Director CX Strategy

Merge Storytelling and TechnologyMERGE promotes health, wealth and happiness in the world by merging storytelling with technology and offers marketing and technology clients full-service capabilities including strategy, creative communications, experience engineering, performance marketing, media and digital platform development. MERGE has enduring client partnerships with American Express, T-Mobile, LG, Subway, Kate Spade NY, Coach, The North Face, Meta, Adobe, BlueCross BlueShield, Abbott, Astellas, Supernus, CSL, GE Healthcare, Broward Health, Indiana University Health, Nationwide and Morgan Stanley. With 800 employees across offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Montreal, New York City and Los Angeles, MERGE uses a talent-to-task process that enables clients to think higher and feel deeper about their customers. For more information, visit mergeworld.com.Promote Health, Wealth & HappinessWe are committed to promoting health, wealth, and happiness in the world by partnering with purpose-driven clients in purpose-driven industries such as healthcare, financial services, and consumer products. Our deep vertical expertise and category insights stem from decade-long partnerships with our top clients.Emerge to the Top of Your CareerAt MERGE, we strive to create a superior work experience where talented and ambitious people grow. An experience that encourages people to think higher and feel deeper. An experience where people engage minds and hearts to do the best work of their careers.As our Director, CX Strategy, you will…Bring solid experience in understanding business needs, conducting research, identifying customer needs, and facilitating excellent customer experiences. You apply human-centered design strategies to help clients connect with their prospects, customers, employees, and vendors, driving meaningful business results.You will serve as a strategic business consultant to clients, working alongside them to interpret customer needs and key factors impacting their business. You have a passion for human-centered design and a deep understanding of how to help businesses craft more frictionless and enduring relationships with their customers by investing in exceptional experiences.You are ready to challenge the thinking of both client and internal teams, deploying strategies that always keep customers' needs and desires central. You'll collaborate closely with multi-disciplinary teams, including fellow strategists in content, CRM, and brand, as well as UX/UI designers, technologists, and extended partners in media and analytics.Be Accountable and ResponsibleLeading research, ideation, innovation• Oversee and guide research initiatives: Define research objectives, select appropriate methodologies, and ensure alignment with client goals and customer needs.• Lead ideation and innovation workshops: Facilitate collaborative sessions with cross-functional teams to generate and evaluate new ideas, concepts, and solutions for enhancing the customer experience.• Champion customer-centricity: Foster a culture of customer-centric thinking throughout the organization, ensuring that customer insights inform all strategic and tactical decisions.• Provide thought leadership: Stay abreast of the latest trends and best practices in CX, and share insights with clients and internal teams to drive innovation and continuous improvement.• Mentor and develop team members: Provide guidance and support to junior team members, fostering their growth and development in CX strategy.Leading customer-centric activities and maintenance, keeping the customer at the center of planning and delivery of meaningful experiences:• Define and refine customer journey maps: Lead the development and ongoing refinement of customer journey maps, ensuring they accurately reflect the customer experience and identify opportunities for improvement.• Develop and maintain customer personas: Oversee the creation and evolution of customer personas, ensuring they are data-driven and representative of the target audience.• Champion storytelling and empathy: Use compelling narratives and visuals to communicate customer insights and foster empathy for the customer experience.• Guide the implementation of CX initiatives: Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate CX insights into actionable plans and ensure their successful execution.• Establish and track CX metrics: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of CX initiatives and track progress over time.Championing CX within MERGE:• Develop and deliver persuasive presentations: Present CX findings and recommendations to clients and internal stakeholders in a clear, concise, and compelling manner.• Build strong client relationships: Act as a trusted advisor to clients, providing strategic guidance and support to help them achieve their CX goals.• Foster collaboration and knowledge sharing: Encourage cross-functional collaboration and facilitate the sharing of CX knowledge and best practices across the organization.• Contribute to business development efforts: Participate in new business pitches and proposals, showcasing MERGE’s CX expertise and capabilities.• Drive continuous improvement: Continuously evaluate and refine MERGE’s CX processes and methodologies to ensure they remain effective and aligned with industry best practices.These are the qualifications we’re looking for:• 8+ years of demonstrable experience from a consulting firm and/or digital agency• Expertise in a variety of CX research methods, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, to uncover customer needs and inform experience design• Knowledge of Life Science, Healthcare, and Health insurance domains and experience in finance (B2B and B2C) is a plus• Proven ability to plan, facilitate, and lead workshops, both in-person and remotely, particularly with large groups• Deep understanding of customer journey mapping, persona development, and other experience strategy deliverables• Experience with service design principles and methodologies, even if practiced under a different name• Familiarity with business model canvas, lean canvas, and other tools for product/ service definition, as well as behavioral models such as COM-B and Jobs to Be Done• Excellent collaboration and influencing skills, adept at building relationships, fostering communication, and gaining buy-in from key stakeholders• Strong presentation and communication skills, capable of confidently engaging with senior client leaders and presenting to large audiences• Exceptional written and verbal communication, organization, and time management skills. Flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances• Ability to optimize design operations and implement process improvements.• Understanding of journey-based measurement and its application in evaluating CX initiatives• Foundational knowledge of UX design, either through hands-on experience or directing UX designers• Ability to support sales and growth teams by identifying client needs and acting as a subject matter expert on business development• Proficiency in presentation design tools (Miro), journey mapping software (e.g. Smaply/UXPressia), and familiarity with FigmaNice to have:• Experience with research methods like contextual inquiry and secret shopping• Experience conducting longitudinal studies and utilizing participatory design methods• Specializations in design for behavior change, future thinking, or market research• Knowledge of go-to-market strategy and change management principles• Familiarity with working in an Agile environment#LI-CP1#LI-HYBRIDAt MERGE, we’re committed to fostering an environment where our team members can thrive in both their careers and personal lives, ensuring they feel supported and empowered to succeed.MERGE believes in transparency and equity. In accordance with state regulations, we’re proud to include salary ranges in our job postings to ensure fair compensation practices.The salary range for this role is $150,000 - $170,000, based on the individual’s skills, experience, qualifications, location, and other relevant factors. The salary pay range is subject to change and may be modified at any time.MERGE is proud to invest in benefits that include meaningful Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 410K, Lifestyle Spending Account, Employer Paid Life & Disability Insurance, Flexible Time off & Holidays plus many other benefits and rewards.Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States.And here’s how we live our values at MERGE• Ability. Mastering our craft• Agility. Delivering with a growth mindset• Humility. Collaborating for shared successMERGE is proud to be an Equal Opportunity EmployerMERGE welcomes and celebrates diversity regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status or people with abilities. We believe that the more diverse we are, the more creative our work will be!