Skyward IT Solutions, LLC - Product Designer

• Design the experience. Own the UX and UI for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s (CMS) enterprise AI platform, and for CMS’s AI products, from concept to polished, high-fidelity, USWDS-aligned designs in Figma that are intuitive, elegant, and ready to build. • Make it tangible fast. Move from sketches to wireframes to interactive prototypes, iterating quickly so stakeholders can see and feel the solution, not just read about it. • Build and extend the design system. Create and maintain reusable components, patterns, and standards so the product stays consistent and scalable as it grows. • Design with evidence. Plan and run lightweight research (usability sessions, interviews, feedback loops) and fold what you learn straight back into the design (design-primary, research-informed). • Map the experience. Build user flows, journey maps, and service blueprints that show how people move through AI services and where the friction lives. • Make accessibility non-negotiable. Design to Section 508 and WCAG from the first frame so what ships works beautifully for every user. • Partner across the team. Work shoulder-to-shoulder with engineers, the AI team, and CMS stakeholders in a badgeless, one-team culture, handing off designs that developers love to build. • What we’d like you to have: • A bachelor’s degree and 5+ years in UX/product design (with hands-on research exposure) or a closely related field. • A standout portfolio that shows strong visual and interaction design — real products you took from concept to polished, shipped UI. • Deep Figma fluency: high-fidelity design, prototyping, and building/maintaining design systems and component libraries. • A solid grasp of UX fundamentals: information architecture, interaction patterns, and usability principles, plus the ability to run lightweight research to validate your work. • Familiarity with the USWDS and federal CX mandates. • Genuine accessibility awareness. 508 and WCAG are part of how you design, not an afterthought. • Deep research chops to complement your design. You can lead the discovery as confidently as the design. • What would blow us away: • Front-end familiarity (HTML/CSS, or designing closely with React teams) so your handoffs are build-ready. • Experience designing data-heavy or AI-driven products (dashboards, search, chat, or knowledge tools). • You previously supported CMS or another federal agency. • Even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications, we encourage you to apply. At Skyward, we’re focused on hiring individuals with the right skills and passion to grow, not just checking off every box. • And now the important part. What we offer you: • Medical, dental, vision insurance • 15 days of paid leave • 7 days of sick leave • 2 days bereavement leave • 11 paid Federal holidays • Up to 40 hours for jury duty • 401K with 4% employer contribution (and no vesting period) • Up to 4 weeks of paid paternity and maternity leave • Company provided laptop • $5,000 per year for professional development • $600 per year for technical supplies and equipment • $2,000 referral bonus • Life and disability insurance • Legal Shield and ID Shield Voluntary Benefits • Opportunity to work in a collaborative, motivated team focused on modernizing government services with cutting-edge technology and innovative solutions. Who says government work can’t be exciting! • $100,000 - $130,000 semi monthly • We believe great work deserves great pay. That’s why we ensure our compensation is not only competitive but also fair and transparent, as required by Maryland law. Expect a salary that matches your skills, experience, and the value you bring to the table — because you’re worth it! • At Skyward, we support flexible working hours and remote opportunities to help maintain a healthy work-life balance for all employees. • Offers of employment with Skyward are contingent upon acceptable results of a background investigation. • Applicants must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust security clearance due to the nature of our work as a government contractor. • We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.