JOB OPPORTUNITY: UX DESIGNER

Location: Houston (Clear Lake), TX 
Type of Role: Full-time, non-academic, salaried.
Department: TCWP (Texas Community Watershed Partners), Product Team 
Position Details: Open until filled. Interviews will be scheduled on a rolling basis. 
Experience Required: Seven years of related experience in research and design of software products.

 

WHAT WE DO 
The Texas Community Watershed Partners (TCWP) team provides education, outreach, and planning support for communities around the state of Texas, focusing on approaches that foster collaboration and holistic solutions to reduce risks from floods and other hazards. Central to our approach is the engagement of community staff, elected officials, and decision-makers in interactive planning exercises. Leveraging data-driven methodologies and innovative tools, such as our award-winning GIS-based scenario planning software, CommunityViz, we facilitate collaborative and community-centered sessions aimed at envisioning a future that can withstand future disasters and challenges. Operating within the largest university-based extension program nationwide, TCWP is uniquely positioned to deliver highly impactful community planning applications and services.  

YOUR ROLE 
Your expertise in human-centered design will be instrumental as you develop and manage UX projects at TCWP. As the lead, you’ll be the first UX position on the team, and you will spearhead the design and management of researched and tested low-high fidelity mockups and wireframes. Additionally, you will play a pivotal role in shaping overall UX strategy for TCWP products, including cross-functional collaboration with developers, planners, and stakeholders to gather a holistic perspective of our user base. Your work will capture what matters most to our end-users and that we are designing the features and tools to drive positive outcomes. You will also provide insights into our future needs, budgets and resources, while managing your UX design projects.

We are looking for someone who is highly motivated, organized, and able to stand up and manage UX design projects. The hire will also possess a keen creative eye and exemplary attention to detail. As part of our rapidly growing team, adaptability to evolving team dynamics, ability to manage ambiguous tasks, and effectiveness in virtual collaboration are key attributes we value.   

Benefits:  

Optional two days work from home. Employees are eligible for a generous health insurance plan, including dental and vision. PTO starts at 12 personal days a year, 11 paid holidays, and ten sick leave days. Employees join the Texas Teachers Retirement System (TRS) with employer contributions. Additional retirement savings are available. Office culture is casual but earnest about doing good work and helping communities improve their safety and well-being through planning. As university employees, staff will have no-cost access to LinkedIn learning training and professional credits. 

 
Responsibilities: 

  • Product Research and Design

    • Work closely with product, stakeholders and developers to understand user needs and requirements.

    • Design intuitive and visually appealing user interfaces for GIS applications.

    • Drive user research and usability testing to gather feedback and insights.

    • Design wireframes, prototypes, and user flows to communicate UX concepts.

    • Collaborate with developers to ensure seamless integration of UX design from a QA and testing perspective.

    • Stay updated on industry trends and UX best practices in geospatial design.

    • Advocate for user-centric design principles throughout the development process.

    • Conduct usability and visual testing to ensure quality.

    • Maintain backlog of usability improvements and enhancements to make the user experience seamless.

    • Develops and documents usability standards; Oversees and conducts usability and visual testing processes to ensure that standards are met.

    UX Design Project Management

    • As lead of UX projects at TCWP, develop, manage, and monitor plans and roadmaps that outline milestones, deliverables, and timelines in coordination with product managers, developers, and leadership; Identify potential risks to management of UX design projects; develop and manage scopes for external development support.

    • Ensure the effective use of time, resources, and budget within project plans and guidelines.

    • Ensure alignment between UX design process, project goals, and stakeholder requirements; Document UX design decisions, rationales, and revisions; Integrate these into and maintain effective UX project management and strategies.

    • Identify and advocate for process improvements and the adoption of best practices by TCWP team members.

    • Lead and supervise program staff as UX design projects expand; Provide input about future budget and resources for project implementation.

    • Other duties as assigned.

 

Education and Experience: 

  • Bachelor’s degree in applicable field or equivalent combination of education and experience.

  • Seven years of related experience in research and design of software products.

 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

  • Experience with JIRA.

  • Familiarity with Agile or Scrum software methodologies.

  • Ability to multitask and work collaboratively with others.

  • Experience working with Design tools such as Figma.

  • Strong written and oral communication skills.

  • Experience coaching on design best practices and principals.

  • Can think of big picture strategy while completing routine daily tasks.

  • Has interest and passion for improving customer experiences.

  • Knowledge in designing geospatial applications.

 

Other Requirements: 

Administrative physical demands:  

  • May require extended bending, reaching, stooping, kneeling, squatting and sitting; May require lifting workshop and outreach equipment, up to 30 pounds.

  • May require extended communication with visitors and employees in person, telephonically or electronically.

  • May require infrequent travel in State vehicles with overnight stays.

  • May require operating computers with high-definition screens for extended periods of time.

To APPLY 

Please attach the following 3 items via email to our hiring coordinator Janell, janell.flores@ag.tamu.edu: 1) A cover letter including which position you are applying for; 2) Your resume or CV; 3) A three-page sample of your written work. 

Texas A&M AgriLife is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Veterans/Disability Employer.