Vice President, Head of User Experience (UX) (Ames)

Workiva delivers the world's leading AI platform for mission-critical work in the Office of the CFO and beyond. Finance, sustainability and GRC teams at more than 6,000 organizations (e.g. Google, T-Mobile, NY Life, Amgen, Slack) rely on Workiva as the collaboration platform for their most important work. People all over the world use our connected, AI-platform to simplify their most complex challenges at enterprise scale.

The Vice President, Head of User Experience is a leader of leaders who is experienced in managing global design teams to produce world-class applications. The VP of UX will lead a 50+ team of designers, researchers, and content designers who work in partnership with product and technology teams. At Workiva, UX is centralized and supports all our products. Thus, UX is responsible for ensuring a consistent, coherent experience that delights all our customers. The VP of UX sets the strategic vision and goals for the UX Directors and Managers, translating business context and goals into a UX action plan. We are looking for strong people management, operations experience, high business acumen, and strong execution abilities.

What You'll Do

Translate company strategy into operational goals and metrics for the team that serve to align and motivate employee performance

Align with other teams and departments to analyze, monitor, forecast, and prioritize initiatives in accordance with organizational priorities and strategic plan

Scale team processes to foster operational excellence in the craft of UX including the use of leading AI-tools

Build a strong, sustainable organization with high levels of employee engagement by attracting and developing exceptional talent and rewarding high performance of teams and individuals

Provides leaders with coaching on their design leadership and decision-making, people management, and communication skills. Give feedback in a constructive and effective way. Provide developmental opportunities, including leadership development, to enhance their skills, motivation, and performance

Workiva is committed to executives that embody and model Servant Leadership qualities. We expect executives to create an atmosphere of respect, mutual support, flexibility, continuous learning, good humor, and commitment to business goals and customer needs to fulfill the company vision

Establish and maintain relationships and effectively communicate with customers, business unit leaders and senior management to raise visibility of UX and ensure collaboration with appropriate key stakeholders

Work with design leaders on a strategy to establish guidelines, principles, and standards to ensure design alignment across teams for a consistent user experience

Work with the Research Director to establish a comprehensive research strategy, including an evaluation of methodologies and processes for ensuring that insights are usable and communicated to impact design decisions. Ensure alignment in approach and effective communication across product teams

What You'll Need

Minimum Qualifications

15+ years of progressive relevant experience in user experience, with strong case studies demonstrating measurable impacts, preferably in B2B software development or other related technology areas

At least 10 years of leadership experience in design management

A B.A. or B.S. degree in human-computer interaction, psychology, computer science or software engineering preferred. Advanced degrees such as MA, PhD, or MBA are desirable but not required

Preferred Qualifications

Demonstrated ability to conceive and articulate a compelling vision, supported by effective strategy and execution

Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, frameworks and methodologies, and experience applying them to real-world problems rooted in user insights and feedback throughout the product lifecycle

Demonstrates a solid understanding of user experience principles and B2B research methodologies

Building and scaling design organizations beyond 50+ individuals

Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and build relationships with stakeholders at all levels

Experience working in an Agile development environment

Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use collected data and analytics to inform design decisions

Experience with a wide range of design and prototyping tools, such as Sketch, Figma, InVision, and Adobe Creative Suite

Ability to effectively recruit, retain, and nurture a culture of excellence, depth and healthy team relationships

Strong customer orientation, ability to dive deep, and strong problem-solving skills

Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

Availability for 25-30% travel required to meet with teams in other offices, customers, vendors, and / or suppliers, attend trade shows, etc.

Reliable internet access for any period of time working remotely, not in a Workiva office

How You'll Be Rewarded

Salary range in the US : $270,000.00 - $351,000.00

A discretionary bonus typically paid annually

Restricted Stock Units granted at time of hire

401(k) match and comprehensive employee benefits package

The salary range represents the low and high end of the salary range for this job in the US. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a wide range of factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience and other relevant factors.

Employment decisions are made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other protected characteristic.

Workiva is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. To request assistance with the application process, please email talentacquisition@workiva.com.

Workiva employees are required to undergo comprehensive security and privacy training tailored to their roles, ensuring adherence to company policies and regulatory standards.

Workiva supports employees in working where they work best - either from an office or remotely from any location within their country of employment.

#LI-LP1