Experience Designer Lead

PNC•Strongsville, OH

2d•Onsite

About The Position

At PNC, our people are our greatest differentiator and competitive advantage in the markets we serve. We are all united in delivering the best experience for our customers. We work together each day to foster an inclusive workplace culture where all of our employees feel respected, valued and have an opportunity to contribute to the company’s success. As an Experience Design Lead within PNC's Experience Integration & Strategy Team, you will be based in Pittsburgh, PA, Strongsville, OH, Dallas, TX, or Denver, CO. The mission of the Experience Integration & Strategy Team is to unlock the possible; to imagine how financial services can improve everyday life of people and organizations. PNC believes that innovation is at the forefront of technology and has a profound impact on the customer experience. This team’s enterprise-wide view and expertise in design thinking, technology, software engineering, digital products and business design, help to identify and create strategic advantages for PNC. Our services include advisory, incubation, emerging technology labs, design thinking training, and experiential learning and programs. We are a team of entrepreneurs, strategists, researchers, designers, technologists, architects, foodies, athletes, theorists, investors, adventurers, artists, parents, musicians, consumers, analysts and generally curious human beings. We value progress over perfection and action over motion. You will thrive in Enterprise Innovation’s dynamic environment ultimately because you have a passion for helping people live their best financial life. We are seeking a creative, inquisitive, and thoughtful Experience Design Lead who is passionate about understanding users and shaping meaningful, engaging customer experiences. This role blends strategic thinking with hands-on design and research, offering the opportunity to lead consulting projects, collaborate with clients and stakeholders, and mentor junior team members. The ideal candidate thrives in ambiguity, believes deeply in human-centered design, and is motivated to imagine and build experiences that don’t yet exist.

Requirements

Have a background in service design, UX design, graphic design, product management, or social sciences, and believe strongly in the principles of human-centered design
Are an exceptional communicator and collaborator, able to work effectively across disciplines and levels
Are driven by empathy and a genuine passion for understanding people and their experiences
Have hands-on experience conducting user research and fieldwork, and applying insights within an iterative design process
Enjoy imagining “what if” scenarios and exploring future-focused experiences and solutions
Are comfortable working with a high degree of ambiguity, and can guide teams and stakeholders toward clarity, focus, and definition
Have experience working in consulting and/or product design environments
Experience facilitating design thinking or co-creation workshops
Familiarity with service blueprints, journey mapping, or systems thinking
Exposure to cross-functional teams including strategy, technology, and operations
Bachelors
Roles at this level typically require a university / college degree, with 5+ years of industry-relevant experience.
Specific certifications are often required.
In lieu of a degree, a comparable combination of education, job specific certification(s), and experience (including military service) may be considered.

Nice To Haves

Agile Web Development
Business Requirements Documentation (BRD)
Data Visualization
Digital User Experience
Employee Engagement
Graphic Design
IT Architecture
JavaScript
Product Management
Project Management
User Experience (UX) Design
Wireframing

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end consulting projects, including scoping, execution, and delivery for internal and external clients
Manage and mentor small project teams, providing guidance, feedback, and professional development support
Partner closely with stakeholders to understand business objectives and translate them into user-centered solutions
Conduct and apply user research and fieldwork to inform insights, concepts, and iterative design solutions
Contribute to the development of team practice areas, methodologies, and internal operations
Facilitate workshops, design sessions, and collaborative working sessions with diverse audiences
Synthesize complex information into clear, actionable narratives and recommendations
Transforms complex tasks into intuitive, accessible and easy-to-use designs through the entire experience lifecycle, from the first-time user to the expert.
Leads and guides the discovery of customer and business needs through contextual inquiries, generative and quantitative research.
Uncovers customer latent needs and creates vision to meet those needs.
Sets the design direction and strategy.
Leads others to execute visual, information, interaction and service design elements of the initiative that meets business and customer needs and delights customers.
Communicates the initiative and product to others, including senior management, through user journeys, storyboards, prototypes, wireframes and other materials.
Sets the direction for usability of new and existing products, makes adjustments to align with shifting customer expectations.
Establish research methods and strategies, conduct studies, and present findings that will inform improvements in the customer experience.
Coaches and mentors junior staff; Assists management team in training new staff.

Benefits

medical/prescription drug coverage (with a Health Savings Account feature)
dental and vision options
employee and spouse/child life insurance
short and long-term disability protection
401(k) with PNC match
pension and stock purchase plans
dependent care reimbursement account
back-up child/elder care
adoption, surrogacy, and doula reimbursement
educational assistance, including select programs fully paid
a robust wellness program with financial incentives
maternity and/or parental leave
up to 11 paid holidays each year
9 occasional absence days each year, unless otherwise required by law
between 15 to 25 vacation days each year, depending on career level; and years of service.