Strategic Experience Design Lead (UX/UI/Brand)

Job Description

Strategic Experience Design Lead (UX/UI/Brand)

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Remote | US-Based | Contractor | 9+ Years Experience

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We're looking for a designer who can lead the thinking, lead the room, and lead the work.

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Variate is seeking an exceptional strategic design leader who connects business strategy, customer behavior, and design execution to drive measurable results.

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This role requires more than exceptional design skills. You'll be expected to understand complex business challenges, establish a compelling strategic vision, lead executive conversations and workshops, and personally translate that thinking into outstanding digital experiences.

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You must be equally comfortable advising business leaders, challenging assumptions, directing UX/UI projects, and executing sophisticated design work.

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We need someone who thinks like a strategist, leads like a trusted advisor, and designs with exceptional precision.

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At Variate, success isn't measured by what we produce. It's measured by the decisions we influence, the behaviors we change, and the business outcomes we create.

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What You'll Lead

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Strategy & Business Impact

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• Translate complex business challenges into clear experience strategies that drive measurable results.
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• Connect customer behavior, business objectives, and design decisions to conversion, adoption, retention, and growth.
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• Bring original thinking, challenge assumptions, and help clients recognize opportunities they may have overlooked.
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• Establish compelling strategic perspectives that influence business and experience decisions.
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Experience Strategy & Creative Direction

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• Own the strategic and creative direction of UX/UI projects from discovery through execution.
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• Define experience visions that connect brand, product, customer behavior, and business objectives.
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• Lead customer journey design, experience frameworks, digital product concepts, and design systems.
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• Maintain exceptional strategic alignment, visual quality, and design consistency throughout every engagement.
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Client Leadership & Facilitation

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• Independently lead client meetings, discovery sessions, strategic workshops, and executive presentations.
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• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders through strategic guidance and clear communication.
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• Challenge conventional thinking, defend recommendations, and align stakeholders around confident decisions.
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• Navigate ambiguity and complex stakeholder dynamics while maintaining project momentum.
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Hands-On Design & Project Ownership

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• Personally execute exceptional UX/UI designs, including user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity interfaces.
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• Demonstrate outstanding visual design judgment, interaction design expertise, and attention to detail.
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• Independently lead complex engagements from initial business discovery through final execution.
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• Guide other designers while maintaining ownership of critical design decisions and overall quality.
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What We're Looking For

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• 9+ years of experience in UX/UI, digital product, or customer experience design.
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• Proven ability to independently lead complex design projects from strategy through execution.
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• Strong business acumen and experience connecting design decisions to measurable business outcomes.
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• Exceptional hands-on UX/UI and visual design capabilities, including advanced Figma proficiency.
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• Experience leading client workshops, executive presentations, and strategic conversations.
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• Ability to establish and communicate compelling experience strategies and creative direction.
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• Strong understanding of customer behavior, decision-making, and experience design.
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• Experience working across UX, UI, brand, and customer experience strategy.
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• Confidence challenging assumptions, navigating ambiguity, and aligning stakeholders.
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• A portfolio demonstrating strategic thinking, exceptional design craft, personal ownership, and measurable impact.
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We're looking for someone who thinks like a strategist, communicates like a consultant, and executes like an exceptional designer.

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Who Should Not Apply

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This is not a traditional senior UX production role. We're looking for proven strategic leaders who take ownership and deliver exceptional work.

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This position is not the right fit if:

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• Your experience is primarily executing design requirements established by others.
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• You cannot demonstrate how your design decisions influenced business outcomes.
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• Your portfolio lacks either strategic depth or exceptional visual design quality.
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• You have limited experience independently leading clients, workshops, or executive conversations.
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• You require significant creative direction or task-level oversight.
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• Your case studies focus on process and deliverables without demonstrating your personal contributions or results.
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We expect strategic intelligence, exceptional craft, and the confidence to lead.

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Why Variate

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Variate is a strategic design firm built for how people make decisions.

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Through our proprietary Decision Design™ approach, we create brands and experiences that remove hesitation, build trust, and drive measurable business growth.

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We've partnered with organizations including Marriott International, Carnival Cruise Line, Stanley Black & Decker, and Amerant Bank, helping shape more than 1 billion customer decisions and unlock over $16 billion in growth.

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You'll work alongside experienced strategists, designers, and business leaders on meaningful challenges for startups, growth-stage companies, and Fortune 500 organizations.

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We value independent thinking, exceptional craft, strong relationships, and measurable outcomes. Our team operates as an extension of our clients' businesses, bringing strategic guidance and hands-on expertise to the moments that matter most.

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At Variate, we don't just design experiences. We design the decisions that move businesses forward.

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Portfolio & Selection Criteria

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We're highly selective. Your portfolio is the primary signal of your capabilities.

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We're looking for case studies that clearly demonstrate:

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1. Strategic Thinking: How you identified the business challenge, established a direction, and influenced important decisions.
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2. Design Excellence: Exceptional UX/UI execution, visual design judgment, and attention to detail.
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3. Leadership: Evidence of independently leading clients, workshops, stakeholders, and complex projects.
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4. Business Impact: Measurable results and clear ownership of the decisions that contributed to them.
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Prior experience at a respected design agency or consultancy is highly valued, but demonstrated ability matters most.

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Show us how you think, how you lead, what you personally designed, and what changed because of your work.

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We've created a guide to help your portfolio stand out:

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-portfolios-1-designer

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Compensation

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Contract Rate: $90-$105 USD/hour, based on experience.

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Location: Remote, US-based.

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Engagement: Consistent long-term contract work with potential for contract-to-hire.

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NO RECRUITERS. Direct applicants only.

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LinkedIn Screening Questions

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1. How many years of professional UX/UI or product design experience do you have?

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Question Type: Numeric

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Ideal Answer: 9+

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2. Have you independently led UX/UI projects from business discovery and strategy through hands-on execution?

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Question Type: Yes/No

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Ideal Answer: Yes

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3. Does your portfolio demonstrate projects where your design decisions contributed to measurable business outcomes?

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Question Type: Yes/No

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Ideal Answer: Yes

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4. Have you personally led strategic workshops or discovery sessions with clients?

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Question Type: Yes/No

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Ideal Answer: Yes

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5. Have you presented and defended strategic design recommendations directly to senior executives?

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Question Type: Yes/No

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Ideal Answer: Yes

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6. Have you owned the overall strategic and creative direction of complex UX/UI projects?

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Question Type: Yes/No

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Ideal Answer: Yes

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7. How many years of professional experience do you have using Figma?

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Question Type: Numeric

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Ideal Answer: 5+

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8. Have you worked directly with clients at a design agency or consultancy?

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Question Type: Yes/No

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Ideal Answer: Yes (Preferred, not required)

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9. Have you independently owned both the strategy and hands-on design execution of a complex project?

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Question Type: Yes/No

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Ideal Answer: Yes

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10. Is a direct link to your portfolio included in your LinkedIn profile or application?

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Question Type: Yes/No

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Ideal Answer: Yes

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11. Do you understand this is a remote, US-based contract position paying $90-$105/hour?

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Question Type: Yes/No

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Ideal Answer: Yes

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12. Are you available to begin contract work within the next 30 days?

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Question Type: Yes/No

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Ideal Answer: Yes

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Recommended Knockout Questions: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, and 11.

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Use the remaining questions to prioritize candidates rather than automatically disqualifying them.

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Source: 2026 Variate Brand Intelligence v4.1.

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