Senior User Experience Architect

Company Overview:

In the past six years, Zoro US has grown from a group of 6 people working out of a 2,000 square foot building, offering fewer than 100,000 products to a group of 240+ working out of a 60,000+ square foot building, offering more than 1,700,000 unique products. We’ve been successful in growing in large part due to our team. Zoro hires bright & hard-working individuals that are intent on growing our business & serving our customers. And we’re looking to grow further!

The Senior User Experience Architect will function as the driving force of usability and interaction strategy on the Zoro.com team by combining wisdom gained from user research, understanding of business initiatives, and deep knowledge of user-centered design methods to create infrastructure that supports intuitive customer interaction. The Senior User Experience Architect has the ability to work in great detail but can also focus on broader strategy. The ideal candidate will be a demonstrated thought leader in the fields of information architecture, user experience design, and usability. He or she will work closely and successfully with all personalities and levels to support ground-breaking functionality and design.

Primary Function

• Create strategy and recommendations for additions and enhancements to the website and its infrastructure while balancing business initiatives and technological capabilities.
• Lead wireframing and prototyping efforts for browse, search, and transactional experiences for the website.
• Determine the factors which influence customer goals, experiences, and needs; determine what mental models users create while using Zoro.com.
• Develop labeling, navigation and site structures to support usability and findability.
• Work closely with the Sr. Manager, User Experience, Graphic Designers and Developers to develop an action plan including design strategy, process, and schedule.
• Mentor entry-level members of the user experience team in best practice and new techniques.
• Provide input on plans for delivery and release schedules for the UX disciplinary track
• Perform competitive analysis, market assessments and heuristic evaluations
• Ability to quickly capture and assimilate information from a variety of sources; responsible for translating business requirements and user needs into innovative design solutions that are engaging, valuable and usable.
• Lead usability testing efforts
• Conduct new and use existing research to create personas and experience scenarios.
• Manage and execute multivariate testing on new features and experiences on the site.
• Use web analytics and feedback data to inform infrastructure changes and design.
• Produce and improve site maps, site-flow diagrams, and wireframes to convey how the site will work from a practical perspective.
• Collaborate on initiatives to create interaction models and prototypes to capture desired user experience translated into functional specification.
• Create project briefs, presentations, user flows, site maps, taxonomies, wireframes, competitive analysis and other necessary documentation to communicate the recommended user experience to internal stakeholders, as well as the outcomes of changes and tests.
• Lead efforts to gather feedback and work closely with all teams at Zoro to implement new and improved features based on that feedback and company initiatives.
• Use KPIs to track the success and progress of our site and its features, and make plans to adapt accordingly.
• Suggest and implement new tools to conduct research, measure engagement, and gather feedback.

Qualifications:

• BS/BA degree or higher in design, technology, psychology, human factors or HCI is preferred.
• 7+ years’ experience in user interface design, information architecture, interaction design, human factors, and other related UX disciplines.
• 7+ years’ experience with usability testing including preparation, execution, and analysis
• 5+ years’ experience creating, implementing, and measuring multivariate tests.
• 5+ years’ experience creating architecture, interaction, and/or design for responsive sites, mobile and tablet experiences, and applications
• 3+ years’ experience in online retail, must have a strong portfolio demonstrating past work experience and deliverables (eg: wireframes, user flows, site maps, research, etc.)
• Demonstrated ability to develop big ideas, and execute flawlessly against them in a highly collaborative environment.
• Ability to employ pragmatic and effective approaches to UX. Keen understanding of usability principles, web standards, UI patterns and their application. Experience using web analytics data to inform design decisions.
• Proven ability to diplomatically advocate for the user, communicate informed design rational and value, as well as manage related expectations, culture and process changes.
• Effective cross-function collaboration skills. Outstanding communication, organization, time management, and interpersonal skills. Some project management (work plans), level of effort estimation, deliverable quality assurance skills required.
• Expert level experience with design and prototyping software (Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch, Axure, Balsamiq, InVision, Visio, etc.)
• Experience turning ideas into workable code (HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, etc.) a plus
• Experience with all stages of the software development lifecycle in both traditional and agile environments.
• Proven experience with web-based analytic tools (Optimizly, Heap, Peek, Google Analytics, ClickTale, etc.)

Additional Information:

Zoro is an Equal Opportunity Workplace and an Affirmative Action Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

see if we are normal: www.zoro.com/careers 

meet some of the skulk at: www.zoro.com/bios