UX Researcher

Job Description

UX Researcher – Institutional Marketing R&D Team

Make investing intuitive through the user experience

Financial services firms are constantly seeking opportunities to differentiate themselves and disrupt the marketplace. Vanguard is no different: Disruption has been part of the culture since our founding. Today, digital experiences play a critical role in engaging users, even more so in an increasingly virtual environment. As a UX researcher on a newly formed innovation team, you will be integral to driving our next disruption. You’ll establish the team’s research strategy; conduct user research; analyze insights to identify key user needs; help define problem spaces; and collaborate with design developers, strategists and marketing pods to test, measure, and implement prototypes. The ideal candidate will have a passion for human-centered design and strong interpersonal skills. Experience with emerging technologies is a plus.

In this role, you will...

• Provides usability services for business and IT teams for web or mobile applications across multiple platforms for mid-scale scope projects. Recommends appropriate quantitative or qualitative approach to gather necessary insights from clients or prospects.
• Plans, designs, and conducts user research, usability, and heuristic evaluations studies. Reviews research on human factors response to bring value to Vanguard's business, technology, and processes.
• Conducts user interviews and contextual inquiries to identify user needs and gather user feedback. Ensures privacy and conducts sessions in a professional manner.
• Analyzes, summarizes, and presents results to design teams and mid-level decision makers. Suggests strategies to gain buy-in from the business.
• Contributes actionable suggestions based on knowledge of target user base and usability best practices. Educates project teams and crew regarding usability’s purpose and value.
• Identifies quantitative and qualitative usability opportunities and presents findings and recommendations to project teams. Presents usability findings to leaders and negotiates adoption of critical usability recommendations with guidance and support from more senior user experience crew.
• Assists in building usability principles and practices at Vanguard. Trains and mentors junior staff in best practices of user experience research. Provides guidance, training, and motivation.
• Participates in special projects and performs other duties as assigned.

Institutional Marketing R&D Team: Discovering the future experience

The newly formed Institutional Marketing R&D Team researches, prototypes, tests, and scales existing and emerging technologies to create cutting-edge experiences that align business goals with the needs and ambitions of Vanguard’s Institutional clients. Our team is rooted in the intersection of three core pillars of human-centered design—desirability, feasibility, and viability.

What it takes...

• Minimum five years related work experience.
• Undergraduate degree or equivalent combination of training and experience in a creative or technical field.

About Vanguard

We are Vanguard. Together, we’re changing the way the world invests.

For us, investing doesn’t just end in value. It starts with values. Because when you invest with courage, when you invest with clarity, and when you invest with care, you can get so much more in return. We invest with purpose – and that’s how we’ve become a global market leader. Here, we grow by doing the right thing for the people we serve. And so can you.

We want to make success accessible to everyone. This is our opportunity. Let’s make it count.

Inclusion Statement

Vanguard’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly rooted in our culture. Every decision we make to best serve our clients, crew (internally employees are referred to as crew), and communities is guided by one simple statement: “Do the right thing.”

We believe that a critical aspect of doing the right thing requires building diverse, inclusive, and highly effective teams of individuals who are as unique as the clients they serve. We empower our crew to contribute their distinct strengths to achieving Vanguard’s core purpose through our values.

When all crew members feel valued and included, our ability to collaborate and innovate is amplified, and we are united in delivering on Vanguard's core purpose.

Our core purpose: To take a stand for all investors, to treat them fairly, and to give them the best chance for investment success.