Sr. UX Designer - Glides
Boston, MA
Customer Technology – Design /
/ Hybrid
At the Technology Innovation Department (TID), our mission is to apply modern principles of research, design, and technology to make our transit system easy for all riders to use. Effective and equitable public transit is essential to the social, economic, and environmental progress of Greater Boston.
The MBTA Technology Innovation team is working to transform how people get around the Boston area.
We are a team of designers, engineers, product and content specialists charged with bringing novel ideas, modern standards and a user-centered approach to technology at the T. As the MBTA works to reinvent itself, we have a rare opportunity to craft the future of transportation for Boston and communities all around Eastern Massachusetts, as well as pioneer innovations for other transit agencies around the country.
Do you want to improve the daily transportation experience for 4.7 million people in the Boston region? Ready for the challenge? Then read on.
TID is looking for a Senior User Experience Designer to join theGlides team – a group dedicated to improving digital tools for Green Line and Mattapan operations. You will work on The MBTA’s web-based dispatching app for the Green Line and Mattapan Line, Glides. Glides is a new in-house app that allows inspectors, dispatchers, and other MBTA staff to adjust service, identify issues, and generally keep light rail trains running smoothly. Glides is also part of the MBTA’s strategy for improving departure countdowns for light rail riders, too.
We are seeking someone who is comfortable working across the UX spectrum. In this role you will work with a cross-functional team to define user needs. You will be responsible for creating testable and implementable UX solutions that consider all use cases.
Day to day, you will:
- Work with the product, engineering, and designteam in an agile environment; understand current and near-future needs, plan work, and execute against that plan.
- Independently scope and execute UX design work including defining user needs and the structure of the experience.
- Design user flows and interaction logicthat become the foundation for user experiences and solutions.
- Create interactive prototypes for evaluation; coordinate with a UX researcher toand run usability testing sessions.
- Use existing bootstrap components or design new components for implementation by engineering.
- Participate in Design, Research, and Content team activities, including operations meetings, knowledge shares, and work reviews.
What you can expect from your first 90 days at TID:
- Dive into the MBTA system: We certainly don’t expect team members joining TID to understand the operational details of the MBTA. From Day 1, you will begin learning the details of how the MBTA’s network of vehicles moves our riders around Greater Boston every day.
- Dive into the world of Light Rail Operations and Glides:To design for light rail operations you will begin by learning how the light rail operates and where Glides fits into light rail operations. We’ll make sure to set you up for success by learning about current operational process and challenges and then helping you understand how we anticipate Glides improving operation and rider experience.
About you:
- You are empathetic: You know how to build trust by centering users. You see users as experts in their field and in their own experience. You seek to collaborate with and empower users in the design process.
- You are a systems-oriented designer who brings experience, frameworks, and repeatable approaches to new problem spaces. You understand the value of bespoke design solutions, but you seek to exhaust existing knowledge and options first.
- You are comfortable with complexity: The MBTA is a 120-year old transit agency with a huge number of moving parts. To design the right solutions, our team needs to understand the complexities of running transit services, the business operations of the MBTA, and how riders and staff interact with the system.
- You believe in collaboration across disciplines. TID teams are generally interdisciplinary, so you’re able to work closely with Product Management, Engineering, data specialists, and Content in an agile environment. As a Designer, you’ll help communicate design and content intent to your team members to ensure rider-facing information is rendered consistently.
- You are communicative: TID is an interdisciplinary team sitting within a large public agency. You’re able to take design prototypes, feature ideas, research and testing results, and other design outputs, and communicate them to internal stakeholders clearly and effectively.
Work experience:
- Although we’re mostly interested in your ability to do the work listed above as demonstrated in your portfolio, here are some guidelines on the capabilities and experience we think might be most suited for this role. Please keep in mind that these are advisory, and not required.
- 5-10 years of professional experience in user experience, UX research, interface design, visual design, interaction design, or a related field.
- Distinct experience usingUX design principles in to design an end-to-end experience.
- Ability to identify processes and deliverables for needed at the appropriate phase of the design process.
- Proficiency in industry standard design tools like Sketch, Figma, or Adobe Creative Suite.
- Experience working in an agile development environment.
- Experience using online collaboration tools (e.g. Slack, Asana, etc.)
- Working familiarity with HTML, CSSand/or Bootstrap.
- Understanding of accessible design principles for the web and for physical spaces.
- Familiarity with the MBTA transit system as a rider.
- Formal education in design, usability, fine art, writing, or a related field (This could be a college degree, a bootcamp, a certificate program, or something else entirely).
Location:
This role is hybrid. While most activities can be accomplished remotely, a component of this role requires an in-person element. We need this person to be local to MA.
Unfortunately, we are unable to hire candidates who would perform their work in California, Connecticut, Washington DC, Hawaii, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico.
At this time, we are only able to hire US resident's that are residing in the US at the start of their employment.
Compensation:
Pay rate range is $66 - $88 per hour (W-2), up to 1880 hours per year.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:
TID is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment—it’s essential to the work we do. In order to effectively partner with MBTA departments and do our best work for riders, our team must reflect the wide variety of people who use the MBTA’s services. We welcome people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds who share a passion for improving people's lives. Our team is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and continual learning. We strive to foster an environment where each individual is valued, feels a sense of belonging, and is welcomed to bring their best self to work.
Here at TID, we provide equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate, and manage all personnel without regard to race, color, national origin, cultural identification or expression, socioeconomic background, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, family status, marital status, learning style, neurodiversity, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other non-merit based or legally protected grounds.
Research has shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for roles unless they believe they meet all qualifications. We strongly encourage candidates from marginalized groups to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the job qualifications listed. We’re committed to maximizing the diversity of our team and want to hear from anyone who is passionate about our efforts and interested in supporting our work for riders.
