Lead UX Strategist

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Lead UX Strategist

Company: MazeMultiplayer

Location: Toronto, Canada; New York, NY

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX Strategy & Product Operations

Date Posted: 2026-05-19

Experience Level: Mid-Senior Level (5-10 years)

Remote Status: Remote OK

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead comprehensive UX strategy initiatives from initial brief to final delivery, ensuring project success and team development.

• Drive strategic direction by synthesizing diverse inputs, including user research, business context, and design thinking principles.

• Cultivate strong client relationships and manage expectations to establish MazeMultiplayer as a trusted long-term partner.

• Mentor and develop junior UX strategists, fostering their growth and ensuring high-quality output across engagements.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to shape product direction and maintain strategic continuity throughout the project lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is framed as a "Lead UX Strategist" but its responsibilities heavily lean into aspects of Product Operations and GTM Strategy, particularly in how it requires owning the brief, managing client relationships, and ensuring strategic direction translates into tangible product outcomes. The emphasis on end-to-end project ownership and team development also suggests a significant operational and leadership component.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end execution of UX strategy projects, from initial brief definition and challenge to final deliverable quality assurance.

• Proactively shape and refine client briefs before project commencement, identifying and defining the core problem to be solved rather than just addressing the presented issue.

• Synthesize complex information from user research, stakeholder interviews, business objectives, and design thinking methodologies into clear, actionable strategic direction.

• Develop audience-aware recommendations that clearly articulate "what to do" and provide compelling rationale ("why") to stakeholders, driving informed decision-making.

• Facilitate co-ideation sessions with designers and other cross-functional partners, injecting strategic perspective to influence and guide product direction.

• Maintain strategic continuity and the "why" behind strategic decisions throughout the project lifecycle, from initial discovery phases through to final delivery.

• Manage all client communications, ensuring alignment on project goals, timelines, key decisions, and managing expectations effectively.

• Coach and mentor junior team members, including setting performance goals, providing constructive feedback, and actively supporting skill development.

• Cultivate and nurture client relationships beyond individual projects, positioning MazeMultiplayer as a preferred strategic partner for ongoing engagements.

• Identify and pursue opportunities to expand partnerships within existing client engagements through strategic insight and value-driven contributions.

• Navigate complex client and internal team dynamics with a high degree of tact, emotional intelligence, and diplomatic communication.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on process ownership, client management, and team development, which are core to effective operations roles. The requirement to "shape the brief" and "define the right problem" points to a strategic operational function that influences product development from its inception.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While no specific degree is listed, a strong foundation in design, human-computer interaction, psychology, business strategy, or a related field is implied by the nature of the role.

Experience: 7+ years of progressive experience in product strategy, UX strategy, service design, or a closely related strategic advisory role. At least 1 year of direct people management or mentorship experience, with a demonstrable track record of fostering team member growth and accountability. Proven experience successfully managing and owning full project workstreams from inception to completion.

Required Skills:

• Product Strategy: Expertise in defining product vision, roadmap alignment, and market positioning.

• UX Strategy: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, journey mapping, information architecture, and UX best practices.

• People Management & Mentorship: Ability to lead, coach, and develop individuals, fostering a high-performing team environment.

• Client Relationship Management: Proven ability to build trust, manage expectations, and cultivate strong, long-term partnerships with clients.

• UX Research Fluency: Comprehensive understanding of various qualitative and quantitative UX research methodologies and their application in strategy development.

• Facilitation & Storytelling: Exceptional skills in leading workshops, synthesizing complex information, and articulating strategic narratives persuasively.

• Senior Stakeholder Communication: Ability to effectively communicate with and influence senior executives and key decision-makers.

• Project Ownership: Demonstrated ability to take full responsibility for project workstreams, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery.

• Business Impact Translation: Track record of translating ambiguous challenges into clear strategic recommendations with measurable business outcomes.

• Design Thinking: Proficiency in applying design thinking frameworks to problem-solving and innovation.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in the gaming or interactive entertainment industry.

• Familiarity with agile development methodologies and their integration with strategic planning.

• Experience with service design principles and their application to digital products.

• Ability to analyze market trends and competitive landscapes to inform strategy.

• Experience with expanding client engagements and identifying new business opportunities.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required skills are comprehensive and emphasize leadership, strategic thinking, and client-facing abilities. The "UX Research fluency" is a critical operations-adjacent skill for understanding user needs that drive product strategy. "Business Impact Translation" and "Project Ownership" are key operational metrics.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Project Ownership Case Studies: Showcase 2-3 comprehensive case studies detailing projects where you owned the full workstream, from initial brief to final delivery. Clearly articulate your role, the strategic challenges, the process followed, and the ultimate business impact or outcomes achieved.

• Strategic Direction Examples: Include examples of how you synthesized research, business context, and design thinking to create clear, actionable strategic direction. This could be in the form of strategy documents, frameworks, or presentations.

• Client Engagement & Communication: Demonstrate experience in managing client relationships and communicating complex strategies. Highlight instances of successful stakeholder management and expectation setting.

• Team Development & Mentorship: Provide evidence of your people leadership skills. This might include examples of how you mentored junior team members, set goals, and contributed to their professional growth.

• Problem Definition & Brief Shaping: Showcase examples where you challenged or refined initial project briefs, demonstrating your ability to identify and address the true underlying problems.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Illustrate your approach to designing and optimizing project workflows, ensuring efficiency and strategic alignment from discovery through delivery.

• Data Synthesis & Strategic Output: Demonstrate how you translate raw data (research, analytics, business insights) into clear strategic recommendations and roadmaps.

• Cross-functional Collaboration Frameworks: Provide insights into how you facilitate collaboration with designers, engineers, and other stakeholders to ensure strategic continuity and effective execution.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on a portfolio showcasing end-to-end project ownership, strategic synthesis, client management, and team development strongly aligns with the expectations for operations professionals who must demonstrate tangible results and process mastery. The portfolio must serve as a testament to their ability to operationalize strategy.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $120,000 - $145,000 annually (USD). This range is competitive for a Lead UX Strategist role in major tech hubs like Toronto and New York, reflecting the seniority, leadership responsibilities, and remote flexibility offered.

Benefits:

• Work from Anywhere: Full remote flexibility, allowing for a global or regionally focused work arrangement.

• Competitive Salary: A strong base salary reflecting the strategic and leadership demands of the role.

• Paid Time Off: Generous PTO exceeding 20 days annually, promoting work-life balance and employee well-being.

• Health Benefits: Comprehensive health coverage to support employee wellness.

• Training & Development Opportunities: Dedicated resources and opportunities for continuous learning, skill enhancement, and professional growth in UX strategy and leadership.

Working Hours: The role implies a standard 40-hour work week, with flexibility in scheduling around core collaboration hours. A minimum of 3 hours overlap with the Toronto EDT timezone is required, ensuring effective real-time collaboration with the core team.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided in USD and is typical for senior-level strategy roles in North America. The "Work from Anywhere" benefit is significant, but the requirement for timezone overlap indicates a structured remote environment rather than complete time autonomy. This is crucial for operations roles that require synchronized team efforts.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Gaming/Interactive Entertainment (implied by company name "MazeMultiplayer" and focus on UX strategy for digital products). This industry is characterized by rapid innovation, a strong focus on user experience, and often, a dynamic, collaborative environment.

Company Size: Small to Medium-sized (implied by the need for a Lead to own projects end-to-end and develop the team, rather than being part of a very large, specialized department). This size often means more direct impact and responsibility for individuals.

Founded: Not specified, but the structure suggests a growing company looking to scale its strategic capabilities.

Team Structure:

• The UX Strategy team is likely small, with the Lead responsible for its growth and development.

• The Lead will report into a more senior executive, potentially a Head of Product, Chief Product Officer, or equivalent.

Methodology:

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Emphasis on synthesizing research and business context to inform strategic direction.

• User-Centricity: Core to the UX strategy approach, ensuring user needs are paramount.

• Agile Collaboration: Likely involves iterative development and close partnership with product and design teams.

• Strategic Ownership: A culture that empowers individuals to own projects from concept to completion and drive business impact.

Company Website: https://ats.rippling.com/multiplayer-studio/jobs/26f8d98b-f5a2-4969-ab30-f2110c44cc93 (Note: This is an ATS link, not a direct company website).

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding the company's industry and size is critical for operations professionals. A smaller, growing company in the gaming sector will have different operational challenges and opportunities compared to a large enterprise in a different industry. The emphasis on cross-functional collaboration is typical for effective GTM and product operations.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a significant step into leadership within the UX strategy domain. It's positioned as a "Lead" role, indicating not only individual contribution at a high strategic level but also direct responsibility for developing and guiding a team. This is a critical juncture for operations professionals transitioning into management or deepening their expertise in a specialized area.

Reporting Structure: The Lead UX Strategist will likely report to a senior product or design leader (e.g., Head of Product, VP of Design, CPO). Their direct reports would be junior UX strategists or potentially UX researchers, depending on team structure. This structure provides visibility to senior leadership and a platform for strategic influence.

Operations Impact: The core impact of this role is driving product success through strategic user-centered design. This translates directly to business outcomes by ensuring products meet user needs, achieve market fit, drive adoption, and ultimately contribute to revenue growth. The ability to "own the brief" and "deliver direction that sticks" means this role has a direct operational hand in shaping the product's success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Advancement: Potential to grow into a Head of UX Strategy or Director of Product role, managing larger teams and broader strategic portfolios.

• Specialization Deepening: Opportunity to become a recognized expert in specific areas of UX strategy, such as user research methodologies, strategic frameworks, or specific product domains within gaming.

• Client Partnership Expansion: Developing a strong client management track record can lead to opportunities in account management or business development within a consulting or agency context, or in shaping client success strategies within a product company.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Gaining experience in leading cross-functional initiatives can open doors to more senior product management or GTM leadership roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, understanding the career trajectory is key. This role offers a blend of strategic contribution and people leadership, a common path for those moving from individual contributor to management roles within operations. The "Operations Impact" section highlights how strategic UX directly influences business metrics, a crucial point for operations candidates.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The "Work from Anywhere" designation suggests a fully remote or hybrid-flexible work environment. While specific office locations are listed (Toronto, New York), the remote nature implies that physical presence in these offices may not be mandatory, but rather, these are likely hubs for the company or key employee locations.

Office Location(s): Toronto, Canada; New York, New York, United States. These locations are significant tech and business hubs, suggesting a connection to established industry networks and talent pools.

Workspace Context:

• Remote Collaboration Tools: Expect a reliance on digital collaboration tools (e.g., Slack, Zoom, Miro, Figma, Notion) to facilitate remote teamwork and communication.

• Flexible Work Schedule: While a 3-hour overlap with Toronto EDT is required, the "Work from Anywhere" policy likely allows for significant flexibility in daily work hours.

• Autonomous Work Environment: The emphasis on end-to-end ownership suggests an environment that values autonomy and self-direction, with clear goals and support structures in place.

• Cross-functional Interaction: Opportunities for interaction with diverse teams (design, product, engineering) are inherent to the role, fostering a dynamic and collaborative atmosphere despite remote work.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is implied, with core collaboration hours mandated to overlap with the Toronto EDT timezone. This structure balances the flexibility of remote work with the necessity of real-time team synchronization, crucial for operational efficiency and project management.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, understanding the remote work dynamics is vital. The requirement for timezone overlap indicates a structured approach to remote work, ensuring operational continuity and team cohesion. The reliance on digital tools is a standard for modern operations environments.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your application, focusing on your resume and portfolio, to assess experience alignment with the core requirements (7+ years strategy, 1+ year management, UX research fluency).

• Portfolio Presentation & Discussion: A key stage involving a deep dive into your portfolio. Be prepared to present 2-3 of your strongest case studies, detailing your strategic process, problem-solving approach, client management, and impact. Focus on how you owned the workstream end-to-end.

• Behavioral & Situational Interviews: Questions will assess your leadership style, client relationship instincts, ability to coach teams, and how you navigate complex challenges. Expect scenarios related to brief shaping, stakeholder management, and team development.

• Strategic Challenge/Case Study: You may be given a hypothetical brief or problem to analyze and present strategic recommendations for, simulating a real client engagement. This tests your strategic thinking, problem-solving skills, and ability to articulate direction.

• Final Round/Meet the Team: Interviews with senior leadership and potential peers to assess cultural fit, strategic alignment, and overall suitability for the Lead role.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Impact: Select projects that clearly demonstrate end-to-end ownership, strategic impact, and leadership. Prioritize quality over quantity.

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate: the initial problem/brief, your strategic approach and methodologies, key decisions and challenges, your role in facilitating collaboration, the final strategic direction, and the measurable business impact.

• Highlight Leadership: Explicitly showcase instances where you mentored, coached, or led a team, and how this contributed to project success.

• Demonstrate UX Research Fluency: Explain how research informed your strategic decisions and led to actionable insights.

• Quantify Results: Whenever possible, use metrics and data to demonstrate the business impact of your strategic recommendations.

• Tailor to MazeMultiplayer: Research MazeMultiplayer's work and industry to frame your examples in a relevant context.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand the "Why": For any case study or challenge, focus on understanding the underlying business and user needs driving the problem.

• Process Over Prescriptive Answers: Demonstrate a robust strategic process for tackling the challenge, rather than just providing a single "right" answer.

• Communicate Your Thinking: Clearly articulate your thought process, assumptions, and rationale throughout the exercise.

• Consider Team Dynamics: If applicable, think about how you would collaborate with a team to solve the problem.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process and portfolio review are critical for operations roles. The focus on end-to-end ownership, strategic synthesis, client management, and demonstrable impact are all key indicators of an effective operations leader. The portfolio is essentially a "process portfolio" demonstrating how strategy is executed.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Strategy & Research Platforms: Proficiency with tools for user interview analysis, survey creation, persona development, journey mapping, and competitive analysis. (e.g., Dovetail, UserTesting.com, SurveyMonkey, Miro, Mural).

• Design & Prototyping Tools: Familiarity with industry-standard design and prototyping tools for collaboration with design teams. (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD).

• Project Management Software: Experience with Agile project management tools to track progress, manage workflows, and ensure strategic continuity. (e.g., Jira, Asana, Trello).

• Collaboration & Communication Suites: Essential for remote work and cross-functional interaction. (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom).

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web & Product Analytics: Understanding of how to interpret data from analytics platforms to inform strategy and measure impact. (e.g., Google Analytics, Amplitude, Mixpanel).

• Reporting & Dashboarding Tools: Ability to synthesize findings into clear reports and dashboards for stakeholders. (e.g., Tableau, Looker, Google Data Studio).

CRM & Automation:

• While not explicitly stated, familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce) and marketing automation tools can be beneficial for understanding the broader business context and customer journey, especially when engaging with clients who use these systems.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations roles, understanding the technology stack is crucial. This role requires proficiency in tools that support research synthesis, strategic planning, project management, and cross-functional collaboration. The ability to interpret analytics data is a core operational skill.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Strategic Rigor: A commitment to deep analysis, clear problem definition, and evidence-based strategic recommendations.

• User Empathy: A foundational value of understanding and advocating for the user's needs and experiences.

• Collaborative Spirit: An emphasis on working effectively with cross-functional teams, fostering open communication and shared ownership.

• Impact-Driven: A focus on delivering tangible business results and demonstrating the value of strategic initiatives.

• Growth Mindset: Encouraging continuous learning, skill development, and adaptability in a dynamic industry.

• Ownership & Accountability: Fostering an environment where individuals take full responsibility for their projects and outcomes.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership-Oriented: Working closely with clients and internal teams as a strategic partner, not just an executor.

• Facilitative Leadership: Guiding discussions and co-ideation processes to draw out the best ideas from all participants.

• Open Feedback Culture: Encouraging constructive feedback loops for continuous improvement of both work quality and team dynamics.

• Transparent Communication: Maintaining open and honest communication regarding project status, challenges, and decisions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Understanding the team's values and collaboration style is vital for operations professionals who often act as the connective tissue between different departments. These values should align with how operations teams drive efficiency and achieve business goals through collaboration.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: Transforming undefined client needs or vague briefs into clear strategic roadmaps requires strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Client Management Complexity: Balancing diverse stakeholder expectations, managing scope creep, and maintaining alignment on long-term strategic vision can be demanding.

• Team Development & Scalability: Growing and mentoring a team while ensuring consistent quality and strategic direction across multiple projects presents leadership challenges.

• Maintaining Strategic Continuity: Ensuring strategic intent is preserved as projects evolve through detailed design and development phases requires constant vigilance and communication.

• Measuring Impact: Quantifying the direct business impact of UX strategy can sometimes be challenging, requiring sophisticated measurement frameworks and clear communication.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Strategy Frameworks: Opportunities to deepen expertise in emerging strategic planning methodologies and frameworks.

• Leadership Development Programs: Formal training or mentorship focused on people management, client relationship expansion, and strategic leadership.

• Industry Conferences & Workshops: Access to events and training focused on UX, product strategy, and the gaming industry.

• Cross-Functional Exposure: Opportunities to gain deeper insights into product management, engineering, and Go-To-Market operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: Identifying potential challenges and growth opportunities is crucial for operations candidates. This role offers significant scope for developing strategic leadership and operational management skills, essential for career advancement in the operations field.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to shape or refine a client's brief. What was the original brief, what did you identify as the real problem, and how did you guide the client towards it?" (Preparation: Think of a project where you challenged assumptions and redefined the scope. Highlight your analytical process.)

• "How do you ensure strategic continuity from discovery through delivery on a project? Can you provide an example?" (Preparation: Focus on your methods for maintaining focus on the 'why' and communicating it consistently to the team and client.)

• "Walk us through a complex project where you owned the end-to-end workstream. What were the key strategic decisions, and what was the ultimate business impact?" (Preparation: Prepare a detailed case study for your portfolio presentation, emphasizing ownership, process, and results.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you approach building and maintaining strong client relationships, especially for long-term partnerships?" (Preparation: Discuss your client management philosophy, focusing on trust, communication, and value delivery.)

• "Describe your experience coaching and developing junior team members. What is your approach to goal-setting and feedback?" (Preparation: Prepare examples of your mentorship style and how you've contributed to team member growth.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with the "Why": Clearly articulate the business problem or user need that initiated each project in your portfolio.

• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals, diagrams, and concise narratives to illustrate your strategic process and deliverables.

• Emphasize Your Role: Clearly define your contributions, especially highlighting instances of leadership, ownership, and strategic influence.

• Quantify Impact: For each project, present concrete metrics and business outcomes. If exact numbers are unavailable, focus on qualitative impact and strategic significance.

• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate questions about your methodology, decision-making process, and how you handled challenges.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for operations roles requires a strategic approach. The questions here focus on strategic thinking, leadership, and client management, all critical for a Lead UX Strategist. The portfolio presentation is a key operational assessment tool.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-adjacent strategic position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on rippling.com.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your strongest case studies that exemplify end-to-end project ownership, strategic problem-solving, client management, and measurable business impact. Ensure your leadership and mentorship experiences are clearly highlighted.

• Optimize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to emphasize your 7+ years of strategic experience, your people management background, and your fluency in UX research and strategy. Use keywords from the job description naturally.

• Prepare Your Presentation: Practice walking through your portfolio case studies, focusing on clear storytelling, articulating your strategic process, and quantifying results. Be ready to discuss how you would shape a brief and lead a team.

• Research MazeMultiplayer: Understand their company, their products (if publicly available), and their position in the gaming industry. Consider how your strategic approach aligns with their potential needs and culture.

⚠️ 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.

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