Principal UX Architect – Employee Experience

The Business

At Willis Towers Watson, we help clients align their talent and rewards strategy with their business strategy to achieve long-term success. We rely on data, analytics and experience to pinpoint the talent and workforce needs that are vital to their overall performance. We develop strategies and design and implement programs that address these needs, drive higher performance and ensure the right return on their investment in people. Backed by industry-leading technology, global workforce data, research and insights, we help our clients quickly transform ideas into action.

Note: Employment-based non-immigrant visa sponsorship and/or assistance is not offered for this specific job opportunity.

Role Overview

We design and deliver software that creates meaningful employee experiences that inspire and engage people, driving behavior change and business success. As a Principal UX Lead on our user experience team, you will shape the strategic direction and core functionality of Embark, our software focused on delivering HR communications to employees in a personalized and effective way. Whether it be benefits information, wellness initiatives or understanding the value of their total rewards, we help employees understand how information from HR impacts them and their families. We also help HR teams draw the connections between communication initiatives and employee behavior change so they can see the real impact of their work. This role combines hands-on UX design leadership with expert-level UX research skills, requiring deep experience collaborating with product and engineering teams in a fast-paced agile environment. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in user experience processes, strong facilitation skills, and a passion for emerging technologies including AI-driven experiences. This is a fully remote position working with a distributed global team.

Key Responsibilities

UX Process Leadership

• Lead complex UX initiatives from concept through delivery, facilitating working sessions with stakeholders to define personas, journey maps, and user flows
• Partner with product management in prioritization and roadmapping discussions to ensure user-centered decision making
• Design information architecture and interaction patterns that scale across the platform
• Provide mentorship and guidance to global UX team members, helping them grow while ensuring consistent quality across deliverables

Research & Validation

• Lead quick-turn UX research studies encompassing both generative and evaluative research with HR leaders and employees
• Design and oversee mixed-method research including user interviews, usability testing, and quantitative studies
• Drive innovation in research operations through AI-powered tools and methodologies
• Synthesize research insights into actionable recommendations for product strategy

AI & Innovation

• Design and champion innovative generative AI UX design patterns
• Partner with technical teams to ensure responsible and effective integration of AI capabilities
• Champion innovative approaches to research operations leveraging AI technology

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Drive effective collaboration with product and engineering teams in a fast-paced agile environment, ensuring design solutions balance user needs with technical feasibility
• Participate actively in agile ceremonies and technical discussions
• Partner with offshore designers to develop detailed design solutions
• Present research insights and design recommendations to stakeholders at all levels

Required Qualifications

• 8 years of UX design and research experience
• Strong portfolio demonstrating strategic thinking and complex problem-solving
• Proven experience facilitating stakeholder workshops and leading UX processes
• Demonstrated expertise in both generative and evaluative research methodologies
• Extensive experience leading UX in agile environments
• Proven track record of collaborating with technical teams to ship complex enterprise software
• Strong understanding of technical constraints and ability to balance user needs with system capabilities
• Proficiency with Figma and modern design tools
• Experience mentoring other designers and providing constructive feedback
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Demonstrated experience implementing accessibility best practices in UX design

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with AI-driven products and research operations
• Background in complex SaaS products within regulated industries
• Familiarity with content management platforms
• Experience with content development for enterprise-grade websites
• Track record of presenting to and working with executive stakeholders
• Experience working with distributed global teams
• Deep understanding of WCAG guidelines and accessibility regulations
• Passion for inclusive design and accessibility advocacy

Impact In this role, you'll shape how employees at organizations worldwide access and engage with critical HR information. Success means defining scalable, user-centered solutions validated through rigorous research, ultimately enhancing the experience for hundreds of thousands of users while helping HR teams achieve their strategic goals.

Compensation and Benefits

Base salary range and benefits information for this position are being included in accordance with requirements of various state/local pay transparency legislation. Please note that base salaries may vary for different individuals in the same role based on several factors, including but not limited to location of the role, individual competencies, education/professional certifications, qualifications/experience, and performance in the role.

Compensation

The base salary compensation range being offered for this role is $115,000- $125,000 USD per year. This role is also eligible for an annual short-term incentive bonus.

Company Benefits

WTW provides a competitive benefit package which includes the following (eligibility requirements apply):

• Health and Welfare Benefits: Medical (including prescription coverage), Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account, Commuter Account, Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Group Accident, Group Critical Illness, Life Insurance, AD&D, Group Legal, Identify Theft Protection, Wellbeing Program and Work/Life Resources (including Employee Assistance Program)
• Leave Benefits: Paid Holidays, Annual Paid Time Off (includes paid state/local paid leave where required), Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Other Leaves (e.g., Bereavement, FMLA, ADA, Jury Duty, Military Leave, and Parental and Adoption Leave), Paid Time Off
• Retirement Benefits: Contributory Pension Plan and Savings Plan (401k).

We’re committed to equal employment opportunity and provide application, interview and workplace adjustments and accommodations to all applicants. If you foresee any barriers, from the application process through to joining WTW, please email candidate.helpdesk@willistowerswatson.com.

This position will remain posted for a minimum of three business days from the date posted or until sufficient/appropriate candidate slate has been identified.