Geospatial UI/UX Engineer (52218)

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy•Washington, DC

9d•$76,000 - $114,000

About The Position

We are seeking a Geospatial UI/UX Engineer who will lead user experience research, interface design, and user testing for CGS’s suite of web applications, dashboards, and data portals. This role bridges design and front-end development, ensuring that our products are intuitive, accessible, and aligned with the diverse needs of users in the water data ecosystem. The ideal candidate combines strong user-centered design and research skills with hands-on front-end implementation experience, capable of transforming complex environmental data into usable and engaging digital products. This position will work closely with front-end and back-end developers, data scientists, and stakeholder-engagement staff to prototype, test, and refine high-quality interfaces that make water data truly usable.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in human-computer interaction, design, computer science, or related field, or equivalent professional experience.
3+ years of professional experience in UI/UX design for web applications, ideally involving complex scientific data content.
Proven ability to conduct user research, usability sessions, and iterative design with diverse user groups.
Strong proficiency in Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or equivalent design tools.
Familiarity with front-end development frameworks (Vue.js, React, or similar).
Knowledge of web accessibility standards and inclusive design practices.
Experience collaborating in multidisciplinary teams including developers, scientists, and policymakers.
Experience with user interfaces for multidimensional arrays
Experience with user interfaces with context rich, complex data models with many entity types and relationships
Excellent communication, facilitation, and presentation skills.
U.S Citizenship, or legally authorized to work in the United States with no need for sponsorship, either now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

Experience with data visualization tools and geospatial frameworks (Leaflet, Mapbox, ArcGIS JS API, Plotly, D3.js).
Background in environmental, water, or sustainability domains.
Experience establishing or maintaining design systems or component libraries.
Familiarity with Git-based workflows, prototyping integration, and agile product development.
Working knowledge of Python or experience integrating with REST or OGC APIs.

Responsibilities

User Research & Design Lead user research and usability testing to understand stakeholder needs across scientific, policy, and public audiences.
Develop personas and user stories that inform design priorities and product features.
Convert scientific, policy, and operational workflows into actionable user requirements and design prototypes (wireframes, mockups, and interactive UI flows) using Figma or similar tools.
Establish and maintain design systems, accessibility standards, and brand-aligned visual styles across web applications.
Collaborate with project leads and partner organizations to align design goals with real-world workflows and decision contexts.
Participate in agile sprint planning, product reviews, and collaborative design critiques.
Document design guidelines, UX research findings, and interface logic for future development and scaling.
Front-End Development Serve as the bridge between design intent and technical implementation across the product suite.
Collaborate with software developers to implement designs as responsive, accessible web interfaces using HTML5, CSS3, and modern JavaScript frameworks (React preferred) and geospatial data visualization libraries (e.g., Plotly, D3.js, Mapbox, Leaflet).
Conduct iterative prototyping and user testing within active development cycles.
Collaborate with developers to ensure design feasibility and advocate for usability and accessibility throughout the development lifecycle.
Support smooth transition of prototypes into production environments with clear documentation and design rationale.

Benefits

3x employer contribution towards retirement matching your employee contribution up to 15%
health insurance
dental insurance
vision insurance
100% reimbursement of the health care deductible through a health reimbursement account
short-term disability coverage
long term disability coverage
paid parental leave
voluntary insurances such as accident insurance
health care flexible spending
dependent care flexible spending
paid time off for holidays, vacation, personal, sick, bereavement, and jury duty
office closure between December 24 – Jan 1 each calendar year
flexible schedule and option for a compressed 4 day workweek
tuition and staff development reimbursement
pet insurance
Employee Assistance Program