Design Manager, Client Experience

Thrivent Financial; Minneapolis, Northern (MN, KY); Hybrid; USD 139,000 - 189,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus programs

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Health savings account

Flexible spending account

401k

Pension

Life and AD&D insurance

Disability insurance

Paid time off (20 days)

Sick and Safe Time

Company holidays (10)

Volunteer Time Off

Parental leave

Employee assistance program (EAP)

Wellbeing benefits

Job summary

Thrivent is seeking a Manager of Design to lead a cross-disciplinary team of designers, researchers, and content specialists in Minneapolis. You will drive product strategy, roadmaps, and user-centered initiatives while maintaining high design standards.

You will collaborate with product, engineering, and stakeholders to ensure timely delivery and business alignment, fostering an environment of continuous improvement and shared accountability across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Interaction Design, UI/UX Design, Product Design, UX Research, Software Development or equivalent background.
• 8+ years in a related field, with at least 5 years in UX, interaction/product design and research in a product team, plus 3+ years of managerial experience.
• Experience collaborating with Engineering, Product and Business owners to prioritize work and identify high-impact opportunities.
• Ability to motivate and organize a team of 5-8 designers and researchers to deliver product goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a cross-functional design team of product designers, UX researchers and other design specialists.
• Effectively manage people and drive multiple product areas.
• Develop processes and approaches for tackling design problems and anticipating challenges.
• Facilitate engagement with cross-functional teams to align on priorities.
• Frame problems to establish starting points that lead to quality solutions.
• Lead holistic product experiences by solving undefined problem spaces.
• Communicate design rationale using storytelling to build trust with partners.
• Communicate at all organizational levels with confidence.

Skills

Lead cross-functional teams

People management

Stakeholder communication

Design strategy

Product design

UX research

Talent management

Agile practices

Design systems

Project prioritization

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in related field

Job description

As the Manager of Design at Thrivent, you will be a strategic and compassionate leader responsible for building and nurturing a cross-disciplinary team of UI/UX designers, content specialists, and UX researchers. You will oversee capacity planning and talent management, ensuring optimal team performance while fostering a collaborative environment. Your role involves representing the voice of the user in setting the product strategy and prioritizing product roadmaps, maintaining high design standards, and delivering quality solutions. Additionally, you will prioritize the work of the team, ensuring their efforts align with business goals and project timelines. Effective communication and collaboration with product managers, developers, and stakeholders will be crucial in aligning design initiatives with business objectives and advocating for user-centered design principles throughout the organization.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and manage a cross-functional design team of product designers, UX researcher and other required design specialists as needed.
• Be able to effectively manage people and drive multiple related product areas.
• Develop processes and approaches for tackling design problems, using known methods and anticipating challenges.
• Facilitation to engage cross-functional teams.
• Realize the power of problem-framing, establishing new starting points that lead to quality solutions.
• Lead the solution of undefined problem spaces, taking a holistic product experience point of view.
• Communicate design rationale effectively using storytelling techniques, building trust with partners and stakeholders.
• Comfortably communicate at all levels of the organization, demonstrating confidence.
• Free resources to drive change by systematically cutting low-return activities.
• Use understanding of impact and success metrics to focus and reprioritize efforts.
• Collaborate with cross-functional peers, both downward and across the organization, ensuring alignment and fostering long-term relationships.
• Recruits, develops, and sustains a high-performing team while promoting a culture of shared accountability, operational excellence, and partnership across the organization.
• Supports and/or develops an environment in which Thrivent employees and colleagues are focused on continuous improvement, exceptional employee engagement, and an unwavering commitment to our clients.
• Shapes and/or supports a culture that represents the Thrivent purpose, promise and values, ensuring that Thrivent's trust and reputation remain strong with its clients.
• This role will interact/collaborate with the following teams: Cross-functional design team (direct supervision and management).
• Cross-functional product peers (collaboration).
• Cross-functional organizational stakeholders (collaboration, presentations).
• Product, Design, and Engineering Directors (presentations).
• Product, Design, and Engineering VPs (presentations).

QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Interaction Design, UI/UX Design, Product Design, UX Research, Software Development or any combination of education and experience which would provide an equivalent background
• 8+ years of experience in a related field, with at least 5 years of experience in user experience, interaction design, product design and research in a product development team required and with at least 3 years with managerial experience.
• Proven experience in navigating and collaborating with different areas of the enterprise, including Engineering, Product and Business owners, to help prioritize work and identify high impact opportunities for the experience.
• Ability to motivate, inspire and organize a team of 5-8 designers and researcher to deliver goals outlined for the portfolio of products the manager oversees.
• Manage a team like a business owner making tradeoff and prioritization decisions around how to allocate team members (skill sets and quantity) to meet the goals of the portfolio and products within.
• Excellent communication and persuasion skills, with the ability to build trust and establish long-term relationships.
• Understanding of impact and success metrics for any given product to focus and reprioritize design efforts to ensure the greatest impact possible.
• Ability to collaborate with cross-functional peers and drive change within the organization.
• Experience in talent management; including experience in recruiting, hiring, and professional development.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to develop processes and approaches for tackling design problems.
• Experience working with design systems and agile practices within a product team model.

PREFERRED

• Strategic design thinking and the ability to contribute to the overall design strategy of the organization.
• Knowledge and experience working in financial services, ideally wealth management.

The applicable salary or hourly wage range for this full-time role is $139,455.00 - $188,676.00 per year, which factors in various geographic regions. The base pay actually offered will be determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to, location, relevant experience, skills, and knowledge, business needs, market demand, and other factors Thrivent deems important.

The following benefits may be offered:

• various bonuses (including, for example, annual or long-term incentives)
• medical, dental, and vision insurance
• health savings account
• flexible spending account
• 401k
• pension
• life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance
• disability insurance
• supplemental protection insurance
• 20 days of Paid Time Off each year
• Sick and Safe Time
• 10 paid company holidays
• Volunteer Time Off
• paid parental leave
• EAP
• well-being benefits, and other employee benefits.

Eligibility for receipt of these benefits is subject to the applicable plan/policy documents.

Thrivent's plans/policies are subject to change at any time at Thrivent's discretion.

Thrivent provides Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship status, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable local, state, or federal law. This policy applies to all employees and job applicants.

Thrivent is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, please let us know by sending an email to [e-mail] or call 800-847-4836 and request Human Resources.

At Thrivent, we believe money is a tool, not a goal. Driven by a higher purpose at our core, we are committed to providing financial advice, investments, insurance, banking and generosity programs to help people make the most of all they’ve been given. At our heart, we are a membership-owned fraternal organization, as well as a holistic financial services organization, dedicated to serving the unique needs of our customers. We focus on their goals and priorities, guiding them toward financial choices that will help them live the life they want today-and tomorrow. For over 100 years, Thrivent has been helping people build their financial futures and live more generous lives. Today, it’s a Fortune 500 company that offers a full range of expert financial solutions, serving more than 2 million customers, as well as the communities in which they live and work. Thrivent fosters a diverse workforce to serve our diverse clientele, reflecting a wide range of backgrounds and experiences.