User Experience and Design Director

User Experience and Design Director

North Kansas City, Missouri

The User Experience & Design Director is responsible for overseeing the design and usability of the e-commerce site. This role will ensure that all elements of the online user experience are optimized for improved usability. As a senior designer, you have extensive knowledge of UX design tools and methodologies, including user research, information architecture, interaction design, and usability testing. As a senior leader, you manage cross-functional partnerships, build and maintain collaborative relationships, and influence and clearly present to broad audiences. This role is for someone excited by prospect of solving complex problems and a passion for designing products that exceed both user and business needs.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. User Experience & Design

• Responsible for driving the vision of the end-to-end user experience on Helzberg.com.
• Develop wireframes, prototypes, and user flows to effectively communicate and iterate on design concepts, ensuring seamless and user-friendly experiences.
• Direct UI/UX designers, including internal associates, contractors, and agencies, drive the UI/UX process from concept through design documentation and execution.
• Conduct comprehensive user research to gather valuable insights, best practices, and a deep understanding of user needs, goals, and behaviors.
• Analyze web data to monitor website performance and identify areas of opportunity.
• Identify A/B testing opportunities within UI/UX to support overarching e-commerce test and learn environment.
• Deliver against target KPIs through continuous innovation, testing, and scaling of winning experiments.
• Ensure quality experience on digital products by participating in the user acceptance testing process as needed.
• Identify future opportunities by keeping up to date with design trends, societal shifts, and new technology.
• Be a thought partner providing recommendations on UX and UI enhancements with mobile-first design approach.

2. Leadership

• Leads with a user-centric mindset.
• Champion user-centered design principles and best practices, ensuring the final product delivers a delightful and cohesive user experience while also meeting our business objectives.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and flexibility to thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Have superior communication and interpersonal skills, including facilitation, presentation, storytelling.

• Bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related field, providing a solid foundation for creative design principles.
• Minimum 10 years relevant experience in UX/product design, preferably in a retail environment.
• Strong portfolio that showcases UX and interaction design, visual design aesthetic, and user-centered thinking.
• Knowledge of web and ecommerce analytics, including Google Analytics and other industry-standard web analytics platforms, Monetate, Syte, Tangiblee, A/B Tasty, Content Square etc.
• Superior Design and PowerPoint skills.
• Proven ability to translate complex design challenges into clear, user-friendly experience.
• Comfortable with multiple qualitative and quantitative research methods, like surveys, usability testing, multivariate testing, A/B testing, etc.
• Can balance user, business, and technical needs.
• Comfortable with a culture of feedback and regular opportunities to critique and be critiqued.
• Doesn’t see obstacles, only opportunity.
• Values data or insight over opinion, by basing decisions on metrics, segment data, and user research findings and insights.
• Ability to understand and help gather business reporting requirements that meet business needs.
• Organized, reliable self-starter with strong creative thinking, analytical, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, with strong attention to detail.
• Hybrid schedule with predictable onsite attendance required three or more days per week to perform essential functions involving interactive behaviors with co-workers and managers, operation, or manipulation of equipment and/or materials located only on site, and direct interaction with internal and/or external customers.