Director of UX Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Director of UX Design
Company: Experian
Location: Madison, Mississippi, United States
Job Type: Full-time
Category: User Experience (UX) Operations / Design Operations
Date Posted: 2025-09-24T01:28:30.828
Experience Level: 8+ years (with 5+ years in leadership)
Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic vision, direction, and execution of user experience (UX) for Experian's suite of digital financial wellness products, focusing on customer empowerment and financial health.
• Drive end-to-end user experience strategy, fostering a design-led approach to innovation, customer trust, and business growth in a fast-paced, data-driven environment.
• Mentor and develop a diverse design team, encompassing product design, content design, and design systems, to elevate craft excellence and strategic thinking.
• Enhance and evolve design operations, including systems, processes, and tooling, to improve design team efficiency, quality, and collaboration across web and mobile platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a senior leadership position within UX, with a strong emphasis on "Design Operations" and "Operations" as it pertains to managing design processes, systems, and team efficiency. The "Director of UX Design" title, combined with responsibilities for "systems and processes," "design systems, libraries, and tooling," and "scalable rituals for feedback, critique, and cross-team and crossfunctional knowledge sharing," clearly indicates a significant focus on the operational aspects of a UX function. This is not purely a hands-on design role but one that requires strategic oversight and operational management of the design discipline.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and champion a user-centered design vision that aligns with Experian's mission to empower consumers and improve financial health, influencing product strategy at executive levels.
• Lead the creation and implementation of intuitive, inclusive, and impactful user experiences across web and mobile platforms, ensuring consistency and clarity in UX across all products.
• Build, coach, mentor, and empower a team of UX designers, fostering an inclusive, collaborative environment that promotes craft excellence, strategic thinking, and continuous learning.
• Strengthen and develop design operations processes and systems to improve design team efficiency, quality, and collaboration, including the evolution of design systems, component libraries, and team workflows.
• Establish scalable rituals for feedback, critique, and knowledge sharing, and define key metrics to evaluate design impact on user experience, product performance, and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design leadership and operational management. Key responsibilities like "evolve the systems and processes," "Evolve and maintain design systems, libraries, and tooling," and "Define scalable rituals for feedback, critique, and cross-team and crossfunctional knowledge sharing" strongly point towards a focus on establishing and optimizing the operational framework for the UX team, which is a core component of a Design Operations or UX Operations role.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is mandated, a strong educational background in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), or a related field is implied by the nature of the role and the required experience. Experience: 8+ years of experience in product design, with a minimum of 5 years in a design leadership role within a SaaS or consumer-facing digital business.

Required Skills:

• Proven expertise in defining and executing a strategic design vision that drives user impact and aligns with business goals.
• Deep understanding of human-centered design principles, responsive web and mobile UX best practices, and accessibility standards.
• Demonstrated experience in hiring, managing, mentoring, and scaling diverse design teams.
• Proficiency in developing and evolving team structures, career frameworks, and performance management practices for design professionals.
• Strong collaboration skills with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and Research teams to shape product roadmaps and deliver integrated solutions.
• Hands-on experience implementing scalable design operations, including the development and maintenance of design systems, component libraries, and efficient team workflows.
• Proficiency in tracking and communicating design impact through OKRs, usability testing, CX metrics, and qualitative feedback loops.
• Fluency in essential design and collaboration tools: Figma, Miro, Confluence, Jira, and modern design system platforms.

Preferred Skills:

• Working knowledge of Server-Driven UI (SDUI) architecture and its implications for modular design, experimentation, and delivery velocity.
• Experience in financial services or a related regulated industry.
• A strong portfolio showcasing leadership in UX design, process improvement, and team development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills emphasize a blend of design craft, leadership acumen, and operational proficiency. The explicit mention of "design operations," "design systems," "team workflows," and "tracking and communicating design impact through OKRs, usability and CX metrics" signifies the need for robust operational management skills within the UX function. Experience with Figma, Miro, Confluence, and Jira are critical for day-to-day operations and collaboration.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a strategic design vision and its successful execution, showing how it influenced product direction and user outcomes.
• Showcase experience in building and leading design teams, including examples of mentorship, team structure development, and performance management.
• Provide evidence of implementing and evolving design operations processes, such as design systems, workflow optimization, and feedback mechanisms.
• Highlight case studies that illustrate how design initiatives, driven by your leadership, positively impacted key business metrics (e.g., engagement, conversion, customer satisfaction, efficiency).
• Include examples of cross-functional collaboration and how design was integrated into broader product development lifecycles.

Process Documentation:

• Document the development and implementation of design systems, including component libraries, style guides, and governance models.
• Illustrate the establishment and refinement of team rituals and processes for feedback, critique, user research synthesis, and knowledge sharing.
• Showcase the creation and utilization of metrics and OKRs to measure design impact, user experience quality, and operational efficiency.
• Provide examples of workflow optimization strategies implemented to enhance design team speed, consistency, and collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: As a Director role with a strong "Design Operations" component, a portfolio is crucial. It needs to go beyond individual design contributions to demonstrate leadership in process creation, system implementation (especially design systems), team development, and quantifiable impact measurement. A candidate's ability to articulate and showcase their operational methodologies for managing a design function will be a key differentiator.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: While not explicitly provided, based on industry standards for a Director of UX Design in the United States, with 8+ years of experience and leadership responsibilities in a major tech company like Experian, the estimated salary range would typically fall between $170,000 - $250,000+ annually. This range can vary significantly based on specific location within the US, exact experience, and negotiation.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Retirement savings plans (e.g., 401k) with company matching.
• Generous paid time off (PTO), including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
• Opportunities for professional development, including training programs, certifications, and conference attendance.
• Employee assistance programs and wellness initiatives.
• Potential for performance-based bonuses and stock options/grants.
• Employee discounts and perks programs.

Working Hours: The standard working hours are typically 40 hours per week. However, given the senior leadership nature of the role and the focus on driving strategic initiatives and team development, flexibility is often expected, with potential for work outside standard business hours during critical project phases or for global team collaboration.

📝 Enhancement Note: Experian is a large, established company, so benefits are expected to be robust and competitive. The remote work option also implies a focus on work-life balance, which is a key benefit for many operations professionals. Salary estimation considers the seniority of the "Director" title, the required experience, and the industry (data and technology services).

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Experian operates in the Data & Analytics and Financial Services sectors, providing data, analytics, and technology solutions globally. This industry context means a focus on data integrity, security, regulatory compliance, and driving measurable business outcomes. Company Size: Experian is a large, global organization with approximately 22,500 employees across 32 countries. This large scale suggests established processes, significant resources, and opportunities for impact within a complex ecosystem. Founded: Experian was founded in 1996 (formed from the demerger of Great Universal Stores' Information Services division) with its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. This history implies a mature company with a proven track record and evolving strategies.

Team Structure:

• The role reports to the VP of Product - Customer Experience, indicating a direct line into senior product leadership.
• The UX team likely includes product designers, content designers, and potentially UX researchers and designers specializing in design systems.
• Close collaboration is expected with Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and Customer Experience teams, requiring strong cross-functional integration.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Given Experian's core business, expect decisions to be heavily informed by data analytics, user research, and performance metrics.
• Customer-Centricity: The emphasis on "financial wellness products" and "empowering consumers" highlights a strong customer-centric approach.
• Agile Development: Likely operates within an Agile or hybrid Agile framework, requiring adaptability and iterative processes for product development and UX execution.
• Design Systems & Scalability: A focus on design operations and design systems suggests a drive for consistency, efficiency, and scalability in UX delivery.

Company Website: experian.com

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding Experian's position as a global data and technology leader is crucial. The company's focus on data, analytics, and empowering consumers in financial wellness will shape the UX team's priorities and the type of operational processes that are valued. The large company size suggests a need for robust, scalable, and well-documented operational frameworks.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a senior leadership role, a "Director" level, indicating significant responsibility for strategic direction, team management, and operational oversight of the UX function. It sits at a pivotal point where individual contributor expertise meets organizational leadership. Reporting Structure: The Director of UX Design reports to the VP of Product - Customer Experience. This structure places the UX leader within the product organization, emphasizing the strategic integration of design with product strategy and execution. Operations Impact: The role is positioned to have a direct impact on Experian's success by shaping the user experience of critical financial wellness products. This impact translates to customer acquisition, engagement, retention, brand perception, and ultimately, business growth and revenue. The operational improvements within the UX team will also indirectly boost efficiency and product quality across the organization.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Expansion: Potential to lead larger or more specialized UX teams within Experian as the company grows or reorganizes.
• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to influence broader customer experience and product strategy across Experian's diverse business units.
• Specialization in Design Operations: Deepen expertise in building and scaling design operations functions, becoming a recognized leader in this specialized area.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Transition into broader product leadership roles or roles focused on digital transformation and customer strategy.
• Industry Recognition: Contribute to thought leadership in UX design and operations through company-published insights or industry events.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Director title implies a significant career step, offering a chance to shape a function and lead a team. The emphasis on design operations suggests a path for those interested in specializing in the strategic management and optimization of design processes, a growing and highly valued area within the operations and product management fields.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: While the role is listed as "Remote OK," Experian maintains a corporate headquarters and likely has various office locations. The work environment for remote employees typically involves a blend of digital collaboration tools and occasional virtual or in-person team meetups if geographically feasible. Office Location(s): The primary mentioned location is "United States, United States, United States, United States," with derived locations including Madison, Mississippi. This suggests a national, remote-first or hybrid approach, with potential for team members to be distributed across various regions.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration: Expect a highly collaborative digital environment utilizing video conferencing, instant messaging, and project management/collaboration platforms.
• Tooling Emphasis: Access to and proficiency with a suite of design, prototyping, and collaboration tools (Figma, Miro, Confluence, Jira) is essential for effective remote work.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for interaction will likely be structured through regular team meetings, design critiques, and cross-functional syncs, all conducted digitally.

Work Schedule: The standard 40-hour work week is expected, but given the remote nature and the leadership role, flexibility to accommodate different time zones (especially for global company coordination) and project deadlines is likely. This flexibility is key for operations professionals who often manage complex workflows and require focused time for analysis and process design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Remote OK" status is a significant factor. It implies that the company has established infrastructure and practices to support remote work effectively, which is crucial for operations roles that often require deep focus and efficient workflow management without constant physical proximity.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: Likely a recruiter or hiring manager screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit. Be prepared to articulate your leadership philosophy and experience in managing design teams and operations.
• Hiring Manager Interview: Deeper dive into your experience with UX strategy, team development, and design operations. Expect questions about how you've improved processes, managed designers, and driven measurable outcomes.
• Portfolio Review & Presentation: This is a critical stage. You'll present a curated selection of your work, focusing on strategic impact, leadership, team development, and how you've operationalized design. Prepare case studies that demonstrate your ability to solve complex problems and drive efficiency.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with peers in Product Management, Engineering, or Marketing to assess collaboration skills, strategic alignment, and ability to work within a cross-functional team.
• Executive Interview: A final interview with senior leadership (potentially the VP of Product or a higher executive) to assess strategic thinking, business acumen, and overall fit with Experian's vision.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Focus on Operations: Highlight not just the final design but the processes you implemented to achieve it. Showcase how you improved team workflows, implemented design systems, or established feedback loops.
• Quantify Impact: Use metrics (OKRs, CX metrics, efficiency gains) to demonstrate the business impact of your design leadership and operational improvements.
• Strategic Narrative: Structure your portfolio around key strategic challenges you addressed, the operational solutions you designed, and the measurable results achieved.
• Leadership Examples: Include examples of how you've mentored designers, developed career paths, and fostered a positive team culture.
• Tooling Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your experience with the required tools (Figma, Miro, Confluence, Jira) and how you leverage them for operational efficiency.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared for a potential design challenge or a strategic case study. This might involve outlining how you would approach a specific problem, improve a given user flow, or establish an operational framework for a new product initiative.
• Practice articulating your thought process concisely, explaining your strategic rationale, and detailing the operational steps you would take.
• Focus on demonstrating your understanding of Experian's business and how UX can drive value and efficiency.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Director-level role with a strong operations component, interviewers will be looking for evidence of strategic thinking, operational excellence, and leadership. Your portfolio and interview responses must clearly articulate your ability to manage and optimize the entire UX function, not just individual design projects.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: Essential for UI design, prototyping, and collaboration. Experience with advanced Figma features, including component libraries and design system management, is crucial.
• Miro: Critical for collaborative brainstorming, user journey mapping, wireframing, and facilitating remote team workshops.
• Confluence: Used for documentation, knowledge sharing, and project planning, especially for design systems, process documentation, and research findings.
• Jira: Vital for project management, task tracking, backlog management, and collaboration with engineering teams. Proficiency in managing UX tasks and workflows within Jira is important.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Proficiency with analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics) to track user behavior and product performance.
• Experience with A/B testing tools to experiment with design variations and optimize user flows.
• Ability to use data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI) to create dashboards and report on design impact and UX metrics.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly managing a CRM, understanding how design integrates with CRM systems (like Salesforce) to impact customer journeys and data collection is beneficial.
• Familiarity with marketing automation platforms and how UX design can influence campaign effectiveness.
• Experience with integration tools might be relevant if design systems or workflows need to connect with other enterprise systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma, Miro, Confluence, and Jira highlights the core operational tools for this role. The ability to leverage these tools for process management, collaboration, and documentation is paramount. Understanding broader analytics and CRM concepts is also valuable for a role focused on driving business impact.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Data-Driven Excellence: A commitment to using data and metrics to inform decisions, measure impact, and drive continuous improvement in UX and design operations.
• Customer Advocacy: A deep-seated dedication to understanding and representing the user, ensuring their needs are at the forefront of all product and design decisions.
• Collaboration & Transparency: Fostering an open environment where ideas are shared freely, feedback is constructive, and cross-functional teams work in synergy.
• Efficiency & Scalability: A drive to create streamlined processes, reusable components, and robust systems that enable the design team to work effectively and scale its impact.
• Innovation & Curiosity: Encouraging exploration of new ideas, technologies, and methodologies to push the boundaries of user experience.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership: Working closely with Product Management and Engineering as equal partners in defining product strategy and execution.
• Proactive Communication: Maintaining open and frequent communication channels with stakeholders to ensure alignment and manage expectations.
• Process-Oriented: Emphasizing clear processes for design critiques, feedback loops, and decision-making to ensure smooth project execution.
• Mentorship & Empowerment: A leadership style that empowers designers to take ownership, learn, and grow, while providing guidance and support.

📝 Enhancement Note: Experian's "people first" approach and recognition as a Great Place to Work suggest a positive and supportive culture. For this role, values around data, customer focus, efficiency, and collaborative processes will be key to success, aligning with the "operations" aspect of the job.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Strategic Vision with Operational Execution: Ensuring the design team's strategic vision is translated into efficient, repeatable operational processes.
• Scaling Design Operations: Developing and maintaining robust design systems and workflows that can support a growing suite of products and a potentially expanding design team.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Navigating and influencing stakeholders across product, engineering, marketing, and business units to ensure design is prioritized and integrated effectively.
• Measuring Design Impact: Establishing and refining metrics to clearly demonstrate the value and ROI of UX design and operational improvements.
• Adapting to Evolving Technology: Staying abreast of new design tools, methodologies, and technologies (like SDUI) to maintain a competitive edge.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Design Operations: Opportunities to deepen expertise in building mature design operations functions, including governance, tooling, and process optimization.
• Strategic Product Leadership: Developing broader product strategy skills and potentially taking on more expansive product leadership responsibilities.
• Industry Exposure: Engaging with industry trends in FinTech, data analytics, and consumer finance through conferences, webinars, and internal knowledge sharing.
• Mentorship & Coaching: Developing strong leadership and coaching skills by guiding and developing a high-performing design team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a senior operations-focused role within a large organization. They require a blend of strategic foresight and practical, process-oriented problem-solving. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a clear path for career advancement within both UX and broader product leadership.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your philosophy for building and scaling a high-performing UX team and its operational processes." (Focus on team structure, career frameworks, and design operations.)
• "How do you define and measure the impact of UX design on business objectives and customer experience? Provide examples using metrics and OKRs." (Prepare specific case studies.)
• "Walk us through your experience with design systems. How have you contributed to their development, implementation, and ongoing governance?" (Detail your process and the tools you used.)
• "How do you foster collaboration between design, product, and engineering? Describe a situation where you successfully navigated a cross-functional challenge." (Highlight your communication and negotiation skills.)
• "What are your thoughts on Server-Driven UI (SDUI) and its potential impact on design operations and product velocity?" (Showcase awareness of emerging technologies.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What excites you most about Experian's mission to empower consumers and improve financial health?" (Research Experian's values and current initiatives.)
• "How would you contribute to Experian's 'people first' culture and its commitment to DEI?" (Connect your leadership style and team-building approaches to these values.)
• "How do you envision the role of design in driving innovation and customer trust within a data-driven organization like Experian?" (Articulate your strategic vision.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure: Organize your presentation logically, perhaps by project type, impact area, or operational process improvement.
• Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your strategic approach, the operational processes you implemented or leveraged, your role, the team's contribution, and the measurable outcomes.
• Visuals: Use clear, concise visuals (mockups, diagrams, data charts) to support your narrative.
• Operations Focus: Explicitly call out the operational aspects – how you improved efficiency, standardized processes, managed tooling, or scaled capabilities.
• Q&A Readiness: Anticipate questions about your decision-making process, challenges faced, and how you'd apply your experience to Experian's context.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a Director of UX Design with an operations focus will be rigorous. Candidates must demonstrate not only design acumen but also strategic leadership, operational efficiency, and strong collaboration skills. Preparing specific examples that highlight process improvement, team development, and measurable business impact is essential.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on jobs.smartrecruiters.com.
• Tailor Your Resume: Emphasize your leadership experience, specific achievements in managing UX teams, and examples of implementing design operations processes, using keywords from the job description like "design leadership," "design operations," "design systems," "human-centered design," and "Figma."
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select case studies that best demonstrate your strategic vision, team leadership, operational process improvements (e.g., workflow optimization, design system implementation), and quantifiable impact on user experience and business metrics. Ensure it clearly showcases your ability to manage and scale a design function.
• Prepare for the Presentation: Practice presenting your portfolio, focusing on clear storytelling, highlighting operational contributions, and articulating your leadership philosophy. Be ready to discuss your experience with the required tools (Figma, Miro, Confluence, Jira) and how you leverage them for efficiency.
• Research Experian: Understand Experian's business, its mission in empowering consumers, its "people first" culture, and its position in the data and technology industry. This will help you tailor your responses and demonstrate cultural alignment.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.