This position requires an active U.S. Government Security Clearance at the TS/SCI level with required polygraph. We are seeking an experienced UI/UX Designer to lead human-centered design efforts for mission-critical applications supporting government users. This role is responsible for end-to-end UX and UI design, from user research and analysis through interaction design, prototyping, and delivery. The ideal candidate brings a strong balance of research-driven UX practice and high-quality visual/UI design and is comfortable operating within the constraints of government environments. This role works closely with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to ensure designs are grounded in real user needs, validated through research, and translated into intuitive, accessible interfaces. Responsibilities: User Research & Analysis

• Plan and conduct user research activities including interviews, usability testing, and feedback sessions with diverse user groups (e.g., analysts, SMEs, managers, data scientists).

• Analyze and synthesize research findings into actionable insights, personas, user journeys, and workflow maps.

• Document research findings and recommendations to support stakeholder understanding and buy-in, particularly in government settings.

• Apply ethical, secure, and compliant research practices appropriate for classified or sensitive environments.

UX Strategy & Design Systems

• Lead UX and UI efforts for complex, high-visibility applications.

• Define, maintain, and evolve design systems and component libraries in collaboration with engineering teams.

• Establish consistent interaction patterns, workflows, and design standards across multiple applications.

• Create service blueprints and end-to-end experience maps to align cross-functional teams.

UI Design & Prototyping

• Develop interactive prototypes using tools such as Figma, Adobe XD, or similar, to explore concepts and validate user flows.

• Produce high-fidelity UI designs that are accessible, usable, and visually consistent.

• Ensure designs align with accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and applicable government design guidelines.

• Document interaction behaviors, design rationale, and micro-copy to support implementation.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Psychology, Computer Science, or a related field (or equivalent experience).

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in UI/UX design.

• Demonstrated experience conducting UX research, analysis, and synthesis (not UI-only).

• Strong proficiency with design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Adobe XD, or equivalent.

• Experience collaborating closely with product managers and engineering teams.

• Ability to clearly articulate design decisions and research findings to stakeholders.

• Willingness to work onsite full time in McLean, VA.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Portfolio (website, case studies, or work samples) demonstrating UX research methodology, analysis, and UI design quality.

• Experience designing for mission-critical or government systems.

• Familiarity with accessibility standards (WCAG) and inclusive design practices.

• Experience contributing to or managing design systems.

• Familiarity with modern front-end frameworks and design constraints (e.g., component-based development).

• Experience supporting data-heavy or analytical user workflows.

Pay Transparency: In support of pay transparency at Vantor, we disclose salary ranges on all U.S. job postings. The successful candidate's starting pay will fall within the salary range provided below and is determined based on job-related factors, including, but not limited to, the experience, qualifications, knowledge, skills, geographic work location, and market conditions. Candidates with the minimum necessary experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skillsets for the position should not expect to receive the upper end of the pay range. • The base pay for this position within the Washington, DC metropolitan area is: $113,000.00 - $188,000.00 annually. For all other states, we use geographic cost of labor as an input to develop market-driven ranges for our roles, and as such, each location where we hire may have a different range. Benefits: Vantor offers a competitive total rewards package that goes beyond the standard, including a robust 401(k) with company match, mental health resources, and unique perks like student loan repayment assistance, adoption reimbursement and pet insurance to support all aspects of your life. You can find more information on our benefits at: https://www.Vantor.com/careers The application window is three days from the date the job is posted and will remain posted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. If the job is reposted regardless of reason, it will remain posted three days from the date the job is reposted and will remain reposted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. The date of posting can be found on Vantor's Career page at the top of each job posting. To apply, submit your application via Vantor's Career page.