UX Research and Design Lead

About the role

Requirements: What you'll need

Experience and Skill Set Requirements

UX Research and Design skills:

• 5+ years of experience leading human-centered UX research and design for complex digital products and services.
• Demonstrated experience planning and conducting user research activities, including interviews, workshops, surveys, usability testing, and stakeholder consultations, and translating findings into actionable design recommendations that support improved usability, accessibility, and measurable service outcomes.
• Proven experience leading end-to-end UX design activities from discovery through delivery, including creation of personas, user journeys, service blueprints, information architecture, user flows, wireframes, mock-ups, and interactive prototypes, etc., that aligned to Ontario Design System and accessibility requirements.
• Experience establishing and applying UX metrics, performance measures, and continuous validation practices to evaluate and improve digital services
• Support the solution architecture design, Options Analysis, and Treasure Board business case development.

Service Design, Accessibility & Digital Delivery Skills:

• 3+ years experience in Service Design and Digital Product Delivery.
• Demonstrated experience applying human-centered and evidence-based design methods to solve complex business and user experience challenges.
• Hands-on experience developing and iterating wireframes, prototypes, and proof-of-concepts using Figma or equivalent UX design tools.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience implementing accessibility standards, including AODA and WCAG requirements.
• Experience supporting product and service design initiatives through user-centered design methodologies, journey mapping, prototyping, and design validation.
• Experience contributing to UX strategies, service standards, and digital experience improvements across multiple user groups and business domains.

Communication, Stakeholder Engagement & Advisory Skills:

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, facilitation, and decision-making skills, with the ability to communicate complex UX concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven experience leading stakeholder workshops, gathering requirements, building consensus, and managing competing priorities across diverse groups.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic advice, reporting, and recommendations while collaborating effectively with project teams, business stakeholders, and senior leadership to achieve project objectives.

Agile Delivery and Public Sector Experience:

• Experience working in Agile, Scrum, Lean, or DevOps environments, managing user stories, sprint planning, backlog refinement, and user acceptance activities.
• Proven ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams across the full product lifecycle, from discovery and design to testing, validation, and implementation.
• Hands-on experience with Azure DevOps (or similar tools) and involvement in public sector, government, or large-scale digital transformation initiatives, including application of digital service standards.

Must Have:

• 5+ years of experience leading human-centered UX research and design for complex digital products and services.
• Demonstrated experience planning and conducting user research activities, including interviews, workshops, surveys, usability testing, and stakeholder consultations, and translating findings into actionable design recommendations that support improved usability, accessibility, and measurable service outcomes.
• Proven experience leading end-to-end UX design activities from discovery through delivery, including creation of personas, user journeys, service blueprints, information architecture, user flows, wireframes, mock-ups, and interactive prototypes, etc., that aligned to Ontario Design System and accessibility requirements.
• Plan and conduct user research and stakeholder engagement activities
• Collaborate with product owners, business stakeholders, and cross-functional Agile teams to align user needs
• Design intuitive, accessible, and user-centered digital experiences by applying UX/UI best practices, human-centered design principles
• Experience working in Agile, Scrum, Lean, or DevOps environments. Experience with Figma.
• Hands-on experience with Azure DevOps (or similar tools) and involvement in public sector, government, or large-scale digital transformation initiatives, including application of digital service standards.