Principal UX Designer
Location: Columbia, MD (Hybrid – up to 2 days telework per week)
Salary Range: $175,000 – $220,000
Clearance Required: TS//SCI with Polygraph

At Shadow Strategies, you will join a culture defined by innovation, purpose, and meaningful impact. We seek driven individuals ready to bring their unique strengths to a dynamic team dedicated to solving critical challenges. If you're inspired by complexity, motivated by clarity, and committed to excellence, we invite you to become part of something exceptional.

Shadow Strategies is seeking a Principal UX Designer to lead human-centered design initiatives on a high-impact national security program. This role is ideal for a visionary UX professional who can shape the design direction of mission-critical tools and mentor others in achieving design excellence. You’ll partner with engineers, analysts, and product owners to drive user experience strategies that directly impact operational success.

This position calls for strategic thinking, leadership presence, and hands-on design skills. If you're passionate about crafting elegant solutions to complex challenges and influencing product direction from the ground up, this role is built for you.

What You’ll Do

• Set UX vision and strategy in alignment with mission needs and user priorities

• Lead discovery, research, and design engagements across multi-disciplinary teams

• Drive interaction and visual design from concept through implementation

• Conduct and oversee usability testing to validate design decisions

• Translate complex requirements into elegant, actionable design solutions

• Mentor and guide junior and senior UX team members

Required Skills & Experience

• Demonstrated expertise leading enterprise UX initiatives from concept to deployment

• Deep experience in human-centered design, workflow mapping, and interface architecture

• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with engineering, product, and user stakeholders

• Mastery of modern design and prototyping tools, including Adobe Creative Cloud, XD, and PenPot

• Portfolio showcasing leadership in UX strategy, system design, and team mentorship

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working within intelligence, defense, or complex operational environments

• Certification or graduate education in Human-Centered Computing or related fields

• Knowledge of accessibility standards and secure software design

Years of Experience and Degree Requirements
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Human-Centered Design, or a related field with 14+ years of user experience design
OR
18+ years of user experience design without a degree

Why Shadow
Based in Columbia, MD, with up to 2 days of telework per week
Work alongside experts shaping the future of national security tools
Freedom to lead, explore, and build impactful, long-term design strategies

What Comes With It
You’ll have what you need to do your best work:

• Fully covered health insurance – medical, dental, vision

• Paid parental leave – 16 weeks if you give birth, 4 if your partner does

• Flexible leave – 36 days (25 PTO + 11 holidays)

• 401(k) – for your future

• Short- and long-term disability – because life happens

• Annual health stipend – if you opt out of our insurance

Elite talent deserves elite support. Our benefits empower you to excel professionally and personally, recognizing your value through comprehensive health coverage, disability protection,
and meaningful well-being initiatives. By investing in you, we ensure you have the tools, resources, and support you need to thrive—inside and outside of work. See our benefit plan here.
 

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Shadow Strategies is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a workplace that values diversity and fosters inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Salary is determined by various factors, including but not limited to location, the individual’s particular combination of education, knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience, as well as contract-specific affordability and organizational requirements. 

https://www.shadowstrategies.io/