The User Experience Specialist will assist Strategic Communications and the Web Competency Centre in bringing current static site content into a new website design using the web content management platform. Project activities are already underway and focus on phased implementations for managing and displaying site content using Open Text Web Experience Management (formally Vignette) and Open Text's Dynamic Portal module for third party portals (DPM3PP) integrating with IBM Web Sphere Portal.
The User Experience Specialist is responsible for identifying the user audiences for the website ; assessing user requirements, needs and satisfaction levels; creating and testing user interface designs, prototypes and specifications across multiple platforms and browsers; designing and conducting usability tests at various stages of the development process; analyzing the results of these tests and making recommendations to improve design and functionality; developing and publishing usability guidelines to provide developers with tools in the design process; and creating, promoting and supporting a corporate standard for usability excellence. The assignment will include assessments and proof of concept improvements of the design, function and user experience of particular City web pages.
The City's web content platform roll-out and migration project includes extensive usability review and testing activities with end users and internal stakeholders. Candidates will be working closely with and providing deliverables to interface designers and information architects. The candidate must therefore be able to produce documentation supporting and explaining their recommendations and implementation concepts in the appropriate format for each.
 
The User Experience Specialist will lead the process of analyzing site metrics and site user behaviour that will inform the site redesign process, and will manage the stakeholder and user consultations required to develop, test and refine design concepts for the City‘s public websites. This work will include:1) Managing, documenting and analyzing requirements to translate business needs and requirements into engaging and compelling on-line experiences.2) Managing and leading stakeholder and user testing of design concepts and managing user acceptance testing of proposed sites and interfaces. This will include the developing of the user testing schedule and test scenarios, recruitment of test participants, and coordination of overall testing.3) Reviewing testing results and modifying the design/prototype based on these results.4) Interpreting and presenting usability testing results to Strategic Communications, Web Competency Centre, other City divisions and business units.5) Consolidating feedback reviewing best practices and preparing reports and recommendations based on the results6) Assisting with the development, documentation and communication of web usability policies, procedures and processes7) Assisting with requirements, planning, deployment and conversion of the current websites to the new design including advising on and developing City-wide standards for usability and working with divisional and other business units to assess and document their website needs.8) Development and implementation of a sustainment plan to manage the ongoing review and design evolution of the City‘s websites ensuring they continue to integrate new features, be responsive to user needs and set the standard for municipal websites9) Conducting data gathering activities to assess user characteristics, requirements, needs, goals, and opportunities.10) Determining data collection methods and tools (questionnaires, interview questions etc.).11) Analyzing test and requirements data, preparing results, and making recommendations based on this data.12) Assist in developing and overseeing user interface designs, prototypes, and specifications across multiple platforms while working with appropriate content, technical, and communication/divisional staff. Recommending how designs/prototypes can best reflect user needs and specifications, technical capabilities, and adherence to usability standards and guidelines.13) Developing and overseeing usability testing efforts and ensuring that all user interfaces undergo usability testing prior to release. Planning usability-testing activities for specific product releases and for incremental improvements to existing interfaces.14) Working with project team members and divisional staff, and act as a resource for other City initiatives to help inform them of web strategies, designs and direction around Web 2.0 experiences with a view on improving the user experience.15) Continuing to refine the concept model for the new City web site to convey the proposed direction, create buy-in and generate interest and manage engagement and feedback from internal and external stakeholders.
 
Qualifications
It is important that the Services be undertaken by a User Experience Specialist who can demonstrate specific knowledge of, and experience in performing similar work for projects of comparable nature, size and scope as detailed below.
Qualifications & Experience:
1. Completed post-secondary education in disciplines related to the job function; for example, library science, technical communications, human-computer interaction, graphic and/or industrial design or an equivalent combination of education and experience.2. 7+ years of 'progressively more responsible' experience working on web information technology projects that are large-scale or in complex environments, preferably municipal public sector.3. A minimum of 3+ years experience working as a User Experience Specialist in a large enterprise environment comparable in size to the City of Toronto. Experience in web development projects for large public service organizations, preferably municipal, is required.4. 2+ years experience working in website development/design projects using technologies where content is managed by Open Text Web Experience Management (formerly Vignette) V7 or V8, and deployed through IBM Websphere portal.5. 7+ years experience leading enterprise website development/design projects including content development for the web, site design, web site construction, navigation and management.6. 5+ years experience developing and implementing interactive media technologies demonstrating a comprehensive grasp of online media and social media tools and issues7. 5+ years experience managing formal and informal usability testing, gathering user research and heuristic analysis and translating research into design decisions in support of enterprise web projects8. 5+ years experience demonstrating the ability to participate in, co-ordinate and lead cross-functional, multi-disciplinary teams producing innovative web designs and strategies.
 
Technical Capabilities:1. Demonstrated experience and knowledge of Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Dynamic Hypertext Markup Language (DHTML), Extensible Markup Language (XML), JavaScript, graphic formats, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), popular Web plug-ins, Web site authoring and management tools including Web Content Management and related information repository and database environments.2. Demonstrated experience developing website solutions that take into account the capabilities of Web browsers across multiple platforms and the constraints involved in designing for online media including the need for content to be accessible to a broad and diverse audience.3. Demonstrated ability to juggle multiple projects and to work to overlapping deadlines.4. Demonstrated proficiency in user scenario test design and quality assurance scripting and results documentation including the use of using Unified Modeling Language (UML)5. 5+ years experience using Microsoft Word; Excel, Visio; and Powerpoint.
 
 Deliverables
1. Architecture & design artefacts including Unified Modeling Language (UML) models2. Status and requirements gathering meeting reports and recommendations3. Navigation and website organization plans and models4. Other project management artefacts as part of the team lead responsibilities5. Knowledge transfer to other team members