User Experience Designer Job at McBride in Portland

McBride is a certified Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (MBE), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) management and IT consulting firm with significant professional services experience that includes IT transformation, project management, digital transformation, strategic planning, business process improvement, change management, human capital management, disaster recovery, and operations.

Client : Allied Command Transformation (ACT) is NATO’s leading agent for change : driving, facilitating, and advocating the continuous improvement of Alliance capabilities to maintain and enhance the military relevance and effectiveness of the Alliance. The main objectives of ACT are : providing appropriate support to NATO missions and operations; leading NATO military transformation; improving relationships, interaction and practical cooperation with partners, nations and international organizations. ACT therefore leads Alliance concept development, capability development, training and lessons learned initiatives and provides unfettered military support to policy development within NATO.

Background : The UI / UX Designers will provide remote support to ACT’s digital transformation initiatives by applying user-centered design (UCD) practices throughout the software lifecycle. Their work will focus on ensuring operational needs are met through user research, iterative feedback loops, and the creation of design artifacts such as wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups. The role requires collaboration with product managers, developers, and stakeholders to align design priorities with business value while ensuring compliance with accessibility standards and best practices for inclusive design. Designers will actively participate in Agile / DevSecOps teams to guide implementation and communicate design decisions that enhance user experience and mission effectiveness.

Tasking :

• Support product teams by applying User-Centered Design (UCD) best practices throughout the software lifecycle.
• Engage with end users through the agile product development process to ensure solutions meet operational needs.
• Establish feedback loops with customers and apply the Build–Measure–Learn cycle to guide iterative product development.
• Conduct user research, including interviews, usability testing, and surveys, to validate design assumptions.
• Create design artifacts such as sketches, flows, wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes.
• Ensure all design work complies with accessibility standards (WCAG, Section 508) and follows industry best practices for inclusive design.
• Collaborate with Product Managers on backlog refinement and prioritization to align design priorities with business value.
• Provide clarification to developers during implementation to ensure user expectations are met.
• Collaborate within cross-functional Agile / DevSecOps teams, actively participating in standups, demos, and retrospectives.
• Present and communicate design decisions effectively to stakeholders and senior leadership.

Mandatory Qualifications :

• Proven UI / UX industry experience on complex web and / or mobile application design projects.
• Strong skills in user research, usability testing, and user-centered design methods.
• Experience collaborating in Agile / DevSecOps environments, including backlog refinement with Product Managers.
• Proficiency with modern design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, Axure, InVision).
• Knowledge and practical application of accessibility standards (WCAG, Section 508) and inclusive design principles.
• Experience producing deliverables such as wireframes, user flows, prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups.
• Strong communication, facilitation, and stakeholder collaboration skills.
• Fluent in English (oral and written).
• Portfolio of work demonstrating past design solutions and methodology.
• Certification in UI / UX or related field (UI Design, UX Analyst, Human-Centered Design) desirable.
• University degree in Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Human Factors, Human-Centered Design / Engineering, or related discipline.

Education and Clearance

• University degree in Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Human Factors, Human-Centered Design / Engineering, or related discipline.
• Must be a citizen of a NATO member nation and physically located in a NATO member nation.

McBride is an Equal Opportunity Employer. McBride Consulting does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.

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