Associate Director, User Experience

Temple University • Boulder, CO

20d • $65,000 - $70,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Sr. Associate Director of User Experience and Market Research, the Associate Director of User Experience is part of the Strategy, Insights & Operations arm within the division of Strategic Marketing and Communications (SMC). The primary function of this position is to support the development of the strategy roadmap for UX & Market Research through specific recommendations resulting from internally conducted research and industry findings. This position plays a key collaborative role across the portfolio by working closely with Analytics and Market Research to integrate insights and recommend actions that will inform digital and print strategies, ultimately enhancing the experiences of prospective students and their families. This role’s responsibilities are vital in creating alignment for our divisional objectives and elevating the application of user experience findings across the division. Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology, sociology, human factors or a related discipline.
• At least four (4) years of user experience research, design or directly related experience.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Experience in software and web applications which leverage emergent technologies, accessibility, and/or mobile devices.
• Proficient in the Microsoft Office suite of products.
• Experience educating distributed teams in UX methods and best practices.
• Demonstrated familiarity with moderated and unmoderated usability testing.
• Demonstrated experience in project management.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment while maintaining accuracy of work. Superior organizational skills - must be able to effectively prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Ability to quickly acclimate to different environments and are open to new processes and technologies.
• Self-directed with a solutions-oriented attitude; values and inspires a positive work environment.
• Ability to work within a continuous improvement environment; able to receive feedback with a positive attitude and a commitment to personal accountability.
• Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills with the ability to work and collaborate with colleagues and campus partners.
• Brings diplomacy and collegiality to capably address challenges; willingness to tackle issues and collaboratively resolve them.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to utilize data and insights to determine decisions.
• Ability to work well under pressure.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively and collaboratively work as part of a cross-functional team.
• Ability to work independently and efficiently.
• Demonstrated excellent organizational time management skills.
• Ability to attend staff events as needed (including occasional nights and weekends).

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of the higher education industry.
• Strong working knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Fireworks and associated design tools.
• Demonstrated knowledge with presentation design and data visualization.
• Knowledge of user interface design patterns and standard User Centered Design (UCD) methodologies and understanding of Agile development practices.
• Knowledge of surveys, interviews, contextual observation.
• Familiarity with A/B Testing / Design evaluation, Heuristic analysis, participatory design, and storyboarding.
• Knowledge of rapid / low-fidelity prototyping / sketching.
• Demonstrated proficiency with usability test design, deployment and analysis is required.

Responsibilities

• Designs, deploys and analyzes usability and content efficiency tests continually.
• Creates white papers, reports and slide presentations to document or display complex findings, results and technical information, as well as recommendations.
• Creates wireframes, prototypes and other UX artifacts, including information architecture and user flow diagrams.
• Develop user-focused recommendations for the overall UX & Market Research strategy roadmap to support the direction guided by the Sr. Associate Director of User Experience & Market Research.
• Defines and implements user-centered strategies that align with divisional objectives and contribute to the university’s key goals across audiences. Takes a proactive role in shaping and steering projects that support our strategic vision, ensuring alignment with broader university initiatives.
• Facilitates cross-functional collaboration by working closely with designers, digital strategy specialists, web developers, content managers, and project managers. Identifies issues, tests opportunities, and assesses success factors through collaborative efforts that span multiple departments and teams.
• Recommends process improvements and evolves usability initiatives.
• Contributes and holds essential role in large-scale strategic initiatives, ensuring that usability-centric ideas are presented clearly and effectively to stakeholders. Manages smaller projects while also playing a crucial role in prioritizing and setting timelines for more complex, high-impact initiatives.
• Ensures continuous, effective working relationships within the team and across departments, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing and collaborative growth.
• Provides relevant input into strategies for the larger workgroup.
• Regularly communicates with preferred vendors in order to understand, influence and achieve internal goals.
• Responsible for understanding and working within project budgets. May provide analysis and input into the department budget.
• Stays up-to-date on industry trends and best practices.

Benefits

• A hybrid work schedule
• Full medical, dental, vision coverage
• Paid time off
• 12 Paid Holidays
• Tuition remission - eligible employees and their dependents can obtain a degree TUITION FREE
• A generous retirement plan

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees