The California Office of Data and Innovation (ODI) helps the state deliver better services to the people of California through technology and design. We work with other state departments to improve programs and tools. We listen to the people who use these services to learn what they need. Then we design and build better solutions. Our team includes designers, engineers, product managers, data experts, researchers, and strategists.
We’re looking for a senior-level User Experience (UX) Designer (ITS III) to join our team. In this role, you will design digital services and products that are user-focused, effective, and accessible. Your work will incorporate equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles. You will work closely with researchers, content designers, developers, and other partners. Your work will help state departments deliver better services to Californians.
This is a senior role. We are looking for someone with at least 5 years of experience in a similar role. You will work independently and lead your own projects. You will also support more senior designers to help move larger team goals forward. You should feel comfortable making decisions, managing your time, and collaborating across teams.
We are looking for a UX designer who brings both strong visual design skills and service design skills. You should be able to design clear, thoughtful, and visually polished interfaces that are ready for implementation. You should also be able to understand how the full service works across many steps, teams, and systems. You may create journey maps, lead workshops, organize complex information, and help teams see the full picture.
Location: ODI staff reside throughout California. The employee’s workstation is located in Oakland, CA or Sacramento, CA. Travel to the Sacramento headquarters may be required as needed. This position provides telework opportunities in accordance with agency telework policies
Annual salary: $114,084 – $152,880 based on experience and qualifications
Benefits: The state offers many benefits, including pension, health benefits (including after retirement), life insurance, employee assistance program, and much more.
Last day to apply: Final filing date is May 12, 2026.
What you’ll do
- Design inclusive digital products that prioritize equity and accessibility for all Californians.
- Lead end-to-end service design by creating journey maps and organizing complex information across multiple systems and teams.
- Deliver polished visual interfaces that are clear, thoughtful, and ready for technical implementation.
- Bridge the gap between strategy and execution by facilitating workshops.
- Work autonomously and lead projects while collaborating closely with researchers, developers, and content designers.
- Drive high-level decision-making and manage timelines independently to move large-scale organizational goals forward.
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.
We have a guide to the civil service application process. It covers:
- How to apply
- Civil service exams
- Interviews
Desirable qualifications
- Strong experience in human-centered design. This includes journey mapping, prototyping, and user testing for complex digital services and products.
- Strong visual and interaction design skills. Ability to produce clear, thoughtful, and visually polished interfaces that are ready for engineering implementation.
- Experience designing products and services, both digital and physical, with strong attention to visual clarity, layout, hierarchy, and interaction detail.
- Solid systems thinking and interaction design skills. Ability to design solutions that work across teams, platforms, and channels, with guidance from senior design leadership when needed.
- Commitment to equity, inclusion, and accessibility in every phase of the design process. Working knowledge of WCAG standards and inclusive research methods.
- Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities. Experience focusing on strategic goals while adapting quickly to new information or direction.
- Experience designing for AI-enabled or data-informed features. Examples include front-end interfaces for machine-generated content, predictive inputs, or adaptive interactions.
- Ability to balance user needs with policy requirements. These can include meeting legal, regulatory, and organizational constraints while keeping a human-centered approach.
- Comfort working in multidisciplinary teams. Collaborators can include product managers, engineers, researchers, content designers, and policy experts.
- Strong storytelling and communication skills. Ability to explain design rationale, share insights, and get approval among non-design audiences.
- Experience contributing to design systems. Examples include components and interaction patterns that promote consistency and accessibility.
- Strong facilitation and collaboration skills. Examples include supporting or leading co-design sessions, critiques, and workshops across levels and disciplines.
- Curiosity about emerging technologies and how they may shape public services. In particular, how generative AI, automation, and new interaction models might shape user expectations and service delivery.
- Ability to join projects already in progress. This includes building on existing work and collaborating closely with other designers, including more senior design leaders.
About ODI
We deliver better services to Californians through technology and design. We do so through close partnership with other state departments. Our goal is to create programs and products that are more equitable and effective. We listen to Californians who use a program now or may do so tomorrow and learn about what they need.
We:
- Build tools and products
- Create and enhance digital services
- Conduct research
- Identify data solutions
- Offer training
We are a cross-discipline staff with blended backgrounds in:
- Design
- Engineering
- Product
- Operations
- Data
- Research
- Policy
- Strategy
Learn more about ODI’s vision and mission.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion at ODI
Diversity, equity, and inclusion help us deliver better government services to Californians.
- Fostering diversity inspires better ideas and more innovative thinking.
- Feeling included nurtures a shared sense of community. This drives us to take collective action on challenging problems.
- Prioritizing equity ensures we build solutions for people whose needs are often overlooked.
We acknowledge our history and present of implicit and structural injustice, bias, and discrimination. We see, hear, and accept each other and the lived experiences we bring to our work. We support each other in learning and developing so we can help all Californians thrive.
We understand this work is never done. That’s why we commit to constant improvement.