Human-Centered Design (HCD) Expert

CGI•Fairfax, VA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

CGI is seeking a Human Centered Design (HCD) Expert to join a high performing Agile team supporting a portfolio of IT application development and modernization for a large federal agency. You will conduct user research, facilitate design activities, and create prototypes and design artifacts that improve usability across a complex ecosystem of applications. This is an opportunity to apply HCD methods at scale while partnering with product owners, developers, analysts, and stakeholders in a fast paced environment. The ideal candidate is a structured thinker who is highly collaborative, curious, and comfortable engaging users and team members to uncover needs and translate them into clear design direction. This role requires strong communication skills, initiative, and the ability to manage competing priorities in an evolving environment. This position can be located in Fairfax, VA or Lafayette, LA. A hybrid working model is acceptable.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
At least 4+ years of related HCD, UX research, or service design experience in the IT industry
Strong collaboration skills with team members and stakeholders
Experience conducting user research and translating findings into actionable design guidance
Ability to create wireframes, prototypes, and user flows
Ability to work effectively within a team environment under tight timelines

Nice To Haves

Experience working with JIRA and Confluence
Familiarity with federal programs, procurement, or complex enterprise systems
Knowledge of accessibility standards (Section 508, WCAG) and USWDS
Experience with Figma, FigJam, Miro, Axure, or similar design tools
Experience producing high fidelity HCD deliverables such as personas, service blueprints, and usability test plans
Experience applying HCD methods within Agile delivery
Experience extracting user insights from IT behavior tools such as Datadog Real User Monitoring, Google Analytics, or similar

Responsibilities

Communicate effectively and respectfully with team members, customers, partners, and management, both in person and virtually.
Conduct user research through interviews, usability testing, workflow analysis, and surveys.
Synthesize research into personas, journey maps, service blueprints, and other design artifacts.
Participate in Agile ceremonies and contribute to backlog refinement, feature shaping, and solution design.
Lead or support design workshops, design studios, and collaborative working sessions.
Produce wireframes, prototypes, and conceptual workflows using tools such as Figma and Miro.
Validate design decisions through iterative testing and feedback cycles.
Ensure designs follow accessibility standards and align to USWDS or client design frameworks.
Maintain documentation, research notes, and reusable design assets.
Support user acceptance activities through usability validation and release readiness checks.
Assist in preparing user guides, training materials, and support resources when needed.