The DarkStar Group, LLC is hiring: UI/UX Designer (TS/SCI) in Herndon

Description

The DarkStar Group is seeking a Ui/UX Designer with a TS/SCI clearance to join one of our top projects in Herndon, VA. Below is an overview of the project, as well as information on our company and our benefits.

THE PROJECT

The DarkStar Group's team solves unique and challenging intelligence problems for a Special Operations customer. This work is as close to the mission as a technologist can get, so the environment is fast-paced: team members face rapidly-changing requirements and priorities as mission needs evolve. If you hate monotony and want to use your skills to have a direct impact on real-world operational success, this is the project for you.

We are a multi-faceted software development and systems administration team working to build and maintain software applications backed by a self-managed cloud infrastructure (OpenStack) with a true big-data footprint (over 10 petabytes). Our diverse background of experience in mission support and software development serves as a catalyst to solve unique and challenging intelligence problems in support of special operations analysts and their on-going activities. Prototyping and frequent, iterative feedback are core to our delivery approach, anchored by a need to work quickly in support of our missions.

The technical stack is quite robust and includes Java, Python, C#, C/C++, Geospatial tools, Big Data and Graph Products (Hadoop, MapReduce, Spark, ElasticSearch, Neo4j), Linux, OpenStack, AWS, Ansible, SQL/NoSQL, Text Processing, Cloud Services, Containerization, Infrastructure as Code (IAC), and more.

Work on this program takes place in the Herndon, VA area (we cannot support remote work) and requires a TS clearance and a willingness to obtain a CI Poly: a current TS/SCI + CI Poly is preferred.

THE ROLE

The DarkStar Group is seeking a UI-UX Designer to support the development and integration of various intelligence capabilities into a test and operational environment. You will be a member of a project team responsible for designing and deploying numerous components and features that will be implemented within a larger space domain awareness system. Your work will be to drive the UI-UX design to ensure that it meets human factor requirements of our user groups. In addition to the design, you will work alongside a team of front-end development engineers to design, iterate, and review implemented UI components and features across the program. You will be a strong verbal and visual communicator who excels at collaborating with internal team members and stakeholders. You are highly organized and can balance multiple priorities while maintaining a productive drive.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with stakeholders to define user requirements and translate them into design specifications.
• Design and implement user interfaces for web applications, ensuring a seamless and engaging user experience.
• Create end-to-end user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and visual designs that align with user needs and business goals.
• Advocate for user-focused, evidence-based design and adherence to UI/UX best practices.
• Work closely with developers to ensure the feasibility of designs and provide guidance during the implementation process.
• Maintain and refine design systems and guidelines to ensure consistency across products.
• Communicate clear strategy and vision concisely and comprehensibly.
• Stay current with industry trends and best practices in UI/UX design.

Required Skills

• Must be willing to work in the office 5 days a week in Herndon, VA.
• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Computer Science, or a related field; equivalent experience may be substituted for a degree.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in UI/UX design.
• Proficient in design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, Figma, or similar. Figma is preferred.
• Strong portfolio showcasing UI/UX design work and/or case studies.
• Understanding of the intelligence community and its missions.
• Experience working in an Agile development environment.

Desired Skills (Optional)

• Experience with user research methodologies and usability testing.
• Knowledge of accessibility standards and best practices.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.
• Strong communication skills to articulate design concepts and decisions.
• Experience with the intelligence community.
• Experience with space domain awareness and/or Geo-intelligence UI designs is a plus.
• Experience with developing in Vue2 or Vue3 framework.
• Experience creating designs based on Material Design Theory and/or using Vuetify components as a foundation.
• Experience with branding and/or visual identity.

About The DarkStar Group

Our Company

The DarkStar Group is a small business that solves BIG problems. We're one of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the US, and our engineers and scientists support the most critical national security missions in Virginia, Maryland, and elsewhere. Data Science, Software Engineering, Cloud/AWS Infrastructure, and Cyber/CNO are our core areas of expertise. We offer interesting and important work, job security, some of the best and most flexible benefits you'll find in the IC, and salaries so strong that they'll likely surprise you.

Our Benefits

The DarkStar Group offers exceptional compensation and benefits:

• very strong salaries;
• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for you and all dependents;
• the ability to get increased salary if you don't need medical/dental/vision;
• 100% company-paid disability and life insurance benefits;
• a generously-funded HSA;
• an 8% 401(k) contribution;
• 31 days of PTO/holidays to start (more with tenure);
• the ability to flex time across pay periods without using your PTO;
• a generous training budget;
• $25,000 employee referral bonuses;
• business development / growth incentives; and
• top notch company swag.

** We have a huge growth opportunity, so we are offering up to a $25,000 reward for anyone new you refer whom we hire. **

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.