Director of User Experience (UX)

Portland Webworks•Portland, ME

12d

About The Position

At Portland Webworks, you’ll join a team of bright, talented professionals united by a shared mission: delivering high-quality software solutions that help governments better serve their constituents. We design and build elegant, efficient systems that save money, improve services, and meaningfully impact people’s lives. We value strategic thinkers, creative problem-solvers, and leaders who thrive in complex situations. What You’ll Do As the Director of UX, you will: Serve on a small, entrepreneurial, and growth-focused executive leadership team alongside the Directors of PM/BA/QA, Software Development, Technology, and Business Development. Lead, represent, and advocate for a team of UX designers, UI designers, and content specialists. Manage day-to-day HR responsibilities for your team, including scheduling, recruiting, performance management, and professional development. Work directly with clients to understand their business challenges, complex systems, data, and processes, ensuring your team develops research-driven design solutions. Present and champion your team’s ideas to clients, stakeholders, and executives. Promote UX best practices across the organization, collaborating closely with developers, project managers, business analysts, and QA professionals. Participate actively in sales presentations, communicating the value and scope of our UX services. Advance the company’s UX practice by evolving creative processes, driving continuous improvement, and evaluating emerging tools and technologies (including AI and automation). See your team’s ideas come to life in real products used by real people. What You Bring Experience working in a fast-paced Agile software development environment and familiarity with common toolsets. Client-facing experience leading requirements workshops, business analysis discussions, user research initiatives, and content strategy. Skill in planning and conducting user testing for low- and high-fidelity wireframes, site maps, and prototypes. Expert, hands-on proficiency with Figma. Experience with UX research tools such as Optimal Workshop, Maze, and SurveyMonkey. Ability to accept and apply critical feedback while managing client expectations. Practical understanding of web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.) and their implications for design. Commitment to staying current with design trends and emerging technologies. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong work ethic and the ability to remain positive under pressure. Experience with iterative design and giving thoughtful, constructive feedback.

Requirements

Experience working in a fast-paced Agile software development environment and familiarity with common toolsets.
Client-facing experience leading requirements workshops, business analysis discussions, user research initiatives, and content strategy.
Skill in planning and conducting user testing for low- and high-fidelity wireframes, site maps, and prototypes.
Expert, hands-on proficiency with Figma.
Experience with UX research tools such as Optimal Workshop, Maze, and SurveyMonkey.
Ability to accept and apply critical feedback while managing client expectations.
Practical understanding of web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, etc.) and their implications for design.
Commitment to staying current with design trends and emerging technologies.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Strong work ethic and the ability to remain positive under pressure.
Experience with iterative design and giving thoughtful, constructive feedback.

Responsibilities

Serve on a small, entrepreneurial, and growth-focused executive leadership team alongside the Directors of PM/BA/QA, Software Development, Technology, and Business Development.
Lead, represent, and advocate for a team of UX designers, UI designers, and content specialists.
Manage day-to-day HR responsibilities for your team, including scheduling, recruiting, performance management, and professional development.
Work directly with clients to understand their business challenges, complex systems, data, and processes, ensuring your team develops research-driven design solutions.
Present and champion your team’s ideas to clients, stakeholders, and executives.
Promote UX best practices across the organization, collaborating closely with developers, project managers, business analysts, and QA professionals.
Participate actively in sales presentations, communicating the value and scope of our UX services.
Advance the company’s UX practice by evolving creative processes, driving continuous improvement, and evaluating emerging tools and technologies (including AI and automation).
See your team’s ideas come to life in real products used by real people.