Here at Appian, our values of Intensity and Excellence define who we are. We set high standards and live up to them, ensuring that everything we do is done with care and quality. We approach every challenge with ambition and commitment, holding ourselves and each other accountable to achieve the best results. When you join Appian, you’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to accomplishing hard things, together.
We are seeking a highly skilled and passionate Lead Accessibility Engineer to join our team and drive our commitment to an accessible low-code software development platform. This role is a strategic leadership position instrumental in ensuring our products are inclusive and usable by people with disabilities while establishing a sustainable, scalable framework for accessibility at Appian.
The ideal candidate will move beyond tactical firefighting to focus on strategic industry knowledge and the operationalization of accessibility across large-scale software platforms.
In this role, you will:
- Lead the implementation of Appian’s Accessibility Operations Strategy, transitioning accessibility from a manual process to a standardized, documented requirement for platform changes.
- Develop and execute an accessibility automation roadmap using AI-driven validations, automated static analysis, and regression protection.
- Provide direction to accessibility contractors and future junior engineers, ensuring alignment with delivery and support teams.
- Partner with Product, UX, QE, Developers, Customer Success, and Support to provide accessibility guidance, tools, and procedures.
- Establish SLAs/SLOs for accessibility resolution and manage repeatable VPAT updates through internal processes and third-party audits.
- Act as the accessibility subject matter expert for customer audits, legal inquiries, and accessibility-related customer conversations.
- Drive cross-functional awareness of evolving global accessibility legislation and best practices.
- Build relationships with customers to understand accessibility needs, resolve issues, and provide guidance.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, IT, HCI, Web Design/Development, or related field preferred.
- Proven accessibility engineering experience with strong knowledge of WCAG, Section 508, ADA, and related standards.
- Hands-on experience with accessibility testing tools, techniques, and assistive technologies such as screen readers, speech recognition, screen magnifiers, and alternative input devices.
- Practical knowledge of no-code or low-code platforms and accessibility implications.
- Experience with automated accessibility testing tools and frameworks.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical concepts for non-technical audiences.
- Demonstrated ability to lead accessibility initiatives across cross-functional teams.