Sr. Manager - Experienced Design Lead

Job Category IT/Software Development Job Reference Code PCK150-30818 Req ID: 7998Required Education: Not IndicatedRequired Experience: 5-7 YearsDescription: Expedia, Inc. is the world’s leading online travel company, empowering business and leisure travelers with the tools and information they need to easily research, plan, book and experience travel. Expedia, Inc. also provides in-destination concierge service and activity desks for travelers. The Expedia, Inc. portfolio of brands includes: Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Hotwire.com, Egencia, TripAdvisor, Expedia Local Expert, Classic Vacations and ELong. Expedia, Inc.’s companies operate more than 50 global points of sale with sites in North America, South America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Expedia, Inc. is a component of the S&P 500 index. For more information, visit http://www.expediainc.com/ (NASDAQ: EXPE).JOIN A WINNING TEAMExpedia is the world leader in online travel services. For us, travel happens in tomorrows. It’s about having a vision. Planning ahead. Getting the tools you need. Think about your career that way. As in, what’s next?At Expedia, growing in your career is more than a possibility - it’s a reality. You’ll find a variety of training programs here and new products to really get your wheels spinning.Our enthusiasm for what we do is our proudest asset. It shows in our products, our well-traveled customers, and the inspired people who work here. We aim to improve everything we touch, and we're very proud of our achievements. Our industry agrees, too. So come be a part of a dynamic, growing, energetic, passionate company producing world-class creative recognized as the “Best in Travel Web Sites� by the Webby Awards, the “Most Innovative Company� by the American Business Awards (Stevies) and the “Best of the Web� by Forbes.YOUR EXPERTISE MAKES US EVEN BETTERThe Experience Design Lead brings together expertise in the disciplines of content strategy, information design, usability, analytics and research in order to improve the user experience, site architecture and content presentation for Expedia.com. The right candidate will lead an Experience Design Team consisting of information architects, content strategists, design analysts and user researchers in creating customer-centric solutions that drive business success. The Experience Design team plays a major role in the discovery phase of projects with a primary focus of translating business goals and objectives into tactical solutions. The UX Lead advocates for the user in all work efforts and defines the roles and interactions of the team under his/her direction. In addition to directly managing practitioners, the UX Leads partners with the Associate Creative Director, Creative Services Manager and Copy Manager to define process and ensure all teams are working toward the same goals. PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES• Identify areas of opportunity to improve the user experience and better serve business needs; advocate for solutions and create business cases to present to executive leadership; apply analytics and research to support the customer-centric value proposition.• Oversee the individualized work efforts of IAs, Content Strategists, and Researchers to ensure there is collaboration and mutual support without redundancy or conflict between roles.• Manage career development and establish clear career paths for all direct reports.• Partner with Technology, Production and Product Development teams to help improve reporting and analysis and ensure new development projects incorporate UX best practices.• Install processes for the gathering of business requirements and then oversee the translation of strategic objectives into tactical solutions that account for and support the needs of the marketing, merchandising, media solutions, and promotion teams.• Retain a site-wide usability viewpoint that transcends individual projects or campaigns to focus on providing an intuitive, logical experience that supports multiple mental models.• Remain current on the competitive landscape in order to make recommendations as to ways to enhance Expedia’s value proposition within the marketplace.• Review site maps, flow documents, taxonomies and wireframes; assist in the crafting of usability tests and studies; assess test data and provide thought leadership in determining next steps.• Be a first reviewer of proposed design solutions to ensure they are thoughtful, intuitive and will deliver against the define goals.• Help to establish measurable metrics for site success. • Assist in planning for segmentation and/or customized/personalized experiences; help create a corporate viewpoint on UGC and community.• Assist in plans for improving SEO and user engagement/affinity.• Serve as a company-wide watchdog to help avoid costly design redundancies.• Partner with Product Development to identify and reduce excessive features that miss the needs of the user.• Work with the creative team, editorial, sales, marketing and product development to create strategically relevant online solutions that enhance our brand and its positioning.• Set team priorities and effectively manage time as a "player" and "coach". • Understand how creative and content decisions affect timelines and budgets.• Identify and assess available resources - manage team workflow and client expectations MINIMUM SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED• 6+ years of Interactive Design experience• BA or higher degree in related field of study (IA, content practices, User Interface design, E-commerce, etc.)• Strong communication and presentation skills• Minimum of 3 years direct supervisory/management experience• Strong knowledge of information architecture and content strategy• Strong understanding of online/Internet communities• Experience with designing for multiple customer segments across several product lines• Demonstratable knowledge of commerce and transaction experiences• History of success in all phases and aspects of customer-centric design from motivating the sale to driving engagement to designing registration and crafting intuitive check-out processes• Passion for travelEXPEDIA RECRUITER: Scott Corrigan.Additional Information: Travel Percentage: 5%