Senior Experience Design Lead - Surety

Travelers • Hartford, CT

7h

About The Position

Travelers’ Experience Design team creates experiences for customers, agents, employees, and partners. The Senior Experience Design Lead joins the Bond & Specialty Insurance Experience Design team supporting the One Surety Value Stream, including the Commercial Surety & Construction Services business area. The role leads a small team of designers while personally driving research and design for high-impact initiatives, including a major business transformation and the integration of AI-enabled capabilities into cross-cutting experiences. The lead sets experience vision and strategy, turns insights into action, and defines, tests, and implements product and service solutions.

The role provides domain expertise and design leadership across initiatives, collaborating with product, engineering, data, and business stakeholders to deliver unified, inclusive, and valuable experiences. It leads research and design, strategic synthesis, usability testing, stakeholder communication, accessibility practices, and the application of Travelers’ Design System and Agile methodology. The position also guides and mentors designers, contributes to the development of the XD practice, maintains design quality and brand consistency, manages multiple projects, and shares knowledge across the enterprise. This position requires authorization to work for any U.S. employer; Travelers does not sponsor H-1B petitions, TN status, or Forms I-983/STEM OPT for this role.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Six years of related experience.
• Deep experience in UX or experience design, including research, strategy, and end-to-end delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to lead designers and influence cross-functional partners.
• Strong design thinking and ability to work across complex, multi-channel environments.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder presentation skills.
• Strong knowledge of AI-enabled product design.
• Strong knowledge of most listed design areas, with proficiency in applying three or more: design research, information architecture, interaction design, visual design, service design, presentation and communication, collaboration and facilitation, prototyping, accessibility, WCAG 2.1, Figma, Make, Claude Code, Claude Design, workshop facilitation, usability testing, or design systems.
• Familiarity with accessibility testing tools such as Axe and screen readers.
• Authorization to work for any employer in the United States; the company does not sponsor H-1B petitions, TN status, or Forms I-983/STEM OPT for this role.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with AI-enabled product design.
• Proficiency in three or more of the listed design disciplines, tools, and practices, including research, information architecture, interaction and visual design, service design, facilitation, prototyping, accessibility, Figma, Make, Claude Code, Claude Design, usability testing, and design systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide domain expertise and design leadership across initiatives, supporting product and journey vision and strategy, mitigating risks, and informing organizational decision-making.
• Lead research and design of product and service solutions, defining, creating, and improving experience goals, journey maps, information architecture, scenarios, personas, interactions, content, and visuals.
• Plan and execute qualitative user research and usability testing; lead strategic synthesis and insights generation; analyze and communicate results and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Guide collaborative activities with end users, business and technology partners, and outside partners, applying a human-centered approach informed by research and design exploration.
• Communicate design direction and rationale, solicit and synthesize feedback, and lead prioritization.
• Drive accessibility standards, including WCAG and Travelers Digital Accessibility Policy, and integrate inclusive design principles.
• Apply the Travelers Design System and Agile methodology, leading design phases using the Human-Centered Design Double Diamond approach.
• Use experience strategy and design to enhance business outcomes, identify missed opportunities and misaligned experiences, and influence strategic direction and improvements.
• Identify and advocate for improved tools, methods, and processes within the Experience Design practice.
• Provide day-to-day guidance and leadership to a small team of designers across the One Surety Value Stream, without formal HR or performance management responsibility.
• Mentor and coach XD team members, contribute to team and practice development, grow leadership capacity, and help attract design talent.
• Ensure design work aligns with brand guidelines and standards and maintain quality and consistency across projects.
• Manage multiple projects and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
• Stay current on industry trends and best practices and apply them to advance experience design.
• Participate in Experience Design Community events and share knowledge across value streams and the broader enterprise.
• Continue learning and mentor others in emerging tools, methods, and processes; develop leadership skills.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Health insurance coverage for eligible employees and family members starting on the first day of employment.
• Dollar-for-dollar 401(k) matching on the first 5% of eligible pay, subject to an annual maximum.
• Paying it Forward Savings Program contributions to employees’ 401(k) when they make student loan payments.
• Pension Plan funded 100% by Travelers.
• At least 20 days of paid time off annually.
• Nine paid company holidays.
• Wellness program with tools, discounts, and resources for wellness and caregiving needs.
• Mental health program with access to free professional counseling, health coaching, and other resources.
• Matching Gift and Volunteer Rewards program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior