Contract User Experience Strategist — Portland

Posted August 9, 2011

Summary:
XPLANE is seeking a user experience strategist with a consulting and facilitation background to work on exciting, cutting- edge projects for an impressive list of global clients. The UX Strategist plays the pivotal role of providing strategic direction and expertise for our user interface designs as well as leading the discovery process for UX projects. You will be leading various project types to deliver excellent user experiences. You will have responsibility for building processes, establishing best practices, evolving methodologies, and delivering frameworks in conjunction with our design team to maintain high-quality strategy, consultative services, and deliverables. Additionally, you will design and facilitate collaborative working client sessions while partnering with a visual designer to get at the heart of our client’s complicated stories. While you will work primarily on user experience-focused projects, you may also consult on a wider range of projects as needed. This is a contract position with the potential to turn into a full-time, on-staff role.

Essential Duties:

• Providing strategic direction for UX projects
• Conducting UX needs analysis
• Leading UX strategy and reviewing design, development, and evaluation
• Designing and facilitating discovery sessions for a wide range of projects
• Conducting user testing
• Researching for and creating personas
• Consulting with the design team in the design of wire frames and user flows

Requirements & Responsibilities:

• A Bachelor’s degree in related field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Significant experience in application and user experience design, with increasing levels of responsibility. Solid understanding of UI design and process improvement is required.
• Previous client-side or consultancy experience in the following areas: Digital Media, Mobile, Web, Product UI.
• Can demonstrate experience in platform-agnostic task design on single-point, multi-touch, and gesture interfaces.
• Wireframing and flow creation. Product specification documentation. Ability to follow and build on guidelines to design interfaces.
• Proficiency in Omnigraffle, Illustrator, Photoshop required. Working knowledge of HTML, Wordpress, and Flash are plusses.
• Excellent facilitation skills, including workshop design and delivery.
• Information architecture – Skillful at reviewing and analyzing large quantities of complex data, able to synthesize information into logical structures.
• Strong business acumen and ability to comprehend complex issues.
• Excellent client communication, organization, and interpersonal skills. Must display original thinking and creativity and excel at meeting challenges with resourcefulness and innovative ideas.
• Leadership abilities. Able to motivate and coach both internal and contract team members.
• Experience with visual thinking techniques is a definite plus.
• A portfolio of interface examples is a must.

Supervisory Responsibility: Medium
Individuals in this role will occasionally oversee the work of others and will serve as the client liaison to the team.

Client Interaction: High
Individuals in this role frequently have contact with XPLANE clients, and are held responsible for client satisfaction.

Decision-Making Authority: High
The decisions a person in this role makes can have direct impact on client satisfaction, XPLANE financials, and project metrics.

Job Competencies:

• Facilitation – Effectively facilitates discovery meetings and manages the client discovery experience. Takes the initiative to communicate accurate information to clients. Express thoughts clearly, both verbally and in writing. Maintain a high level of interest and enthusiasm for consulting.
• Creativity & Innovation – Develops new ideas and unique and novel solutions to problems. Develops, sponsors, or supports the introduction of new and improved methods, products, procedures, or technologies.
• Flexibility & Responsiveness – Recognizes and responds to unanticipated events and requirements. Willing to do what is necessary to get the desired results. Reacts quickly in responding to needs of projects, team, clients.
• Organization & Planning – Establishes a course of action for self or others to accomplish a specific goal. Takes a methodical approach to planning and guiding project processes and resources from start to finish.
• Analytical Ability – Ability to review, analyze, and synthesize information in order to make it more easily understood and recommend a specific course of action. Comprehend complex business issues. Demonstrate ability to quickly discern clients’ needs and core values.
• Training & Development – Influences the acquisition of knowledge, sharpening of skills, concepts, rules, or changing of attitudes and behaviors to enhance the performance of employees.

To Apply:
Please submit résumé and cover letter to http://xplane.catchthebest.com/apply/8c54/7dae