Assistant Research UIX Designer - National Center for Supercomputing Applications
University of Illinois

Assistant Research UIX Designer - National Center for Supercomputing Applications

National Center for Supercomputing Applications

The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides supercomputing and advanced digital resources for the nation's scientific enterprise. At NCSA, University of Illinois faculty, staff, students, and collaborators from around the globe use advanced digital resources to address and r
In this role, you'll push the boundaries of software user interface and experience (UIX) and data visualization by applying user-centered design methods to craft innovative solutions for research software. Join NCSA in tackling complex research challenges that impact science and society by developing cutting-edge digital environments and software. Work alongside teams to design intuitive software and visualizations that empower AI usage and make complex data and concepts easier to understand.esearch grand challenges for the benefit of science and society. NCSA has been advancing one third of Fortune 50 companies for more than 35 years by bringing industry, researchers and students together to solve grand challenges at rapid speed and scale.

In this role, you'll push the boundaries of software user interface and experience (UIX) and data visualization by applying user-centered design methods to craft innovative solutions for research software. Join NCSA in tackling complex research challenges that impact science and society by developing cutting-edge digital environments and software. Work alongside teams to design intuitive software and visualizations that empower AI usage and make complex data and concepts easier to understand.

Job Summary
Advance the field of software user interface and experience (UIX) and data visualization approaches through the application of user-centered design methodology to the creation of novel solutions for research software. Contribute to NCSA's mission of addressing complex research problems in science and society through the development of comprehensive digital environments and software. Collaborate with teams to design software and visualizations that enable the use of AI and the comprehension of complex data and concepts.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Research Software and Application Design:
  • Collaborate on the development of research software with stakeholders, software engineers, designers and scientists from a wide range of disciplines (e.g. medical
  informatics, biology, genomics, civil and environmental engineering, earth sciences, agriculture, digital humanities, hazard management, astronomy).
  • Design software interfaces, experiences, and data visualizations that integrate powerful backend tools and address real world complex research problems.
  • Apply the fundamentals and principles of design, creative problem solving, and design thinking to create solutions that address user requirements and priorities while also
  providing excellent user experiences that enable effective use of complex data.
  • Participate in planning and conducting user research, user testing, usability and accessibility assessment, rapid prototyping, and design system development.
  • Create design iterations that integrate collaborative input and new approaches and techniques to address project specific needs and critical technological challenges.
• Research Communication:
  • Contribute to publications, technical reports, and documentation.
  • Communicate findings from research development activities above with project colleagues, including primary investigators, to be used as needed in current programming
  and design efforts.
  • Develop conversance in UIX best practices, tools, and resources with the goal of continually improving processes and efficiencies for UIX design across NCSA.
• Design Systems Collaboration and Support:
  • Participate in the creation and maintenance of enterprise-wide systems for UIX design that improve efficiencies, support designer to developer handoff, enable
  communication between stakeholders

Minimum Qualifications

*Bachelor's degree required in graphic/communication design, industrial design, UIX design, or a related field. Alternative degree fields will be considered if accompanied by equivalent experience and/or UX certifications (depending on nature and depth of experience as it relates to current NCSA business needs). *One year of experience developing design solutions through either academic coursework, employment or research lab experience. *Six months of experience researching, presenting, and/or publishing technical projects or papers in a professional or academic setting.

Preferred Qualifications

*Experience with Figma design tool.
*Experience with a user-centered design approaches and methodologies.
*Experience engaging with users/stakeholders through the design process.
*Experience writing reports and giving presentations.
*Experience building, maintaining and/or using design systems
*Familiarity with industry best practices and standard tools, such as Sketch App,
Figma, InVision App, Adobe Creative Cloud, Figma plugins and add ons, Maze etc..
*Basic HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript skills
*One or more years of experience in relevant UIX design

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• *Ability to clearly communicate design challenges and solutions, visually, verbally and in writing
• *General knowledge through coursework in either communications, humanities, science or engineering domains.
• *Experience writing reports and giving presentations.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after 2/16/2025. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on January 22, 2025 . Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. Please include a resume, cover letter and a link to your digital design portfolio. For further information about this specific position, please contact Jewel Goodly at jgoodly@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify .

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal , or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu .

Requisition ID: 1025579
Job Category: Research
Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu

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