UX DESIGNER

Location: Columbia, MD (Hybrid – up to 2 days telework per week)
Salary Range: $90,000 – $135,000 (commensurate with experience)
Security Clearance: TS//SCI with FS Polygraph
At Shadow Strategies, you will join a culture defined by innovation, purpose, and meaningful impact. We seek driven individuals ready to bring their unique strengths to a dynamic team dedicated to solving critical challenges. If you’re inspired by complexity, motivated by clarity, and committed to excellence, we invite you to become part of something exceptional.
Shadow is seeking a UX Designer to elevate user experience initiatives for mission-critical national security systems. In this role, you’ll translate complex requirements into intuitive interfaces and workflows that empower analysts to perform at their best—ensuring every interaction is efficient, clear, and purposeful.

REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Proven track record working directly with system end users—creating surveys and organizing focus groups—to gather actionable insights
• Deep expertise in collaborating with application developers, product designers, and process engineers to craft detailed user interface specifications
• Demonstrated ability to research and document user requirements, workflows, and scenarios that inform strategic design modifications
• Strong leadership in planning and conducting usability tests, translating results into clear design improvements
• Mastery of design tools, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe XD, and PenPot

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Certifications in Human Factors Engineering, Human-Centered Computing, or related disciplines
• Experience designing for accessibility and Section 508 compliance

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Human-Centered Design, or related field with 5 years of professional UX design experience

OR

• 9 years of professional UX design experience without a degree

WHAT YOU’LL KNOW UP FRONT

At Shadow, we don’t wait until the offer to talk about value. We’re transparent because we respect your time and your talent.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Lead user research by designing and conducting surveys and focus groups to capture precise user requirements and pain points
• Research and document detailed user workflows, personas, tasks, and scenarios to drive strategic design decisions
• Plan and execute usability testing, synthesizing feedback to iterate rapidly on prototypes and high-fidelity mockups
• Partner with cross-functional teams—developers, system engineers, project managers, and stakeholders—to translate design specifications into robust, user-centered solutions
• Create and maintain comprehensive UI deliverables, including wireframes, interactive prototypes, and UI specification documents that guide development and testing

You’ll have what you need to do your best work:

• Fully covered health insurance – medical, dental, vision
• Paid parental leave – 16 weeks if you give birth, 4 if your partner does
• Flexible leave – designed to support real life, not restrict it
• 401(k) – for your future
• Short- and long-term disability – because life happens
• Annual health stipend – if you opt out of our insuranc