Toronto, ON (Onsite, 5 Days Onsite) :: Senior UX Designer / Lead ; (Canadian Citizens / P.R)

Senior UX Designer / Lead ; (Canadian Citizens / P.R)

10+Months

Toronto, ON (Onsite, 5 Days Onsite)

Role overview
- Lead end-to-end UX for complex web and mobile products, delivering intuitive, accessible, and high‑quality experiences.
- Own discovery through delivery: conduct research, translate insights into prototypes, validate with users, and guide implementation with cross‑functional teams.
- Operate within public-sector contexts, aligning with Ontario Public Service (OPS) practices and Ontario Service Design standards.

Key responsibilities
- Research and discovery
  - Plan and execute qualitative and quantitative research (interviews, surveys, questionnaires, consultations, contextual inquiry).
  - Create personas, user journeys, service blueprints, and experience maps; synthesize findings into actionable insights.
- Experience and interface design
  - Define information architecture, user flows, wireframes, and high‑fidelity UI for responsive web and native mobile.
  - Build interactive prototypes and micro-interactions; contribute to and extend design systems.
  - Ensure adherence to accessibility (AODA/WCAG 2.1 AA), inclusive design, and OPS digital standards.
- Validation and iteration
  - Run usability tests, analyze outcomes, and iterate designs; partner with analytics to inform decisions.
  - Document hypotheses, success metrics, and learning plans; apply data to prioritize improvements.
- Leadership and facilitation
  - Lead workshops, co‑design sessions, and stakeholder reviews; manage expectations and drive alignment.
  - Present strategy and design rationale to executives and non‑design audiences; advocate for user-centered decisions.
- Delivery and collaboration
  - Work closely with product managers, developers, QA, content, and business SMEs in Agile/Scrum.
  - Produce clear annotations, specs, and acceptance criteria; support development through handoff and QA.

Required qualifications
- 7+ years of professional UX/UI experience with shipped web and mobile products; strong portfolio demonstrating research-to-delivery outcomes.
- Proven ability to lead UX engagements, facilitate workshops, and manage stakeholder relationships.
- Advanced proficiency with Figma for design systems, prototyping, and collaboration; familiarity with Canva for communication assets.
- Hands-on experience with prototyping tools (e.g., Figma interactive components, Axure, ProtoPie, Framer, InVision).
- Strong grounding in user research methods: surveys, questionnaires, interviews, usability testing, and consultations.
- Track record collaborating with developers, QA, and business teams; comfortable working within Agile ceremonies and tools.
- Ontario Public Service (OPS) experience and practical application of Ontario Service Design standards on live services.
- Deep knowledge of accessibility standards (AODA/WCAG 2.1 AA) and inclusive design practices.
- Exceptional communication, storytelling, and documentation skills.

Nice-to-have
- Experience with service design in government or regulated sectors beyond OPS; familiarity with ODS, or UK GDS standards.
- Content design/UX writing, heuristic evaluation, and design ops experience.
- Working knowledge of analytics (e.g., GA4), experimentation, and product metrics.
- Experience contributing to enterprise design systems.
- Familiarity with Jira/Confluence, Miro/Mural, and Dev handoff tools (Zeplin/Storybook).
- Bilingual English/French.

Deliverables
- Research plans, discussion guides, survey instruments, and findings reports.
- Personas, journey maps, service blueprints, IA, task flows, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.
- Accessibility reviews, usability test reports, design specs/annotations, and contribution to design system components.

Success metrics
- Improved task completion and error rates; increased adoption/engagement.
- Accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.1 AA) and usability test pass rates.
- Stakeholder satisfaction and reduced rework through clear specs and alignment.
- On-time delivery of UX milestones within Agile increments.

Education
- Degree or diploma in HCI, Interaction Design, UX, Product Design, or equivalent experience.

Work setup
- Ontario-based; hybrid/remote considered. Ability to participate in workshops and user sessions as needed.
- Portfolio showcasing end-to-end process and measurable outcomes required.