My New Job!

Sr. Information Architect

Combining technical knowledge with a customer-focused approach to our site, Information Architects are responsible for determining how the interactive user interfaces we build should work. If you want to join one of the most talented Creative teams in the area and help us build a terrific online customer experience, then we want to talk with you.

An Information Architect creates the plans that are used by other team members to develop the graphical user interface, content and functionality. He/She is responsible for consulting with clients about their business goals, proposes front-end architectural solutions and strategies that meet both users' and business needs, organizes site content and functionality by creating site blueprints/wireframes, creates identifiable nomenclature for users, creates navigation systems that support users' needs, analyzes, develops and refines user tasks/processes, and collaborates with the Design and Development teams to build user interfaces.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Concept




• Propose and lead project definition activities when project scope requires


• Work with other project team members to define methods to be used, including competitive audits and secondary research


• Work with Creative Management and Business to suggest research areas outside of projects




2. Design




• Create process flows, site maps, wireframes and screen prototypes that will advance the company's merchandising, business, marketing or branding objectives


• Present chosen design to project and business teams for review


• Work with engineering leads to determine efficacy of given solution




3. Specification




• Produce highly accurate wireframe documentation and other specifications required to implement design


• Work with Product Manager and team to define documentation scope


• Review project PRD to ensure correct translation of design




4. Creative QA




• Provide QA feedback to and consult with HTML, Engineering and PM teams prior to launch


• Ensure that pages match wireframe spec


• Aware of competitors' best practices


• Participate in formal and informal design critiques; give effective feedback to peers

Required Qualifications:

1. Competencies: skills, knowledge & abilities

Functional Competencies:



• Conduct and participate in concept generation activities including the development of: user profiles, user scenarios, organizational models, task models and feature lists


• Conduct and participate in project definition activities including: business requirement gathering, site assessment, competitive analysis, secondary research, etc.


• Create process flows, site maps, wireframes, screen prototypes and functional specifications


• Work in multidisciplinary teams to map user research, test findings and input from product managers into business objectives


• Work closely with visual designers and writers to develop the final look, feel and tone of the final interface


• Maintain good relationships and communication with Engineering Data Integration team


• Make solid recommendations about which content issues are critical, and follow up on issues to be fixed later


• Understand the importance of flexibility and the balance of speed and quality


• Provide thorough QA oversight and consultation during technical implementation


• Collaborate successfully within the UE team, User Research, Creative team and across the company


• Work with Lead IA, UE Director, PM's and producers on project planning for IA activities on their projects



Interpersonal Competencies:



• Very good project management skills: able to work on multiple projects, reprioritize as needed and consistently deliver on time


• Escalate issues appropriately to manager and project team


• Set project schedules and estimate/manage own time accurately and effectively


• Anticipate potential project problems and create solutions or contingency plans


• Flexible, highly organized, and able to recommend priorities for projects


• Demonstrate willingness to teach and contribute to the team


• Take a proactive approach to creative and cross-functional communication


• Actively seek out feedback from manager and peers; improve own performance based on that feedback


• Anticipate potential problems and offer solutions



Leadership Competencies:



• Demonstrate a high level of integrity and maturity


• Respect for the Individual
  
• Service to our Customers
  
• Strive for Excellence


• Set and take direction, and can think conceptually about a project


• Excellent understanding of project context


• Able to persuade/influence team members, sell ideas effectively, get results and follow through


• Understand company goals, sales goals and relationship with home office


• Accountable for own projects


• Ownership of projects with new or complex functionality, with input and feedback from manager


• Present ideas effectively, and is a strong communicator in a variety of presentation situations


• Demonstrate initiative and resourcefulness




2. Experience:




• 3+ years of web-based information architecture or interaction design experience, including the design of the overall architecture of one or more Web sites, and moderate to advanced transactional design experience; e-commerce experience preferred


• Experience in client services and negotiating business decisions


• Experience observing user research and translating user research into design decisions


• Internet usability/user interface best practices


• Exceptional information presentation (graphic and written) experience


• Web design experience, including the capabilities of Web browsers across multiple platforms and new technologies a plus


• Expert proficiency with Visio required; experience with the following is helpful: Word, Illustrator, Photoshop, PowerPoint and various HTML editors




3. Minimum Educational Level:




• Bachelors or Masters degree in HCI, Information Science, and/or design disciplines (industrial, graphic, instructional, architecture), or other relevant field