Lead UX/UI Designer

Helzberg Diamonds Shops, Inc.; North Kansas City (MO); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Helzberg Diamonds Shops, Inc. is seeking a Lead UX/UI Designer to drive the full design lifecycle for Benbridge.com and Helzberg.com.

You will lead research, wireframes, prototypes, usability testing, and final execution with high autonomy, mentoring teammates and upholding luxury standards. You will collaborate with Product, Design Directors, and Engineering to ensure a cohesive, on-brand customer journey across platforms, while travelling regularly to the Kansas City and Seattle offices for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design or related field.
• 8+ years designing customer-facing digital products or ecommerce experiences.
• Front-end knowledge: HTML, CSS, responsive design, component-based development.
• Strong portfolio showcasing UX, interaction design and visual design.
• Experience using analytics and experimentation platforms to inform design decisions.
• Proficiency in Figma and prototyping tools.
• Knowledge of web analytics platforms (GA, others).
• Usability factors in HCI knowledge.
• Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a plus.
• Independent and collaborative with strong attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end UX/UI design projects from research through wireframes, prototypes and final execution.
• Conduct site audits to identify UX strengths and opportunities.
• Evolve and govern the digital design system to reflect luxury trends and brand consistency.
• Translate business goals into user-centered solutions with cross-functional partners.
• Present concepts and rationale to stakeholders and build alignment.
• Mentor other designers and promote design thinking methodologies.
• Conduct user research and usability testing to validate decisions.
• Provide UI/UX recommendations with a mobile-first approach.
• Collaborate with Product and QA to ensure final implementation.

Skills

UX design

Interaction design

Prototyping

Usability testing

Research

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Design systems

Information architecture

Education

Bachelor's degree in graphic design

Tools

Figma

Adobe Creative Suite

Google Analytics

Monetate

Syte

Tangiblee

A/B Tasty

ContentSquare

Salesforce Commerce Cloud

Job description

THE DEPARTMENT:

UX/UI Design supporting the Helzberg and Ben Bridge e-commerce platforms, focused on delivering elevated, customer-centered digital experiences.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Lead UX/UI Designer is responsible for leading the full UX design lifecycle; from research and discovery through interaction design, prototyping, and usability testing; to deliver intuitive, user-centered experiences on Benbridge.com and Helzberg.com. Operating with high autonomy, this individual brings a high level of craft and acts as a subject matter expert, frequently leading design projects and ensuring work across the team progresses smoothly and cohesively while applying deep knowledge of UX methodologies and information architecture to translate vision into cohesive, elevated digital experiences. This role requires the ability to clearly present design rationale and recommendations to broad audiences, building confidence in design decisions across the organization. This individual collaborates closely with the UI/UX Design Director, contributes to upholding design standards and consistency, and informally supports and mentors other designers on the team. This position requires a genuine passion for the craft and detail that luxury customers expect, while staying ahead of industry trends and emerging technologies.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

1. Owns and executes complex, end-to-end UX/UI design projects on Benbridge.com and Helzberg.com, from research and discovery through wireframes, prototypes, and final execution.
2. Conducts ongoing site audits to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity within the user experience.
3. Leads the ongoing evolution and governance of the digital design system that reflects luxury trends, user needs, and brand consistency.
4. Partners closely with Product Management, Project Management and Application Development throughout the delivery lifecycle to translate design concepts into development-ready specifications, ensuring the final implementation delivers the intended user experience.
5. Collaborates with stakeholders to translate business goals into user-centered solutions that elevate the luxury customer journey.
6. Elevates the overall quality and consistency of design work by fostering collaboration and a shared design standard across the team.
7. Acts as a subject matter expert, leading design projects and driving adoption of design thinking methodologies.
8. Conducts user research and usability testing to validate design decisions and uncover new opportunities for improvement.
9. Presents design concepts and rationale to stakeholders, building alignment and confidence across broad audiences.
10. Provides recommendations on UI/UX enhancements with a mobile-first design approach, staying ahead of luxury and e-commerce design trends.
11. Partners with Product and QA on user acceptance testing to ensure final implementation reflects approved designs and delivers a polished and on-brand customer experience.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The incumbent does not have any direct reports.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in graphic design or a related field, providing a solid foundation for creative design principles.
• Minimum 8 years of experience designing customer-facing digital products or ecommerce experiences, including significant experience leading UX/UI initiatives from discovery through implementation.
• Working knowledge of front-end technologies (HTML, CSS, responsive design principles, and component-based development) to effectively partner with engineering throughout implementation.
• Must possess a strong portfolio showcasing UX and interaction design, visual design aesthetic, and user-centered thinking.
• Experience using customer behavior analytics and experimentation platforms to inform design decisions.
• Proficiency in Figma and other wireframing/prototyping tools.
• Knowledge of web and ecommerce analytics, including Google Analytics and other industry-standard platforms such as Monetate, Syte, Tangiblee, A/B Tasty, Content Square, etc.
• Solid knowledge of Usability Factors in Human Computer Interaction.
• Experience with Salesforce Commerce Cloud is a plus.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, with strong attention to detail.
• Must possess team spirit and strong communication skills to collaborate with various stakeholders; detail-oriented with strong critical thinking and time management skills.
• Ability to work effectively within a hybrid team environment, including the availability and willingness to travel to the Kansas City and/or Seattle corporate office on a regular basis for planning sessions, design reviews, workshops, and other key business initiatives.

COMPETENCIES:

Customer Focus, Strategic & Design Thinking, Innovation, Influence & Communication, Analytical and Creative Problem Solving, Business Knowledge, Collaboration & Partnership, Craftsmanship & Attention to Detail, Execution Excellence, Personal Accountability, Integrity.