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Sr Usability Manager, Staples Inc.
Mar 26 04
Source: CHI-Jobs
(Position is located in Framingham, MA which is about 25 minutes west of
Boston)
You've heard our company tagline: "That was easy." Now come join one of the key teams that is making that statement a reality.
About Our Team
The Staples Usability team continues to be one of the thought leaders in usability and is growing to meet company demand for our services. We are comprised of researchers, information architects and analytics experts. Our mission is to cut costs and increases sales by using science to predict behavior and optimize design. No easy task but one that is achievable with a focused, all-star team of experts all driving to the same goal.
About the Position
The Senior Usability Manager will be responsible for ensuring that all customer service and logistics touch points are easy for associates and customers. You will lead the usability of everything from putting GUIs on green screens to designing Knowledge Management systems to improving packing slips. You may even delve into the space of IVRs. Many of the interfaces in your purview will be facing CSRs, drivers and operations associates.
However, in the end, the associate experience trickles down to the customer so you will be finely tuned in to their experience as well.
As the ideal Senior Manager of Usability you will have a long and impressive track record of building usable solutions for both physical and electronic environments. You must produce airtight research that leads to actionable and decisive design recommendations. You must be a leader who can deliver a message with clarity and appropriate weight. You must have deep experience with CSRs and other call center/operations staff and have demonstrated effectiveness in working with a large, non-exempt workforce. You must, above all, be someone who knows how to balance business and user needs--no ivory tower types please.
If you are passionate about making the lives of customers and associates easier and know how to balance that with the business realities of "good enough" keep reading. If you think radiantly about new and better ways to conduct research and design solutions, the Staples Usability group may be right for you. If you are cookie cutter, afraid to take risks and don't push others to also think differently, stop reading now. If you are still with us and starting to get excited about this opportunity, see the details below.
Responsibilities
Strategy: Lead the functional strategy of Customer Service and Logistics applications by architecting research and design solutions that align with user, business and brand goals. Work closely with project owners to map business objectives to final design solutions. Serve as customer voice in production process by consistently communicating functional strategy.
Research: Lead Customer Service and Logistics applications data gathering by architecting and managing comprehensive research programs. Methodologies will consist of competitive reviews, focus groups, field studies, usability tests, surveys, cognitive walkthroughs and other means.
Responsible for full user research cycle including:
* Identify segmentation, user and business goals, and technical
requirements.
* Create tasks, screens needed for testing, and qualitative and
quantitative success criteria definition.
* Conduct research with participants.
* Aggregate findings and structure into findings document.
* Present findings to cross-functional group
* Work closely with business and technical development to improve
product based on recommendations
Conduct expert reviews of pages by applying scientific usability principles.
Will manage heuristic process including:
* Create heuristic model appropriate for research goals
* Document needs for changes or improvements based on the review.
* Rank the issues uncovered through the review into "must change" and
"should change" and communicate recommendations for improvements.
* Work closely with business and creative teams to improve product
based on recommendations
Design: Manage information architect's focus and workload to ensure that flows and wireframes meet user needs. Work closely with design team to translate strategy, research and requirements into designs that align with the business needs while simultaneously adhering to the easy brand promise.
Team Management: Locate and hire contractors as projects needs dictate.
Supervise those contractors in the completion of deliverables. Work with Usability Research Analyst to construct surveys.
Client Management: Serve as main client focal point for all usability, information architecture and analytics work. In that role, ensure that overall budgets and strategies are adhered to. Conducted ongoing status updates to quantify gains from work.
Qualifications
Minimum of an MS degree in Human Factors, Cognitive Psychology or related discipline required.
Minimum of 8 years of usability experience in a corporate or consulting environment required.
Minimum of 7 years experience managing a usability or interaction design team on large-scale projects required. Managing internal and contract employees essential.
Minimum of 5 years as usability researcher in call centers, operations, logistics and other CSR-facing interfaces required. Experience in a retail environment a huge plus.
Ability to build strong business and technical partnerships and navigate through complex, matrix-based organizations.
Experience putting a GUI on top of command line, green screen interface required. Sensitivity to the socialization of that process with end users a big plus.
Strong experience in usability testing practices and theory via demonstrated skill in conducting large-scale usability testing of corporate and call center applications.
Experience in managing the creation of wire frames, process maps, thumbnail flows and other functional design artifacts.
Keen ability to help define strategic goals of an application and the affect of user experience on business metrics
Deep understanding of human behavior as demonstrated through professional and educational study
Strong technical skills and versed in client server environments.
Understanding of computer platforms and browsers and the affects those variables have on the design of a system and ensuing impact to the user.
Experience in some or all of the following statistical methodologies a big
plus: correlations, t-tests, regressions, ANOVAs, and assessing scale reliability and validity.
Approximately 15%-20% travel required.
Please direct all correspondence to Jason Dietz at jason.dietz at staples.com.