Design Strategist

ShadowObjects, LLC; United States; Remote; USD 70,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

ShadowObjects, LLC seeks a Design Strategist to connect business goals with customer needs using human-centered design principles. The role focuses on shaping solutions that are highly valued, usable, mission-relevant, and differentiated.

The candidate will lead discovery, research, journey mapping, and synthesis, guiding cross-functional teams to align user needs with mission outcomes. Strong facilitation and security-clearance eligibility are expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in design, human factors, communications, business, or related field.
• 5+ years in design strategy, UX, service design, or consulting, ideally in government or defense.
• Proficiency in human-centered design methods, usability testing, and synthesizing research into strategy.
• Rapid prototyping and testing with iterative development to accelerate product progress.
• Familiarity with human systems integration (HSI) and training or military user environments preferred.
• Familiar with interviews, surveys, insights gathering, analyses, and strategy mapping.

Responsibilities

• Discovery leadership: stakeholder interviews, user research, journey mapping, and requirements synthesis.
• Lead extraction of key insights to guide cross-functional collaboration.
• Influence source concepts for design solutions aligning user needs with mission outcomes.
• Facilitate workshops and planning sessions to build shared understanding and decision intelligence.
• Guide designers toward cohesive, user-centered products that are well-researched and connected.
• Balance multiple initiatives with attention to detail and customer satisfaction.
• Contribute to retrospectives and design process improvements.
• Support business development with win themes, proposals, and capability presentations.

Skills

UX design

User research

Stakeholder facilitation

Design thinking

Rapid prototyping

Synthesis of insights

Cross-functional collaboration

Presentation/communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in design, human factors, communications, business, or related field

Job description

Salary Range: $70,000.00 To $200,000.00 Annually

Design Strategist

Summary: The Design Strategist is the connective link between business goals and creative solutions that bridge the gap for customer needs, user experience, environmental constraints and mission realities. They apply human-centered, and user-experience focused design principles to shape solutions that are highly-valued, usable, mission-relevant, and differentiated.

Key Responsibilities

• Discovery Leadership: stakeholder interviews, user research, workflow and journey mapping, and requirements synthesis.
• Drive the identification and extraction of key insights to help guide team cross-functional collaborations
• Influence the source concepts for solutioning, using design theory, design principles, and other processes that help the team align true user needs with key mission outcomes.
• Facilitate workshops and customer planning sessions to build shared understanding and drive decision intelligence.
• Guide the Artistic Designer and SME toward cohesive, well-researched, user-centered products that are comprehensive and connected.
• Balance multiple concurrent initiatives with attention to detail and customer satisfaction.
• Contribute to retrospectives and design process improvements.
• Support business development by shaping win themes, proposal narratives, capability presentations, and strategic engagement.

Shared Team Attributes:

Value-seeking dedication to mission; attention to detail; positive spirit; innovative thinking; sharp business acumen; strong research skills; stakeholder engagement and UX design experience; collaboration and problem solving; conscientious communication; relationship savvy; execution-driven mindset.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in design, human factors, communications, business, or a related field.
• 5+ years in design strategy, UX, service design, or consulting, ideally in government or defense.
• Proficiency in human-centered design methods, usability testing, and synthesizing research into strategy.
• Rapid Prototyping and Testing experience with a focus on iterative development that accelerates product development and drives customer successes.
• Familiarity with human systems integration (HSI) and training or military user environments preferred.
• Familiar with User and Market Research to guide formation of actionable insights
• Familiarity with: interviews, surveys, insight gathering, analyses, brainstorming, strategic mapping (like journey mapping), design thinking methods, measures and metrics creation, feedback loop solutioning, and service design frameworks
• Skilled facilitator and presenter.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.