Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

At the Technology Innovation Department (TID), our mission is to apply modern principles of research, design, and technology to make our transit system easy for all riders to use. Effective and equitable public transit is essential to the social, economic, and environmental progress of Greater Boston.

The MBTA Technology Innovation team is working to transform how people get around the Boston area.

We are a team of designers, engineers, product and content specialists charged with bringing novel ideas, modern standards and a user-centered approach to technology at the T. As the MBTA works to reinvent itself, we have a rare opportunity to craft the future of transportation for Boston and communities all around Eastern Massachusetts, as well as pioneer innovations for other transit agencies around the country.

Do you want to improve the daily transportation experience for 4.7 million people in the Boston region? Ready for the challenge? Then read on.

TID is looking for a Senior UX& Information Designer to join theScreens Team – a group dedicated to improving how we communicate information at MBTA stops and stations.This role will focus on the future of rider information onboard our trains & buses, in addition to making improvements to our growing ecosystem of digital signage at MBTA stops and stations.

Our Designers apply best design practices to public transit products. They are comfortable with, but not expert in, every stage of design. As a UX & Information Designer, you will work closely with other designers, a product manager and engineers. Together, you will translate research into an outcome-based roadmap and define the user experience and information that supports those outcomes. As a UX & Information Designer, you will work towards defined outcomes by creating tangible, testable designs.

The person in this role needs to be aware of and comfortable designing for an accessible experience.

Day to day, you will:

• Work with the product, engineering, and other designers in an agile environment; understand current and near-future needs, plan work, and execute against that plan. 
• Help your team incorporate research findings into the product roadmap; coordinate prioritization discussions and workshops with team members when necessary. 
• Define and design features for screens that help riders meet their needs while navigating their transit journey 
• Create prototypes for testing; coordinate and run testing sessions. 
• Define content types, display logic, and create templates for legible and consistent information. 
• Contribute to and follow the design standards of the MBTA. 
• Communicate logic and designs that engineers can successfully implement. 
• Participate in Design, Research, and Content team activities, including operations meetings, knowledge shares, and work reviews. 

What you can expect from your first 90 days at TID:

• Dive into the MBTA system: We certainly don’t expect team members joining TID to understand the operational details of the MBTA. From Day 1, you will begin learning the details of how the MBTA’s network of vehicles moves our riders around Greater Boston every day. 
• Dive into the world of MBTA.com and rider information: TID has an extensive ecosystem of screens that show riders realtime info and location-dependent alerts. To set you up for success, we'll get you acquainted with existing screen types as well as design and logic decisions that govern what shows up on rider-facing screens, aa well as the research behind them. 
• We'll also familiarize you with the data sources and the other channels that serve riders information. 

About you:

• You are empathetic: You know how to build trust by centering users. You see users as experts in their field and in their own experience. You seek to collaborate with and empower users in the design process. 
• You are a systems-oriented Designer who brings experience, frameworks, and repeatable approaches to new problem spaces. You understand the value of bespoke design solutions, but you seek to exhaust existing knowledge and options first. 
• You are comfortable with complexity: The MBTA is a 120-year-old transit agency with a huge number of moving parts. To design the right solutions, our team needs to understand the complexities of running transit services, the business operations of the MBTA, and how riders and staff interact with the system. 
• You believe in collaboration across disciplines. TID teams are generally interdisciplinary, so you’re able to work closely with Product Management, Engineering, Data Specialists, and Content in an agile environment. As a Designer, you’ll help communicate design and content intent to your team members to ensure rider-facing information is rendered consistently. 
• You are communicative: TIDis an interdisciplinary team sitting within a large public agency. You’re able to take design prototypes, feature ideas, research and testing results, and other design outputs, and communicate them to internal stakeholders clearly and effectively. 
• You are interested in the future of digital screens:The MBTA is at the forefront of integrating realtime screens at its stations and stops. You're interested in engaging with Screens on their own terms and trying to understand how to communicate best to riders in that format. 

Work experience:

• Although we’re mostly interested in your ability to do the work listed above as demonstrated in your portfolio, here are some guidelines on the capabilities and experience we think might be most suited for this role. Please keep in mind that these are advisory, and not required. 
• 5-10 years of professional experience in user experience, UX research, interface design, visual design, interaction design, or a related field. 
• Distinct experience usingInformation Design principles. 
• Interest or experience in wayfinding or digital screens 
• Interest or experience in accessible design principles or audio-visual equivalence 
• Ability to identify processes and deliverables needed at the appropriate phase of the design process. 
• Proficiency in industry standard design tools like Figma or Adobe Creative Suite. 
• Experience working in an agile development environment. 
• Experience using online collaboration tools (e.g. Slack, Asana, etc.) 
• Experience working with infrastructure constraints. 
• Ability to plan and execute user research and apply insights to your work. 
• Familiarity with the MBTA transit system as a rider. 
• Formal education in design, usability, fine art, writing, or a related field (This could be a college degree, a bootcamp, a certificate program, or something else entirely). 

Location:

This role is hybrid. While most activities can be accomplished remotely, an important component of this role requires in-person research with MBTA riders. We expect this person to be onsite on a regular basis, averaging about two weeks per quarter.

As a contracted role for the MBTA, we are unable to hire candidates who would perform their work in California, Connecticut, Washington DC, Hawaii, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Washington, West Virginia, and Puerto Rico.

At this time, we are only able to hire US residents who will reside in the US for the duration of their employment

Compensation:

Pay rate range is $66 - $88 per hour (W-2), up to 1880 hours per year.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion:

TID is dedicated to creating a diverse and inclusive environment—it’s essential to the work we do. In order to effectively partner with MBTA departments and do our best work for riders, our team must reflect the wide variety of people who use the MBTA’s services. We welcome people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds who share a passion for improving people's lives. Our team is deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and continual learning. We strive to foster an environment where each individual is valued, feels a sense of belonging, and is welcomed to bring their best self to work.

Here at TID, we provide equal opportunity for all employees and applicants. We recruit, hire, train, promote, compensate, and manage all personnel without regard to race, color, national origin, cultural identification or expression, socioeconomic background, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, family status, marital status, learning style, neurodiversity, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other non-merit based or legally protected grounds.

Research has shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for roles unless they believe they meet all qualifications. We strongly encourage candidates from marginalized groups to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the job qualifications listed. We’re committed to maximizing the diversity of our team and want to hear from anyone who is passionate about our efforts and interested in supporting our work for riders.