Principal UX Designer at Brightspot – Reston, Virginia

Principal UX Designer

At Brightspot, we believe technology should enable content-focused teams to work smarter, faster, and more seamlessly to move businesses forward. Our world-class delivery team has decades of collective experience supporting digital transformation efforts for some of the worlds most well-known companies from eCommerce brands and media organizations to corporate businesses. Brightspot prides itself on being a leading content management system built to grow and adapt to any business.
Were looking for a customer-facing Principal UX Designer to join our creative services team and lead complex, high-impact website design initiatives that are powered by the Brightspot CMS. This role blends UX strategy, systems thinking, and hands-on design execution, with a strong focus on usability, efficiency, and visual quality. Youll partner closely with Product, Engineering, and key stakeholders to set UX direction, translate product requirements into scalable design solutions, and deliver visually compelling, user-centered templates and experiences within Brightspot.Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end UX vision and design direction for complex, cross-team initiatives, ensuring all solutions align with business strategy and maintain a high bar for craft through iterative design and reviews.
• Lead customer discovery sessions to gather and understand product requirements and needs.
• Architect and evolve a scalable design system, including shared components, accessibility standards, and token management in Figma to ensure consistency across the entire product ecosystem.
• Serve as a strategic partner to Product and Engineering leadership, influencing product roadmaps and driving alignment across teams without direct authority to ensure seamless delivery of high-impact features.
• Utilize user research, data analytics, and stakeholder feedback to validate design decisions and evolve the product experience based on measurable user needs.
• Prioritize multiple initiatives, track progress, and communicate clearly with leadership and non-design partners.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of UX/Product Design experience, with a rich portfolio showcasing leadership on large-scale, enterprise-level digital products.
• Mastery of systems thinking and the ability to architect, scale, and govern design systems that serve multiple product lines.
• Expert-level Figma skills with a focus on advanced component architecture, variables, and meticulous documentation for engineering teams.
• Deep expertise in accessibility, usability, and inclusive design principles as a foundational part of the design process.
• Strategic communicator capable of storytelling that bridges the gap between design, business goals, and technical constraints to gain executive buy-in.
• Experience working across multiple teams or product lines.
• Strong sense of ownership and the ability to manage complex, competing priorities while maintaining a high bar for design quality.
• This position is open to U.S. Citizens only. Brightspot does not offer visa sponsorship for this role at this time.

Compensation & Benefits

• The salary range for this role is $125,000-$150,000 with bonus potential.
• Benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance, 3 weeks paid vacation, paid sick leave, paid company holidays, Safe Harbor 401(k) with employer matching, continuing education stipend, and a 3-week paid sabbatical after your 5th anniversary.

Hybrid Expectations

• This is a hybrid position. Candidates are expected to work on-site at our Reston headquarters 2 days per week.

At Brightspot, we value diversity and strive to create an inclusive environment where all employees can thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences.
Visit www.brightspot.com and follow us on Twitter @TeamBrightspot to learn more about our story and solutions!