UI​/UX Designer

Lynker is seeking a talented UI/UX Designer to support the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) to lead the user experience and overhaul the interface design for space weather.gov
. The IDEAL UI/UX Designer will be able to work a Hybrid schedule, working 2 days per week in office in Boulder, CO, and working the remaining 3 days per week from home. This role focuses entirely on user experience design, research, visual communication, and design system management. You will bridge the gap between complex space science—geomagnetic storms, solar flares, radio blackouts—and accessible visual products used by aviation controllers, power grid operators, satellite technicians, and the general public.

You will create production-ready UI designs, visual assets, wireframes, and design specs for our software engineering team to implement.

Duties of the UI/UX Designer will include the following:

• Information Architecture:Restructure navigation, user flows, and site hierarchy so diverse personas (from commercial airline dispatchers to casual sky watchers) can quickly find critical alerts and data.
• Complex Data UI:Design intuitive visual layouts, dashboards, maps, and chart interfaces for real-time space weather data (e.g., K-index scales, aurora oval predictions, solar image feeds).
• Wire framing & Prototyping:Build low-fidelity sketches, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive Figma prototypes to validate feature ideas before handing off to developers.

• User Advocacy:Conduct user interviews, surveys, and usability testing with critical stakeholders (power grid operators, pilots, emergency managers, researchers) to understand their operational workflows.
• Iterative Design:Use analytics, feedback loops, and usability findings to refine designs and eliminate friction in high-stress monitoring environments.

• US Web Design System (USWDS):Build and maintain a unified Figma component library based on the US Web Design System and NOAA brand standards.
• Accessibility First (Section 508):Design inclusive interfaces adhering to WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines, ensuring color choices, visual hierarchy, and graph concepts translate well for all users.
• Developer Handoff:Provide clean, pixel-perfect design specifications, redlines, asset exports, and interaction notes to software engineers.

The UI/UX Designer selected should have the following:

• Experience:3+ years in UI/UX design, visual design, or product design.
• Portfolio:Demonstrates UI/UX projects, design systems, data visual mockups, and user research processes.
• Design Tools:Mastery of Figma (components, auto-layout, interactive prototyping) or equivalent tools (Adobe XD, Sketch, Illustrator).
• Accessibility Knowledge:Strong understanding of WCAG 2.1 AA standards for visual design (contrast ratios, readable typography, colorblind-friendly data palettes).
• Communication:Ability to articulate design decisions clearly to scientists, program managers, and engineering teams.

The Ideal UI/UX Designer will have the following:

• Background or experience designing visual UI for scientific, meteorological, geospatial, or complex data monitoring dashboards.
• Experience applying or adapting component-based design systems (especially USWDS).

• UX Audit & Research:Complete a visual and structural audit of space weather.gov key user paths and compile a research summary of user pain points.
• Figma UI Library:Establish a standardized Figma design library aligned with USWDS guidelines for all future web products.
• High-Fidelity Prototypes:Deliver fully spec’d UI designs and interactive prototypes for updated high-priority alerts and aurora forecasting pages…