Senior UX Strategist
BarkleyREI
Posted 3 years ago
At BarkleyREI, we understand that effective and memorable digital experiences occur at the intersection of User Experience, Design and Content Strategy. If you are passionate about contributing to the creation of purposeful digital experiences, then you’re in the right place. We are searching for a Senior UX Strategist to join our growing Experience Design Team in Pittsburgh, PA.
The ideal candidate is a multidisciplinary blend of researcher, analyst, and strategist who will serve as an advocate for the user throughout the lifecycle of every project. Leveraging Human Centered Design, and through a variety of methods, they will conduct user research, gather key insights, distill key data, and translate findings into strategic recommendations that purposefully balance user and business needs
Responsibilities:
- As part of the Experience Design Team you will work alongside UX Designers, Content Strategists, Writers & Visual Designers in addition to Client Service, Development, Analytic, and Digital Marketing teams to create purposeful digital experiences for our clients.
- Work both autonomously, and as part of a team, while demonstrating an aptitude for time management, organization, and effective communication.
- Collaborate closely with client stakeholders and teammates to identify the proper balance of user and client business needs within the scope constraints of every project.
- Utilize human centered design methodologies to help clients solve problems, uncover key insights, and identify potential solutions through innovation and ideation.
- Define, structure, and lead the facilitation of Human Centered Design workshops for users, client stakeholders and internal teams.
- Consistently act on behalf of the user advocating for their specific needs.
- Conduct user research, including but not limited to informational interviews, contextual inquiry, focus groups, workshops and surveys.
- Perform various audits and inventories, usability assessments, and heuristic evaluations, synthesizing findings into client-facing artifacts with actionable and strategic recommendations.
- Lead the translation of user research, and client discovery findings into formal or informal artifacts including but not limited to user personas, sitemaps, user flows, journey maps, navigational structures, low to mid fidelity prototypes, annotated wireframes, functional requirement documentation, content outlines/matrices, and taxonomies/labeling.
- Provide data informed, and user-centric strategic recommendations across every project.
- Plan and conduct usability testing and site-tree testing as necessary and synthesize findings into client facing artifacts.
- Lead the creation of documentation, reference materials, and necessary artifacts to guide internal development teams.
- Collaborate with Content Strategists to ensure appropriate content is presented to the end user in a coherent, organized, and usable fashion.
- Collaborate with front-end and back-end developers to ensure desired feasibility.
- Clearly and effectively present recommendations to clients both in-person and remote as necessary.
- Lead the development of consistent internal processes and the standardization of all client facing deliverables and artifacts.
- Assist with new business as necessary, including the development of pitch materials & attending pitches to advocate the importance of User Experience.
- Provide direction and oversee the work of external resources as necessary.
- Mentor junior members of the Experience Design Team as necessary.
- Maintain a current understanding of the latest industry, & UX trends.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in User Experience, Cognitive Psychology, Human Computer Interaction, Library Sciences, Web Design, Communication, or other equivalent.
- Minimum of 8 years experience in a UX related role.
- Excellent writing, interpersonal, communication, & presentation skills.
- Impeccable attention to detail and strong problem-solving, conceptual and brainstorming skills.
- Ability to think outside the box and provide innovative alternatives to project, product, service or process related solutions as necessary.
- Comfortable speaking and presenting to various audiences including C-Level executives.
- Strong working knowledge of Human Centered Design, user-centered design principles and usability assessment methods.
- Solid understanding of Responsive Web Design, various frameworks, and the technical constraints associated with each.
- Experience supporting the creation of accessible products that uphold WCAG standards.
- Ability to pivot quickly from high level strategic thinking to tactical execution.
- Up to date knowledge of web design, UX design and content trends, techniques and tools.
- Extremely outgoing, personable, and positive attitude toward colleagues and clients.
- Driven to learn new skills, share knowledge and mentor other teammates.
- Proficient in Sketch, Invision, Adobe Suite, Optimal Workshop, Usertesting.com, and other relevant UX tools.
- Strong portfolio of work that demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of User Experience and how you have successfully implemented strategic recommendations for clients. (Approach, Methodology & Processes)
Bonus Points:
- Masters Degree in Communications, Cognitive Psychology, Human Computer Interaction, User Experience, or equivalent.
- Previous management, team lead or mentorship experience.
- Solid understanding of content management systems, and the associated technical constraints.
- Strong working knowledge of Atomic Design methodology and supporting the creation of comprehensive Digital Design Systems.
- Solid understanding of analytics, keywords, metadata, SEO and accessibility standards.
- Experience working in a fast-paced agency setting.
Barkley’s Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
- We believe being radically diverse and inclusive is the key to becoming one of the world’s great creative idea companies. By embracing everything that makes our partners who they are and what makes them unique to the world around them, we create the conditions and capacity to help creative, original thinking thrive.
- Barkley is committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging as part of our corporate strategic goals, supported by a formal DEI+B program, Employee Resource Groups, Director of Diversity leadership and agency commitment to The Brand Lab.