Morgan Stanley at Work, UX Designer – Vice President

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Designer – Vice President
Company: Morgan Stanley
Location: Purchase, NY, United States
Job Type: Full-Time
Category: User Experience (UX) Design / Product Design
Date Posted: 2026-05-14
Experience Level: 10+ Years
Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead end-to-end user experience (UX) strategy and execution for high-impact digital product areas within Morgan Stanley at Work, focusing on workplace financial solutions.
• Translate complex financial and operational concepts into intuitive, accessible, and measurable user workflows and interaction models.
• Partner closely with Product Management, Engineering, Research, Content, and Design Systems to define product roadmaps and ensure the delivery of exceptional user experiences.
• Champion user-centered design principles, driving research intake, hypothesis development, usability testing, and evidence-based decision-making.
• Mentor and potentially manage a team of designers, raising the bar on craft, execution, and fostering design thinking across a large organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: While the role is titled "UX Designer," the "Vice President" designation and the emphasis on leading strategy, mentoring, and driving execution indicate a senior leadership or lead individual contributor role within the UX function. The responsibilities align with a UX Lead or Senior UX Designer with management potential, rather than a junior or mid-level designer. The focus on financial services and regulated environments suggests a need for a deep understanding of compliance and security in design.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Drive the UX strategy and execution for key product areas within Morgan Stanley at Work's digital platforms, overseeing the entire design lifecycle from discovery to post-launch iteration.
• Develop and refine complex information architectures, interaction designs, user flows, and detailed design specifications for web and mobile applications.
• Collaborate with Product Management to shape product roadmaps, define clear problem statements, and establish measurable experience outcomes such as activation rates, task success, conversion funnels, and reduction in support contact volume.
• Champion and implement user-centered design methodologies, including user research, hypothesis formulation, usability testing, and leveraging data analytics (e.g., A/B testing, funnel optimization) to inform design decisions.
• Establish and maintain UX standards, patterns, and governance in partnership with the Design Systems team to ensure consistency and scalability across the product suite.
• Ensure all designed experiences meet stringent accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG compliance) and align with Morgan Stanley's brand guidelines.
• Provide strong mentorship and coaching to other designers, fostering their professional growth and ensuring high-quality design output, with potential for direct people management responsibilities.
• Effectively communicate design rationale, trade-offs, and recommended solutions to senior stakeholders, including executive leadership, to gain alignment and drive decision-making.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering teams to ensure technical feasibility, maintain design integrity during implementation, and conduct design reviews to guarantee build quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a strong emphasis on strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to influence product direction. The mention of "financial/operational concepts" and "regulated environments" implies that candidates with experience in these specific domains will have a significant advantage, as they will need to navigate complex requirements and user needs within these contexts.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Computer Science, or a related field.
• Master’s degree in a relevant field is considered a plus.

Experience:

• Minimum of 9.5 years of comparable experience from work and higher education.
• 5-7 years of dedicated experience as a UX Designer, with a proven track record of contributing to the successful launch and iteration of products.
• Experience in financial services, workplace benefits platforms, equity compensation management, or other highly regulated environments is strongly preferred.
• Experience working with authenticated account experiences, user onboarding processes, permission/role management systems, and data-intensive dashboards.

Required Skills:

• UX Strategy & Leadership: Proven ability to define and drive UX strategy for complex product areas, mentor designers, and potentially manage a small team.
• Design Craft: Mastery of information architecture, interaction design, user flow creation, and prototyping.
• Tools Proficiency: Fluency in Figma for design, prototyping, and collaboration.
• User-Centered Design: Expertise in user research methodologies, hypothesis development, and usability testing.
• Analytics & Optimization: Familiarity with analytics-driven UX, experimentation (A/B testing), and funnel optimization techniques.
• Accessibility: Strong understanding of and experience with accessibility standards, particularly WCAG.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex ideas clearly to diverse audiences, including senior leadership.
• Collaboration: Ability to thrive in a collaborative, explorative environment, actively contributing to group sessions and practicing active listening.
• Problem-Solving: High tolerance for ambiguity, ability to set direction for undefined projects, and resilience in overcoming obstacles.
• Data Integration: Skill in gleaning insights from data and incorporating them into design solutions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with design systems and governance.
• Prior work experience in the finance industry.
• Experience with generative AI applications in design.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for 9.5 years of combined experience (work and education) and 5-7 years specifically as a UX designer, coupled with the VP title, emphasizes the seniority and leadership expectations for this role. The "mastery of strategic, hard, and soft UX skills" underscores the need for a well-rounded candidate who excels in both technical design execution and interpersonal/strategic leadership.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• An outstanding portfolio is mandatory, demonstrating a strong command of UX principles and a history of creating impactful experiences that successfully addressed both business needs and user challenges.
• Showcase end-to-end product design processes, from initial research and ideation through to detailed design, prototyping, and post-launch analysis.
• Include case studies that highlight complex problem-solving, particularly within financial services, regulated environments, or B2B/enterprise software.
• Demonstrate experience with authenticated experiences, data-heavy dashboards, onboarding flows, and permission/role management systems.
• Provide examples of how user research, data analytics, and A/B testing were integral to informing design decisions and optimizing user journeys.

Process Documentation:

• Prepare to articulate detailed design processes used, including discovery methodologies, user journey mapping, wireframing techniques, prototyping tools, and usability testing frameworks.
• Be ready to discuss how you establish and maintain UX standards and patterns in collaboration with design systems teams.
• Showcase experience in translating complex financial or operational requirements into clear, user-friendly workflows and interaction models.
• Be prepared to explain how you ensure designs meet accessibility standards (e.g., WCAG) and integrate with brand guidelines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio requirement is critical for this VP-level role. Candidates should curate their portfolio to specifically highlight leadership in UX strategy, complex problem-solving in regulated environments, and measurable impact on business and user outcomes. Quantifiable results (e.g., conversion rate improvements, task completion times, reduction in support tickets) are essential to demonstrate value.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Expected base pay rates for this Vice President level role are between $110,000 and $190,000 per year.

Benefits:

• Variable Compensation: Includes commission earnings, incentive compensation, and discretionary bonuses, reflecting performance-based rewards.
• Long-Term Incentives: Participation in short and long-term incentive packages, aligning with company performance and employee contribution.
• Comprehensive Benefits: Access to Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs, which are typically extensive for VP-level employees and may include health, dental, vision insurance, retirement plans (e.g., 401k with company match), paid time off, life insurance, disability insurance, and employee assistance programs.
• Professional Development: Opportunities for career advancement and continuous learning within a leading global financial services firm.

Working Hours:

• Standard working hours are expected to be 40 hours per week, typical for a full-time Vice President role. However, given the senior nature of the position and the demands of financial services, flexibility may be required to meet project deadlines and business needs.

📝 Enhancement Note: The provided salary range is an expected base pay rate. The total compensation package will likely be significantly higher due to commission earnings, incentive compensation, and bonuses, which are standard for Vice President roles in financial services. Candidates should research typical total compensation for VP-level UX Leaders in the New York metropolitan area financial sector to set realistic expectations. The benefits are listed as "Morgan Stanley Sponsored Benefit Programs," implying a comprehensive package typical of large financial institutions.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services / Wealth Management Platforms. Morgan Stanley operates in a highly regulated and competitive global financial services landscape. The "Morgan Stanley at Work" division specifically focuses on providing digital solutions for workplace financial benefits, equity compensation, and participant experiences, bridging corporate benefits with individual wealth management. Company Size: Morgan Stanley is a large, global financial institution with over 80,000 employees across 1,200 offices in 43 countries. This scale implies robust processes, significant resources, and a structured corporate environment. Founded: Morgan Stanley was founded in 1935, bringing a long history of experience and stability to the financial markets. This legacy suggests a culture that values tradition, expertise, and long-term client relationships.

Team Structure:

• WM Platforms: This role sits within the Wealth Management (WM) Platforms division, which is responsible for industry-leading platforms across all WM channels.
• UX Design & Platforms: The UX Designer will be part of the "UX Design & Platforms" sub-team, indicating a dedicated group focused on user experience within the broader platforms organization. This team likely works closely with other platform sub-teams such as Field Experience & Platforms, Digital Client Experience & Platforms, and Workplace Platforms.
• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role explicitly requires close partnership with Product Management, Engineering, Research, Content, and Design Systems teams, highlighting a highly collaborative, matrixed environment common in large tech and financial organizations.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Approach: The team emphasizes user-centered practices, including research intake, hypothesis development, usability testing, and evidence-based decision-making.
• Data-Driven Design: Analytics-driven UX, experimentation (A/B testing), and funnel optimization are key components of their design methodology.
• Design Systems Integration: Collaboration with the Design Systems team is crucial for establishing and maintaining UX standards and patterns, ensuring consistency and efficiency.
• Agile Development: While not explicitly stated, the close partnership with Engineering and the iterative nature of product development suggest an Agile or hybrid Agile development environment.

Company Website: https://www.morganstanley.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: The company culture is deeply rooted in financial services, emphasizing client focus, integrity, and long-term relationships. For a UX designer, this means understanding the nuances of regulated environments, data security, and the specific needs of institutional and individual clients in wealth management. The "Morgan Stanley at Work" division bridges corporate and individual needs, requiring a dual perspective.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This is a Vice President (VP) level position, signifying a senior individual contributor or a potential leadership role within the UX design function. It implies a high degree of autonomy, strategic responsibility, and the ability to influence product direction and team development. Reporting Structure: The UX Designer will report into a leadership position within the "UX Design & Platforms" team, which itself is part of the broader Wealth Management Platforms division. They will work closely with Product Management leads and Engineering Directors. Operations Impact: The role has a direct impact on the success of crucial digital products for Morgan Stanley at Work, influencing user adoption, engagement, and retention for workplace financial solutions. By translating complex financial concepts into intuitive experiences, this role contributes to client satisfaction, operational efficiency, and revenue growth for the firm.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Development: As a VP, there's a clear path for formal people management if desired, or deeper strategic leadership within UX for large-scale initiatives.
• Skill Specialization: Opportunities to deepen expertise in specific areas like financial technology UX, B2B/enterprise platforms, or advanced user research and analytics.
• Cross-Functional Mobility: Exposure to various product areas within Wealth Management Platforms and the wider Morgan Stanley organization offers potential for internal mobility and broader career development.
• Industry Influence: Contributing to innovative financial technology solutions can position the individual as a thought leader in the FinTech UX space.

📝 Enhancement Note: The VP title signifies that candidates are expected to operate with a high degree of independence and strategic foresight. Growth opportunities will likely involve taking on more complex product portfolios, leading larger design initiatives, or moving into formal management roles. The emphasis on "raising the bar" and "maturing design thinking" suggests that impactful contributions to the organization's design maturity are key to advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: This is an on-site role, indicating a traditional office-based work environment. This facilitates in-person collaboration, team building, and direct mentorship. Office Location(s): The primary location is Purchase, NY, at 2000 Westchester Ave. This is a significant corporate campus for Morgan Stanley. Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Expect a dynamic office environment designed to foster collaboration, with meeting rooms, breakout areas, and potentially open-plan workspaces conducive to team interaction.
• Technology Access: As a VP at Morgan Stanley, access to high-performance workstations, relevant software licenses (including Figma), and robust IT support is standard.
• Team Interaction: Daily interaction with product managers, engineers, researchers, and fellow designers will be integral to the role, promoting a culture of shared problem-solving and continuous feedback.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is expected, though the demands of financial services and senior roles may necessitate flexibility to accommodate project timelines, client needs, and regulatory requirements. The on-site nature allows for structured workdays and clear separation between work and personal life, with the understanding that occasional extended hours may be required.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Purchase, NY, suggests a commitment to a physical presence within a major Morgan Stanley hub. Candidates should consider the commute and the benefits of being embedded within a large financial institution's corporate environment, which often includes extensive amenities and a structured professional setting.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely conduct an initial screening to assess basic qualifications, experience, and cultural fit. Be prepared to discuss your career trajectory and interest in Morgan Stanley at Work.
• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A key stage will involve presenting your portfolio. Focus on 2-3 impactful case studies that demonstrate your UX strategy, problem-solving skills, design process, and measurable outcomes, especially those relevant to financial services or complex B2B platforms.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Expect interviews with Product Managers, Engineering Leads, and potentially other UX/Research team members. These will assess your collaboration skills, technical understanding, and ability to translate business needs into user-centric solutions.
• VP-Level/Leadership Interview: A final interview, likely with a senior leader (Director or above), will focus on strategic thinking, leadership potential, mentorship capabilities, and overall fit within the Morgan Stanley culture and values.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Relevance: Select case studies that best showcase your experience with complex financial/operational concepts, authenticated experiences, data dashboards, and regulated environments.
• Quantify Impact: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem, your role, your process, the solution, and—most importantly—the measurable business and user outcomes (e.g., "increased task completion by X%", "reduced support tickets by Y%", "improved conversion rate by Z%").
• Showcase Strategy: Highlight your strategic thinking, not just execution. Explain why you made certain design decisions and how they aligned with business goals and user needs.
• Demonstrate Process: Walk through your design process clearly, from discovery and research to ideation, prototyping, testing, and iteration.
• Highlight Collaboration: Mention how you collaborated with Product, Engineering, and other stakeholders, and how you managed feedback and differing opinions.
• Figma Proficiency: Be ready to discuss your Figma workflow, including how you leverage its features for collaboration, prototyping, and design system integration.

Challenge Preparation:

• Scenario-Based Questions: Prepare for questions that present hypothetical scenarios related to designing for financial products, managing ambiguous requirements, or mentoring junior designers.
• Problem-Solving Exercises: You may be asked to critique an existing experience, brainstorm solutions for a specific user problem, or outline a UX strategy for a new feature.
• Behavioral Questions: Be ready to answer questions about your leadership style, how you handle conflict, your approach to feedback, and your experience with ambiguity. Prepare specific examples using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result).

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is likely to be rigorous, reflecting the VP level and the financial services industry. A strong emphasis will be placed on strategic thinking, the ability to quantify impact, and a deep understanding of user-centered design within a regulated context. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their leadership potential and their vision for UX within Morgan Stanley at Work.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Figma: This is a mandatory requirement for this role, used for UI design, prototyping, and collaborative workflows. Proficiency is expected at a high level.
• Prototyping Tools: While Figma is primary, familiarity with other prototyping tools may be beneficial for diverse project needs.
• User Research & Testing Platforms: Experience with tools for conducting user interviews, surveys, and usability testing (e.g., UserTesting.com, Lookback, Maze) is expected.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Familiarity with platforms like Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, or similar tools to understand user behavior and track key metrics.
• A/B Testing Platforms: Experience with tools for running experiments and funnel optimization (e.g., Optimizely, VWO, internal tools).
• Data Visualization Tools: While not explicitly mentioned, experience with tools like Tableau, Power BI, or even advanced Excel for analyzing and presenting data insights can be advantageous.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: While not a direct CRM role, understanding how UX design impacts CRM functionalities and user experiences within sales and service platforms is beneficial. Experience with Salesforce or similar enterprise CRMs might be helpful contextually.
• Workflow Automation: Understanding how UX design can simplify or automate user workflows within financial platforms.

📝 Enhancement Note: The explicit mention of Figma highlights its importance as the core design tool. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate advanced proficiency in Figma, including its collaborative features, component libraries, and prototyping capabilities. Familiarity with how UX integrates with broader enterprise systems like CRMs and analytics platforms is also valuable for understanding the full product ecosystem.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Client First: A core Morgan Stanley value, requiring a deep understanding of client needs and a commitment to delivering exceptional experiences that build trust and loyalty.
• Do the Right Thing: Emphasizes integrity, ethical conduct, and transparency, particularly crucial in the regulated financial services industry. Designs must be compliant and responsible.
• Exceptional Ideas: Fosters innovation and encourages creative problem-solving to deliver best-in-class solutions. This aligns with driving design thinking and continuous improvement.
• Diversity and Inclusion: Morgan Stanley actively promotes a diverse workforce and inclusive culture, expecting designers to contribute to an environment where all voices are heard and valued.
• Giving Back: Encourages community involvement and social responsibility, reflecting a broader company ethos.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Expect a highly collaborative environment where designers work hand-in-hand with Product Management, Engineering, and Research to co-create solutions.
• Evidence-Based Decisioning: A culture that values data and user research to validate assumptions and guide design choices, rather than relying solely on intuition.
• Constructive Feedback: An environment where constructive criticism is welcomed and utilized to refine designs and elevate the overall quality of the product.
• Open Communication: Encourages open dialogue and active listening to ensure all perspectives are considered during the design process.

📝 Enhancement Note: The company values are deeply ingrained and will influence decision-making. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how their design philosophy and work ethic align with these values, particularly "Client First" and "Do the Right Thing," given the context of financial services. The collaborative style emphasizes a team-oriented approach where individual contributions are part of a larger collective effort.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Regulatory Complexity: Designing intuitive experiences within a highly regulated financial services environment requires a deep understanding of compliance, security, and legal constraints, which can limit design options.
• Translating Complex Concepts: Simplifying intricate financial products, equity compensation plans, and workplace benefits into easily understandable and usable digital interfaces presents a significant cognitive challenge.
• Balancing Stakeholder Needs: Managing diverse requirements from Product, Engineering, Legal, Compliance, and Business stakeholders while maintaining a strong user focus requires excellent negotiation and communication skills.
• Driving Design Maturity: As a VP, a key challenge will be to continuously elevate the design thinking and practice within a large, established organization, evangelizing user-centered principles.
• Ambiguity and Scale: Working on large-scale platforms with evolving requirements and a high degree of ambiguity requires adaptability and the ability to define direction.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Deep FinTech Expertise: Gain unparalleled experience in designing for the wealth management and workplace benefits sectors of the financial industry.
• Leadership and Mentorship: Develop formal people management skills or advanced strategic UX leadership capabilities through mentoring and leading design initiatives.
• Industry Best Practices: Stay at the forefront of UX trends, particularly those relevant to financial technology, enterprise platforms, and digital transformation.
• Networking: Build a strong professional network within Morgan Stanley and the broader financial services industry.
• Continuous Learning: Access to Morgan Stanley's extensive learning resources, potentially including specialized training, certifications, and opportunities to attend industry conferences.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are inherent to senior roles in large, regulated industries. Successfully navigating these will require strategic thinking, strong communication, and a robust design process. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a chance to shape critical financial products and advance significantly in a career in FinTech UX.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "How would you approach developing a UX strategy for a new feature within our equity compensation platform, considering both user needs for clarity and compliance requirements?" (Focus on process, research, and stakeholder alignment)
• "Describe a time you had to influence senior stakeholders to adopt a user-centered approach for a complex product. What was your strategy, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on communication, influence, and evidence-based persuasion)
• "Imagine a scenario where user data and business requirements conflict. How would you reconcile these to arrive at a design solution? Provide an example." (Focus on problem-solving, trade-offs, and data-informed decision-making)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "How do you see your design philosophy aligning with Morgan Stanley's core values of 'Client First' and 'Do the Right Thing'?" (Focus on cultural alignment and ethical design considerations)
• "Describe your experience working within a large, matrixed organization. How do you ensure effective collaboration across different departments like Product, Engineering, and Legal?" (Focus on collaboration and communication skills)
• "How do you measure the success of your UX designs and demonstrate their impact on business objectives?" (Focus on metrics, ROI, and data analysis)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the problem statement, your specific role and responsibilities, the user research and design process you followed, the key design decisions and rationale, and the measurable outcomes.
• Quantify Everything: Wherever possible, use data and metrics to demonstrate the impact of your work (e.g., improvements in conversion rates, task completion times, user satisfaction scores, reduction in support inquiries).
• Highlight Leadership: Emphasize instances where you led initiatives, mentored junior designers, influenced product strategy, or managed complex projects from inception to completion.
• Demonstrate Figma Mastery: Be prepared to briefly showcase specific Figma techniques, such as advanced prototyping, component usage, or collaboration workflows, if relevant to your case studies.
• Address Ambiguity: Explain how you approach ambiguous problems and define clear paths forward, showcasing your strategic thinking and ability to set direction.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a blend of strategic UX leadership, deep understanding of financial services contexts, and strong collaboration/communication skills. Candidates must be ready to articulate not just what they designed, but why, and what impact it had, backed by data and clear reasoning.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided application link on the Morgan Stanley careers portal.
• Tailor Your Resume: Ensure your resume highlights your 9.5+ years of experience, specifically mentioning 5-7 years in UX design. Emphasize experience in financial services, regulated environments, and with complex platforms. Use keywords from the job description like "UX Strategy," "Figma," "WCAG," "A/B Testing," and "People Management."
• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 of your most impactful case studies that align with the role's requirements, focusing on financial services, B2B platforms, or complex authenticated experiences. Be ready to present these with a clear narrative, quantified results, and demonstrated strategic thinking.
• Prepare for Case Studies/Presentations: Anticipate being asked to present your portfolio and potentially work through a design challenge or critique an existing experience. Practice articulating your process and rationale clearly and concisely.
• Research Morgan Stanley: Familiarize yourself with Morgan Stanley's values, the "Morgan Stanley at Work" division, and recent news or product launches to demonstrate genuine interest and understanding of the company's mission and market position.

⚠️ 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.