Senior Design Lead

Sr. Design Team Lead

Edward Jones' Journey Design & Innovation Portfolio is pioneering something new in financial services: the first experience division to own and direct firm-wide client journeys. As a Sr. Design Team Lead, you're not just shipping designs—you're envisioning the future. You design 5 years ahead, creating compelling future-state visions that show what's possible, backed by evidence, and presented in ways that inspire the entire organization to act. You're establishing how a partnership-based financial firm thinks about and creates human-centered experiences. You're the bridge between executive vision and execution excellence, the quality bar for your team, and the advocate who ensures design decisions connect to measurable business outcomes. You have craft excellence and see AI as a craft multiplier. You're fluent in business metrics that matter to Edward Jones: client satisfaction scores (OSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), conversion rates, time-to-onboard, assets under care growth, and operational efficiency. You lead with influence.

Each design team is built around a core structure: Sr. Design Team Lead (this role) most senior designer, responsible for strategy, quality, and delivery, Design Researcher, who conducts research and synthesizes customer insights, Visual Communication Designer, who creates visual systems and refined interfaces, additional specialists, who are added based on project complexity and needs. Although you will lead the day-to-day work of this squad, this role is not a formal people management role, and you have no direct reports. The Sr. Design lead, however, does provide detailed performance feedback as input to formal reviews.

What You'll Do:

• Design Strategy & Execution: Lead end-to-end design strategy for complex journeys, translating human-centered insights into scalable solutions; drive structured problem-solving, prototype to test ideas, balance user and business needs, and uphold high design standards while coaching others.
• Planning & Project Orchestration: Develop and manage project plans with clear timelines, milestones, and resources; facilitate workshops; track progress and adjust as needed; make scope decisions with business partners; and proactively mitigate risks to ensure successful delivery.
• Stakeholder Management & Communication: Act as the primary link between design and executives, translating strategy across levels; present compelling visions and business cases; tie design to measurable outcomes; align stakeholders; make autonomous decisions; and build trusted relationships to drive alignment.
• Quality Assurance & Standards: Own deliverable quality by leading design reviews, validating problem statements through research and iteration, promoting data-driven, human-centered design, and ensuring consistent application of service design principles.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead a high-performing multidisciplinary team by setting clear roles and direction, fostering psychological safety, coaching and upskilling, inspiring ownership, providing actionable feedback, and driving rapid experimentation, learning, and confident delivery.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Product, Business, Engineering, and Research as a strategic peer to influence direction; collaborate across design disciplines for cohesive end-to-end experiences; co-lead alignment across design, business, and delivery; and coordinate experts and partners to drive outcomes.

What Experience You Need:

• Bachelor's AND Master's degree in Design or equivalent discipline (HCI, Service Design, Interaction Design, Behavioral Science, Communications, Anthropology, etc.)
• 7+ years of progressive design experience with proven track record leading design teams. Deep experience in service design and journey design – you've designed multi-touchpoint experiences, not just products.
• People leadership experience (direct or indirect) leading designers to fluent collaboration
• AI Integration. Comfortable integrating AI-powered tools into design processes to accelerate prototyping, testing, and insights synthesis. You view AI as an enabler of creative work, not a replacement for human judgment. Understanding of AI as a craft multiplier.
• Video editing and creation capabilities, including AI integration
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills across all organizational levels
• Executive presence and ability to build trust with senior stakeholders
• Consultancy background strongly preferred (IDEO, Accenture, or similar)
• Some travel may be required

Application Instructions

To apply, please submit:

1. Resume

2. Cover letter explaining how your background aligns with this role

3. Portfolio: Portfolio must showcase at least 4 end-to-end service or journey design projects (not just product/screen design). We're specifically evaluating: (1) Your ability to design across multiple touchpoints (digital, physical, human), (2) Evidence of how you led ambiguous problem framing through to measurable outcome, (3) Demonstrated collaboration with cross-functional teams, and (4) Business impact you drove (with metrics). We're particularly interested in understanding how you've led teams, managed executive stakeholders, and delivered complex journey design work in fast-paced, consultancy-style environments.
4. Interview Process Transparency: During interviews, be prepared to walk us through your portfolio, explain your role vs. team contributions, articulate trade-offs you navigated, and demonstrate your strategic thinking through case study presentations. We're particularly interested in understanding how you've led teams, managed executive stakeholders, and delivered complex journey design work in ambiguous, fast-paced environments.

**Candidates that live within a commutable distance from our Tempe, AZ and St. Louis, MO home office locations are expected to work in the office four days per week effective June 1, 2026. Before June 1, 2026, candidates that live within a commutable distance from our Tempe, AZ and St. Louis, MO home office locations are expected to work in the office three days per week, with preference for Tuesday through Thursday.** Current INTERNAL home-based associates: While this role is posted as hybrid, if selected and accepted, you may retain your home-based status. Edward Jones intends in good faith to continue offering the role as home-based, though future business or regulatory needs may require on-site work.

At Edward Jones, we are building a place where everyone feels like they belong. We're proud of our associates' contributions to the firm and the recognitions we have received. Check out our U.S. awards and accolades: Insights & Information Blog Postings about Edward Jones Check out our Canadian awards and accolades: Insights & Information Blog Postings about Edward Jones

Edward Jones does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, veteran status, genetic information or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Edward Jones' compensation and benefits package includes medical and prescription drug, dental, vision, voluntary benefits (such as accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness), short- and long-term disability, basic life, and basic AD&D coverage. Short- and long-term disability, basic life, and basic AD&D coverage are provided at no cost to associates. Edward Jones offers a 401k retirement plan, and tax-advantaged accounts: health savings account, and flexible spending account. Edward Jones observes ten paid holidays and provides 15 days of vacation for new associates beginning on January 1 of each year, as well as sick time, personal days, and a paid day for volunteerism. Associates may be eligible for bonuses and profit sharing. All associates are eligible for the firm's Employee Assistance Program. For more information on the Benefits available to Edward Jones associates, please visit our benefits page.