Job Description:
As an IBM Z UX Designer / Researcher, you will assume ownership of design deliverables on your product, either as an individual contributor or leader of a design team. Fusing your understanding of customer needs, deep domain knowledge and familiarity with the positioning and strategy behind your products, you are seen as a subject matter expert in your domain, leading your team to develop high-quality, experience-led solutions that meet end-user expectations while delivering business value. You are adept with conducting UX research and comfortable developing and executing research goals and plans.

You have a passion for technology and the capacity to learn and understand complex technical details. You will also assume a degree of responsibility in meeting business success metrics.
Having built expertise in the UX craft, competency in design research and effective collaboration skills working in multidisciplinary teams, you will apply your knowledge and expertise to advocate for customer needs and drive exemplary product experiences. You will actively contribute to our design community's health, culture, and success through your involvement in community-focused initiatives and through mentorship of junior teammates and other colleagues.
Role and Responsibilities
Core Responsibilities
• Develop fluency in your portfolio's business strategy and the value proposition of the product(s) within your scope.
• Align the design work of your team with product strategies and user experience insights/requirements.
• Execute product/project design deliverables in alignment with project timeline and roadmap milestones.
• Create wireframes and develop prototype of design concepts based on clear understanding of users, clients, and their desired outcomes and in accordance with interaction design principles.
• Determine types of research needed on individual initiatives and develop research goals and plans.
• Take ownership of work product and perform daily tasks with autonomy.
• Support and guide individual designers through leadership, coaching, and mentoring.
• Be an SME that acts as the voice of the customers.

Cross-Functional Responsibilities
• Lead design efforts for a product(s) / project(s).
• Advocate for end user experience, steer development in a different direction when needed.
• Work with Agile product team leaders to measure progress and review design outcomes (via playbacks).
• Be an active member of your team(s) by attending and presenting playbacks, coaching designers, providing input in the prioritization of the product backlog.
• When applicable, participate in planning and other product delivery processes.
• Drive consistency and quality of design deliverables.
• Participate in cross-disciplinary collaboration to facilitate innovation.

Functional Responsibilities
• Execute product/project UX design deliverables in alignment with project timeline and roadmap milestones.
• Create wireframes and develop prototypes of design concepts based on clear understanding of users, clients, and their desired outcomes and in accordance with interaction design principles.
• Determine types of research needed on individual initiatives and develop research goals and plans.
• Utilize research insights to drive prioritization of product backlog and roadmap.
• Develop strong storytelling capabilities.
• Facilitate and lead design thinking workshops.
• Actively lead efforts benefiting the design community (e.g., innovation processes, design direction, community building).
• Shares expertise at studio-wide events.
• Develop mid-level skill in design for AI.
• Develop mid-level knowledge of IBM Experience Standards.

Required Technical and Professional Expertise

• Have at least 3 years of experience in prioritizing and delivering roadmaps as part of a development organization.
• An understanding and experience of product management principles, including market analysis, product roadmap development, feature prioritization, and stakeholder management.
• Involvement in managing products from concept to launch.
• Ability to understand customer needs, gather feedback, and incorporate customer insights into the development and enhancement of solutions to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively and articulate the value proposition of compilation technologies, communicate product requirements, and effectively engage with stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong leadership skills that will enable you to inspire and motivate cross-functional teams, drive collaboration, and foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.

Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise

• Strong understanding of applications and architectures within the z/OS environment.
• Experience in developing applications on the z/OS platform, as well as experience and familiarity of the z/OS environment, tools, and development practices