Job Description
This is a multi-level ongoing UX pipeline position.
Location: Columbia, MD
Telework: TBD, subject to manager approval and tasking
Clearance Required: TS//SCI with Polygraph
Salary Range: $110,000 to $260,000
At Shadow Strategies, you will join a culture defined by innovation, purpose, and meaningful impact. We seek multiple levels who design interfaces that support analysts, operators, and mission teams by creating wireframes, prototypes, and interaction flows that improve clarity, performance, and trust in data-dense, high-pressure, and field-use environments. If you are inspired by complexity, motivated by clarity, and committed to excellence, we invite you to become part of something exceptional.
This role supports the design of systems used by analysts, operators, and mission teams in high-stakes environments where interfaces must communicate complex information clearly and perform effectively under pressure. You will serve as an individual contributor designing user interfaces and interaction flows, collaborating with engineers, researchers, and mission stakeholders, and conducting in-context usability testing and observation of operational workflows using wireframes, prototypes, and interaction flows. Your work enables tools to improve clarity, usability, performance, and user trust so mission teams can make informed decisions when it matters most.
What You’ll Do
Design intuitive and responsive user interfaces that streamline critical user workflows
Create mockups, wireframes, and prototypes using PenPot, Axure, and Adobe Creative Cloud
Collaborate closely with developers, system engineers, and product managers to deliver user-centered solutions
Support user research to define personas, map workflows, and validate design decisions
Contribute to design consistency across applications and participate in multi-team coordination
Who This Might Be a Fit For
You have experience simplifying complex workflows into intuitive user experiences
You are comfortable taking ownership appropriate to your level while working through complex mission challenges with support when needed
You understand how users, engineers, researchers, and mission stakeholders intersect throughout the design process
You prefer clarity over cleverness and durable solutions over quick fixes
You collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams and communicate design decisions with clarity
Required Skills
Proven ability to translate complex systems and requirements into clean, usable designs
Demonstrated experience designing cross-application user experiences
Strong communication and collaboration skills within cross-functional development teams
Expertise in UI prototyping and visual communication
Skilled in creating interface elements such as menus, tabs, widgets, and dashboards
Helpful Experience Areas
Background as an analyst, mission user, or subject matter expert within a national security setting
Experience working in Agile software development environments
Familiarity with accessibility principles and secure design practices
Years of Experience and Degree Requirements
Requirements will depend on what level you are being considered for, but at minimum we require a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Human-Centered Design, or a related field and 5 years of experience
OR 9 years of experience without a degree
Degrees must be obtained from an accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Work Environment
Based in Columbia, MD
Primarily in office with potential of up to 2 days telework per week in Columbia, MD
Travel based on mission needs to engage operators, support research, facilitate working sessions, and brief stakeholders
Multidisciplinary teams supporting mission systems in classified environments
Ownership expectations depend on the level under consideration. Junior contributors are trusted to work independently while building experience with guidance and resources. Senior individual contributors are trusted to shape experience direction and connect evidence to execution.
What Comes With It
You will have what you need to do your best work:
Fully covered health insurance for medical, dental, and vision
Paid parental leave: 16 weeks if you give birth, 4 weeks if your partner does
Flexible leave: 36 days total each year, including 25 days of PTO and 11 paid holidays
401(k) for your future
Short-term and long-term disability
Annual health stipend if you opt out of our insurance
The Extras? They’re Built In.
No points systems. No bean bags. Just clarity, autonomy, and a mission that matters.
Shadow invests in exceptional people because demanding work requires more than a paycheck. Our benefits are designed to provide meaningful support inside and outside the mission.
See our benefit plan at: https://www.shadowstrategies.io/benefits
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.
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About Shadow Strategies LLC
Shadow Strategies solves problems with innovative strategies. We approach complexity with creativity and resolve, focus on impact and quality, and embrace uncertainty in the pursuit of clarity. We do this together, for all.