Senior UI/UX Designer

About ANVIL
ANVIL is a trusted partner in the defence industry, delivering cutting-edge solutions that enhance military capabilities and operational effectiveness. We extend our expertise to public safety, law enforcement, and national security organizations, accelerating mission-critical decision-making through analytical tools, automations, and game-changing machine learning capabilities. ANVIL helps organizations discover, manage, enrich, fuse, and exploit the information available to them in support of Information Dominance and Decision Advantage.

Job Type: Full Time Remote (Hybrid option available for those in the Ottawa area - 55 Murray Street Office)

Total Compensation: CAD $130,000 - $150,000 base salary - Placement within range based on experience and qualifications

Vacancy Status: This posting is for an existing vacancy at ANVIL. We are actively hiring for this role

Role (Description)

We're looking for a Senior UI/UX Designer with strong UI and UX design skills and the drive to work closely with our engineering teams to create exceptional user experiences for our defence and public safety technology platform. You'll translate client requirements into intuitive, mission-critical interfaces that push our solutions to the next level—while helping to elevate our design practice and mentor growing talent.

You'll be deeply involved with project management and engineering teams to understand use cases, define workflows and storyboards, and translate them into concrete wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes.

You'll actively contribute to product brainstorming, interaction design, and visual design sessions, shaping how defence and public safety professionals interact with analytical tools, data fusion capabilities, and automation features. You'll serve as the design subject-matter expert, leading design critiques and guiding the team while working on complex problems at the intersection of sophisticated technical functionality and usability for users operating under pressure in high-stakes environments. Our learning-oriented culture is transparent, fun, and strongly encourages work-life balance.

Experience
Required Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional UI/UX design experience in primarily web platforms, with a strong portfolio demonstrating user-centered design process and polished end-to-end solutions
• Proven experience in applied research settings, integrating user research into product designs through observation, interviews, and usability testing
• Experience designing for complex, data-intensive, or enterprise applications - ideally involving analytical workflows, dashboards, or mission-critical systems
• Track record working in agile environments, collaborating closely with product managers and engineering teams throughout the development lifecycle
• Experience evolving and maintaining design systems, including creating, documenting, and maintaining component libraries and interaction patterns
• Demonstrated ability to design for technically sophisticated users who need to accomplish complex tasks efficiently

Skills & Competencies

• Expertise in design and prototyping tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar platforms
• Strong ability to articulate design strategies, rationales, and logic to both technical and non-technical audiences
• In-depth knowledge of interaction design theory, visual design principles, and best practices for data-heavy applications
• Deep understanding of brand identity with ability to apply and evolve brand styles and interaction patterns consistently
• Understanding of front-end development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate better collaboration with engineering and ensure feasible, implementable designs
• Excellent communication skills with ability to present design solutions to stakeholders and incorporate feedback iteratively
• Experience mentoring designers and providing guidance on design rationale, tools, and processes
• Bachelor's degree in Design, HCI, Visual Communications, or related field (or equivalent practical experience)

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing for defence, public safety, intelligence, cybersecurity, or other mission-critical applications
• Experience with data visualization, geospatial interfaces, or analytical workflow tools
• Strong understanding of Design Thinking methodologies
• Background working with government customers or understanding compliance requirements
• Experience leading design critiques and facilitating collaborative design sessions

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end UX/UI design process for mission-critical features, working directly with engineering teams from discovery through implementation to ensure pixel-perfect execution
• Translate complex client requirements into intuitive user experiences and detailed design specifications that help push our solutions to the next level
• Work closely with product management and engineering to understand use cases, define workflows and storyboards, and translate them into concrete wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes for rapid prototyping
• Actively contribute to product brainstorming, interaction design, and visual design sessions, helping shape the direction of our products
• Understand and apply brand identity consistently, evolving brand styles and interaction patterns across our product ecosystem
• Evolve and maintain our design system to ensure visual consistency, scalable patterns, and reusable components across all products
• Collaborate in an agile environment with product and development teams, presenting design concepts and incorporating feedback throughout the development cycle
• Bridge design and development by understanding front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React) to facilitate effective collaboration and implementation
• Serve as the interaction design subject-matter expert, mentoring other designers and guiding the product design team
• Support QA on releases to verify design fidelity, usability, and functionality before launch
• Perform pattern, micro-interaction, and component design audits to ensure design consistency and quality
• Communicate design decisions effectively to teams and stakeholders, articulating the reasoning behind design choices

Why Join Us?

Our Mission

This is more than just a job; you'll be part of a team of dedicated professionals who share a common goal: to increase the safety and security of western democracies through the effective use of data. Our workplace is not just a job, it's a community of like-minded people working together to make a positive impact on the world we live in.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salaries
• Flexible health benefits package through Equitable
• Industry-leading employer retirement contributions match

Work Environment

• Remote and Hybrid (Ottawa market) work model combining remote flexibility with meaningful in-person collaboration
• Modern office in the historic Carriageway building in beautiful downtown Ottawa
• Access to downtown amenities, transit, and Ottawa's vibrant cultural scene

What You'll Experience

• Work alongside dedicated professionals who value excellence and collaboration
• Contribute to projects with real-world security impact
• Join a culture where your expertise and ideas matter

Application Process

To apply for this role, please submit your CV and cover letter. The application process will likely include:

• A preliminary call with our HR team which will be a chance for you to find out more about ANVIL and the role.
• An initial interview to discuss your experience and suitability for the role.
• A technical interview to assess your competencies.

Use of AI in Recruitment: ANVIL does not use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for this position. All applications are reviewed by members of our recruitment team.