Principal Accessibility Specialist

Summary

Join Bixal as a Lead Accessibility Engineer and champion accessible design, development, and testing across our digital products. You will lead the accessibility strategy, implementation, and continuous improvement, working closely with designers, developers, and product managers. This full-time position, contingent on contract award, allows for remote work from anywhere in the USA. You will ensure compliance with WCAG standards and improve user experiences for individuals with disabilities. The role involves leadership, implementation, testing, education, advocacy, and compliance reporting. This is a full-time position contingent on contract award.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, or related field, or equivalent experience
• 5+ years of experience in accessibility engineering, with a deep understanding of WCAG, ADA, Section 508, and other relevant guidelines
• Proficiency in front-end development (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) with an emphasis on accessible coding practices
• Strong experience with assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers, voice input tools)
• Familiarity with accessibility testing tools such as ANDI, Axe, WAVE, or similar
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to lead, educate, and advocate for accessibility across teams
• Passion for creating accessible digital experiences and an inclusive user experience
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance

Responsibilities

• Define and drive the client’s accessibility roadmap, aligning it with product goals and WCAG compliance requirements
• Provide accessibility expertise and support across scrum teams
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to a team of engineers and other stakeholders across the project
• Align closely with designers and front-end engineers on accessible best practices
• Serve as a subject matter expert on accessibility issues and solutions, staying up to date with WCAG guidelines, 508 and OMB initiatives and other relevant standards
• Adhere to modern software development practices, including accessibility, documentation, testing, observability, and monitoring
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure accessibility is incorporated into the design and development process from the start
• Guide the development of accessible user interfaces and components, ensuring they meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards or higher
• Lead code reviews and audits to assess, improve, and maintain accessibility compliance across digital products
• Establish and lead processes for automated and manual accessibility testing, using tools such as ANDI, Axe, or WAVE
• Leverage various forms of assistive technology during development, such as VoiceOver, JAWS, and ZoomText
• Develop and manage a repository of accessibility test cases and documentation to ensure consistent testing and compliance
• Collaborate with QA teams to embed accessibility testing into CI/CD pipelines
• Ensure accessible outcomes through coordinated development, component testing, and issue remediation
• Advocate for accessibility best practices and foster a culture of inclusion, ensuring accessibility is a core consideration in product development
• Collaborate with internal and external partners, including disability advocates, to gather feedback and improve user experience
• Build relationships and foster open collaboration with partner teams on the VA.gov platform and other stakeholders
• Ensure all products meet or exceed legal accessibility requirements and document compliance efforts for stakeholders
• Lead the development of an accessibility reporting framework to monitor progress, identify gaps, and prioritize improvements
• Perform other duties as assigned

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a leadership or team lead role within accessibility or software engineering
• Trusted Tester certification
• AAP certifications such as CPACC or WAS (Web Accessibility Specialist) are a plus

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Flex hours
• Work from home flexibility
• 401K with matching incentive
• Parental Leave
• Medical/dental/vision benefits
• Flex Spending Account
• Company provided short-term disability
• Company provided life insurance
• Commuter benefits
• Generous PTO
• 11 Paid holidays
• Professional development opportunities
• New business referral bonus