Director, Design Client Experience

About the role

As the Director of Design Client Experience at Thrivent, you will be a dynamic leader focused on strategic vision, growing talent, and driving execution. You will lead and mentor a team of managers, focusing on new value creation, organization-wide leadership, and operational excellence. With your significant management experience and killer skills in design, you will drive the development of innovative practices that drive increased value and appreciation of design both internally and externally.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of designers, focusing on strategic vision, talent growth, and execution excellence.
• Excel in one area of design, with strong proficiency in two others, and capability in two additional areas.
• Use design methods not just to solve execution problems but to identify new opportunities for value creation.
• Complete the shift to 'program' and work across multiple workstreams, driving the development of new practices that drive increased value and appreciation of design.
• Frame research initiatives and prioritize when to execute research to inform strategic decisions and identify new opportunities.
• Take an active role in company-wide leadership initiatives, shaping entire user experiences.
• Use storytelling and persuasion to connect strategy and vision with day-to-day practicality, driving meetings and stakeholder communication effectively.
• Develop a holistic understanding of organizational context and line of business strategy.
• Appreciate broader organizational efforts around culture, work, and values, and articulate a compelling vision for the team.
• Create the team you need by defining problems with cross-functional leads and managing managers.
• Coach managers toward strong people management practices and drive broader organizational efforts around culture, work, and values.
• Recruit, develop, and sustain a high-performing team while promoting a culture of shared accountability, operational excellence, and partnership across the organization.
• Support and/or develop an environment in which Thrivent employees and colleagues are focused on continuous improvement, exceptional employee engagement, and an unwavering commitment to our clients.
• Shape and/or support a culture that represents the Thrivent purpose, promise and values, ensuring that Thrivent's trust and reputation remain strong with its clients.
• Model Thrivent's leadership competencies – Model the Way, Rally the Team, and Deliver Outcomes.

Audience and influence

• Design Managers and Principal Designers (direct supervision and management)
• Cross-functional Product and Engineering peers (collaboration)
• Cross-functional organizational stakeholders (collaboration, presentations)
• Product, Design, and Engineering VPs and EVPs (presentations)

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Interaction Design, UI/UX Design, Web Product Design, Web Development or any combination of education and experience which would provide an equivalent background
• 12+ years of experience in a related field, with 5-8 years of experience in user experience, interaction design, product innovation and research in a product development team required
• Proven experience in leading and mentoring design teams, with significant management experience and the ability to recruit and hire top talent
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire teams to achieve their goals
• Ability to drive the development of innovative practices that drive increased value and appreciation of design with a strategic mindset
• Strong strategic communication skills, with the ability to connect vision with day-to-day practicality
• Holistic understanding of organizational context and line of business strategy, with the ability to articulate a compelling vision for the team
• Experience in talent management; including experience in recruiting, hiring, and professional development
• Experience in annual and ad hoc headcount planning for the organization and securing necessary budget

Preferred

• Strategic design thinking and the ability to contribute to the overall design strategy of the organization
• Knowledge and experience working in diversified financial services
• Experience working within a product operating model at scale

Pay

The applicable salary range for this full-time role is $177,984.00 - $240,803.00 per year, which factors in various geographic regions. The base pay actually offered will be determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, location, relevant experience, skills, and knowledge, business needs, market demand, and other factors Thrivent deems important.

Benefits

The following benefits may be offered: various bonuses (including, for example, annual or long-term incentives); medical, dental, and vision insurance; health savings account; flexible spending account; 401k; pension; life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance; disability insurance; supplemental protection insurance; 20 days of Paid Time Off each year; Sick and Safe Time; 10 paid company holidays; Volunteer Time Off; paid parental leave; EAP; well-being benefits, and other employee benefits. Eligibility for receipt of these benefits is subject to the applicable plan/policy documents. Thrivent's plans/policies are subject to change at any time at Thrivent's discretion.