Sr. UI/UX Designer

Position: Sr. UI/UX Designer

Location: Newton, MA (Hybrid)

Job Type: Contract (Only W2)

We are considering candidates comfortable with W2 .

Job Description:

Are you a bold, creative thinker who loves solving problems through innovative technology solutions? Are you passionate about customer strategy, digital design, and creating seamless experiences across platforms? We are seeking a motivated design enthusiast to join our growing team at Sallie Mae. As we transform from a traditional student loan provider into a comprehensive education services company, you''ll play an essential role in designing digital experiences that support students throughout their entire education journey— from planning for college and applying for financial aid, to managing finances during school, and achieving success after graduation.

In this role, you''ll be responsible for creating user-centered experiences across our consumer-facing digital touchpoints, including web, mobile, tablet, and app experiences. You''ll work as part of a cross-functional team, collaborating closely with business stakeholders, content strategists, copywriters, researchers, and development teams to bring innovative solutions to life**.**

Work you''ll do Product Design & Experience Development

Lead design efforts on projects from concept to implementation, taking full ownership of work throughout the process

Create user-centered experiences grounded in research insights, competitive analysis, and UX best practices

Develop design artifacts including journey maps, wireframes, user flows, interactive prototypes, and high-fidelity mockups

Deliver detailed design specifications and documentation for development teams

Work closely with developers to ensure designs are implemented according to specifications

Provide a voice for customers within the Sallie Mae team, advocating for user needs

Design System & Standards

Contribute to and enhance our internal design system library within Figma

Help maintain design consistency across products and experiences

Document patterns and component guidelines for team use

Deliver detailed design specifications and documentation for development teams

Apply systematic thinking to complex design problems

Research & Strategy

Conduct competitive analysis and stay updated on industry best practices

Identify opportunities to improve customer/consumer experiences

Support heuristic evaluations, A/B testing, and design validation

Participate in business walkthroughs and stakeholder interviews

Collaboration & Communication

Collaborate with our research team to implement insights into design solutions

Partner with content strategists and copywriters to create cohesive experiences

Present design solutions to stakeholders and executives with clear rationale

Communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences

Facilitate high-level strategic decisions with buy-in from multiple disciplines

Qualifications Required

Bachelor''s degree or equivalent work experience

5+ years of experience in user experience design, interaction design, UI design, and/or digital product design

Proficiency in Figma and Adobe Creative Suite

Strong portfolio demonstrating experience designing complex systems across multiple platforms

Excellence in visual design with an understanding of design principles and accessibility standards

Experience documenting and annotating complex interactions for development teams

Excellent written, presentation, and verbal communication skills

Ability to work collaboratively across disciplines and organizational levels

Self-starter with strong project management skills who delivers work on time

Growth mindset with a willingness to learn new tools and approaches

Nice to Have

Experience in financial services or education technology

Knowledge of design thinking methodologies

Understanding of agile development processes

Background in conversion optimization and/or e-commerce