UI/UX Designer

Ares Enterprise is seeking a mission-focused UI/UX Designer to support a United States Department of Defense customer. The role involves designing, developing, and maintaining government websites and applications while applying human-centered design principles and agile methodologies to deliver secure and user-friendly digital products.

Responsibilities:

• Design, create, build, configure, and maintain Government websites and web applications (e.g., SharePoint, OpenText Content Server, and other Government web platforms)
• Apply user-centered design (UCD) methodologies and UX frameworks to ensure solutions are usable, intuitive, and aligned with mission objectives
• Develop information architecture, interaction design, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity UI designs
• Ensure designed sites support process management, workflow automation, request tracking, reviews, and data visualization
• Maintain assigned Government applications and portals within agreed schedules to ensure customer satisfaction and no more than two (2) validated complaints per month
• Ensure compliance with Section 508 accessibility standards, DoD cybersecurity requirements, and enterprise architecture constraints
• Support full product lifecycle delivery using agile and human-centered design practices
• Collaborate with S6O66 to prioritize and refine backlog items; adapt priorities as directed
• Conduct product kick-off meetings for new and existing products
• Facilitate discovery activities, including: User and stakeholder interviews, Business process reviews, Content audits, Assessment of related features, Data and analytics analysis
• Define Minimum Viable Product (MVP) functionality for new initiatives, including: Epics and user stories, Information architecture, Interaction design, Functional and technical requirements, Data and integration requirements
• Develop and maintain product plans and roadmaps outlining: Prioritized epics and user stories, Strategy and recommendations, Level of effort (LOE) and complexity, Evaluation, maintenance, and enhancement plans
• Recommend modular, reusable design patterns and scalable design systems
• Evaluate and recommend best-in-class third-party solutions when appropriate instead of custom development
• Work within an agile, continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) environment with the capability for multiple production releases per day
• Ensure solutions align with Twelve-Factor App principles and modern web application best practices
• Collaborate with developers to ensure annotated, linted, and standards-compliant code implementation
• Support custom integrations between new products and existing Government systems
• Track and manage technical debt items in the product backlog
• Develop and execute comprehensive testing and QA plans prior to product launch
• Create automated test scripts and conduct: Unit testing, Functional testing, Integration testing, Performance testing, Security testing, Section 508 compliance testing
• Supplement automated testing with manual testing when required
• Ensure full traceability of user stories to test cases and results
• Deliver documented test reports prior to launch
• Develop and execute pre-launch checklists to mitigate risk
• Conduct post-production usability testing to evaluate holistic user experience and identify areas for improvement
• Define, implement, and track analytics aligned to S6O66-defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Embed analytics into new and existing products to measure performance and user engagement
• Update publicly available KPIs, outcome measures, and launch information
• Create and maintain product “one-sheets” including: Value proposition, KPIs, Screenshots of key features
• Develop monthly executive-level reports for S6O66 leadership, including dashboards, scorecards, and visual summaries
• Provide ad hoc analytics and presentation materials upon request
• Continuously evaluate products against established KPIs and notify the designated Product Owner within 24 hours of identifying anomalies or issues

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in UX Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 5+ years of experience designing and delivering enterprise web applications
• Demonstrated experience applying human-centered design and agile methodologies
• Experience designing for secure, regulated, or government environments
• Strong proficiency in: Wireframing and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Adobe XD), Information architecture and usability testing, Analytics platforms and KPI tracking
• Experience working in CI/CD environments and collaborating with software engineers
• Knowledge of Section 508 and accessibility best practices
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret clearance
• Experience supporting DoD customers or other federal agencies
• Familiarity with SharePoint and enterprise content management systems
• Experience implementing or contributing to design systems
• Understanding of cybersecurity and secure development lifecycle requirements in DoD environments
• Experience with automated testing frameworks and DevSecOps pipelines