User Interface/User Experience Lead Designer

CLA is a top 10 national professional services firm where our purpose is to create opportunities every day, for our clients, our people, and our communities through industry-focused wealth advisory, digital, audit, tax, consulting, and outsourcing services. Even with more than 8,500 people, 130 U.S. locations, and a global reach, we promise to know you and help you.CLA is dedicated to building a culture that invites different beliefs and perspectives to the table, so we can truly know and help our clients, communities, and each other.Our PerksFlexible PTO (designed to offer flexible time away for you!)Up to 12 weeks paid parental leavePaid Volunteer Time OffMental health coverageQuarterly Wellness stipendFertility benefitsComplete list of benefits hereCLA is growing and seeking to hire an experienced User Interface/User Experience Lead Designer to join our talented Information Technology team. The position offers growth, flexibility and a collaborative work environment.In this position you should have the following; excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate at all levels. Strong problem solving and creative skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment. Most important, demonstrate a high level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results-orientation.The Lead Designer owns end-to-end design strategy and execution for a product domain within CLA’s digital portfolio, translating complex professional services workflows into intuitive, scalable, and outcome-driven experiences.As the senior design voice within cross-functional triads (Product, Engineering, UX), the Lead partners from problem definition through delivery and is accountable for business outcomes—not just deliverables. Design at this level functions as decision support, with outputs grounded in measurable business problems, validated user needs, and workflow adoption goals. The Lead challenges low-evidence work and elevates design as a strategic input to what gets built.This role holds full design accountability for an assigned domain or horizontal strategy, setting standards for quality, practice maturity, and user outcomes. As a strategic individual contributor, the Lead manages stakeholder relationships, drives cross-team alignment, and represents UX in broader product discussions. The Lead also stewards design system integrity within their product surface and models best practices in continuous discovery, evidence-based decision-making, and modern prototyping approaches. This role reports to the UX Manager and partners with peer Leads to ensure consistency across the UX organization.How you’ll create opportunities in this User Interface/User Experience Lead Designer role: Domain Strategy and Business Outcomes Own design strategy and prioritization for an assigned product domainConnect design work to measurable business and user outcomes (e.g., efficiency, adoption, quality)Generate and communicate trade-offs that inform domain-level decisionsChallenge or descale work when impact is unclear to protect team focusContinuous Discovery and Evidence-Based Decision Making Lead ongoing discovery to identify high-value problems before solutions are definedTranslate insights into clear, actionable product directionValidate concepts through rapid testing, feedback, and available dataApply modern tools (including AI-assisted methods) to accelerate learning and executionEnd-to-End Workflow and System Design Own end-to-end design of complex workflows across roles, systems, and dependenciesDecompose ambiguous processes into usable, scalable solutionsDesign across product boundaries, considering data, rules, and operational impactBalance long-term experience quality with practical delivery constraintsCross-Functional Partnership and Influence Partner with Product, Engineering, Research, and business stakeholders to shape directionCommunicate design rationale in business terms (outcomes, value, risk, trade-offs)Represent UX in alignment and decision-making forumsNavigate ambiguity and organizational complexity to drive progressDesign System And Experience QualityPromote and apply design system standards within the domainContribute improvements to shared patterns and components with clear rationaleDeliver high-quality interaction and visual designApply accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA) and behavioral design principlesMentorship and Practice Development Mentor designers on craft, product thinking, and stakeholder engagementContribute to team practices, standards, and knowledge sharingSupport hiring, critique, and overall UX capability growthWhat You Will Need6+ years of experience in UX or product design within complex enterprise environmentsProven ownership of product domains or end-to-end workflows with measurable outcomesExperience working in cross-functional product teams to shape direction and deliveryStrong portfolio demonstrating strategic thinking, decision-making, and impactExperience leading discovery and translating ambiguous problems into clear directionStrong communication and stakeholder management skillsBachelor's degree or a combination of relevant experience and training may be considered in lieu of a degree.Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with DisabilitiesClick here to learn about your hiring rights.Wellness at CLATo support our CLA family members, we focus on their physical, financial, social, and emotional well-being and offer comprehensive benefit options that include health, dental, vision, 401k and much more.To view a complete list of benefits click here.