Design Team Lead, Sr Web Designer

Job Title: Design Team Lead, Sr Web Designer
Clearance Required: Public Trust – Federal Client requires US Citizenship
Work Location: Remote

Alpha Omega is seeking a Senior Website Designer & Design Team Lead to oversee the visual, interaction, and user experience design across multiple federal digital platforms. This role combines creative leadership with hands-on design execution, guiding a multidisciplinary design team in creating intuitive, accessible, and visually compelling websites for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the upcoming Administration for a Healthy America (AHA.gov) digital transition.

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and design system expert who can translate research, analytics, and user needs into scalable, human-centered design solutions that meet Section 508 and USWDS standards.

Key Responsibilities:

Design Leadership

• Lead and mentor the UX/UI design team (designers, researchers, and illustrators).
• Set the creative direction and visual standards for all web and mobile properties.
• Guide design reviews, ensuring consistency across components, color palettes, and typography systems.
• Collaborate closely with content, development, and QA teams to ensure seamless handoff and alignment.

UX / UI Design Execution

• Develop wireframes, prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups in Figma.
• Establish and maintain a unified design system and component library aligned with USWDS and agency branding.
• Conduct usability studies, tree testing, and A/B testing to refine site layouts and interaction flows.
• Create new page templates, icons, and interactive design components supporting responsive and mobile-first principles.

User Research & Accessibility

• Translate user research, analytics, and stakeholder feedback into actionable design improvements.
• Ensure compliance with Section 508, WCAG 2.2, and accessibility best practices.
• Integrate user personas, journey maps, and behavioral insights into iterative design processes.

Collaboration & Delivery

• Partner with product owners, developers, and communications staff to execute web initiatives and modernization tasks.
• Contribute to sprint planning, retrospectives, and Agile ceremonies.
• Document design decisions and specifications in Confluence and Storybook.
• Support content layout, iconography, and design standards for high-visibility campaigns and microsites.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, or related field.

Experience/Skills:

• 7+ years of experience in website design, UX/UI, or digital product design.
• Proven experience leading design teams on federal or large-scale enterprise web projects.
• Advanced proficiency in Figma, Adobe Creative Suite, and familiarity with USWDS and Drupal front-end patterns.
• Strong understanding of responsive design, accessibility standards, and modern CSS grid systems.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, including experience presenting design rationale to non-technical audiences.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting federal digital modernization or public health programs.
• Familiarity with AWS, Agile frameworks, and DevSecOps delivery models.
• Understanding of content governance, metadata, and taxonomy within Drupal CMS environments.
• Experience integrating and documenting design tokens and component specifications in Storybook.
• Portfolio demonstrating clean, accessible, and responsive design solutions for government or public-sector clients.

Certification(s):

• N/A

Salary and Benefit Information:

The likely salary range for this position is $104,000 - $135,000. This is not, however, a guarantee of compensation or salary. There are multiple factors that are considered in determining final pay for a position, including, b