UX Team Lead, Executive Director

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: UX Team Lead, Executive Director

Company: Morgan Stanley

Location: Harrison, New York, United States

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: User Experience (UX) Design & Leadership

Date Posted: February 24, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: On-site

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead and mentor a team of UX designers responsible for critical client account data experiences, including the home page, accounts, holdings, and portfolio analytics tools.

• Drive strategic design solutions that align user needs with business objectives, while also contributing hands-on design work as required.

• Cultivate strong, trusted relationships with senior product and technology stakeholders, positioning UX as a strategic partner in innovation and delivery.

• Enhance the team's UX working model through improved communication, decision-making processes, and collaborative delivery outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned at an Executive Director level, indicating significant leadership responsibility and strategic influence within the Wealth Management UX team at Morgan Stanley. The focus on client account data and portfolio analytics suggests a deep dive into financial services user experience, requiring a blend of strategic vision, team management, and hands-on design expertise. The emphasis on improving the UX working model points towards a need for process optimization and operational excellence within the design function.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Team Leadership & Mentorship: Guide a small team of UX designers, fostering their professional growth through constructive feedback, clear career path definition, and recognition of contributions.

• Strategic Design Direction: Lead the team in developing strategic design solutions that address complex user needs and achieve key business goals for client-facing platforms.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain robust relationships with senior product and technology leaders to ensure UX is integrated early and effectively in the product development lifecycle.

• Process Improvement: Enhance the team's operational efficiency by refining communication protocols, decision-making frameworks, and delivery processes, facilitating retrospectives and workshops to foster collaboration.

• Discovery & Research Oversight: Oversee the discovery phase by leading collaborative sessions to define problems, share research insights, and establish clear success metrics, working closely with UX Research to define actionable research strategies.

• Hands-on Design Contribution: As an individual contributor, apply a user-centered approach to influence product vision, create simplicity from complexity in data-dense experiences, and adjust design scope based on evolving needs.

• Design System Advocacy: Champion the use of a design system to ensure consistency, efficiency, and scalability across digital experiences.

• Innovation & Boundary Pushing: Leverage data-driven insights and best practices to craft impactful digital experiences, pushing creative boundaries where appropriate.

• Senior Management Communication: Present innovative design work and strategic recommendations to senior management with compelling narratives to secure buy-in and alignment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The dual responsibility of leading a team and contributing individually as a hands-on designer is a key characteristic of this role. The emphasis on "improving our UX working model" and "negotiating tradeoffs" highlights the need for strong operational and project management skills within the design context, beyond pure creative output.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Design, Computer Science, or a related field.

Experience:

• At least 10 years of professional experience in UX design.

• A minimum of 5 years of experience managing small to medium-sized UX design teams.

Required Skills:

• UX Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and manage a team of UX designers.

• Design Thinking Methodologies: Fluency in applying design thinking principles to solve complex problems.

• User-Centered Design: A strong commitment to a user-centered approach, influencing product vision with data and best practices.

• Stakeholder Management: Expertise in building and maintaining trusted relationships with senior product and technology stakeholders.

• Portfolio Demonstration: A portfolio showcasing successful product releases achieved through cross-departmental partnerships.

• Design System Proficiency: A strong understanding and practical application of design systems.

• Business Acumen: A keen business sense and the ability to research and understand business objectives.

• Ambiguity Tolerance: High capacity to operate effectively in undefined and complex project environments, setting clear direction.

• Trade-off Negotiation: Skill in negotiating design and scope trade-offs to meet delivery commitments.

• Problem Validation & Root Cause Analysis: Ability to test assumptions, uncover root causes, and iterate based on learning.

• Active Listening & Collaboration: Strong listening skills essential for brainstorming, critiques, and whiteboard sessions.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience improving UX workflows, potentially leveraging AI technology or rethinking internal processes.

• Experience in the financial services or wealth management industry.

• Proven ability to evangelize and promote user-centered design principles within a large organization.

• Experience managing UX for complex data-driven products or financial analytics tools.

📝 Enhancement Note: The requirement for a portfolio demonstrating cross-departmental partnership and successful product releases is crucial. Candidates should be prepared to articulate their leadership style, team development strategies, and how they've navigated complex organizational structures to drive design outcomes.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Cross-Departmental Impact: Showcase projects where you partnered effectively with product management, engineering, research, and business units to deliver successful product releases.

• Team Leadership & Management: Include examples demonstrating your ability to lead, mentor, and manage a team of designers, including workload management and delivery oversight.

• Strategic Design Solutions: Present case studies that highlight how you guided your team to develop strategic design solutions that met user needs and achieved significant business objectives.

• Process Improvement Initiatives: Detail instances where you improved UX workflows or operational models, ideally with measurable outcomes or insights gained from AI technology or internal process re-evaluation.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design & Optimization: Be prepared to discuss how you've designed, documented, and optimized UX workflows within a team setting, emphasizing efficiency and collaboration.

• Discovery & Research Integration: Demonstrate how you've integrated UX research findings and data into the design process, from problem definition to success metric clarification.

• Delivery & Roadmapping: Provide examples of how you've contributed to defining UX milestones and delivery roadmaps in partnership with product teams.

• Retrospectives & Workshops: Discuss your experience facilitating retrospectives and workshops to evolve collaborative practices and improve delivery outcomes.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio should not just showcase final designs but also the candidate's process, leadership approach, and ability to drive operational improvements within a UX team. For financial services, highlighting experience with complex data, regulatory considerations, and risk management in design is a significant advantage.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

Benefits:

• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.

• Retirement Savings Plan: 401(k) plan with company match.

• Incentive Compensation: Potential for commission earnings, discretionary bonuses, and other short- and long-term incentive packages, depending on the specific position.

• Paid Time Off: Generous vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

• Life and Disability Insurance: Coverage to protect employees and their families.

• Employee Assistance Program: Support services for personal and professional well-being.

• Professional Development: Opportunities for continuous learning, training, and career advancement.

• Work-Life Integration Support: Resources and policies aimed at supporting employees' work-life journey.

Working Hours:

• This is a full-time position, typically requiring 40 hours per week, with the expectation of flexibility to meet business needs and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is for base pay only. The total compensation package at Morgan Stanley can be significantly enhanced by incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, and other long-term incentives, which are common in senior leadership roles within the financial industry. Candidates should inquire about the specific structure of these additional compensation components.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services (Wealth Management)

Company Size: 80,001+ employees (Global)

Founded: 1935

Company Description: Morgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing investment banking, securities, wealth management, and investment management services. They offer a wide range of financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals.

Team Structure:

• UX Team: A growing team of designers and researchers within the Wealth Management division, focused on building digital experiences for clients and Financial Advisors.

• Reporting Structure: The UX Team Lead, Executive Director will lead a small team of UX designers and report into senior UX leadership within the Wealth Management organization.

• Cross-functional Collaboration: The role demands close collaboration with product management, technology, UX research, and business stakeholders across the Morgan Stanley and E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley platforms.

Methodology:

• Design Thinking: The team employs design thinking methods to solve business problems.

• User-Centered Approach: A strong emphasis on understanding and designing for user needs.

• Data-Driven Insights: Leveraging research and data to inform design decisions and drive innovation.

• Holistic Design: Designing within a large and complex product ecosystem requires a holistic perspective.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: Morgan Stanley's long history and global presence indicate a stable yet dynamic environment. The integration of E*TRADE signifies a commitment to evolving digital platforms. The company's core values—clients first, doing the right thing, leading with exceptional ideas, committing to diversity and inclusion, and giving back—should inform how candidates approach their work and interactions.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Executive Director (Senior Leadership)

Reporting Structure: Reports to senior UX leadership within Wealth Management. Manages a small team of UX designers and collaborates extensively with senior product and technology leaders.

Operations Impact: This role has a direct impact on the digital experiences that clients and Financial Advisors use daily, influencing client satisfaction, advisor efficiency, and ultimately, the firm's revenue and market position in wealth management. Driving innovation and improving user journeys are key contributions.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Expansion: Potential to lead larger teams or manage broader UX initiatives within Wealth Management or across other divisions as UX maturity grows.

• Strategic Influence: Deeper involvement in shaping the overall product strategy and UX vision for Morgan Stanley's digital platforms.

• Industry Expertise: Developing specialized knowledge in financial services UX, complex data visualization, and regulatory compliance within a leading financial institution.

• Mentorship & Development: Opportunities to mentor junior designers and contribute to the broader design community within Morgan Stanley, potentially influencing design standards and best practices firm-wide.

• Cross-Divisional Mobility: Potential to move into related leadership roles within product management, strategy, or operations within the firm.

📝 Enhancement Note: The Executive Director title signifies a significant leadership track. Growth will likely involve expanding scope of responsibility, deepening strategic influence, and potentially taking on more complex or critical product areas within Morgan Stanley's vast digital landscape.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: On-site, within a major financial institution.

Office Location(s): Harrison, New York. This location likely offers a professional office environment designed for collaboration and focused work.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The role requires active participation in whiteboard sessions, critiques, and collaborative working sessions, indicating an environment that values team input and interaction.

• Tools & Technology: Access to industry-standard design and collaboration tools will be available, likely including enterprise-grade software for design, project management, and communication.

• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with a growing team of designers and researchers, as well as frequent engagement with product and technology partners.

Work Schedule:

• Full-time, 40 hours per week, with an on-site requirement. Flexibility may be needed to accommodate project timelines and stakeholder availability, common in senior leadership roles within finance.

📝 Enhancement Note: The on-site requirement in Harrison, NY, suggests a traditional corporate environment. Candidates should be prepared for a structured workday, with opportunities for both focused individual work and dynamic team collaboration.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or recruiter call to assess basic qualifications and fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: In-depth discussion with the hiring manager focusing on leadership experience, team management, and strategic approach to UX.

• Team/Peer Interviews: Meetings with other UX leads, product managers, and technology stakeholders to evaluate collaboration style, problem-solving skills, and domain understanding.

• Portfolio Review & Presentation: A dedicated session where candidates present their portfolio, highlighting leadership examples, strategic design thinking, and process improvements. This is a critical stage.

• Executive Interview: Final interview with senior leadership to assess strategic vision, cultural fit, and overall executive presence.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate for Leadership: Focus on projects where you led teams, influenced strategy, and drove significant outcomes. Quantify impact whenever possible.

• Showcase Process, Not Just Pixels: Detail your approach to team management, stakeholder engagement, problem definition, and how you improved UX workflows.

• Highlight Complex Data & Finance: If possible, include examples from financial services or complex data-rich domains to demonstrate relevant experience.

• Tell a Compelling Story: Structure your presentations with a clear narrative: the problem, your team's approach, your leadership role, the solutions, and the measurable impact.

• Address Ambiguity & Trade-offs: Be ready to discuss how you navigated undefined projects and made difficult scope/trade-off decisions.

Challenge Preparation:

• Leadership Scenario: Be prepared to discuss hypothetical team management challenges, conflict resolution, and how you foster growth.

• Strategic Design Problem: Anticipate a discussion on how you would approach a complex design challenge within Wealth Management, focusing on user needs and business goals.

• Process Optimization: Expect questions about how you've improved UX processes or team operations.

📝 Enhancement Note: The portfolio review is paramount. Candidates should prepare 3-5 robust case studies that clearly articulate their leadership impact, strategic thinking, and ability to drive operational improvements within a UX context. Demonstrating an understanding of financial services complexity will be a significant advantage.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design Software: Proficiency with industry-standard design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, XD). Figma is increasingly common for collaborative design and design systems.

• Prototyping Tools: Tools like InVision, Axure, or Figma for creating interactive prototypes.

• Collaboration Platforms: Tools like Jira, Confluence, Asana for project management, workflow tracking, and documentation.

• Communication Tools: Microsoft Teams, Slack for team and cross-functional communication.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Familiarity with tools like Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics for understanding user behavior.

• User Feedback Platforms: Tools for gathering and analyzing user feedback (e.g., Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey).

• Data Visualization Tools: Experience with tools that can help present data insights (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, or in-platform analytics dashboards).

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a CRM role, understanding how design impacts CRM and sales enablement tools is beneficial. Experience with enterprise-level software environments is expected.

• Design System Management Tools: Platforms or repositories used for managing design system components and documentation.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tool requirements aren't listed, familiarity with modern, collaborative design tools like Figma is highly probable. The ability to work within enterprise-level systems and understand data analytics to inform design is crucial for a role at this level in a financial institution.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Client First: A core value at Morgan Stanley, meaning all design decisions should ultimately serve the best interests of the client.

• Doing the Right Thing: Emphasizes integrity, ethical conduct, and responsible decision-making, particularly critical in financial services.

• Leading with Exceptional Ideas: Encourages innovation, strategic thinking, and the pursuit of high-quality, impactful solutions.

• Diversity and Inclusion: A commitment to fostering an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are welcomed and valued, enriching collaboration and problem-solving.

• Giving Back: A culture of community involvement and corporate responsibility.

Collaboration Style:

• Entrepreneurial Spirit: Within a large firm, the UX team aims to bring an entrepreneurial approach to innovation and problem-solving.

• Holistic & Cross-Functional: Collaboration is expected across product, technology, and research, requiring the ability to integrate diverse ideas and perspectives.

• Constructive Feedback & Growth: An environment that encourages open feedback, critiques, and workshops to foster continuous improvement and individual growth.

• Partnership-Oriented: Building trusted relationships with stakeholders is key, implying a collaborative and communicative partnership approach.

📝 Enhancement Note: Candidates should demonstrate an alignment with Morgan Stanley's core values, particularly "Client First" and "Doing the Right Thing," which are paramount in the financial sector. The ability to collaborate effectively in a large, matrixed organization, while maintaining an innovative mindset, will be essential.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Complexity of Financial Data: Designing intuitive experiences for dense, complex financial data and regulatory requirements.

• Large Product Ecosystem: Navigating and contributing to a vast and interconnected product suite across multiple platforms (Morgan Stanley, E*TRADE).

• Stakeholder Alignment: Gaining consensus and buy-in from diverse senior stakeholders with potentially competing priorities.

• Balancing Innovation with Stability: Driving design innovation while ensuring the stability, security, and compliance of financial systems.

• Team Development: Mentoring and growing a small team while also contributing hands-on, requiring effective time management and delegation.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Financial Services UX Specialization: Deepen expertise in wealth management, investment platforms, and client/advisor workflows.

• Leadership Development: Opportunities to hone leadership skills, strategic planning, and team management within a top-tier financial firm.

• Industry Best Practices: Exposure to leading UX practices and strategies in a highly regulated and competitive industry.

• Cross-Functional Acumen: Broaden understanding of product management, technology architecture, and business operations within a global financial institution.

• Mentorship: Opportunities to be mentored by and mentor senior leaders within Morgan Stanley.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior roles in complex industries like finance. The growth opportunities are substantial, offering a path to become a recognized leader in financial UX design and strategy.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you had to lead a team through a particularly complex or ambiguous design challenge. How did you define the problem, guide your team, and ensure successful delivery?" (Focus on leadership, problem-solving, and process.)

• "How would you approach improving the UX working model for a team of designers within a large financial institution like Morgan Stanley?" (Focus on operational efficiency, collaboration, and process improvement.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about Morgan Stanley's Wealth Management division and the E*TRADE platforms?" (Demonstrate research and genuine interest.)

• "How do you embody Morgan Stanley's core values, such as 'Client First' and 'Doing the Right Thing,' in your leadership approach?" (Align your experience with company values.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Start with Leadership: Begin your portfolio presentation by highlighting your leadership experience and team management successes.

• Case Study Structure: For each case study, clearly articulate:

  • The Business/User Problem
  • Your Role & Team Responsibilities
  • Your Leadership Approach & Process Improvements
  • The Design Solutions & Key Decisions
  • The Measurable Outcomes (Impact on clients, advisors, or business)

• Demonstrate Strategic Thinking: Connect your design decisions to broader business objectives and product vision.

• Address Ambiguity: Be ready to discuss how you handled projects with unclear requirements or scope.

• Be Concise and Engaging: Present with clarity and enthusiasm, allowing time for questions.

📝 Enhancement Note: Prepare specific examples that showcase not just your design skills but your leadership acumen, strategic thinking, and ability to drive process and operational improvements. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations position:

• Submit your application through the Morgan Stanley careers portal.

• Tailor Your Resume: Highlight your leadership experience, team management achievements, and any experience in financial services or complex data-driven products. Use keywords from the job description such as "UX Leadership," "Design Thinking," "Stakeholder Management," and "Portfolio Analytics."

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a selection of your strongest work, focusing on leadership examples, successful product releases, and instances where you improved UX workflows or processes. Ensure it clearly demonstrates cross-departmental collaboration and impact.

• Research Morgan Stanley: Understand the company's values, its Wealth Management division, and the E*TRADE integration. Be prepared to discuss how your leadership style and experience align with their culture.

• Practice Interview Questions: Rehearse answers to common leadership, strategy, and behavioral questions, using the STAR method and drawing from your portfolio examples.

⚠️ 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.