UI​/UX Practice Lead Security Clearance

Position: UI/UX Practice Lead with Security Clearance
Overview Join a team where innovation meets mission. Our AI, cloud, cyber, and modernization solutions save agencies thousands of hours, safeguard national security, and strengthen health and humanitarian missions worldwide. With 1,700+ team members, 1,500+ AI/data experts, and 100+ prime contracts, we deliver at scale and with purpose. We've been recognized as a Top Workplace by the Washington Post for six straight years and named to the Inc.

5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies 13 of the past 14 years. Credence is a welcoming home for those looking to grow and contribute to positive change. We encourage all employees to expand beyond their boundaries, dive into important world-changing Federal challenges. Position Summary We have an immediate need for a highly skilled UI/UX Practice Lead. As the UI/UX Practice Lead at Credence, you will be a strategic and hands-on design leader, shaping and executing the end-to-end user experience for our AI-powered products and platforms.

You'll drive the vision for translating complex AI capabilities-such as conversational agents, automated insights, and decision-support tools-into intuitive, engaging, ethical, and scalable user experiences that empower federal and enterprise clients. This role is pivotal in advancing mission success for government agencies and supporting national security through innovative design. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the duties listed below Design Strategy & Vision
* Define and communicate a clear UX/UI vision and roadmap for AI-driven products, aligning user needs, business objectives, and technical capabilities with Credence's mission-first approach.

* Translate complex AI outputs into simple, trustworthy, and intuitive interfaces that enable confident user decision-making for federal and defense clients.

* Champion design thinking and continuous innovation, leveraging Credence's AI accelerators and secure cloud-native technologies. Leadership & Team Development
* Build, mentor, and scale a high-performing design team, fostering a culture of servant leadership, collaboration, and user-centered design.
* Conduct design reviews, set quality standards, and provide actionable feedback to elevate design outcomes across government and enterprise projects.
AI-Focused Experience Design
* Establish core interaction models and design patterns for AI features, including conversational interfaces, prompt design, explainability views, and user-controlled autonomy and transparency mechanisms.

* Ensure ethical, responsible, and human-centered AI principles are reflected in all design decisions, supporting Credence's commitment to innovation and accountability.
User Research & Validation
* Plan and oversee user research and usability testing tailored to AI interactions, validating assumptions and uncovering pain points specific to federal and enterprise environments.

* Synthesize qualitative and quantitative insights into clear recommendations for product and engineering teams.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
* Partner closely with product management, engineering, data science, and business stakeholders to embed design thinking into Agile workflows and decision-making.

* Advocate for design excellence and user empathy across the organization, supporting Credence's culture of trust, partnership, and success. Design Systems & Standards
* Build, maintain, and govern a scalable design system with AI-first components and workflows to ensure consistency across platforms.

* Champion accessibility (WCAG/Section 508 compliance) and inclusive design best practices across all products, reflecting Credence's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Innovation & Thought Leadership
* Stay current with emerging trends in AI, UX, and design technologies, incorporating relevant innovations to advance the user experience.

* Contribute to the evolution of Credence's design maturity and best practices, supporting continuous learning and feedback. Requirements
* US citizenship with the ability to obtain successful DoD secret security clearance required. Candidates with active secret clearance preferred.
* Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

* 10+ years of UX/UI design experience, including at least 3 years in a leadership or people-management role, preferably within enterprise, data-driven, or AI-based products.

* Strong portfolio demonstrating system-level design thinking, problem-solving, and shipped products, including examples of AI or LLM-based interactions.

* Expert proficiency in modern design and prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD) with working knowledge of front-end technologies such as HTML, CSS, and React.

* Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to present design rationale to technical and executive audiences.

* Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, comfortable navigating ambiguity and…