Principal UX Designer - Developer Tools

About the position

As the Principal UX Designer for our Developer Portal, you will be at the forefront of shaping a best-in-class experience for developers integrating with ID.me. In this specialized role, you will lead and inspire a team focused on building a robust, intuitive, and secure platform that empowers developers to connect seamlessly with our services. With a deep understanding of developer needs and behavior, you'll drive the strategic evolution of the Developer Portal—transforming it into a scalable, extensible hub that simplifies complex workflows and accelerates integration. Your design leadership will directly influence how developers interact with our ecosystem, improving usability, efficiency, and satisfaction at every step. You’ll partner cross-functionally with product managers, engineers, and executive stakeholders to align design strategy with business goals and technical capabilities. From defining user journeys and wireframes to advocating for design excellence in high-level strategy discussions, your work will set the standard for developer-facing experiences at ID.me. This role goes beyond traditional UX design. You’ll serve as both a design strategist and a developer advocate—championing usability while fostering innovation. You’ll create a collaborative, forward-thinking design environment where bold ideas are encouraged and where every design decision is grounded in empathy, scalability, and measurable impact.

Responsibilities

• Guide a cross-functional team of engineers and a product manager focused on the ID.me Developer Portal, fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and innovative work environment that is design driven.
• Drive the strategic vision and planning stages of the Developer Portal, championing innovative ideas supported by comprehensive research and a well-argued rationale.
• Oversee the development of user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and visual design specifications for the Developer Portal, ensuring high standards and consistency.
• Advocate for developer-centric design principles and validate designs through rigorous user research and testing, incorporating developer feedback to enhance the experience.
• Showcase and defend design work related to the Developer Portal to various teams and stakeholders, influencing product direction and strategy with compelling presentations and narratives.
• Develop and maintain UX design guidelines, best practices, and contribute to the growth of the design culture at ID.me, with a focus on developer needs and behaviors.
• Engage in cross-functional collaboration to deliver a user-focused Developer Portal that aligns with business goals and technical capabilities.
• Utilize strong user-centered design skills to transform complex ideas into scalable and impactful design solutions, fostering a solutions-centric mindset for the Developer Portal.
• Inspire and motivate the UX team, leading by example and setting high standards for design and research, while encouraging innovation and creative problem-solving.
• Lead UX product innovation initiatives for the Developer Portal, using data and research to inform design choices and strategic direction.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the latest UI/UX trends, tools, and technologies, especially those relevant to developer tools and platforms, integrating this knowledge into design practices and team training.
• Act as a key strategic partner in the organization, collaborate with other designers to drive overarching design strategies for the Developer Portal.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in UX design, interaction design, human-computer interaction, or a related field.
• At least 15 years of post school experience in UX design, with substantial experience in a role overseeing complex design projects, particularly those focused on developer tools or platforms.
• Prior experience designing, building, or maintaining developer portals, developer hubs, or similar platforms, particularly those that provide APIs, SDKs, and other developer tools.
• A comprehensive portfolio showcasing a variety of design projects, including examples of driving user-centered solutions, with specific examples related to developer portals or similar platforms.
• Advanced proficiency in design and prototyping tools such as Figma and other industry-standard tools.
• Experience in a variety of design tools and methods, such as wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and interaction modeling.
• Proven track record of incorporating UX research into design principles and overall customer experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing UX design processes and fostering innovation in rapid prototyping.
• Extensive experience in collaborative work with engineering and product management teams, and effectively incorporating their input and feedback.

Nice-to-haves

• Strong understanding of the technical aspects of web development and API integration, with the ability to communicate effectively with developers and translate technical requirements into user-friendly designs.
• Passion for improving the developer experience and a track record of advocating for developers' needs and pain points in the design process.
• Ability to think outside the box and bring innovative solutions to complex problems, particularly those involving the extensibility and scalability of developer-focused platforms.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to inspire and guide a cross-functional team.
• Experience in strategic planning and execution of design projects, from concept through to launch, specifically for developer-focused platforms.
• Proficient in applying best practices for user interface design, information architecture, and interaction design.
• Substantial experience in managing full life cycle design projects, from strategizing to execution.
• A relentless passion for design, innovation, and constant self-improvement.
• Up-to-date with the latest UI/UX standards, design trends, best practices, and technologies.
• Demonstrable experience in creating UI specifications and wireframes with the ability to move swiftly from concept to execution.
• Deep understanding of developer needs and behaviors, with the ability to translate these into user-centered design principles and practical implementations.
• Proven ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, marketing, and senior leadership.
• Experience designing with accessibility and inclusivity in mind, ensuring that the Developer Portal is usable by a diverse range of developers.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks and effectively balancing short-term deadlines with long-term goals.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate user research and data into actionable design strategies for the Developer Portal.
• Passion for innovation and a commitment to staying abreast of the latest developments in UX design, developer tools, and technology.
• Experience working in a startup environment.
• Demonstrated ability to strategically analyze and translate data into effective design recommendations.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with a proven ability to work effectively within a team and independently.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, health savings account, flexible spending accounts (medical, limited purpose, dependent care, commuter benefit accounts)
• Basic and voluntary life and AD&D insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Parental leave
• Ability to participate in unlimited paid time off subject to the terms and conditions of the PTO policy, including 8 company wide holidays
• Short and long-term disability insurance
• Accident and critical illness insurance
• Referral bonus policy
• Employee assistance program
• Pet insurance
• Travel assistant program
• Wellbeing and childcare discounts
• Benefit advocates
• Learning and development benefit