Director, UX and Journey Research

Director, UX and Journey Research

Apply locations Toronto, Ontario; Waterloo, Ontario

Time type: Full time

Posted on: Posted Yesterday

Job requisition id: JR00103870

You are as unique as your background, experience, and point of view. Here, you’ll be encouraged, empowered, and challenged to be your best self. You'll work with dynamic colleagues - experts in their fields - who are eager to share their knowledge with you. Your leaders will inspire and help you reach your potential and soar to new heights. Every day, you'll have new and exciting opportunities to make life brighter for our Clients - who are at the heart of everything we do. Discover how you can make a difference in the lives of individuals, families, and communities around the world.

Job Description:

Are you a proven Client Experience (CX) leader who is obsessed with understanding client needs, market trends, and business strategy as the foundation for designing exceptional client experiences? Do you excel at leading both UX Research and Journey Research strategy, functions, and teams? Are your formal people management skills well developed?

Note that this is a Research and Insights focused leadership role. The insights provided by your team will fuel the continuous changes and improvements that the Design teams will craft and implement.

Reporting to the AVP, CX Insights and Loyalty, in the Canadian Client Experience Office (CXO), the Director, UX and Journey Research is responsible for working with stakeholders across the organization to identify, define, and shape key client experiences across our products, services, and channels.

In this role, you will lead change, inspire innovation, and build alignment by providing insights for priority journey and progressive digital experiences. You will work directly with colleagues in CXO, the business units, technology, and marketing to create industry-leading client experiences that drive CX and business outcomes. As the Director, UX and Journey Research, you will manage a team of both UX researchers and Journey researchers with the goal to integrate various forms of experience design insights and analytics to make key decisions, drive client-centric value, and increase our stakeholder CSAT scores.

Canada Insights Operating Model and Program

• Lead a team of UX and Journey research consultants dedicated to supporting our new Insights Operating Model.
• Focus on the integration of UX and Journey insights to provide our teams and partners a broad picture of our stakeholders, who they are, and what their actions and their needs are, in order to support better decision-making at the project and strategy level.
• Partner with UX and Journey Design teams to provide them with holistic actionable insights.
• Deliver timely and actionable experience design research insights that are easily understood and available to all the appropriate audiences to make CX improvements.
• Work closely with our Business Unit (BU) partners to disseminate key insights in order to help drive and influence stakeholder-centric decisions, short/long term impacts to our business, and increase our stakeholder satisfaction scores.

Lead and plan UX and Journey research to generate actionable service design insights

• Lead the identification, collection, and analysis of key data and insights to prioritize journeys and interactions across various channels.
• Provide Journey and UX research expertise to deliver insights to improve CX by influencing planning, design, and measurement activities.
• Partner with Product and Business to support short-term and long-term CX roadmaps that identify key changes required to deliver the target client experience and measurable business and client outcomes.
• Onboard new and leverage existing UX research and digital experience measurement tools to provide end-to-end insights to improve processes and digital experiences.
• Uphold the North Star for OneSun client journeys and mobile-first experiences across the organization.
• Through research insights, facilitate the design and development of various features/functions into experience level programs at a journey level and work closely with UX Design and Marketing to bring these experiences to life.
• Oversee market research studies to explore client usage, behavior, perceptions, beliefs, attitudes, and values by leveraging qualitative and quantitative methodologies (interviews, focus groups, surveys, ethnography, etc.). Conduct workshops to identify and assess capabilities to improve the business outcome and client satisfaction.
• Build a deep understanding of our key clients, client segments, and personas (retail clients, group members, advisors, and sponsors) and their client journeys.
• Proactively share client insights with partners and team members and take clear steps to help build a “client-obsessed” culture within Sun Life.
• Inform and influence annual planning and roadmaps through an expert knowledge of client needs, market trends, and business strategy.
• Advocate and be a champion for Client Experience across the organization.

What do you need to succeed?

• 10+ years’ experience in Journey and UX research, preferably in the financial services, insurance, or enterprise domain.
• Extensive experience in quantitative and qualitative research, including user interviews, usability studies (moderated and unmoderated), ethnographic research, etc.
• Experience leading and managing teams responsible for Journey and UX research.
• Experience with an Agile process and mindset.
• Post-secondary education in Business and Market Research, and/or in one of the following areas:

• User Experience / UX Design or a related field.
• Social Sciences (Psychology, Anthropology, Sociology, Communications, Economics, etc.).
• Human-Computer Interaction / Human Factors.
• Systems Design Engineering.

• Understanding of behavioral psychology theory and application, along with strong familiarity with behavioral science/economics literature will be considered an asset.
• Expert collaboration skills, working with various levels of stakeholders and partners to take action; includes executives, product leaders, business, and development teams.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to influence and impact decision-making.
• A demonstrated record of driving business results and organizational change through UX and Journey insights.
• Well-developed analytical skills: able to review data, summarize key findings/trends, and communicate recommendations to multiple audiences.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.

What’s in it for you?

• Being a member of the Sun Life family, a group of people united by our Purpose: to help Clients and Employees achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives.
• Being part of our transformation journey to better meet the health, wealth, and protection needs of our clients.
• A friendly, collaborative, and inclusive culture.
• Work-life balance by scheduling your day around your priorities and having more time to spend on the important things.
• Competitive salary and bonus structure influenced by market range data.
• Flexible Benefits from the day you join to meet the needs of you and your family.
• Pension, stock, and savings programs to help build and enhance your future financial security.
• Joining a reputable organization with over 150 years of history.
• Canada Order of Excellence for Mental Health at Work certification from Excellence Canada. Sun Life is one of only four companies in Canada to ever receive this certification – 2024.
• Top Work Places for Remote Work – Monster Canada - 2024.
• Great Place to Work Certified for Most Trusted Executive Team in Canada – 2024 and 2023.
• Great Place to Work Certified for Best Workplaces in Canada – 2024 and 2022.
• Great Place to Work Certified for Best Workplaces for Women in Canada - 2024.
• Great Place to Work Certified for Best Workplaces in Ontario - 2023.
• Great Place to Work Certified in Canada in Financial Services and Insurance – 2023.
• Great Place to Work list for Best Workplaces for #HybridWork – 2022.
• Great Place to Work list for Best Workplaces for Professional Development in Canada – 2022.
• Named “Best Places to Work” by Glassdoor – 2021 and 2023.
• Flexible hybrid work model #LI-Hybrid.

The Base Pay range is for the primary location for which the job is posted. It may vary depending on the work location of the successful candidate or other factors. In addition to Base Pay, eligible Sun Life employees participate in various incentive plans, payment under which is discretionary and subject to individual and company performance. Certain sales-focused roles have sales incentive plans based on individual or group sales results.

Diversity and inclusion have always been at the core of our values at Sun Life. A diverse workforce with wide perspectives and creative ideas benefits our clients, the communities where we operate, and all of us as colleagues. We welcome applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds.

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process or those needing job postings in an alternative format may e-mail a request to thebrightside@sunlife.com.

At Sun Life we strive to create a flexible work environment where our employees are empowered to do their best work. Several flexible work options are available and can be discussed throughout the selection process depending on the role requirements and individual needs.

We thank all applicants for showing an interest in this position. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Salary Range: 120,000/120 000 - 190,000/190 000

Job Category: Client / User Experience Design

Posting End Date: 10/12/2024

Shine together

At Sun Life, you can be your most brilliant self. Our supportive, flexible, and inclusive work environment is one where you – and your career – can thrive. Whatever your aspirations, collaborative leaders and colleagues are ready to help you learn, grow, and succeed.

We’re a global company with a passion for people. Our purpose is to help Clients achieve lifetime financial security and live healthier lives. As a team of 30,000 across 26 countries, our impact is far-reaching and locally relevant. There’s power in numbers. As part of Sun Life’s growing team, you have an impact on people in your community and around the world.

Shape the future

With an optimistic eye on a brighter future, we drive to innovate. Be part of leading change, push boundaries, and try new ways of working. Use data to drive bold actions. Be agile and pivot as we test and learn. At Sun Life, we’re driving transformation, sustainability, and innovation for our Clients, employees, partners, and communities. Join us. Together, we can make the future brighter.