Lead UX Designer

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead UX Designer

Company: Global Relay

Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design

Date Posted: 2026-02-24

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and execute end-to-end UX design for AI-powered features within Global Relay's enterprise information archiving platform, focusing on user flows, wireframes, prototypes, and interaction models.
• Translate complex, ambiguous problem spaces into clear, intuitive, and user-centric AI experiences that align with customer needs and regulatory requirements.
• Drive design strategy and execution for enterprise-grade complexity, including multi-role workflows, large data sets, and compliance constraints, ensuring implementation-ready documentation for engineering teams.
• Actively represent the user perspective in product and technical discussions, advocating for transparency, trust, and intuitive AI behavior through strong communication and influence.
• Provide design mentorship through hands-on craft, contributing to design reviews and the development of robust design standards within a collaborative, cross-functional environment.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a "Lead UX Designer" with a strong emphasis on hands-on execution and leadership through expertise, rather than pure delegation. The focus on "AI-powered experiences" and "enterprise-grade complexity" suggests a need for sophisticated problem-solving and a deep understanding of user interaction within regulated environments.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Spearhead the UX design process for AI-driven features, encompassing the full lifecycle from initial discovery and insight gathering through to final delivery and implementation.
• Translate ambiguous problem statements and opportunities into well-defined user journeys, intuitive user flows, detailed wireframes, interactive prototypes, and comprehensive interaction models.
• Design sophisticated solutions for complex enterprise workflows, managing multi-role access, large data volumes, and stringent regulatory constraints to ensure usability and compliance.
• Develop clear, detailed, and implementation-ready design specifications and documentation to facilitate efficient collaboration with engineering teams.
• Champion the user's voice in product strategy and technical discussions, advocating for transparency, trustworthiness, and predictable behavior in AI functionalities.
• Foster strong, collaborative relationships with product management, engineering, compliance, and other stakeholders to ensure design alignment and buy-in.
• Provide mentorship and elevate the design craft within the team by actively participating in design reviews, offering constructive feedback, and contributing to the evolution of design standards and best practices.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic thinking and tactical execution, emphasizing the need for a designer who can both define problems and meticulously craft solutions. The focus on "enterprise-grade complexity" and "AI-driven features" means candidates must demonstrate experience with sophisticated B2B products and an understanding of human-AI collaboration.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education

Experience

• Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in UX or Interaction Design.
• Several years of operating at a senior or lead level, with a proven track record of successfully managing complex design initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in designing for enterprise-grade complexity, including multi-step workflows and data-intensive environments.

Required Skills

• Expert proficiency in end-to-end UX design methodologies, from initial user research and insight gathering to the creation of high-fidelity solutions and usability validation.
• Mastery of UX design tools and techniques, including user flows, wireframing, prototyping (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD), and creating detailed design specifications.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to dissect complex problems and synthesize them into clear, actionable design solutions.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, capable of articulating design decisions, rationale, and impact to diverse stakeholders, including technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional collaboration through influence, clarity of thought, and strong interpersonal skills, building consensus and driving alignment.
• Hands-on execution mentality; comfortable working directly in the details of design and driving projects forward through personal effort.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience working within regulated or compliance-heavy industries, such as financial services.
• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and experience working in an Enterprise business environment.
• Experience contributing to design strategy, shaping product direction, or defining design system components.
• Published case studies demonstrating depth in user research, problem-solving, and measurable design impact.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for "10+ years" and "several years operating at a senior or lead level" clearly indicates this is a senior leadership role. The emphasis on "hands-on by default" suggests the ideal candidate will be a practitioner who can mentor by example. Experience with AI and regulated industries is a significant differentiator.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• A compelling portfolio showcasing end-to-end UX design projects, with a strong emphasis on complex enterprise or B2B applications.
• Detailed case studies demonstrating your process for tackling ambiguous problems, including user research, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, and final design solutions.
• Examples of designing for intricate, multi-step workflows and managing large datasets within enterprise contexts.
• Specific examples of designing for AI features, illustrating how you addressed user control, uncertainty, and human-AI collaboration.

Process Documentation:

• Demonstrate a structured approach to UX design, including how you conduct user research, define user needs, and translate insights into design artifacts.
• Showcase your ability to create clear, actionable design specifications and documentation for engineering teams, ensuring successful implementation.
• Provide evidence of your process for usability validation and iterative design improvement based on feedback and testing.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Lead UX Designer role, the portfolio is critical. It needs to go beyond presenting final designs and delve into the 'why' and 'how' of the design process, especially for complex enterprise scenarios and AI. Candidates should be prepared to walk through their process and articulate their decision-making.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $110,000 - $150,000 CAD per year

Explanation: This range is provided in compliance with British Columbia's pay transparency laws. The specific salary within this range will be determined based on factors such as the candidate's expertise, skills, education, and professional background. The range is competitive for a Lead UX Designer role in Vancouver, Canada, considering the experience level (10+ years) and the specialized nature of designing AI-powered enterprise solutions.

Benefits

• Comprehensive extended health benefits program, including virtual healthcare services.
• Wellness allowance to support employee well-being.
• Annual vacation days, increasing with tenure.
• Paid sick days.
• Generous maternity/parental enhancement program.
• Performance-based bonus opportunities.
• RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan) contribution matching program.
• Subsidized meal program provided by Global Relay's in-house culinary team (for Vancouver-based employees).

Working Hours: The job description implies a standard full-time work week, likely around 40 hours. While not explicitly stated, enterprise roles often offer some flexibility within a standard workday, though the on-site requirement suggests adherence to office hours.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is clearly defined and aligns with industry benchmarks for a Lead UX Designer in a major Canadian city like Vancouver, especially for a role requiring extensive experience and specialized AI/enterprise design skills. The comprehensive benefits package reflects a well-established company prioritizing employee well-being and long-term investment.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Enterprise Information Archiving, Cloud Services, Data Management, Compliance Technology. Global Relay operates at the intersection of technology and stringent regulatory requirements, providing critical infrastructure for highly regulated firms.

Company Size: Global Relay is an established company with a significant presence, indicated by its long history (25+ years) and comprehensive benefits that suggest a stable, mid-to-large enterprise structure.

Founded: 1999. With over 25 years in the market, Global Relay has a deep history and established expertise in enterprise information archiving.

Team Structure:

• The UX team likely operates within a cross-functional product development structure, working closely with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and Compliance Officers.
• As a "Lead" role, this position will involve direct collaboration with peers in other disciplines and potentially mentoring junior designers or contributing to the broader design team's strategy.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Design: The role requires turning "ambiguity into clarity" and designing for "customer and regulatory needs," implying a data-informed approach to design decisions.
• Agile Development: Preferred skills mention experience in Agile, suggesting that design processes are integrated within iterati