Senior Digital Accessibility Specialist
UI/UX Developer

Purpose

The Senior Digital Accessibility Specialist will champion inclusive design and accessibility across Scotiabank to envision and co-create accessible digital experiences, solutions, and interactions for Scotiabank customers. They will provide technical leadership, expert guidance, coordination, and strategic support to teams and centers of practice, focusing on facilitating inclusive design principles and driving the adoption of digital accessibility techniques.

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Contributes to the overall success of Scotiabank by ensuring specific individual goals, plans, and initiatives are executed/delivered in support of the team’s business strategies and objectives. Ensures all activities conducted conform with governing regulations, internal policies, and procedures.

 

Education / Experience / Other Information

• 5 - 8 years of practical digital accessibility experience.

• Advanced knowledge of digital accessibility standards and inclusive design principles.

• Thorough understanding of frontend technologies including limitations and constraints, as it relates to digital accessibility for mobile and responsive web applications.

• High Level of awareness of disability-related issues with respect to digital accessibility.

• Expert knowledge of accessibility standards and principles including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

• Experience creating, testing, and remediating accessibility for various document formats (PDF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) for adherence to document accessibility standards.

• Knowledge of assistive technology including screen readers, print magnification software, and alternative input systems.

• Proven ability to provide accessibility solutions for content creators, product designers, developers, and testers.

• Thorough knowledge of accessibility testing techniques using automated and manual testing procedures.

• Expert knowledge of assistive technology including screen readers, print magnification software, and alternative input systems.

• Proven ability to effectively communicate the complexities and opportunities of accessibility and inclusive design to technical and non-technical audiences with various skill sets.

• Strong understanding of usability and user interface design principles.

• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills.

• Self-driven, with the ability to take ownership and accountability; must be adept at working in a self-guided manner to drive inclusive design principles.

• Comfortable working within tight timeframes and working creatively and strategically within specific constraints.

• A fast learner who has an appetite to learn what’s behind both simple and complex financial solutions.

• Proficiency in Spanish is considered an asset.

 

Working Conditions

• Work in a standard office-based environment; non-standard hours are a common occurrence.

 

 Accountabilities

• Champions a customer-focused culture to deepen client relationships and leverage broader bank relationships, systems, and knowledge.

• Develop and document accessibility standards and policies.

• Collaborate with teams in a strategic, self-directed manner to support digital product development.

• Mentor and collaborate with other accessibility, design, and usability specialists.

• Be recognized as an accessibility technical subject matter expert for user interface experiences, monitoring industry trends to identify best practices and extend as needed.  

• Drive contributions to ongoing guidelines for accessibility standards and requirements by other SMEs and incorporate input from other centers of practice.

• Develop and continually evolve accessibility testing processes, methodology, tools and criteria.

• Explore capabilities of digital platforms and identify strategic opportunities to drive accessibility forward.

• Find strategic opportunities for identifying and removing accessibility barriers in order to positively impact the user experience for users with disabilities and drive appropriate systemic changes.

• Provide strategic direction, training, expertise and feedback to build accessibility knowledge and capacity within various teams across the Bank.

• Leverage insights gathered through participation in usability testing with people with disabilities to refine best practices and methodologies.

• Work directly with teams and centres of practice to:

     ◦ Lead vision of accessible and inclusive customer journeys and/or interactions across functions.

     ◦ Coach and guide designers and engineers on advanced accessibility principles.

     ◦ Document and develop best practices and technical implementation techniques.

     ◦ Document and develop manual and automated accessibility testing techniques and remediation

       methods.

• Engage thoughtfully, collaboratively and professionally with the engineering and business teams to identify common needs and drive strategic accessibility efforts across projects.    

• Mentor and collaborate with other accessibility, design and usability specialists within Scotiabank.  

• Actively contribute to the development of the Accessibility Community of Practice.

• Actively participate in and contribute to the Design Community of Practice.

• Actively participate in the wider digital accessibility community.

• Understand how the Bank’s risk appetite and risk culture should be considered in day-to-day activities and decisions.

• Actively pursues effective and efficient operations of his/her respective areas in accordance with Scotiabank’s Values, its Code of Conduct, and the Global Sales Principles, while ensuring the adequacy, adherence to, and effectiveness of day-to-day business controls to meet obligations with respect to operational, compliance, AML/ATF/sanctions and conduct risk.

• Champions a high-performance environment and contributes to an inclusive work environment.