Sr. UI/UX Developer/Architect/Design engineer

Role/Title: Sr. UI/UX Developer/Architect/Design engineer

Loc: 200 E. Grand Ave, Polk County, Des Moines, IA (Locals or nearby states

position type: Contract / Hybrid

Work schedule: Standard Business Hours (Interview Type: Either Web Cam or In-Person Interview)

Client: STATE OF IOWA

Position overview: Serves as a Senior UI/UX Developer, Architect, and Design Engineer specializing in enterprise design system development and WCAG accessibility standards for the Iowa Department of Management Division of Information Technology (DOM DoIT). This role is focused on setting up, building, and maintaining scalable, accessible design systems and reusable component libraries from scratch to support high-priority state projects (such as DNR, HHS, IWD, and the River AI Chatbot) in meeting federal compliance mandates.

Key responsibilities:

• Design System Development: Architect, document, and maintain a scalable enterprise design system and reusable component library utilizing the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) or similar frameworks.

• Accessible Component Development: Develop high-level wrapper components using HTML, SASS, and Angular to ensure uniform UI patterns and accessibility across multi-agency applications and AI interfaces.

• Accessibility Compliance: Ensure component designs adhere strictly to WCAG 2.1 (up to AAA) standards using semantic HTML, ARIA roles, and standardized accessibility testing workflows.

• Storybook Integration & Collaboration: Utilize Storybook for component development, documentation, and cross-team collaboration.

• Mentorship & Code Reviews: Partner with cross-functional development teams to mentor them on accessibility standards, perform accessibility audits, and participate in front-end code reviews.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Technical Mastery: Proficiency in HTML, SASS, Angular, and component-driven architecture.

• Accessibility Expertise: Deep, practical knowledge of WCAG 2.1/AAA standards, ARIA roles, semantic HTML, and accessibility testing tools/audits.

• Communication Skills: Exceptional technical communication skills to guide and mentor developers across multiple teams who may be new to accessibility standards.

Experience:

• 5+ Years: Professional front-end development experience.

• Design Systems: Proven experience setting up and integrating enterprise-level design systems from scratch, including reusable component libraries and high-level wrapper components.

• Component Documentation: Direct experience using Storybook for component development, testing, and team collaboration.

• UX Principles: Strong foundational understanding of user experience best practices and accessible interface design.

Preferred experience:

• Backend Integration: Familiarity with .NET, MVC, and SQL environments to support backend integration and cross-team collaboration.