Lead UX Designer

Lead UX Designer 12 months Oakland, CA (Hybrid - 2 days a month onsite) LOCAL CANDIDATES ONLY Equipment & Expenses Equipment: Client laptop will be provided. Expenses: With prior Manager approval, may expense for travel reimbursement for business related travels needed. TOP THINGS Strong advocate for user-centered design Systems thinker for end-to-end experiences Clear communicator of design rationale Role Overview Project Charlie is seeking a Lead User Experience (UX) Designer - Mobile & Platforms to provide leadership in understanding customer needs, defining product experiences, and shaping the overall design vision for a new customer-facing mobile platform. This role begins as a hands‑on design leader and evolves into leading a small UX function. The Lead UX Designer owns end-to-end experience design, researching user behaviors, identifying unmet needs, documenting current-state journeys, and driving future-state improvements while partnering closely with Product and Engineering. Key Responsibilities Lead user research and discovery to understand customer behaviors and pain points Conduct interviews, usability testing, surveys, and behavioral analysis Capture and document current‑state journeys and experiences Translate insights into design strategies and requirementsDesign user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high‑fidelity UI Own and drive overall look and feel of the platform Define and evolve design systems and guidelines Partner with Product and Engineering to ensure feasibility Facilitate workshops and stakeholder alignment Lead usability testing and iterative improvements Mentor designers and oversee external partners Ensure accessibility, privacy, and compliance standards Minimum Experience 8-10+ years of UX/UI or product design experience Strong background in user research, interaction design, and mobile design Experience across end-to-end product design lifecycle Ability to simplify complex systems into intuitive experiences Experience with journey maps and design systems Proficiency with tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD Cross-functional collaboration with Product and Engineering Ability to lead and influence without authority Desired Experience Experience designing customer-facing products at scale Experience in regulated industries Familiarity with data-rich or IoT ecosystems Experience supporting launch and iteration Experience working with external agencies Desired Characteristics Strong advocate for user-centered design Systems thinker for end-to-end experiences Clear communicator of design rationale Collaborative and cross‑functional leader Balances user, technical, and business needs Comfortable with ambiguity What Success Looks Like Customer insights drive product decisions Platform delivers intuitive and cohesive experiences Design influences product strategy Teams align around a clear experience vision Continuous improvements based on user feedback #J-18808-Ljbffr