Sr Director, User Experience

At Early Warning, we've powered and protected the U.S. financial system for over thirty years with cutting-edge solutions like Zelle, Paze, and so much more. As a trusted name in payments, we partner with thousands of institutions to increase access to financial services and protect transactions for hundreds of millions of consumers and small businesses.

Positions located in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York follow a hybrid work model to allow for a more collaborative working environment.

Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States, for any employer, at the date of hire. This position is ineligible for employment Visa sponsorship.

Job Description

Lead the user experience strategy, design, and research efforts for Zelle and other digital products and services. This role requires a deep understanding ofuser-centered design, interaction design, information architecture, and design thinking methodologies, with a preference for design leaders who have experience in fintech and financial services. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader who can drive business impact throughexceptional user experiences, data-driven decision-making, and cross-functional collaboration.

Provide leadership to a team of designers and researchers to conduct rigorous and ongoing product research and develop meticulously crafted designs that will directly influence our Product's strategic decisions as we define the future of payment and identity.

Strategic Leadership & Vision

• In partnership with VP UX, define and drive the UX strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and customer needs.

• Champion auser-first mindsetwhile balancing business and technical constraints.

• Collaborate with executive leadership to integrate UX into overall product and business strategy.

• Advocate for UX best practices, accessibility, and inclusive design across the organization.

Design Execution & Innovation

• Overseeend-to-end UX processes, from discovery and research to design and implementation.

• Establish and maintaindesign systems, UX guidelines, and frameworksfor scalable and consistent experiences across the Zelle Network

• Lead the evolution ofdata-driven designapproaches, integrating analytics, and qualitative research.

• Identify emerging trends in fintech and financial services, leveraging new technologies such asAI, automation, and personalized experiences.

User Research & Data-Driven Insights

• Direct qualitative and quantitativeuser research initiativesto uncover pain points and opportunities.

• Implementuser research and behavioral analyticsto drive product decisions.

• Work closely withdata science and product teamsto synthesize insights into actionable design improvements.

Team Leadership & Mentorship

• Mentor, and inspire ahigh-performing UX team, including UX designers and researchers.

• Foster aculture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning.

• Provide coaching, career development, and ongoing feedback for team members.

• Partner withengineering, product management, and marketingto drive cross-functional alignment.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management

• Work closely withexecutives, product leaders,marketingengineers, and compliance teamsto ensure UX aligns with business goals and regulatory requirements.

• Collaborate with Bank Partner UX and product teams to design and launch new features for Zelle and other digital products

• Present design strategies and research findings to stakeholders, effectively communicating the impact of UX on customer engagement and business growth.

• Establish and nurture relationships withexternal partners, vendors, and industry thought leadersto stay ahead of market trends.

Core UX & Leadership Skills

• 12+ years of experience inUX design, research, and leadership, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

• Proven expertise ininteraction design, usability, information architecture, and visual design.

• Strong knowledge ofdesign systems, accessibility (WCAG), and human-centered design methodologies.

• Experience leadingenterprise-level UX projects, particularly in fintech, financial services, or regulated industries.

• Proficiency in UX tools such asFigma and Adobe Creative Suite, and research platforms.

• Familiarity withagile development processes, Lean UX, and DesignOps.

• Track record of demonstrating excellent command of research topics within a given domain and of technical tools for the analysis of data within that domain

• Previous experience driving research programs that have had a lasting impact on product and design decisions while clearly, concisely, and persuasively addressing cross-functional teams and leadership.

• Experience conducting in-depth primary and secondary research that informs strategy and generates product recommendations

• Experience leading, designing, executing and communicating impactful research in a fast-paced, earlier stage product development process, with experience integrating research into product and design roadmaps.

• Demonstrable success as a research leader in complex, data-intensive products and services.

Industry-Specific Knowledge (Fintech & Financial Services)

• Good awareness offinancial regulations, compliance, and risk management.

• Experience designing forwealth management, payments, digital banking, or trading platforms.

• Strong grasp ofdata visualization, security considerations, and financial product UX.

• Ability to translatecomplex financial conceptsinto intuitive and engaging user experiences.

Soft Skills & Business Acumen

• Exceptionalcommunication and storytelling skills-able to advocate for UX at all levels of the organization.

• Strong ability toinfluence without authorityand align stakeholders across teams.

• A data-driven mindset with the ability tomeasure UX impact on business KPIs.

• Comfortable working infast-paced, highly regulated environments.

• Drug screen and background check.

• Master's or bachelor's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Design, Cognitive Science, or related field.

• Experience working in aSaaS, B2B, or enterprise software environment.

• Knowledge ofAI/ML-driven personalization and fintech product innovation.

The base pay scale for this position in:

San Francisco, CA in USD per year is: $220,000 - $250,000.

Additionally, candidates are eligible for a discretionary incentive plan and benefits.

This pay scale is subject to change and is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific candidate, which is always dependent on legitimate factors considered at the time of job offer. Early Warning Services takes into consideration a variety of factors when determining a competitive salary offer, including, but not limited to, the job scope, market rates and geographic location of a position, candidate's education, experience, training, and specialized skills or certification(s) in relation to the job requirements and compared with internal equity (peers). The business actively supports and reviews wage equity to ensure that pay decisions are not based on gender, race, national origin, or any other protected classes.

Some of the Ways We Prioritize Your Health and Happiness

• Healthcare Coverage-Competitive medical (PPO/HDHP), dental, and vision plans as well as company contributions to your Health Savings Account (HSA) or pre-tax savings through flexible spending accounts (FSA) for commuting, health & dependent care expenses.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan-Featuring a 100% Company Safe Harbor Match on your first 6% deferral immediately upon eligibility.
• Paid Time Off -Unlimited Time Off for Exempt (salaried) employees, as well as generous PTO for Non-Exempt (hourly) employees, plus 11 paid company holidays and a paid volunteer day.
• 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave
• Maven Family Planning - provides support through your Parenting journey including egg freezing, fertility, adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy, postpartum, early pediatrics, and returning to work.

AndSOmuch more! We continue to enhance our program, so be sure tocheck our Benefits page here for the latest. Ourteamcan share more during the interview process!

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Early Warning Services, LLC ("Early Warning") considers for employment, hires, retains and promotes qualified candidates on the basis of ability, potential, and valid qualifications without regard to race, religious creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, protected veteran or disability status or any factor prohibited by law, and as such affirms in policy and practice to support and promote equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and municipal laws. The company also prohibits discrimination on other bases such as medical condition, marital status or any other factor that is irrelevant to the performance of our employees.