User Experience Designer at Colorado State University in Boulder, CO

Job description

Job Description Position Summary: The individual in this position will serve as a lead UX/UI designer for weather-related forecast and decision-support systems. While the role may include project management and principal investigator duties, the primary focus is delivering exceptional, high-impact software design. The designer will collaborate closely with meteorologists, software engineers, social scientists within the WIDS Division, and partner laboratories to translate operational workflows into clear, intuitive interfaces. In support of the design process, the individual will evaluate existing tools and prototypes by gathering user feedback through targeted interviews and usability testing, translating those insights directly into actionable interface refinements. Description of Unit: The Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) at Colorado State University (CSU) seeks to fill a full-time User Experience Designer position to conduct collaborative research and development with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) located at the Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) in Boulder, CO. The individual in this position will work in the NOAA/OAR/GSL Weather Informatics and Decision Support (WIDS) Division. For a complete position description, including information regarding our organization, our collaborators, the full position summary and job duties, please visit: https://www.cira.colostate.edu/welcome-about/jobs/ For full consideration, please apply by Monday, November 23, 2026, 11:59 PM (MT). Essential Job Duties: Serve as design lead and potentially principal investigator and project manager for WIDS decision support systems; direct the strategic vision, user experience, and end-to-end technical advancement of the product while overseeing the product roadmap, managing a high-volume backlog, coordinating sprint planning, and maintaining delivery standards across a cross-functional development team. Conduct research by designing wireframes, prototypes, mockups, and high-fidelity interfaces using Figma and other design tools; develop and maintain a comprehensive UX design system and component library. Plan and conduct interviews and usability testing with NWS forecasters and emergency managers to evaluate tools, refine data visualization and decision-support communication, and translate user input into actionable design enhancements. Collaborate with meteorologists, software engineers, and social and behavioral scientists to incorporate user research findings into decision support displays and systems that reflect the needs of operational users; lead cross-laboratory collaboration with partner organizations to harmonize UX standards, accessibility practices, and design systems across NOAA. Produce research plans, usability reports, interaction specifications, and design documentation to support development teams and inform stakeholders. Communicate research findings, project progress, and strategic recommendations to sponsors, stakeholders, and peer organizations, and participate in workshops and conferences. Conditions of Employment: While at least partial onsite presence (3 days per week) at GSL in Boulder, CO, is strongly preferred, remote work options may be considered. If onsite, this position allows for a hybrid working modality that, with satisfactory performance and in coordination with the project team, allows for up to 2 days per week of telework. This full-time position requires a National Agency Check with Inquiries (NACI) Tier 1 federal background check and a NOAA Common Access Card (CAC) ID badge for systems access. Therefore, only U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents holding a physical USCIS "Green Card" are eligible. Supervision: This position will not supervise employees. Required Qualifications: RA IV Education requirements : Bachelor’s Degree from a program such as (but not limited to) human centered design, human-computer interaction, user experience, usability enginee