User Researcher Jobs in Kansas (NOW HIRING)

Candidate should live within driving distance of the following areas: Wichita, KS; Lawton OK; or Round Rock, TX

Job Purpose/Summary

We are seeking a mid-level UI/UX Designer to support user experience and interface design across Knowmadics' product portfolio supporting the 360 Aware production platform, with opportunities to contribute to applied defense R&D programs as needed. This role requires a strong foundation in UI design and UX methodology, along with the ability to work across multiple products and teams based on organizational needs.

The ideal candidate brings a portfolio demonstrating user-centered design across web, mobile, and complex application domains, and approaches design with an AI-forward mindset, leveraging AI-powered tools and workflows to accelerate iteration, improve efficiency, and enhance design quality.

Working closely with product managers, engineers, researchers, and end users, this designer will contribute across the design lifecycle, from research and wireframing through high-fidelity prototyping and production handoff. This role primarily supports the 360 Aware platform through feature-level design within an operational SaaS product used across law enforcement, defense, and commercial industries. The role may also contribute to applied research efforts, including designing human-machine interfaces for emerging defense capabilities such as space domain awareness, electronic warfare, and distributed sensing systems.

A portfolio of past design work is required for applications to be considered.

Duties and Responsibilities

UI/UX Design & Prototyping

• Apply user-centered design (UCD) principles to develop intuitive workflows, wireframes, and high-fidelity UI designs across web, mobile, and mission-system interfaces.
• Leverage AI-powered design tools and workflows to accelerate prototyping, generate design variations, and improve efficiency across the design lifecycle; stay current on emerging AI capabilities and integrate them into day-to-day work.
• Create dynamic, functional prototypes using tools such as Figma, Axure, or Adobe Aero to visualize and test interface concepts at varying fidelities.
• Use and contribute to Knowmadics' design system and component library, ensuring visual consistency across products and platforms.
• Design across a range of interface paradigms including traditional web and mobile UIs, data visualization dashboards, and emerging interface concepts as program needs evolve.

User Research & Stakeholder Engagement

• Participate in and support user research activities including heuristic evaluations, field observations, and structured interviews with end users and subject matter experts.
• Participate in and support discussions with users and stakeholders to gather feedback on UI/UX concepts and prototypes and synthesize insights to inform iterative design improvements.
• Collaborate with product managers, engineers, researchers, and stakeholders to translate user and business needs into clear design solutions.
• Present design concepts, rationale, and findings to internal teams and external stakeholders in a clear and professional manner.

Collaboration & Cross-Portfolio Contribution

• Work across multiple products and programs, supporting the 360 Aware platform or Applied Research efforts based on team priorities.
• Adapt quickly to different product contexts, levels of maturity, and problem spaces.
• Coordinate design tasks by preparing clear design briefs and annotated assets to enable effective handoffs, and provide structured feedback to ensure alignment across contributors.
• Maintain organized shared assets and documentation in Figma and Confluence to support distributed collaboration.
• Support applied R&D program deliverables as needed, including prototypes, demonstrations, and customer-facing materials.
• Work iteratively with engineering teams to ensure design feasibility and consistency during implementation.
• Contribute to Jira task tracking and participate in agile workflows across assigned programs.
• Identify opportunities to document or publish design findings when relevant to program goals.

Qualifications

• Eligible to obtain a U.S. Security Clearance - U.S. Citizenship required.
• A portfolio of past design work, professional or academic, is required for applications to be considered.
• Must reside within approximately 40 miles of one of the following office locations: Wichita, KS; Lawton, OK; or Round Rock, TX.
• Bachelor's degree in Human Factors, Graphic Design, Interaction Design, Industrial Design, Psychology, or a related field required.
• 3+ years of professional UI/UX design experience, with demonstrated work across web or mobile applications.
• Proficiency in Figma and at least one additional design or prototyping tool, such as Adobe XD, Axure, Adobe Aero, or Illustrator; familiarity with AI-assisted design tools and a demonstrated willingness to adopt new tooling as the landscape evolves.
• Strong foundational skills in user-centered design, interaction design, and visual design, including typography, color, layout, and information hierarchy.
• Experience working in a production SaaS environment with regular release cycles and cross-functional stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in async, distributed team environments; experience coordinating with or tasking offshore or remote design resources is a plus.
• Experience conducting user research and translating findings into actionable design decisions.
• Familiarity with design systems, component libraries, and maintaining visual consistency across products.
• Experience working in cross-functional teams alongside business analysts, product managers, and engineers.
• Proficiency in Jira or similar task management tools for agile collaboration.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate design decisions to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Comfortable working independently and managing multiple concurrent programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience or coursework in human factors engineering, human-computer interaction (HCI), or UX research.
• Experience designing for defense, law enforcement, government, or other mission-critical applications.
• Familiarity with data visualization, dashboard design, geospatial applications, or complex workflow interfaces.
• Understanding of front-end development principles, such as HTML, CSS, React, etc., to collaborate effectively with engineers.
• Prior military service or experience working with defense or law enforcement end users.
• Experience publishing design or research work in peer-reviewed or industry publications.

Working conditions

• Employees may be called upon to participate in in-person meetings, trainings, or company functions at Knowmadics offices or other designated locations. Travel in support of business operations may also be required, and employees are expected to comply with these obligations as part of their position.
• Must reside within approximately 40 miles of one of the following office locations: Wichita, KS; Lawton, OK; or Round Rock, TX. Relocation benefits are negotiable for the right candidate.
• Estimated travel: 5-10% for user research, demonstrations and exercises, customer meetings, industry events, and/or in-person collaboration.
• Some weekend or off-hours work may be required based on project deadlines, travel, or operational needs.
• Standard business hours with flexibility to support distributed teams and customers across U.S. time zones and occasionally international time zones.

Physical requirements

May include sitting or standing for extended periods, working with computers and technical equipment, and occasionally lifting or moving materials or tools.

Direct reports

N/A