Role Overview
CHAOS is looking for a Staff UX Designer to establish and lead the UX function from the ground up. This is a staff-level role: you'll operate with significant autonomy and influence, setting the direction for how UX is practiced across the company rather than working within an established function. You'll bring best-in-class UX practices to CHAOS - research, interaction design, information architecture, and usability - and apply them to the tools and interfaces our teams rely on. You'll work closely with engineering day-to-day, shaping how products and internal tools are designed from a user's perspective, while also building the foundation (processes, standards, research practices) that the UX function will run on as it grows. Over time, you'll be expected to bring in user research capabilities as part of maturing that foundation.
This role is for an experienced, senior individual contributor who wants to define a function, not just execute within one - someone who can operate independently at a high level, exercise strong judgment with minimal oversight, and set the bar for UX at CHAOS from day one.
Responsibilities
- Lead UX design for key products and internal tools, from early concept through shipped experience, operating as the senior-most UX voice in the room
- Partner closely with engineering to design and refine interfaces, workflows, and interactions, balancing user needs with technical constraints
- Introduce and establish user research practices at CHAOS - usability testing, user interviews, and other methods to ground design decisions in real user needs
- Define and advocate for UX best practices, standards, and processes across the company, with the authority to set direction
- Build the foundation for a growing UX function, including processes, standards, and practices that can scale over time
- Translate complex, technical, or novel workflows into intuitive, well-designed user experiences
- Partner with cross-functional stakeholders (engineering, product, leadership) to align on priorities and advocate for the user's perspective in high-level decision-making
- Create and maintain design systems/UX standards that scale across products as the company grows
- Communicate design rationale and research findings clearly and persuasively to technical and non-technical audiences, including leadership
Minimum Qualifications
- 10+ years of UX design experience, with a demonstrated track record operating at a staff/principal level on complex products
- Experience conducting or overseeing user research (usability testing, interviews, or similar) and using it to inform design decisions
- Strong portfolio demonstrating end-to-end UX work at a senior level - research, interaction design, and polished execution
- Experience working closely and effectively with engineering teams, including translating technical constraints into good design solutions
- Proficiency in Figma and standard UX/prototyping tools
- Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and influence skills - proven ability to set direction and build buy-in in an organization where the function is new
- Demonstrated ability to operate independently with a high degree of ownership and ambiguity, particularly in the early stages of building out a function
- Ability to work hybrid (3 days/week in-office) out of either our El Segundo or San Francisco office
- U.S. Citizen
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience designing for technical, engineering-heavy, or hardware-adjacent products
- Experience designing map-based, geospatial, or location-based interfaces
- Experience in defense or government, especially with command and control (C2) systems
- Experience establishing design systems from scratch
- Bachelor's degree in design, HCI, psychology, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
Why CHAOS?
Health Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits 100% paid for by the company
Additional benefits
- 401k (+ 50% company match up to 6% of pay), FSA, HSA, life insurance, and more
Our Perks
- Free daily lunch while you're working onsite, fully-stocked kitchen, unlimited PTO, casual dress code
Compensation Components
- Competitive base salaries, generous pre-IPO stock option grants, relocation assistance, and (coming soon!) annual bonuses
Team Growth
- 500+ employees and counting
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