Digital Designer

At ESS Companies (ESSC), we empower people to own their futures by redefining the employee and client experience. As a 100% employee-owned family of heavy civil construction companies, we don’t do this for fame or fortune — we do it #ForTheWorkers. Our purpose fuels our passion, our passion drives our performance, and our performance strengthens the partnerships that build strong communities. This is who we are. This is what we do. And the men and women of our subsidiary companies, Emery Sapp & Sons, Achen-Gardner Construction, Rummel Construction, Monks Construction, ESCO Construction, and Premier Testing Laboratories, live out these values every day.

Our people build infrastructure that lasts for generations — and we approach our digital and brand work with the same long-term vision. This role is responsible for the execution, design, and optimization of digital experiences across all ESSC brands — ensuring every interaction is visually compelling, user-friendly, and aligned with brand standards. It requires a strong balance of design expertise, UI/UX thinking, and digital execution, along with the ability to translate content and strategy into engaging, high-performing digital experiences. If you're the kind of designer who thrives on bringing structure to complexity, takes pride in systems thinking, and wants your work to matter beyond the screen — this role was built for you.

What you'll be doing...

Planning & Discovery

Conduct discovery, gather stakeholder input, and develop sitemaps, user flows, and project briefs that set digital projects up for successSynthesize user research, stakeholder feedback, and heuristic reviews to inform design decisions before execution begins

Design & Execution

Own day-to-day UI/UX design across the ESSC brand family's web presence — from wireframes and prototypes through developer-ready UI designs, specs, and handoffCollaborate with developers and integration experts to ensure design feasibility and maintain design integrity throughout implementationLead the execution and ongoing evolution of the ESSC Enterprise Design System, including component libraries, interaction patterns, tokens, and documentation — within a strategic framework established by the Creative Brand ManagerApply and extend brand guidelines across digital touchpoints, ensuring visual and experiential consistency across our subsidiary brandsSupport digital components of campaigns, events, and enterprise initiatives as neededContribute graphic design support for select marketing initiatives — including social media, email campaigns, and event materials — as bandwidth allows

Quality & Delivery

Conduct cross-browser and cross-device testing to ensure consistent functionality, performance, and appearance across digital experiencesManage your own project workload efficiently — tracking priorities, communicating timelines, and delivering quality work on deadlineHelp define and document UX standards and best practices for the broader team

Collaboration & Ongoing Support

Collaborate with marketing, communications, and technology team members to deliver cohesive digital experiences across wholly owned websites, microsites, event websites, and ongoing campaigns as neededCreate and maintain design systems, component libraries, and UI style guidesContinuously analyze user data and performance metrics to identify opportunities for optimizationAttend company events and represent the firm at industry events as needed

You're a good fit if ...

You hold a Bachelor's degree in UI/UX Design, Interaction Design, Visual Communications, or a related disciplineYou have 4–6 years of UI/UX design experience, with a portfolio that demonstrates both marketing/brochure site work and product or application designYou think in systems — components, tokens, patterns — and get genuinely excited about design infrastructureYou're fluent in Figma, including auto layout, variables, component architecture, prototyping, and sitemap/flow documentationYou have a working understanding of HTML and CSS — enough to know what's buildable, communicate clearly with developers, and design with implementation in mindYou apply user-centered design principles naturally — balancing aesthetic quality with usability, accessibility, and real-world performanceYou're a strong brand reader — you can internalize a brand system, apply it with precision, and flag when something's offYou can hold your own in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) and contribute to graphic design needs when the work calls for itYou communicate design decisions clearly — to leadership, marketers, and developers alikeYou sweat the details: spacing, hierarchy, accessibility, interaction states, edge casesYou're as comfortable executing within an established framework as you are contributing ideas to evolve it — and you know the differenceYou own your workload — you track your own deadlines, flag blockers early, and deliver without needing to be managed closelyYou thrive in both independent deep work and collaborative creative sessionsYou have experience handing off production-ready specs and assets to development teamsYou play well with others and bring a positive, no-ego approach to creative collaborationYou take initiative and drive projects forward without waiting to be told what to doYou have a sense of humor (big plus)

Bonus skills/experience:

Know a little about the A/E/C industry? Bonus! Civil construction? Double bonus!Experience with or interest in design systems at scale — multi-brand, enterprise, or holding company environmentsFamiliarity with web-based animation — CSS transitions, Lottie/After Effects exports, or libraries like GSAP or Framer MotionFamiliarity with web accessibility standards (WCAG)We use Monday.com (project management), WordPress (website), and Shade (digital asset management) — knowing those is a head start¿Hablas español? We routinely translate content into Spanish — a huge plus if you can write or QC Spanish copy

Location

This team member will work out of the Kansas City, MO office located in the River Market district. Other office locations would be considered. Some regional travel may be required, including a few overnight stays here and there. ESSC offers a comprehensive and competitive package including access to top-notch tech tools and flex time.

Hybrid Work Schedule:

The marketing team follows the following hybrid work schedule. Team members are welcome to work in the office on remote days if they prefer.

Monday/Friday - RemoteTuesday/Wednesday/Thursday - Office

But wait, there’s more.

ESSC offers its employee-owners a variety of additional perks and bonus opportunities:

Industry-leading Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)401(k) and financial health educationComprehensive health benefits and insuranceFlexible Spending and Health Savings AccountsCasual and professional work environmentPaid training and continuing educationPaid time off (PTO)Wellness programReferral bonus programApprenticeship programsLeadership and training programs