Consultant, Experience Strategist

If you’re passionate about becoming a Nationwide associate and believe you have the potential to be something great, let’s talk.

Number 54 on the Fortune Magazine 100 Best Places to Work.

JOB SUMMARY: Provides consulting services on one or more technical [SM1] specialties such as usability, interaction or visual design, prototyping or content. Leads project teams to define and document site architecture, navigation elements, content strategy, map user flows, and propose best practices in usability and interactive design based on a deep understanding of customer needs. Recommends innovative solutions that balance customer needs with business viability and technical feasibility. Creates exceptional user experiences that result in market differentiation and efficiency improvements while maintaining brand standards and meeting business objectives.

Job Description

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS: Reports to Manager/Director/AVP. May have direct reports based on organizational structure. May be responsible for virtual/project teams.

CORE JOB DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides technical and/or strategic direction to project teams and/or product groups. Defines scope and objectives based on user needs and understanding of applicable business systems and industry requirements. Consults on and leads business process analysis and needs assessments, aligning solutions with business goals and initiatives.

2. Works with content writers, designers, coders, business representatives, and user research staff to define site functionality, organization and navigation solutions, and participates in research efforts to identify user goals and tasks.

3. Recommends innovative solutions to business problems/processes that leverage technology and/or content to provide market differentiation, efficiency improvements, and a better user experience. Maps out how the solution will accommodate change and growth over time.

4. Participates in overall project management, time estimates and resource scheduling. Monitors project team compliance with architecture best practices and principles and resolves issues elevated from project teams.

5. Researches emerging technologies and trends to maintain an in-depth understanding of user experience.

6.Works with usability staff to develop and document methodologies, standards and best practices.

Typical Skills and Experiences:

Education: Undergraduate studies in computer science, human-computer interaction, psychology, graphic design, information science, communications or related field.

Licenses/Designations: N/A

Experience: Typically 8 or more years of professional experience in the software or web site development, content or graphics creation, web technology, research, conducting usability testing, and user-centered design processes. Masters degree may be substituted for experience as appropriate.

Knowledge: Software or website development, thorough knowledge of usability practices, solid understanding of design or content for current technologies. Knowledge of internet best practices and research principles. Insurance company operations and products, company organizational structure and general administrative policies, practices and procedures.

Skills/Competencies: Command of all skills necessary for verbal and written communications. Ability to analyze qualitative and quantitative information and external factors that may influence or have an impact on the company, as well as the customers, distribution systems, operations, and the strategic planning process. Proven ability to set work priorities that conform with established objectives, timeframes and accomplish a task in the most effective manner. Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams (i.e. engineers, product managers, designers, business leaders, etc.). Proven ability to manage projects and define administrative methods and procedures to attain objectives. Ability to maintain working knowledge and/or expertise in PC-based software programs, insurance/business concepts and assigned line of business as well as marketing and strategic planning concepts.

Values: Regularly and consistently demonstrates the Nationwide Values and Guiding Behaviors.

Other criteria, including leadership skills, competencies and experiences may take precedence.

Staffing exceptions to the above must be approved by the hiring manager’s leader and HR Business Partner.

JOB CONDITIONS:

Overtime Eligibility: Exempt (Not Eligible)

Working Conditions: Normal Office Environment. Extended work hours may be necessary during work periods of heavier volume of work. Travel required as necessary.

ADA: The above statements cover what are generally believed to be principal and essential functions of this job. Specific circumstances may allow or require some people assigned to the job to perform a somewhat different combination of duties.

Job Evaluation Activity: MKT/WUE

Additional Job Description

As a consultant on the User Experience (UX) Team, you will be focused on driving holistic, human-centered solutions across a wide range of projects at Nationwide. You will be responsible for helping the business identify and define problems and opportunities, prioritize and set direction, and give definition around abstract concepts –moving from vision to action.

Using your expertise in user-centered research methodologies, particularly generative and exploratory, you will provide thought leadership and partner closely with clients as you plan, develop and execute research and deliver actionable insights. Your ability to think strategically, have a deep understanding of user and business needs, synthesize information, and tell a compelling story will be key to your success.

You should be passionate about defining problems, creating experiences that help people, and being a tireless advocate for the end user while also cultivating that same passion in your fellow UX team members and inspiring them to deliver the same high-quality work.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee the User Experience Team deliverables and methodologies to ensure they align with and meet business and user goals.

• Plan, initiate and lead research, client presentations, workshops, and discussions.

• Use critical thinking techniques to move thoughts and discussions from broad to specific.

• Communicate experience principles to all parts of the business and apply these principles to your rationale.

• Clearly understand the business space, audiences and phases in the customer journey.

• Champion a customer experience approach, when appropriate, to better understand how digital experiences can support and enhance cross channel experiences.

• Help define specific product features by integrating inputs from a wide range of sources including qualitative and quantitative research.

• Discover insights across industries and categories that drive our clients to success.

• Influence the direction and quality of work via thought leadership and mentoring.

KEY SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Business strategy – collaboratively work with clients to identify and frame the business problem/challenge and connect business objectives to actionable customer insights.

• Insight- ability to read between the lines and distil disparate sources of information into a crystal clear, inspiring story rich with insights

• Facilitation- establish valued and trusted relationships across departments; facilitate a collaborative process, internally and externally, while keeping the customer experience at the heart of the process. Align stakeholders across multiple operational functions toward a common vision.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS

• Highly successful problem solver that is organized, detailed and extremely collaborative

• Highly competent and comfortable with the range of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, tools and techniques

• Passionate, positive and capable of making incredibly complex things simple

• Strong communication, presentation, and creative challenge-solving skills

• Ability to work independently, while escalating issues as necessary

• Deep understanding of the user experience landscape – one that draws on your knowledge of generative and evaluative research, information architecture, interaction design, visual design, content strategy and your understanding of the possibilities and limitations of technology

• Be comfortable with and have experience in planning, facilitating and participating in opportunity workshops, brainstorming activities, and other idea-generating team sessions

• Deep expertise and practice of the fundamentals in a number of research methodologies, especially ethnography and contextual inquiries and be able to identify the right methodology given the learning objective

• Ability to analyze and synthesize qualitative and quantitative information and present the results to stakeholders, translating those insights into meaningful, actionable design criteria, business strategies and/or artifacts

• Ability to switch easily between different projects, and flexibility to handle a rapidly changing environment while delivering quality results

• Strong project management skills, with ability to prioritize and manage multiple, parallel projects to deadline in a fast-paced environment

• Seeking candidates with 8+ years of experience in synthesizing and evangelizing complex research studies, user experience design and/or related field

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Cognitive Sciences, Human Computer Interaction (HCI), Human Factors, Anthropology, or related fields

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Job ID: 53186

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