UX/UI Designer

UI/UX Designer Who Also Ships Code

We are Skyward. A love for people, for improvement, for human advancement through information technology. We are a people-centered business with a desire to serve others. We are diverse and unified; creative and collaborative; a collection of complementary, not competing talents. And though on the surface we remain relaxed, beneath, a torrent of energy links us to our civic tech mission.

We stand by our values, and we won't compromise on any of them.

Integrity: We're conscientious, intentional, and empathetic. Our words and actions align. That's our character. Please don't ask us to play another part, we're poor actors.

Compassionate: If we may borrow a quote from Theodore Roosevelt: "No one cares how much you know until they know how much you care." Because our team is thoughtful and supportive, caring deeply for each other, our clients, and our work, this comes naturally.

Inquisitive: We remain students by failing openly and turning lessons into solutions.

Unconventional: For us, life isn't what happens outside of work. Work happens inside of life and our culture erases the line often dividing the two.

Authentic: Made possible only because we embody the values listed above. We're relaxed and fun yet intensely curious and driven. Team members are placed with thought, care, and precision to ensure that Trust, Truth, and Transparency continue to represent our brand.

Because of that, we continue Onward, Upward, and Skyward.

We need a UI/UX Designer who also ships code.

Do you dream in wireframes and wake up mentally rearranging a navigation menu that personally offended you yesterday? Are you the rare creature who can run a user interview before lunch, sketch the journey map over a sandwich, and ship the React component before the standup you forgot was happening?

Do you believe good design is invisible, that accessibility is a promise and not a checkbox, and that the best interfaces make people feel smart instead of stuck? If you just whispered "yes" at your screen, we want you. The apply button is closer than you think.

Come join us if you're motivated to learn from others, to learn from mistakes, to be part of a future-looking and growth-oriented team.

Let's go Skyward together.

What you'll do:

• Turn research into design. Run interviews, build personas, map customer journeys and service blueprints, and let real insight, not vibes, drive every decision. (Okay, a few good vibes too.)
• Design it, then actually build it. Go from wireframes and prototypes in Figma to production-ready front-end code in React (HTML/CSS/JavaScript), closing the gap between "designed" and "shipped" - supporting CMS as it merges systems into one AI-driven platform.
• Make complex data make sense. Craft interactive dashboards, knowledge-graph explorers, and visualizations that help people find answers, not just stare at data.
• Live and breathe accessibility. Build every interface to Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 (A & AA) so it works beautifully for every single user. No exceptions, no afterthoughts.
• Wave the USWDS flag. Champion the U.S. Web Design System and federal design standards to create interfaces that are consistent, intuitive, and unmistakably polished.
• Test your ideas (and your egos). Run usability sessions, gather feedback, and iterate with a learn, build, measure mindset rooted in the USDS and 18F playbooks.
• Sweat the information architecture. Organize content, navigation, and layout so users glide through their tasks instead of rage-clicking toward the exit.
• Measure what matters. Instrument experiences with web analytics, watch how people actually behave, and turn those patterns into your next round of improvements.

What we'd like you to have:

• A portfolio that shows both halves of your brain. The thinking (research, IA, journeys) and the craft (clean, usable, genuinely beautiful interfaces).
• Real front-end engineering skill. You're comfortable building responsive, accessible interfaces in React with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, not just handing off a mockup and waving goodbye.
• Fluency in modern design tooling. Figma is home base, and you're happy collaborating in Mural, Dovetail, or similar.
• A working command of Human-Centered Design: user research, usability testing, prototyping, and synthesis.
• Genuine accessibility chops. You understand 508 and WCAG 2.0 and design with them from the first sketch, not the last sprint.
• Experience with the U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) or other government/enterprise design systems.
• All the empathy. You design for the user in front of you, not the user you wish you had.
• A sense of humor and a low ego. You share work early, take feedback gracefully, and make the whole team better.

What would blow us away:

• A track record designing for data-heavy or AI-driven products - dashboards, search, chat interfaces, or knowledge tools.
• Federal or civic-tech experience. Bonus points if you've shipped inside an agile agency environment and lived to design another day.

Even if you don't meet 100% of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply. At Skyward, we're focused on hiring individuals with the right skills and passion to grow, not just checking off every box.

And now the important part. What we offer you:

• Medical, dental, vision insurance (fully paid for employees)
• 15 days of paid leave
• 7 days of sick leave
• 2 days bereavement leave
• 11 paid Federal holidays
• Up to 40 hours for jury duty
• 401K with 4% employer contribution (and no vesting period)
• Up to 4 weeks of paid paternity and maternity leave
• Company provided laptop
• $5,000 per year for professional development
• $600 per year for technical supplies and equipment
• $2,000 referral bonus
• Life and disability insurance
• HSA and FSA
• Legal Shield and ID Shield Voluntary Benefits
• Opportunity to work in a collaborative, motivated team focused on modernizing government services with cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions. Who says government work can't be exciting!

$95,000 - $125,000 a year We believe great work deserves great pay. That's why we ensure our compensation is not only competitive but also fair and transparent, as required by Maryland law. Expect a salary that matches your skills, experience, and the value you bring to the table — because you're worth it!

At Skyward, we support flexible working hours and remote opportunities to help maintain a healthy work-life balance for all employees.

Offers of employment with Skyward are contingent upon acceptable results of a background investigation. Applicants must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance due to the nature of our work as a government contractor.