Senior Experience Strategist (Hybrid)
About the role
As a Senior Service Designer on the M&T Experience Design & Innovation team, you will lead the design of service and touchpoint experiences within the Commercial Bank. You will ideate and conceptualize service concepts aligned to strategies defined by product and workstream leads, translate user/customer insights into opportunity spaces, and apply service design tools and methods (e.g., journey maps, service blueprints) to deliver differentiating service experiences. You will lead cross-functional teams, perform user/customer research in partnership with the User Experience Research team, and communicate rationale to partners across Product, Process, Finance, Research, Analytics, and Technology.
Responsibilities
- Lead team members dedicated to one or more opportunity spaces and connect to broader experience vision.
- Ideate and conceptualize service concepts aligned to strategies and provide recommendations for implementation.
- Lead cross-functional teams in design workshops using human-centered and design thinking methodologies.
- Perform user/customer research in partnership with our User Experience Research team.
- Translate user/customer insights into opportunity spaces for providing differentiating service experiences.
- Strategically choose and apply service design tools and methods (e.g., journey maps, service blueprints) that best fit the strategic outcomes of the program.
- Contribute example service design best practices for M&T Bank.
- Work closely with peers from Product, Process, Finance, Research, Analytics, and Technology.
- Communicate rationale to partners and collaborate with cross-functional peers.
- Adhere to applicable compliance/operational risk controls in accordance with Company or regulatory standards and policies.
- Promote an environment that supports belonging and reflects the M&T Bank brand.
- Maintain M&T internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by external regulators as applicable.
Scope of Responsibilities
The M&T Experience Design & Innovation team is a dedicated team of designers, developers, strategists, and leaders who believe in the transformative power of customer centricity. We combine deep human understanding with the bank’s full suite of capabilities to provide personal, connected, and surprisingly simple banking experiences that help our customers achieve their financial goals. We lead by example—staying curious, doing the work, and challenging assumptions at every turn. We’re bold enough to believe that great design can exist at a bank and that it can be a catalyst to bettering the lives of our customers and the communities we share with them.
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Service Design, Human Computer Interaction, Strategic Design, or similar, and a minimum of 3 years relevant experience, or in lieu of a degree, a combined minimum of 7 years education and/or relevant work/service design experience.
- Background in the design/user experience field, preferably demonstrated through an online portfolio.
- Experience creating service blueprints, illustrated journey maps, concept designs, service experience prototypes, empathy maps, and value proposition proposals to communicate ideas and designs.
- Hands-on experience designing for a variety of digital touchpoints and non-digital channels.
- Experience with conceptualization, ideation, and iterative prototyping, and with employing various methods to prototype service concepts such as staging and role-playing approaches.
- Ability to mentor and educate others on the value and principles of good experience design.
- Team player who is comfortable navigating ambiguity within a self-directed culture.
- Ability to establish strong working relationships with colleagues, clients, and key stakeholders.
- Experience conducting remote and in-person workshops; strong familiarity with supporting tools such as Miro and Webex.
- Proficiency in design and prototyping tools such as Adobe, Sketch, InVision, Figma or other similar tools used widely in the design community.
- Proficiency in industry best practices for digital and non-digital products and services.
- Experience with accessibility standards, cross-platform issues, mobile user interfaces and systems-thinking.
Core Competencies
- Customer Centric – Outside-in perspective with a focus on improving the customer experience
- Curiosity – Seeks out ways to improve the customer experience
- Resilient – Respectful of broad opinions and makes tough calls with ease
- Driven & Prioritization – Self-motivated and knows how to say no
- Challenges assumptions
- Decisive & Lead Taking – Sense of urgency with an ability to inspire followers
- Takes ownership with a strong sense of accountability
- Interdependent – Communicates and convenes others; reaches across boundaries
- Continuously seeks out ways to improve
Preferred Qualifications
- Familiarity with design systems
- Experience in financial services industry
- Consulting experience
Work Model & Office Locations
This role follows a hybrid work model, requiring onsite presence four days per week at one of M&T Bank’s regional offices. Candidates must reside within a reasonable commuting distance to one of the following locations:
- 345 Main Street, Buffalo, NY
- 115 Federal Street, Boston, MA
- 1 Light Street, Baltimore, MD
- 1350 I Street NW, Washington, DC
- 1100 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE
- 277 Park Avenue, New York, NY
- 850 Main Street, Bridgeport, CT
- 77 Pine Street, Burlington, VT
Travel Requirements
Employees in this position should be prepared to travel at least once per month. Travel frequency may fluctuate based on business demands and the nature of assigned projects. Employees located outside the Buffalo market are generally expected to travel more frequently than those already based there.
Pay
The pay range for this position is $85,800.00 – $143,000.00 Annual (USD). The successful candidate’s particular combination of knowledge, skills, and experience will inform their specific compensation.