Introduction
This position is in the IBM The Weather Company business (TWC) or a shared services function supporting TWC. On August 22 2023, a definitive agreement was signed, under which Francisco Partners, a leading global investment firm that specializes in partnering with technology businesses, will acquire The Weather Company assets from IBM. It is currently expected that as of February 1, 2024, this position will be in a new company that is separate from IBM. Through increased investment and resources from Francisco Partners, The Weather Company will look to move beyond forecasting alone and bring new tools and experiences to users to help them understand how weather impacts all aspects of their lives, starting with health and well-being. For businesses, The Weather Company plans to offer more actionable insights so organizations can provide greater value to their customers. With its advertising platform, The Weather Company will continue to provide quality real-time experiences for the ad and subscription media industry, while complying with all consumer privacy laws and regulations. Don’t miss your opportunity to influence the future of our company!

Your Role and Responsibilities

We are seeking a seasoned Senior Design Leader to join our dynamic Aviation team at IBM. In this pivotal role, you will play a key part in re-imagining and modernizing the user experience for our enterprise products within The Weather Company Aviation portfolio.

Your Contributions:

Product Design Leadership:

• Engage in every facet of the product creation process, from ideation to post-launch refinement, utilizing your expertise in strategy, UX, interaction, and visual design.
• Leverage your diverse skill set to steer and influence outstanding product outcomes, collaborating with industry leaders to shape the future of our Aviation ecosystem.

Strategic Collaboration:

• Work closely with science, product, development, and research teams to strategize, conceptualize, and design user experiences for our enterprise Aviation offerings, guiding projects from inception to launch.
• Conceptualize, validate, and iterate on innovative ideas that captivate, attract new clients, and address customer and business needs in the Aviation sector.

Design Leadership and Management:

• Lead design discovery activities to identify products and features most valuable to our customers.
• Conduct design thinking workshops, both internally and with clients, contributing to user requirement gathering and definition.
• Develop and iterate on proof-of-concept prototypes, leading presentations to stakeholders in playbacks and new business opportunities.
• Lead, inspire, and manage a small yet impactful design team, providing day-to-day guidance and fostering trust across the organization.

Design Expertise:

Conceptualization and Prototyping:

• Work independently or collaboratively to swiftly sketch and prototype ideas.
• Execute user flows and high/low fidelity wireframes against complex requirements and workflows to enhance ease of use and customer satisfaction.
• Create interaction models and UI details that optimize user experiences, contributing to the systematic and thoughtful growth of the design system.

User Research and Testing:

• Collaborate with user research teams to develop testing plans and distill insights for continuous improvement.
• Design and direct visually compelling interfaces and visualizations that surpass expectations and delight our customers.

Brand and Design System Advocacy:

• Champion The Weather Company brand and Design System, collaborating with designers and leaders to establish, maintain, and document design style guides for consistency across properties.

Workflow Optimization:

• Prioritize work effectively, manage and plan design sprints, and optimize the design-to-development workflow.
• Assist in constructing roadmaps alongside product and developer peers.
• Provide constructive and practical feedback to designers and developers, facilitating decision-making and progress.

Join us at IBM and be a driving force in transforming the landscape of enterprise products through the power of design and innovation.

Required Technical and Professional Expertise

• Extensive experience (in-house or agency) in roles such as Senior Lead Product Designer, Director, Principal User Experience Designer, Associate Creative Director, or equivalent positions.
• Background in innovative product design, demonstrating a track record of successfully leading product and content design teams.
• Strong design aesthetic with a proven ability to generate creative ideas and proof-of-concepts (POCs).
• Proficiency in leading workshops with clients, employing design thinking methodologies to effectively solve complex problems
• Expert knowledge of design and prototyping tools, including but not limited to Sketch, inVision, Adobe Creative Suite, Mural, and Figma.
• A killer portfolio that shows your passion for design and showcases your ability to create impactful and innovative solutions.

Preferred Technical and Professional Expertise