Who We Are

Experience Design & Research is a multidisciplinary design and research team dedicated to delivering innovative, differentiated, and exceptional fintech experiences for clients, prospects, and partners by demonstrating a deep understanding of their needs. Experience Design & Research is committed to growing and supporting a diverse team, with a collaborative environment that provides educational and career growth opportunities.

In the Portfolio Lead role, you will be a senior leader on our team, you will help to inform and inspire differentiated experiences across the enterprise and truly set Northern Trust apart from the competition. A self-starter, you feel comfortable wearing multiple hats from contributing to the strategic direction of the teams and products to digging deep into design alongside the project/products team.

In the Portfolio Lead role, you will be responsible for ensuring that new or existing digital products meet or exceeding user needs. Portfolio leads are experts in their design domain who tirelessly work toward improved user experiences with a team of technology, product, and business collaborators. They proactively seek opportunities to better delivery and engage research and analytics to support validation and growth. It is expected that you will not only set the experience direction for product teams, but when necessary, lead other designers to a common goal.

What You Will Do

The Portfolio Lead is a curious, collaborative individual who leads with empathy, takes ownership of projects and:

• Leads a team of designers helping them identify opportunities for growth consistent with their goals
• Co-owns the portfolio of projects or digital products, thinking creatively and strategically to uncover the sweet spot among Northern Trust's capabilities, the business unit's strategic priorities, market context, and human insights
• Scopes projects and writes briefs based on insights from multiple stakeholders and a deep expertise in applying human centered design to tough challenges that result in projects being completed on time, on budget with compelling and differentiated experiences as the outcome
• Knows great when you see it and will get others there too with your design chops, passion for developing others, and ability to get teams to working together with a shared purpose
• Coordinate the contractor pool and help establish a strong relationship with current contractors and build a bench of potential designers
• Acts as a team builder with a lens to how different personalities and capabilities could fit together on a project to create real impact
• Have thoughtful project management skills and will effortlessly coach several projects at a time often coordinating across multiple Northern Trust Partners, the design team, and external consultants

At the 'Portfolio Lead' level, we're looking for individuals that have:

• 10+ years of experience within a design agency, in-house design team, or in a relevant business role
• Educated in design or related field, formally or though comparable training
• Bachelor's degree in design (Master's is preferred)
• Experience managing design with a cross-functional team or large-scale software development lifecycle, preferably in an agile environment
• Experience advocating digital experiences that navigate multiple perspectives from technology, product, and design to redefine existing experiences or imagine new ones.
• Clear growth mindset, looking for opportunities to learn and motivated to approach challenges proactively

Your Knowledge and Skills

As a Portfolio Lead, you should have working knowledge, or experience with at least some, but not all, of the following:

• Experience working with a cross-functional team or large-scale software development lifecycle, preferably in an agile environment
• Creating and implementing accessible (WCAG 2.1) designs
• Using or building design systems
• Proficiency in graphic design, motion graphics, digital art, as well as a sensitivity to typography, color, layout, and a general awareness of materials/textures
• Experience gathering user feedback and making informed UX decisions
• UX or interaction design experience, and/or education in design or a related field
• Experience designing web applications and using responsive design best practices
• Design thinking and UI/UX best practices, as demonstrated in a portfolio
• Ability to recognize, predict and incorporate use cases and user interactions in design
• Excellent oral communication, written communication, presentation and facilitation skills are required

About Northern Trust:

Northern Trust provides innovative financial services and guidance to corporations, institutions and affluent families and individuals globally. With over 130 years of financial experience and nearly 20,000 partners, we serve the world's most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

Working with Us:

As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company that is committed to strengthening the communities we serve!

We recognize the value of inclusion and diversity in culture, in thought, and in experience, which is why we are honored to receive the following awards in 2021:

• Gender Equality Index Member, Bloomberg
• Top Financial & Banking Company, Black EOE Journal, Hispanic Network Magazine, Professional WOMAN'S Magazine

We'd love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of America's best banks and most sustainable companies! Build your career with us and apply today.