UX Strategist - New York

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Senior Experience Strategist - Enterprise Experience Architect (XA)

Company: Photon

Location: New York, United States

Job Type: Full-Time

Category: UX Strategy / Design Strategy

Date Posted: 2026-09-03

Experience Level: 10+ Years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive end-to-end experience strategy and design for enterprise-level products and services, from early concept through delivery.

• Act as a senior individual contributor embedded within cross-functional teams (Business, Product, Design, Development) to shape strategic ambition and co-create solutions.

• Proactively identify opportunity areas and treat the role as an internal consultancy, influencing product roadmaps and prioritization.

• Leverage user research, AI tools, and strategic frameworks to translate customer needs into impactful product experiences that delight customers and colleagues.

📝 Enhancement Note: The role title "Enterprise Experience Architect (XA)" and the emphasis on "end-to-end experience strategy and design" indicate a senior-level position focused on high-impact strategic initiatives. The requirement for an "internal consultancy" mindset and "proactive opportunity identification" suggests a need for a candidate who can operate autonomously and drive strategic direction without direct program management support. The location is specified as "New York" within the "United States," but the raw data only lists "United States" as a derived country. Given the job title and common industry practices, "New York, United States" is a reasonable inference for a specific location.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead strategic work independently across ambiguous problem spaces, from problem framing to solution delivery, without requiring dedicated program management.

• Proactively identify strategic opportunities by analyzing market landscapes, business goals, and customer needs, shaping the direction of work.

• Design and execute user research (qualitative and quantitative) to uncover insights, translating findings into clear strategic direction and actionable business recommendations.

• Drive experience strategy upstream by defining problem statements, success metrics, and North Star design concepts before development commences.

• Foster strong partnerships within product and engineering "pods" or squads, sharing accountability for successful product outcomes and launches.

• Provide clear strategic direction, experience principles, and decision frameworks to creative and product teams, moving beyond mere insights.

• Utilize AI and emerging tools for accelerated concept generation, scenario modeling, and early experience articulation.

• Monitor product roadmaps and business priorities to identify intersections with user needs and proactively surface strategic tradeoffs, influencing the pod's prioritization.

• Develop and deliver persuasive, executive-ready narratives and presentations that package insights, designs, and recommendations.

• Insert user insights into design and product decisions, challenging assumptions and influencing prioritization, feasibility tradeoffs, and roadmap direction.

• Contribute hands-on to early experience models, journey maps, concepts, or lightweight design artifacts where valuable.

• Inspire and lead with an entrepreneurial mindset, driving momentum, raising the strategic bar, and becoming a trusted partner to stakeholders.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities emphasize a high degree of autonomy, strategic influence, and proactive engagement. The mention of "pods" or "squads" suggests an agile, cross-functional team structure common in tech organizations. The inclusion of "AI and emerging tools" and "AI-assisted tools" points to a forward-thinking approach to design and strategy.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field such as Business, Design, Psychology, Economics, or a related discipline.

Experience: 7–10+ years of progressive experience in experience strategy, design strategy, consulting, product strategy, or closely related senior-level roles.

Required Skills:

• Demonstrated ability to lead strategic work independently, including problem framing, driving alignment, and influencing senior stakeholders.

• Strong expertise across qualitative and quantitative user research methodologies, with sound judgment on when and how to apply them.

• Comfort operating in ambiguous environments and shaping new initiatives rather than executing pre-defined briefs.

• Proven ability to influence product, design, and business leaders through clear communication, sound judgment, and executive presence.

• Experience working within cross-functional, embedded team models (e.g., pods, squads).

• Strong understanding of customer, cultural, and competitive dynamics, particularly within complex and regulated environments.

• Excellent storytelling and presentation skills, capable of crafting persuasive, executive-ready narratives.

• Strategic planning and problem-solving capabilities with a focus on driving business goals. Preferred Skills:

• Hands-on experience with design tools such as Figma, with the ability to engage directly in early experience articulation.

• Experience using AI-assisted tools for concepting, synthesis, or strategic exploration (e.g., Figma Make or similar).

• Background in Product Design, Service Design, or Product Development.

• Experience within Finance, Corporate & Investment Banking sectors.

📝 Enhancement Note: The experience requirement of "7-10+ years" and the mention of "senior levels" clearly indicate a senior individual contributor role. The emphasis on "independent leadership," "ambiguity," and "influencing stakeholders" highlights the need for a candidate with strong strategic acumen and executive presence, rather than a purely tactical execution role.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate end-to-end ownership of strategic initiatives, showcasing problem framing, research synthesis, strategy development, and impact.

• Showcase examples of influencing product roadmaps, business priorities, or stakeholder decisions through strategic recommendations.

• Include case studies that highlight the application of user research (qualitative/quantitative) and its translation into actionable business insights and strategic direction.

• Present examples of how you've leveraged AI or emerging tools in strategic exploration, concept generation, or scenario modeling.

• Illustrate experience in working within cross-functional, embedded team structures (pods/squads). Process Documentation:

• Provide evidence of designing and executing strategic processes, such as defining opportunity areas, shaping problem statements, or establishing success metrics.

• Showcase your approach to translating research findings into clear strategic direction and decision frameworks for product and design teams.

• Detail your methods for identifying and surfacing strategic tradeoffs early in the product development lifecycle.

• Illustrate your ability to package and present complex insights, designs, and recommendations in a persuasive, executive-ready format.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the senior nature of the role and its focus on strategy, a portfolio is crucial. The emphasis should be on strategic impact, leadership in ambiguous spaces, and the ability to influence. The inclusion of AI tools and cross-functional collaboration within pods should also be evident.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: USD $45,000 - $157,000 per year.

• Rationale: This range is provided directly in the job description. For a Senior Experience Strategist/Enterprise Experience Architect role with 7-10+ years of experience in a major metropolitan area like New York, this range is plausible, with the higher end reflecting significant experience and specialized skills. The lower end might be for candidates with less direct experience in the specific industry or who are newer to the full scope of an "architect" role, but still meeting the minimum years of experience. New York City's cost of living and competitive market often place salaries at the higher end of national averages for similar roles.

Benefits:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance.

• 401k retirement plan.

• Variable pay and incentives.

• Paid time off.

• Paid holidays.

Working Hours: 40 hours per week.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is explicitly stated. The benefits listed are standard for full-time employees in the US. The working hours are noted as 40 per week, typical for full-time roles, though senior positions often require flexibility beyond these hours.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: The job description mentions "Finance, Corporate & Investment Banking experience a plus" and "complex, regulated environments," suggesting Photon operates within or serves the financial services industry. This industry is characterized by a strong emphasis on security, compliance, data integrity, and often a structured approach to innovation.

Company Size: Based on the derived domain "photon.com" and the nature of the role (Enterprise Experience Architect), Photon is likely a mid-to-large-sized technology company, potentially a SaaS provider or a consulting firm specializing in enterprise solutions. The mention of "product roadmaps," "pods," and "stakeholders" suggests a mature product development organization.

Founded: The founding date is not provided, but the role's seniority and focus on enterprise solutions imply a company that has established itself and is likely experiencing growth or undergoing significant product evolution.

Team Structure:

• The role is embedded within "cross-functional teams (Business, Product, Design, Development)" often referred to as "pods" or "squads," indicating a matrixed or agile organizational structure.

• The Experience Architect operates as a "senior individual contributor" within these teams, suggesting a focus on expertise and strategic guidance rather than direct management.

• Collaboration is expected with UX/UI designers, Product Managers, and Engineers, highlighting a tight-knit, outcome-oriented team dynamic. Methodology:

• A strong emphasis on "experience strategy" and "design strategy" suggests a methodology that integrates business goals, user needs, and market analysis.

• The role involves "qualitative and quantitative research" and leveraging "AI and emerging tools" for strategic exploration and concepting.

• A "business development mindset" and "internal consultancy" approach are expected, implying a proactive and solution-oriented methodology.

• The process involves "shaping problem framing, success metrics, and North Star design concepts" before delivery.

Company Website: https://www.photon.com (inferred from domain_derived)

📝 Enhancement Note: The industry context is inferred from explicit mentions in the job description. The company size and structure are educated guesses based on the role's responsibilities and typical organizational models for such positions. The website is an inferred URL based on the derived domain.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This position is at a senior individual contributor level, functioning as an Enterprise Experience Architect. It requires significant autonomy, strategic leadership, and the ability to influence without direct authority. This role is for seasoned professionals who can independently own complex initiatives and drive strategic outcomes.

Reporting Structure: While the role is embedded within cross-functional pods, the reporting structure for this individual contributor is not explicitly defined. It is common for such senior strategists to report into a Head of Design, Head of Product Strategy, or a similar senior leadership role within a dedicated strategy or design function, while collaborating daily with Product and Engineering leads within their assigned pod.

Operations Impact: The role is critical in shaping the company's product vision and strategy, directly impacting customer acquisition, retention, and overall business success. By defining optimal customer and colleague experiences, the XA contributes to user satisfaction, operational efficiency, and ultimately, revenue growth and market competitiveness. Their influence extends to product roadmaps, prioritization, and the strategic direction of entire product lines.

Growth Opportunities:

• Deepen Strategic Expertise: Opportunities to lead larger, more complex strategic initiatives, potentially across multiple product lines or business units.

• Specialization: Develop expertise in specific domains (e.g., AI-driven strategy, financial services UX) or leadership tracks within strategy or design functions.

• Mentorship & Leadership: Potential to mentor junior strategists or designers, and eventually move into leadership roles overseeing strategy teams or specific product areas.

• Impactful Innovation: Contribute to defining the future of Photon's product offerings and customer engagement models.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Operations Career Level" is inferred from the title "Senior Experience Strategist - Enterprise Experience Architect (XA)" and the responsibilities emphasizing autonomy and strategic leadership. The growth opportunities are typical for senior individual contributor roles in strategy and design.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The role is designated as "On-site" with a location in "New York." This suggests a traditional office-based work environment where in-person collaboration is prioritized.

Office Location(s): New York, United States. This implies a dynamic urban setting, likely with access to talent and industry events. Specific details about office amenities or accessibility would need to be confirmed directly.

Workspace Context:

• The workspace is designed for collaboration within "pods" or "squads," suggesting an environment that facilitates close interaction between Product, Design, and Engineering.

• Expect a technology-rich environment with access to relevant design and strategy tools, including potential early adoption of AI-assisted technologies.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with product managers, engineers, and potentially business stakeholders will be frequent, fostering a dynamic and integrated workflow.

Work Schedule: The standard work schedule is 40 hours per week. However, given the senior strategic nature of the role and the expectation of autonomous leadership, flexibility may be required to meet project deadlines and strategic objectives, especially during critical phases of strategy development or delivery.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "On-site" designation and "New York" location are key pieces of information. The workspace context is an inference based on the collaborative nature of the role and typical tech office environments.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A review of your resume and portfolio to assess experience alignment with the role's strategic and leadership requirements.

• Hiring Manager Interview: Discussion focused on your strategic approach, experience in ambiguous problem spaces, and understanding of enterprise experience architecture.

• Cross-Functional Team Interview: Interaction with potential pod members (Product, Design, Engineering) to assess collaboration style, strategic influence, and ability to contribute to team outcomes. This may include a presentation of your portfolio.

• Executive/Stakeholder Interview: Assessment of your executive presence, storytelling capabilities, and ability to influence senior leadership and shape business strategy.

• Case Study/Assignment (Potential): You might be asked to prepare a strategic recommendation or analyze a business problem, demonstrating your problem-framing and strategic articulation skills.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Showcase Strategic Ownership: Highlight projects where you independently defined problems, developed strategies, and drove outcomes from inception to delivery.

• Demonstrate Impact: Clearly articulate the business impact of your strategic work, using metrics where possible (e.g., improved user satisfaction, increased conversion, roadmap influence).

• Emphasize Research & Synthesis: Detail your process for conducting qualitative and quantitative research and how you translated insights into strategic recommendations.

• Highlight Collaboration: Illustrate how you partnered with product, design, and engineering teams to bring strategies to life.

• Include AI/Emerging Tech: If applicable, showcase any projects where you leveraged AI or new tools for strategic exploration or concepting.

• Tailor to Enterprise/Finance: If possible, include examples relevant to complex, regulated environments or the financial services industry.

Challenge Preparation:

• Be prepared to discuss how you would approach an ambiguous problem space, identify opportunity areas, and frame a strategic initiative.

• Practice articulating your strategic thought process and how you would influence stakeholders at different levels.

• Prepare to present a case study from your portfolio that best demonstrates your end-to-end strategic ownership and impact.

• Research Photon's potential industry and business challenges to articulate relevant strategic considerations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process and portfolio tips are tailored to a senior strategy role, emphasizing strategic thinking, leadership, and demonstrable impact. The "internal consultancy" aspect suggests a need to showcase proactive problem-solving and influence.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (explicitly mentioned as a plus, indicating strong relevance), and potentially other tools for early experience articulation.

• Research & Analysis: Tools for qualitative and quantitative data synthesis (specific tools not named but implied).

• AI & Emerging Tools: Experience with AI-assisted tools for concepting, scenario modeling, and strategic exploration (e.g., Figma Make or similar).

Analytics & Reporting:

• While not explicitly listed, a strong understanding of analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, product-specific analytics) would be beneficial for understanding user behavior and measuring strategic impact.

• Proficiency in data synthesis and interpretation to inform strategic decisions. CRM & Automation:

• Not directly a focus of this role, but familiarity with how CRM systems and automation tools impact the customer journey and enterprise workflows could be advantageous.

📝 Enhancement Note: The primary tools are explicitly mentioned or strongly implied. The focus is on design and strategic exploration tools, with an emphasis on AI.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Strategic Impact: A core value is driving meaningful impact through thoughtful strategy and user-centered design, influencing business outcomes.

• Autonomy & Ownership: Expectation of individuals to take full ownership of their work, operate independently, and drive initiatives forward with minimal oversight.

• Collaboration & Partnership: Emphasis on building strong relationships and working effectively within cross-functional teams to achieve shared goals.

• Innovation & Future-Forward Thinking: A drive to leverage emerging technologies like AI and to proactively identify new opportunities and shape future experiences.

• Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for customer needs in all strategic and design decisions.

Collaboration Style:

• Embedded & Cross-Functional: Collaboration is integrated within product pods, fostering close working relationships with Product, Design, and Engineering.

• Consultative & Influential: The role acts as an internal consultant, requiring strong communication and influencing skills to guide decisions and build consensus.

• Data-Informed & Insight-Driven: Decisions are expected to be grounded in user research and data, with a clear articulation of insights and their strategic implications.

• Proactive & Entrepreneurial: A culture that encourages individuals to take initiative, identify opportunities, and drive momentum in their areas of focus.

📝 Enhancement Note: These values and collaboration styles are inferred from the job description's emphasis on autonomy, cross-functional teaming, strategic influence, and the use of modern tools and methodologies.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Ambiguity: The role requires comfort and proficiency in tackling undefined problems and shaping them into clear strategic initiatives.

• Driving Influence: Persuading stakeholders and influencing product roadmaps and prioritization in a complex organizational structure.

• Balancing Strategy & Execution: Contributing hands-on where valuable while maintaining a strategic, end-to-end perspective.

• Integrating AI: Effectively leveraging new AI tools to enhance strategic exploration and concepting without compromising strategic rigor.

• Industry Specifics: Understanding and navigating the complexities of regulated environments, potentially within the financial services sector.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Advanced Strategic Practice: Deepen expertise in enterprise-level experience strategy, design strategy, and product strategy methodologies.

• AI & Emerging Tech Exploration: Opportunities to experiment with and integrate cutting-edge AI tools into the strategic workflow.

• Cross-Functional Skill Development: Enhance understanding of product management and engineering processes through close collaboration.

• Executive Communication & Leadership: Develop advanced presentation and stakeholder management skills, crucial for influencing senior leadership.

• Industry Domain Expertise: Gain deeper knowledge of financial services or other complex industries Photon serves.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges are derived from the core responsibilities and required skills, particularly those related to ambiguity, influence, and the adoption of new technologies. Growth opportunities are typical for senior strategy roles.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to define a strategy for an ambiguous problem space. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Focus on problem framing, research, strategy development, and impact.)

• "How do you approach identifying strategic opportunities within a product roadmap and influencing prioritization?" (Demonstrate business acumen, user advocacy, and stakeholder management.)

• "Walk me through a project where you leveraged user research to drive significant strategic change. What were the key insights and how did you communicate them?" (Showcase research methodology, synthesis, and persuasive communication.)

• "How do you balance hands-on contribution with high-level strategic thinking in a fast-paced, cross-functional team?" (Address your ability to manage scope and deliver value across different levels of engagement.) Company & Culture Questions:

• "Based on your understanding of Photon and the financial services industry, what do you see as a key strategic challenge or opportunity for our customer experience?" (Show research and industry insight.)

• "How would you approach building trust and influencing product and engineering teams as an embedded 'internal consultant'?" (Highlight collaboration, communication, and relationship-building skills.)

• "What are your thoughts on the role of AI in experience strategy and how might you leverage it in this role?" (Assess your forward-thinking approach and technical curiosity.) Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly articulate the Problem, your Approach (Research, Strategy), the Solution (Strategy/Design artifacts), and the Results (Impact/Metrics).

• Highlight Strategic Ownership: Emphasize your role in defining the problem and shaping the strategy, not just executing tasks.

• Showcase Influence: Point out instances where your strategic recommendations led to tangible changes in product direction or business outcomes.

• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics whenever possible to demonstrate the effectiveness of your strategic contributions.

• Be Concise and Engaging: Present your work clearly, focusing on the most impactful aspects and storytelling effectively.

📝 Enhancement Note: These questions and strategies are designed to probe the core competencies of an Enterprise Experience Architect, focusing on strategic thinking, leadership in ambiguity, influence, and the ability to translate insights into actionable strategy.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the provided Oracle Cloud link.

• Curate Your Portfolio: Select 2-3 key projects that best demonstrate your experience in end-to-end strategy development, autonomous leadership, stakeholder influence, and impact within complex environments. Ensure these showcase your research, strategic articulation, and any use of AI tools.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight keywords such as "Experience Strategy," "Design Strategy," "Product Strategy," "User Research," "Stakeholder Management," "Problem Framing," "AI-assisted tools," and any relevant industry experience (e.g., Finance, Enterprise). Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Prepare Your Narrative: Practice presenting your portfolio case studies, focusing on your strategic thought process, the challenges you overcame, and the measurable impact of your work. Be ready to discuss how you would approach an ambiguous problem at Photon.

• Research Photon: Understand the company's likely industry (financial services, enterprise solutions), its potential products, and its competitive landscape. Consider how your strategic approach can address their specific business goals and customer needs.

⚠️ 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.