Senior Designer

Ad Hoc is a technology company that empowers organizations to deliver scalable, impactful digital services. Using modern, agile methods, our team creates products that meet people’s needs and transform their experience of government.

Our collaborations have shaped some of the defining moments in public-sector service delivery. We’ve helped build products that connect Veterans to tailored services, help millions access affordable health care, and support important programs like Head Start. As we work with agencies to deliver critical services, we’re also changing how the government approaches technology.

Our culture, communications, and tools are built for remote work, enabling us to bring together top talent nationwide. At Ad Hoc, remote life empowers our teams to design work environments that fit their lives and that foster flexibility and collaboration to achieve positive outcomes for our customers.

Ad Hoc values acceptance, accountability, and humility. We aren’t heroes. We learn from our mistakes and improve the process for the next time. We build small, inclusive teams to collaborate closely with our partners to solve the right problems and deliver software that works.

The Veterans Affairs business unit helps transform the VA into a modern digital services organization where Veteran outcomes are at the center of every effort. We partner with the VA to design and deliver seamless user experiences for Veterans, their families and caregivers, and VA employees. By applying better practices in service design, product management, and technology, we enable the VA to increase the use, quality, and reliability of services and decrease the time Veterans spend waiting for outcomes.

• →Own and evolve the portal's information architecture, including navigation, site maps, page hierarchy, labeling, taxonomy, and user flows
• →Lead information architecture efforts for high-traffic pages, features, and cross-portal initiatives, evaluating how changes may affect the broader user experience
• →Partner with external teams to ensure the portal's information architecture aligns with enterprise standards and related digital experiences
• →Plan and conduct user research to inform information architecture and design decisions, including usability testing, tree testing, card sorting, and generative research when appropriate
• →Synthesize qualitative and quantitative data, including user research, analytics, feedback surveys, and other inputs, into clear findings and actionable recommendations
• →Create and maintain information architecture and design deliverables, including site maps, user flows, wireframes, concepts, and prototypes
• →Translate complex user, content, and business needs into clear, intuitive experiences
• →Present research findings, design rationale, and recommendations to government stakeholders and product teams in a clear and compelling way
• →Incorporate users with disabilities into research and apply accessibility principles, including Section 508 and WCAG, throughout information architecture and design decisions
• →Contribute design work within an established design system, from early concepts and low-fidelity wireframes through higher-fidelity prototypes
• →Build strong working relationships across design, product, engineering, program leadership, government stakeholders, and external teams
• →Navigate ambiguity, evolving requirements, and complex stakeholder environments while maintaining progress toward delivery
• →Identify design, research, and delivery risks, communicate them proactively, and recommend practical mitigations
• →Coach and mentor other team members through actionable feedback, knowledge sharing, and design collaboration
• →Support the hiring process by reviewing candidate exercises and participating in panel interviews

• Bachelor's degree and 7+ years of relevant professional experience
  • Additional relevant experience may be substituted for education
• Demonstrated experience conducting and applying user research within digital products or services
• Experience planning, conducting, and synthesizing qualitative and quantitative research
• 2+ years of experience focused on information architecture or equivalent responsibilities, with a portfolio demonstrating work such as site maps, navigation structures, user flows, taxonomy, and wireframes
• Experience designing for a large, complex, or content-rich website, application, or digital portal
• Experience working within an established design system
• Strong ability to translate research findings, analytics, user needs, and complex requirements into actionable design recommendations
• Experience presenting work to senior client or stakeholder audiences and articulating the rationale behind design decisions
• Experience mentoring or providing design guidance to other team members
• Proficiency with modern design and collaboration tools such as Figma, Miro, or similar platforms
• Understanding of accessible and inclusive design practices
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance

• Experience supporting federal government digital services or modernization programs
• Experience designing healthcare, benefits, patient-facing, or other complex service-oriented digital experiences
• Experience working with large-scale portals, content ecosystems, or complex navigation structures
• Experience with information architecture research methods and tools, including tree testing and card sorting
• Experience incorporating web analytics or other quantitative data into UX and information architecture decisions
• Familiarity with Section 508 and WCAG accessibility standards
• Experience conducting research within government review, approval, recruitment, or participant-management processes