Job Title: UX Designer – SME (Subject Matter Expert)
Location: Toronto, ON
Experience: 9+ Years
Job Type: Contract
We are seeking a UX Designer Subject Matter Expert (SME) with extensive experience in user experience strategy, user research, service design, accessibility, and the design of complex digital services. The SME will provide strategic and practical leadership across the UX life cycle, establish user-centered design standards, guide research and design decisions, and ensure that digital experiences meet user needs, business objectives, and accessibility requirements. The ideal candidate will demonstrate advanced proficiency in Figma, JAWS and accessibility testing, collaborative design practices, and WCAG 2.0 Level A/AA compliance.
Lead UX strategy, research planning, interaction design, service design, and experience improvement initiatives.
Define user-centered design approaches, research frameworks, usability standards, and experience evaluation criteria.
Lead complex user research activities, stakeholder elicitation, contextual studies, and usability testing.
Synthesize qualitative and quantitative research findings into actionable insights, design recommendations, and prioritized improvements.
Develop and oversee user journeys, service blueprints, experience maps, information architecture, wireframes, and interactive prototypes.
Establish design direction and review complex design solutions using Figma.
Facilitate cross-functional discovery sessions, design-thinking workshops, and collaborative problem-solving activities using Miro.
Use Microsoft Visio where appropriate to document service workflows, process dependencies, and complex user interactions.
Define accessibility review practices and guide the use of JAWS and other appropriate accessibility testing tools.
Evaluate design solutions against WCAG 2.0 Level A/AA requirements and provide guidance on accessibility gaps, remediation priorities, and inclusive design practices.
Collaborate with development and QA teams to ensure that accessibility and usability requirements are considered throughout implementation and testing.
Establish UX documentation standards, design review processes, and consistent handoff practices.
Coordinate with product owners, business leaders, architects, business analysts, and delivery teams to align user needs with business goals and operational constraints.
Use Azure DevOps to support delivery coordination, track design activities, and maintain visibility into UX-related issues and dependencies.
Conduct design critiques, provide expert guidance, and mentor UX designers and multidisciplinary teams.
Assess existing services and recommend improvements based on research evidence, usability findings, accessibility needs, and service performance.
Present research findings, design recommendations, risks, and experience strategies to senior stakeholders.
Promote continuous improvement, accessibility awareness, and consistent user-centered design practices across projects.
9+ years of professional experience in UX design, user research, interaction design, service design, or a related field.
Expert knowledge of user-centered design methodologies, research planning, usability evaluation, and experience strategy.
Advanced proficiency in Figma for wireframing, prototyping, design exploration, and collaboration.
Extensive experience with service design, user journeys, service blueprints, information architecture, and complex workflow analysis.
Strong knowledge of WCAG 2.0 Level A/AA requirements and their application to digital experiences.
Demonstrated experience using JAWS and other accessibility testing tools to identify and assess accessibility barriers.
Ability to guide accessibility remediation and collaborate with technical teams to validate design and implementation decisions.
Experience facilitating complex workshops and building consensus among stakeholders with competing priorities.
Familiarity with Microsoft Visio, Miro, and Azure DevOps for process documentation, collaboration, and delivery coordination.
Proven ability to establish design standards, conduct design reviews, and mentor multidisciplinary teams.
Strong analytical, strategic thinking, communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
A strong portfolio demonstrating complex UX initiatives, research-led decisions, accessibility considerations, and service improvements.
Experience leading UX strategy for large-scale, public-facing, or enterprise digital services.
Experience establishing accessibility practices and inclusive design standards across multiple teams.
Experience advising senior stakeholders and aligning user experience initiatives with organizational strategy.
Familiarity with Agile delivery and multidisciplinary product development environments.