Senior Lead User Experience / Interaction Designer / Information Architect (VP Level)

Job Summary & Responsibilities

Firmwide Technology is a business unit at this Investment Bank that supports the internal, federated functions across our businesses, such has human resources, services, controllers, compliance, and risk. Firmwide Technology is currently evaluating ways to strengthen and deepen our end-user design and usability capabilities for internally developed software.

We are looking for a usability leader within Firmwide Technology who will champion the practice and help to better integrate the practice into our SDLC.

Initial focus for this role will be on a few projects in the Services Technology area that are just ramping up or in the definition/design stage. This would leverage expertise for the specific projects and, more generally, help train and socialize our development teams to the concepts of and best practices for usability.

Role Summary

This professional is responsible for driving the interaction design of applications developed within the Firmwide Technology organization. He/she will define a vision to improve the user experience of Firmwide applications and lead implementation of that vision. The designer must be innovative, think out-of-the-box, and push our approach beyond typical corporate design. MUST BE FIRST AND FOREMOST A DESIGNER, technical skill a plus but not a requirement.

Experience should include UI design for data intensive, report-oriented, and transaction-oriented applications and data visualization.

The designer is expected to work across the entire Firmwide Technology and drive other resources including user experience and UI designers. He/she will find commonalities across different areas and create consistency of experience. This person must have extensive experience working with development teams, and needs to define the process around incorporating a user-centered design approach into the SDLC.

The designer will work with business stakeholders and development teams to conceptualize the user experience of Firmwide internal and external users. He/she must be experienced working with business and development groups through all phases of the SDLC. This includes:

• Gathering and analyzing user requirements

• Translating user requirements into front end specifications

• Reaching consensus among stakeholders with differing opinions

• Defining information architecture, interaction elements, and content composition

• Creating wireframes, screen flows, and state diagrams

• Providing or working with graphic designers to provide static and interactive low and high fidelity prototypes

• Creating new and leveraging existing style guides as appropriate to create realistic screen mockups

• Vetting design concepts with stakeholders and development groups

• Usability testing

• Defining high level and detailed design specifications

• Partnering with development groups and graphic designers to provide UI guidance and assure correct implementation

Must have excellent communication and organization skills and the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously in a collaborative team environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work closely with product managers, development teams and other internal stakeholders to design wireframes, proof-of-concept mockups, demos and prototypes of proposed and planned applications and features. Create prototypes of user interface designs for usability analysis and client review

• Collaborate in the definition of user interface design standards for desktop and Web applications, to optimize ease-of-use and achieve an integrated and consistent look and feel.

• Produce style guides and other tools to assure that GS applications comply with these standards. Promote these standards firm-wide. Consult with business and development teams to facilitate compliance.

• Be knowledgeable about and comply with Corporate Communication branding guidelines.

• Serve as a knowledge resource for the latest trends in user experience design and best practices.

• Work with vendors to drive design direction

• Evaluate designs produced by vendors

Basic Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in user interface / human factors design

• Post-graduate degree in interaction design or related field

• Proven experience designing interactive applications that have been developed and achieved great success with users

• Experience with software development groups and processes

• Strong fluency in desktop application and web standards and technologies

PREREQUISITES

Must be able to submit portfolio samples before interview. Portfolio should include examples of:

• Desktop and web application designs that have been delivered to end users

• Samples of wireframes or other high level design documents

• Samples of front end design specifications

• Any other materials that illustrate experience with the UI design and development process from start to finish

Preferred Qualifications

• Self-motivated and self-managed with a high degree of analytical ability and intellectual curiosity

• Attention to detail and accuracy, commitment to delivering highly-polished designs

• Ability to manage the design process

• Ability to work well under pressure, to handle shifting priorities and ad-hoc requests

• Superior interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate actively and proactively with others in a cross-functional team. Ability to communicate effectively in writing, verbally and as a presenter

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