Manager, Usability Services

Status: Full Time, Temporary/Contract/Project, Employee Job Category: IT/Software Development Career/Level: Manager (Manager/Supervisor of Staff) Years of Experience: 5+ to 7 Years Reference Code: M-110-md-41738 Manager, Usability Services World-renowned insurance firm and cutting-edge usability team is looking for a new Manager! We are seeking a Senior Manager of the Usability team to energize and lead this diverse group. This is a strategic unit at the corporate level of a Fortune 10 company in the field of Insurance & Financial Services. We are a team responsible for consulting Business Units across the globe, in the realm of eBusiness. About the team: The Usability Team is tasked with improving the online Customer Experience across several global websites and applications. These include Content Websites, B2B/B2C Applications and Intranets.Applied Usability is a core focus of this team. We constantly Investigate cause and effect of design decisions that impact business value (like conversions), by a thorough analysis of usage metrics, user research and structured usability testing. We evangelize the benefits of Usability through case studies and Webinars to relevant audience members in Business Units.The Usability team is also involved in a number of initiatives that represent the next generation of activity in the online space. This includes the conceptualization of Rich Internet Application models that drive user engagement and conversion and conduct or supervise usability testing initiatives that include eye-tracking, multivariate testing and remote usability testing.Day-to-day operations of the team include providing guidance and effort to tactical activities being conducted by the Company and its Business Units.The Manager will undertake the following activities: Management of project allocation and deliverables across the IA teamLiaising with business units to gather their requirements, assess solutions and set timelinesRepresentation of the Usability team's capabilities from time to time to various business unitsAble to coordinate activities across time zones, specifically manage offshore usability activitiesManage and help drive the development of Corporate IA standards by the team, for implementation across the organizationAble to roll up sleeves if needed and perform hands-on work in the field of Information Architecture and Usability Engineering.Some activities include: Investigate cause and effect of design decisions that impact business value (like conversions), by a thorough analysis of usage metrics, user research and structured usability testing.Conceptualize Rich Internet Application models that drive user engagement and conversion.Create Corporate Standards for Information and Interaction design patterns.Conduct or supervise usability testing initiatives that include eye-tracking, multivariate testing and remote usability testing.Conducting Heuristic reviews of websites and web applications.Developing wireframes for websites that would be on boarded onto an Enterprise wide Content Management PlatformEstimating required IA effort for project activitiesLiaising with team members and Business Unit stakeholders in a multidisciplinary team environment.Managing personal timelines and deliverable commitments.Preferred Experience: 6 plus years as an IAExperience in UE techniques like user research, heuristic evaluation, card sorting, site metrics analysis and usability testingWork across multiple project types (Portals, Web Applications, Content Management Systems)Worked as a team leader, managed a team of IAs / Worked in a project management capacityWorked in challenging multi disciplinary team environmentsUnderstanding of Front-end technical layersManaged, mentored and trained teams of Information Architects and Usability Specialists.Set project agendas, worked on multiple projects simultaneously and ensured the timely delivery of work artifacts.Strong Client Servicing skillsExperience making strategic presentations to various layer of Senior ManagementDegree in Usability related field ( e.g. Cognitive Science, Human Factors, Research ) is a plus (not a must)Client Description: Our client is located in Jersey City, NJ and focuses on insurance and financial services. This is an excellent opportunity for a talent who is interested in great benefits, longevity and cutting-edge technology! About Aquent Aquent is the world's largest marketing staffing firm. For twenty years we've been the leader in helping marketing organizations find the people they need, on a freelance and direct hire basis, and in helping marketing professionals find the rewarding assignments they want. We represent talent in virtually every marketing discipline, from brand managers to copywriters, from data analysts to web designers and we were the first staffing company to offer complete benefits to all employees, including health, dental and 401(k). Aquent has 70 offices in 17 countries with over 11,000 professionals working at more then 3,000 companies. We work with two-thirds of the fortune 500 and 90 of the Fortune 100. If you would like to learn more about Aquent, please visit us at www.aquent.com. Aquent is an Equal Opportunity Employer.