Vice President, UX Research & Content Design

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Vice President, UX Research & Content Design

Company: American Express

Location: New York, New York, United States

Job Type: Full-time

Category: User Experience (UX) Leadership / Design Strategy

Date Posted: March 04, 2026

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Hybrid

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead the strategic vision and operational execution for UX Research and Content Design across American Express's digital product portfolio, ensuring customer insights drive product strategy and business outcomes.

• Establish and scale a unified practice for UX research and UX writing, defining clear standards, operating models, and methodologies to enhance quality, consistency, and measurable impact.

• Champion customer needs through compelling storytelling and strategic communication, influencing senior leadership and cross-functional partners to align on a shared vision for customer-centered digital experiences.

• Drive innovation in research methods, content strategy, and UX writing practices, with a specific focus on leveraging AI tooling opportunities to improve speed, quality, and influence.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a senior leadership function, requiring a blend of strategic oversight and hands-on guidance. The emphasis on AI tooling, cross-functional collaboration with business units, and influencing product strategy indicates a high-impact role critical to American Express's digital transformation efforts. The "VP" title suggests significant team leadership and budget management responsibilities.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and lead the overarching UX research and content design strategy for American Express’s digital products, ensuring customer insights and content excellence are integral to product and business decision-making.

• Establish clear vision, standards, and operating models for both UX research and UX writing, driving consistency, quality, and measurable impact across diverse digital portfolios.

• Translate complex user research findings into compelling narratives, frameworks, and actionable recommendations that influence senior leaders and cross-functional partners.

• Champion customer needs through strategic storytelling, synthesis, and persuasive communication to gain alignment and buy-in across multiple product teams.

• Partner closely with Product, Design, Engineering, Data, Marketing, and Customer teams to embed research and content strategy effectively throughout the entire digital product lifecycle.

• Lead, mentor, and scale high-performing research and content teams, setting priorities, managing capacity, and developing future leaders within the organization.

• Identify and address gaps in skills, tools, and processes, advocating for new roles, capabilities, and investments to advance the impact of UX research and content design, with a keen eye on emerging AI tooling opportunities.

• Drive innovation in research methodologies, content strategy frameworks, and UX writing practices to enhance the speed, quality, and strategic influence of digital product work.

• Establish and govern tone, voice, and UX writing standards across all digital products, ensuring strong alignment with the American Express brand and overarching business strategy.

• Present research insights and content strategy to senior and executive leadership, directly influencing digital product priorities and long-term strategic direction.

• Manage business priorities across multiple lines of business and product portfolios, ensuring cohesive application of UX research and content design principles.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a dual focus on strategic leadership (vision, strategy, scaling) and operational execution (standards, methodologies, team management). The explicit mention of influencing executive leadership and managing across business units signifies a broad scope of influence and responsibility.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: While not explicitly stated, a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Psychology, Design, Communications, or a related field is typically expected for this level of leadership.

Experience: A minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in UX Research and/or Content Design, with a significant portion dedicated to leadership roles managing teams and driving strategy for digital products. Experience within large, complex organizations is essential.

Required Skills:

• Proven success as a senior people leader overseeing UX research and/or content design teams focused on digital products.

• Demonstrated ability to operate at both strategic and hands-on levels, setting vision while guiding execution across research and UX writing.

• Exceptional collaboration skills with a track record of influencing cross-functional and executive stakeholders.

• Strong storytelling, presentation, and facilitation skills, with the ability to communicate complex insights clearly and persuasively at multiple levels.

• Experience building and managing multi-team roadmaps across digital products or portfolios.

• Deep understanding of Agile product development and customer-centered design practices.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience leading UX research and content design for multiple digital products with demonstrated, measurable business impact.

• Experience with design systems, including understanding of system components, patterns, and standards/guidelines.

• Proficiency in leveraging AI tooling for research acceleration, content generation, or design analysis.

• Expertise in customer journey mapping, segmentation, and translating these into actionable product strategies.

• Familiarity with accessibility standards and inclusive design principles.

• Strong understanding of digital product and brand strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "Preferred Qualification" explicitly mentions 10+ years of experience, reinforcing the senior leadership nature of this role. The emphasis on "measurable business impact" and "AI tooling opportunities" suggests a forward-thinking approach is highly valued.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Showcase examples of establishing and scaling UX research and content design practices within complex organizational structures.

• Demonstrate strategic roadmaps developed for digital product portfolios, illustrating how research and content informed product direction.

• Provide case studies detailing successful cross-functional collaboration, highlighting influence on product and business decisions.

• Present evidence of leading and mentoring teams, with examples of team growth and development initiatives.

• Illustrate how customer insights were translated into tangible product improvements or new feature development.

Process Documentation:

• Document experience in defining and refining UX research methodologies, from generative discovery to evaluative testing, with an emphasis on efficiency and impact.

• Outline experience in establishing and governing UX writing standards, including tone of voice, style guides, and content frameworks.

• Detail how research findings and content strategies have been integrated into Agile development workflows and product ideation processes.

• Provide examples of creating frameworks for data-informed decision-making, linking research and content efforts to business KPIs.

• Showcase experience in advocating for and implementing new tools or technologies, particularly those related to AI in UX research or content design.

📝 Enhancement Note: Given the senior leadership level, a portfolio should highlight strategic leadership, team building, and quantifiable impact rather than just individual contributions. The focus should be on how the candidate shaped processes and influenced organizational direction.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $176,750.00 to $282,000.00 annually. This range is indicative and may be adjusted based on location, experience, and other job-related factors.

Benefits:

• Competitive base salaries.

• Bonus incentives.

• 6.25% Company Match on retirement savings plan.

• Free financial coaching and financial well-being support.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits.

• Flexible working model (hybrid, onsite, or virtual depending on role and business need).

• 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents (pregnancy, adoption, or surrogacy).

• Free access to global on-site wellness centers (location dependent).

• Free and confidential counseling support through the Healthy Minds program.

• Career development and training opportunities.

Working Hours: While not explicitly stated, a standard 40-hour work week is generally expected for full-time roles, with the understanding that leadership positions may require flexibility to meet business demands. The hybrid work model offers flexibility in daily scheduling.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range is provided and is competitive for a Vice President-level role in New York City. The comprehensive benefits package emphasizes holistic well-being and professional development, aligning with American Express's company values. The mention of "Amex Flex" highlights a commitment to flexible work arrangements.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Financial Services / Credit Card Services. American Express is a global financial services company with a long-standing reputation for trust, security, and service, focusing on differentiated products and world-class customer service.

Company Size: Large Enterprise (typically 10,000+ employees). This implies a complex organizational structure with numerous departments and established processes.

Founded: 1850. This long history signifies a stable, established company with a deep-rooted culture and a commitment to innovation over its 175+ year history.

Team Structure:

• The UX Research and Content Design function will likely be part of a larger Design or Product organization.

• This VP will lead a team of researchers and content designers, potentially managing multiple sub-teams or leads.

• Close collaboration is expected with Product Management, Engineering, Data Science, Marketing, and other business units across various lines of business.

Methodology:

• Data-informed decision-making is a core tenet, integrating rigorous research insights with business objectives.

• Agile product development practices are central to the workflow.

• Customer-centered design principles guide product creation and iteration.

• A focus on establishing clear standards and operating models suggests a drive for process optimization and efficiency.

• The explicit mention of AI tooling indicates an openness to adopting new technologies to enhance research and content creation processes.

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

📝 Enhancement Note: American Express's culture is described as being built on innovation, strong values, and leadership behaviors, with an unwavering commitment to customers, communities, and colleagues. This sets the stage for a collaborative and results-oriented work environment where employee well-being and growth are prioritized.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role represents a senior executive leadership position within the User Experience domain, specifically focusing on research and content strategy. It is a pivotal role that bridges user advocacy with business strategy, directly impacting digital product development and customer engagement.

Reporting Structure: While not explicitly stated, a VP of UX Research & Content Design typically reports to a Chief Design Officer (CDO), Chief Product Officer (CPO), or a senior executive overseeing digital product development. This position will have direct reports, including managers or senior individual contributors.

Operations Impact: The impact of this role is significant, as it directly influences the quality, usability, and effectiveness of American Express's digital products. By ensuring customer insights and content excellence are embedded from the outset, the role drives better customer experiences, increased engagement, improved conversion rates, and ultimately, stronger business outcomes and brand loyalty. The strategic influence on product and business decisions underscores its critical importance.

Growth Opportunities:

• Leadership Expansion: Potential to expand the scope of responsibility to encompass broader design functions or lead larger, more integrated teams within American Express.

• Strategic Influence: Opportunity to shape the future of digital product strategy and customer experience at a global financial institution.

• Innovation Leadership: Lead the adoption of cutting-edge technologies like AI within UX research and content design, setting industry standards.

• Mentorship & Development: Develop and mentor a team of high-performing professionals, fostering a culture of continuous learning and career advancement.

• Cross-Functional Leadership: Gain deeper experience and potentially transition into broader product, marketing, or digital strategy leadership roles.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers substantial career growth potential, moving beyond functional leadership to strategic influence within a major corporation. The emphasis on innovation and team development provides a clear path for continued professional advancement.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid Work Model. This indicates a blend of in-office and remote work, allowing for team collaboration and individual focus. American Express utilizes "Amex Flex," which tailors arrangements based on role and business needs.

Office Location(s): Primarily based in New York, New York, with the potential for other U.S. locations depending on business needs and the specific role's requirements.

Workspace Context:

• The hybrid model fosters collaboration through in-office days, encouraging team synergy and spontaneous idea exchange.

• Remote days offer focused work time, enabling deep concentration on strategic planning, analysis, and content development.

• Access to modern office facilities and technology is expected within a company like American Express.

• Opportunities for direct interaction with diverse teams (Product, Design, Engineering, Marketing) are integral to the role, promoting a dynamic and cross-pollinating work environment.

• The company culture emphasizes support for holistic well-being, suggesting an environment that values work-life integration.

Work Schedule: A standard 40-hour work week is typical, with flexibility inherent in the hybrid model. Leadership roles often require adaptability to meet project deadlines and strategic imperatives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of the role aligns with modern work trends, offering a balance of collaboration and focused work. The emphasis on work-life integration and well-being supports a positive and productive work environment.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: HR or Talent Acquisition will review applications and conduct initial screenings to assess basic qualifications and cultural fit.

• Hiring Manager Interview: A discussion with the hiring manager to delve deeper into experience, leadership style, strategic thinking, and alignment with the role's core responsibilities.

• Panel Interviews: Multiple interviews with key stakeholders, including peers from Product, Design, Engineering, and potentially senior leadership. These will focus on assessing collaboration skills, strategic influence, and problem-solving capabilities.

• Presentation/Case Study: Candidates will likely be asked to present a case study or strategic proposal based on a given prompt, demonstrating their approach to complex challenges, leadership style, and ability to communicate insights. This is a critical opportunity to showcase portfolio elements.

• Executive Interview: A final interview with a senior executive (e.g., CDO, CPO) to evaluate strategic vision, leadership potential, and overall fit with American Express's executive team.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Strategic Impact: Focus on how your work has driven measurable business outcomes and influenced product strategy. Quantify results whenever possible (e.g., increased conversion rates, improved user satisfaction scores, reduced customer support inquiries).

• Leadership & Team Building: Showcase examples of how you have led, mentored, and grown teams. Highlight your approach to talent development and fostering a strong team culture.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Provide case studies that clearly illustrate your ability to partner effectively with Product, Engineering, Marketing, and other business units, demonstrating your influence and ability to drive consensus.

• Problem-Solving & Innovation: Detail complex challenges you've faced and how you leveraged UX research and content design to solve them. Highlight any innovative approaches or new methodologies you've implemented, especially those involving AI.

• Narrative & Storytelling: Structure your portfolio presentations with a clear narrative arc: problem, approach, solution, and results. Use compelling visuals and concise language to tell the story of your impact.

• Tailor to Amex: Research American Express's current digital products and strategic priorities. Frame your experience and examples in a way that demonstrates how you can contribute to their specific goals.

Challenge Preparation:

• Strategic Frameworks: Be prepared to discuss your frameworks for UX research strategy, content design, and team leadership.

• Scenario-Based Questions: Practice answering questions about how you would handle specific leadership challenges, stakeholder conflicts, or strategic trade-offs.

• AI Integration: Be ready to discuss your thoughts on the role of AI in UX research and content design and how you would leverage it strategically.

• Executive Communication: Practice articulating complex ideas and strategic recommendations concisely and persuasively, as if presenting to senior executives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process is designed to assess leadership, strategic thinking, and cross-functional influence. A strong portfolio that demonstrates quantifiable impact and leadership capabilities will be crucial for success.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• UX Research Platforms: Tools for user interviews, surveys, usability testing, and analytics (e.g., UserTesting.com, Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey, Lookback, Maze).

• Content Management Systems (CMS): Experience with enterprise-level CMS for managing digital content.

• Design & Prototyping Tools: Familiarity with tools used by design teams (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite) to understand the design ecosystem.

• Project Management & Collaboration: Tools like Jira, Confluence, Asana, or Trello for workflow management and team collaboration.

• AI & Machine Learning Tools: Proficiency or familiarity with AI-powered tools for research analysis, content generation, sentiment analysis, or predictive analytics is increasingly important.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Web Analytics: Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics for understanding user behavior on digital platforms.

• Business Intelligence (BI) Tools: Tableau, Power BI, or similar for creating dashboards and reporting on key metrics.

• Data Visualization Tools: Tools to effectively communicate research findings and impact.

CRM & Automation:

• CRM Systems: Familiarity with enterprise CRM systems like Salesforce, especially in terms of how user data and insights are managed and utilized.

• Marketing Automation Platforms: Understanding of how content and user journeys interact with marketing automation.

• Integration Platforms: Awareness of how different systems (CRM, CMS, analytics) integrate to provide a cohesive customer view.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is leadership-focused, a strong understanding of the tools and technologies used in UX research, content design, and digital product development is essential for effective strategy setting and team guidance. An openness to and understanding of emerging AI tooling is particularly highlighted.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Customer Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and advocating for the customer at every stage of product development.

• Innovation: A drive to explore new methodologies, technologies (especially AI), and approaches to enhance user experience and business outcomes.

• Collaboration: Fostering strong partnerships across disciplines (Product, Design, Engineering, Marketing, Business) to achieve shared goals.

• Excellence: Upholding high standards for research rigor, content quality, and strategic impact.

• Data-Driven: Utilizing data and insights to inform decisions, measure impact, and drive continuous improvement.

• Integrity & Trust: Upholding American Express's core values of trust, security, and service in all aspects of work.

Collaboration Style:

• Partnership-Oriented: Working closely with cross-functional teams to co-create solutions and ensure alignment.

• Influence & Persuasion: Effectively communicating insights and strategies to gain buy-in from diverse stakeholders, including senior leadership.

• Mentorship & Empowerment: Cultivating a team environment where individuals are empowered, supported, and encouraged to grow.

• Transparent Communication: Maintaining open lines of communication regarding research findings, content strategies, and team progress.

• Agile & Iterative: Embracing a flexible and iterative approach to problem-solving and strategy development.

📝 Enhancement Note: The culture at American Express emphasizes strong values, leadership behaviors, and a commitment to backing colleagues. This role is expected to embody these principles, driving a collaborative and customer-focused environment within its domain.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Scaling a Unified Practice: Establishing consistent standards and operating models for UX research and content design across a large, complex organization with potentially diverse business units.

• Influencing Executive Strategy: Translating complex user insights and content strategies into compelling narratives that resonate with and influence senior executive decision-making.

• Integrating AI Effectively: Identifying and implementing AI tools and methodologies in a way that genuinely enhances research and content processes without compromising quality or ethical considerations.

• Balancing Strategic Vision with Execution: Maintaining a high-level strategic vision while ensuring effective day-to-day execution and team management for both research and content design functions.

• Navigating Organizational Complexity: Working effectively within a large enterprise structure with established processes, potentially multiple stakeholders, and competing priorities.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Strategic Impact: Opportunity to significantly shape the digital experience strategy for a leading global financial institution.

• Innovation Leadership: Drive the adoption of emerging technologies like AI within UX and content domains, positioning oneself at the forefront of industry trends.

• Executive Presence & Influence: Develop advanced skills in stakeholder management and executive communication through regular interaction with senior leadership.

• Team Development: Build and lead a high-performing team, fostering talent and contributing to the growth of future leaders in UX and content strategy.

• Cross-Functional Expertise: Gain deeper insights into various aspects of the financial services industry, product development, and marketing strategies.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for a senior leadership role in a large organization, offering significant opportunities for professional growth and strategic impact.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe your philosophy on building and scaling a unified UX research and content design practice within a large enterprise. What are the key pillars of your approach?"

• "How would you define and measure the success of UX research and content design initiatives at American Express? What KPIs would you prioritize?"

• "Given the emphasis on AI tooling, how would you strategically integrate AI into our UX research and content design workflows? What are the potential benefits and risks?"

• "Walk me through a time you had to influence senior executives with complex research findings or content strategy recommendations. What was your approach, and what was the outcome?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What do you know about American Express's current digital products and customer experience strategy? How do you see UX research and content design contributing to that?"

• "Our culture values innovation, trust, and backing our colleagues. How do you embody these values in your leadership style and team management?"

• "Describe your experience working within large, complex organizations. How do you navigate internal dynamics and build strong relationships?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure Your Narrative: For each case study, clearly define the business problem, your strategic approach, the methodologies used (research, content), your specific role and leadership actions, the challenges encountered, and the quantifiable business impact.

• Quantify Impact: Whenever possible, use data to demonstrate success. Examples: "Increased conversion rates by X%", "Reduced customer support inquiries related to X by Y%", "Improved task completion rates by Z%", "Achieved a 15% uplift in user engagement."

• Highlight Leadership & Collaboration: Emphasize your role in leading teams, mentoring individuals, and collaborating with diverse functional partners (Product, Engineering, Marketing, etc.).

• Showcase Strategic Thinking: Demonstrate how your work directly influenced product strategy, business decisions, or organizational processes.

• Address AI Integration: If applicable, highlight any projects where you explored or implemented AI tools to improve research efficiency, content quality, or user insights.

• Concise and Clear: Be prepared to present your key findings and impact within a limited timeframe, ensuring clarity and conciseness.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating strategic leadership, cross-functional influence, and a data-driven approach, with a keen understanding of how UX research and content design contribute to business outcomes, especially in the context of AI and a large financial services organization.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Vice President, UX Research & Content Design position:

• Submit your application through the American Express careers portal via the provided link.

• Customize Your Resume: Tailor your resume to highlight leadership experience, strategic vision, team management, and quantifiable achievements in UX research and content design, particularly those demonstrating influence in large organizations and with executive stakeholders.

• Prepare Your Portfolio: Curate a portfolio that showcases your most impactful work, focusing on strategic initiatives, team leadership, cross-functional collaboration, and measurable business results. Ensure it addresses the key responsibilities and preferred qualifications outlined in the job description, with a particular emphasis on your approach to scaling practices and leveraging AI.

• Research American Express: Deeply understand American Express's mission, values, current digital products, and market position. Identify how your expertise aligns with their strategic goals and culture.

• Practice Interview Responses: Prepare to articulate your leadership philosophy, strategic approach, and problem-solving methodologies, using specific examples from your experience. Rehearse your portfolio presentation, focusing on storytelling, impact, and strategic influence.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and industry-standard assumptions. All details, especially regarding specific interview stages and portfolio expectations, should be verified directly with the hiring organization during the application process.