 

Perks & Benefits:

Flex hours

401K with matching incentive

Parental Leave

Medical/dental/vision benefits

Flex Spending Account

Company provided short-term disability and life insurance

Commuter benefits

Generous PTO

11 Paid holidays

Professional development opportunities

Please note that candidates selected may undergo a background investigation and, if applicable, meet eligibility requirements for suitability.

Our company is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all individuals and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs.