UCD/HCD/UXE Analyst - Veterans Affairs, Northern Region

"Position Overview:

We are seeking a detail-oriented and empathetic User Experience (UX) / Human-Centered Design (HCD) Analyst to support initiatives for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in user research, service design, and usability testing, with a demonstrated ability to design inclusive and accessible digital experiences. This role involves collaborating with stakeholders, product owners, developers, and Veterans themselves to ensure solutions are intuitive, effective, and aligned with the VA's mission to serve those who served.

Key Responsibilities:

Conduct user research, including interviews, contextual inquiries, journey mapping, and usability testing, with end users—especially Veterans and VA staff.
Synthesize research findings into actionable insights, personas, workflows, and user needs that drive solution development.
Facilitate design thinking workshops and co-creation sessions with cross-functional teams and stakeholders.
Develop wireframes, prototypes, and service blueprints that communicate design intent and functionality.
Ensure solutions are compliant with accessibility standards (Section 508, WCAG) and meet VA digital experience expectations.
Translate complex systems and processes into human-centered digital services.
Support product teams in implementing user-centered design practices throughout agile development cycles.
Travel periodically to VA facilities within the assigned region to conduct in-person research, testing, and stakeholder engagement.

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Psychology, Anthropology, or a related field.
3+ years of experience in UX research, interaction design, or human-centered design.
Familiarity with government or healthcare systems, especially the unique needs of Veterans, is highly desirable.
Proficiency with UX tools such as Figma, Sketch, Miro, or similar platforms.
Strong facilitation, collaboration, and communication skills.
Experience working in agile environments with multi-disciplinary teams.
Ability to travel periodically to VA facilities within the designated region.

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with Service Design or Government Digital Services methodologies (e.g., USDS Playbook, 18F practices).
Public Trust clearance or previous work on federal projects.
Knowledge of Section 508 and inclusive design best practices.

Why Join Us?

Make an impact by helping shape Veteran-facing digital services that are compassionate, efficient, and accessible. You’ll join a collaborative, mission-driven team that values empathy, innovation, and continuous improvement.

Compensation:

The salary is budgeted at $90,000-$100,000 annually, plus benefits. ThunderYard offers benefits including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401k matching, PTO, certification reimbursement and more.

Vetting:

Applicants selected will be subject to a government investigation and may need to meet eligibility requirements of the U.S. government client.

ThunderYard Solutions is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We don’t just accept difference – we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our community, and our customers. All applicants will be considered for employment without discrimination of race, color, religion, or belief, national, social, or ethnic origin, sex, age, physical, mental, or sensory disability, HIV status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union, or domestic partnership status, protected veteran status, family medical history or genetic information.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $90,000.00 - $100,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k)
401(k) matching
Dental insurance
Flexible schedule
Health insurance
PTO
Professional development assistance
Vision insurance

Work Location: Remote"