Senior Design Research Lead

You could say we're at the center of the center.Here at Edward Jones the client is our single focus and our relationships with them are the measure of everything we do. And Service and Operations divisions are at the center of it all. We support our clients, branch teams and headquarter associates in providing the best possible experience. Advocate for our more than 7 million clients through regulation communication, fraud protection and managing their investment distributions. Protect their investments by mitigating risk. And innovate new ways of working. Using insights to create solutions for the future - in the here and now.Job OverviewPosition Schedule: Full-TimeThe Design Strategy and Delivery team is seeking a Senior Design Lead and design research practitioner to lead cross-functional teams in the discovery, design, development, and delivery of amazing solutions for complex problems in strategic planning, process improvement, product design, and service delivery. You will become a core part of the Design team and work with talented teammates to define all aspects of end-to-end experiences and design.Our ideal candidate is full of business design ideas, creative thinking, and strategic thinking who can conceptualize and implement quickly, independently or collaboratively. Believes in working through the problem through investigation and iteration. They can demonstrate strong design and user experience sensibilities with an uncanny level of curiosity; keep up with the evolving landscape of available tools, technologies and resources as well as maintaining a positive energetic approach to the practice of design to solve complex problems with simple, engaging, and elegant solutions. What you'll do... Autonomously lead multidisciplinary teams of senior leaders through strategic transformational frameworks and iterative delivery of designed experiences in pursuit of discovery and innovation in highly complex cross-divisional and enterprise level efforts.Support work teams to achieve clear problem statement definition, define big ideas and capabilities, and pressure-test ideas through design research, test and learn methodologies, and value evaluation for return on investment.Effectively communicate in verbal and written venues to senior level leaders to present strategic opportunities, align to firm strategy/goals/objectives, define business cases, and develop strategic roadmaps that clearly articulate the journey toward an ideal client experience.Quickly build trusting relationships. Provide leader-level coaching, performance feedback and guidance to squad members (including senior leaders) and multi-disciplinary peers in formal and informal relationships.Lead alignment between design, business, and delivery workstreams to integrate business analytics, business capabilities, user and market research into the solutioning process to ensure outcomes delivered appropriately balance user value, business value, and feasibility.The senior design lead will:Evaluate a range of potential capabilities including change management, design thinking, process design, process improvement, and project/program management to achieve the project's desired outcome.Gather and evaluate necessary perspective to independently make decisions without input from higher levels.Investigate and resolve escalations with varying and high degrees of complexity and impact.Identify and mitigate risks associated with designed experiences delivering on user needs and business outcomes.Lead the development and/or improvement of experiences that have firm-wide benefits, changing the fundamental way the firm creates, captures, and/or delivers value for a particular client or colleague segment or strategy.Identify major detailed project tasks, resources, and coordinate the efforts of internal and external parties necessary to see successful project completion including external consulting firms or partnerships.Comprehensive Research & Impactful Insight Generation:Develop a deep understanding of the business needs and identify opportunities for impactful support through user research and testing methodologies.High degree of proficiency in developing innovative and creative research approaches to uncover user needs and insights that help business areas within the firm solve novel and complex problems for the enterprise.Expertly articulate the value of user research, demonstrating its potential to significantly affect business outcomes. Collaborate closely with others to integrate user insights into business strategies. Insights Synthesis:Ability to integrate insights from various disciplines (e.g., psychology, anthropology, economics) to create a more holistic understanding of user behaviors and market trends, and strengthen decision making by grounding recommendations in research findings.Storytelling & Communication:Employ creative storytelling abilities to communicate research findings in a manner that provokes thought and emotion, making complex insights accessible and engaging through writing, visuals, verbal communication, stories, videos, experiences, and exhibits.Edward Jones offers a 401k retirement plan, and tax-advantaged accounts: health savings account, and flexible spending account. Edward Jones observes ten paid holidays and provides 15 days of vacation for new associates beginning on January 1 of each year, as well as sick time, personal days, and a paid day for volunteerism. Associates may be eligible for bonuses and profit sharing. All associates are eligible for the firm's Employee Assistance Program. For more information on the Benefits available to Edward Jones associates, please visit our benefits page.Edward Jones' compensation and benefits package includes medical and prescription drug, dental, vision, voluntary benefits (such as accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness), short- and long-term disability, basic life, and basic AD&D coverage. Short- and long-term disability, basic life, and basic AD&D coverage are provided at no cost to associates. Edward Jones offers a 401k retirement plan, and tax-advantaged accounts: health savings account, and flexible spending account. Edward Jones observes ten paid holidays and provides 15 days of vacation for new associates beginning on January 1 of each year, as well as sick time, personal days, and a paid day for volunteerism. Associates may be eligible for bonuses and profit sharing. All associates are eligible for the firm's Employee Assistance Program. For more information on the Benefits available to Edward Jones associates, please visit our benefits page.Hiring Minimum: $110629Hiring Maximum: $188369Read More About Job OverviewSkills/RequirementsWhat you'll need..Bachelor's degree required in a field of Design, Science, or Engineering or equivalent disciplinee.g. Human Computer Interaction, Human Factors, Instructional Design, Computer Science, Digital or Interactive Media, Communications, Behavioral Science, Psychology, Anthropology8+ years of progressive design experienceDirect or indirect people leadership experience leading multi-disciplinary design teams to advanced levels of collaboration preferred.Advanced skills in designing prototypes of appropriate fidelity for learning and delivery.Expertise in design tools such as design methodologies, and systems thinking, as well as emerging trends and technology.Some travel requiredWhat will set you apart...Master's or advanced degreeExperience in Devops Methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, etc.)Financial services experienceRead More About Skills/RequirementsAwards & AccoladesAt Edward Jones, we are building a place where everyone feels like they belong. We're proud of our associates' contributions to the firm and the recognitions we have received.Check out our U.S. awards and accolades: Insights & Information Blog Postings about Edward JonesCheck out our Canadian awards and accolades: Insights & Information Blog Postings about Edward JonesRead More About Awards & AccoladesAbout UsJoin a financial services firm where your contributions are valued. Edward Jones is a Fortune 500¹ company where people come first. With over 8 million clients and 19,000 financial advisors across the U.S. and Canada, we're proud to be privately-owned, placing the focus on our clients rather than shareholder returns.Behind everything we do is our purpose: We partner for positive impact to improve the lives of our clients and colleagues, and together, better our communities and society. We are an innovative, flexible, and inclusive organization that attracts, develops, and inspires performance excellence and a sense of belonging. People are at the center of our partnership. Edward Jones associates are seen, heard, respected, and supported. This is what we believe makes us the best place to start or build your career. View our Purpose, Inclusion and Citizenship Report.¹Fortune 500, published June 2023, data as of December 2022. Compensation provided for using, not obtaining, the rating. Edward Jones does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.#LI-HO