Lead UX/UI Designer

The Lead UX/UI Designer is responsible for leading the full UX design lifecycle; from research and discovery through interaction design, prototyping, and usability testing; to deliver intuitive, user-centered experiences on Benbridge.com and Helzberg.com. Operating with high autonomy, this individual brings a high level of craft and acts as a subject matter expert, frequently leading design projects and ensuring work across the team progresses smoothly and cohesively while applying deep knowledge of UX methodologies and information architecture to translate vision into cohesive, elevated digital experiences. This role requires the ability to clearly present design rationale and recommendations to broad audiences, building confidence in design decisions across the organization. This individual collaborates closely with the UI/UX Design Director, contributes to upholding design standards and consistency, and informally supports and mentors other designers on the team. This position requires a genuine passion for the craft and detail that luxury customers expect, while staying ahead of industry trends and emerging technologies.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

• Owns and executes complex, end-to-end UX/UI design projects on Benbridge.com and Helzberg.com, from research and discovery through wireframes, prototypes, and final execution.

• Conducts ongoing site audits to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity within the user experience.

• Leads the ongoing evolution and governance of the digital design system that reflects luxury trends, user needs, and brand consistency.

• Partners closely with Product Management, Project Management and Application Development throughout the delivery lifecycle to translate design concepts into development-ready specifications, ensuring the final implementation delivers the intended user experience.

• Collaborates with stakeholders to translate business goals into user-centered solutions that elevate the luxury customer journey.

• Elevates the overall quality and consistency of design work by fostering collaboration and a shared design standard across the team.

• Acts as a subject matter expert, leading design projects and driving adoption of design thinking methodologies.

• Conducts user research and usability testing to validate design decisions and uncover new opportunities for improvement.

• Presents design concepts and rationale to stakeholders, building alignment and confidence across broad audiences.

• Provides recommendations on UI/UX enhancements with a mobile-first design approach, staying ahead of luxury and e-commerce design trends.

• Partners with Product and QA on user acceptance testing to ensure final implementation reflects approved designs and delivers a polished and on-brand customer experience.

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related field, providing a solid foundation for creative design principles.
• Minimum 8 years of experience designing customer-facing digital products or ecommerce experiences, including significant experience leading UX/UI initiatives from discovery through implementation.
• Working knowledge of front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, responsive design principles, and component-based development) to effectively partner with engineering throughout implementation.
• Must possess a strong portfolio showcasing UX and interaction design, visual design aesthetic, and user-centered thinking.
• Experience using customer behavior analytics and experimentation platforms to inform design decisions.
• Proficiency in Figma and other wireframing/prototyping tools.
• Knowledge of web and ecommerce analytics, including Google Analytics and other industry-standard platforms such as Monetate, Syte, Tangiblee, A/B Tasty, Content Square, etc.
• Solid knowledge of Usability Factors in Human Computer Interaction.
• Experience with Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a plus.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, with strong attention to detail.
• Must possess team spirit and strong communication skills to collaborate with various stakeholders; detail-oriented with strong critical thinking and time management skills.
• Ability to work effectively within a hybrid team environment, including the availability and willingness to travel to the Kansas City and/or Seattle corporate office on a regular basis for planning sessions, design reviews, workshops, and other key business initiatives., Customer Focus, Strategic & Design Thinking, Innovation, Influence & Communication, Analytical and Creative Problem Solving, Business Knowledge, Collaboration & Partnership, Craftsmanship & Attention to Detail, Execution Excellence, Personal Accountability, Integrity.