Sr Staff, User Experience Accessibility Specialist

We believe that, when done right, investing liberates people to create their own destiny. We are driven by our purpose to champion every client’s goals with passion and integrity. We respect and appreciate the diversity of our employees, our clients, and the communities we serve. We challenge conventions strategically to create value for our clients, our firm and the world. We live and bring to life the concept of ‘own your tomorrow’ every day. We champion our employee strengths, guide their development, and invest in their long-term success. We hire optimistic, results-oriented, curious, innovative, and adaptable people with the desire to help our clients and one another succeed.

As a company, we were established by Chuck over 40 years ago to champion Main Street over Wall Street, and to help Americans transform themselves from earners to owners. Through advocacy and innovation, we work to make investing more affordable, accessible and understandable for all. As we enter our fifth decade, we are looking for talented, innovative and driven people who believe they can help themselves, and our clients, create a better future.

Our Opportunity:

We are looking for an experienced Accessibility Specialist to join our Charles Schwab Digital Services User Experience team. This team is responsible for the web, mobile and messaging platforms that serve Schwab Retail Clients. The organization defines the experience and oversees the management of Schwab’s electronic channels (Schwab.com and mobile apps), and internal platforms used by Schwab service representatives and financial consultants.

Our purpose is to providing equal access to tools and experiences that enable all clients to achieve their financial objectives, while supporting the strategic growth of the firm.

The accessibility team is responsible for:

Execution – Applying accessibility knowledge to a wide range of content including web, mobile applications, design and development process, and pattern creation

Client service – Ensuring we produce inclusive content for our users

Partnership – Bringing our knowledge and skills to complement, strengthen, and shape an experienced and dynamic team of User Experience professionals

What you’ll do:

Apply accessible user-centered and usability principles while investigating issues and developing solutions.
Consider the clients’ accessibility needs and customer requirements with an emphasis on human error control, visual and non-visual interactions, and physical manipulation.
Ensure products meet high standards of usability, accessibility, and design excellence.
Advocate for accessibility as a key component of web governance, change management, and training within projects.
You may also serve as an internal and external evangelist for universal usability and the benefit it provides to our clients. You will work cross-functionally to evaluate, test or validate and assist with accessible solutions that meet our accessibility standards.
Keeping up-to-date on accessibility and usability trends, techniques, and tools.
Continually learning – and teaching others – by assisting in the implementation of effective accessibility training materials and by helping to maintain the accessibility knowledge center website by adding additional content and updating content as needed.

What you have:

Basic working knowledge of applying usability and user-centered design principles.
The ability to conduct accessibility testing with assistance against the WCAG 2.0 (AA) Success Criteria requirements using the following methodologies: visual analysis; screen reader reviews; color sampling; keyboard only; gesture only; and code reviews.
Experience with usability testing for accessibility, either as an observer or as a researcher
Empathy and understanding of disabilities and impairments that affect the way people use the web.
Strong understanding of digital platforms, design principles, techniques and frameworks.
Experience working in highly collaborative software development environments on large, complex desktop web, mobile web and mobile applications.
Ability to manage multiple projects at one time with attention to detail.
Strong presentation and facilitation skills to clearly communicate assistive technology needs and design decisions to multiple stakeholder groups.
Understanding of the WCAG 2.0 AA guidelines, ADA Title III and basic accessibility design principles.
Very strong working knowledge and practical experience with applying proper basic semantic HTML markup.
Solid understanding and practical experience of coding best practices with HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript.
Working knowledge and practical experience of accessible coding practices using HTML and WAI ARIA.
Knowledge of how to improve and remediate accessibility using web-based technology including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.Basic knowledge of the range of assistive technologies, which may include: JAWS®, NVDA, VoiceOver, Window-Eyes, ZoomText, MAGic®, Dragon® NaturallySpeaking or other speech recognition software.

What you’ll get:



Comprehensive Compensation and Benefits package
Financial Health: 401k Match, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Employee Discounts, Personalized advice, Brokerage discounts
Work/Life Balance: Sabbatical, Paid Parental Leave, New Mothers returning to work Program, Tuition Reimbursement Programs, Time off to volunteer, Employee Matching Gifts Program
Everyday Wellness: Health and Lifestyle Wellness Rewards, Onsite Fitness Classes, Healthy Food Choices, Wellness Champions
Inclusion: Employee Resource Groups, Commitment to diversity, Strategic partnerships
Not just a job, but a career, with an opportunity to do the best work of your life

Learn more about Life@Schwab.