Reporting to the Managing Director of Studios, this role will be required to partner with agency leadership to innovate and evolve current capabilities, as well as manage a UX/UI studio team currently serving a handful of clients on design projects.

The ideal candidate will have both agency and studio experience and will also have spent time in their career as a UX, UI or UX/UI designer and researcher.  Seven or more years of experience leading teams is ideal for this role, as well as a keen interest in staying up to date with latest industry trends. Strong proven history pitching, architecting solutions/approaches, building teams, and managing workflow is required. Strong experience with Design Systems would be a huge plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and strategic vision to determine how the Studio Team will increase its capabilities to support business demands and growth in a way that enhances other agency practices.
• Solution complex projects and programs to drive client initiatives and goals.
• Mentor and manage the UX/UI studio team across multiple dimensions: craft, processes, problem solving, effective communication, and leadership.
• Work with the team and across disciplines to clearly define Studio goals and standards and be able to articulate these on a company-wide level.
• Facilitate a culture of learning and feedback, balancing the needs of your team, business, and client.
• Manage and evolve the design process and staffing for projects and new business.
• Work with our internal and partner teams to drive the inclusion of feedback, formal user testing, and data-driven metrics and analysis.
• Partner with clients to develop long-term relationships, scope new initiatives, grow business, and scale programs.
• Partner with other studio and program leaders to shape and deliver work through distributed teams, including agile workflows.
• Manage multiple projects and programs concurrently, including managing through leads and other managers, utilizing different management methods for varied clients, solutions, and scopes of work.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with recruiting and agency leaders, driving collaboration and cross-functionally to achieve operational and growth goals.
• Represent the agency online and at recruiting and industry events.
• Participate as a member of the company’s business development team, helping formulate strategy, evaluate opportunities, and develop and present pitches.

Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree in Graphic Design or digital-related field
• 7 or more years leading studio or UX/UI teams
• Passionate for agency life, multi-disciplinary projects, collaboration, and interesting work, with a strong focus on mentoring and development
• Proven hands-on ability in UX/UI design and problem solving
• In-depth knowledge of UX/UI methodologies, including research, user-testing, planning, strategy, and design
• Demonstrated design leadership on projects that met financial and strategic business objectives
• Strong proven history pitching, architecting solutions/approaches, building teams, and managing workflows, for on-, near- and off-shore teams
• A customer-focused thinker who can pro-actively communicate and lead in creative, business, and technical discussions
• Self-driven and highly analytical with strong work ethic, initiative, prioritization, and attention to detail
• Strong verbal, written communication, and negotiation skills
• Thrives in a highly iterative and collaborative environment
• Committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive environment
• Experience with Mobile UI design for iOS, Android, Windows platforms
• Experience with Agile, including partnership with BAs, Scrum Masters, definition of ways of working, Sprint and Program Increment coordination
• Mastery of Figma, Adobe Creative Suite (XD, Photoshop, Illustrator), Sketch, UXPin, InVisionApp, Axure or other UI prototyping software
• Ability to prototype with various levels of fidelity (pixel-perfect, whiteboard, paper, interactive prototypes)
• Solid understanding of graphic design principles (typography, layout, grid systems, visual hierarchy, color, composition)
• Experience/Good knowledge with user testing techniques, accessibility standards, usability evaluations, user analytics, or SEO
• Experience with responsive web design, e-commerce, e-learning, or rich Internet applications

Nice to have skills

• Marketing, branding, PR, or strategy skills
• Front-end development or integration experience
• Experience and passion in photography, video, or illustration

Benefits

• Our comprehensive benefits program includes Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO Health coverage, as well as a health savings account with employer-funded contributions.
• We also offer Dental and Vision insurance. All of our full-time employees are eligible for Life/AD&D insurance and Short/Long Term Disability insurance free of cost, with the option to add additional voluntary coverage if desired.
• One North’s 401(k) plan allows employees to save for retirement through pre- or post-tax contributions along with employer-matched funds for maximized savings potential.
• Our Transportation Benefits enable employees to also make pre-tax contributions to pay for parking and public transit needs.
• We know how important unwinding can be for inspiration, innovation and productivity. Our full-time employees earn 4 weeks of paid time off, in addition to company paid holidays. Employees begin to accrue additional time off once they reach their 3-year and 10-year anniversaries with the business.
• One North also understands how critical it is for parents to bond with their new additions. We provide paid Parental and Primary Caregiver Leave to assist and support employees who experience a new birth, adoption or foster placement of a child.
• We also offer an Employee Perks Program that offers member-only discounts and corporate rates on everything from pizza and the zoo, to movie tickets, car rentals, and hotels.

*Additional details around our perks and benefits will be provided during the interview process.
**Clicking the Apply now button will redirect you to apply on TEKsystems.com.