Fast Facts

WGU is seeking a passionate Senior User Experience Designer to lead UX initiatives for both web and mobile platforms, focusing on enhancing online education experiences.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include leading UX design projects, collaborating with product managers and engineers, executing strategic initiatives, and utilizing design performance metrics for informed decision-making.

Skills: Candidates must possess a strong understanding of UX design principles, excellent communication skills, mastery of traditional UX deliverables, and proficiency in design tools such as Figma and Adobe Creative Suite.

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include experience in Agile development, familiarity with AI and LLMs, and a background in higher education.

Location: This position is based in Salt Lake City, United States of America, at the WGU office.

Compensation: $116000 - $174100 / Annually

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

Grade: Technical 408Pay Range: $116,000.00 - $174,100.00

Job Description

If you are passionate about making a positive impact on the world by changing students’ lives for the better, this job is for you! At Western Governors University we are building the technology to redefine how individuals gain the knowledge and skills required to achieve their goals and dreams. We strive to leverage technology to create an exemplary learner experience for online, competency-based education that is independent of time and place.

Job Description Summary

The Senior User Experience Designer is a key member of the design team and may work on both web and mobile platforms (native Android and iOS) and works not only on certain projects but possibly a domain or domains. This is a strategic position of product leadership and partners with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders providing insight and solutions to structuring and delivering work.

• Thinks strategically about the challenges and problems presented to the team.
• Executes against large strategic and high-profile initiatives, creating work product holistically on product lines, not just individual projects.
• Understands business needs and frames UX solutions in terms of practical short- and long-term goals.
• Self-directs over a phase of a project.
• Highlights and mitigates risk.
• Annotates projects appropriately.
• Actively manages expectations of team or business client.
• Takes ownership of end goals, no matter upon whose department it falls.
• With the guidance of the UX research team, uses design performance metrics to guide design decisions and future development.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

KSAs

• In-depth understanding of User Experience (UX) design principles
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate technical concepts to clients, team members, and large audiences.
• Ability to represent both user and business objectives in meetings and design
• Possesses mastery of all traditional UX deliverables, including but not limited to: their value, their dependencies, and their downsides.
• Understanding of front-end development web programming languages such as HTML and CSS, JQuery and JavaScript
• Knowledge of UX industry trends and associations
• Strong attention to detail and a feeling of pride and ownership over the quality of our product
• Expertise in using industry tools such as, Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Suite, and Pendo

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in User Experience Design, Visual Design, UX Research, Psychology or other relevant field
• 5 years of experience as a UX designer, interaction designer, information architect, UX researcher, or other relevant role
• Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager.
• Must have a portfolio showing user experience work, thinking, and process.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in an Agile development process
• Experience working with AI and LLMs
• Experience using user research throughout the product life cycle, incorporating data from multiple sources into decision-making
• Higher education industry experience

Job Description Disclaimer: This position description provides the major duties/responsibilities, requirements and working conditions for the position. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current position, however management reserves the right to revise or change as necessary to meet organizational needs. Other responsibilities may be assigned when circumstances require.

Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [email protected].

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.