Benetech's Literacy program wants to dramatically improve the user experience of Bookshare, the world's largest online library of accessible materials. We are seeking an experienced information architect to evaluate, optimize, and redesign components of the information architecture and core user workflows for an online service used by more than 250,000 members. Working with cross-functional teams across Benetech's Literacy program, the information architect is responsible for analyzing user needs and Bookshare's goals and audiences to drive improved user interaction and key functions (including membership processing and services, content collection discovery and analysis). The information architect will lead the UX redesign of key high-level information interactions to meet user needs identified through a highly cross-functional, collaborative process. Bringing a knowledge of Bookshare's audiences and UX best practices (including accessibility), the role will provide holistic UX oversight over Bookshare, analyzing new features and design proposals for consistency and optimal user experience. Working closely with system and data architects, the information architect will devise, maintain and apply overall principles for UX and information structure to provide a cohesive, simple, fluid user experience through a network of integrated systems. This is a part-time or full-time contract position and is expected to last three to six months. Responsibilities include:

• work with team members across Literacy to identify and understand user personas, user stories and business requirements, conducting user-centered research such as focus groups as needed
• work with peers in Engineering, Product Management, and other teams to envision Bookshare's information architecture scheme, applying expertise on how users consume content, mastery of Bookshare's goals and mission, analysis of existing data and feedback, and insightful understanding of Bookshare's audiences
• create and map new and existing user scenarios; prepare data models and work-and dataflow diagrams, site maps, business rules, and interaction and navigation specifications, evaluating existing flows for improvement as well as proposing new flows
• Develop frameworks describing key aspects of proposed experience, how it reconciles business/user needs
• create and maintain a set of best practices for Bookshare and other related Literacy products, regarding navigation rules, information organization and processes
• prepare interactive mock ups and front end prototypes for user testing
• develop and manage usability test plans, in coordination with Product Management and Customer Support
• recommend and specify analytics that can inform user-centered design and product assessment
• Lead and/or participate in immersive user research, concept testing, and usability testing
• work closely with data architect to map functional flows to underlying data models, using both top-down and bottom-up processes
• Collaborate extensively with architecture peers to ensure that architectures and solution designs are rationalized and integrated across systems
• serve as an advocate for the end user

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; preferred in design-related discipline: Interaction, Information or Interface design; Human-Computer Interaction; Design Planning
• 5-7 years of experience as an information architect, with work on consumer-oriented online services
• Expertise in accessible user interaction design
• Well-versed in user-centered design methods and techniques
• Strong leadership experience in leading a cross-functional team to deliver high quality product and establish new processes
• Superb communication and negotiation skills and ability to work effectively with team members and stakeholders with varying technical skill levels
• Ability to hold onto the big picture while still getting all the necessary details
• High creativity coupled with ability to make practical trade-offs
• Passionate belief in the centrality of the end-user
• Experience in an Agile development environment
• Experience leading teams during periods of change and transition