Senior Web Designer (Bellevue, Wa)

Feb. 10, 2012

Seattle, WA

Confidential

TireBuyer.com, a division of American Tire Distributers, is an Internet-based eCommerce company aiming to become the leading online retailer in the Tire and Wheel industry. Our goal is to build a rich customer experience platform for the end-to-end (shop, buy, install) lifecycle for TireBuyer and other "white-label" tire consumer segments. TireBuyer will lead the industry in providing innovative solutions to the consumer simplifying a complex shopping cycle that integrates a national tire purchase with localized install process. Localization, social and mobile strategies are an imperative to success as this online retail market explodes.

Position Purpose:

The Senior Web Designer is responsible for conceptualizing and designing user interface standards, aesthetics and visual attitude from concept through production and execution.

This individual will be responsible for original design creation of elements and pages across a variety of media such as ATD owned websites, external media, online sales promotions, affiliate programs, e-mails, internal/external landing pages, white-labeled sites, etc.

Play a key role in helping to shape and protect the brand identity of TireBuyer and its brands by preserving a consistent look-and-feel throughout the design and development of materials.

The Sr. Web Designer will work directly with online Copy Writers, Product Managers, Web Developers and User Experience professionals.

The individual will have strong leadership and change management skills; create passion, excitement and results in others.

This individual will have demonstrated executive presence and be able to clearly discuss and communicate TireBuyer values and benefits to customers, prospects, and internal and external partners.

Primary Responsibilities:

Create designs that meet current HTML-driven Web page design standards, including but not limited to: usability and navigation, search engine optimization, load times, and TireBuyer templates and content management system(s).

Provide multiple design solutions for complex visual problems.

Develop trusted relationships with cross-functional business owners to understand objectives of their business processes, goals, key problems and opportunities to capture customer information and use it to drive design making decisions.

Works with Director of User Experience to conceptualize graphical interface and page layout.

Conceptualize and design icons, menus, and other navigational online graphics.

Design new pages and components as well as edit established design elements.

Work on multiple projects, both small and large, with various business owners.

Collaborate with online product managers, developers, UX professionals, content providers, marketing professionals and agency partners to bring high quality experiences to the web environment that align with business objectives, industry best practices, brand guidelines, and project timelines.

Work cross functionally to drive the implementation of design throughout the website.

Create engaging, relevant, original design that can generate sales, retain customers, and provide a first class customer experience.

Serve as the customer voice and advocate in technology discussions and decisions.

Develop and maintain strong working relationships with marketing, eCommerce, and technology teams to ensure a shared vision and strategy around design.

Take ownership in driving product and new feature development through every stage of the web development lifecycle.

Have a full understanding of the appropriate metrics and key performance indicators to measure performance to goals.

Participate in and lead meetings with business leaders to establish priorities, communicate process & progress of current design-related projects.

Possess the ability to develop consensus among disparate stakeholders with different objectives and goals.

Responsible for performing this role in accordance with all applicable regulatory and quality systems standard operating processes.

Recommend methodologies for and drive conflict resolution and issues between multiple teams or team members.

This individual will be responsible for documenting graphical user interfaces.

This individual may take part in the initial planning of projects.

Asset creation includes: user interface comps, on-site promotions, transaction flows, and section refreshes/ re-designs.

Prepare design files for production.

Organize and archival of all graphic files

Other responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.

Success Factors/Key Metrics:

Ensure that quality and performance standards are established and measured with improvement goals developed.

Overall accountability and timeliness with various design projects covering a broad range of projects.

Ability to multi-task effectively.

Effective use of computer programs to facilitate development of creative services projects

Customer satisfaction scores for online browse and purchasing of TireBuyer products and partner dealer services.

Key Partners (Positions):

Director, Customer Experience -- Partnering to develop design patterns and schemas for pages and elements.

Product Managers --Partnering to assure business needs are met.

Web Designers -- Work tightly with other Designers to ensure consistency across multiple projects as well brand standards are met.

User Experience -- Work tightly with User Experience to ensure UX and design work together cohesively.

Copy Writers -- Work tightly with content providers to ensure design and copy work seamlessly.

Marketing -- Partner to assure Marketing needs are met

Experience(s) that Best Prepares You:

Education: BA in related field from four year university.

Experience: Minimum of 7 years in web page design, graphic content design and concept development in E-commerce, retail, and sales with a working understanding of E-commerce marketing terminology

Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Company, in its discretion may find appropriate and acceptable.

Key Competencies:

Experience in interactive design and website interfaces.

Excellent layout and web page composition abilities.

Ability to create original icon illustrations.

Understanding of HTML and design in low bandwidth environments.

Must have strong typography skills.

Strong knowledge of Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and image production applications.

Ability to execute design systems and understand brand strategy

Strong understanding of user experience theories as they relate to design solutions

Attention to detail, good follow-through.

Self-starter, accustomed to working in a changing environment who enjoys and takes pride in solution delivery.

Ability to think strategically and execute tactically.

Must be able to complete assignments in a timely manner and meet deadlines .

Able to multi-task in a fast paced, deadline driven environment.

Strong work ethic, willing to do what it takes to get the job done.

Team player, collaborate with other departments and designers to complete projects as assigned.

Knowledge and experience with, and passion for, the online medium.

Knowledge of current and emerging Web design trends.

Strong communication, leadership, and client interaction skills.

Print medium, Video, CSS, 3D modeling, After FX, audio design / editing a plus

Innovative and creative thinker

Service oriented

Analytical, problem solver

Strong judgment skills

Broad working knowledge of project management skills, problem solving, conflict resolution, decision-making skills, financial and analytical skills, and experience working in agile development environments.

Physical Demands/Work Environment/Travel Requirements:

Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk, hear, taste and/or smell; the employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

Work environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Travel required: 10+% of the time, travel throughout the U.S. and will often require overnight stays.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying the position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by their supervisor, subject to reasonable accommodations. Nothing in this job description creates a contract of employment in any way for any person. All employees hired by American Tire Distributors, Inc. are employees at will and the Company reserves the right to terminate employees at any time for any reason or no reason at all.