Lead User Experience Reseacher

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.

Overall Purpose

The Lead User Experience Researcher is an analytical individual that helps drive Zelle and Identity products research strategy. In this role, they will define our user research strategy and long-term research roadmap, partnering with leaders across the organization to direct and conduct generative research efforts that inform the strategic direction of our products, and to regularly evaluate the experiences that people have with our existing products. The Lead User Experience Researcher drives insights to craft substantial product decisions through outstanding insights about people, technology, and services in our current and future world.

Essential Functions

• Identify new areas of research and support the development of markets.

• As part of the UX Design and Research team, partner with our Product teams to identify and explore new opportunities to help define product roadmaps, vision, and strategy. Lead the identification of customer needs and help translate them into actionable product and service opportunities. Proactively seek customer feedback from multiple channels, and help teams prioritize insights for inclusion in our product roadmap. Define and continuously revise our teams' understanding of customer needs across the digital payments and identity landscape.

• Design, organize, lead and conduct foundational, formative, and evaluative qualitative and quantitative user research. Leverage insights into a compelling, end-to-end vision for the experiences that people have with us.

• Experiment with new capabilities to expand the research offering across the company

• Own relationship with our partner banks in conducting research and socializing insights.

• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of our own products, our customer needs and competitive landscape.

• Assess and socialize cultural and competitive trends that impact our ability to deliver unique value.

• Prioritize customer-first outcomes in decision making conversations.

• Synthesize and communicate research findings to drive understanding and user insight across the organization

• Create and present compelling deliverables to a range of audiences and forums

• Shape the methodology and culture within cross-functional teams, promote a culture of learning; help guide teams in research planning, activities and reporting.

• Share work routinely with leaders to advance the role of research and design across our organization and those of our partner banks.

• Proactively address situations of ambiguity to keep teammates inspired and productive.

• Consistently use and help teams apply the appropriate strategic lenses (customer, business, competitive, social, etc.) for solving problems.

• Lead workshops that advance the application of research and design across our organization and those of our partner banks.

• Experiment with, design, and implement systems to improve planning & outcomes across the company

• Develop a unique voice and presence in promoting the role of research across the company

• Support the company's commitment to risk management and protecting the integrity and confidentiality of systems and data.

Minimum qualifications

• Education and/or experience typically obtained through completion of a bachelor's degree in Human Computer Interaction, Research or related fields.

• Minimum 8+ years of progressive professional experience conducting user research

• 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 researcher with complex, data-intensive products and services.

• 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 with mixed methods - with focus on more strategic research

• Previous experience conducting research in other global regions and working on.

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

• Confidently and effectively communicate with senior leaders

• Build and maintain relationships across multiple teams and functions

• Manage multiple priorities simultaneously without sacrificing quality or deadlines

• Ability to balance working directly on research and guiding the quality of work from others on the team.

• Experience presenting to and collaborating with senior-level stakeholders.

• Experience participating in design critiques.

• Background and drug screen.

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters or PHD in human computer interaction, research or related field or equivalent experience.

• Familiarity working with finance, healthcare, insurance or government services.

• Experience participating in generative and evaluative research activities.

Physical Requirements

Working conditions consist of a normal office environment. Work is primarily sedentary and requires extensive use of a computer and involves sitting for periods of approximately four hours. Work may require occasional standing, walking, kneeling and reaching. Must be able to lift 10 pounds occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently. Requires visual acuity and dexterity to view, prepare, and manipulate documents and office equipment including personal computers. Requires the ability to communicate with internal and/or external customers.

Employee must be able to perform essential functions and physical requirements of position with or without reasonable accommodation.

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position.

The base pay scale for this position in:

Phoenix, AZ and Chicago, IL in USD per year is: $140,000 - $165,000.

San Francisco, CA and New York City, NY in USD per year is: $155,000 - $185,000.

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.