Internal EY wavespace Experience Leader 7-8 months Maternity Leave cover, Associate Director

EY wavespace is EY’s vehicle for delivering live, immersive experiences that employ best-in-class design thinking methods and proven approaches to collaboration tools and technology. EY wavespace gives our participants the environment, mindset and collaborative tools to think differently, through transformative experiences both in-person and virtual. We help clients to reframe problems and explore visions of the future that lead to inspired ideas and innovative solutions to their biggest challenges.

When we create and solve together, teams learn, businesses realize their growth potential, new ideas flourish, and technology works for everyone. With wavespace, we aspire to bring the world closer to a day when trust is the default, collaboration is enduring, and human ingenuity thrives. In doing so, we build a better working world.

The opportunity

Our Global Clients & Industries internal wavespace team delivers experiences of the highest quality that enable our internal clients (mainly the firm’s executive leadership) to advance and accelerate our growth agenda.

This is an Experience Leader position: a global role focused on delivery of EY’s internal wavespace sessions across the global leadership level of EY, with particular focus on wavespace experiences that support the Clients & Industries agenda.  The role enables the successful execution of EY’s priority initiatives through leveraging their network, technical competencies, design, production and facilitation skills.  The Experience Leader will be expected to establish and maintain trusted working relationships with senior executives as well as with partners and their global teams as part of credibly advising on and delivering strategic sessions that accelerate and advance the firm’s strategy.

This role is for a maternity leave cover for 7 months, starting in January 2026. You must be able to travel globally for this role. 

Your key responsibilities

As a wavespace Experience Leader, you’ll team with a wide-ranging set of stakeholders in wavespace, across the global EY community, and with our internal, Senior Executive clients to build and deliver best-in-class innovation experiences based in a strong design thinking foundation.   

• ​Own the end-to-end experience for our internal clients: from initial scoping call to understand the client need, through design, delivery and completion of each project.
• Understand the objectives of the session and how the design of the session will meet these objectives 
• Oversee design strategy for concurrent client sessions
• Manage and be accountable for the design management and process design of each session
• Create a safe place for participation and input before, during and after experiences 
• Display emotional intelligence and deep understanding of the importance of energy, flow, and inspiration 
• Lead primarily from the “front of room” as the driver of an experience in real-time, including group activities, facilitated break-out conversations, and outcome production
• Leverage adept listening skills and keen ability to navigate challenging and political discussions and viewpoints  
• Distribute accountability and influence to enable all team members to contribute and shape client experiences 
• Oversee the Experience Manager, Experience Designer and the other members of the experience team 
• Coordinate session logistics and resources, ensuring all logistics are in place, all technology is delivered and functions, all activities are planned, all material is available  
• Balance the requirements of multiple clients and projects at one time 

Skills and attributes for success

This is a highly visible role with significant interaction with high-level EY partners.

• To qualify you must have
  
  • Deep experience and confidence with facilitation
  • Applied experience of design thinking methodology(ies) 
  • Confidence designing, managing and running sessions / workshops
  • Comfort working with executives and VIPs 
  • Ability to navigate challenging situations in real-time  
  • Ability to manage ambiguity and the political aspects of change 
  • Ability to build and maintain relationships across many different functions and organization levels
  • Adept creative problem-solving skills and the ability to compromise around needs of diverse stakeholders 
  • Experience in managing a cross-border team
  • Excellent written, oral, presentation, communication and stakeholder engagement skills
  • An innovative mindset and curiosity to seek new ways to improve or enhance ways of working, including staying current on design trends, methodologies and tools
  • Ability to travel as required and conduct multi-time zone meetings outside of local business hours
• Ideally, you’ll also have
  
  • Experience in the EY wavespace network, with an understanding of wavespace’s methods and tools
  • Comfort interacting with highest levels of firm/company leadership
  • Familiarity with digital collaboration platforms and techniques (e.g., Miro, Lucid, Slido, etc.)
  • Professional services / consulting experience across strategy, innovation, change management, service design, customer experience, technology, supply chain, finance, or other business advisory specialism
  • Experience with working with GDS teams

What we look for

• Good analytical and critical thinking skills
• Ability to establish and maintain credibility and excellent client relationships 
• Demonstrable Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and sensitivity to stakeholders needs
• Good judgment, tact and decision-making ability 
• Flexibility to adjust to multiple demands, shifting priorities, ambiguity and rapid change 
• Ability to work and team with a multitude of different people and different cultures

EY has a diverse and high-performing culture; wavespace is no exception.

If you can confidently demonstrate that you meet the criteria above, please contact us as soon as possible. Join us in building a better working world!