UX Designer

WHO WE ARE

We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services. More information about us on our website.We are committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. Communications provides strategy and planning; digital user experiences; writing, editing, graphic design, and video production services; facilitates relations with a wide range of news media; provides information content, design, and organizational framework for the Metropolitan Council’s public-facing website; and maintains an ongoing presence on social media. How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities region:The User Experience (UX) Designer is a newly established role within the Digital Experience team, created to support the ongoing production of user-friendly, accessible digital products and to strategically evaluate the usability of the organization’s existing public-facing digital products throughout product life cycles. The UX Designer will be responsible for designing web content and web-based interfaces, as well as routinely evaluating existing web products against analytics and best practices to guide improvements.

*Notes:

*This position offers a hybrid telework arrangement, combining remote and onsite work. The candidate must reside permanently in Minnesota or Wisconsin. *This position may establish a six-month eligibility list for current and future openings.

What you would do in this job

• Designs and prototypes cross-device, responsive user experiences based on audience analysis, business requirements, and governance standards.
• Collaborates with the Digital Content Strategist and Digital Experience Manager to translate digital content into usable digital products.
• Tests prototypes with audiences and conducts user research to evaluate user feedback and inform design decisions.
• Monitors site analytics and user behavior data to identify opportunities to improve the experience.
• Establishes and enforces digital design governance standards and serves as the internal subject matter expert for digital usability to inform broader web optimization efforts.
• Conducts regular audits to ensure compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA standards and ADA Section 508 requirements.
• Coordinates with IT, Legal, and program teams to ensure digital experiences meet policy and compliance requirements.
• Consults with internal developers on best usability for new features and feature updates as needed.
• Performs other duties as assigned to support the Digital Experience team and department objectives

What education and experience are required for this job (minimum qualifications)

What education and experience are required for this job (minimum qualifications):

Any of the following combinations of experience in user experience design, digital communications, or a related field, and completed education (degree field of study in Communications, Information Systems, Human-Computer Interaction, Digital Media, or a closely related field):

• A high school diploma/GED with seven (7) years of experience.
• An associate degree with five (5) years of experience.
• A bachelor's degree or higher with three (3) years of experience.

What additional skills and experience would be helpful in this job (desired qualifications):

• Trade school certification or certificate program in UX/UI Design, Digital Media, or a related discipline (such as Prime Digital Academy, The Foundry, or equivalent) in lieu of a bachelor's degree.
• Experience with user research methods such as usability testing, user interviews, A/B testing, card sorting, and other testing methods.
• Experience designing digital projects with multiple stakeholders and competing deadlines.
• IAAP Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC).
• Familiarity with multilingual content delivery or translation management workflows.
• Experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive environments.

What knowledge, skills, and abilities you should have within the first six months on the job:

• Knowledge of UX design principles and prototyping tools such as Figma.
• Knowledge of web accessibility standards (WCAG 2.1 AA) and ADA/Section 508 compliance requirements.
• Working knowledge of basic HTML and CSS.
• Skill with modern content management system (CMS) platforms such as Umbraco, Drupal, WordPress, Sitefinity, or equivalent.
• Skill in web analytics tools such as Google Analytics.
• Ability to conduct or direct accessibility audits using tools such as Siteimprove.
• Ability to design digital projects with multiple stakeholders and competing deadlines.\Ability to use user research methods such as usability testing, user interviews, A/B testing, card sorting, and tree testing.
• Ability to collaborate with graphic designers to adapt brand standards across digital products and maintain consistent branding across sub-brands.
• Ability to coordinate vendor relationships, guide internal training programs, and drive cross-functional initiatives.

What you can expect from us:

• We offer the opportunity to make a difference and positively influence the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
• We encourage our employees to develop their skills through on-site training and tuition reimbursement.
• We provide a competitive salary, excellent benefits, and a good work/life balance.

More about why you should join us!

Additional information Union/Grade: AFSCME / Grade G FLSA: Non-Exempt Safety Sensitive: No

Work Environment:

Work is performed in a standard office setting. Some positions may require travel between the primary work site and other sites.

What steps the recruitment process involves:

• We review your minimum qualifications.
• We rate your education and experience.
• We conduct a structured panel interview.
• We conduct a selection interview.

Once you have successfully completed the steps above, then:

If you are new to the Metropolitan Council, you must pass a background check which verifies education, employment, and criminal history. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the job. If you have a criminal conviction, you do not automatically fail. The Metropolitan Council considers felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor convictions on a case-by-case basis, based on whether they are related to the job and whether the candidate has demonstrated adequate rehabilitation.

If you are already an employee of the Metropolitan Council, you must pass a criminal background check if the job you're applying for is safety-sensitive, is a supervisory or management job, is in the Finance, Information Services, Audit, or Human Resources departments, or has access to financial records, files/databases, cash, vouchers, or transit fare cards. A driving record check and/or physical may be conducted if applicable to the position.

IMPORTANT: If you make a false statement or withhold information, you may be barred from job consideration.

The Metropolitan Council is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and veteran-friendly employer. The Council is committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the region and strongly encourages persons of color, members of the LGBTQ community, individuals with disabilities, women, and veterans to apply. If you have a disability that requires accommodation during the selection process, please email HR-OCCHealth@metc.state.mn.us.

Benefits

We believe our employees are a key to our agency's success! In order to attract and retain high quality employees, the Council provides a highly competitive benefits package both in choice and coverage levels. Some highlights about our benefits are listed below:

• Guaranteed monthly retirement income through Minnesota State Retirement System pension fund
• Opportunity to save additional funds for retirement on a tax-deferred basis through a voluntary deferred compensation (457) plan
• Two or more medical plans from which to choose, with employer contribution towards premiums over 80%
• Dental insurance, life insurance and vision insurance

The following benefits are provided to all employees as part of working for the Council. You will have access to free:

• Well@Work clinic
• bus/rail pass valued at over $1200 per year
• parking at many job locations
• fitness centers at many job locations
• Employee Assistance Program
• extensive health and wellness programs and resources