Full-Time

Service Designer

Deadline 7/13/27
Steampunk

Steampunk

501-1,000 employees

Federal software solutions delivering user-focused outcomes

Compensation Overview

$120k - $180k/yr

McLean, VA, USA

In Person

Bachelor's

Category
UI/UX & Design (1)
Required Skills
Agile
Adobe Creative Suite
SCRUM
Data Analysis

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Requirements
  • Ability to obtain a U.S. government Public Trust Security Clearance.
  • Six or more years of experience in human-centered design, service design, and/or customer experience design.
  • A current portfolio demonstrating ideology, methods, tools, skills, and craft.
  • Thorough knowledge and demonstrated experience conducting primary and secondary research, including stakeholder and user interviews and design-thinking and co-creation workshops, and applying those insights to personas, journey maps, process maps, ecosystem maps, roadmaps, stakeholder maps, and service blueprints.
  • Ability to think strategically and holistically and connect dots across multiple workstreams, stakeholder groups, and ecosystems.
  • Experience working on a scrum team within the Agile delivery framework and integrating research and design into technical sprints, including writing stories and story pointing.
  • Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, Mural, and Lucidchart.
  • Ability to keep pace with changing industry tools and best practices and make recommendations for the best outcome.
  • Experience collaborating within a multidisciplinary delivery team including UX/UI designers, technologists, data scientists, engineers, solution architects, and change managers.
  • Strong analytical skills for solving problems.
  • Excellent written communication and presentation skills.
  • Experience working in a project-based environment.
  • A degree or equivalent experience in human-centered design and/or service design.
Responsibilities
  • Participate in all aspects of discovery to understand the client mission and goals; stakeholders, users, and their ecosystems; current-state journeys; user segments; and program and project objectives.
  • Conduct workshops and interviews to frame pain points and opportunities, define problem statements, and validate hypotheses.
  • Synthesize research and data to communicate insights and make recommendations that shape mission and program strategy, service and workflow innovations, and a compelling future experience vision.
  • Create journey maps, service blueprints, vision roadmaps, personas, ecosystem maps, and experience maps that articulate needs, gaps, and actionable recommendations for organizational and process improvements.
  • Collaborate and communicate stakeholder and user needs on a cross-functional team within an Agile environment.
  • Understand and embrace the specifications and constraints of a given technology, platform, and/or operational environment and understand how research should be integrated into technological considerations.
  • Ensure all deliverables across a variety of projects are produced at a high level of quality.
Desired Qualifications
  • Previous work experience in or with the federal government.
  • Previous work experience as a consultant.

Steampunk helps U.S. federal government agencies deliver digital programs and services. The company partners with government clients, using a startup-style, customer-centered delivery approach to design, develop, and deploy software and services that support mission goals. Its products and work are executed in close collaboration with clients, emphasizing rapid delivery and high-quality user experiences. Steampunk differentiates itself by focusing specifically on federal customers and by embedding client input at every step of the process, from planning through deployment, so outcomes meet user needs and mission requirements at speed. The overall goal is to produce reliable, usable solutions that achieve clear mission impacts for government programs.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Founded

2002

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Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Veritas announced the acquisition on August 4, 2026, signaling strong sponsor conviction.
  • Steampunk generated $205 million unclassified prime obligations in the last twelve months.
  • MetroStar pairing adds AI product depth and larger defense accounts across DoD and DISA.

What critics are saying

  • Veritas will merge Steampunk into MetroStar by Q3 2026, ending standalone identity.
  • ICE, USDA, and Customs concentration leaves revenue exposed if recompetes slip in 2027.
  • Government-services rollups often cut duplicated staff after closing, pressuring Steampunk employees immediately.

What makes Steampunk unique

  • Design Intelligence and user-centered delivery still separate Steampunk in federal modernization work.
  • Steampunk won USDA STRATUS in 2024 and ICE SASS II, proving repeatable DHS execution.
  • NVIDIA Partner Network access strengthens its AI delivery credibility with federal buyers.

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Benefits

Professional Development Budget

Conference Attendance Budget

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

10%

1 year growth

10%

2 year growth

10%
Washington Technology
Aug 4th, 2026
Veritas to merge Steampunk into MetroStar Systems.

Veritas to merge Steampunk into MetroStar Systems. Stay Connected Find opportunities - and win them. By Nick Wakeman , Editor-in-Chief, Washington Technology August 4, 2026 03:21 PM ET The combination pairs MetroStar's artificial intelligence and digital transformation work with the delivery model of Steampunk. Veritas Capital plans to acquire Steampunk and will merge the business with MetroStar Systems, an existing company in the private equity firm's portfolio. The combination will bring together MetroStar's artificial intelligence and digital transformation work with Steampunk's user-centered delivery model approach. Terms of the acquisition announced Tuesday were not disclosed. All parties involved expect to close the transaction by end of this calendar quarter. "The combination of MetroStar and Steampunk will create a powerful force multiplier for delivering mission-critical solutions at scale," said Hugh Evans, managing partner of Veritas. Veritas acquired MetroStar in November 2025. Steampunk was formed in 2019 when a group of former Agilex executives acquired and rebranded SE Solutions. In the last 12 months, Steampunk has pulled in $205 million in unclassified prime contract obligations. Data from USASpending.gov pegs its top customers as Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Patent and Trademark Office. MetroStar has logged $52.6 million in unclassified prime contract revenue over the last 12 months. MetroStar's biggest customers are the Air Force, Navy, Army and Defense Information Systems Agency. "Together, we can move missions faster, operate at a greater scale, and deliver even bigger outcomes for our customers and their missions," said Ali Reza Manouchehri, co-founder and CEO of MetroStar. Robert W. Baird & Co. was financial adviser and Holland & Knight LLP was legal counsel to Steampunk. Latham & Watkins LLP is the legal counsel to MetroStar and Veritas.

The Mirror Democrat and Savanna Times-Journal
Aug 4th, 2026
Veritas Capital Unites Steampunk and MetroStar, Accelerating Mission Impact

Combination will unite two of GovCon's most disruptive innovators to deliver AI-enabled digital transformation with

MetroStar
Aug 4th, 2026
Veritas Capital unites Steampunk and MetroStar, accelerating mission impact.

Veritas Capital unites Steampunk and MetroStar, accelerating mission impact. RESTON, VA - Tues., August 4, 2026 - Combination will unite two of GovCon's most disruptive innovators to deliver AI-enabled digital transformation with greater scale, speed, and conviction. Veritas Capital ("Veritas"), a leading investor at the intersection of technology and government, today announced that affiliates of The Veritas Capital Vantage Fund, L.P. ("Vantage Fund") have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Steampunk, Inc. ("Steampunk"), a change agent in the federal contracting industry. Following the close of the transaction, Veritas will merge Steampunk with existing portfolio company MetroStar Systems, LLC ("MetroStar") to form one of the government contracting industry's most formidable forces for mission-driven transformation. The merger will bring together two companies built on the same commitment: providing warfighters, intelligence professionals, defense civilians, public servants, and the United States government with innovative tools to work faster, smarter, and safer. "The combination of MetroStar and Steampunk will create a powerful force multiplier for delivering mission-critical solutions at scale," said Hugh Evans, Managing Partner of Veritas. "Together, the companies will provide agency partners with AI-enabled solutions to move with agility, meet mission demands faster, and harness cutting-edge technology that drives mission impact. This is a combination that will set a new standard for what our nation's warfighters, intelligence professionals, federal civilians, and homeland security leaders should expect from an industry partner." The combined company will benefit from complementary offerings of both organizations. MetroStar's deep AI and digital transformation product expertise will be strengthened by Steampunk's user-centered delivery model approach, Design Intelligence(R), pairing culture and capability in a way MetroStar Systems, LLC believe few competitors can match. "MetroStar has built something rare: real technical strength paired with a culture that actually backs it up," said Matt Warren, CEO, Steampunk. "With our shared action-oriented mentality, drive to achieve transformative outcomes, and track record of putting people, employees, clients, and the communities they serve at the heart of our businesses, combining forces will mean more capability for our clients and more opportunity for our people." "This transaction represents a milestone for both MetroStar and Steampunk, which has created market differentiation powered by Design Intelligence(R), innovation, and a dynamic culture," said Ali Reza Manouchehri, Co-Founder and CEO, MetroStar. "Together, we can move missions faster, operate at a greater scale, and deliver even bigger outcomes for our customers and their missions. The road ahead is full of possibility, and I could not be more excited about what we will build together." The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. Financial terms were not disclosed. Advisors Robert W. Baird & Co. served as financial advisor and Holland & Knight LLP served as legal counsel to Steampunk. Latham & Watkins LLP is acting as legal counsel to MetroStar and Veritas. About Steampunk Steampunk is a change agent in the federal contracting industry, bringing new thinking to clients across Homeland, Federal Civilian, Health, and Defense. Guided and powered by a User-Centered delivery methodology, Design Intelligence(R), Steampunk exists to positively disrupt how government services are designed and delivered. About MetroStar MetroStar is a trusted provider of AI-enabled products and solutions for U.S. government agencies, advancing the nation's most critical missions through speed, innovation, and purpose. With a focus on AI, digital transformation, and secure enterprise modernization, MetroStar delivers technology that translates mission needs into capability at record pace, empowering defense and national security leaders to outpace emerging threats and accelerate mission success. About Veritas Capital Veritas is a longstanding technology investor with over $54 billion of assets under management and a focus on companies operating at the intersection of technology and government. The firm invests in companies that provide critical products, software, and services, primarily technology and technology-enabled solutions, to government and commercial customers worldwide. Veritas seeks to create value by strategically transforming the companies in which it invests through organic and inorganic means. Leveraging technology to make a positive impact across vitally important areas, such as healthcare, education, and national security, is core to the firm. Veritas is a proud steward of national assets, improving the quality of healthcare while reducing cost, advancing its educational system, and protecting its nation and allies. For more information, visit www.veritascapital.com. Media Contacts Steampunk: Robert Pearson | [email protected] | 571-344-5538 MetroStar: Stephanie Haynes | [email protected] | 703-481-9581 Veritas Capital: Prosek Partners | [email protected] Management | making an impact. Feature | AI/ML | innovation lab.

PR Newswire
May 21st, 2024
Steampunk Awarded Boa On Usda Stratus Program

MCLEAN, Va., May 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Steampunk announced today that the company has been awarded a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).The BOA was awarded as part of the STRATUS program for cloud integration and development support services. The STRATUS program aims to accelerate cloud adoption by providing rapid access to hyperscale cloud service providers, integration and development service providers, and SaaS providers/resellers. Steampunk was selected for the program's unrestricted portion and has a 10-year ordering period to support USDA's cloud solution objectives."Steampunk is thrilled and honored to continue our partnership with USDA through STRATUS," said Joe Nizhnikov, Senior Vice President at Steampunk. "Over the last four years, Steampunk has had the privilege of working directly with USDA to exploit the power and innovation of cloud computing using our Design Intelligence® delivery framework. Together we have demonstrated the very real business value of cloud-based solutions through cloud migration, modernization, and innovation engagements."Since 2019, Steampunk has supported the majority of USDA mission areas, as well as the Department's Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Digital Infrastructure Services Center (DISC). Steampunk thrives on producing mission outcomes with capabilities in DevSecOps, Data Exploitation, Digital Platform modernization, Cybersecurity, and Design & Strategy

HS Today
Apr 16th, 2024
Stefani Shepherd Joins Steampunk as Senior Director of Growth for DHS

Stefani Shepherd joins Steampunk as Senior Director of Growth for DHS.